Lee Elia fired

On this date in 1983, the Cubs finally fired the man behind the tirade, manager Lee Elia.

I still love this merging of Lee's tirade with Eddie Vedder's Cubs song. It's performed by JOBC friend Tom Latourette.

Rolling Stones

Their unreleased 1972 documentary ("C***sucker Blues") has finally found it's way to the Internet.

Check out the story behind it, and watch a clip of it here.

When you click on the video at the link above, you can see the other parts of the film too. The quality isn't great (it was shot on Super 8), and it's pretty unflattering to the Stones (Mick snorts coke!), so it's probably for the best that they decided not to release it.

Nevertheless, it's history.

This week in...

1929

The Cubs are in the midst of a pennant winning season.

*On the same day that the first roller coaster is built in the United States, Charlie Root beats the Cincinnati Reds 9-5 in Wrigley Field. Rogers Hornsby hits his 29th homer of the year for the Cubs.



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1969

The Cubs are in the midst of one of their most memorable seasons.

*While the Woodstock Festival is taking place in upstate New York, the Cubs are on the West Coast taking on the Padres and the Giants. They win both series, and return home for Ken Holtzman's no-hitter. It's the high-water mark of the season. The Cubs are 31 games over .500, and have a 7 1/2 game lead over the second place New York Mets.


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1984

The Cubs are hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since World War 2.

*On the date that the Republicans nominate Ronald Reagan for a second term as President, the Cubs win a slugfest 13-11 in Cincinnati. Lee Smith earns the save despite giving up 7 hits and 3 earned runs in his three innings pitched. Ron Cey hit his 19th homer of the year for the Cubs.

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1989

The Boys of Zimmer are taking Chicago by storm.

*The Cubs lose a heartbreaking extra inning game at Wrigley Field to the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 on a Domingo Ramos error. Ramos had been brought into the game as a defensive replacement. This game turns out to be Pete Rose's final game as manager of the Reds. Baseball Commissioner Giamatti suspends him from baseball for life.

Alfonso Soriano

A foot outside...SWING. Strike one.

Two feet outside...SWING. Strike two.

Two feet outside and in the dirt...SWING. Strike three.

Only five more years on this contract.

Buckle up, gang, El Sucko is in the house to stay.

Best day at the ballpark ever

Twelve Year Old Catches Two Foul Balls - Watch more Funny Videos

Fox, the new liberals

Nice twist by the Daily Show.

Fox News: The New Liberals

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
www.thedailyshow.com
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Jerome Walton

He was the Rookie of the Year in 1989.

Jerome Walton earned that award because of his 30-game hitting streak.

The streak ended exactly twenty years ago: August 20, 1989.

Amos & Andy

Exactly 80 years ago today the radio show Amos & Andy debuted on the NBC Blue network. The show was based in Chicago and quickly became the most popular radio program in America.

The full story (with a Cubs angle) is here.

E-mails, we get e-mails

I got this from "JB" regarding my latest Father Knows Nothing column "Things you never thought you'd have to say."

"We were at Sawgrass Mills on Saturday and behind Bed, Bath & Beyond there is the loading dock/dumpster area. It rained heavily while we were in the mall that day. When we came out there were two boys around 11 years old, with their razors, skooting in and out of the BLACK dirty water at the bottom of the loading dock entrance (which was past their knees in water). It was the grossest thing we've ever seen. We can only imagine what types of germs they brought home. Just thought I'd share!"

Got any others? Feel free to send 'em in.

Burleigh Grimes

He is a Hall of Famer, a former Cub, and he was born on this date in 1893.

Unfortunately, the Cubs acquired Grimes just a few years too late.

Recognize the pitchman?

From 1981...

Kevin Gregg

Sucks.

Best moment at Woodstock

There's been a lot of talk about Woodstock this weekend because it took place exactly 40 years ago. For my money, this moment was the highlight of the whole weekend...

Things you don't want to hear your ace say

#1 on the list...

"My problem is I've been lazy," a contrite Zambrano said. "There are things in life you don't like to do, but you have to do them. I don't like abs [abdominal muscle workouts], but I have to do them. I have to start doing them every day and be serious about it."

$17 million isn't enough to get you serious? Are you serious?

E-mails, we get e-mails...

From "RP"...

"Harding was actually my favorite bumbling President. I did a couple of reports on him in school and have read a couple of biographies of him. Harding had even more of a Chicago connection than you note. His mistress--the first one--was named Nan Britton, and during Harding's Presidency, she lived in seclusion in Evanston, occasionally traveling to Washington on, um, business."

It's true. Read about their daughter: Elizabeth Ann Blaesing

2000 hits

On this date in 1971 Cubs great Billy Williams got his 2000th hit. It came in the 8th inning of a 4-4 game against Atlanta Braves reliever Jim Nash.

Unfortunately, the Cubs lost that game in the bottom of the ninth on a walk off home run by pinch hitter Zoilo Versalles.

Father Knows Nothing

I just posted my latest "Father Knows Nothing" column at NWI Parent. This one is called "Things I never thought I'd have to say." You can read it here.

The minor league system

Why have the Cubs been terrible for so long?

There are many, many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is their approach to their minor league system.

For this week's bonus "Tale from a Bad Century," I analyze that history. It's not pretty.

32 years ago today