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February 7, 2008
The CCO Feedback column is back. Over the next couple of days we will run another article from one of the Faithful, but today is Jim Kneisley's turn and I appreciate the time he took to share a few very cool stories....
When Neil says he's a history buff and that I've lived long enough to see most of it, you smile. When he asks for a little Chicago history and especially about the Cubs, you wonder if you can separate matters of possible interest from an ego trip. I've decided it is worth a try in a few numbered paragraphs.
- When you are 8 years old in La Porte, IN and you know the last names of guys named Phil, Stan, Peanuts, Andy, and Claude are Cavarretta, Hack, Lowrey, Pafko and Passeau, the year is 1945 and the Cubs have won the National League Pennant. WIND is your favorite radio station. There is no TV.
- When as an 18 year-old good field, .280 hitting high school first baseman, you get two hits in two heavily scouted games against the area's top high school pitcher and you are invited to a late fall Cubs tryout camp in Gary, you are just lucky. And you prove it by getting a polite "Thank you for coming" - maybe from Stan Hack or Gabby Hartnett who were there.
- When, as an I.U. grad and active duty over infantry officer in 1962 you join The First National Bank of Chicago, you are ready for corporate lending and Cubs Baseball. How lucky can you be when you find yourself the number two officer on the Wrigley family businesses --- including the Cubs. Because attendance is marginal at about one million a year, you often get four of the bank's box seats, two rows behind the Cubs dugout on the aisle nearest home plate. You get to say "Hi" or "Hey" to people named Ernie, Billy, Ron and Fergie. You think you've died and gone to heaven.
- In 1966, you take the call from the Wrigley Company offices that an urgent matter has arisen. You learn that Mr. Wrigley wants to bring Leo Durocher to Chicago to manage the Cubs --- but he has serious financial problems in Beverly Hills, CA. Turns out he got the house when he and actress Larraine Day divorced, and that's all he has. The house has first, second and third mortgages --- and Leo may have been the nation's first sub-prime borrower. Leo was a rounder and an excellent manager. When he had managerial jobs, he was in the bars buying rounds. When he was out of work, he was in the bars hoping someone would buy him a round. I helped extract Leo from his situation, and he brought his talents to the Cubs.
- Of course, beer and baseball go together. In 1966, the owner and brewmeister of the old Peter Hand Brewery (makers of Meister Brau) tell you that they want to develop the first low calorie beer in the world. They point out that the big breweries are thinking about it but are reluctant to risk damage to their regular brands like Bud, Schlitz and Pabst. They ask to borrow $2 million, and I decide the idea is a reasonable risk. In 1967, Lite beer is introduced in Chicago. It does well; and a few years later the Miller Brewing Company buys the brewery just to get what we know today as Miller Lite --- same logo, same beer. When you hear the Miller commercials that have run recently saying, "We invented Lite Beer", you now know that they invented it by acquiring what an owner, a brewmeister and a banker did near Wrigley Field in the mid '60's.
- I was also the banker for La Crosse, Wisconsin's G. Heileman Brewery ---- makers of famed "Old Style". When the vendors used to shout "Hey Beer Man" at Wrigley, I used to think they were calling me. I'd stand up and wave. And I still tip a few from time-to-time as does my first wife (of 48 years). Our next Cubs opportunity will be at Sluggo's in Mesa on March 10th. We do have field box seats near the dugout for the three home games at HoHoKam that week. If you show up looking a little bedraggled or needy at an area watering hole there that we are at (like Leo used to do), I'll buy you the beverage of your choice --- as long as it's Miller Lite or Old Style.
Happily, it's about time to play ball. I say, "Listen to the Faithful, Jim Hendry, and a powering wind will be at your back! If you don't listen, the wind at your back will be your own. Fail to win, and we will be on your case faster than a cop on a free donut!" GO CUBS!
Jim Kneisley
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I am impressed, great article.
Its not an ego trip to look back and remember good times and a job well done.
Very, very good article Jim.
Great column Jim!! I also go back to the days of Fondy, Miksis, Smalley and Ransom Jackson, Sauer, Baumholtz, Rush, Minner, etc. You did a great job of bringing me back to some of those memories. Thanks!
Thank you all. Gramps...I'll try to stop the memory train before the younger guys eyes glaze over.
You mention Baumholtz and Sauer. Few remember that the Pirates hall of famer, Ralph Kiner, the greatest home run hitter of his time, played for the Cubs in 53-54. (The Pirates wouldn't pay him something like 50 grand a year.) Kiner and Saurer could not run at all, and the fear was that Baumholtz would have a heart attack fielding everything from left center to right center. And help me with this one: Mikis played second and Roy Smalley short. Smalley had a scatter arm. On the 4-6-3, Bert Wilson used to announce too often on a ground ball to second: "The grounder goes from Mikis to Smalley to the Visitors Dugout!" It may have been something other than the dugout, but we did get our share of "radio pain" back then.
It's refreshing to read something pleasant and not full of negativity or anxiousness. I'd be happy to buy the man a Lite or how about a LaCrosse Lager, since it is the Old Style of the 21st Century...
Jim,
I'm from LaPorte too! Wow! It's awesome to know someone from our small town has that history. Thank you for sharing.
I suspect Gramps would join me for the offer of a La Crosse Lager, Herman. We're elated to have made it to the 21st Century. Sorry about the typo on Miksis.
A very nice and refreshing article.
Great stuff, #2 is really something!
As the season draws near, I have an awful feeling that Cubs management is losing focus, and is still in the ruts of the past....past mistakes. If they think a rotation of Z, Lilly, Hill, Lieber, and Marquis/Dempster will get it done, then they are absolutely delusional!!!
Big Z is the ONLY man in our rotation with shut-down capability. Lilly is more finesse...ditto Hill, and Marquis makes 3 finesse guys. Dempster has ability to juice it up a bit, but if you look at his career stats as a starter, he SUCKS...he's average at best. Marquis must rely on Maddux-esque pin-point control, or he'll get lit up, and he hasn't exactly shown that he can put it all together for a full season.
I tell you what I'd love....here's my dream rotation (okay, key word...dream):
Z
Lilly
Wood
Hill
Marmol
but two of those---Wood and Marmol, will probably never happen...though Wood might be capable of making a Smoltz-like move to the rotation. I realize that Marmol seems to have better success out of the pen, but don't you think a lot of that has to do with confidence and regular work as a youngster than that he cannot handle the rotation. It's my belief that you have to have at least 2 guys in the rotation that can flat out throw BB's up there. I do like Sean Marshall too, but he's just like Lilly and Hill---more finesse lefties with huge hooks. If you throw too many of those guys up there, you'll eventually get hammered.
The other scenario...and more realistic I might add, would be:
Z
Lilly
Lieber
Hill
Hart/Ceda
Lieber's career...and arm, might be shot anyhow, so he can't be relied upon either.
I am, however, satisfied with our lineup...for the most part.
Soriano
Fukodome
Lee
ARAM
Soto
DeRosa
Pie
Theriot/Cedeno
I'm okay with that, as long as Cedeno is given a full shot to win the job, and FINALLY see what he can do with full-time work in the bigs.
I'm probably most excited about our bullpen as it stands right now. But we all know how unreliable bullpens can be at times.
The rotation, as mentioned on here the other day, is below average...and all you need to do to verify that is look around the league at how stacked other rotations are.
Aaron, agreed on Cedeno and the rotation for that matter. The back half of our rotation scares me a bit. I do like Marshall but I can see a potential problem with 3 pitchers who are very similar. Should Gallagher get a shot at the rotation if he doesn't get traded in the Roberts deal?
Before I respond to Aaron - GREAT JOB JIM!!!! I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Now - on to pitching...
Could the rotation use another hammer? Of course. I'd love to have one more arm. But it needs to be someone of quality worth giving up prospects for if we're going to try trading for someone. I'm not convinced that Blanton is that guy - and asking for Homer Bailey AND Votto from the Reds as is being reported now is an insane price.
But - with that said though....
The rotation as it exists now is NOT below average - in fact the general consensus among the mags and "experts" out there is that the top three (Z, Hill, Lilly) are all above average pitchers and match up favorably against most of the other rotations in the NL that aren't in the NL West.
Here's one ranking from the from the Sporting News for example. This one's post-Haren, pre-Johan trades. Cubs rank #4 behind the D-Backs (consensus #1 everywhere I've seen), Dodgers, and Padres.
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=334589
Granted - ANY ranking is subjective, but the top three are very solid (and Z and Hill have the potential to be spectacular upon occasion). Where we get bumped is depth... which is where another arm would come in.
If you look at other teams 4 and 5 pitchers though... we're not in bad shape. Almost every team has question marks or promising youngsters at that end of things.
However, we do have a few arms coming up that project as good pitchers in the bigs, plus Dempster and Leiber as a vet presence.
I just take exception to calling the rotation as it stands below average.
...plus add in the bullpen and the offense, and the Cubs are generally in better shape top to bottom than the teams projecting with better rotations.
JimK,
Terrific article!!! Thanks for sharing some great stories!
That's my pop. Wait 'til he tells you the jackie robinson story. and then the bob gibson one.
Hey Jim K...Ole No 86 is still running them over..you make us Slicers proud.
JD
Jim, I think it was Miksis to Smalley to the upper deck! Thanks for the memories!
Jim, brings back memories. Smalley was very
accurate in getting the ball to the grandstand!
In the springtime it seems that half the Midwest
comes to AZ to see the Cubs. After the D-Backs
PHX is still a Cubs town.