Celeb Jersey Cards #59 Jon Busch & Lee Archambault

This is a regular series which combines my passion for trading cards with my interest in celebs.  It's hot and my baseball teams are cold.  Therefore, I am looking forward to the hockey season and my Blackhawks!

Jon Busch has had a lengthy career as a goalkeeper for various teams in Major League Soccer.  He had a three year stint with the Chicago Fire, including the 2008 season in which he was the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.  I wonder if he would do just as well putting them in the net for the Hawks.

Lee Archambault is a native of the Chicago area (Oak Park to be specific) and is a lifelong Hawks fan.  A while back, he traded in his spacesuit for a Hawks jersey for a mid-game promotion .  No, I won't make any jokes about putting the puck into space, but I will [point out his jersey number.  Is it #11 or #19?  Actually, I believe it is neither.  I think it was #119, in honor of STS-119, Archambault's first mission as commander of a Space Shuttle.  While we will probably never see a triple-digit jersey number in pro sports (the XFL should have done it), at least we see one on a Celeb Jersey Card!

Autograph Tales:The Keough Family

A few weeks ago, I highlighted a baseball I had signed by the LaRoche family (Dave, Andy and Adam). Today, I am happy to feature another baseball signed by another family.
Marty Keough was the first Keough to make the majors, debuting in 1956.  The outfielder-first baseman played for six teams during the course of his eleven year career.  He finished with the Chicago Cubs in 1966.
Marty's brother Joe Keough debuted in 1968 with the Oakland A's.  Mostly an outfielder, Joe played six seasons, ending his career with the Chicago White Sox.
Marty's son Matt Keough made his debut in 1977 as a pitcher with the Oakland A's.  He pitched mostly for the A's, although he also pitched for the Yankees Cardinals, Cubs and Astros.  He deserved better than his record of 58-84 would indicate.
Several years ago, I sent a baseball to Marty Keough, asking him to sign it.  I mentioned that I planned on sending it to Joe and Matt in the future in an effort to have all three on the ball.  Much to my surprise, Marty did the work for me, getting Joe and Matt to sign the ball before he returned it to me.  How very cool of all of them.
I always take special interest in family ties within sports.  Much like with the LaRoche family, I was very happy to add the Keough family ball to my collection.

 Matt Keough

Marty Keough

Joe Keough

No Pawn Stars Here

The Gold and Silver Pawn Shop opened in Las Vegas (NV) in 1988.  It was a family run business, open 24 hours a day, located about 2 miles from the Las Vegas strip.  In 2009, it became the basis for a cable tv show called Pawn Stars.  Unfortunately, the reality differs from what the show presents.
On my trip to Vegas earlier this year, we wanted to check out the shop.  Various Vegas regulars warned us it was a waste of time, but we decided to go anyway, since we were right there.
We encountered a lengthy line, which translated to about an hour wait to get inside.  Once inside, we were basically herded through the jam-packed store.  Rick, Corey and Richard were nowhere to be found.  Rumor has it that they are in the backroom doing whaetever, but staying out of sight.
The only open area was the souvenir part of the shop.  Of course, that part is very fan-friendly.  Hmm...they don't care much for me, unless I am buying their merchandise.
Maybe the success of the show makes it impossible to be too fan friendly, but don't portray the scene as a laid back business with interesting people wandering in with unique items to sell.  I guess I should be happy that there was no entrance fee.

Me in the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, NV-March 2011.

Friendly Encounters

This is a regular series about friends who have met celebs.

Last week, I featured Joshua Kohl with Bill Russell a Dodgers legend.  This week, I am featuring another blogger friend with a Dodgers prospect.
It's been a little while since Evan Chavez appeared here.  Evan is a New Mexico Fan and that is the name of his site.  Evan lives in New Mexico, the home of the Albuquerque Isotopes, the AAA farm team of the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Evan is a huge Dodgers fan and his site reflects that.  There is a lot of interesting Dodgers stuff along with excellent coverage of the Isotopes.
Earlier this year, when the Dodgers recalled Josh Lindblom, Evan wrote a great post covering Lindblom's rise to the majors.  He included a picture of when he met Lindblom.
If you're a baseball fan (especially a Dodgers fan), check out Evan's site.  You will not be disappointed.

Josh Lindblom and Evan Chavez in Albuquerque, NM-May2010.

Celeb Jersey Cards #58 Artie Lange & Dennis Haskins

This is a regular series which combines my passion for trading cards with my interest in celebs.

It's time to check into the minor leagues and leading off is Artie Lange.  Lange is a comedian, actor and had been on the Howard Stern Show for years.  He is also a huge Yankees fan.  Unfortunately, Lange has battled his demons for years.  Much like several former major leaguers attempting comebacks, Lange is pictured with the Independent League Newark Bears.  I am quite sure Lange would be a better hitter than pitcher, but I also am sure that he did better on the mound than former radio mate Gary Dell'Abate.

Dennis Haskins has had a long and solid career.  He is perhaps best known for his role in the Saved By The Bell shows.  I am not sure about his connection to the Reading Phillies.  Maybe it stems from his time on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  I am sure he was well-received in Reading, especially if he didn't bring Screech with him!

On the Air with Tony Pasko

I have written about Tony Pasko a few times.  He is the pitcher and leadoff hitter on our softball team.  He works for Empire Carpet and hs been known to appear in ads for them.
I always enjoy seeing Tony appear in the tv ads.  I especially like seeing if Tony appears in new ads when they appear.  He also appears in short Empire videos online.
Tony is a great guy and a great friend.  He has covered for me too many times to remember when my defensive abilities come up short on the softball field and he never complains.  He does give me a good ribbing on occasion, but that's part of the fun.
The photo below is an odd photo in that it appears Tony is alone on the field.  In reality, this is an actual game photo.  I am the catcher (but not the photographer).  One of our fans must have taken this shot, but framed it in such a way as to eliminate any trace of any other player.

Revisiting the Genie Francis Experience

Genie Francis was one of the most popular celebrity guests I have ever seen at any convention.  The Motor City Comic Con scored a great double feature in landing Francis and her husband, Johnathan Frakes from tv's Star Trek.  Between the two, they had almost every genre and fan age group covered.
Francis is best known for her role as Laura on tv's General Hospital.  I wouldn't call her a one hit wonder, maybe more like a one-role wonder, but a super big role it has been.
The reaction to Francis was crazy.  Women shrieked.  Some even cried.  There were also men who abandoned the usual macho shield and admitted they had watched her for years.
I don't think Francis had done many conventions before.  That could count for some of the zeal of her fans.  I think it is more than that though.  I think Francis is just one of the rare celebrities with whom people feel a genuine connection.  It's as if she grew up with us.
It's because of all of this that I would put Francis in my Top Ten of unique celebrity experiences.

Genie Francis and me in Novi, MI-May 2008.

On the Beat with Wolfman Mac

At the 2011 Motor City Comic Con, I had the pleasure of talking to Wolfman Mac, host of Wolfman Mac's Chiller Drive-In (formerly known as Nightmare SINema).  You can catch Chiller Drive-in every Saturday night at 10 pm on RTV-The Retro Television Network.
According to legend, Wolfman Mac has been around since the 1930's.  He searched for years for "an outlet for his love of B movies and hackneyed acting".  Then one day, he found an abandoned drive-in and met Boney Bob.  To read the rest of the story (and for a ton of more stuff), check out Wolfman Mac's Chiller Drive-In site.
Wolfman Mac has a huge following in the Detroit area, but his fandom stretches across the country, too.  The Chiller Drive-In booth was one of the most popular attractions at the MCCC.  Fans couldn't get enough of Wolfman and his show mates like Torg, Morbid Melvin, Son of Froggy and the rest.
Like last year when I met the Ghoul, I was excited about meeting Wolfman Mac.  He is a throwback to great tv I watched growing up, but he is connected to today's audience.  I could watch shows like this all day long (sometimes I actually do).
Wolfman Mac was kind enough to give me a few minutes of his time for a quick interview.  I really appreciate his time and consideration.  I hope to see him and his crew next year.  Until then, I will continue to enjoy his work online and on tv.

A Gran Torino (You Know Which One)

In the mid-late 1970's, one of the most popular tv shows was Starsky and Hutch, although I was never a big fan of it.  I liked Baretta much more.
The car driven on Starsky and Hutch remains one of the most recognizable and popular vehicles in tv history.  It is a 2 door Gran Torino and Paul Michael Glaser (aka Starksy) hated the car.  He referred to it as the "striped tomato", a name which would be used on the show itself by David Soul (aka Hutch).  The car changed from a 1975 to a 1976 model, along with a few other modifications, during the course of the series.
Much like my mild disdain for the show, I didn't like the car either.  On the other hand, Baretta's 1966 Chevy Impala (aka the Blue Ghost) was my kind of car!
Why isn't that car doing the convention circuit?!

The Starsky and Hutch car in Rosemont, IL-Late 1990's.

Johngy Meets a Colonel

Ed Wiskoski went from Easy Ed to Col. DeBeers and became one of the biggest heels in wrestling in the 1980's.  As Col. DeBeers, he favored the pro-Apartheid mindset.  The character flaunted his racist views and was arguably one of the most politically incorrect figures in wrestling (a world filled with political incorrectness at the time).
Wiskoski won a handful of minor titles in his career, but never won a major title in any of the major organizations, despite being one of the biggest villains in the American Wrestling Association (AWA).
Like a lot of the old-time wrestlers, Wiskoski was a total class act when I met him in Las Vegas several years ago.  Despite heading into an event, he took a few minutes to chat with me and pose for a picture.  He was all smiles and very friendly.  It really was hard to imagine this nice guy being such a hated character.  That tells me how good he was at playing the part.
Rose ran a wrestling school for a while. I am quite sure many of today's stars could take some cues from him.  He really could get a crowd into the action.

Ed Wiskoski in Las Vegas, NV-Early 00's.

Friendly Encounters

This is a regular series about friends who have met celebs.

Joshua Kohl of the DodgerBobble site has appeared here a couple times.  He has been seen with Tommy LaSorda (legendary Dodgers manager) and Billy Ashley (a one time hot Dodgers prospect).  Today, Josh will be shown meeting Bill Russell, a long time part of the Dodgers organization.
Josh's DodgerBobble site is full of all sorts of great Dodgers stuff, especially bobbleheads and player appearances.  Josh is a great fan and likes meeting Dodgers players past and present.  He always posts a great report with nice pictures of the meetings.  Such was the case when he recently met Bill Russell, one-fourth of the legendary Dodgers infield of the 70's.
I always liked Russell. Russell had nearly 2000 hits (1926) all with the Dodgers.  I am not sure of the exact rank, but I think that is pretty high for a player with only one team.  I would have loved to have Russell playing on either side of Chicago, yet he was the fourth best infielder in the great Dodgers infield of the 70's.   He later had a stint at managing the team.
You can read Josh's full report on meeting Russell here.  Don't stop there though.  Check out the rest of his blog.  It's full of great baseball stuff, especially Dodgers stuff.

Joshua Kohl and Bill Russell in Sherman Oaks, CA-May 2011.

Celeb Jersey Cards #57 Hank Azaria & Matt Dillon

This is a regular series which combines my passion for trading cards with my interest in celebs.

There isn't a whole lot of success for Chicago baseball teams this year.  Therefore, to share in the misery, I am featuring celebs representing another underachieving team.
Who is better to showcase underachieving than Homer J. Simpson or at least the man who voices him, Hank Azaria.  Actually, Azaria is an accomplished actor.  He is also a native New Yorker and a Mets fan.  I think he might even be able to land a spot coming out of the bullpen in long relief.

Matt Dillon is another native New Yorker.  Dillon enjoyed success as a teenager and has been a solid actor since.  Dillon donned the #7 when he threw out a first pitch.  Was the #7 for current Mets shortstop Jose Reyes?  I prefer to go old school and say it was for longtime Mets player Ed Kranepool.  I think Dillon would be that kind of player.

Seasons in the Sun

Last season, I did a little documentary on the Dogs softball team.  I tried to capture the intensity exhibited throughout the season.  I captured the veteran Jim Gekas discussing the upcoming game with Jim Pellum the young right fielder.
As the rock solid short-centerfielder, Jim G. is a steadying force on the defense.  Jim P. joined the team and immediately sparked us with his youthful raw energy and speed.  It's really a great juxtaposition.  It's also really silly!

Cindy Brady and Johngy (Brady?)

I met Susan Olsen for the first time a couple years ago.  She was doing a convention with former castmates, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland and Robbie Rist.  In May at the Motor City Comic Con, she was joined again by Lookinland.
It was only natural that the two Brady kids would have adjacent booths.  Their banter was also very natural.  It was nice to witness.  They seemed like real siblings.  Both had an 8x10 photo of the other and were continually doodling on it, much like a sibling would do to another sibling's photo.  It was fun to watch.
Olsen said she keeps in touch with the other Brady castmates and loves doing these conventions, especially with any combination of other Brady mates.
Count Olsen as one of the former young stars who has avoided the usual pitfalls of early stardom.  Actually, I think that can be said for all of the Brady kids.  Some day I hope to meet the rest of the cast to see first hand.

Susan Olsen, Cuzz Gekas and me in Novi, MI-May 2011.

Big Money's Big Moment

Last Sunday, my nephew Matt graduated from DePaul University.  It was a great moment for Matt and his family and friends.
Twenty four years ago, I graduated from DePaul.  About a year later, Matt was born.  Maybe it is just me waxing nostalgic, but I like the symmetry there.
Matt has grown up into a fine young adult.  He's a fun nephew, but more important, I consider him a great friend.  Like his parents, I wish great things for Matt.  I hope he doesn't settle.  I hope he finds happiness in everything he does.  His future is bright and full of promise.  It really is one of the most exciting times in life.
The rest of us have been lucky to have Matt in our lives.  We are all proud of him and love him dearly.
Below is Matt's big moment.  Congratulations, Big Money!

An Evening with Tom Paciorek

When Tom Paciorek joined the Chicago White Sox, I was torn.  While I had liked Paciorek from the early 70's when he was with the Dodgers, I didn't like that his arrival would cut into the playing time of my favorite player, Mike Squires.  Squires was just coming off of his solid 1981 season, in which he won a Gold Glove.  I was certain that Squires was going to be the man at first base.
My fears were justified, as Paciorek got the bulk of the playing time and Squires continued to lose time, becoming mostly a defensive replacement and utility man (even pitching a little).  Paciorek hit over .300 for his first two seasons in Chicago.  Despite my fandom for Squires, I had to root for Paciorek.
Years later, Paciorek is still very likable.  At a recent autograph appearance, Wimpy told stories and answered questions for about 30 minutes.  It really was a unique event.
Paciorek told a story about hitting walk-off homers in consecutive games for the Mariners against the Yankees (Rudy May and Ron Davis).  He came up the third night with a shot at a third walk off, but Goose Gossage ended that possibility.
Paciorek talked about being named the 1972 Minor League Player of the Year, while with the Albuquerque Dukes.  Unfortunately, the Dodgers were loaded with talent back then and Paciorek was stuck in a reserve role.  He did have some great LaSorda stories though.
Wimpy talked about broadcasting for the White Sox and how he was reuniting with Hawk Harrelson while Stone was off for a few games.  Paciorek would love to do more broadcasting if the situation was right.
It was great meeting Paciorek.  He really is a class act.  Squires will always be my favorite White Sox player, but Paciorek is right up there, too!

Tom Paciorek and me in Waukegan, IL-May 2011

A Look at Days of the Dead

I was excited when I first heard about a new convention this year in Indianapolis (IN), called Days of the Dead.  It was billed as "a new breed of horror convention".  Every week or so, a new great celebrity guest was added to the lineup.
The Days of the Dead staff is very nice and accommodating. Adolfo Dorta (co-Promoter of Days of the Dead) is active on the Days of the Dead Facebook page, answering questions and making announcements.  I contacted Adolfo and asked him a few questions.

Q-How did the DAYS OF THE DEAD convention come to be?
Adolfo Dorta-Aside from DAYS OF THE DEAD, I also run a website called From Dusk Till Con (along with co-founder, Rick Lara) which covers the horror convention scene and culture behind it and has been growing quite steadily since its inception on Halloween of 2009. Originally, DAYS OF THE DEAD was going to be the mid west expansion show for one of the long established horror conventions on the east coast (which I am not at liberty to name) and they approached From Dusk Till Con about sponsoring an event for that show. A few months later, the original promoter changed his mind and Rick and I were offered the opportunity to take their place as a partner and the face of what went on to become DAYS OF THE DEAD. As huge horror fans who go to about 4-7 horror conventions a year, it was an offer we simply couldn't refuse.

Q-Is the plan to make this an annual event and would it always be in Indianapolis?

Adolfo Dorta-We didn't start out with any other plan but to put together a solid "by the fans, for the fans" type show that stayed true to all of the things we felt were most important to a great convention - a guest list with plenty of fresh names appealing to fans of all kinds, plenty of events and other fun things to do throughout the weekend, and most important of all, enough value for the patron to where they don't feel like they are being nickel an dimed in order to have a good time. The success of the first show would dictate if we would do a second show. So far, DAYS OF THE DEAD has been surprisingly well received for a first time convention and we are proud to say we are in the process of securing a date for a 2012 show in Indianapolis. We wouldn't be against taking the show to other cities around the country at some point, but only if it made sense and only if we could maintain the same ideals and level of quality as the show we have now.

Q-How many people do you expect will attend for the weekend?

Adolfo Dorta-I used to work doing concert and club promotion in my native state of Florida and predicting attendance was always a dubious science at best. However, I will say that we have pre-sold way more tickets than we expected to have people in total attendance, so the show is already MUCH bigger than we would have originally ever predicted. DAYS OF THE DEAD is being called "the most anticipated show of the year" by Goblinhaus, and has been covered by such media outlets as Bloody-Disgusting, Dread Central, Blabbermouth, and even USA Today. I don't think we were really anticipating this much attention in our first year, but the horror convention fans have done an excellent job of spreading awareness of DAYS OF THE DEAD by word of mouth, and we expect to see them come out in droves next month. We look forward to showing them a great time.

I am really looking forward to this convention. Interesting celebrities, hard-working nice staffers and unique events add up to a winner and Days of the Dead looks to be a winner!

Friendly Encounters

This is a regular series featuring my friends who have met celebs.

Global Traveler magazine Publisher Fran Gallagher has had many opportunities to meet celebrities over the years.  I have even been with him at some of those events.  Unfortunately, I was not there for his most recent celebrity encounter.
A couple months ago, Fran attended a benefit dinner for the Richie Ashburn-Harry Kalas Foundation.  There were many former and current Phillies in attendance.  Basically, this is a Phillies fan's dream and Fran certainly has become a Phillies fan.
Oh I rib Fran for jumping on the bandwagon and for his lack of knowledge, but I have to admit, he is learning quickly and he is a loyal supporter.  Fortunately, he is also a loyal supporter of Johngy's Beat (see promo videos on the right).  Fran made sure to get his picture taken with Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz and former pitcher Ricky Bottalico.  Actually, I think Fran squeezed himself into the picture, but I would have done the same.  Global Traveler is the best source for business and travel news, but you won't see a lot of sports or celebrity coverage in it.  That's why Fran sends his celebrity encounters to Johngy's Beat!

Carlos Ruiz, Ricky Bottalico and Fran Gallagher in Philadelphia, PA-May 2011.

A Living Las Vegas Sign?

My nephew Matt and I were meandering along the strip in Las Vegas, when we encountered the Las Vegas sign.  What exactly is this?  I saw plenty of costumed characters, some real, some fictional.  This was a human being, dressed as a sign...a famous sign, but a sign nonetheless.
I almost felt bad for the person, not as bad as I did for the guy dressed as a Ghirardelli Chocolate ice cream sundae.  He had his face exposed (and he usually wasn't wearing a smile).
The sign was friendly enough (friendlier than any other sign I have ever met actually).  I am not sure how happy he/she was though.  Clearly, Matt and I were having fun, but tell me, does the sign look happy to you?

Matt Parker, the Las Vegas Sign and me in Las Vegas, NV-March 2011.

Autograph Tales:The LaRoche Family

One of the first baseball cards I ever remember was a 1973 Dave LaRoche, who also happened to be one of the first baseball players I ever remember seeing play.  LaRoche's card depicted him in an airbrushed Cubs hat, although I didn't realize that at the time.  The next year, he appeared in a full Cubs uniform on his card.
LaRoche had an excellent career.  He pitched for five teams during his fourteen seasons, compiling a record of 65-58 with 126 saves.  He pitched in two All-Star games and one World Series (in 1981 with the Yankees).
Several years back, I sent LaRoche a baseball and asked him to sign it for me.  I also asked for him to have his sons sign it, if at all possible.  Adam LaRoche and Andy LaRoche were both young prospects, not yet in the majors.  I really didn't expect Dave to go through the trouble of getting both sons to sign my ball, but I figure it was worth a shot.
A few weeks later, I was surprised to see the ball returned so quickly.  I figured there was no way all three had signed it, but I was surprised once again when I saw three LaRoche signatures gracing my baseball.  I got the LaRoche trifecta!
I really appreciate Dave putting in the effort and I appreciate all three signing.  This is one of my favorite signed baseballs.

Dave LaRoche

Andy LaRoche

Adam LaRoche