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Category: Chicago White Sox (Page 19 of 24)

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Old Sport Shorts: The Thrill is Gone #519

May 6, 2018 / / 0 Comments

A 6-hour airplane ride to Hawaii is a great way to get some writing done. There’s only so much you can do stuck in a seat for that long. Wi-fi is weak over the ocean, so I can’t even monitor the Cubs at Cardinals series today. Last night’s opener was a disappointment, as has been the start of the season in general. Today, Kolten Wong hit a game winning homer against Brandon Morrow in the 10th, causing me to further question his ability as the Cubs new closer. Other than a four-game sweep of the Brewers, the Cubbies have essentially played .500 baseball, unworthy of a team with that much talent. Last season’s World Series hangover somehow continues to linger, as the “W” flag fails to wave over Wrigley Field.

The Cubs starting rotation has shown little promise, other than stingily allowing the then Division leading Brew Crew only one earned run and eleven hits in four games. I thought it was a renaissance, but they only managed a five-game winning streak. The Rockies took the next two games and St. Louis handed out the third straight loss last night and the fourth today. Yu Darvish has been the weakest link, showing the same vulnerability that lost the Dodgers last year’s World Series. Only Kyle Schwarber has shown improvement in an offensive lineup that hasn’t changed much from last year. Thankfully, it’s a long season.

My other Chicago baseball favorite, the White Sox, have been even worse coming out of the blocks. My man Yoan Moncada #10 has shown some promise, but the organization continues to remain a cellar-dweller. There were not heavy expectations this year, as fans like me start to already look to next year. Attendance at Guaranteed Rate continues to deteriorate along with their place in the standings.

For me, there hasn’t been much to root for in the Wide World of Sports. The Trailblazers lost in four and the Pacers found LeBron to be too much. The Timbers no longer have an Indiana University connection, and I’m afraid that despite the city’s optimism and money, Major League Baseball will probably not find its way here. For a while, it was College Baseball that struck my fancy. Oregon State continues to perform at the top of the charts, but my alma mater I.U. has fallen to the middle of the low- ranked BIG conference, after recently peaking at #10 in the nation. Tiger’s return to golf has been relatively uneventful, and the NFL draft sparked little interest. You may have also noticed that I skipped right over College Football. I honestly seem to have lost interest and enthusiasm around my favorite ball-hobbies. In the words of B.B. King, “The Thrill is Gone.”

If there was one positive this past week, it’s been coach Archie Miller and Indiana University basketball recruiting. A new potential savior, Romeo Langford has put the Hoosiers back in the spotlight, if even just for a year. My expectations may be too high for a kid to make an impact in such a short period of time, but it’s renewed my faith in the program. A 6’10” graduate-transfer big man, and perhaps the return of leading-scorer Juwan Morgan, after he finished dipping his toe in the NBA pool, could signify a resurgence. The bad news is that  I may have to wallow through six more months of sports mediocrity before I catch the Fever again. By the way, how are they doing?

Retirement is not without Hassles: Brick #511

April 29, 2018 / / 0 Comments

The other night when I was walking the dogs, I picked up a brick cast aside in a nearby woods. I needed it for the recipe that I’m preparing next week called Chicken Under A Brick so I brought it home with me. Apparently, the Italians have figured out magical way to grill chicken that uses the weight of an aluminum foil covered brick to press the bird forcefully against the the grill. After my success with Beer Can Chicken, I’m hoping for another “winner-winner-chicken-dinner.” It also got me thinking about bricks. 

Eleven years ago I got a unique birthday present from my wife, when the Cubs were offering personalized commemorative bricks to be placed on the grounds of Wrigley Field. “3 Generations – Mike Adam Gavyn 9/10/2007.” My dad, Burt, should probably have been included as the Fourth Generation and his dad, Bill, the Fifth in a long line of family Cub fans. However, as my wife explains, it was the date of the first Cubs game for my grandson in the company of myself, my son, and my only nephew (three generations). In a similar manner, I bought my parents their own brick in front of Nick’s on the campus of Indiana University where they met, and I’m pretty sure they included my name on one of the pavers in the downtown plaza of our hometown of Elkhart, Indiana.

I grew up in Indiana as a fan of both basketball and auto racing. The one-class Indiana High School basketball tournament and the Indy 500 were both captivating annual Hoosier traditions. I certainly launched my fair share of “bricks” off the rim trying to perfect my round-ball shooting skills on the basketball court. A “brick” is an errant shot but not as bad as an “air ball.” I grabbed a ball at a local fitness club recently after years of not touching one, and the result was nothing but “bricks and/or air balls.” 

On a couple of special occasions I’ve driven a race car, but never as part of a race. I once got to drive my personal car on the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway known as the Brickyard.  In 1909 the original surface of crushed rock and tar was replaced with 3.2 million bricks. In October 1961, it was all topped with asphalt leaving only a 36” strip at the start/finish line now known as the “yard of bricks.” It’s worth kissing! I also attended the inaugural Brickyard 400 back on 8/6/1994 won by a Hoosier high school graduate named Jeff Gordon. This year it will be known as the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered by Florida Georgia Line. The naming rights must have cost a pile of gold bricks! . 

When I think of brickyards, for some reason I recall a former neighborhood in East Chicago, Indiana primarily inhabited by African Americans, many of which were employed by a nearby brickyard. When I was in high school, the East Chicago Roosevelt Roughriders were the top basketball team in the state, including the championship in 1970. The East Chicago Washington Senators won it the following year. The area was a basketball hotbed, with great shooters who rarely laid a brick. Speaking of Chicago, I also recall WGN TV and Radio play-by-play sportscaster Jack Brickhouse on Cubs and White Sox games growing up. He was the predecessor of Harry Carey, who are both enshrined as Hall of Fame broadcasting legends.

The long lasting endurance of brick construction dates as far back as 7500 BC, while the tallest brick structure in the world is the 1,046 foot high Chrysler Building in New York City, also home of a gastropub named The Brickyard. Nearby Newark, New Jersey is nicknamed “Brick City.” Plus, everyone knows the story of The Three Little Pigs and how the Big Bad Wolf huffed and puffed but couldn’t blow down the brick house, after destroying the others made out of straw and sticks. You’ve also heard the phrase, “Built like a brick sh**house,” and sang along with the The Commodores 1977 dance hit, Brick House. On a similar note, Jethro Tull’s album Thick as a Brick was released in 1972, and Pink Floyd’s rock opera Another Brick in the Wall came out in 1979. Finally, there is an Atlanta-based band named Brick that coined the word “dazz” after their unique disco-jazz style of music.

You don’t have to go far to find a restaurant, bar, or pizza joint named “Brick House” – just “follow the yellow brick road.” It not only leads to Oz, but also takes you to the slot machines at the Las Vegas MGM Hotel. All the big stars are promoted on the giant marques that you find only in Vegas, and engraved on what could be considered to be “star-shaped bricks” on the sidewalks of Hollywood. Does a brick have to be square or rectangular? No matter what shape, it’s a form of immortality that you can buy. The bottom line is if you can’t have your name in lights, at least put it on a brick. 

Old Sport Shorts: The Uniform #494

April 15, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Another rainy weekend with little to do but watch movies. I did get out to a baseball card show but found little of interest at my limited budget. There are always lots of things that you’d like to have, but supply and demand dictates. I did go on E-bay and buy a Sherm Lollar signature catcher’s mitt that I saw once listed at twice the price. It will go nicely with the 63-year old jersey that I got for Christmas this past year. (See Post #257). It is one of my prized possessions. Here’s some history on it that I researched and included as part of the display in my office:

Sherm Lollar #10 Game Worn Jersey 1955

This uniform was worn in these first four home games at Comiskey Park in 1955:

4/14/1955 vs. K.C. Athletics W 7-1 1-3 with a triple, RBI and run

4/16/1955 vs. Cleveland Indians W 9-4 1-4

4/17/1955 vs. Cleveland Indians W 3-1 1-3

4/17/1955 vs. Cleveland Indians L 4-2 2-3 with an RBI

In this uniform, Sherm went 5-13 with a triple. The Sox team ended 1955 with a 91-63 record in 3rd place, 5 games behind the Yankees. 

Sherm Lollar was 30 years old in 1955 and played in 138 games, batting 426 times. In hitting only .261 he was still an All-Star and finished 11th in the AL MVP voting that was won by Yogi Berra. Teammates Nellie Fox (#7) and Billy Pierce (#18) also finished in the top MVP voting. Ted Williams finished 4th and Mickey Mantle #5.

1956 was Sherm’s best year as a hitter at .293. His 18-year career included 9 All-Star appearances, 3 Golden Gloves, and a .264 average. He also earned 2 World Series rings as a player and coach. He played 12 years with the White Sox, 3 years with the St. Louis Browns, 2 years with the Yankees, and 1 year with the Cleveland Browns.

This year’s White Sox team is off to another predictable slow start at 4-8. Since I first adopted Sherm Lollar as my favorite Sox player back in the 1959 World Series, it would be 46 years later until I finally saw them win the World Championship. I will give them another year to build a formidable team, and continue to support the Northside Cubs as a result of their success the past couple of years. Admittedly, I’m a fair weather fan, but Chicago baseball championships are a rarity, so unlike most city loyalists I support both teams to enhance my odds. I will struggle to determine a favorite when I see both teams play against each other in the Crosstown Classic later this year. I’m not sure what I’d do if they both made it to the World Series? The last time was 1906, only a hundred and twelve short years ago, so I won’t lose any sleep over that decision. 

Today is M.L.B. Jackie Robinson Day, so every player is wearing a #42 jersey, but both the White Sox and Cubs players did not take the field due to the cold, wet, wintry conditions in Chicago and Minneapolis. I wonder if they’ll wear their number 42 uniforms in the make-up games, since they are often sold to raise money for charity? The weather was definitely a strong factor in yesterday’s Cubs victory, fueled by an unbelievable 9-run 8th inning rally. I had checked the score after the 4th inning and found the Cubbies down 10-2 to the Braves, so like a true fair weather fan I gave up my intent to watch in favor of a movie. They ended up scoring 9 runs with just 3 hits and won 14-10. I had to buy the Topps Now card to document the victory, so another $9.99 invested in my sports collection. These particular high-quality, limited-edition cards are only sold during a 24-hour period and are a great way to document the season. So far, I’ve bought the Cub’s Ian Happ card showing his first pitch homer on opening day, the White Sox’s Matt Davidson’s 3-HR opening day card, and several Angel’s Shohei Ohtani highlight cards after the Babe Ruth like start by this rookie phenom from Japan. I’m sure there will be plenty of players featured on tomorrow’s Topps Now cards wearing #42 in honor of the player who broke the color barrier in baseball back on April 15, 1947 with the Dodgers, but none from the Cubs or White Sox. 

Old Sport Shorts: The Weak in Sports #486

April 7, 2018 / / 0 Comments

It’s been a disappointing week of sports, starting with another Villanova NCAA Basketball championship, not that I would have been any happier if Michigan had won it all. Furthermore, the only two Cubs games that I’ve watched the opposition joyously walked-off in victory. Tiger Woods has not played well at The Masters, so his hopes of becoming the greatest comeback sports story in history are dashed. The Portland Trailblazers are still fighting to win their division after a couple of tough outings. Oregon State baseball has dropped out of the top spot in college baseball, while I.U. had finally made it into the Top 10 before being upset by rival Purdue. My White Sox also lost their last two after a great two-win start to the season. It was a “weak week” for all of my favorites.

As far as “upsets,” last week was no different. While on our cruise ship near Greece, I had little access to the world of sports. It was just as well that I was far removed from “March Sadness,” with no teams left to follow. I was instead looking forward to seeing Olympia, the site of the very first Olympic Games and a must-see mecca for any sports fan. Due to high winds our ship was unable to port, so that site still remains on my bucket list. I was hoping to find an ancient gold medal that no one else had stumbled upon. It’s still there!

Despite these setbacks, I still managed to add to my sports collection with a couple of Sherm Lollar photos, White Sox Opening Day cards, and two Topps Now cards of Shohei Ohtani, the Angels rookie sensation from Japan who hit his first three home runs this week. I also wait with anticipation for Indiana high school basketball standout Romeo Langford to finally make his college decision, now that the McDonald’s All-American Game is history. He had 19 points, including three 3-pointers as his East team lost to the West. He’ll next play here in Portland next week as part of the Nike Hoop Summit that I will be attending. I think I’m headed for more disappointment in hoping that he will elect to play for Indiana next year. The only positive for Hoosier basketball in recent times has been the women’s NIT championship that they claimed last week in Bloomington. Go Lady Hoosiers!

The Cubbies much anticipated home opener will be Monday against the hot, division-leading Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs struggled against them early last year, but hopefully The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field will bring out the best from the “Good Guys.” I did find out that my wife and I will be in Chicago for this year’s Crosstown Classic at Guaranteed Rate Filed, so I’ll hopefully get to see both of my favorites on the diamond this September. The only other baseball game I have planned so far this year is Oregon State when they play here against Portland University at Ron Tonkin Field in a few weeks. It will be my second Beaver baseball game this year after seeing them beat Cal Poly in Surprise, Arizona. They won their first 13 games this year, then added a 7-game victory streak, before uncharacteristically losing three out of the next four against Washington and Utah. They’ll face the state rival Ducks for a three-game series in Corvallis before traveling here to Portland to battle the Pilots.

Here’s to a strong next week!

Old Sport Shorts: What’s the score? #468

March 21, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Despite the fact that I’m thousands of miles away and didn’t pay extra for the international service, I can still keep up on sports (and Broadway) on the ship’s free wi-fi. This was not the case years ago when I traveled abroad. The only option was an Internet Cafe. Back in “prehistoric” days, you had to wait until you were back in the States to even listen to your messages. Imagine the stress of 10 days away from the office without word of any office challenges in your absence. Once you got off the airplane, you dialed into your voicemail system that usually indicated, “you have 96 unplayed messages.” Then, slowly but surely, you got a painstaking recap of your time off.

Even when traveling in The States, I would often have to go to a pay phone to retrieve my messages, hoping that a friend had left me a message about the score of the big game. What’s The Score? It’s so easy these days, but also intrusive. There was a certain sense of relaxation knowing that you were “off the grid.” Nowadays they want you to check-in for a conference call from across the globe thinking nothing of the fact that it’s the middle of the night where you are located. What happened to the once sacred excuse of “I’m on vacation or it’s the weekend?”

I have been easily retrieving the scores of my key games this week. I know the results of the Indiana High School Basketball Tournament, where the teams of the reputed top two players in the state have been eliminated. Romeo Langford of New Albany will be making his college choice soon, with a slim hope he will attend Indiana along with South Bend Riley’s Damezi Anderson. We hope to see “Wherefore art thou…going?” Romeo at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland a few weeks from now. Hopefully, he will stay “home” in Indiana rather than pick Vanderbilt or Kansas. With I.U.’s lack of recent success, I can’t say I would blame him for picking a perennial winner over perhaps becoming another Indiana basketball legend (even though it will be one and done!). Damezi, on the other hand, has not gotten the national attention as Langford, the #1 point guard prospect in the country. 

I was even able to find out that the I.U. college baseball team is on another winning streak, as is #1 Oregon State. These types of “minor sport” scores were impossible to get years ago when you were traveling. Unfortunately, the “red-hot” Portland Trailblazers finally had their 13-game winning streak snapped by the Houston Rockets. The game was at 3:30 a.m. Mediterranean time, but I had instant access to live scoring. I never once had to wonder “What’s the score?” In the end, I wish I hadn’t known, and that the streak could have been preserved a bit longer through “old-fashioned” ignorance.

The Cubs were having a great Spring Training season until I left the country. They’ve lost six of their last ten games, while the White Sox were 6-3 with a tie. I’ve kept up on both teams progress while I’ve been on the road, and will return to watch the regular season openers of “America’s Favorite Pastime” from my U.S.A. home, along with the Final Four & Championship. 

Finally,  I was completely up to date on all the “basketball bracket busters” that befuddled all of us in this year’s March to the Sweet 16. Michigan and an injury-damaged Purdue squad are the only teams left from the BIG, while overall #1 seed Virginia made history by losing to #16 UMBC. It was instant internet news all over the world. I got the word in Amsterdam and berated myself as an “American Idiot” for picking them to go all the way. Also, Xavier did not “mark the spot,” losing to Florida State. Loyola of Chicago became “God’s favorite” after Notre Dame failed to make the field. Six of the Sweet 16 are a #7 seed at best, with three #5’s, one #4, two #3, two #2, and two #1 picks left in the chase. I will be in Greece when the Final Four is determined, and could certainly stream the games on my phone if I really wanted to know “What’s The Score?”

 

Old Sport Shorts: Surprise #436

February 20, 2018 / / 0 Comments

This is post #56 of the new year, maintaining my one-a-day writing pace despite all the travel. I got to see my first baseball game of the year, as Oregon State predictably pummeled Cal Poly at the Texas Rangers/Kansas City Royals spring training facility in Surprise, Arizona. For me, it was a Surprise visit, but as Beaver’s fans might say, “it was no surprise in Surprise!” A new winning streak of 4 is underway, hopefully keeping pace with last year’s season where we saw them win 28 of their first 29 games and go into the NCAA tournament with another 20 game streak. (See Post #132). “Chester the Molester” is back in uniform, as the controversy over pitcher Luke Heimlich continues, after posting his first win of the season against New Mexico. The Beavers are back in action against Nebraska later this week, as the administration and coaching staff continue to support the kid, who failed to register as a sex offender after moving to the Corvallis campus. The reputation of the school being questioned by the media, but I saw no evidence of parental protest around the Surprise diamonds.

It’s a tough call, considering his age and the fact that he’s served his sentence. Does banning him from baseball make as much sense as allowing his potential star-power to help others avoid the same mistakes? After all, the whole purpose of a university is to provide education. It has to be tough on President Ray and his leadership staff, in lieu of other recent sex-abuse related incidents at major universities. There must be circumstances involved that we are not fully aware of, in judging the character of this young man. I suppose Luke could quietly hide in shame from the public, but he has chosen to face this awkward controversy every time he takes the mound. Also, there apparently has been little objection from his teammates.

The Cubs and White Sox start spring training this week, and college basketball is soon headed to tournament play. I’ve been pretty hard on my Hoosiers this year, but I can see the outstanding coaching influence of Archie Miller on their defensive play, something that’s been missing since the Bob Knight era. They finally could get a win against an upper tier BIG opponent with a road victory over Nebraska, extend their conference winning streak to 5  and perhaps pass Penn State in the standings. The Huskers already have 20 wins, are on the verge of earning a potential double-bye in the BIG tournament, and will probably receive an NCAA tournament bid. The Hoosiers have already lost twice to both Michigan State and Purdue, and hope to even the score against Ohio State on Robert Johnson’s Senior night, although that would be a huge surprise. They can’t score with any consistency, fail to convert under the basket, are terrible from the free throw line, and still turn the ball over too many times to be competitive. It’s been a tough season, but they still have a chance for a NIT consolation finish – not in tournament but much more than expected earlier in the season. It may not be total “Sadness” in March, but certainly no “Madness.”

Purdue has had a disappointing finish to the conference season, just as I took my first step on the band wagon. The Boilers have the potential for a magic March, but the league leading Spartans have stolen the BIG spotlight. Michigan seems to be peaking at the right time again, and Ohio State is just a slot above them in the national picture. That’s four BIG teams in this year’s top 20, already accounting for 6 Indiana losses this season between them. The biggest disappointment in the league is probably Wisconsin, who will need a BIG tournament championship to extend their NCAA tournament streak to 20. Despite their worst season this century, they still managed to beat the Hoosiers again in Madison this year. (See Post #383). It will be no surprise when Michigan State plays in its 21st consecutive NCAA tourney next month.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Ten Bani #413

January 28, 2018 / / 0 Comments

When I run in the darkness, I often don’t see the treasures that might be sitting at my feet.  When the sun is out, however, I often stumble across lost coins and trinkets on the streets and sidewalks along my route. I have always known the value of a penny ever since I was a young boy searching for the elusive 1909 S VDB Lincoln cent. Coin collecting was one of my first passions, and it’s impossible for me to walk (or run) around an abandoned coin. I always think of them as “Pennies from Heaven,” (See Post #183) and I collect them in a jar for good luck. I knew it was going to be a good day when I found one, and often finding pennies meant more than shiny quarters. Dimes, nickels, and quarters stand out more on the asphalt and often catch a glimmer of the sun’s rays.

This morning I found a 10 Bani coin from Romania, the equivalent of a penny. I’ve found Canadian and Mexican coins on the ground, and maybe even a French Franc, but never a Bani.  The State Mint issued Romanian Leu coins starting in 2005 in 4 different denominations, including the coin I just found. The date on mine is 2010, the year Bulgaria finished third in Eurovision with the song “Playing with Fire” by Paula Seling and Ovi, while 21 people died in floods.  As I put it in my pocket, I wondered about the message, thinking of the song “Pennies from Heaven” and good fortune from angels above. “Make sure your umbrella is upside down.” Should I be thinking about travel plans to Romania, as I recall my Romanian buddies Agata and Beata from Toastmasters?  They were using the program to improve on their second language, while I was still struggling with my first. Is Transylvania and Dracula’s Castle in my future? “I vant to suck your blood” I just gave blood to the Red Cross vampires last week, so “Count” me out for a few more months. Are there Banis from Mecca?

I’ve neglected my coin collecting in favor of sports memorabilia, and should probably fill those few remaining slots in my coin books. I also have a stamp collection, a lapel pin collection, a cuff-link collection,and a ticket collection. In fact, I have a collection of collections! I’m surprised that I don’t still have my bottle cap collection from childhood. In 1962 when I was 11 years old, there was a Coca-Cola “Tour the World” contest. If you collected 100 bottle caps from different countries and glued them the matching spot on the giant game card folder you could win cases of Coke or up to $150,000 in cash. I remember it being sticky work, removing the cork liners from the caps to reveal the destination. There was a gas station down the block from us that had a vending machine with a built-in bottle opener, and the attendant would let us go through the collection box each week. We also had a magnet on a string that we would use to fish bottle caps out of these vending machines around town. If memory serves me correctly, there was another Coca-Cola contest to collect bottle caps from all the states, as well as one for sports figures like Jim Brown. Come to think of it, I also have a collection of quarters from the 50 states, when those were made by the U.S. Mint back in 1999 and 2000. I’m still missing a few of those that I’m sure I could fill on Ebay.

Ebay has made it so easy for collectors to buy, sell, and exchange collectibles. You no longer have to fish treasures out of vending machines or visit garage sales and antique shows. I lost a bidding war yesterday for a signed letter by my White Sox catcher hero Sherm Lollar on official Chicago White Sox stationary. I was willing to go up to $25 and I think it ended up selling for $57. It’s good to know that there are other nutty people out there willing to pay big bucks for memories. I guess I’m not the only one who cares about Sherm Lollar, who’s been dead now for 40 years, so it’s difficult to get signatures from him anymore. It’s a supply and demand world, so if you’re willing to pay the price you can get just about anything. I’m just glad I got my penny’s worth this morning.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Fantasize #406

January 25, 2018 / / 0 Comments

I was soaked to the bone by a cold, wet rain this morning, despite some waterproof outerwear. It was day 3,315 of my running streak, according to www.runeveryday.com. I was relieved to get it over with and into a hot shower and warm clothes. Despite all the rain in the Northwest, in most cases I’m facing just a mist or somehow able to dodge the raindrops, but this morning there was a lot of puddling. If it were easy, anyone could do it. Instead, somehow I manage to get through another day, fortunate to avoid injury, sickness, and laziness. As they say, “one day at a time.”

The cleaners have now arrived, so I’m prepared for a day of annoying background sounds, as they distribute water and cleaning agents through hoses to their truck parked in front of our house. The dogs are cowering, and the cat is locked in the bedroom. The neighbors have to be covering their ears from the obnoxious humming noises, as well. In its wake, at least it leaves behind a pleasant clean smell.  Like a new car smell, I wonder how long it will last?

It will probably take some time for my “second family” to absorb the impact of my recent certified letter, documenting my undoubtedly secretive existence all these years. I’m sure that the son of my birth mother will need to evaluate my intentions, and discuss what to do with close friends and/or family. I can almost hear the conversations in my imagination. I will be relieved once the shock wears off and reality sets in. At that point, perhaps further communication can take place. I remain apologetic in dropping the initial bombshell, but I want to know the truth about my existence.

Yesterday’s trip to the mailbox yielded a 1957 The Saturday Evening Post magazine that I bought on EBay, with an article comparing the Yankee’s Yogi Berra with White Sox catcher Sherman Lollar, a favorite of mine. (See Post #5). It was probably more fascinating for me to look at all the ads from that era that included a lot of automobile and appliance lay-outs. It was not a Norman Rockwell illustration on the coverThe original cost was fifteen cents, originally delivered to a subscriber in nearby Cresswell, Oregon. Slightly off the subject, I happen to know a woman who was also named after John Cresswell, the 23rd United States Postmaster General. He was appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant, and mentioned in his biography that I’m currently reading by Ron Chernow. The focus of the magazine was on integration – The Deep South Says Never! I paid a little more that fifteen cents for this little piece of history; in fact shipping was $5.00 alone. I think it’s interesting that Grant fought for integration and a hundred years later the South was still fighting against it, not to mention for the next sixty years up until today. An article on baseball seemed unusual for a publication of this nature, but The Post continues to exist even today, although as a not-for-profit.

I’m not sure why I’m so fascinated with history and collecting memorabilia. At first, I thought it was a safe, round-about way of finding my roots. I still find it odd that a grown man like me has such a strong fascination with athletes, and collects pictures, autographs, articles, and clothing relating to them. It’s not as if I expect them to be worth something to anyone but me. It’s like I’ve adopted Sherm Lollar into my family, and his album of photographs and cards sit right next to the pictures of my parents. I didn’t even know him or have met him, yet I feel like he had some kind of influence on my life. His #10 became my #10, and all the result of simply watching him play in the 1959 World Series. It was only 8 years old and somehow he made an impression on me.  I guess that’s why they say that young children are extremely impressionable. It’s still not a sane justification for paying big bucks for a dirty, sweaty jersey worn by him 63 years ago. Would it make it better if he was in the  Hall of Fame, and I had paid even more? At the very least, it’s exactly my size! I must must still fantasize that my birth father was an athlete, yet I was perfectly happy with being the adopted son of an accountant. What would Freud say?

Retirement is not without Hassles: Sanitizer #378

December 28, 2017 / / 0 Comments

I thought the rental car debacle would be our biggest hassle of the holidays, but things managed to get worse. Snow and ice made driving difficult, and below-zero temperatures blasted Indianapolis. It made me wish I was back in Portland, whose weather apparently didn’t fare much better. My wife’s daughter stayed with our dogs and experienced a lengthy ice-related power outage. She usually agrees to stay at our house for two reasons: to watch premium tv channels and to do laundry. She was not able to do either.

Christmas Day was quick to pass following a delicious turkey dinner for seventeen and six excruciating hours of gift opening. This seems to get a bit more excessive every year, as Santa’s Semi pulls up to the door, since the reindeer can’t carry everything that goes under the tree. I got a new Columbia Cubs long-sleeved running shirt that will fit in nicely with my retirement wardrobe, a wine aerator, and a stack of Fandango cards. I’d say they know me pretty well, but unwrapping my take only took about 5 minutes.

I picked up my wife’s gift to me the next day from my sports collector friend. It was the mystery gift that had mounted in anticipation over the last six months. Mostly, it was disbelief that we had spent so much on something unknown, and then waited that long to finally learn what it was. The surprise turned out to be a 1955 Chicago White Sox game-worn, wool jersey with #10 on the back. (See Post#5). I then spent the rest of the afternoon with my cousins and dinner with a good friend. This fabulous day was then rudely interrupted by a call from my wife, whose mother was unexpectedly being admitted to the hospital with what they initially thought was pneumonia. It was reminiscent of Thanksgiving many years ago when her father suddenly passed out in the kitchen and needed an ambulance.

Over the past few days, my poor wife has spent the night in a bed-side chair, after her sister also got sick. While she’s proved to be a loving daughter, I’ve been trying to finish the “jigsaw puzzle from hell” that was started over a year ago. No one seems to work on it unless I’m not in town, so the pressure was on to get it done and off the family-room table. In the meantime, the diagnosis was changed to the very contagious influenza B, and we’ve since worn surgical masks in her presence. It makes me feel like I’m living out a Stephen King novel. On the lighter side, it also reminds me of the letter I wrote to the Baseball Hall of Fame titled, “Who was that Masked Man?” and the reason for my unique Christmas gift.

I’m trying to avoid any hypochondriac tendencies, as I sit across from my masked wife, reeking of hand sanitizer. The only one not wearing a mask in the room is my mother-in-law, who has a nasty cough that neither of us wants to catch. What’s wrong with this picture? Well, it’s her room and she’s having trouble breathing, so they don’t want anything restricting that process, while I’m thinking a gag! When she coughs and wheezes, it makes us both want to hack out a response. The patient also can’t hear and with everyone in masks she can’t even read lips. We write on an erasable board for her, talk in whispers to each other, and try to pass the time in silence. We were so bored at one point that we started to clip and file our nails. Plus, the TV is stuck on one channel, and my wife is exhausted following back-to-back-sleep-deprived nights. Could it possibly be less “Merry” or “Happy” at the end of the year? At least, the masks keep us from continuing to stuff sweets in our mouths.

Our dog has diarrhea back at home (See Post #371), but my wife’s daughter has gracefully agreed to continue watching them while we’re stuck back in Indiana. We had to cancel our return flights, and extend the rental car agreement. Also, we couldn’t make the drive up to see my sister and her kids. They’re sick too! I had the flu a few months ago, so I’m hoping to avoid a repeat, although I don’t have to worry about missing work. All of us have cancelled any New Year’s Eve plans.

We’ll probably end up returning the rental car to Hertz in Indianapolis, rather than Chicago, certainly adding to our growing “Christmas Vacation” expenses, but there’s little chance we’ll encounter “Counter Lady” and her fondness of Cadillacs (See Post #376). I can’t help but think of another holiday movie favorite “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” and comedian Steve Martin’s f***ed interaction with the “Gobble, Gobble, Gobble” rental car counter lady, a comparable experience to ours, come to think of it.

The puzzle was finally finished last night, so it can be put back in the box, and I’ll have little to do but blog and patiently sit in the hospital room wearing a surgical mask. I won’t be able to attend Friday’s leadership meeting, so I’ve set one up here in Indy. I will also miss the Les Schwab Invitational High School Basketball Tournament and left the comp tickets for my buddies locked in the car at the Portland International Airport, adding further to the holiday follies. Finally, the repair of our broken washer has been rescheduled to just after the first of the year, so I’ll try to pack clean laundry for our return home- whenever that might be? Could you please pass the hand sanitizer?

Retirement is not without Hassles: Unbelievable #373

December 20, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Normally tonight would be “Date Night,” but with family in town we will dine together at Noble Rot, even though the name itself is not very appetizing. Speaking of tasty, I successfully prepared the pan-roasted brined pork chop recipe last night for dinner and got rave reviews. However, it’s still very stressful and feels unnatural for me to be in the kitchen, so I’m glad to be going out tonight. We’ll also go see the new movie musical, “The Greatest Showman.” Hugh Jackman stars as P.T. Barnum.

In the next few days we’ll be traveling back to Indiana for the holidays. I’m excited this year because I finally get to see the piece of sports history that has remained a mystery to me now for several months. My collector friend strongly suggested that my wife buy it for me for Christmas, claiming that it’s “unbelievable.” That’s a strong word from a guy who owns one of the largest collections of authentic sports memorabilia, baseball cards, and autographed merchandise in the world. It will be interesting to see what he has for me. I will also visit with my cousins that I haven’t seen in over twenty years, and have dinner with my sister and her family. We’ll circle the Hoosier state, starting from O’Hare in Chicago through Rochester, down Highway 31 to Indianapolis, continue north up State Road 19 to South Bend/Mishawaka, and return to the airport five days later. It will be a whirlwind of feasts, family, and friends.

My wife’s daughters will not be making the trip back home with us. They were just there for Thanksgiving, so our dogs will get the pleasure of spending some time with her oldest. This will save us a lot of money on hiring a pet sitter, and make the pups much happier in our absence. I will have to sneak our suitcases into the closet tomorrow so as to not raise any suspicion of abandonment with our wise, old schnauzer named Tinker. If I get caught, she’ll start to worry before we even get out the door. We have another dinner at the Westgate Bourbon Bar planned with the girls, before the youngest heads back to D.C. and we get on the plane to Chicago.

I am so relieved to have finally finished the Walter Isaacson book, Leonardo Da Vinci. It was an interesting but tough read, filled with almost too much detail. It took me several weeks to get through it, but not nearly the time it took Leonardo to finish a painting, which he apparently rarely did. He led a comfortable life thanks to the patrons that supported his work, but never had a family or even a last name. He also failed to collect commissions on several projects as a result of procrastination, severe attention deficit issues and distractions due to unsatisfied curiosity; plus an incessant drive to pursue science, mathematics, engineering, and invention. He actually “lost interest” in painting, even though it was that particular skill that would become his greatest legacy. Since there are now fewer than 20 known works by Leonardo, his “laziness” and lack of production with the brush has actually made his paintings even more valuable today. In fact, just last month, his “Salvator Mundi” portrait sold at auction for a record-shattering 450.3 million dollars. Leonardo died 498 years ago at age 67 and left behind a notebook of sketches, drawings, and explanations of some of life’s greatest mysteries, not to mention the “Mona Lisa.”

Speaking of “unbelievable,” even though I’ve been to the Louvre several times, I would like to see the “Mona Lisa” again, after reading this book. There is always a huge crowd of people around the famous painting, so it’s impossible to get close enough to see any details. Also, there is much controversy about its potential restoration, especially since we’ve never seen the vivid layers of colors that Leonardo carefully applied in the seventeen years that he spent perfecting it. We only know the painting after five centuries of cracking, fading, and darkening deterioration. The fear of restoration is that it would no longer be recognizable. I guess I’m already fortunate to have seen the masterpiece in my lifetime, that will hopefully extend much longer than Leonardo’s 67 years.

I will never own a “Leonardo,” but hope to come home from Indiana with an “unbelievable” sporting masterpiece for my office. Several of my friends are just as curious as to what it is, as I am. They’ve heard me talk about it for months now, since my collector friend refused to take the risk of shipping it to me. He wanted me to pick it up, and the only hint that I have is that it is smaller than a breadbox, so I should have little trouble carrying it back on the plane with me. I’m guessing that it’s related to Indiana Hoosiers basketball or Chicago White Sox baseball history, since he also is a fan of both of those teams. He’s already given me several jerseys and other momentos through the years of our friendship from these favorites of mine.  His valuable collection definitely does not include anything from Leonardo da Vinci, but it does include authentic Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner “artwork.”

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