Jack’s Winning Words  5/13/22

“Take me out to the ballgame…Let me root, root, root for the home team.”  (Jack Norworth)  Are there “firsts that you can remember?  First day of school?  First date?  First job?  I saw my first major league baseball game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.  After Happy Birthday, one of the most popular songs is Take Me Out To The Ballgame (written by a couple of guys who’d never been to a ballgame.  The most significant baseball event during my lifetime occurred in 1947 when Jackie Robinson played his first major league game.  The next might be the 1984 season, when the Tigers were the World Champions..  How about you?  What do you “Root. Root” for?  Is it a baseball team…or something other?  ;-)  Jack

FROM HY YO SILVER:  Love it!===JACK:  I knew that you would.  ....so many memories connected with "the old ballgame!"

FROM WILLMAR REV:  I try to make 'every day' a 'rooty toot toot!' kind of day!  0;-) ===JACK:  Is there a song called, Take Me Down to the Bowling Alley?  I know that there's one calleds, Get Me to the Church on Time.

FDROM CPA MIKE:   I love baseball and have since a child. Jackie was a good player and ranks 38 on all time list with Ruth being first. Really disappointed in Tigers so far. I had great expectations for them this year.===JACK:  Kirk Gibson made the Tigers "come alive" for me.

FROM BB IN CHGO:  I just read the lyrics to be sure I was right or that the book was right.  The 1908 and 1927 versions are both Never get back….The lyricist also wrote, “Shine on Harvest Moon” and I love that song too.===JACK:  "They don't write 'em like they used to"...and as for never or ever....what word did Harry Caray use?  When he and Ron Santo interviewed my mom...Ron said, "She doesn't 91, does she?"  Harry responded, "She doesn't 19, either."  My mom and Nancy never liked Harry after that remark.  In fact, they never liked him before that remark.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  The Cubbies===JACK:  Even though I was once a Cubs fan, Cubbies makes them sound like sissies.  BEARS is a really strong nickname.  Who names a team after a bunch of meat packers?

FROM GUSTIE:  I also saw my first Major League baseball game at Wrigley Field.  How about that.  I was 13.  ===JACK:  Ahhhh! to be 13 again when the world was exciting and new and memories were being created.  Wrigley Field was a perfect place to see a first major league baseball game.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  i like rooting for root beer.  does that count for anything?:):)===JACK:  Which is your favorite?  A &W, Hires, Dad's, home-made, Pabst Blue Ribbon?

FROM HONEST JOHN:  1916….cubs win!===JACK:  The Cubs farm team in Moline was called the Plows.  I belonged to "Thje Knothole Gang" and got into the games FREE.  I remember once when the Cubs were in town and catchers from both the Cubs and the Plows stood below The LeClair Hotel and tried to catch balls thrown from the top of the building.  As I recall, no balls were caught, but they bounced really high when they hit the pavement.