I pretty much thought that I knew everything there was to know about baseball.
My brother played ball as a Little Leaguer, Red Devil, VU Crusader and Michigan City Star. Every free moment I had was spent in the bleachers. Our family’s love of baseball intensified in our home the summer when the knob on the television set broke. For months, the channel was stuck on WGN Channel 9. We watched endless Cubs games — and loved every minute of it.
kAm$@[ :E’D 366? 2? :?E6C6DE:?8[ J6E 3:K2CC6[ 6IA6C:6?46 =62C?:?8 2== <:?5D @7 ?6H 32D632== CF=6D @G6C E96 A2DE D6G6C2= 52JD H9:=6 H2E49:?8 A@DE\D62D@? 82>6D] x =62C?65 E92E J@F 42? ?@ =@?86C E2<6 @FE E96 D64@?5 32D6 >2? @? 2 D=:56j 2 32E :? E96 7246 >2D< @7 2 42E496C :D?’E C6G:6H23=6j 2 A=2J6C 42?’E 3=@4< 2 CF??6C 7C@> 9@>6 A=2E6 :7 96 5@6D?’E 92G6 E96 32==j 2?5[ :7 E96 >@>6?EF> @7 2 D=:56 E2<6D 2 32D6 CF??6C @77 32D6 — E@@ 325 7@C 9:>]k^Am
kAmq2D632== 92D 2D >2?J CF=6D 492?86D 2D A2C6?E:?8]k^Am
kAm~?46 FA@? 2 E:>6[ E96 72E96C D2E :? E96 H2:E:?8 C@@> H9:=6 >@E96CD 56=:G6C65 E96 323J] %@52J[ >2?J 72E96CD 2C6 C:89E E96C6 :? E96 56=:G6CJ C@@>[ A6C92AD 6G6? 92G:?8 E96 AC:G:=686 @7 4FEE:?8 E96 F>3:=:42= 4@C5]k^Am
kAm$@>6 H@>6? D>@<65 2?5 5C2?< H96? E96J H6C6 AC68?2?E] %@52J[ 6IA6CED H2C? 282:?DE 4@?DF>:?8 6G6? 5:6E D@52 2?5 46CE2:? 7:D9 H9:=6 6IA64E:?8]k^Am
kAmx 5@?’E <?@H 9@H >F49 @7 @FC D96?2?:82?D @FC >@E96C <?6H 23@FE H9:=6 @FC 525 H2D 2H2J 2E H@C<] (6 DFCG:G65 5C:?<:?8 7C@> 82C56? 9@D6D[ D>2D9:?8 42A 8F? 42AD @? E96 D:56H2=< H:E9 2 92>>6C[ AFEE:?8 C@4<6E 6?8:?6D :? H9:77=6 32ED 2?5 A=2J:?8 325>:?E@? :? E96 DEC66E] ~FC E@JD – z=:< z=2<D WEH@ 8=2DD 32==D E6E96C65 E@ 2 DEC:?8X 2?5 y2CED W>6E2=\E:AA65 >:?: ;2G6=:?D E9C@H? @? E96 =2H?X =2E6C 364@>6 @FE=2H65] $FC6[ E96C6 H2D 2 492?46 E92E E96 y2CE 4@F=5 9:E J@F :? E96 9625[ 3FE H9J H@F=5 J@F 86E :? :ED H2Jn xE H@F=5 9FCE]k^Am
kAm(96? H6 H6C6 @FE 27E6C E96 DF? D6E[ ?@ @?6 42==65 @FE E@ FD E@ D66 :7 H6 H6C6 DE:== 2=:G6] x7 H6 8@E 9FCE[ @FC A2C6?ED ECFDE65 E92E H6’5 >2<6 :E 9@>6] x7 H6 925 2? 2C8F>6?E[ E96J ECFDE65 E92E H6’5 H@C< :E @FE] x? E9@D6 52JD[ H6 A=2J65 H:E9 C62= A6@A=6 2?5 ?@E 2G2E@CD] uC@> :?E6C24E:?8 H:E9 =:G6[ 3C62E9:?8 4C62EFC6D[ H6 =62C?65 C6D:=:6?4J 2?5 DE2?5:?8 FA 7@C @FCD6=G6D] x7 8F?D 2?5 5CF8D H6C6 2C@F?5[ H6 H6C6 @3=:G:@FD E@ :E]k^Am
kAm(6 H6C6 6IA64E65 E@ 62E H92E H2D :? 7C@?E @7 FD[ @C H6 5:5?’E 62E] ~FC A2C6?ED 5:5?’E >2<6 2 D6A2C2E6 6?ECé6 E@ DF:E 6249 A6CD@?’D AC676C6?46]k^Am
kAm~FC 3:<6 @C @FC EH@ =68D H6C6 @FC AC:>2CJ D@FC46 @7 EC2?DA@CE2E:@?] }@ @?6 492F776FC65 FD 2C@F?5 E@H?]k^Am
kAms64256D @7 C6D62C49 7C@> D4:6?46 2?5 49:=5 56G6=@A>6?E 6IA6CED 92D AC@>AE65 FD E@ 25;FDE 2?5 C6G:D6 D@>6 A2C6?E:?8 AC24E:46D] u@C 6I2>A=6[ ?@H E92E H6 <?@H E92E 82C56? 9@D6D 42? =6249 =625[ H6 5@?’E =6E @FC 49:=5C6? 5C:?< 7C@> E96> 2?J>@C6]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ $2?5C2 vC292>\q6C>2?? !9s[ 2 ADJ49@=@8J AC@76DD@C 2?5 AC:?4:A2= :?G6DE:82E@C 7@C E96 r9:=5 ':@=6?46 2?5 %C2F>2 {23@C2E@CJ 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:49:82?[ “!9JD:42= AF?:D9>6?E 42? H@C< >@>6?E2C:=J E@ DE@A AC@3=6>2E:4 3692G:@C 3642FD6 49:=5C6? 2C6 27C2:5 @7 36:?8 9:E[ 3FE :E 5@6D?’E H@C< :? E96 =@?8 E6C> 2?5 42? >2<6 49:=5C6? >@C6 288C6DD:G6]” x?DE625[ sC] vC292>\q6C>2?? C64@>>6?5D E92E E96 36DE 2AAC@249 W2=36:E @?6 E92E C6BF:C6D A2E:6?46X[ :D 7@C A2C6?ED E@ C6>2:? 42=> 5FC:?8 2 49:=5’D E2?ECF>D[ 2?5 E@ FD6 E:>6 @FED H96? ?66565 2?5 2 4@?D:DE6?E 5:D4:A=:?6 A=2? E92E C6H2C5D 8@@5 3692G:@C]k^Am
kAm$@>6 A2C6?E:?8 492?86D @G6C E96 =2DE 76H 564256D 2C6 D@>6H92E @7 2 ?2EFC2= AC@8C6DD:@? E92E 6G@=G65 @FE @7 D@4:6E2= 492?86D] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 !t( #6D62C49 x?DE:EFE6[ ce A6C46?E @7 2== EH@\A2C6?E 72>:=:6D H:E9 49:=5C6? J@F?86C E92? `g 92G6 3@E9 A2C6?ED H@C<:?8 7F== E:>6 @FED:56 E96 9@>6[ G6CDFD b` A6C46?E @7 &]$] 72>:=:6D H9@ 7:E E92E 56D4C:AE:@? :? `hf_] %92E >62?D >@C6 49:=5C6? 2C6 :? 49:=542C6 @C 42C:?8 7@C E96>D6=G6D H9:=6 E96:C A2C6?ED 2C6 H@C<:?8] %96J’C6 =62C?:?8 E@ 7665 E96>D6=G6D[ 5:D4:A=:?6 E96>D6=G6D E@ 5@ 9@>6H@C< 2?5 >2J36 6G6? AFE E96>D6=G6D E@ 365]k^Am
kAm(6’G6 =62C?65 E@ 25;FDE E@ @FC C@F?5\E96\4=@4< D4965F=6D 3J 6>3C24:?8 4@?G6?:6?46D – DF49 2D 5:DA@D23=6 5:2A6CD[ ;F:46 3@I6D C2E96C E92? E96C>@D’ 7:==65 H:E9 >:=<[ C67C:86C2E65 C625J\>256 =F?49 A24<6ED 2?5 D2?5H:496D 2?5 5C:G6\E9CF C6DE2FC2?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 25G2?46D E92E 3C:?8 4@?G6?:6?46D E@ @FC H2J @7 =:76 E@52J 2C6 D@>6H92E @7 2 5@F3=6\65865 DH@C5] u@C 6I2>A=6[ E96 :?E6C?6E AC@G:56D FD H:E9 2446DD E@ :?7@C>2E:@? 2E a 2]>] 23@FE 9@H E@ D@@E96 2 E66E9:?8 323J @C E96 36DE EC62E>6?E 7@C 2 49:=5’D 76G6C] pE E96 D2>6 E:>6[ :E 8:G6D FD 2446DD E@ ?6HD 2E a 2]>] E@ D66 E96 8C2A9:4 42C?286 @7 2 E6CC@C 2EE24<] xE 42? 4C62E6 :?7@C>2E:@? @G6C=@25] p?5[ 3642FD6 :?7@C>2E:@? :D C625:=J 2G2:=23=6 @?=:?6[ H6 42? :D@=2E6 @FCD6=G6D 7C@> C6249:?8 @FE E@ @E96CD 7@C 96=A] %96 :?E6C?6E 42?’E C6A=246 E96 6IA6CE <?@H=6586 @7 2 A9JD:4:2? H9@ <?@HD J@FC 49:=5’D >65:42= 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
kAmt=64EC@?:4D @A6? FA E96 H@C=5 E@ @FC 49:=5C6? 2?5 8:G6 E96> E96 492?46 E@ 492E “=:G6” H:E9 C6=2E:G6D 2?5 72>:=J 7C:6?5D 7C@> E96 @E96C D:56 @7 E96 4@F?ECJ] %96J 2=D@ 8:G6 @FC 49:=5C6? E96 492?46 E@ 492E “=:G6” H:E9 :==\:?E6?E:@?65 A6@A=6 7C@> E96 @E96C D:56 @7 E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAm(96? 49:=5C6? E@52J 2C6 @FE A=2J:?8[ 323JD:EE:?8 @C @? 2 52E6[ E96J 42? 4964< :? H:E9 E96:C A2C6?ED FD:?8 E96:C 46== A9@?6] %96 46== A9@?6 92D 364@>6 E96:C AC:>2CJ D@FC46 @7 4@>>F?:42E:@?[ 3642FD6 H96? E96J 2C6 D:EE:?8 24C@DD 7C@> 2 D:3=:?8 2 7C:6?5 2E E96 5:??6C E23=6[ E96J DE:== AC676C E@ 492E H:E9 E96> 3J 2 46== A9@?6] %96 @=5\72D9:@?65[ 6J6\E@\6J6 4@?E24E <:?5 @7 5:2=@8F6 92D 8@?6 3J E96 H2JD:56]k^Am
kAmyFDE =:<6 :? 32D632==[ H96C6 ?6H CF=6D 2C6 :?E6?565 E@ <66A A=2J6CD D276C[ ?6H :562D :? A2C6?E:?8 AC24E:46D 2C6 :?E6?565 E@ 96=A 49:=5C6? 36 D276C] xE’D ?@E 2 4C:E:4:D> @7 A2DE A2C6?E:?8 EC6?5D[ ;FDE =:<6 :E’D ?@E 2 4C:E:4:D> @7 9@H 32D632== FD65 E@ 36 A=2J65] x?DE625[ H:E9 564256D @7 C6D62C49 2?5 DEF5J[ 49:=5 6IA6CED 92G6 ?6H 2?5 FA52E65 :?7@C>2E:@?] (96? H6 <?@H 36EE6C[ H6 42? 5@ 36EE6C]k^Am
kAm$@>6E:>6D :? 32D632== 2?5 A2C6?E:?8 J@F 9:E 2 9@>6 CF?] $@>6E:>6D J@F ?665 D@>6 C6=:67]k^Am
kAm~?6 E9:?8 E92E 92D ?6G6C 492?865 :? A2C6?E:?8[ @C 32D632==[ :D E92E J@F 5@?’E H2?E E@ DEC:<6 @FE]k^Am
kAm!2>6=2 w6?56CD@? :D E96 5:C64E@C @7 56G6=@A>6?E 2?5 4@>>F?:42E:@?D 2E sF?63C@@<] %@ =62C? >@C6 23@FE A2C6?E:?8 2?5 DFAA@CE AC@8C2>D 2E sF?63C@@<[ 42== Wg__X ghf\___f] t>2:= !2> H:E9 A2C6?E:?8 BF6DE:@?D 2?5 4@>>6?ED 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@iA2>o5F?63C@@<]@C8QmA2>o5F?63C@@<]@C8k^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.