Take Me Out to the Ballgame

I used my last pair of Cubs tickets yesterday, and took my middle son Johnny to the game.

I know people think I'm an idiot for rooting for the most pathetic franchise in history, but I refuse to let the naysayers ruin the experience for me. All it takes is an afternoon at Wrigley Field with my son to remind me why I love this game and this team.

Johnny loved every second of the experience. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing out, the hot dogs were tasty, he kept score with his Cubs pencil, and wouldn't you know it, the Cubs won the game in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a Geovany Soto home run.

In the future will Johnny's memory of yesterday be ruined by a fifth place finish? No, it won't. It was just a great day at the ballpark with Dad.

And if that makes us pathetic idiots, then so be it. I wish that kind of pathetic idiocy on all of you.

Keith Moon

On this day in 1978 Keith Moon died at the age of 32. This is the last song he did with the Who...

The Dick Van Dyke Show

On this day in 1966, one of the greatest shows of all-time "The Dick Van Dyke Show," aired for the last time...

Charmian Carr

"JD" stumbled across my Charmian Carr article, and sent me the following e-mail...

"Rick--Like you, I'm a long-time, but now retired Broadcaster: two years at WSB Radio in Atlanta, GA, then weather on TV at WSB-TV, The Weather Channel, WAGA-TV and WGCL-TV -- all in the Atlanta market. Especially during my years of doing weather, I met many celebrities around Noon News time, and as the saying goes, yep, the bigger they were, the nicer they were.

I had been at WSB Radio for a year when "The Sound Of Music" came out. As an on-air guy, I got a free pass to a press screening, very sparely attended, surprisingly. That was the first of five times I saw the movie during its first run.

While I have had a lifelong crush on Julie Andrews, I was absolutely gobsmacked by Charmian Carr! She was born 11 days after I was in 1942. The calendar says I'm 67, but I tell ya, I'm still 37 when I get up in the morning!

You said it, Rick: LOOK at those eyes.

I saw her on one of the network morning news shows about ten years ago, and she was still gorgeous.

I envy your doing John's transcribed scene with her. I expect I would have felt much the same as you; though, over the years of meeting stars, I realized that all of us "in the business" were simply performers together, even if some were in stratospherically different leagues! Having that realization made it quite easy for me to meet and talk with whoever showed up in the studio.

I just discovered your blog today, looking for Charmian. You are a fine writer!"

Right to the point

Ken Hubbs

On this day in 1962, Cubs rookie second baseman Ken Hubbs set a National League record for most plays handled without an error.

This is what it sounded like.

The record was broken in 1965 by Jerry Adair of the Dodgers.

By then, Hubbs was dead. He died in a plane crash in February of 1964.

Labor day

Happy Labor Day!

Please don't work.

That's the whole idea of the holiday.

Emil Verban

His name has become known because of the Washington group of Cubs fans formed in his honor (jokingly); The Emil Verban Society. Among it's one-time members; Ronald Reagan.

On this day in 1948, Emil did something on a baseball field for the only time in major league career.

He hit a home run.

He hit it off Johnny Van Der Meer, the man who once pitched consecutive no-hitters.

Father Knows Nothing

I just posted my latest Father Knows Nothing column at NWI Parent. This week's is called "Interviews with a Scoutmaster."

You can read it here.

Chicago Radio Spotlight updates

Click here for updated interviews with WLS Radio's Roe Conn and Cisco Cotto, WGN's Jerry Agar, and former rock jock Bob Hale.

Chicago Radio Spotlight returns

After a summer hiatus, I'm back to interviewing Chicago radio personalities.

Tomorrow I'll post updated interviews with Roe Conn, Cisco Cotto, Jerry Agar, and Bob Hale.

Edwin Starr

#1 on this day forty years ago today, "War." Good God Y'all...

Maddux Debuts

He was just a skinny kid when the Cubs brought him up from Iowa on this day in 1986. No one was predicting a Hall of Fame career for him.

Maybe they couldn't see past the mustache.

Today's Date

It's 9-02-10 today.

Luke Perry's phone may actually ring today.

Star Trek

On this day in 1969, NBC canceled Star Trek, ending the show before the Enterprise crew could even complete their five year mission. The show, and those associated with it, have never been heard from since...


Star Trek TOS - William Shatner SNL - Get A Life - MyVideo

Ernie and Curt Simmons

Curt Simmons was the first pitcher Ernie Banks ever faced in the big leagues in 1954. Just eleven years later, on this day in 1965, Ernie hit his 400th career home run against the same pitcher, Curt Simmons.

By the middle of the following season, the two men were Cubs teammates.

Simmons had a great career. He won 193 career games, and a World Series title with the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals, but with the Cubs he only won seven games in parts of two seasons.

John Lennon meets Van Halen

I know I should find this blasephemous, but I like it. It's David Lee Roth singing "Jump" over the music from John Lennon's "Imagine," and somehow it works...

I Dream of Jeannie

Exactly forty years ago tonight, the last episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" aired. Tony and Jeannie got married. 40 years later, he's old, wrinkled, and retired from the military. She's a Genie. She looks exactly the same...



I'm also betting she no longer calls him "Master."

Lee Smith

One of the greatest relief pitchers in baseball history debuted on this day, exactly thirty years ago.

His name was Lee Smith, and he pitched for one of the worst Cubs teams in history.