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Saturday, April 5th, 2008
Brushes with greatness
If any of you have been reading Bill's blogs you know that he's a huge fan (as am I) of AM 670 The Score here in Chicago. This is a sports radio show, but on Friday's they mix it up a little and offer different topics for people to call, or email in. They are usually funny topics like Mundane Sports Achievments or Daredevil or Dumbass. Another topic I enjoy is Brushes with Greatness. This is simply an encounter you've had with someone famous or pseudo-famous. The more obscure the celeb the funnier.
My brush was with former Cubs outfielder Keith Moreland. This was around 1987 and my younger brother played in the Deerfield (Illinois) Youth Baseball Association. For an end of season party, the team mothers decided to have a picnic at our house. One of the mothers told us that Keith Moreland lived accross the street from her and she'd see if he'd show up and surprise the kids. Now I was a few years older than my brother and was really excited to meet a Cub. After an hour or so into the party a Jeep Wrangler pulled into the driveway and out stepped "Zonk". He was dressed in jeans and cowboy boots, but the one thing I noticed right away was the giant chaw in his cheek. As he walked towards the party he spit a nasty brown blob of spit on to the driveway. The kids faces lit up even though I'm not quite sure they knew who he was. He never removed the chew from his cheek but sat and signed autographs for about 20 minutes. I got my ball signed (I still have this proudly displayed) and wanted to get a glimpse at his Jeep. Remember Moreland was still relevant at the time as this was only a few years removed from the '84 debacle to the San Diego Padres. I walked up to his Jeep and low and behold he had a can of beer in his drivers side cup holder. Ah Keith. not quite the role model we took you for while watching you on WGN.
Who's your brush with greatness?
Brushes with greatness
If any of you have been reading Bill's blogs you know that he's a huge fan (as am I) of AM 670 The Score here in Chicago. This is a sports radio show, but on Friday's they mix it up a little and offer different topics for people to call, or email in. They are usually funny topics like Mundane Sports Achievments or Daredevil or Dumbass. Another topic I enjoy is Brushes with Greatness. This is simply an encounter you've had with someone famous or pseudo-famous. The more obscure the celeb the funnier.
My brush was with former Cubs outfielder Keith Moreland. This was around 1987 and my younger brother played in the Deerfield (Illinois) Youth Baseball Association. For an end of season party, the team mothers decided to have a picnic at our house. One of the mothers told us that Keith Moreland lived accross the street from her and she'd see if he'd show up and surprise the kids. Now I was a few years older than my brother and was really excited to meet a Cub. After an hour or so into the party a Jeep Wrangler pulled into the driveway and out stepped "Zonk". He was dressed in jeans and cowboy boots, but the one thing I noticed right away was the giant chaw in his cheek. As he walked towards the party he spit a nasty brown blob of spit on to the driveway. The kids faces lit up even though I'm not quite sure they knew who he was. He never removed the chew from his cheek but sat and signed autographs for about 20 minutes. I got my ball signed (I still have this proudly displayed) and wanted to get a glimpse at his Jeep. Remember Moreland was still relevant at the time as this was only a few years removed from the '84 debacle to the San Diego Padres. I walked up to his Jeep and low and behold he had a can of beer in his drivers side cup holder. Ah Keith. not quite the role model we took you for while watching you on WGN.
Who's your brush with greatness?
I met Henry Hyde at Stratford Square in Bloomindale a number of years ago. He was just sitting by the fountain near Houlihan's.
I played against Bagwell in college quite a bit. Shane Reynolds struck me out with what seemed like a 92 MPH curve ball. I got a stolen base off Joe Girardi in high school. Doug Glanville was my recruit my junior year in college but I guess I didnt entertain him as well as I should have as he ended up playing ball at Penn and becoming a first round draft choice. I went drinking with Jim Abbot after he beat the Yankees in 1989. We were out all night in NYC and all of us college kids were out of money. This guy off the street comes up and offers us a set of Ping golf clubs for $20. We had no money so Abbot paid for them.
I was an extra on ER last year with Derek Lee at Wrigley field. We got to hit for about 4 hours. One of the guys in the my group was an ex-AAA shortstop for the yankees and was hitting bombs. Lee stopped filming and asked the guy why he wasnt still playing. The guy told him "Robbie Cano". Lee just rubbed his face and said "good answer."
A buddy of mine used to date a Playboy centerfold and asked me to join him with his girlfriend and one of her playmate friends. We ended up drinking all night and I thought I was in for sure until Chris Chelios stole her from me. (this happened when I was single of course.)
Back in '90 or so when I was living in Villa Park with 4 other guys from work, Kent Merker, who knew one of my roommates, passed out at a pool party we had. He caught a cab to the Wrigley about 9am. At 3:45 that day he gave up a game winning homerun to Hector Villanueva of the Cubs.
thats it for now.
A few years ago, some people hired Ronnie to go to the suburbs at 6 am and start Wooing under their buddies' bedroom window as a birthday present. The problem was that Ronnie went to the wrong address and starting yelling, "Grace Woo, Morandini Woo, Sandberg Woo". The old lady who lived at this address got scard and called the cops. Ronnie got arrested. The police report stated that Mr. Wickers was kneeling under her bedroom window at 6am and shouting Cubs players names...
Great site and pics of the Prez. I also like the Moreland story - shows we are all human. Keep it up!