Open Thread 04-29-22 - Wrigley Field

I grew up and lived about 100 miles west of Chicago for most of my life. Back in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s I had the pleasure of attending many Chicago Cubs baseball games. Wrigley Field is a gorgeous baseball stadium and is one of the very few neighborhood ball parks left in the U.S. It is a sight to behold and if you've ever been there then you'd know what I mean.

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Back in the day the bleacher seats, right behind the gorgeous home run wall loaded with ivy, would fill up with rowdy fans. These bleacher seats were cheap back then, this in turn attracted beer guzzling fanatics that were out for maximum jollification. These fans would throw beer on the opposing outfielders, throw the home run balls from the opposing team back onto the field, pelt fans from the other team with beer and hotdog wrappers and whatever, but my favorite bleacher fan hijinx was the chanting. "Left field sucks", "right field sucks", "left field sucks", "right field sucks", back and forth the bleacher bums would taunt each other. Fights would break out. Then the taunts and the chanting would shift to the opposing team. It was a sight to behold and fun as hell.

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There was also Harry Caray, drinking abundant Budweiser, pronouncing the players names backwards, egging on the bleacher bums, among just some of his trademark mannerisms. And who can forget Harry's rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the 7th inning stretch and his famous "Holy Cow" cheer. I caught Harry after a game when he and the team were loading onto the bus to travel to the next game. I handed my score card to one of the coaches as he entered the bus and a few minutes later the score card came back to me loaded with autographs, Harry signed it appropriately on the suds of a beer mug on a Budweiser advertisement. He signed it "Holy Cow, Harry Caray". I still have that scorecard somewhere.

One of my fondest memories was of Ronnie "Woo Woo" Wickers, a homeless super fan. Ronnie was and is a legend in Chicago. The first time I saw him at a game I thought to myself, "who the heck is this nut" as he chanted "Woo Cubs, woo Cubs, woo Cubs" over and over and over, incessantly. Then I noticed that he would move all over the stadium yelling his chant for all the world to hear. I later learned more about Ronnie and came to appreciate his love for his home team. He was a crowd favorite and a well known fixture at Wrigley.

My love for Wrigley Field and the Cubs ended in the 90s when, in my humble opinion, steroids ruined the game. There was so many home runs hit by juiced up players hitting a juiced up ball that it became utterly ridiculous. When Mark McGuire broke Roger Maris's season home run record and Barry Bonds beat Hank Aaron's career home run record that was it for me. Barry Bonds wasn't a pimple on Hank Aaron's ass, IMHO. I lost all interest in baseball and haven't been to any games since. Although I did dance a jig a few years ago when the Cubs finally won a world series. Many a Cub fan has died without seeing the Cubbies win a world series and even though I had lost interest I did consider it a privilege to witness that particular piece of history. You Cubs fans will know what I mean.

I kind of miss those lazy days at Wrigley, one of theses days I'll go back for another game. Like everything else in today's society, I'm sure it wont be the same as those idyllic days of yore but I'll do it for Harry and Woo Woo's sake.

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woo c99, woo c99, woo c99!

Contrary to what was said in a comment a couple of days ago, c99 IS NOT shutting down. The day after that comment was posted we had two recurring donation cancellations. I can't say for sure if that comment caused the cancellations or not but it sure seemed coincidental. A few more cancellations and c99 will be in the red.

Folks, please refrain from making those kinds of statements, I'll let you all know when c99 is in trouble.

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Lookout's picture

May be others will step up? I hope so. We can't ask you to manage the site for free. I appreciate your efforts.

As to baseball, I did get to see Hank Aaron play for the Braves in Atlanta when I was a kid. Birmingham has a nice historic field often used for movies, Rickwood Field

Rickwood Field was the passionate pursuit of a young Birmingham, Alabama industrialist, Rick Woodward. While still in his 20s, Woodward bought controlling interest in the city’s professional baseball team, the Coal Barons. He then sought help from the legendary Connie Mack in designing “The Finest Minor League Ballpark Ever” in this booming iron-and-steel town, the fastest growing city in the nation at that time. Woodward’s passion was contagious. Fueled by fervent publicity, the entire city of Birmingham was closed for business in honor of the park’s opening day, August 18, 1910.

Modeled primarily after Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Rickwood Field lived up to its owner’s wildest dreams. Over the years, this diamond dazzled with play by some of the greatest players in baseball history. The 1910s brought standing-room-only crowds and future hall of famers like Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Honus “The Flying Dutchman” Wagner, and Birmingham’s hometeam sensation Burleigh Grimes, the last legal spitball pitcher in the Big Leagues.

Thanks for the baseball memories and OT!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout
got to see Hank Aaron back in a game in the 60s. What a player.

Him, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and so many others, man, they were great and played for the love of the game.

Thanks LO.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout

was Lane Field, which backed up onto the Pacific Coast Highway. On the other side of the highway was the bay/harbor. A somewhat picturesque location with very high walls behind home and the 3rd base line to keep fouls from raining down onto the highway. I only ever saw a couple of games there, but, before my time, baseball's best ever pure hitter, Ted Williams, was the hometown hero for a while until he was picked up by the majors.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

ggersh's picture

https://chicagobaseballmuseum.org/brickhouse-knew-wgn-golden-goose-cubs-.....

I used to run about 1 mile home from school everyday that the Cubbies were playing
in the nearly empty "Friendly Confines"to make sure I saw my favorite team lose again.
Yes they were the lovable losers until they no longer weren't.

I also stopped watching baseball once the home run marketing ploy took over the game.
We might as well have been watching home run derby because we certainly weren't watching
baseball as the game I grew up watching.

I guess you could say nothing lasts forever but some stuff absolutely should, today can we afford those peanuts and crackerjacks that cost a quarter each? Back when I was 10 and would go to the game
my parents would give me $5 to go see a game and that covered everything including a Dog, Soda, ice cream ticket a scorecard and pencil and taking the Bus both ways with a transfer. Them were the days!

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3KEhWTnWvE]

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I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

@ggersh
how could I forget Jack.

Thanks g, I knew this one would catch your attention.

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ggersh's picture

@JtC and I was maybe one of a handful of people in Chicago that
also liked the Sox. My first baseball game in person was at Comiskey
Park, 1st row left field bleachers looking down on the great Minnie Minoso!

When baseball was baseball

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10 users have voted.

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

enhydra lutris's picture

@ggersh

"the great Minnie Minoso". He was, of course, indeed great, but my only memory of him is the time that he ran into the outfield wall so hard that he knocked himself out. Wink

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

ggersh's picture

@enhydra lutris https://sports.yahoo.com/day-white-sox-history-minnie-053009843.html

speaking of baseball, 70 years ago, Samozo gets NYC medal of honor from
Mayor Impellitteri

https://www.wnyc.org/story/206680-anastasio-samoza/

At this official 1952 ceremony on the steps of City Hall, the president of Nicaragua, Anastasio Somoza, is welcomed to New York by Mayor Vincent R. Impellitteri.

"Somoza may be a son of a bitch, but he's our son of a bitch." This well-known statement, supposedly uttered by Franklin D. Roosevelt, is now considered apocryphal, but sums up the attitude of successive U.S. administrations toward the Somoza family and other Central American dictators during the latter half of the 20th century. In return for a brutal repression of any Communist or Socialist movements, unelected "strongmen" were given free rein and ample U.S. support.

After formally greeting Somoza, Impellitteri notes that "his likes and dislikes parallel ours." The chief of these "likes" would seem to be baseball. He lauds Somoza for building a 50,000-seat baseball stadium as well as, earlier that day, rooting the (then New York) Giants to victory. The dislike we share is expressed in his "beating back Communist aggression and oppression." He then presents the president with a scroll for distinguished public service, and the city's medal of honor. There is a brief pause in the ceremony during which the announcer encourages people to get out of the house and enjoy this beautiful spring day. Indeed, he confides that earlier in the festivities the Police Glee Club performed a rousing rendition of "June Is Bustin' Out All Over." Somoza then thanks the mayor and other public officials. He stresses his strong ties with the United States. Both of his sons have gone to school here. One graduated with a degree in engineering, the other from West Point. He compliments Impellitteri on keeping the streets clean and on "your marvelous police force," members of which he tellingly refers to as "soldiers." With the United States' help in aiding Nicaragua's fight against Communism, "Democracy and freedom will live forever!" The Police Glee Club then sings "Sound Off!," followed by the Sanitation Band performing selections from "Kiss Me, Kate," before the Fire Department Band plays recessional music as the participants file off the platform.

bolded my emphasis

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6 users have voted.

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

enhydra lutris's picture

how could the site be seeking additional OT writers at the same time it was aiming to shut down - it makes no sense. Ah well, sorry about the contribs, perhaps they'll return.

Beisbol, eh? As a kid, the hometown team was the triple A Padres, a Cincy farm club. Generally couldn't afford to take in many games, though I did get gifted season tics one year and got to watch the sorry spectacle of Herb Score's attempted comeback, among other things. For me, beisbol was on the radio and I was both by choice and by geography a bums fan. Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett. I scored as many games as I could and therefore scored some fantastic and even famous games, but kept none of the paper, which, being the cheapest I could procure, would probably have disintegrated long ago anyway. Those were miraculous years, lots of one-nuthin wins, some fool would walk Maury Wills who would steal second, take third on a sacrifice and come home on either another or a single and then Koufax or Drysdale or Podres assisted by Perranowski would simply shut the other team down, it was almost a formula.

Know what you mean about the steroids, also had issues with mercenary owners. I came to be a bit of an As fan after many years in the Bay Area, but then came the era of selling and/or trading everybody once they got really good and never knowing who was on the team or the roster and I kind of checked out. We would still hit a game now and them, especially via BART, but it's been years now.

Thanks for kindling those memories, and for the OT, of course. Probable humdrum day here, with a tiny bit of grocery shopping thrown, plus still my week to cook (pork chops marsala with maitake shrooms, beets, and some kind of rice or noodle dish) and it's my turn to make bread too, which will go a long way toward eating up the day; especially with our standing "date" to play a game of contract rummy Friday afternoons. I should probably finish Monday's OT too, I somehow got way behind on those during my recent absence.

be well and have a good one

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10 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

pitch a game with the Astros.
Between drugs and illegal betting, sports have become the show of who's drugs are the best.
Hell, bicycling, gymnastics, horse racing, tennis...Can't believe it has all degraded.
I find the games played by birds on the feeders are more fun to watch than anything people do!
Must get psyched for an afternoon court battle. The bailiff said he had popcorn and handcuffs both at the ready.
Hoping everyone has a fun day ahead!

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10 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

The Liberal Moonbat's picture

I never cared about sports. Ever. I have literally never seen a single World Cup, Superbowl, or World Series in my life.

Some of you may have heard how the computer game Starcraft has become a "professional sport", especially in South Korea - and the phenomenon has only spread since then. I wonder how/if this relates to disgust at normal-sports doping-scandals in any way...and it also makes one wonder, IF 'sportsified' computer/video games CAN be ruined by doping, WHEN will they? What kind of 'doping' would we be talking about then? Caffeine? Ritalin? What would the controversy look like for people who take prescription medications, especially the mysterious antipsychotic-type affairs I've been on since I was 8?

Still, the lethal, cancer-like effect that greed has on good things - something good succeeds, it attracts wannabes and sociopaths who conspire to ruin it - is something a LOT of, dare I say MOST, people can now sympathize with; it's a huge problem (and now they've evidently figured out how to weaponize "political correctness" against anybody who complains about it - the "War On Nerds" is real, and others could say far, FAR more than I).

Ever see Baseketball? It was made by the South Park guys, and it delivers what you'd expect from them: Hilarious, politically-incorrect comedy conspicuously laced with forceful social commentary - in that case, on precisely the above issue.

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10 users have voted.

In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

lotlizard's picture

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Kalas#Miscellany

About Harry Kalas’s career after he “hit the Big Time” announcing major league games, I know hardly anything. What I remember him for is how he started out: doing radio play-by-play for ILH football and basketball matches in the 1960s, when I was in intermediate school / high school (ILH = Interscholastic League of Honolulu)!

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dystopian's picture

Hey JtC! Hope all are well!

Steroids and strikes killed my interest in sports in general. Pros being allowed in the Olympics was another major blow against them. Finding out how the billionaires have the public finanace their biz and they play them against each other did not help. Now with chromosomally mixed competitions, I have given my last shat.

Folks have lost it with their need to compete and say I won, I am better, I am number one. It is all pure ego. We would be infinitely better off as people if we could lose this need to compete and be number one. If instead we worked on ways to work together, instead of beating each other. Instead we try to think of new ways to cheat, to say I won.

As for baseball ... growing up in the 60's in L.A. I got to see many if not most of the greats of the era, and in football too. My mom threw away by near-complete sets of 64-66 baseball cards. I have a good baseball steroid story...

Had a near dear now late, friend Dr. David Bradley, Ph.D. in statistics. He wrote all the script that ran the computers for Cal State Univ. Long Bch. And cried when CSU system went to windoze. He had one of the first computers in a house in L.A., $10K, 10mb, took a wall up. We were co-compilers of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Christmas Bird Count for many many years (southwestern L.A. Co.). The project he was working on when he passed away will probably never be finished and published by the other guy that was co-author with him. Dave was a baseball statistics nut. He had proven exactly when steroids took off, and in who, with his typical next-level statistical analysis. It was earlier than they were all copping to.

Like EL, I grew up with Vin Scully, the voice of the Dodgers, Dick Enberg was the Angels voice.

P.S. my mom was from Rockford, IL.

Hope all are well! Enjoy!

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

was on a "major league field" - Star Park in Syracuse, NY. (The Stars were in the American Association in 1890) I played second base (like Cupid Childs!) for 1 inning of a 11 run (at least) blowout.
The only play I was involved in was a stolen base. (???) I has stolen the other team's steal sign (yes, it had been called by their coach) but our catcher didn't believe me, so he was fooled and came up throwing to hit a passing plane. The throw went so far over my head I just watched it fly - our center fielder had to go back on it. And the bastard kid came in with his spikes up! Man I was pissed! After that I sat on the bench and watched the junior playing instead of me bat a remarkable .000 and field .000 (I kid you not) until I finally quit. Then the school closed.
I also killed a college, but though it never had a baseball team it did have over 100 pell grant recipients living in a parking garage across the street from Wrigley Field. I thought that was a Blues Brothers joke until I found out about that.

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On to Biden since 1973

mimi's picture

it on TV was (for me) the most boring sport to watch... heh, no offense, I simply couldn't understand it. Asked my son several times to explain it to me, he gave his best, but I never got it and he gave up calling me a lot case..

At least I love soccer and basketball a lot. I understand where the ball is supposed to get into. Wink

Sigh, I was a Micheal Jordan fan.

Those were the days, my friends, but these days will never be those days.

I am so pissed off at what German politicians are doing. How the hell are they not ashamed to their bones for their cowardly 'doing everything like the USians want them to do'.

ok, good night, tired minds should not say a word. I am going to sleep. Good Night.

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lotlizard's picture

@mimi  
https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-war-recasts-germany-green-party-...

https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-german-lawmakers-overwhelmingly-approve-he...

Everything is upside-down and backwards.

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