news-and-notes

**BREAKING NEWS* Kerry Wood is going to announce his retirement

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:19:33 +0100

On Friday Kerry Wood will announce his retirement. The veteran right hander has been battling health issues this season and has an ERA over 8. It is probaly time, but theres no question his presence in the clubhouse will be missed. On the occasion of his retirement, here is the profile I did of Kerry earlier this year:

On May 6, 1998, Kerry Wood made his 6th major league start and he would do something only one other pitcher had ever done up to that point, striking out 20 men in a 9-inning game. It was an incredible accomplishment for someone so young and raised the bar so high that there have been times it almost seemed too high. Yet Kerry Wood has remained a down to earth, humble country boy to this day.

After growing up in the same area that produced Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, Wood was drafted by the Cubs and arrived in 1998 amid a great deal of hype. 1998 would be a memorable year for the Cubs in general. Along with Woods 20 SO game, Sammy Sosa would be locked in an exciting home run battle with Mark McGwire all season. There would be a great pennant race, with the Cubs battling for the wild card down the stretch. Wood would win 13 games and the Rookie of the Year award. The Cubs would win the wild card, though Woods contribution in the play offs against Atlanta would not keep the Cubs from losing in 3 games. After the season, however, Woods unconventional mechanics would force him to have surgery that caused him to miss the entire 1999 season. Ever since then there has been a debate as to whether manager Jim Riggleman overworked the young pitcher, however if you were to carefully watch Woods unusual style you would have to question whether it was the pitcher himself. After a tough 2000 season Wood would return to win 12 games in 2001 and 2002, then in 2003 he would come into his own in helping to lead the Cubs to a division championship, winning 14 games and leading the NL in SOs. Wood played in key role in getting the Cubs to the league championship, however, he would also lose the 7th game that saw the Florida Marlins move on, despite a home run by Kerry. Over the next 4 seasons, a series of injury issues derailed his career as a starting pitcher. In 2007 he became a relief pitcher. In 2008 he became the Cubs closer and helped get the Cubs to the division title.

However, after being unable to help the Cubs get past the first round, Kerry made a decision that stunned Cubs fans by choosing to leave the team in free agency to join the Cleveland Indians where he pretty spent a year and a half struggling. But following a late season trade to the Yankees, Wood seemed to be revitalized and played a key role as a set up man in getting the Yankees to post season. Then following the 2010 season Kerry Wood was still debating where to go next when a tragic turn of events would lead him back to the Cubs. On December 3, Cubs icon Ron Santo passed away after an illness. Wood had grown close to the Cubs broadcaster and future Hall of Famer and decided to come back to Chicago for the funeral. Following the funeral, Kerry had a chance to talk to then GM Jim Hendry and Hendry convinced him to return to the Cubs. So Wood returned in 2011 and became the set up man for Carlos Marmol, though there were times it looked like Wood should be the closer instead. He was very effective in that role.

Kerry Wood is one of those rare baseball stars who is clearly not interested in being in the spotlight and will give of himself in the community. His foundation raises funds for worthwhile charities and he has been known to go out in the community with his children to well known local eateries, like there is this diner near where I live in Des Plaines, Illinois that is called the Choo-Choo which is famous around the area for having a railroad theme with toy trains that serve food and I recently found out that Wood has visited it with his kids. Okay, its just a diner, but I think its cool that he thinks of himself as just another parent taking care of his kids. Like I said, he seems like a down to earth person and not just a baseball player. My guess is that he will retire soon and find a way to remain in the Cub organization much like Billy Williams and Ron Santo. Maybe he was not a Hall of Fame player, but he is truly a Hall of Fame person and we should feel lucky to have him.

Opening Day

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 01:10:51 +0100

Its Opening Day and Willie Smith quickly flashes in my mind. As far as Im concerned Willie Smith and Opening Day will always be linked. It was April 1969, I was 10 years old and playing in a field a couple of blocks from my house, my transistor radio in my ear. I loved listening to the radio in those days, especially WGN. I had just realized recently that WGN broadcast baseball games featuring the Cubs. I was not quite a full fledged fan yet. But as I stood around on the field watching my friends playing I was listening to the game, I had just gotten out of school and was glad the game was still going on. But the Cubs were losing. However I was aware that Ernie Banks had hit 2 home runs earlier. I think I just missed the home run that Don Money hit. But I remember distinctly Willie Smith batting and then Willie Smith hitting a home run...CUBS WIN! I remember vaguely the excitement in Vince Lloyds and Lou Boudreaus voices. That day marked the beginning of my love affair with the Cubs, as well as one of the most memorable spring and summer of my life and one of the most exciting baseball seasons in my life. What a way to be introduced to the Cubs! So, pardon me if I get a little nostalgic about Opening Day. To be honest, there havent been that many I can remember as much as my first. I remember at least one year Opening Day was postponed by snow and at least one where it did snow! Ive never actually attended an Opening Day because rarely if ever is the temperature above 60 degrees. Even this year of the non winter and the 80 degree temps in March is only going to be in the 40s. Yet there is something uplifting about Opening Day. Everybody has the same record, the depression and the frustration have yet to set in, there is a sense of renewal and optimism. And this year, more than most recent years, there is a sense that the Cubs are actually building towards a long term goal. I cant wait. Maybe the Cubs will lose on Opening Day, maybe it will be the first of 85-90 losses, who knows, but there is a sense that in a couple of years, Opening Day will really mean something and a new hero will emerge and etch his name forever alongside that of Willie Smiths. PLAY BALL!

A Mom who Never threw out my Baseball Cards

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:00:50 +0100

I figured since I did a tribute to my father on the anniversary of his passing, I might as well do one to my mom on the anniversary of her passing.
On March 15, 1999, my mother Susan Jane Halling Hanns passed away after losing a battle with lung cancer. She was just 6 months shy of her 60th birthday. Now my mom did not have the influence that my dad did in becoming a baseball fan(Im not even sure how much my mom really liked the game) but she did play an important role in my growing interest in the sport. That role was more in the form of support. But thats the way my Mom was with me. I think because I was her first, she doted on me more and given that my brother and sister were both more independent minded and outgoing that I was, I think she felt I needed something to give me more confidence in my abilities. Just a couple of years earlier, when I was 8 years old, I developed an interest in the Presidents, partly because Cocoa Puffs had cards of the Presidents on the backs of the boxes and was also offering special posters of all the Presidents. When she saw how much I was interested she would buy me books on the presidents and American History. I remember the grocery store we went to used to sell them on a week by week basis. Of course, she was a big history buff herself so I think she was happy to see one of her kids sharing an interest. I still enjoyed the Presidents, but 2 years later when I developed an interest in the Cubs and baseball in general, she was there to help me out. She went to the library and found books about the history of baseball. I still remember the very first baseball book my mom ever got me was The Glory of Their Times. This narrative featuring the voices of old time players couldnt have been a better introductionto someone looking to understand the history of the game. It was only years later that I learned that it was considered a classic. She would continue to bring me books and buy me books on baseball, and it helped increase my love of the past history. I dont know if i can say that my love for the history came from that, but I dont know if I wouldve been as motivated to learn if it wasnt for my mom. Maybe the best baseball book my Mom ever bought for me was the Baseball Encyclopedia. It was like the entire statistical history of baseball in one felt swoop! I cant tell you how many hours I spent looking up player profiles and season stats. And my mom was also very supportive when I started buying baseball cards. At one point I had a huge box I would drag around all over the place stuffed full of baseball cards. I always hear about these guys talk about how their moms threw out their entire collection and I would think, "Wow! There are moms who would do that? Clearly my mom could be considered 'cool' !" After hearing those horror stories, I have to say how much I truly appreciated what my Mom did for me. I dont know if she ever really took to the game me and my dad loved talking about all the time, but she did tag along a few times to games we went to. Of course, one of those games was Milt Pappas' no hitter and my Mom admitted that she had a little crush on the swarthy, mutton-chopped pitcher, no surprise that she took several pictures of him. In her later years, when I watched the Cubs, I noticed that my Mom had suddenly taken an interest in the team. Maybe it was because of Sammy Sosa, he was a pretty charismatic guy or perhaps Ryne Sandberg. But she seemed to have accepted my love of the Cubs. It even got to the point where I could talk baseball with her, not unlike the history discussions we would share over the years and maybe thats how she reconciled my interest, that it was all about history. When she got sick, it became about making sure I knew about the familys history. Watching her body deteriorate was hard, especially considering that just a few months earlier she was reuniting with my father, though she was the one who stayed home while me, my dad, my nephew and my brother had one last Cubs game together. While the Cubs were getting ready to start the season in March 1999, I was preoccupied with my mom. When I lost my mom it was very hard because we were much closer than me and my dad were. But looking back, while I miss her every day, I also appreciate everything she did for me. And, yes, not the least of which not throwing out my baseball cards. Thanks Mom!

"Wrigley Field is a dump!" Revisited

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 03:12:01 +0100

Back in April 2011, Peter Gammons, one of the most well respected baseball journalists in the country, came out and called Wrigley Field a dump. I wrote a blog about my feelings about Wrigley Field and finished it by saying that the issue would not go away anytime soon. Sure enough, last week a rumor surfaced that the Cubs would move to Cellular Field while Wrigley was being renovated. However the Cubs denied it by saying the renovation would take place over 4 winters and the team wouldnt be going anywhere. But it has sparked new debate about the future of the ball park on Clark and Addison. First of all, the Ricketts seem committed to making some changes. They recently purchased some property around the ball park that will be used for expansion purposes. I think the Ricketts are thinking ahead, but at some point they will need to deal with an aging ballpark. I have some history from my original essay about the ballpark.

Wrigley Field was opened 97 years ago during a period when state of the art(for 1910 that is!) ballparks were being built. The Original Comiskey Park, Fenway Park, Tiger Stadium, Cleveland Memorial Stadium and several others were all built around this time. I could be wrong, but I believe that Weeghman Park was built to hold around 14,000 people originally. The park has had basically the same configuration since the late 20s, the ivy alone is 75 yo and the basic scoreboard without the additions was built in 1937, almost 75 years. The last major renovations before this year was about 40 years ago. Aside from some minor repairs by the Tribune, it has remained basically unchanged since the Wrigley era. A few years ago some concrete fell. Chances are more will fall. This is an old ballpark. The question is, what would be better, continuing to upgrade every few years or to build a new ballpark that should last 20, 30 years without much additional cost? And there are other issues. In this day and age, with 40, 000 being shoehorned into this little ballpark, I think they need to find a way to increase capacity. Im not sure if they can add capacity to the existing structure without changing the basic ambiance of Wrigley. A new ballpark might be more practical.
Believe me, I love Wrigley Field. Watching a game in the bleachers on a sunny day is about as close to the perfect baseball experience. It is a beautiful place with great exciting memories. But there are also a lot of negative memories. There has never been a World Championship celebrated here. I just wonder why people can cling so hard to a place where so much losing has taken place. Lets face it, theres been a lot of heartache here.....a lot of sad ghosts..... If I had a choice between seeing a game in Wrigley Field or winning a World Series, one or the other, I would have to choose the World Series. Winning is supposed to be the whole point. A great ballpark should just be a bonus. Back in the 60s when the Cubs were losing and PK Wrigley was playing silly games with his College of Coaches, Im willing to bet you that if you asked most fans of the day, most of them would have chosen the winning team over the more comfortable fun experience Wrigley claimed the fans liked.
Im as much of a purist as anyone, but I am also practical. I want to see the Cubs win a World Series in my lifetime. That has always been my main goal.. Just an observation, but it might be time to think realistically. Since Wrigley Field is like a museum piece anyway, perhaps they can keep it as a museum and use it as a revenue stream, then build a new ballpark somewhere else.
Nothing lasts forever. My dad was the main influence on my becoming a big Cubs fan. I treasured the time we had together. But when he passed away in 2004 I realized that it was time to let go. The same with my mom. I was very close to her, but when she passed away, even though it took some time I knew I had to let her go. There have been many iconic ballparks that were great places to see a game, filled with historic moments, but each one outgrew its time. The reason Ebbets Field, the Polo Grounds, Forbes Field, Connie Mack Stadium and even the original House that Ruth Built, Yankee Stadium, no longer exist is each outlived its usefulness and lets face it, I think Wrigley has outlived its usefulness.......I have so many great memories of Wrigley Field I will treasure forever, Ernie Banks 511th HR, Milt Pappas' no hitter, Bruce Sutters 9 consecutive SOs, Sammy Sosas 3 homers in 1998, Andre Dawson, Rick Sutcliffe, Billy Williams, I can go on, but you see no one can take those memories from me, even if they take the ballpark away.......and thats okay......

Welcome to News and Notes

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 22:07:01 +0100

After doing some thinking, I have decided to concentrate on making this a positive site and try to eliminate the more negative elements. By this I mean I want to maintain an honesty but I want to keep things more upbeat. I hope to be adding more features of interest. This week Ive added a book review. Check out the blog section for my review of Fred Merkle:Public Bonehead, Private Hero. I will also be adding more players to the Al Montreuil Hall of Obscurity. This month I feature Tony Kaufman. I will also be adding a new section called the Cautious Optimist, which will feature stories on the current Cubs team which will try to focus on more postitive elements on the team. I love the Cubs and want to see them do better, but I get so tired of the negativity. I want to hear more postive stuff about them. So if anyone is reading this, feel free to give me some positive imput. I certainly wont ignore it if the team is really struggling, but I dont want to get into simple bashing. There are so many other places for that. So, welcome and I hope you enjoy your stay here!

news-and-notes

****BREAKING NEWS*** Kerry Wood is going to announce his retirement

Opening Day

A Mom who Never threw out my Baseball Cards

"Wrigley Field is a dump!" Revisited

Welcome to News and Notes

**BREAKING NEWS* Kerry Wood is going to announce his retirement