Gene Hiser, From Outfielder to Financial Adviser

One of the great things about AU Sports was that sometimes that had obscure players for autograph signings.  One such player was Gene Hiser, who played parts of 4 seasons with the Chicago Cubs after being a first round draft pick of theirs.  The fact that he played for the Cubs immediately made him a desirable guest at AU.
Hiser was in a great mood.  He talked fondly about his time with the Cubs.  I told him about seeing him play in Wichita, while we were there to visit our friend and his teammate Rick Stelmaszek.  Hiser appreciated the enthusiasm of the fans at AU, especially for a career .202 hitter who last had played in the majors about 25 years earlier.
I didn't know it at the time, but his minor league stats show him playing in the White Sox organization late in his career, yet sources claim he only played for the Cubs organization.  Maybe he was loaned to the Sox for some odd reason.  If I ever get the chance, that will be one question I will ask him.
Hiser has owned Barrett and Hiser Financial Management Group for over 20 years.  In 1997, Barrett and Hiser joined GCG Financial.  Maybe I can talk to him there and get some financial advice, too.

Gene Hiser and me in AU Sports in Skokie, IL-Late 1990's.

On the Beat with Andrew Cashner

A few weeks ago, while at Wrigley Field covering the Chicago Cubs for Global Traveler magazine, I managed to squeeze in one quick question to young Cubs pitcher Andrew Cashner. Cashner was down the left field line signing autographs for dozens of fans. When he finished, he quickly headed to the dugout, but I intercepted him and managed to corral him for one quick answer.
Cashner was drafted by the Cubs in the first round in 2008 and is 1-4 in 27 games in this, his first season in the majors. Although a starter by trade (and used as such in the minors), Cashner has been used exclusively in relief in the majors.
With a limited window of opportunity, I went to the old reliable question of his favorite city to visit. Cashner, said Houston, because that is his hometown.
I need to refine this question however, as too many players are giving their hometown as the answer. It's not their fault. I would say probably say Chicago if I was a ballplayer. I probably need to add "excluding your hometown", but sometimes time and logistics require the question to be asked quickly and smoothly.
On the other hand, it could be interesting to see if any player ever changes the answer over the years. Maybe after visiting certain cities more often, his choice might change.
These are all small gripes (much like my gripe about my stupid camera which stuck in the "zoom" position). I'm still happy just to be out on the field and asking these questions for Global Traveler.

A Rookie of the Year

Todd Hollandsworth was the 1996 NL Rookie of the Year. He was the last of five consecutive ROY's for the Los Angeles Dodgers. (This streak coupled with another streak to produce 9 ROY's for the Dodgers in an 18 year period.)
Hollandsworth never developed into a star, but he did play for twelve years in the majors (with eight teams, including the Chicago Cubs). He probably could be considered a journeyman, but somehow he seemed to have a better career than the stats show.
Hollandsworth cited winning the World Series (although he didn't play much in it) with the Florida Marlins and his ROY award as his two highlights. He also said he had a lot of other memorable times, including playing with the Cubs
Hollandsworth is still in the Chicago area, working in the media. I really enjoy his analysis on the Score and hope he gets bigger and more frequent gigs.

Todd Hollandsworth and me in Skokie, IL-Winter 2008.

Friendly Encounters

This is a weekly feature highlighting friends who have met celebs.

When we last saw Jim Forsell here, he was sitting in the Wrigley Field dugout. Today, he is featured on Waveland Avenue, near Wrigley Field, but more on that in a minute.
The cubs are woefully out of the playoff race. Aside from the regular yearly angst this causes Jim (and all of us Cubs fans), this will also force Jim to live up to his bet with Matt Trowbridge of the Rockford Register-Star. Jim laid down the gauntlet and now he will have to kneel down as he pushes a baseball with his nose across the State Street bridge in Rockford.
Back to Jim's Friendly Encounter with a Cub...Jim had just enjoyed a thrilling 1-0 Cubs victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. While walking down Waveland, Jim saw this Cub and asked him if he read Johngy's Beat.
The Cub replied, "I don't even take a sip of my coffee, with cream and honey, without first reading Johngy's Beat."
I appreciate Jim sharing this story and picture. More than that, I appreciate the spirit of it all. Jim saw a Friendly Encounter opportunity and he took it! That's really what I like. I hope more people follow Jim's lead.

Jim Forsell and a (Chicago) Cub in Chicago, IL-May 2010.

Shunned by Marlon Byrd

Marlon Byrd is probably the Cubs MVP for this season. Byrd, who signed with the Chicago Cubs as a free agent, has had a solid career, but is clearly delivering much more than promised.

A couple weeks ago however, Byrd joined an exclusive club. Byrd shunned me, joining former Johngy's Beat shunners Jeff Kent and Manny Ramirez. Like with the others, I don't have a problem with being shunned. There is no obligation and any interview I get is a plus.
I would have liked to talk to Byrd. I planned on asking about the Texas heat versus Chicago's current heat streak. Of course, the one time I have a totally different question, I don't get to use it.
Byrd has been one of the subjects of trade rumors. I am sure this isn't what he expected when he signed here. At only 32, Byrd still has some good years left. I'd like to see him stay in Chicago. Maybe then, I'll get another opportunity and maybe next time, he won't shun me.

On the Beat with Matt Sinatro

A few weeks ago, while at Wrigley Field, I attempted to interview Cubs coach Matt Sinatro. Sinatro smiled and asked if I knew who he was. Anyone who knows me at all, knows I was the wrong person to ask that question.
Off the top of my head, I could tell you that Sinatro played parts of ten seasons in the majors with the Atlanta Braves, Oakland A's, Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners. During his career, Sinatro played in 140 games, hitting one home run (off of Pete Falcone) and batting .190. Of course, Sinatro was a backup catcher, my strong suit!
I have followed his post-playing career through coaching stops with the Mariners, the Tampa Bay Rays and finally here in Chicago. I chose not to ask him about his future despite Lou Piniella recent retirement announcement.
Sinatro was very cool. Twice after the interview he came up to me to small talk a bit. I am very happy to have added Sinatro to my list of interviews.
Thanks to Global Traveler magazine for this assignment. Thanks to the Cubs organization for this opportunity. Thanks to Matt Sinatro for taking a few minutes to talk to me.

On the Beat with Paula Faris

My friend Chuck is fond of saying "We're all professional." It can be used in many situations and Chuck uses it wisely. It is sort of his way (and now mine, since I have begun using it, too) of saying that we belong (wherever we are). Of course, Chuck doesn't announce it to the world, although occasionally he has tossed it into the small talk of an interview.
Now, with several years under our belts, we really do belong and really are all professional. We've been on many major league fields and in many clubhouses. We even took part in a pre-game interview session with Ron Gardenhire and the beat writers in Gardenhire's office at Target Field.
Last week while at Wrigley, I saw NBC's Paula Faris interviewing Randy Wells of the Chicago Cubs. Okay, yes we are all professional, but Global Traveler and I don't quite carry the weight that NBC does. I was not able to interview Wells. I did not walk away empty-handed though. I jumped at the opportunity to interview the interviewer, Paula Faris. Paula talked about her favorite vacation spots and traveling with the Cubs for the playoffs (which unfortunately won't happen this year).
I was very happy to be able to talk to Paula. She does a great job for Chicago's NBC5 sports news team. She is a multi-time Emmy winner, including one for her coverage of the Chicago Marathon.
I also really appreciate Paula giving a few moments of her time. She was busy doing her own job, including getting coverage of the Alan Trammel on-field session.
Unfortunately, the camera work was not the best effort. The sun was so bright, I couldn't even see Paula through the viewfinder. I was further hampered by the zoom, which was stuck. Still, it did not deter me. Sometimes things happen and cause challenges. Sometimes the conditions are not the best. The key is to muddle through it. After all, we are all professional!

Paula Faris interviewing Randy Wells in Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL-July 2010.

Steve Renko Chooses White Sox?

Steve Renko was the quarterback for Kansas while Gale Sayers played there. Renko was drafted by the Oakland Raiders, but he had already been drafted by the New York Mets and chose to start a baseball career.
Renko never pitched for the Mets. He was traded to the Montreal Expos where he pitched for several seasons. Then he became a bit of a journeyman, pitching for the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago White Sox, the Oakland A's, the Boston Red Sox, the California Angels and the Kansas City Royals. If you don't stay with one team your entire career, I always thought it would be cool to pitch for a bunch, especially all over he country, like Renko did.
I didn't have a lot of time to talk to Renko when I met him. The crowd of people to meet him was unbelievable. Even he was shocked at the masses.
I wanted to talk to him about his time at Kansas. I also wanted to talk about his being one of a few pitchers with more than 125 wins and a record below .500 (134-146). Instead, I was only able to briefly talk about his fine hitting (a .215 career average).
Renko did make a point of saying that the Sox hat he wore was not indicative to him choosing the Sox over the Cubs. Apparently he did not realize the slight controversy that would cause.

Steve Renko and me in Willowbrook, IL-Spring 2008.

Friendly Encounters

This is a weekly feature highlighting friends who have met celebs.

I have known Renee Labranna for many years, although we met for the first time last year at the Glenwood, her northside Chicago bar. Renee and I have been in various sports pools for years. It was great to finally meet her and I highly recommend her place for a great time.
On Sunday July 18, Renee threw out the first pitch before a Cubs game. MTM Chicago and the OUT at Wrigley 2010 Committee hosted OUT at Wrigley 2010 at Wrigley Field and at Beyond the Ivy. Renee was the first pitch winner and zipped the pitch in perfectly.
I asked Renee about the experience and she graciously agreed to share her thoughts.
It was the greatest experience I could have imagined and everyone in the Cubs organization and MTM (the group who set up the Wii contest I won) were wonderful. The best part I think was walking back to my seat and random Cubs fans saying "great itch" or "you should be signed up...they need a lefty."
Cubs pitcher James Russell caught Renee's pitch. Russell is a young lefty, who is the son of former long-time reliever Jeff Russell. Renee commented on Russell.
Cool. Sweet guy said I should sign a 10 day contract.
I appreciate Renee sharing her story here. I also look forward to beating her in the 2010 FB Confidence Pool.

Renee Labranna and James Russell at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL-July 2010.

Alan Trammell for Manager?

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to cover the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The previous day, Lou Piniella announced this would be his last season as Manager of the Cubs.
Sometimes it comes down to good timing. Sometimes it comes down to bad timing. For me, it was good timing, as I got to experience the buzz around the field as speculation ran wild about the future manager.
Cue Alan Trammell and bad timing. Poor Trammell. He was the center of a lot of discussion. Oh sure, Bob Brenly and Ryne Sandberg are also in the rumor winds, but they are a safer distance from the press.
Trammell was a 'wanted' man from the minute he stepped on the field Wednesday. The press had to wait until his batting practice routine was over, but then he slipped quickly into the dugout and then the clubhouse. The gaggle of reporters (myself included) apparently pulled enough weight to get Trammell to reappear for an impromptu interview session.

Unfortunately my recording equipment did not get the audio very well, but the basic scene can be viewed below. Trammell was a complete professional. He basically said he is always interested in opportunities, but for right now he is concentrating on his coaching duties.

Trammell previously managed the Detroit Tigers for three seasons. He is definitely a viable candidate for the managerial position in 2011.

An Unsung Cubs Pitcher, Warren Brusstar

I recognized Warren Brusstar as soon as I saw him. That sort of surprised him. It also surprised him that I could recall some info on his time in Chicago. Afterall, we were in Philadelphia, where he spent most of his career.
Still, Brusstar was part of the 1984 Chicago Cubs. Those Cubs won the National League East division (and should have made it to the World Series). Brusstar was an unsung member of the pitching staff. He was a middle reliever (mostly) and a very successful one. Over one period, he pitched 32 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, a Cubs record for a reliver.
I also mentioned remembering seeing him pitch for the White Sox. He stated that few people remember he came over to the Cubs from the Sox. Most people think he came straight from the Phillies (and usually in the Ryne Sandberg trade).
I thanked Brusstar for his time in Chicago and for being part of one of the greatest sports thrills in my lifetime.

Warren Brusstar and me in Oaks, PA-October 2009.

How Mick Became Killer Kelleher

A few days ago, I wrote about meeting Mick Kelleher, current coach with the New York Yankees and one of my favorite Cubs as I was growing up. I asked Kelleher about his scrap with Dave Kingman.
In 1977, when Kelleher was playing with the Cubs and Kingman was playing with the San Diego Padres (one of the four teams for Kingman in 1977), Kingman slid extra hard into second base. Kingman was supposedly upset that Cubs pitcher Steve Renko had hit him with a pitch. Despite Kingman's size (he had about 9 inches and 40 pounds on Kelleher), Kelleher jumped on Kingman and started to pummel him. In the video below, Kelleher talks about the incident.

I love the story, especially because Kingman joined the Cubs the next year. The two became teammates and put the wrestling match behind them. It's a great example of competitiveness on the field.
This is just one of many reasons why I liked Kelleher. It was a lot of fun watching him play and it was a real pleasure meeting and talking to him at Citi Field.
I really appreciate Kelleher giving us a few moments. I also appreciate the New York Mets for making this possible by facilitating Global Traveler's request for media access to the field.

Koyie Hill > Corky Miller + Ramon Castro

Koyie Hill has played parts of seven seasons in the major leagues. He has been with the Chicago Cubs since 2007. Last year, he hit .237, with 2 HR's, 24 RBI's, 26 Runs and 0 stolen bases. That's a decent year for a backup catcher. Of course, Hill played a bit more than a standard backup catcher.
Either way, the bottom line was that his stats were good enough for me to win yet another bet with my nephew Matt. Matt is a White Sox fan (as long as the wind is blowing the right way) and pitted Corky Miller against Hill in a battle of the five offensive categories for the entire 2009 season. Unfortunately for Matt, Miller got injured. Being the benevolent uncle, I allowed him to substitute Ramon Castro, who took over the backup duties.
Even with the Castro-Miller pairing, Matt still lost the bet. Castro-Miller hit .200 with 4 HR's, 17 RBI's, 13 Runs and 0 stolen bases. Translation:Hill took 3 of the 5 categories.
When I met Hill is mid-June of 2009, I told him I had a bet riding on him. He laughed and asked why we would be betting on backup catchers. I told him we have made bets on much sillier subjects. He was a funny guy who said he would do his best for me.
This year, Matt and I have revised the bet to be all Cubs catchers against all White Sox catchers. For the record, I am ahead so far.

Koyie Hill and me in Niles, IL-Summer 2009.

Old Times at Wrigley Field

As I have written before, in September of 1983, I attended most of the weekday home games of the Chicago Cubs. The crowds were thin. The tickets were cheap. My school day at DePaul ended at noon. The El ride was about 10 minutes. It was the perfect situation.
You can tell a lot of things from the picture below. You can easily see the lack of a crowd. You can see empty sections down the right field line. From my seat behind home plate, you can see plenty of empty seats in nearby sections, too. Even the bleachers are spotty at best.
The new high tech scoreboard addition is clearly visible, right below the historic scoreboard. Never mind that most banks have a bigger text sign that that. In 1983 at Wrigley, it was radical.
You can also see some rooftops over the right field wall. This was before rooftop seating was an issue. There might have been a handful of rooftop viewers this day, but not enough to warrant concern from the Cubs organization.
Also in the photo is Lori. Lori was an usher/security person at Wrigley. We talked a lot with the ushers because they had plenty of down time (without much of a crowd to control and usher). She also usually let me slide into much better seats than I deserved. I am pretty sure that she won't get in trouble with this revelation.
By the time the '84 season came, a lot had changed. I had a job after school. The Cubs were on the way to winning the NL East. Harry Caray was becoming a Cubs icon.
When I went to my first game in '84, I had nosebleed seats and sat there the whole game. The place was too packed for me to move to a better seat and Lori wasn't there to facilitate it.
Lori, wherever you are...thanks for September of '83.

Lori in Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL-September 1983.

The Grave Digger Richie Hebner

The Ultimate Collectors Show was held in Oaks (PA), which is fairly close north of Philadelphia. Richie Hebner spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and eleven across the state with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent the last two seasons of his 18 year career with my Chicago Cubs.
Hebner was a very popular player wherever he went. Having spent so long playing for Pennsylvania teams, Hebner was especially popular in this region. He drew a large line at the show.
I did surprise him though, when I told him my best memories of him occurred during his stint with the Cubs. I usually liked players better when they played in Chicago, but Hebner had the extra rub of being a part of the 1984 NL East division champs.
Hebner laughed and said he was proud to contribute to that team and be a part of that experience. He had been to the playoffs before, even winning a World Series in Pittsburgh in 1971, but helping the Cubs to their first playoff appearance since 1945 was a great memory.
I told him it was a great memory for Cubs fan, too. I thanked him for his part. He was a super nice guy. I can see why he was so popular during his career.

Richie Hebner and me in Oaks, PA-October 2009.

Old Times at Wrigley Field

On September 22, 1983, I sat through an hour and a half of Micro Econ followed by an hour and a half of World History at DePaul University. At noon, I raced out to the #22 Clark bus and made my way to Wrigley Field. I was going to see the Chicago Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Cubs were 68-85, mired in 5th place and managed by Charlie Fox. The Pirates were 80-73, still alive in 2nd place and managed by Chuck Tanner. The Pirates started Lee Tunnell, while the Cubs started Rick Reuschel.
The Pirates got rbi's from 7 of their players in beating the Cubs 8-3. Ron Cey hit the only homerun of the day, a meaningless solo shot in the 9th inning.
You can tell from the picture that the crowd was sparse. The actual total was 3,426. I think I took the picture in the bottom of the 7th inning, because I always moved closer as the game went on.
Tony Pena is the catcher for the Pirates. Jody Davis is just about to head to the plate. I am not sure where Marla Collins was heading. I thought she usually sat down the line, but here it looks like she is heading for the vicinity of the Pirates dugout.
Things turned around quickly for the Cubs however. In 1984, they won the National League East. Fans started to flock to Wrigley Field. Harry Caray became an icon. Unfortunately, 25+ years later, the Cubs still had not made it to the World Series.

Jody Davis (far left with bat), Marla Collins and Tony Pena (catching) in Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL-Sept. 22, 1983.

Tony LaRussa Played for the Chicago Cubs?

Everyone knows Tony LaRussa is having a Hall of Fame managerial career. Most people know LaRussa had a modest playing career. A lot of people don't know that LaRussa actually ended his major league career with the Chicago Cubs.
Most diehard sports fans know of LaRussa's one game with the Cubs. On Opening Day in 1973, LaRussa pinch-ran for Ron Santo and scored the winning run. A few days later he was sent to the minors, never to return to the majors as a player.
LaRussa's last baseball card as a player was his 1972 Topps card as a member of the Atlanta Braves. That is, until now.
Paul over at Wrigley Wax has given LaRussa his final player card as a member of the Cubs. Paul had a great post (and not just because he dedicated it to me). Paul gave a great effort in creating a LaRussa Cubs card, primarily because pictures of LaRussa in Cubs blues are uncommon.
Wrigley Wax is one of my regularly visited sites. It has regular features like 5 Random Cubs Cards and 196(9) at a Time. Paul is a fan and collector. Most of all he is interesting and fun.
Thank you, Paul. Thanks for creating the LaRussa card. Thanks for thinking of me. Thanks for being one of the good guys.

Tony LaRussa 1973 Topps card as created by Paul at Wrigley Wax.

Old Times at Wrigley Field

One of my friends sent me this great old photo. It was taken down the left field line at Wrigley Field. It was taken in 1973 or 74, based on the players pictured.
Those players are Pete LaCock (left) and Tom Lundstedt (right). It probably was drizzling, based on the umbrellas. It was also probably in September, based on when these players actually were together with the Cubs.
I love the scorecards that the players are signing. I don't think most people even keep score anymore. Those appear to be the very simple 2 page folded heavyweight sheets, not the fancy mega-page scorebooks sold at parks now.
Those autograph seekers appear to be mostly kids, too. I'll bet these kids had no thoughts of resale value either. (With Lundstedt and LaCock, there wouldn't be much anyway.) I could have been one of those kids, just happy to get a real major league ballplayer to sign my scorecard.
I eventually got both of their autographs. I met LaCock just a couple years ago. I got Lundstedt's signature through the mail.

Pete LaCock and Tom Lundstedt at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL-Sept. '73 or '74.

Pre-Fame...Pre-Johngy

Erik Pappas was a year behind me at Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago. Pappas was a very good athlete and I wasn't, but our paths crossed a few times during intramural sporting events.
Pappas was selected as a catcher by the California Angels in the 1984 amateur draft, but made his major league debut with his hometown Chicago Cubs in 1991. Pappas only played in 7 games for the Cubs who released him after the season. He signed with the Kansas City Royals, who later traded him to the Chicago White Sox.After spending the 1992 season in the minors, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and made it back to the majors in 1993, playing in 82 games and hitting .276 for the Cardinals. Pappas slumped in 1994, batting only .091 in 58 plate appearances. In 1995, Pappas played in AAA for the Florida Marlins. In 1996, he played in AAA for the Texas Rangers. Pappas retired with a career average of .242 with 1 HR and 35 RBI's.
In 2004, he represented Greece at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Currently Pappas is a coach at Cangelosi Baseball.

Erik Pappas from the Mt. Carmel yearbook.

Ivan (DeJesus) the Not So Terrible

Last year, I went to Los Angeles (CA) to interview Rick Monday for an online piece for Global Traveler magazine. While out there, I talked to a bunch of other baseball players and coaches, including Ivan DeJesus.
DeJesus actually has a connection to Monday, as he came to the Chicago Cubs with Bill Buckner for Monday and Mike Garman. After playing parts of 3 seasons with the Dodgers, DeJesus became the regular shortstop for the Cubs.
DeJesus was a decent shortstop (better than whoever else the Cubs had at the time), but he seemed to get worse each year in Chicago, culminating in 1981, when he hit .194 and had 13 rbi's (challenging Enzo Hernandez's 12 rbi mark).
He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies where he played as a regular for 3 years, before finishing his career used sparingly for 4 different teams in 4 years. He since has become a coach and his son is playing in the Dodgers system.
When I met him on the field, I simply thanked him for his efforts in Chicago. Those teams were pretty bad and he was at least one of the steadier players. This post and picture is for Louie Atsaves. Although DeJesus was listed as 5'11" and 175 lbs. and that was probably a good stretch, we will always remember him for his pre-steroid era tree trunk-like thighs.

Ivan DeJesus and me at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA-June 2008