Hall of Fame

On this day in 1985, two other Cubs were elected into the Hall of Fame too. I don't follow the sport closely, so I'm not sure if they played with other teams too, but they were definitely Cubs.

Alvin Dark

Alvin Dark had a great MLB career. He was a World Series champion, a Rookie of the Year, and a three time all-star.

Unfortunately, none of that happened during his Cubs years.

On the other hand, he was involved in this incredibly unusual play.

Al was born on this date in 1922.

Andre is in the Hall!

Just off the presses...

Andre Dawson is finally in the Hall of Fame!

Preliminary and sketchy details here.





More about Andre's Cubs career at Just One Bad Century...

The story of his signing

His nickname

His mustache

The 1989 Cubs season

The song about him: "He's a Hero" by the Cleaning Ladies

More Wheel of Fortune

This is the 35th anniversary of Wheel of Fortune. The best moments on that show aren't when people guess correctly, it's when they make stupid guesses. Like this one...

Carl Sandburg

I've been researching Chicago in 1918 for a book project. One of the people that lived in Chicago in 1918 was Carl Sandburg. At the time he was Chicago's very first film critic...writing for the Daily News.

Carl Sandburg was born on this day in 1878.

Can you believe he was once a guest on "What's My Line"?

Wheel of Fortune

The very first Wheel of Fortune aired on this date in 1975. Do you remember who that first host was?

It wasn't Pat Sajack.

Would you believe Chuck Woolery?

Vanna White wasn't on those first few years either. The letter turner was Susan Stafford.

Joke for a Wednesday morning

Contributed by "AH"...




Five rules for men to follow for a happy life:

1. It's important to have a woman, who helps at home, who cooks from time to time, cleans up and has a job.

2. It's important to have a woman, who can make you laugh.

3. It's important to have a woman, who you can trust and who doesn't lie to you.

4. It's important to have a woman, who is good in bed and who likes to be with you.

5. It's very, very important that these four women do not know each other

1910, 1935

One hundred years ago this week, the Cubs are preparing for yet another NL Pennant winning season (Photo: Big Ed Reulbach).

The Cubs are famous in Chicago, but the biggest stars in the world are the great Impressionist painters. Most of them are still alive; including Degas (dies 1917), Renoir (dies 1919), and Monet (dies 1926).



Seventy five years ago this week, the Cubs are preparing for yet another NL Pennant winning season. Meanwhile, Elvis Presley is born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Amelia Earhart makes the first solo flight from California to Hawaii. (Amelia grew up in Chicago)

Terror, by Yemen

Good to have Jon Stewart back last night. It seems to help somehow...

Terror 2.0 by Yemen

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Old Hoss and Old Horse

Old Hoss was Cubs great Riggs Stephenson, who was born on this date in 1898. (Read all about him here.)

Old Horse is Mr. Ed, who debuted as a television star on this date, 49 years ago. Remember when he tried out for Leo Durocher?

Both have, sadly, been dead for many years.

I'm with her...

This is Marie Claire editor in chief Joanna Coles. Her New Years resolution is as follows...

"I was rather abstemious in 2009 so I am planning on more fats, more alcohol and much more advertising.”

I'm with her, but I must admit I did have to look up abstemious.

(For my fellow dummies it means: "sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet", so I guess I wasn't abstemious in 2009. In fact, since Thanksgiving or so, I've been downright gluttonous.)

Marlon Byrd

I think Chicago Tribune columnist Phil Rogers and I are the only two people who think signing Marlon Byrd was a good idea for the Cubs.

It's not like I'm excited about it, but neither is Phil. We're just saying...it's not as bad as their moves last off-season.

At least this will put Kosuke back in right field (where he is a very good defender) and improve the outfield defense.

Look, I'm just trying to find the positives here. Isn't this Cubbie Kool-aid drinking season?

Father Knows Nothing

Happy New Year!

I'll be back to full-time blogging starting tomorrow, but for today I just posted my latest "Father Knows Nothing" column at NWI Parent. It's the Kaempfer family's annual parody of sappy Christmas letters.

You can read it here.

Wow

I was just checking my e-mail and I got my weekly report from the site meter people that keep track of the hits and visitors on my blogs.

I must admit I don't usually look too closely to those numbers. But today, I looked just to get an idea how many people checked them out in 2009.

Would you believe 725,000?

Wow.

Thanks so much everyone. It's nice to know I'm not just doing this in a vacuum.

My little working/research/X-mas vacation is almost over. Here's the schedule for the various different returns...

*I'll have a new Father Knows Nothing on Jan 3rd.

*This blog will return on Jan 4th.

* The Just One Bad Century blog will return on the same day.

*The regular Just One Bad Century website will return with two new features on January 11th.

*My first Chicago Radio Spotlight interview will be posted on January 16th.

Thanks again for your support in 2009!

Your pal,
Rick

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and for those of us in the northern part of these United States...Happy Shoveling!

Milton

Bye Bye now.

Seattle was the farthest possible place to send you. Alaska doesn't have a team.

Father Knows Nothing

My latest Father Knows Nothing column is posted at NWI Parent. This week's column is entitled "Sean's Christmas Fund."

You can read it here.

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies

"BP" sent this recipe...

JOSE CUERVO CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Ingredients

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup or brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

DIRECTIONS

Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl, Check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality, Pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter In a large fluffy bowl.

Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another Cup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup Of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.

Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry It loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves a sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can Find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall Over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher...

Cherry Mistmas !

Father Knows Nothing

I just posted my latest Father Knows Nothing column at NWI Parent. This one is called "Blitzen" and it's about a rather unfortunate event with my favorite reindeer.

You can read it here.

Old Cub fans

It kills me every time I see an obituary like this one. I never met Sydney Medintz, but I got a little verklempt when I read the first few paragraphs of his obituary in the Sun Times...

Sydney Medintz, 95, waited all his life for a big win for his beloved Cubs.

In 2008, a century after they'd last won the World Series, Mr. Medintz told his family: "I can't wait much longer.:

He died at home Monday. He had one last message for the Cubs in his death notice.

"Go Cubs. I waited as long as I could."

He was born the year they built Wrigley Field...and never saw a World Series championship. I feel almost guilty for considering myself a long suffering Cubs fan.