Musings, observations, and written works from the publisher of Eckhartz Press, the media critic for the Illinois Entertainer, co-host of Minutia Men, Minutia Men Celebrity Interview and Free Kicks, and the author of "The Loop Files", "Back in the D.D.R", "EveryCubEver", "The Living Wills", "$everance," "Father Knows Nothing," "The Radio Producer's Handbook," "Records Truly Is My Middle Name", and "Gruen Weiss Vor".
Saturday, May 09, 2020
Minutia Men--Grocery Bags & Body Bags
Listen to it here.
RIP Roy
Roy Horn, of "Siegfried & Roy," has died from complications related to COVID-19, according to his partner Siegfried Fischbacher. He was 75. https://t.co/mLeHc7PtU7
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 9, 2020
RIP Little Richard
Little Richard's Rock Hall induction speech for Otis Redding is full of music, joy, and moments like this. He was legitimately hilarious. pic.twitter.com/lUmqVxEeBB
— Who Cares About the Rock Hall? (@rockhallpod) May 10, 2020
Friday, May 08, 2020
Video proof
Every citizen should watch this Morning Joe montage to understand how badly they have been betrayed by an incompetent, delusional, deceptive, ignorant, overmatched president. https://t.co/eYByDaPOcL
— Michael Gerson (@MJGerson) May 8, 2020
Shelter in Place Schedule
Brian May
Queen’s Brian May Hospitalized After Ripping Glutes ‘to Shreds’ While Gardening https://t.co/8xyrGwa4ai
— Variety (@Variety) May 8, 2020
Robbie Rist
Thursday, May 07, 2020
Pick Your Bundesliga Team
John Landecker
Good news for fans of John Records Landecker: When the legendary Chicago radio personality is inducted in the National Association of Broadcasters’ Broadcasting Hall of Fame next week, we’ll all be able to watch it live. The ceremony had been set for April 20, but the coronavirus shutdown canceled the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas. So now it’s happening online at noon May 14 on NABShowExpress.com. Registration is free. (Here is the link.) Previous NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees from Chicago include Larry Lujack, Dick Orkin, Tom Joyner, Wally Phillips, Harry Caray and Paul Harvey.
Look at that group he's joining. Talk about the elite of Chicago broadcasting elite.
Wednesday, May 06, 2020
The First One to Return
Bundesliga is coming back! 🇩🇪🙌
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 6, 2020
The German Football League (DFL) will convene with clubs Thursday to discuss an exact date of return. pic.twitter.com/Fp2f6knUd5
Count me in! Going through withdrawal here.
NAB Hall of Fame
John, I want to make sure you know that we are airing your induction at NAB Show Express during our Achievement in Broadcasting session on May 14 beginning at 12noon EST. Registration for the event is free and is now open at NABShowExpress.com.
I'll be watching!
Obscure Stat
Willie Mays turns 89 today.
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) May 6, 2020
He is the only player in MLB history to have at least one career Home Run in every inning from 1-16 pic.twitter.com/OmIXyfOgbk
Here's the Willie Mays baseball card my mom threw out during one of her "pick up your baseball cards or I'll throw them out" tantrums. I bought it back as an adult. It remains my only Willie Mays...
RIP Florian
The German electronic band Kraftwerk was an innovator and one of the most influential bands in electronic music history. It's also the band that my son Tommy and I bonded over...we both loved them. They were scheduled to do a rare world tour and we were going to see them, but it was canceled because of the virus.
RIP Florian!
My two favorites...
20 strikeouts
I was there, sitting in my regular seats, freezing my butt off that day. I must confess, I didn’t recognize at first the magnitude of what I was watching. I remember thinking, “boy he’s got a lot of strikeouts,” but I had no idea he had as many as he did.
At one point I leaned forward and tapped the shoulder of the guy sitting in front of me. He was listening to the game on the radio.
“How many strikeouts does Wood have?” I asked him.
“12,” he answered.
That’s when I really started paying attention. The Astros, it should be noted, were in first place, and had a very formidable lineup that day including Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Derek Bell, and Moises Alou.
You could almost feel the ballpark catching on to what was happening, slowly but surely. With each successive strikeout, the cheers got louder and louder. This might have been the most dominating performance in baseball history. The Astros only managed to hit it out of the infield twice, two weak fly balls. Wood only allowed two runners, a squib infield hit by Ricky Gutierez, and a hit-by-pitch to Craig Biggio.
In the ninth, the few thousand of us who braved the really horrible weather conditions to stay, all rose to our feet as Wood struck out pinch hitter Billy Spiers for his 19th strikeout. We applauded when Biggio grounded out.
And we roared when Wood struck out Derek Bell to end the game.
20 strikeouts.
A game I’ll never forge
Tuesday, May 05, 2020
RIP Salty Saltwell
The Cubs today mourn the death of former executive Eldred R. “Salty” Saltwell, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 96.
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 5, 2020
Saltwell served a variety of roles within the organization during a 30-year career. pic.twitter.com/CNhHzQnuOj
Here's his write-up in EveryCubEver...
~Salty Saltwell 1924--2020 (Cubs GM 1976)
His actual name was E.R. Saltwell, but everyone called him Salty. In 1975, after the long reign of General Manager John Holland ended, P.K. Wrigley replaced Holland with the only logical choice on the payroll: the team’s former concessions manager E.R. “Salty” Saltwell. P.K. was no longer just thinking outside of the box; he didn’t even know where the box was anymore. Salty was the GM of the Cubs for only one season (1976) but he made his mark. Who could forget his fleecing the Cardinals of Mick Kelleher? Or his stealing of Rick Stelmaszek from the Yankees? He also acquired big names like Mike Garman, Ramon Hernandez, Tim Ireland, Tom DeTorre, and reacquired the incredibly washed-up Randy Hundley. Salty’s deft touch in the draft was something to behold as well. In 1976, the Cubs had two first round draft choices. They selected Herman Segelke with the 7th overall pick, and Karl Pagel with the 20th pick. Salty knew better than to waste his time with the other future stars selected in that same first round: Steve Trout (White Sox), Mike Scoscia (Dodgers), Leon Durham (Cardinals), and Bruce Hurst (Red Sox). Salty’s crowning moment as general manager, however, had to be when he unloaded future slugging All-Star Andre Thornton for reserve outfielder Larry Biittner (and Steve Renko). Renko won 10 games in his Cubs career, Biittner hit 12 homers in his Cubs career, and Andre Thornton hit more than 30 homers three times. In September 1976, Steve Stone informed Saltwell of his impending free agency and attempted to get a contract. Salty responded by telling Stone that Mr. Wrigley was in the middle of a divorce and he would have to get back to him. Salty was demoted shortly after that. To this day, Salty Saltwell remains the only general manager in baseball history to rise from concessions manager to general manager and then back again to Director of Park Operations.
Roger Badesch
Social distancing kept me away from the printer today but they were kind enough to take a picture of pages from the book as they were getting them ready for binding!! EXCITING!!! The arrow points to the front and back cover stack!! pic.twitter.com/8ttgNxNKqz
— Roger Badesch (@TeacherRB) May 5, 2020
Cinco De Mayo
~Jesse Flores (Cubs 1942)
The first Mexican-born pitcher in big league history made his debut with the Cubs during the war. He only pitched in four games and posted an ERA of 3.38 before the Cubs sent him down for more seasoning. He later pitched for the A’s and the Indians. After his playing career, Jesse became one of the best scouts in baseball. His signings for the Minnesota Twins included Bert Blyleven, Lyman Bostock, Bill Campbell, Rick Dempsey, and Jesse Orosco.
~Hector Torres (Cubs 1971)
The Cubs aquired Torres in a straight shortstop for shortstop swap with the Houston Astros. The Astros got Roger Metzger in return. Torres hit .224 backing up Don Kessinger and Glenn Beckert in 1971. It was the Mexico native’s only season with the Cubs. Metzger, meanwhile, was the Astros starting shortstop for the next seven years, and won a Gold Glove. Torres was nicknamed “La Malita”.
~Horacio Pina (Cubs 1974)
The Mexican-born Pina was acquired from the Oakland A’s for Bob Locker in November of 1973. He was only two years removed from his most productive season in the big leagues, when he saved 15 games for the Rangers, and a month removed from contributing to the 1973 World Series Champion Oakland A’s, but he was a total bust for the Cubs. In 59 innings pitched, he allowed an astounding 89 baserunners. Not the kind of numbers you need from someone you expect to be a key member of your late inning bullpen. The Cubs traded him to the Angels by the end of July. After the season, Horacio went back to his native Mexioo. He pitched a no-hitter there in 1975, and a perfect game in 1978.
~Daniel Garibay (Cubs 2000)
Garibay was born and raised in Mexico, and didn’t get his first shot at Major League Baseball until he was 27 years old. The Cubs used him as a spot starter and a reliever, and he didn’t do well in either role. He went 2-8 with an ERA over 6.
~Ismael Valdez (Cubs 2000)
The Cubs acquired the former 15-game winner along with Eric Young, and immediately placed him in the starting rotation. Unfortunately for the Cubs, Valdez developed blister problems and had a hard time staying healthy. He won a grand total of two games in Chicago. Before the season was over, they traded him back to the Dodgers. He later pitched for the Angels, Rangers, Mariners, Padres and Marlins. He won 104 big league games, but he also lost 105. He was known as “The Rocket”.
~Rodrigo Lopez (Cubs 2011-2012)
The Mexican-born Lopez was a two-time 15-game winner for the Orioles, but by the time he came to the Cubs, he was getting by on fumes. In 30 appearances over two seasons his ERA was over 6, and he allowed 18 homers. Chicago was the last stop of his big league career.
Merica
A park ranger was pushed into a lake in Austin for trying to enforce distancing requirements.
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) May 5, 2020
These thugs need to respect authority. We need law and order back in America. Blue Lives Matter. And when is Trump going to stop this white-on-white crime?pic.twitter.com/ts2zU474fr
Monday, May 04, 2020
Kent State
A great report about Kent State massacre exactly 50 years later from the photographer who took that iconic photograph. https://t.co/E5Otq3Blgh
— Rick Kaempfer (@RickKaempfer) May 3, 2020