Brush with greatness

[Demreb]

Gentlemen -

This afternoon I was visiting my in-laws. We went to lunch at the clubhouse of a golf course in their community and as we were waiting for our food, a guy walked out of a door, passed by our table and said "Hi, how are you?" to my father-in-law.

As the man continued on to the golf course, I asked my father-in-law if he knew who that was. He didn't and asked me who it was. It was Randy Hundley.

My first thought was to chase him down, ask for an autograph (though I don't collect sports stuff), get a picture taken with him and say something stupid like "Boy you were great with the Cubs" even though I have no living recollection of him playing for the Cubs - except for the half season in '74(?) when he rejoined them at the tail end of his career.

But then as we sat at lunch, I thought more and realized I should chase him down and rip into him. He is currently Dem Rebels manager. What is he doing on a golf course in Illinois when there is baseball being played in Confederate Park, Alabama? This could go a long way to explaining why Dem Rebels are putting a solid lock on seventh place.

(note to self - place want ad in the various trades)

[Nick's Picts (archived)]

A manager? Wow, we should really try one of those thingies at McHansen Fieldhouse.

Thanks for the trade secret, Rich!

I wonder what John Rocker (First. Pict. Evar!) is up to these days...

[Copperfields]

nickpicts said:

A manager? Wow, we should really try one of those thingies at McHansen Fieldhouse.

Wow, maybe that's my problem recently ... the Copperfield manager, Lou Boudreau, has been dead for a number of years!

Nick, for history on the CFCL manager thing, see this post:
cfcl.proboards19.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=1124802730

Rich - cool story! Maybe it's the circles I run in, but I don't ever seem to have those types of encounters. And if I did, I'd never believe the person was actually who I thought they were, so I wouldn't say anything anyway, so maybe it's just as well...

I'm impressed that you can actually remember Hundley's last season with the Cubs. The earliest Cub catchers I can remember are George Mitterwald and Steve Swisher.

I was curious about how far back you were remembering, so checked on Hundley's last season at baseball-reference.com -- it was 1973. While there, I discovered an interesting fact, which I'll now turn into a post in the Trivia Forum (boy, I feel like I've turned Rich's original post into the "All In the Family" of the CFCL Forum -- two spin-off threads...)

David

[Copperfields]

copperfields said:

I was curious about how far back you were remembering, so checked on Hundley's last season at baseball-reference.com -- it was 1973.

I'm an idiot. 1973 was Hundley's last full season with the Cubs. As Rich made a point of specifying in his message (a point I failed to notice), Hundley returned to the Cubs later in his career (for part of 1976 and for 2 games in 1977).

David

[Demreb]

In my original post I threw out '74 as a guess. But here's another Hundley anecdote.

Before I start that, David - my earliest recollection of a Cub catcher is Tim Hosley.

Anyway, back to the story.

I would need to consult Baseball Reference.com to know the right year, but I will say it was in '74 (since Hundley left the Cubs after '73), my dad took me to a Cubs game.

They were playing San Diego and I was a churnin' burnin' energy of an eight year old Cub fan. All I knew was the Cubs were awesome and everyone else sucked.

So here we are at the game and at one point a pinch hitter comes up for the Padres. The PA guy said "Now pinch hitting . . . Randy Hundley!" The crowd stood and gave him an ovation. My dad stood! I said "Dad! Why are you clapping? He's on the other team!"

I remember vaguely recognizing Hundley's name, but didn't understand the connection to the Cubs.

Hundley proceeded to hit a double which brought the crowd to its feet again. I stood and clapped because I figured this many Cub fans couldn't be wrong.

[stones]

Geez, you Cubs fans are goofy!

I post on the Board my happenchance meeting with Freaking MR. CUB and get nothing.

Rich posts something about a lame catcher who was an an average player at best and you gush!!!!

I just don't get it (he said while walking away mumbling!)

P. S. Now if he was Bill Shoerder that would have been interesting!

By the way, look at the standings!!!!

[MGrage]

LOL Steve

I was wondering when you'd start crowing about the Brewers' sub .500 record. Anyways, my brush with greatness was with the late Double Duty Radcliffe. He lived in a nursing home at 38th and King Drive which was only 3 blocks away from the firehouse. We'd get called to his apartment a couple times a year when he'd get sick and have to go to the hospital. He was a really cool guy too, telling a bunch of Negro League stories while we waited for the ambulance to arrive. And he was in great shape for someone his age up until about 2-2 1/2 years ago. He was still walking around under his own power and very gregarious. I was sorry to see him go a couple weeks back. Mahalo

Matt

PS. We also were the ones to find Vernon Jarrett dead a couple months ago. He had passed druing the night and the medic pronounced him. He looked totally different from when he was on ABC News though ...

[Copperfields]

stones said:

Geez, you Cubs fans are goofy!

I post on the Board my happenchance meeting with Freaking MR. CUB and get nothing.

Rich posts something about a lame catcher who was an an average player at best and you gush!!!!

I just don't get it (he said while walking away mumbling!)

Steve,
I remember reading your post about meeting Banks, but here's why I didn't reply: it was part of a thread that Rich had created about Barry Bonds. I was going to post a response to your Banks story, but didn't want to do that until I'd responded to Rich's original query (didn't want to blow him off). Obviously, I never got around to doing either.

However, your story about Banks is a good one, so I'm going to copy it here for all to view and enjoy again:

I am not a fan of Barry Bonds and never have been. He has been a spoiled baby for years. And I could not be more certain of anything, without any factual evidence that he is a fan of juice abuse!

As a Hank Aaron fan (he was my Ernie Banks), I hope he blows out his shoulder before he gets to 755!

Speaking of Ernie Banks and Hank Aaron, have I ever shared my story about meeting Ernie Banks?

Well, I will then...I met him once while I was in college. It was the day after the big snow of 1979. He was working as a Business Development Officer for the Bank of Ravenswood. Ironically, this was long before I was a banker or even considering becoming one!

As you may remember, the snow storm hit pretty hard and the city was essentially shut down for a few days. At the time, I was in some capacity of leadership in the student body at North Park College in the city. The Bank of Ravenswood was about a half mile away from campus and they were in desperate need of snow shovelers. They contacted the college and asked for some help. Some how the call was directed to me and I arranged for a bunch of broke beer guzzling guys in serious need of cash to shovel them out. Once the job was done, I went into the HR department to collect the hard earned pay, otherwise known as beer money (remember the drinking age wasn't always 21 in Illinois or maybe I was already over 21, ah I don't even want to figure this one out...crap I just did, I was 22 already!!!)!

While I was sitting there waiting for the cash (while my buddies had a snow ball fight and re-covered the sidewalks back with snow) I noticed a well dressed African American man (OK, back then he was a "black man" since it was way before political correctness) making calls to some of Capitans of Industry in the Chicago area. I specifically remember him asking to speak with the President of McDonald's Corporation. Needless to say, I was impressed and it must have shown. Unfortunately and to his embarrassment it soon became clear to him, he was not the reason. I never dream of speaking to the President of McDonalds for goodness sake. I was that close to some who did! Little did I know it was Ernie Banks.

While I was trying not to appear like I was eavesdropping, he looked at me and smiled. That knowing kind of smile, like he was letting me know he was acknowledging me for noticing him. When he hung up the telephone, he turned to me and said, "That's right, I am". Again not growing up in Chicago, I had no idea what he meant by that. For a split second, I thought he might be trying to hit on me and I was a little uncomfortable by that, cuz I don’t go that way! So I said, "I beg your pardon, you are what?" I think I hurt his feelings by the semi-shocked look on his face. Almost with a question in his voice he said "I'm Ernie Banks, you know from the Cubs".

Recognizing the error of my ways, I immediately apologized and said that I didn't recognize him because I grew up in Milwaukee. We both laughed. At which time I said, "Now had you been Hank Aaron that would have something"!

Again he and I laughed. We chit-chatted for awhile longer about his job with the bank of all things and then the HR lady came with my money. I told him it was a pleasure to meet him and I went on my way a little richer and very much richer! I told some of the guys what had happend and they were bummed out they didn't go in with me. It won't have been the same!

He is an awesome guy! But he is no Hank Aaron!