E-mails, we get e-mails...

Jon Switzer writes after reading Mary Schmich's column about us in the Chicago Tribune...



"I have only one thing to say and that is BRAVO!!! This is awesome. I am 59 years old and remember the Cubs when Dick Bertell was their catcher, when Carmen Fanzone played second AND the national anthem on his trumpet, when 650 people were at the Cubs game, when we had a right fielder named Johnny Callison and Wes Covington, college of coaches, and no lines to get into the game. I have been a Cub fan…even though we traded Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio. Thus, all that being said, I think this is hilarious! Keep up the great work. I have bookmarked this site! I will refer to it to many of my friends in business and life. Again, how hilarious! Must have been fun to do! Although sad …..but life is a game….and we need to remember it in this spirit you portray on here! Thanks a heap!!!!"

Here's a few that got the joke

Let's give credit to NBC Chicago for getting the joke. They've got it up on their website now.

Also, Sports By Brooks got it too. You can read that site's take on the story here.

Really?

I can't believe people are taking this little birth announcement we put in the Chicago Tribune yesterday seriously. Just got a call from a TV station asking if it's a hoax. Are you kidding me? Of course it is. (I prefer the word "Joke" or "Parody" or "Political Statement against the team that just wasted another summer for me.") Tell that to Deadspin.com, the Mouthpiece blog and NBC.com in Los Angeles. All of them reported it as if it were real.

Just One Bad Century is being flooded with hits today from all over the country.

Welcome everyone. There's lots to read here. Explore the site while you're here.

Birth Announcement

In Today's Tribune...Section Live, page 7 lower left. (Here's the link)


YEARE, Waitle Nex

Suki and Justa Crappi Yeare of Chicago's North Side are proud to announce the birth of their daughter Waitle Nex, born August 20th in Los Angeles. The entire Yeare family eagerly awaits her arrival back in Chicago. The first Waitle Nex Yeare was born in Chicago in 1909. It's too bad great-great grandma isn't around to see the birth of her namesake. Baby Waitle was born several weeks premature but is somehow perfectly healthy. Doctors tell us the chip on Waitle's shoulder will wear down over the winter and she will be 100% healthy next spring. You should see how cute she looks with the albatross necklace around her neck. Pictures available at www.justonebadcentury.com.

9/9/09

It's a numerologist's wet dream...9/9/09. Seems like a good day to take a look at some of the Cubs that have worn the number 9. As it turns out, there have been quite a few big names...

For the first few months of 1932, future Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby wore the #9. He was fired amidst a player revolt and an investigation into his gambling.

After Hornsby left the team that year, Mark Koenig took the #9. The way his Cubs teammates treated Koenig may have provided the bad karma that lost the 1932 World Series.




In 1933 another Hall of Famer, Gabby Hartnett,took over the #9. He wore that number for the next four seasons, including the 1935 World Series.








In the early 50s (1950-1955) Hank Sauer wore #9. All he did with that number was win the MVP award in 1952. He also once hit 3 home runs in one game.








In the late 50s (58-59), the number 9 was worn by the man who hit the most famous home run in history (the shot heard round the world) a few years earlier for the New York Giants. His nickname was "The Flying Scot."







In the late 1960s the heart and soul of the Hey Hey Holy Mackeral Cubs, Randy Hundley, wore #9. In 1968, Hundley caught a ridiculous 160 games. (His son Todd later wore the same number in 2001-2002, but we don't talk about that.)




Those guys are obviously the best players to wear number 9, but there have been many others, including Frank Demaree (1937-38), Hank Leiber (1939-41), Chico Hernandez (1942), Clyde McCullough (1945-48), Mickey Owen (1949), Rube Novotney (1949), Bob Lennon (1957), Gordon Massa (1957), Del Rice (1960), Jim Hegan (1960), Cuno Barragan (1961-63), Steve Swisher (1974-77), Joe Wallis (1978), Tim Blackwell (1978-81), Butch Benton (1982), Larry Cox (1982), Fred Koenig (1983), Johnny Oates (1984-87), Damon Berryhill (1988-91), Matt Walbeck (1993), Scott Servais (1995-98), Benito Santiago (1999), Damon Buford (2000-01), Paul Bako (2003-04), Henry Blanco (2005), Jody Gerut (2005), Scott McClain (2005), Juan Pierre (2006), Jake Fox (2007), Reed Johnson (2008-09)

Ernie Harwell

From this morning's Tom Taylor column at Radio-info.com...

"Ernie Harwell just got lousy news – really lousy news. Doctors in Detroit told the 91-year old that he has cancer of the bile duct, and that it's advanced to "incurable." Harwell was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame after a 55-year career calling baseball games on radio and TV, 42 of them for the Detroit Tigers. He plans to remain very active, including writing his newspaper column and working on a new book."

Harwell is one of all-time greats. Sad news.

(AUDIO: Ernie Harwell says goodbye to Tigers Stadium 1999)

Milt Pappas

On this date in 1972, Milt Pappas threw a no-hitter for the Cubs against the San Diego Padres.

Milt is famously still upset that it wasn't a perfect game. He walked the 27th batter he faced (San Diego journeyman outfielder Larry Stahl) on a borderline 3-2 pitch.