We know you're busy, so here's a roundup of some of the recent stories featured right here on Bolingbrook Patch.
Too busy last week to stay up to date on all the news happening in and around Bolingbrook? Not to worry. Patch has your back. In case you missed them, here were some of the top headlines from the last few days:
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The former Cub player and broadcaster reached out to to help a college student, and it was an act of kindness that was never forgotten.
Back in 1998, I was in a magazine writing class at North Central College and our assignment for the trimester was to write a story and pitch it to a magazine. My idea, since it was Ron Santo's last year eligible on the regular Hall of Fame ballot and he had just received word that he had had not been voted in, was to write a story about that. My teacher was understandably skeptical, but she allowed it. She told me that if I didn't have the contacts I needed in a couple of weeks, I would have to change my focus. I contacted the Cubs and PR director Chuck Wasserstrom and told him my story, and Ron soon called my college dorm room. Seriously, it was a life-changing moment. I must have replayed the message dozens of times. After I called him …
Ron Santo, beloved No. 10 and Chicago Cubs third baseman, died early Friday morning at the age of 70.
I come from a long line of diehard Chicago Cubs fans. The kind that stand outside on Waveland Avenue during games with a mitt waiting to catch the next home run ball. The kind that opt to sit in the bleachers with Ronnie Woo Woo, because even though they may get beer spilled on them, everyone knows they're the best seats in the house. And the kind that mute the TV to pair a game with the hometown call on WGN radio. I think that's what I'll miss most about Ron Santo. Swimming in the backyard pool at my parents' house as a kid, listening to Ronnie banter with fellow Cubs radio legend, Pat Hughes, on 720-AM about the time he burned his hair. Without ever realizing his dream of seeing his team win a World Series, the legend, eternal Cubs …
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7:32 pm on Friday, December 3, 2010
Great story,my Dad gave me a cubs jacket and hat when I was about 5 years old and I've been a fan ever since .Ernie Banks, Glen Beck, Don Kessinger, Billy Williams,Fergie Jenkins,Randy Hundley,and of course ,Ron Santo are my true heroes from my adolescent years .Ron was a great man on and off the field his contributions to his fellow man are truly inspiring.As an announcer he was the best with … more ›
Despite their flaws, Kenny Williams and Jim Hendry are right for their respective jobs as general managers of both Chicago baseball teams.
Their flaws are as evident as wrinkles on an aged beauty. White Sox general manager Kenny Williams has a penchant for trading away young, cost-controlled talent for aging veterans with a confined skill-set. Jim Hendry, Williams' crosstown counterpart, has his own set of issues with the Chicago Cubs. Hendry hasn't met a player not deserving of double their market value, nor is he shy with handing out no-trade clauses to any player willing to ask. Yet, both GMs are right for the job at hand as Chicago's baseball fans gather around the Hot Stove League this offseason, which has proved that Hendry is a completely different general manager than the one who was throwing cash like a Las Vegas rookie to big-name players left and right. Four years…
As the Cubs and White Sox sit out the playoffs, fans of both teams should find some consolation as they watch postseason action.
In 2008, fans of both Chicago baseball teams had plenty to cheer about as the Cubs and White Sox made the playoffs. This October, Wrigley Field and U.S. Cellular Field are empty, a constant reminder that both teams failed to make the playoffs. Yet, fans of both teams still can find reasons to enjoy the postseason play. And fans of both squads can find solace in one simple fact: At least it's not us suffering some of these postseason blunders. Being on the outside looking in has its downsides — but it certainly has its perks, too. Watching Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay toss a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds was enjoyable from my comfortable living room couch. I wouldn't have been able to say the same if it were the Cubs …
Even though Lou Piniella will be remembered as another Cubs manager who failed to erase the haunted memories of a billy goat and a black cat, that's not how he should be remembered.
When former Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella announced he would retire at season's end back in July, I put the wheels in motion to send off the skipper off with style with a column in his honor. But when Sweet Lou abruptly called it quits on Aug. 22, it threw plans for that proper send-off through a loop. Piniella deserved better than to finish his career with a 51-74 mark and having to write a line-up card that starts with Darwin Barney at the top. While Piniella will be remembered as another Cub manager who failed to erase the haunted memories of a billy goat and a black cat, that's not exactly how he should be remembered. Piniella won 316 games as Cubs manager, and would have finished ahead of his predecessor Dusty Baker (322 wins) …
Just because Chicago's baseball teams are eliminated doesn't mean there isn't much to look forward to this fall in the Windy City.
The Chicago White Sox's run at an American League Central Division title was commendable — a true testament to hard work. But there is no reason why a team with Juan Pierre and his weak .330-ish on-base percentage in the leadoff spot, an aging Omar Vizquel given regular playing time at third base and a tag team of designated hitters with batting averages hovering around the low-.200s should be within striking distance of the Minnesota Twins. They just aren't good enough to compete with the Twins. And alas, the White Sox went down without a whimper Tuesday night in Oakland. Somewhere in Minnesota, the Twins likely sat around their clubhouse chuckling the night away as the South Siders fumbled their way to defeat against the Athletics. …
susan
3:27 pm on Sunday, December 5, 2010
It's a sad day, but memories flood my mind. My dad talked about Ron Santo a lot. He played semi-pro ball back in the day and too was burdened by diabetes. Hopefully they well have a chance to meet in heaven. Thanks too Paul for sharing your story, you wrote is so well!! more ›