But when a Hall of Famer will actually devote some time to do a one on one sit down interview with you four days after having his number retired…you do what you can to make it happen.

Such was the case last Thursday, when The Hall had the unique opportunity to talk baseball, steroids, mustaches and hockey with 284 game winner Ferguson Jenkins.

Here’s how it went down.

JM: Let’s talk about your career on the North side since that is how you are most commonly remembered. On your plaque in Cooperstown, you’re immortalized as a Cub. Chicago is a town where if the fans love you, they LOVE you. What’s it like playing for the Wrigley crowd?

FERGIE: The first time I came here (as a Phillie) I didn’t think it was all that great. It became interesting because Cub fans are different from others…knowledgeable, smart and loyal. They come out regardless…win or lose. There have been a lot of nicknames for the Cub fans that I think are not good. But Cub fans take it. They’d like to see their team win, so when they do win…I think the city will go crazy.

JM: After your first stint in Texas, you went to a similar atmosphere in Boston. You know, that’s quite the debate on a number of message boards, chatrooms, etc…Wrigley vs. Fenway. How do the Fenway fans stack up to those at Wrigley?

FERGIE: The Fenway crowds are very good. If you’re playing against the Yankees, there is always that love-hate relationship in the stands. They always want you to perform well because you’re the home team…they want you to beat the nemesis. Fundamentally, when you go out there, you already know in the back of your mind that you’ve got to perform well. You’ve got to put your A game together and win and the fans respect you for that. If you don’t win on that particular night, (the fans) are honest enough to know that you gave what you could to win. Giving up is not in my vocabulary…I love to win.

JM: You came to the mound to “Canadian Sunset” in Chicago…did that follow you to Texas and Boston?

FERGIE: No. The only place that they ever played it was Chicago. It was nice to hear that. They recognized you as a certain individual and I was a Canadian.

JM: Alright, so let’s get back to that…you’re from Ontario. And, subsequently, you’re the only Canadian Hall of Famer. What I want to know is…who was a better hockey player, you or Tom Glavine? Glavine, of course, having been drafted by the LA Kings in 1984.

FERGIE: Structure wise I am a little bigger than Glavine and that’s the way the game is now. In his era, maybe he was a decent player…but I didn’t get to see him skate. I was a decent hockey player.

JM: Outside of hockey, you also played basketball. In 1967 and 1968, you actually played with the Harlem Globetrotters. How did that come about?

FERGIE: (The marketing guru for the Globetrotters) came to see me one afternoon at Wrigley Field and he wanted to know if I was going to go (back to Canada) in the off season. He said that they were going to start their tour in Sherbrooke, Quebec and asked if I would like to join their team and be part of their skit as the pitcher. I went over and worked out with them a couple of times…we got our routine together and after a while, they found out I was a decent player. I used to play every third quarter. But my fundamental opportunity for playing was to give up a home run every night to Meadowlark Lemon.

JM: Was it your two years on the hardwood, traveling the globe that encouraged you to grow out the mustache and afro?

FERGIE: (Laughs) A lot of times guys would come to spring training with a mustache or beard but would take it off. I just think that when you got to a team…some guys had a little bit that they wanted to do. When the afro started to become a trend, I started growing mine a little bigger.

JM: Some people, myself included, believe the mustache to be the ultimate performance enhancer. Do you believe that your mustache was the catalyst to seven 20 win seasons in eight years?

FERGIE: No, not really. (Laughs) The way you get driven to win games, is to try and be consistent. You try to prove to yourself and your teammates that you’re as good a player as anybody else in the league. Gibson, Drysdale, Koufax, Bunning…or any of the other pitchers in the league. They’re the number one pitchers on their staff and you’re the same on yours. That makes you drive yourself a little harder to try and win more games.

JM: In all seriousness, with the talk of steroids all over the sports channels and what not…what are your feelings going to be when a player who has admitted use, and it’s bound to happen, gets elected to join you in Cooperstown?

FERGIE: I don’t think (it’s bound to happen). Whoever has the vote, the Hall of Fame committee…the 500 plus reporters, they’re not going to vote for them. Guys like Sosa might not make it. Neither will Bonds or McGwire. A-Rod might not make it. Once you get that particular black mark on your record, they are not going to give you the required amount of votes. You have to get 75 percent. McGwire only got 22 percent. He’s not even close.
JM: If someone that is suspected of steroids makes it in, like Clemens, are you on that stage when they’re inducted?
FERGIE: I don’t know, I’d have to wait and see. I know Bob Feller voiced his opinion already. There’s a few guys who voiced their opinion and said they wouldn’t go. (Al) Kaline probably wouldn’t go. Some of the guys who are staunch advocates of playing the game clean…they probably wouldn’t show.

JM: Tell me about that sweltering day in 1991, when you Rod Carew and Gaylord Perry were welcomed into the Hall.

FERGIE: Gaylord Perry won 314 games. Rod Carew had eight batting titles. I had some consistency in my career too. Three pretty good athletes went in in 1991, so I was pretty happy with the circumstances. My mother always said I had a gift for gab, and, you know, I very seldom get nervous.

JM: What’s hotter…the heat on that podium, or getting called into Billy Martin’s office, who incidentally, managed you, Carew and Perry at different times in your careers.

FERGIE: Getting called into Billy Martin’s office. Two managers of mine, Leo Durocher and Billy Martin had an open door policy. You could go in and talk if you had a beef with something. But I watched too many reporters get thrown out that I wasn’t going in. If I had to talk to Billy, it was probably on the bench.

JM: I’ve got a friend in Toronto, David Allan, who is obsessed with Canadian baseball. He’s been over at my site, The Hall of Very Good, touting the efforts of Larry Walker. Who in your estimation has the best chance of being the NEXT Canadian in the Hall?

FERGIE: I think as a hitter (Walker) has the numbers. An MVP, some batting titles, a lot of home runs…he supported his team very well. I think he’s got a great opportunity. I’d like to have some company.

Ferguson “Fergie” Jenkins is a native of Chatham, Ontario, Canada. He was a three time All-Star and the winner of the 1971 National League Cy Young Award. While most of his career was spent playing for the Chicago Cubs, he also had stints with the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.

You can read more from Jesus over at The Hall of Very Good.

In Boston, it is Ted Williams’ familiar Number 9.

Number 44 in Atlanta is synonymous with Hank Aaron.

And in New York, well…in New York, the Yankees have too many to mention.

On May 3, the Chicago Cubs will be adding a new number to their team’s historic legacy.  Joining Numbers 10 (Ron Santo), 14 (Ernie Banks), 23 (Ryne Sandberg), 26 (Billy Williams) and 42 (Jackie Robinson) will be Number 31.

However, the Cubs aren’t just retiring Number 31 for one player…they’re doing it one better and retiring it for two.

Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux.

And the case for both is pretty easy to make.

Jenkins made his way to the Cubs on April 21, 1966 (a week after Maddux was born coincidentally), along with John Herrnstein and Adolfo Phillips.  In return, the Phillies received Bob Buhl and Larry Jackson.

Now, I’m not entirely sure how Buhl and Jackson faired for the Phillies, but considering they were out of baseball shortly after Richard Nixon was elected suggests that the Cubs MIGHT have made out like bandits.

But what exactly did Jenkins accomplish while wearing Number 31 on his back for the Loveable Losers?

Well…

Jenkins was 167-132 with a 3.20 ERA in two stints (ten seasons) with the Cubs.  In 1971, he brought home the National League Cy Young Award, while three other times, he was either the runner up (1967) or finished third (1970 and 1972).

All in all, Jenkins threw six straight 20 win seasons between 1967 and 1972 (the longest streak in the Majors since Warren Spahn did the same between 1986 and 1961), during his first stint with the Cubs.

In 1982, after eight seasons away from Chicago and stops in Texas and Boston, Jenkins returned to the North Side to push his career wins total to 284, which, at the time, ranked him 19th all-time.  Twenty-five full seasons after his retirement, he is sitting at 29th all-time.

Prior to the 1984 season, Jenkins was released and left the Cubs as their all-time leader in games started and strikeouts.  His 167 victories as a member of the Cubs is the most for the team since 1941.

What’s interesting about Jenkins is that he didn’t want Number 31 when he first joined the Cubs.  Originally, he requested Number 30, but Cubs clubhouse man Yosh Kawano informed Jenkins that young lefty Kenny Holtzman already wore that number.“My birthday is December 13, so I reversed the numbers to make it 31,” Jenkins once told a reporter.

Given the crazy reasons that other people have had (Omar Olivares wore Number 00 to display his initials, Bill Lee wanted 337 so people could read his name while he stood on his head), reversing your birthdate makes perfect sense to me.

Maddux, on the other hand, had no such reasons.

When he made the big leagues late in the 1986 season, he stepped into the Cubs clubhouse and without asking…was given Number 31.

“I remember walking down the stairs into the clubhouse. (The Number 31 jersey) was there in my locker. Being 20-years-old at the time, the last thing I was going to do was complain about my number. I was just happy to be there,” Maddux told the Chicago Tribune last month.  “I thought that was pretty cool that they gave me (Jenkins’) number.”

And like Jenkins, Maddux made the most out of his career with the pinstriped Number 31 on his back.

In his ten seasons with the Cubs, he was 133-112 with a 3.61 ERA.  He also cemented himself as one of the top fielding pitchers of all-time by winning six of his eighteen Gold Gloves on the North Side.

In 1992, Maddux’s best season as a Cub, he won his first Cy Young Awards.  Of course, it was following that season when Chicago ceremoniously allowed him to flee to Atlanta and capture three more Cy Youngs.

All in a row.

In between his two stints with Chicago (the second coming from 2004 to 2006), Maddux finished just shy of 200 wins with the Braves and for his career, he ended with a staggering 355-227 record.  He is the only pitcher in Major League history to win at least 15 games in 17 consecutive seasons and only Spahn and his 363 wins has more career wins in the post-1920 live-ball era.

Jenkins was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991, his third try, with 75.4% of the vote.  Maddux looks to be virtually unanimous when Cooperstown comes a calling in 2014.

Separately they are sure-bet Hall of Famers.  But let me ask you this…did anyone else of worth ever don Number 31 for the Cubs?

The short answer is “no”, but most perplexing is how and why did ANYONE get to wear the number once Jenkins left the first time?  Why wasn’t Jenkins’ number, at the least, the second number retired by the Cubs (Banks’ being the first in 1982) instead of the sixth?

I mean, here was a guy who, from 1967 to 1972 led the Majors with 127 victories, averaged 248 Ks (compared to 63 walks) and a 3.00 ERA.  How did the Cubs dare relinquish his jersey to the likes of Tom Dettore (1975-76), Joe Coleman (1976), Jim Todd (1977) and Davey Johnson(1978).

The first three were, like Jenkins, pitchers, but their time with Chicago didn’t quite add up to Fergie’s.  Mostly used in relief, the three pitchers were a combined 15-21 with a 4.92 ERA over three seasons.

Between the time Jenkins came back to the Cubs to finish up his Hall of Fame career and Maddux started his, another reliever, Ray Fontenot donned Number 31.

Fontenot continued the legacy of the afore mentioned three-headed monster by going 9-15 in 80 games.

Ugh.

So, Maddux inherits the number and holds on to it while he secures his spot as one of the greatest righties of the live-ball era.  Surely, the Cubs learned their lesson and packed up Number 31 for good, right?

Nope.

Half a dozen players came and went through the clubhouse on the corner of Clark and Addison.  And again, much like Dettore, Coleman, Todd, Johnson and Fontenot…Kevin Foster (1994, 1997-98), Bobby Ayala (1999), Brad Woodall (1999), Mike Fyhrie (2001), Donovan Osborne (2002) and Mark Guthrie (2003) failed to re-capture the glory of Jenkins and Maddux.

And since I know you’re curious (and I did the math)…Foster, Ayala, Woodall, Fyhrie, Osborne and Guthrie were a less than stellar 36-41 with a 4.51 ERA.

With the Braves, Maddux was 194 and 88 with a 2.63 ERA.  Add to that those three Cy Young awards and four other seasons where he finished in the top five and, well, there is no need to continue with the comparisons.

Suffice it to say, it is nice to see the Cubs FINALLY wise up and put Number 31 to bed.  I know I’ll be watching on May 3 as they retire the number for good.

Will they send two flags up the foul pole or just one?

I guess we’ll find out.

Key Subtractions:
Kerry Wood (RP), Mark Derosa (2B), Jason Marquis (SP, RP), Henry Blanco (C)

A look at the lineup:
The Cubs had a very successful offense last season and that should continue again this season.  Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Theriot got things going at the top of the lineup and Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez were beneficiaries of that, driving in a combined 201 runs in 2008.  The Cubs have the best lineup, and also the most powerful lineup, in the NL Central once again this year and they are certainly the clear cut favorites to win the division yet again in 2009.

Catcher:
Geovany Soto had a great rookie season behind the plate last year earning himself an All-Star starting selection and Rookie of the Year honors.  Soto finished the regular season with a .285 batting average to go along with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs.  This is the beginning of an extremely successful career for Soto and his power numbers should only improve.

Backing Soto this year will be 29-year old Koyie Hill, who only started nine games last year behind the plate for the Cubs.  With Henry Blanco gone, Hill be relied on to give Soto an occasional break.  However, Soto will most likely play at least 130 games this year so Hill should not be much of a factor unless Soto goes down with an injury.

First Base:
Derrek Lee continues to be one the top first baseman in the National League with a great 2008 season in which he drove in 90 runs while batting .291.  Lee had a spectacular year in 2007 and it was going to be tough to live up to the MVP-type numbers he put up two seasons ago.  But Lee is still a great number-three hitter for the Cubs and he is also a very solid fielding first-baseman.

Backing Lee this year will be 29-year old Micah Hoffpauir, who in only 33 games last season batted .342 with 14 runs scored and eight runs-batted-in.  Hoffpauir is a nice, young left-handed hitter that could be put into the lineup when the Cubs face a tough right-handed pitcher.

Second Base:
With last year’s start Mark Derosa jumping ship for the Cleveland Indians, the Chicago Cubs brought in veteran second baseman Aaron Miles to fill the spot.  Miles spent the last three season division-rival St. Louis and last year he batted .317 in 134 games played.  Splitting time with Miles will be 28-year old Mike Fontenot.  Last year, the left-handed hitting second baseman hit .305 and made 86 starts during the course of the season.  This should be the most interesting Spring Training battle with Fontenot the returning part-time starter and Miles the newly signed free agent.  Either way, the Cubs have two solid options to start at second base.

Shortstop:
Ryan Theriot had a spectacular season last year with Cubs batting .307 and serving as a great number-two hitter in between Soriano and Lee.  Not only was Theriot solid at the plate, but he finished the season with a .975 fielding percentage, committing only 14 errors in 149 games played at the shortstop position.

Aaron Miles can also play some shortstop and will serve as the backup this season.  But it’s hard for anyone to see anyone else getting significant playing time at shortstop with Theriot on the roster.

Third Base:
The big guy, Aramis Ramirez, is back this season for the Cubs.  Ramirez, more known for his bat, did a solid job at the hot corner in 2008 with a .945 fielding percentage and only committing 18 errors in 147 games started.  But Ramirez had a stellar year at the plate with a batting average of .289 with 27 home runs and 111 RBIs.

The Cubs went out and signed veteran third baseman Corey Koskie this off-season and he will serve as the backup to Ramirez.  Koskie could also see some time at first base on occasion, but he will be mainly used off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the late innings.

Left Field:
There is no way you can keep the bat of Alfonso Soriano out of the lineup and this why the former Yankees second-baseman is now the left-fielder for the Cubs.  Soriano led the team in home runs and runs scored this past season with 29 and 103, respectively, and he also knocked in 75 runs out of the leadoff spot.  His power and speed gives the Cubs an extremely dangerous and athletic hitter at the top of the lineup, paving the way for a very good offense.

Center Field:
Right now, it looks like Reed Johnson is the top man on the depth chart in centerfield for the Cubs heading into the 2009 season.  Johnson started in center in 78 games for the Cubs and he hit .303 for the season, scored 52 runs and had 21 doubles in only 103 games played.  This year the Cubs do not have veteran Jim Edmonds, so it looks like Johnson will be the primary starter.

Another Cubs rookie All-Star from last season, Kosuke Fukudome, may see some time in center field because of the newly acquired Milton Bradley.  Last year, Fukudome finished with a .257 batting average as he struggled for most of the second half of the season and in the playoffs.  If he can get back on track, Johnson and Fukudome could find themselves splitting time in center.

Right Field:
As we just mentioned, the Cubs picked up Milton Bradley this off-season.  A free agent from the Texas Rangers, Bradley was mainly a designated hitter in 2008 and he made the All-Star team because of his stellar play.  Last year, Bradley batted .321 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs.  While he is a little rusty playing the outfield every day, Bradley can still hold his own out in right field and it’ll be hard to keep his dangerous bat out of the lineup.

A look at the pitching:

Starters:
The Cubs have perhaps the best starting rotation in the National League.  At the top of the rotation is All-Star Carlos Zambrano, who was 14-6 with a 3.91 ERA last year.  Right-handed Ryan Dempster had a breakout year as a starter in 2008 going 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA, good enough to earn himself his first All-Star selection.  Mid-season acquisition Rich Harden did not disappoint in his half-season in the Windy City going 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 12 regular season starts.  Two southpaws round out the rotation for the Cubs with veteran Ted Lilly and 26-year old Sean Marshall.  Marshall started some games last season when some regular hurlers went down due to injury, but he looks to be the number-five starter this year with the departure of Jason Marquis.

Bullpen:
You would think that the Cubs losing All-Star closer Kerry Wood to free agency would be devastating to a team’s bullpen.  But it doesn’t look like they will miss a step this year as fellow All-Star, Carlos Marmol, will slide right into the closer role.  As the setup man for Wood last year, Marmol had 30 holds, seven saves and had a 2.68 ERA.  To replace Marmol’s spot in the bullpen, the Cubs signed veteran Kevin Gregg.  Gregg spent the last two season as the Florida Marlins closer and gathered 61 saves during that time.  Right-handers Jeff Samardzija, Luis Vizcaino and Chad Gaudin return to this year’s team and newly acquired Aaron Heilman should be a solid sixth-inning and situational pitcher out of the pen.

Outlook:
The Cubs lost Derosa and Wood, but gained Bradley, Gregg and Miles. I would say the plusses definitely outweigh the minuses here, especially with guys like Fontenot and Marmol ready to step in to more significant roles.  Add all that to a team that had the best regular season record in the National League last year, you have a serious World Series title contender on your hands.  That is of course, if they can get past the Curse of the Billy Goat.

Prediction:
The Cubs will win the NL Central and they could be the 2009 World Series champion.  But it is still very early to tell.