Bob Nightengale

USA TODAY Sports

CHICAGO - Cubs owner Tom Ricketts won't make any wild proclamations regarding his stocked ballclub this season.

He will, however, strongly insist he bears little resemblance to Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz.

The trouble is convincing everyone else.

Ricketts often finds himself surrounded by large groups of Cubs fans. Inevitably, an unwitting passerby will assume the throng surrounds Ricketts because it's not the Cubs owner, but rather the top challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.

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Ricketts was asked if he was Cruz at a Fort Lauderdale restaurant last week. And while he was watching the Cubs’ season opener against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, a fan walked up with a pen and notebook, seeking Cruz’s autograph. When he was told it was the Cubs owner and not Cruz, the fan walked away.

“Apparently, I wasn’t cool enough for his collection of autographs,” Ricketts said. “I’ve had people walking up really believing I’m Ted Cruz. I think from a lot of the photo angles it may look that way, but in person you can see the difference.”