I’m for any local guy being fortunate enough to get on his team. I can only imagine the excitement for not only him but his family watching their son playing in the majors.
Far as the Scooter goes & my being born actually a few miles from the Stadium he’s been my favorite announcer. Watching him leave in the eighth due to traffic & telling Cora, “I’m on my way” or ducking down when thunder & lightning began was too much.
I had many games on tape but unfortunately got ‘lost’ from moving, he was always entertaining.
I hope more local guys get opportunities to make pro teams; that would certainly be interesting & good for the sport I think.
A great 2-parter, Paul. I see you pictured White Sox starter Ross Baumgarten (not Baumgartner), who ironically was also a Chicago-area kid: he went to the same high school I did: New Trier East, in Winnetka.
Thanks for catching that, Bill. Fixed now. As a student at Glenbard East, we were cool on New Trier kids, but everyone deserves a properly spelled last name.
Yeah, New Trier was better known for its theatre program alumni (Ann-Margret, Rock Hudson, Bruce Dern, Charlton Heston), but there were a few athletes as well.
Hickey’s rapid rise to MLB kind of reminds me of Toronto’s Trey Yesavage. As I’m sure you know, he went from Single A to his debut in less than six months last year, and did a creditable job in the WS! I’m curious about the Coke bottle next week. Or are you taking Labor Day week off, Paul?
I'm clearly a sucker for a good rapid-rise story. Yesavage is a great modern example. I also thought of Joe Nuxhall, the 15-year-old WWII-era pitcher. And there's no rise rapider than the 1912 replacement Tigers players.
I'll be back next week. We're going to Springfield, Illinois, tomorrow, to see a Women's Professional Baseball League game, and I may even do a bonus report on that for the P3.18 Partners. Enjoy the holiday, Meg.
A great story made much better by the Fran Healy-Phil Rizzuto exchange.
Agreed. Never a thought of leaving that out.
I know the story is about Kevin Hickey, but someone collected a bunch of Scooter’s musings and published them as a book of poetry. Worth the read.
https://a.co/d/00DOWPUs
Thank you for bringing this into our lives. A sample:
"I think my head shrinks a little
In this indoor stadium.
I am...
The mike is getting bigger.
And I have to tighten it."
Another comment playing the Brewers I believe; they didn’t leave the field after the last out. He says: “Those huckleberries want four outs.”
I’m for any local guy being fortunate enough to get on his team. I can only imagine the excitement for not only him but his family watching their son playing in the majors.
Far as the Scooter goes & my being born actually a few miles from the Stadium he’s been my favorite announcer. Watching him leave in the eighth due to traffic & telling Cora, “I’m on my way” or ducking down when thunder & lightning began was too much.
I had many games on tape but unfortunately got ‘lost’ from moving, he was always entertaining.
I hope more local guys get opportunities to make pro teams; that would certainly be interesting & good for the sport I think.
Thanks Paul!
I bet he and the scholastically inclined Fran Healy were a great combo.
A great story. Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks John, glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate hearing from you to that effect.
A great 2-parter, Paul. I see you pictured White Sox starter Ross Baumgarten (not Baumgartner), who ironically was also a Chicago-area kid: he went to the same high school I did: New Trier East, in Winnetka.
Thanks for catching that, Bill. Fixed now. As a student at Glenbard East, we were cool on New Trier kids, but everyone deserves a properly spelled last name.
Yeah, New Trier was better known for its theatre program alumni (Ann-Margret, Rock Hudson, Bruce Dern, Charlton Heston), but there were a few athletes as well.
Hickey’s rapid rise to MLB kind of reminds me of Toronto’s Trey Yesavage. As I’m sure you know, he went from Single A to his debut in less than six months last year, and did a creditable job in the WS! I’m curious about the Coke bottle next week. Or are you taking Labor Day week off, Paul?
I'm clearly a sucker for a good rapid-rise story. Yesavage is a great modern example. I also thought of Joe Nuxhall, the 15-year-old WWII-era pitcher. And there's no rise rapider than the 1912 replacement Tigers players.
I'll be back next week. We're going to Springfield, Illinois, tomorrow, to see a Women's Professional Baseball League game, and I may even do a bonus report on that for the P3.18 Partners. Enjoy the holiday, Meg.
It would be great to hear about a WPBL game! Hope it’s fun!