Father Knows Nothing

This week's Father Knows Nothing, "A First Time for Everything", is about an unexpected question asked by my oldest son.

You can read it here.

Cubs 365, April 29

On this day in 1983, Lee Elia unleashed the most famous tirade in Cubs history.

It's captured here in all it's audio splendor, with bleeps.

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Dick Orkin

This week's Chicago Radio Spotlight interview has been posted. I interviewed radio advertising legend Dick Orkin.

You can read it here.

Cubs 365, April 28

On this day in 1975, the San Diego Padres released Glenn Beckert, ending his big league career at the age of 34. They had acquired him from the Cubs the previous season (for Jerry Morales), but Beckert was no longer the player he had once been in Chicago.

While with the Cubs, Glenn was a 4-time All-Star, a gold glove Second Baseman (1968), and for four seasons in a row, the toughest man to strike out in all of baseball. In 1971 he hit .342. Another season (1968), he led the league in runs scored. His scrappy play and willingness to do whatever it took to get on base is the reason he became a favorite of his manager, Leo Durocher.

In his book Nice Guys Finish Last, Durocher, a man who rarely praised his players, said this about his second baseman: "I got a guy over here, Beckert, bustin' his rear end. He works on his hitting. He works on his fielding. He works on all of his weaknesses. He's made himself into a hell of a player."

That's probably why Cub fans loved him too.

Coming this Weekend

I'm super excited about this week's Chicago Radio Spotlight. I just got off the phone with the legendary Dick Orkin. I'll be posting that interview in the morning.

This week's Father Knows Nothing will examine the most unlikely thing my oldest son ever said to me.

And of course, we'll travel back in time to this week in 1908 and 1945 at Just One Bad Century, and hear a few more stories from this day in history on Cubs 365 at the Just One Bad Century blog.

Have a great weekend!

Cheeseland, the website and facebook page

Eckhartz Press author Randy Richardson has created his own website for his book "Cheeseland". You can check it out here.

He also has a "Cheeseland" Facebook page, which he'd love you to "like".

The book itself is coming out on May 29, and will be available for pre-order beginning May 8. Keep checking the Eckhartz Press blog for more information about this excellent new book. We're very proud to be publishing it.

Cubs 365, April 27

On this day in 1897, Cubs Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby was born. It's hard to imagine that one of the greatest players in history was not popular in Chicago--but Hornsby clearly was not.

Hornsby had one great season for the Cubs, their World Series year of 1929, and he became the manager at the very end of the following year. Despite managing a notoriously rowdy team, he ruled with an iron fist. He didn't just ban drinking (which, of course, was illegal at the time), he banned reading, movies, soda pop, smoking, and eating in the club house. He was so hated by his players that when the 1932 team won the pennant (after he was fired), the players voted to give him zero cents of a playoff share, even though he had been with the team for 4 months.

Their hatred of him went much deeper than his strict rules. He was in deep debt to many of the players on the team. The Commissioner of Baseball, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, became so alarmed by the reports he was getting about Hornsby, that he sent letters warning the team and the players about him. He also sent one to the NL President demanding any and all information he had about Hornsby's gambling.

Hornsby was defiant about it until the very end: "Gambling's legal," he would say. He never bet on baseball, only the horses. Probably influenced by Hornsby's star power, Landis chose not to punish him. But his letters to the club led to an internal Cubs investigation. Team owner William Wrigley and team president William Veeck discovered that Hornsby had borrowed $11,000 from his own players.

That's when they fired him and replaced him with Charlie Grimm. Grimm led the 1932 team to the World Series. Hornsby never experienced the playoffs again.

Later in life he was hired by Wrigley's son Phillip to become the teams first minor league batting instructor. The same prickly personality and inability to understand why people couldn't naturally hit as well as he did, however, made him as lousy at that job as he was as a manager.

As a player Rogers Hornsby had very few peers. His lifetime batting average is .358. He hit .400 three different times. He narrowly missed it a fourth time (.397). He won two MVP awards, two triple crowns, and seven batting titles.

And he did all that while gambling away nearly every dime he earned.

Rick on the Radio

The MP3 of the Ed Tyll show is now available on the internet, if you'd like to hear our interview from Tuesday night. Go to the April 24th show. My interview with Ed begins at about the 32 minute mark and goes until the 45 minute mark. We talk about writing in general, how characters are created, and specifically how we wrote the book "The Living Wills".

First Look at the cover for "Cheeseland"

Coming out on Eckhartz Press May 29th.

Brendan Joins a Cash Mob

What is a Cash Mob?

A Cash Mob is when a community descends on a local business on a particular night, and then they all go out for drinks afterwards.

Sounds like fun.

My co-author Brendan Sullivan ("The Living Wills") will be one of the authors on hand at Bookie's in Beverly tonight (Thursday). It starts at 6pm and goes until whenever. There will be copies of "The Living Wills" available there if you haven't purchased yours yet.

Come and meet some super talented local people (17 local authors and artists). Bring your friends! The Bookie's Paperbacks & More, 2419 W 103rd, Chicago, Illinois 60655 (773-239-1110)

Cubs 365, April 26

On this day in 1900, one of the most famous Cubs players of all-time was born. His name was Hack Wilson. Hack is remembered for his still record 1930 season when he drove in 191 runs, but during his Cubs days Hack was also known as something else: A hellraiser.

He had several run-ins with the law, his teammates, opposing players, and even fans. For instance...


*In his first season with the Cubs (1926), Hack Wilson was arrested and charged with drinking beer in violation of the Prohibition Act. Four cops arrived at his friend's house, and he tried to escape out the side door. While he was attempting to escape, his friend (a woman named Lottie Frain) threw a bookend at the cops. Wilson was caught and arrested.

*One night Wilson and his teammate Pat Malone were walking down the hallway of their hotel, and Wilson laughed. Someone in a hotel room mimicked his laugh. Wilson and Malone broke into the room and beat the hell out of four men, until all of them were out cold. One of the men was still standing and Malone kept punching. Wilson pointed out that he was already knocked out. "Move the lamp and he'll fall." Malone moved the lamp, and the man fell to the ground.

*In 1928, Wilson charged into the stands to fight a milkman who had been heckling him throughout the game. 5000 fans stormed the field during the melee. Gabby Hartnett and Joe Kelly had to physically pull Wilson off the milkman. Hack was fined $100 for that.

*In 1929, Wilson got into two fistfights with players on the Reds, and was suspended for three games. In the first fight, he charged into the Red's dugout to punch Red's pitcher Ray Kolp...after he had just gotten a single. He was tagged out in the dugout. The second fight happened that same night at the train station with Red's pitcher Pete Donohue—who was trying to stop Wilson from attacking Kolp again. Hack punched Donohue in the face twice.

*Joe McCarthy knew how to handle Hack Wilson and keep him functioning. He once took a worm and dropped it in a glass of whiskey. The worm quickly died. "Now what does that prove?" asked Joe. Wilson thought about it for a while and replied, "It proves that if you drink whiskey, you won't get worms!"

Near the end of his Wilson's life he appeared on a network radio show where he spoke about the effects of "Demon Rum." This was just a few months before his death from an internal hemorrhage on November 23, 1948. He was only 48. His body was unclaimed for three days before National League president Ford Frick paid for the funeral.

My Brush with Sam Kinison

In this week's contribution to the City Mom blog at ChicagoNow, I tell the story of my brush with comedian Sam Kinison. Sam died exactly twenty years ago this month.

You can read it here.

Cubs 365, April 25

On this day in 1911, Cub fan Jacob Rubenstein was born in Chicago. He was one of eight children of Jewish parents who had immigrated from Poland. He didn't have a happy childhood. His parents divorced when he was 11. By the time he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental institution, and he was on his own.

Despite his hardscrabble life, Jacob followed the Cubs. In fact, they brought him his first real chance at earning a living. Jack made it through eighth grade, then "found himself on Chicago streets attempting to provide for himself and other members of his family," as a famous government report put it. He earned money by scalping tickets to sporting events and by selling sports-related novelties, such as Cubs banners. He remained in Chicago until 1947. During his years as a Cubs fan/entrepreneur, the Cubs appeared in six World Series.

But Jacob isn't really known for his days in Chicago. He's better known for his days in Dallas, Texas, and for one particular day at that; the day after John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

That famous government report was called "The Warren Commission Report" and by the time he was mentioned in it, Jacob Rubenstein was known the world over by the name he adopted in adulthood; Jack Ruby.

Green White History

One of my on-going writing projects is chronicling the history of the soccer club Green White. My dad was one of the founders of the club in 1956, and each month I write about one year in Green White history.

This month it's about 1963. And it features the birth of this Green White baby.

Richard something or other.

John Lennon

Forty years ago today, John Lennon released a very controversial record. Bob Dearborn tells the story at The Olde Disc Jockey's almanac, including how this led to Bob interviewing John & Yoko...

"April 24, 1972…John Lennon's controversial single, "Woman Is the Nigger of the World" was released in the U.S. The song reached #57 on the Billboard Hot 100, even though only two major radio stations – KDAY in Los Angeles and WCFL in Chicago – aired it. Yoko Ono originally uttered the phrase during a magazine interview in 1967 and John explained that he was making a point that women deserved higher status in society. In conjunction with the record's release and my station's decision to air it, your editor enjoyed a 20-minute interview on WCFL with John & Yoko regarding the new song, his thoughts on current music, why it was important for them to reach out to Mike Douglas' audience, and his post-Beatle life in New York. They couldn't have been more interesting, charming, engaging and compelling. It was a thrill for me and remains a highly cherished memory."

Dick Cavett also interviewed John & Yoko about the song, before they performed it live...

Cubs 365, April 24

On this day in 1957, the Cubs set a big league record. It's not exactly one that they advertise.

The Cubs were playing the Reds in Cincinnati on a cold day in front of only 7212 fans at Crosley Field. On the mound for the Cubs; their young right hander from Poland, Moe Drabowsky. Moe had cruised through the Reds order in the first four innings, making only one mistake--a ball that was hit out of the park by Reds left fielder Bob Thurman.

The Cubs were leading the game 2-1 when the Reds came up in the bottom of the fifth. Moe was facing the bottom of the order for the Reds. He got the number 6 hitter, catcher Ed Bailey, on a routine fly. That's when the Polish Prince fell apart. He walked the #7 hitter, third baseman Don Hoak. He walked the #8 hitter, shortstop Roy McMillan. And then he walked the pitcher Joe Nuxhall to load the bases.

Cubs manager Bob Scheffing didn't see this collapse coming, so he got his bullpen up a little late, and was forced to let Moe work to another hitter. The lead-off man Alex Grammas was replaced by pinch hitter Jerry Lynch. Moe walked him too...tying the game at 2.

Scheffing had seen enough. The next hitter was Bob Thurman who had hit a home run his last time up to bat. He couldn't risk giving up a grand slam, so he pulled Drabowsky from the game and brought in reliever Jackie Collum.

In one way, it worked out. Collum didn't give up a grand slam. He did, however, give up another walk, the fifth of the inning, making the score 3-2. The next batter, centerfielder Gus Bell, should have been taking all the way, but he helped out Collum by grounding out to first for the second out.

With first base open, and two outs, the Cubs opted to intentionally walk cleanup hitter Wally Post to reload the bases, the sixth walk of the inning. All Collum needed was a simple ground ball and the Cubs would have escaped with minimal damage. On the bright side, he got that ground ball. But in true Cubs fashion, it went through the infield, and scored two more runs.

After Collum reloaded the bases by walking another batter for the seventh walk of the inning, he was replaced by reliever Jim Brosnan. Brosnan only needed to get one batter, and with the bases loaded, there was a force at any base.

Naturally, Brosnan walked the same batter Drabowsky walked to start the onslaught--the #7 hitter, Don Hoak. And he walked the 8th hitter in the lineup, Roy McMillan too, for the ninth walk of the inning.

Finally, and mercifully, with the bases still loaded, Brosnan struck out the pitcher Joe Nuxhall for the third out.

By the time the inning was over, a one run lead had turned into a six run deficit. In one inning the Reds managed to score seven runs on one hit, thanks to a still-record nine walks in one inning.

On the other hand, that loss (9-5) didn't exactly cost the Cubs the pennant in 1957. They finished tied for last place with the Pirates, 33 games behind the eventual World Series champion Milwaukee Braves.

Misconceptions About History

I mistakenly believed all five of these...

Cubs 365, April 23

On this day in 1914, one day after the Cubs drew the smallest Opening Day crowd in their history, a new ballpark opened on Addison & Clark. At the time, it was called "Weeghman Park", and the team that played there was in the Federal League.

This is how the Chicago Tribune described that first game: "Chicago took the Federal League to its bosom and claimed it as a mother would claim a long lost child. With more more frills and enthusiasm than had prevailed at a baseball opening here Joe Tinker and his Chifeds made their debut before a throng of fans that filled the new north side park to capacity...It may not have been the largest crowd that ever saw an opening game in Chicago, but conservative estimators placed the attendance at about 21,000. The new park is said to have a seating capacity of 18,000...every seat in the place was taken, a great many were standing up in the back of the grandstand, and more than 2,000 were on the field in the circus seats placed there for the occasion."

Weeghman Park didn't have a second deck yet. That wouldn't come for fifteen years. But it did have one feature that is quite common today...

"The windows and roofs of flat buildings across the way from the park were crowded with spectators. The surface and elevated trains leading to the north side were overhanging with people in the early afternoon and three or four separate and distinct automobile parades unloaded several thousand gaily decked rooters at the gates."

And the Federal League Whales even had a number of players with Cub roots, and a few players that would later play for the Cubs.

Joe Tinker (photo), as the Tribune mentioned, was the manager of the team. He was also the starting shortstop. Tinker was still revered in Chicago for being one third of the Tinker to Evers to Chance double play combination.

The starting pitcher was Claude Hendrix. Hendrix would later pitch for the Cubs in the 1918 World Series, and would then be quietly banned from baseball for allegedly betting on a game in the 1920 season. The investigation of that game would unearth the Black Sox scandal.

Rollie Zeider, the ChiFeds third baseman, would later play for the Cubs too. He has the distinction of having played for three different Chicago teams (he also played for the Sox).

Catcher Art Wilson, and outfielders Dutch Zwilling and Max Flack also played for the Cubs in later seasons. In fact, Flack was the goat in the 1918 World Series against the Red Sox when he dropped an easy fly ball in the ninth inning to lose the game and the series.

But maybe the most important person with Cubs connections was Charles G. Williams. He had served more than twenty-five years in the front office of the Cubs. Williams, and owner Weeghman, had a pretty ingenious plan to attract fans. They went after an audience that heretofore hadn't been so openly courted. They went after the ladies.

The Tribune piece even pointed that out...

“The significant part of the affair to the new owners was the large number of women present."

That remained a marketing quest even after Weeghman bought the Cubs, which he did in 1916

Father Knows Nothing

This week's Father Knows Nothing column is entitled "A Knucklehead's Lament"

You can read it here.

Chicago Radio Spotlight Interview: Cheryl Raye-Stout

This week's Chicago Radio Spotlight interview is with WBEZ sportscaster Cheryl Raye-Stout.

You can read it here.

Cubs 365, April 21

On this day in 1940, one of the most colorful players to ever wear a Cubs uniform was born. Some players are known as characters. Some are known as eccentrics. Still others seem to have come from another planet. Bill Faul was one of those guys...and he wasn't even a lefty...or a Californian.

Faul pitched for the Cubs in 1965 and 1966. It's safe to say that he had a quirk or two. For instance...

*He hypnotized himself before games and talked to his arm. Opposing players would make fun of him by swinging watches and saying ‘tick tock tick tock’ while he was pitching.

*He used to rip the heads off parakeets with his teeth (according to Bill Lee).

*He swallowed live toads, claiming they put “extra hop” on his fastballs.

*He liked to hold guys off the third or fourth floor hotel balcony by their ankles…upside down.

*His jersey number was — you guessed it — 13.

Former Detroit Tigers manager Chuck Dressen once said: “You watch him for a while, watch how he acts, talk to him, spend some time with him, and you figure either he's the dumbest guy in the world or the smartest one you've ever met.”

As wild and unpredictable as Faul was, he was cool as a cucumber on the field. He had to be awakened in the clubhouse only thirty minutes before his first major league start. Faul shook out the cobwebs, grabbed the ball, warmed up, and pitched a three-hitter.

Faul always seemed to be in the middle of a lot of excitement. He was one of only a handful of pitchers to be involved in fielding a triple play, and one of only two major league pitchers in history to have three triple plays in one season while he was on the mound.

He claimed the secret to his success was his hypnosis therapy, his background as a karate instructor in the Air Force (his hands and feet were both registered as dangerous weapons), and his spiritual consciousness (he was a Doctor of Divinity for the Universal Life Church).

Unfortunately for Faul, the league figured him out in 1966. When his ERA climbed over 5, he was sent down to the minors and never returned to the Cubs. He kicked around the minor leagues for a few seasons before turning up for a cup of coffee with the Giants in 1970.

Bill Faul died in 2002, at the age of 62.

"Down at the Golden Coin" in the Tribune

The Chicago Tribune has a short piece in the A&E section of the paper about Eckhartz Press author Kim Strickland and her book "Down at the Golden Coin". (Although...they got the name of the publisher wrong somehow. It's Eckhartz Press not Pink Castle. Sigh.)

You can read it here.

Her book is available here.

Coming this weekend

This weekend's Chicago Radio Spotlight interview is with WBEZ's Cheryl Raye Stout. She's been covering sports in Chicago for the last 30 years and has some great stories. I'll post it on Saturday morning.

On Sunday, I'll also post a new Father Knows Nothing column. I'm still trying to decide among three possibilities for this week. Stay tuned.

In addition, of course, Cubs 365 will continue, as will our weekly journeys back to 1908 and 1945 at the Just One Bad Century website.

Have a great weekend!

Cubs 365, April 20

On this day in 1946, the first televised Cubs game aired. WBKB-TV broadcast that first game with famous bowling announcer Whispering Joe Wilson (photo) behind the microphone.

It was a memorable day at the ballpark for a few other reasons too. It was the 30th anniversary of the Cubs playing in Wrigley Field, and the National League Pennant was raised up the flagpole for the fifth time since the Cubs started playing there. As everyone who follows Cubs lore knows, it's also the last time that happened.

In addition, this game marked the first game back at Wrigley Field for returning soldiers Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter. Slaughter knocked in Musial for the only run the Cardinals would need that day, as the Cardinals beat star Cubs pitcher Hank Borowy.

The defending NL champs finished in 3rd place that year, 14 1/2 games out of first; a finish that wouldn't be topped for another 20 years.

Brendan at the Book Club

Last night Brendan stopped by a book club discussing "The Living Wills". A great time was had by one and all. Remember, if you live in the Chicago area, and your book club is discussing one of the Eckhartz Press books, our authors (Brendan, Kim, Randy or me) would be pleased to stop by and join in the discussion (schedule permitting). I'm going to a book club in Palatine a few weeks from now. All you have to do is ask.

Cubs 365, April 19

On this day in 1969, the Cubs swapped utility infielders with the New York Yankees. The Yankees sent the Cubs Nate Oliver, who became a fan favorite during that memorable year. The Cubs sent the Yankees a player that became even more memorable in Cubs lore.

Remember this guy?

Review: "The Living Wills"

Many thanks to Megan Renehan, who just reviewed "The Living Wills" for Windy City Reviews. Her review is not yet available on-line, but I'll provide a link to it as soon as it is. In the meantime, you can read a portion of it here...




The Living Wills by Brendan Sullivan and Rick Kaempfer
Reviewed by Megan Renehan, Windy City Reviews

In The Living Wills, Sullivan and Kaempfer tell a story of interconnected lives and the consequences of split-second decisions. The novel follows five main characters: a parking garage attendant, a barista, a toilet salesman, a lawyer, and a corporate executive, ultimately connecting their lives in deep and unexpected ways. The story is structured in short chapters alternating between the main characters' points of view. Rich with emotion and local detail, The Living Wills is a story that stayed with me long after I had closed the book.

In the preface, the authors note the novel's structure is influenced by the Harold, an improvisational theater form created by Del Close. While the novel does not exactly follow the form, the interwoven stories lend themselves to the influence of improv. Sullivan and Kaempfer set themselves up for a challenge by telling the stories of five main characters each through a different point of view, but each of the story lines is unique, all the characters are clearly drawn, and there is no confusion for the reader. Short chapters advance the plot quickly and keep the reader engaged.

What struck me most about this novel was its sweetness. Sullivan and Kaempfer navigate issues of love, loss, and family dynamics with a care that is crucial to the success of the novel. The straightforward, unadorned prose does no work to convey the depth of emotion in the novel; that job is reserved solely for the characters, and they carry the load well. Though each of the characters trend slightly towards the stereotypical, the reader is able to accept them as individuals thanks to Sullivan and Kaempfer's well-placed personal details. Delmar, the toilet salesman, is a salesman to his core, and his application of sales principles to his romantic relationship is at once comic and endearing. Similarly, the scenes in the parking garage with the executive and the attendant are injected with emotion when we learn that “Reed went through the usual charade of offering a smoke to Henry, who always pretended to consider it before declining.” These details elevate the novel from cliché to something much deeper and more satisfying for the reader...

On the whole, The Living Wills was a pleasure to read for Sullivan and Kaempfer's deft characterization and effective structural choices. The rich details about Chicago only add to the novel's appeal, and I find myself thinking of Henry, Reed, and Delmar when I pass Waveland Bowl or a parking area on lower Wacker Drive.

Announcing the newest Eckhartz Press author: Randy Richardson

Eckhartz Press is thrilled to announce the signing of another author. His name is Randy Richardson, and on May 29th he will become the fourth Eckhartz Press author when we release his second novel; "Cheeseland".

Attorney and award-winning journalist Randy Richardson serves as president of the 300-member Chicago Writers Association. His essays have been published in the anthologies Chicken Soup for the Father and Son Soul, Humor for a Boomer’s Heart, The Big Book of Christmas Joy, and Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting Till Next Year, as well as in numerous print and online journals and magazines. The online publication Gapers Block named his debut novel, Lost in the Ivy, one of the notable Chicago books of 2005.

Much more information about Randy and his book "Cheeseland" coming in the next few weeks. It will be available for pre-order at Eckhartz Press beginning May 8.

If you can't wait for "Cheeseland" details, check out the "Coming Soon" tab at the Eckhartz Press website.

My Buddy's Incredible Streak of Bad Luck

That's the title of this week's Suburban Dad contribution to the City Mom blog at ChicagoNow. It's about my buddy Dave's streak of bad luck when he happens to have legitimate reasons to get out of the house.

You can read it here.

Cubs 365, April 18

On this day in 2008, Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman, father of former Cubs announcer Thom Brennaman, offended every Cubs fan in America when he said: "far and away the most obnoxious fans in baseball, in this league, are those that follow this team right here (the Cubs)."

Watch and listen...



Please accept our apologies, oh dainty one. We're still trying to raise ourselves to this Cincinnati level of classiness. Or the classiness of the "banned for life" not-at-all obnoxious Cincinnati icon Pete Rose. Or the classiness of pitcher Mario Soto, who was suspended for going into the stands with a baseball bat.

Someday, if we're lucky, we'll be that classy, and hopefully that will protect you from the incredibly damaging sight of our "unbelievably obnoxious" fans throwing a bunch of balls onto the field.

Texts from a Dog

Not my dog (shown here with a ridiculously bundled up Sean)

This guy's dog.

Dog owners will appreciate the humor.

Cubs 365, April 17

If not for world events and patriotic fervor, April 17, 1942 could have been a day that all Cub fans remembered. It could have been the first Cubs game played under the lights at Wrigley Field.

The lights had been purchased and were due to be installed after the 1941 season, but after the sneak attack at Pearl Harbor, Cubs owner Philip Wrigley donated the lights to the United States War Department instead.

By Opening Day, April 17, 1942, the lights were long gone. They wouldn't be installed for another 46 years.

Although, that first season nobody seemed to mind. The Cubs were considered quite patriotic in 1942. They also donated every ball hit into the stands to the United States Military recreation department.

On the day that could have been played under the lights, the Cubs beat Reds ace Johnny Vander Meer. Bill Lee out-dueled him in a 3-2 Cubs victory. Cubs shortstop Lennie Merullo scored two of the three runs for the Cubs.

Cue the Calliope Music

The Cubs are going to the circus.

The baseball circus, that is: The Miami Marlins. It's Ozzie's first game after his suspension. It's Carlos Zambrano's first time facing the Cubs after quitting on them last year.

You'll have to watch the game to find out who wins, because the reporting tomorrow will barely mention it.

35 years ago today...

...this song was actually #1 in the country. Seriously.

Cubs 365, April 16

On this day in 1972, Cubs rookie Burt Hooten threw a no-hitter in only his fourth big league start. He walked seven and struck out seven Phillies on a cold and blustery Wrigley afternoon, throwing 120 pitches.

The Philadelphia lineup was no pushover. Among the good hitters on that team: Larry Bowa, Willie Montanez, Deron Johnson, Greg Luzinski, Don Money and Tim McCarver. The only time Hooten was even remotely in trouble was in the top of the 7th inning. He walked both Don Money and outfielder Mike Anderson before striking out Denny Doyle to end the inning.

Like another future Cubs rookie phenom from Texas, Hooten had a flair for the dramatic. He struck out the last two hitters he faced; Deron Johnson and Greg Luzinski. It was undoubtedly the highlight of his Cubs career.

Unfortunately, Hooten was traded away just a few years later to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The players the Cubs got in return, Eddie Soloman and Geoff Zahn, had no impact whatsoever in Chicago. Hooten, on the other hand, would go on to win at least 10 games eight years in a row for the Dodgers (including two seasons with 18, and another with 19), and would pitch in three World Series.

Rick and Brendan on the Internet

Metrolingua Blogger Margaret Larkin interviewed us about our book "The Living Wills".

You can read it here.

Father Knows Nothing

This week's Father Knows Nothing has been posted. It's about the most ridiculous argument ever.

You can read it here.

Cubs 365, April 15

On this day in 1886, future Cubs pitcher King Cole was born.

His real name was Leonard Leslie Cole. He started his baseball career as a pitcher with the Cubs in 1909. By 1910, he was the ace of the staff. He led the National League that season with a record of 20-4 and helped win a National League Pennant for the Cubs. His 20-4 record is the best winning percentage (.866) for a Cubs pitcher in the twentieth Century.

He was immortalized as "King" Cole by Ring Lardner, who no doubt, got it from the children's nursery rhyme 'Old King Cole.' King Cole didn't stay with the Cubs very long. He won 18 games for them in 1911, and was traded (along with fan favorite Solly Hofman) to the Pirates for Tommy Leach early in the 1912 season.

He later landed in the American League, where Cole gave up Babe Ruth's first ever hit in the majors (a double on October 2, 1914). But this King Cole would not live to be a merry old soul. In 1915, he contracted a disease that knocked him out of baseball. Some sources say it was malaria, others say tuberculosis, and still others speculate it was syphilis, but whatever the disease, it took Cole's life.

He died on January 6th, 1916, a few months shy of his 30th birthday

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Greg Bell

This weekend's Chicago Radio Spotlight has been posted. I interviewed the host of "When Radio Was", which airs locally here on WBBM-AM 780.

You can read it here.

Cubs 365, April 14

On this day in 1970, the Cubs won their home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. No one remembers that it was the first game in Cubs uniform for Johnny Callison. Or that one of the players he was traded for, Dick Selma, pitched in relief and got pounded by the Cubs.

That game is remembered most for the out of control crowd that day. There were so many fights in the stands, the Cubs instituted new security measures. Among them, installing the screen at the top of the wall--to keep the fans from coming onto the field.

Before that was put up, drunken fans tried to tightrope the walls -- and, depending on their alcohol consumption, had a tendency to fall...hard. The reason the baskets are still up is that they have been incredibly successful at achieving their main goal: keeping inebriated fans from falling onto the playing field.

Despite what former ESPN commentator Joe Morgan has said, putting up that screen had absolutely nothing to do with getting more "cheap home runs" for Ernie Banks. Ernie only played one of his 18 Cubs seasons with the screen in place. Joe Morgan should know better.

Coming this weekend

Chicago Radio Spotlight returns tomorrow. I interviewed Greg Bell, the host of "When Radio Was", which airs locally on WBBM-AM 780.

On Sunday, a new Father Knows Nothing column will be about one of the most ridiculous arguments my boys have ever had (and they've had some doozies).

Also, as usual, the Just One Bad Century website will go back to this week in 1908 and 1945, and the Just One Bad Century blog will have a story about April 14 and April 15 in Cubs history as part of Cubs 365.

Have a great weekend!

Cubs 365, April 13

On this day in 1992, the Cubs were in Pittsburgh, while their home city of Chicago was undergoing one of the strangest events in it's colorful history.

250 million gallons of water were flooding the basements of Loop office buildings and retail stores because workers doing rehabilitation work on the Kinzie Street Bridge crossing the Chicago River didn't know about an abandoned tunnel beneath the river, and drove a pylon into the tunnel wall. The city had to evacuate the area because they feared electrical wires would short out. Trading at both the Chicago Board of Trade Building and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange was stopped.

Workers attempted to plug the hole, by then about 20 feet wide, with 65 truckloads of rocks, cement, and mattresses. That odd vision of mattresses being thrown into the river is one that Chicagoans won't soon forget.

That Cubs team, however, was pretty forgettable.

While the city flooded, the Cubs got swept by eventual division champion Pittsburgh. Batting second for the Cubs and playing centerfield was a young player the Cubs had gotten from the Chicago White Sox in spring training—-Sammy Sosa.

Unfortunately for Sammy, his first Cubs season was a painful one. He missed most of June and July with a broken finger, and then returned only to break his ankle on August 6th. He missed the rest of the year.

At the time, the Sammy trade was considered so terrible by Cubs fans, that they speculated Cubs GM Larry Himes (a former White Sox GM) was actually a White Sox spy sent to infiltrate the Cubs organization. The player the Cubs traded away to get Sammy, George Bell, had a few very good years on the South Side while Sammy was struggling mightily on the North Side.

Those theories quickly vanished after Sammy hit 500+ home runs for the Cubs.

I Love Rock and Roll

#1 on this day in 1982, exactly 30 years ago...

Don't Call Me April 27, May 2, or May 18

This week's Suburban Dad contribution to the City Mom blog has been posted.

It's about our insane schedule.

Cubs 365, April 12

On April 12, 1933, the Wrigley Field crowd was undoubtedly happier than it has been since 1919. This was the first game at Wrigley Field since Prohibition had been repealed, although it would be another month before beer was officially available again.

The Cubs were the defending NL Champs, and the crowd of 25,000 witnessed a great pitching performance by Cubs ace Lon Warneke. He out-dueled the best pitcher in baseball, Dizzy Dean, throwing a 4-hit shutout against a Cardinals lineup that featured future Hall of Famers Joe Medwick and Frankie Frisch.

Warneke's battery-mate Gabby Hartnett was the hitting star for the Cubs that day. He got three hits, and knocked in two runs, as the Cubs won the game 3-0.

Neither the Cubs nor the Cardinals ended the season in first place in 1933. The National League pennant went to the New York Giants. They went on to beat the Washington Senators in the World Series.

Craig's List Post Seeks Bullpen Help for Cubs

This is pretty funny. CBS Chicago has all the details.

It's the handiwork of Jonathan Eig, one of the people that contributed to "Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting 'Til Next Year".

Not quite as funny as our birth announcement a few years ago ("Waitle Nex Yeare"), but that may just be envy talking...I can't believe JOBC didn't think of this first.

"The Living Wills" on the radio

A week or two ago I was on the Steve Cochran show discussing my book "The Living Wills", my new publishing company Eckhartz Press, and a few other things.

They sent me the audio, in case you missed it.

Here it is.

I always enjoy being on Steve's show. He's great at making his guests feel comfortable, and he can make any discussion entertaining.

Cubs 365, April 11

On this day in 1955, Opening Day at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Sam Jones made history for the Cubs. He became the first African American pitcher to ever wear a Cubs uniform.

Jones came into the game in relief of Cubs starter Bob Rush in the fourth inning, with the Cubs clinging to a 6-4 lead. All Jones did was pitch five innings of one-run ball. He struck out five Reds batters during that five inning stint before giving way to Jeffcoat with two outs in the 9th. One out later, Jones also became the first African American pitcher to win a game for the Cubs when Jeffcoat induced Wally Post to hit into a fielder's choice to end the game.

Drinking and Driving

This comes via e-mail. Thanks to "MS" for sending it...



Seeing as my days of drinking are LONG gone and my days of DRIVING have been taken away from me recently, I'd like to share an experience with you about them both.

As you well know, some of us have been known to have had brushes with the authorities, on our way home from a "social session" over the years. A couple of years ago, I was out for a few drinks with some friends at the one of our local pubs and had some rather nice Scotch Whiskey.

Knowing full well I may have been slightly over the limit, I did something I've never done before: I took a bus home. Sure enough I passed a police road block but as it was a bus, they waved it past. I arrived home safely without incident, which was a real surprise, as I have never driven a bus before and am not sure where I got it.

We Can Wait 100 Years (2012)

Here's the updated version of the song Brandmeier asked us to perform on the air last week: We Can Wait 100 Years (2012)

It should be good for another few years.

Cubs 365, April 10

On this day in 1921, future Cubs first baseman Chuck Connors was born.

The physically imposing 6'5" Connors played first base for the Cubs in 1951 and hit a whopping two home runs in 200 at bats, not exactly the kind of power you want from a big first baseman. That performance earned him a trip back to the minors.

Luckily for him, the Cubs minor league team at the time was in Los Angeles. While he was playing in the Cubs minor league system he got a bit part in the movie "Pat & Mike" (starring Spencer Tracy--1952). That led him to quit baseball for good and become a full-time actor. By 1958, he was starring in "The Rifleman," which aired until 1963. He also starred in Old Yeller, Soylent Green, and Roots, and is arguably the greatest Cubs actor of all-time (other than Sammy Sosa during his "corked bat" press conference).

Cubs 365, April 9

On this day in 1888, one of the greatest pitchers in Cubs history was born. His name was Hippo Vaughn.

Hippo Vaughn got his nickname because of his size (he was about the same size as Rick Reuschel). He was the star of the 1918 pennant winners (won the pitching triple crown that year). The 1919 Black Sox may have believed that the 1918 Cubs threw that World Series, but if they did, no one suspected Hippo Vaughn was part of it. He started three games in that series, and although he was only 1-2, his ERA was 1.00 and he struck out 17 batters.

Hippo won the ERA title the following year too, and was a 20-game winner 5 times, a 19-game winner once and a 17-game winner another time in his nine seasons with the Cubs. During the years 1914-1920 he was one of the best pitchers in the entire National League.

Hippo's career ended in 1921 when manager Johnny Evers suspended him for thirty days for insubordination. In 1922, he got into a salary dispute, and chose to pitch for a semi-pro team instead. He was reinstated by Commissioner Landis after 8 years of ineligibility in 1930. He went to spring training with the Cubs in 1931 but failed to make the team at age 43.