Miles: Oddities and entities from this year's Cubs convention

The Chicago Cubs' annual convention always produces its share of oddities and entities.

This year was no different.

For the most part, the convention proved to be another love fest between team and fans, despite the angst over the way last season ended and the inertia of this off-season.

The big ballroom sessions, during which fans ask questions of players, the manager, coaches and the front office, often produce moments that are funny, sweet, cringeworthy and/or poignant.

Here are a few from this past weekend.

The purr-fect response:

One fan got up and told team president Theo Epstein that he named his cat after Epstein.

"I'm allergic to cats," Epstein responded.

You might want to hold off:

The Cubs have hired Northwestern University product Mark Loretta as their bench coach. Loretta had a nice career as a major-league infielder.

A fan told Loretta his father's name is Mark and his mother's name is Loretta and asked what number Loretta will wear on his uniform. Loretta got up, turned around and showed off his No. 19.

A few minutes later, Loretta was talking to reporters backstage. Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer walked by and said: "Wait until a player takes that number."

Waxing poetic:

During a session with Cubs hitters, Kris Bryant was asked to describe the feeling of hitting a home run. Bryant went on to say how great it is and how he doesn't even feel anything when ball meets bat. He was quickly brought back to earth by teammate Ben Zobrist.

"You're a hitting poet, bro," Zobrist said.

On Friday night, Bryant ruffled the feathers of the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans when he termed St. Louis "boring."

"Who would want to play in St. Louis?" Bryant said during Ryan Dempster's Friday night extravaganza. "So boring."

Stay tuned.

Welcoming words:

Epstein was asked if he was doing anything to promote the idea of more women in baseball management.

"We are because there's no way we can be as good as we want to be unless we have women contributing," he said before listing a number of women in Cubs baseball ops. "This is a great time to be a young woman entering baseball because there's no ceiling whatsoever."

Better pick your spot:

One woman told manager Joe Maddon that he "appears to be a positive, gentle cheerleader."

"I've always thought of myself that way," he responded.

After the laughter died down, the woman asked Maddon if he ever has "a good, old-fashioned come to Jesus meeting."

Maddon said that he has, but he added words of caution about that.

"I think if you want to have a come to Jesus meeting, the best place to do it is on the road, not in your own clubhouse, because you're going to contaminate your clubhouse. You never want to do that. And (have the meeting) after a win.

"Those are the two best times for me. I think if you really have to get upset, do it then. Too many times, all these team-meeting things, all this tough-guy routine, it doesn't work.

"And if you really want to have a meeting like that, make sure your best pitcher is pitching the next day because otherwise, it's really going to go awry. Communication is a much better method as opposed to intimidation."