Ron Santo

Would you believe that Ron Santo is 70 years old today?

Happy birthday Ron.

In honor of Ron's birthday, we're going to replay one of our favorite moments in Cubs broadcasting: The day that Harry and Ron discussed Ron's toupee.

Ouch.

That's the only thing to say to this poor guy. Ouch.

Pinky

He didn't have the manliest of nicknames, but Pinky Pittenger was once a member of the Chicago Cubs. He was smart as a whip, but sadly, not that great in the field.

Pinky was born on this day in 1899.

Read all about Pinky here.

Zeppo Marx

We all remember Groucho and Chico and Harpo, but what about Zeppo? He was the youngest Marx brother, and he appeared in several of their films. His last one was "Duck Soup."

Zeppo was born this week in 1901, and yes, you guessed it, Zeppo was a Cubs fan--just like his brothers.

William Peterson

The former CSI-star turned 57 over the weekend. Of course we all know what team he roots for, don't we?

Read all about his Cubs love here.

Miracle on Ice

NBC had a wonderful tribute to the 1980 Miracle on Ice game yesterday afternoon. Al Michaels hosted it along with Mike Eruzione, Mark Johnson and Jim Craig. I was tearing up a little bit remembering the emotions of that moment.

It's hard to believe it was 30 years ago today. Here are the closing seconds one more time...


I was living in Europe at the time. My dad woke me up at three in the morning to watch that game. He had a feeling that something special was going to happen.

By the way, they didn't show the USA-Canada game on Olympics prime time last night. They only showed the last 30 seconds of the game. Wouldn't want to miss a second of Ice Dancing.

1910/1935

 One hundred years ago this week, the Cubs are preparing for yet another NL Pennant winning season. Meanwhile, in Egypt, the nation is shocked by the assassination of their Prime Minister: Boutros (that's just one Boutros) Ghali.

(Photo: Johnny Kling of the Cubs)




Seventy five years ago this week, the Cubs are preparing for yet another NL Pennant winning season. They're nowhere near the headlines in the newspapers though, because this is the week that Bruno Hauptmann is convicted and sentenced to death for the kidnap/murder of the Lindbergh baby.

Father Knows Nothing

I just posted my latest "Father Knows Nothing" column at NWI Parent. This one is called "Brother's Little Helper" and it's about the "help" Tommy's brothers are giving him now that he has a broken leg.

You can read it here.

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Ray Stevens

I just posted my latest Chicago Radio Spotlight interview. This week I talk to Ramblin' Ray Stevens, the morning host at WUSN, US-99.

You can read the interview here.

We are the World

I'm getting soft in my old age. I really enjoyed the new "We are the World." I thought they did a real nice job. Jennifer Hudson is my personal favorite...

Sights & Sounds

Incredible video from the 1910 World Series, and audio from a 1936 Cub-Sox game are featured today on Just One Bad Century.

I'm sorry, but you're just not going to find this stuff anywhere else. We make Cubs history come to life.

Check it out here.

Adam Greenberg

Remember Adam Greenberg?

His major league career lasted for exactly one pitch...and it hit him right on the noggin. The whole story is here.

Adam turns 29 this weekend and still hasn't given up his dream of returning to the big leagues. Here's hoping he somehow defies the odds.

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

"RP" writes...

Bill Holub is so right. I appreciate it every year when you publish his words.

Each year when the World Series ends, I'm sad. Even when my beloved Cardinals have won it all, there was a tinge of sadness. I'm never good at goodbyes, and each year on that day, I finally have to say goodbye to summer. For six months, something will be missing. I guess it's all because of my upbringing. I started falling asleep to the sounds of the game on the radio when I was eight years old, and I fell in love. Since then, there have been only two seasons. Baseball season and not baseball season.

Indeed, the sweetest words.

The Sweetest Words in the English Language

Bill Holub and I worked together at the Loop (WLUP) in the 1980s and early 90s. Every year on this day, he would walk up and down the hallways of the Loop saying..."The sweetest words in the English language: Pitchers and Catchers Report."

When I started writing this blog five years ago, I asked Bill to write about that, and every year when pitchers and catchers report, I bring it back it out for another spin.

You can read it here.

Time to Celebrate!

I had a pretty awesome day yesterday.

I finished the first draft of my second novel first thing in the morning, and I was pretty excited about it for nearly an hour.

In addition to that, later in the morning I signed a contract with an agent for a non-fiction book I'm co-writing with a friend. That's a HUGE step. Very exciting. I was excited about that for another hour.

(What are these books about? All in due time. I don't want to tip my hand quite yet.)

Around noon I pitched a TV show idea (a full proposal already registered with the Writer's Guild) to a long-time friend with connections. His initial reaction was very enthusiastic. If he gets behind this, it could really happen. Crossing my fingers there.

More excitement.

Then it was time to pick up the boys (including broken leg boy), help with homework, make dinner on a meat-free Ash Wednesday, and...to tell you the truth...by the time I sat down for my celebratory Guinness (I like to celebrate in style), I couldn't quite remember what I was celebrating.

That's probably because I know I'm still a long way from the finish line on all three ventures. Last novel was a series of premature celebrations. (I actually wrote about that when it came out. You can read that here.) Last non-fiction book proposal was just the beginning of the writing process. I've also had a dozen or so meetings about TV shows and movie scripts and initial excitement often leads to nothing.

But still...a good day.

Cheers. The Guinness was delicious.

Who wants a horny TV host?

This cracked me up...

Hats off to Harry

Twelve years ago today, we lost a true legend: Harry Caray. (Photo: Harry terrifying Hillary)

I was working for John Records Landecker (WJMK) at the time of Harry's death, and I wrote the lyrics to the following song for John and his band The Legends. It's a parody of the song "Hats off to Larry" by Del Shannon.

We called our song: "Hats off to Harry."

Pat Pieper

Today would have been Pat Pieper's 124th birthday.

Never heard of Pat Pieper? You must be a youngster. He was the PA man at Wrigley Field for many many years.

Read all about him here.

Mardi Gras 1956

This is a cool look back in time...

Whoops

Sometimes the scoreboard proposal isn't such a good idea...even on Valentine's Day.

Carl Lundgren

He was one of the pitchers on the last World Champion Cubs team and he was born on this day, exactly 130 years ago.

They called him The Human Icicle.

Happy Mattress Day

I used to think that the "Mattress Sale" phenomenon every President's Day was inexplicable. But then came the Clinton administration.

After that story emerged, I did some research, and realized that Kennedy, FDR, LBJ, and especially Warren Harding lived up to the mattress sale concept too.

Not to mention the immortal Thomas Jefferson. Just ask his thousands of descendants.

So, in honor of our many presidents, Happy Mattress Day to one and all.

President's Day

On this President's Day, we remember the many times the President of the United States has seen fit to watch a certain team from the north side of a certain city. Read about some of those examples here.

Here is the photographic evidence...

Valentines Day history in Chicago

Between the famous St. Valentine's Day massacre...






...and the notorious murder of the mastermind of that massacre (Machine Gun Jack McGurn) exactly seven years later...



...the Cubs were in the World Series three times.

Since then they've only been in it twice.

Father Knows Nothing

I just posted my latest Father Knows Nothing column at NWI Parent. This one is called "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and it tells the tale of Tommy's broken leg.

You can read it here.

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Dave Fogel

This week I talk to the new morning man at WLS-FM, Dave Fogel.


You can read the interview here.

Love finds Vinnie

This past weekend I interviewed my old buddy and pal Vince Argento (photo: with his daughters) about his radio career for Chicago Radio Spotlight. One of the stories I made him tell was the heartwarming story of how he met his wife Liz.

Well, Tom Taylor at Radio-Info.com was looking for stories of finding love through the radio again this year for Valentine's Day (he printed my story last year), so I sent him Vince's story. He printed it this morning. Here it is in case you missed Chicago Radio Spotlight or Tom Taylor's column...

WLUP, Chicago Production Director Vince Argento found love by fax…
“After I left Steve Dahl's solo show, Dave Logan, the PD at the Loop, put me on the air with Stony (Tony Frothingham) to do entertainment reports on the Loop FM. We went out on our bikes with our cell phones and reported from street fairs and art festivals and interviewed whoever we found. Near the end of the summer they did a promotion called ‘Win a trip to Woodstock [the 1994 version] with Vince and Stony’ Listeners were invited to send a postcard or fax to the station. When it was time to pick a winner, Stony reached into the box and pulled out a fax that said: ‘From Liz O’Malley’ and it was on O’Malley Brothers stationery (her father’s company). I still remember what Stony said - ‘Look, it’s a chick that owns her own business with great handwriting.’ Not too long after I joined John Records Landecker’s show, I told John I was going to propose and he said ‘You gotta get that on tape.' So I wore a wire hooked up to a portable DAT machine and wore a lavaliere microphone, and recorded the whole thing. We played it on the air the next day, and then over the years we played it any time there was a story about romance in the news. We also played it every year on Valentine’s Day. Jonathan Brandmeier played the tape on his show when I worked for him, too. That ‘chick’ has now been my wife for eleven years.”

Happy Birthday Abe

He would have been 201 today.

Yes, it's time to relive that glorious poem from famous poet David Stern. Stern is the man who wrote, and narrated the classic poem..."Honest Abe He Was Called."

Joe Garagiola

The bald one is 84 years old today.

Most people don't even remember that Joe was once a catcher for the Chicago Cubs.

Here he is on "What's My Line."

Jack Paar

Exactly 50 years ago today he walked off the set of his dream job; host of the Tonight Show.

Here's an interesting interview of him...he was a complicated man.

Nelson Mandela

He was released exactly twenty years ago today...



I'm looking forward to visiting his country this coming summer.

Willie Smith

Willie was born on this day in 1939. Thirty years later he hit a pinch hit grand slam to win a dramatic opening day game for the Cubs.

Later that season he went into a recording studio and recorded this song for the 1969 Cubs.

Willie passed away in 2006.

Wrigley Field construction

The Ricketts family is making it's mark at the hallowed ballpark, ordering some renovations in the bleachers, among other things.

Read more about the changes here.

I love that old building, but I have no problems with the changes they are considering. They sound pretty reasonable to me.

Sturdy Stock

We had a foot of snow and an earthquake in Chicago, and still, school isn't canceled in my school district. That's pioneer stuff, right there.

Sturdy stock.

Johnny Evers

The Cubs fired one of their all-time greats, Johnny Evers, on this day in 1914. He had been their player/manager, and was replaced by Hank O'Day--a former umpire.

Evers, who had led the Cubs to four pennants as a player, didn't pout. He simply went to Boston and led the Braves to the championship.

Bill Veeck

He was born on this day in 1914. I know this drives White Sox fans crazy, but Bill Veeck grew up a Cubs fan, and died a Cubs fan.

Read about his Cubs love here.

Watch him at Wrigley Field here.

Eventful weekend

I took the family on our annual skiing vacation this past weekend. The boys are really starting to get into the sport, which has been fun to watch.

That enthusiasm may have taken a slight hit on Friday morning, however. My oldest boy Tommy (age 14) broke his leg. One ski dug into the ground, and the rest of his body kept going, including the other ski, which slammed into his leg just above the boot.

We're going to the orthopedic surgeon today to see whether or not he needs surgery.

I may not be posting quite so much the next day or two.

On the other hand, I do have a good Father Knows Nothing column on the way this weekend.

Father Knows Nothing

I posted my latest Father Knows Nothing column at NWI Parent. This one is called "Mr. Mom, the Rewrite," and it's about why my kids don't understand that movie at all.

You can read it here.

Coleman Griffith

This educator/psychologist passed away on this week in 1966. He was a trailblazer in the subject of sports psychology at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), and that attracted the attention of P.K. Wrigley who hired him to work for the Cubs in the 1930s.

That didn't turn out so well.

His stint with the Cubs inspired this character in the film "The Natural."

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Vince Argento

I'm heading out of town today, so I posted this week's Chicago Radio Spotlight a few days early. This week I talk to my good buddy and pal, Vince Argento, who was recently named the production director at the Loop.

Read the whole interview here.

Ronald Reagan

This weekend is the 99th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth. Some remember him as an actor. Others remember him as a President.

I choose to remember him as a Cubs announcer and fan.

1910/1935

One hundred years ago this week, the Cubs are preparing for yet another NL Pennant winning season. Meanwhile, in London, King Edward VII is very ill. His son is being prepared to take over if and when his father passes away.
(Photos: Jack "The Giant Killer" Pfiester and King Edward VII)





Seventy five years ago this week, the Cubs are preparing for yet another NL Pennant winning season. Meanwhile in Rome, Italy is enamored with their charismatic new premier: Benito Mussolini.

Babe Ruth and Lemons

This coming weekend is the 115th anniversary of Babe Ruth's birth. Everyone remembers Babe Ruth's (alleged) called shot at Wrigley Field, but have you ever heard the part that lemons may have played in that story?

That's right, lemons.

Read all about it here.

Joke for a Wednesday morning

Contributed by "TH"




A man goes out golfing. He is on the second hole when he notices a frog sitting next to the green. He thinks nothing of it and is about to shoot when he hears: "Ribbit 9-Iron."

The man looks around and doesn't see anyone.

Again, he hears, "Ribbit 9 Iron."

He looks at the frog and decides to prove the frog wrong, puts the club away, and grabs a 9 iron.

Boom! He hits it 10 inches from the cup.

He is shocked. He says to the frog, "Wow that's amazing. You must be a lucky frog!"

The frog replies, "Ribbit Lucky frog."

The man decides to take the frog with him to the next hole.

"What do you think frog?" the man asks.

"Ribbit 3 wood."

The guy takes out a 3 wood and Boom! Hole in one.

The man is befuddled and doesn't know what to say. By the end of the day, the man golfed the best game of golf in his life and asks the frog, "OK where to next?"

The frog replies, "Ribbit Las Vegas."

They go to Las Vegas and the guy says, "OK frog, now what?"

The frog says, "Ribbit Roulette."

Upon approaching the roulette table, The man asks, "What do you think I should bet?"

The frog replies, "Ribbit $3000, black 6."

Now, this is a 38-to-one shot to win, but after the golf game the man figures what the heck.

Boom! Tons of cash comes sliding back across the table.

The man takes his winnings and buys the best room in the hotel.

He sits the frog down and says, "Frog, I don't know how to repay you. You've won me all this money and I am forever grateful."

The frog replies,"Ribbit Kiss Me."

He figures why not, since after all the frog did for him, he deserves it.

With a kiss, the frog turns into a gorgeous girl. "And that is how the girl ended up in my room, Elin. So help me God or my name is not Tiger Woods."

The Day the Music Died

I just realized today that this is my fifth year of writing my blog and every year I have paused to mention this date...February 3rd. On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper perished in a plane crash in Iowa. 51 years ago today.

Bob Hale was the MC of that last concert. I interviewed him for Chicago Radio Spotlight a few years ago.

Bob Dearborn, who was a friend and colleague of mine at WJMK, became famous at WCFL in Chicago in the early 70s for his analysis of the lyrics to "American Pie" by Don McLean, which was inspired by that plane crash. I have that link permanently listed on my "Links to Rick's picks" on this blog.

What can I say? I'm a Buddy Holly fan.

If I'm still writing this blog next year, I'll probably mention it again.

OK, enough rambling. How about some music? This is probably my favorite Buddy Holly song...

Norman Rockwell

The famous artist was born on this date in 1893.

In 1948, he immortalized the Cubs, and inadvertently chronicled the next two decades of misery perfectly, when the Saturday Evening Post came out with this Rockwell original on the cover.

Read all about it here.

Memory Lane

This video was made during my days at the Loop. It's a stroll down memory lane for me. You may enjoy it too...