Coming this weekend

I've got a packed schedule this weekend as you might imagine, so I won't be posting a new Chicago Radio Spotlight interview this week. I have conducted one for next week however...and it was with a Chicago Radio legend. More info to come this week.

I will be posting a new Father Knows Nothing at NWI Parent on Mother's Day. It will chronicle what the boys have done for their mom this year. I can't tease it here, because she occasionally reads this blog.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's Day weekend, especially my own mom. She has requested a GPS device for her Mother's Day present this year. I'm going out to buy that today. (And yes, I can tease that here; she never ever reads this blog)

Paul Simon interview

Brian Williams interviewed Paul Simon about his newest album and his great career.

Highly enjoyable.

Here's Part 2 of the interview.

I'm going to buy his new album. Any idea where you can buy albums these days?

A new Cubs starter?

Is this man going to be starting a game for the Cubs soon? It looks like it's possible.

Speedy Gonzales

Happy politically incorrect Cinco de Mayo...

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

"KR" writes...

"When I saw you did a post about Katie Couric I was hoping to see her cheerleading photo again. Please tell me you were kidding yesterday when you said you weren't going to show it anymore."

Sorry "KR", but I was feeling a bit guilty/sexist, so I did make a deal with myself to stop showing it. I was demeaning her news credibility, so I'm not going to show it anymore. I did find a few other cheerleading pictures you might enjoy, however. The credibility of the following people wouldn't be damaged, so I post them without guilt.

This is Eva Longoria from her cheerleading days.

That's Madonna from her cheerleading days.

This cheerleader was elected President in 2000 and 2004.

Alan Sheppard

50 years ago today Alan Sheppard became the first American in space...

Bob Sirott's Theory

On Fox-32 last night, anchorman Bob Sirott offered his theory for the Cubs long drought. It was his closing commentary, "One More Thing."

Darwin Barney

With all this talk about Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro, their rookie second baseman Darwin Barney has flown under the radar.

How good has he been? He was just named Rookie of the Month for April.

He's got a good glove, good speed, is a fearless clutch hitter, and he never stops hustling. I think the Cubs have a keeper here.*


*Note to SI. Please don't put him on the cover. Castro has been slumping ever since you put him on the cover.

Kids and Politics

I just posted my weekly contribution to Kim Strickland's "A City Mom" blog at ChicagoNow. This week's Suburban Dad entry is called "Kids and Politics" and it's about my attempt at raising kids that aren't temple-throbbing haters.

You can read it here.

George Will

Newsman.

Pundit.

Cubs Fan.

Birthday Boy...70 years old today.

White Sox No-Hit

I watched some of the no-hitter thrown by Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano against the Sox last night, and there was at least one controversial call.

In the eighth inning the umpire made a bad call at first base. Gordon Beckham should have been safe because Twins first baseman Justin Mourneau missed the tag. There were also six walks, so it wasn't like it was a masterpiece.

On the other hand, the Sox weren't exactly "All In" last night, were they?

Have we started the countdown clock on Ozzie's meltdown yet? The Sox are ten and a half games out of first on May 4.

On Baseball Tonight (ESPN) Bobby Valentine predicted that this was rock bottom for the Sox, and it would serve as a wake up call. I guess we'll have to see. Believe it or not, I'm sort of hoping he's right. Don't worry Cub fans, I haven't changed allegiances. I just have two Sox players (Dunn & Rios) on my fantasy team.

UPDATE: "RP" correctly points out that the controversial Beckham call at first base was the second half of a double play--so even if he was correctly called safe, it still would have been a no-hitter. My bad.

Margaret Donahue

The Cubs may not have been on the cutting edge of allowing African Americans to play in the big leagues (and, sadly, actually contributed to erecting the color barrier in the first place), but they were trailblazers when it came to promoting women.

P.K. Wrigley famously came up with the All-American Girls League during World War II, but at that time the Cubs already had had a woman working in their front office for more than twenty years. She was the Vice President of the team.

Her name was Margaret Donahue, and among her many accomplishments with the Cubs was coming up with the concept of Ladies Day.

Read all about her here, in her hometown newspaper the Huntley Patch.

(Photo: Margaret and Chicago Mayor Kennelly. Photo by Gloria Casas)

Sports Illustrated Cover

Uh oh. Does anyone know of an anti-jinx medicine Starlin Castro can take right now?

Addicted to Love

25 years ago today, this was the #1 song in the country...

Cubs pitchers

If you're like me and just chalk up a loss when you hear that Casey Coleman and/or James Russell are pitching, there is some good news on the injury front.

Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells both threw off a mound yesterday. It looks like they'll be going on a minor league assignment soon.

Also, Todd Wellemeyer has been rehabbing and looks like he'll be ready soon.

I know it's not exactly Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Greg Maddux, but it also ain't Casey Coleman and James Russell. (No offense, fellas).

The JOBC Contest

On this day in 1986 the Cubs signed a free agent player that is now a very prominent manager in the big leagues. What is his name?

The first person that e-mails me the correct answer at rick@justonebadcentury.com will win a commemorative Greg Maddux 3000th strikeout scorecard, an autographed copy of the excellent baseball novel "The Pitch" (by Hank Owens), plus a t-shirt from the Just One Bad Century catalog.


UPDATE: We have a winner! Congratulations to Michael Kilinski of Chicago. He was the first person to e-mail with the correct answer to this week's question. Michael wins the program, the book, and shirt. By the way, the answer was...

Terry Francona

Obama's Speech

I thought that was a very powerful speech by the President last night, confirming that Osama Bin Laden was dead. He isn't even being criticized (yet) from the right, and I think that's partially because of the classy way he spread the credit around to everyone, especially and including his predecessor. (Here's a good piece in the Washington Post that captures the anticipation we all felt in the hour leading up to the speech)

But as much as I loved that speech, and will always remember where I was when I heard the news, I thought this other speech he gave this weekend was even better. Let me correct that---it was funnier. Much funnier.

This is his annual appearance at the White House Correspondent's Dinner...

Father Knows Nothing

I just posted my latest Father Knows Nothing column at NWI Parent. This week's is called "Birds of a Feather" and it's about the strange coincidence I've discovered about people that share my last name.

You can read it here.