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 ga...

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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 fri...
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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 ...
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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 wou...
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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 Kaufma...
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