'Is this the year?' Cubs broadcaster tells Naperville students

For the past four years Len Kasper has been asked one question so many times, his three-word answer is almost effortless.

"Everyone wants to know 'Is this the year?'," Kasper told a group of Still Middle School students Thursday morning. "And all I can say is 'I hope so."

The Chicago Cubs TV play-by-play man visited the Naperville school at the urging of language arts teacher and die-hard Cubs fan Melissa Kupsco.

"I sent him a photo and he gave me a shout-out on air," said Kupsco, whose room is decorated in Wrigley Field motif complete with ivy. "So I shot him a note back asking if he'd come speak to my students and he was gracious enough to come today."

During his hourlong chat with students, Kasper passed around his 2003 World Series ring that he received as part of the Florida Marlins broadcasting team and said he's looking forward to wearing one with "a big Cubs logo on it."

He also shared some inside-baseball information about his favorite player, Derrek Lee, and how what a nice guy Manager Lou Piniella really is behind closed doors.

"I don't want to slight anybody but if I had to pick one favorite player, I would pick Derrek Lee," he said. "I've known him for a long time and he's one of my favorite people off the field and he's a terrific player on the field."

Despite working previously for the Marlins and growing up a Detroit Tigers fan listening to legend Ernie Harwell, Kasper said he's a Cubs' fan for life since joining the team in 2005.

And he encouraged the students to do well in school so they, too, could one day have their dream jobs.

"Everybody wants to make a good living and that's absolutely important especially when you get married and support a family," he told them. "But it's just as important to do something you love because you'll be better at it. In fact, I'm at the point now that if I'm at a game I'm not broadcasting I get anxious because I enjoy what I do so much."

But what about that 102-year-old Cubs curse?

"I don't really believe too much in superstition, luck, curses and all that stuff," he said. "But it's a huge part of the culture in baseball."