Super Sweet Summer Sun Seemingly Surreal, Sans Shivering Sensational Sustained Snow Season!
Like most Wooster Squarians, we too leave our secure sweet sanguine sakura square sometimes. This year, the Blossom Blog took on the Windy City. Mainly to meet family, we wanted to wish Wrigley Field a happy 100th Birthday! (and Aunt Rosemarie of Detroit an 80th!)
And while we're there, we'd catch a White Sox game to boot. (Chicago has two teams, the Cubs in the National League and the White Sox who are in the American League.)
And while we're there, we'd catch a White Sox game to boot. (Chicago has two teams, the Cubs in the National League and the White Sox who are in the American League.)
Cheryl and I met walking our dogs in the Wonderful World of Wooster Square in 2006, married in '08. And low and behold she was born in Chicago. Her late father, Robert Szczarba, went to the University of Chicago and then to teach Yale. (Bob also grew up in Michigan, and went to University of Michigan). I went to Michigan State.
I am sure that the Blossom Blog Mainframe (in direct contact with the NSA, the Smithsonian, National Park Service, Major League Baseball, Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition and not to mention on speed dial - Arianna Huffington, Nate Silver, George Will and Eric Snowden) can maybe even find a baseball connection between our two
Historic Cities!
Chicago Vs New Haven?
In Baseball?
In New Haven?
In Baseball?
In New Haven?
And after its summer maintenance, the Mainframe was hot on the search for any important news in the world of Pizza People! One of the enduring memories of walking our dogs around
Wooster Square is the smell of Pizza.
If you are lucky and the wind is from the North?
Lucibello's pastries waft on the wind while walkers mouths water unwilling, wildly. Wow. Makes you want to make tracks for Wooster Square, pick up your favorite pie and pastry for a park picnic....perfect!
Chicago, like Detroit in the summer, can be dreadful.
The air that you wear and makes you swear combing your hair! (its windy in every direction, everyday.)
I forgot how that heat and humidity thing gets to you out there. And after even the worst winter that many Chicagoan's have ever seen, now they have to put up with stifling heat before the meat locker season starts again.
The ying and yang of life.
(or global warming)
Of course the World's first and only Photoblogumentary was there to document our destination, diligently and dutifully.
(in the top ten that puts the Wooster Square Blossom Blog in the numero uno spot!)
100% Fun Family Follies Folks!
I wouldn't throw you a curve ball,
but what if I told you that right here, born in
Wooster Square (New Haven)
there was a pitcher who invented a pitch
that every major league pitcher uses today?
Oh! Say it's SO!
While the mainframe analyzes the data, bits and all sorts of Tidbits, pull up a seat, put your feet up
and enjoy...
Chicago, Illinois
USA!
(From atop the Willis Tower)
((Formerly Sears Tower))
(((It's HIGH!)))
Did you know that the first Skyscraper
was constructed in Chicago?
The 10 story structure
has a connection with our
Sweet Significant Sakura Square, Stupefyingly So!
The name of the company that built the first
Skyscraper was the
Home Insurance Company.
The Home Insurance Company built the Row
Houses on Court Street right here in
World Famous Historic Wooster Square!
Click here to read about Home Insurance Company in wiki
Click here to learn about the Architect, William Le Baron Jenny!
so satisfyingly so
(who doesn't want to swim in butter!)
(that is liquid Rhodium)
((the most valuable metal in the world))
(((I am told that it is plain water....)))
(I think that's a pilgrim and an American Indian)
(a birthday, not the Chop house)
Bart and Cheryl Szczarba
(reflection on bean)
Back to Baseball. After all, baseball is one
of the reasons we came to Chicago.
Two more stadiums of our Ball Park Bucket list
Or so we thought...
But first, let's find out what the mainframe found out about our Elm City Comrade who may have
invented a pitch used hundreds, perhaps thousands
of times a day in the major league!
Like claiming our New Haven Apizza is among the best world over, and like claiming and owning the
invention of the Hamburger, and not to mention Walter Camp inventing modern football, the baseball player who invented the curveball is not without
its own curious controversial critical conflict,
a kind of curveball caper.
While we here in Wooster Square, and New Haven,
know that there is no better pizza in the USA.
And that Louis Lunch invented the hamburger with
his "have" it my way delivery and Walter Camp
invented the modern game of football by get this...
writing rules! Among other things I am sure.
Click here to see Louis Lunch website and the birthplace of the Hamburger!
More about that later...
You see, Fred Goldsmith, born in 1856 in New Haven opened his Major league Debut on October 23, 1875
for the New Haven Elm Citys. Fred is credited with giving the first publicly recorded demo of his
curveball to sportswriter baseball historian Henry Chadwick on August 16, 1870 in Brooklyn, NY.*
However, the buzz is that his rival in the International Association, Candy Cumming supposedly threw
a curve ball in Worcester Mass with the Brooklyn Stars, or Excelsiors.*
The London Free Press (Ontario) credited Goldsmith with inventing the curveball, and three days after he died, in 1939, the Sporting New ran an editorial asking that Goldsmith also be recognized as the official inventor of the curveball.*
*Read about Fred Goldsmith in wiki
*read about Candy Cummings in wiki
Fred Goldsmith died the day Cummings
was inducted into the
Baseball Hall of Fame (posthumously) ....
for inventing the curveball.
Clearly Goldsmith was heartbroken.
But Freddy had a heck of a career.
Four seasons with 20 wins and played in the first
inter league Championships between the National and American League.
Because, you guessed it.
He played for the Chicago Cubs.
(then called the Chicago White Stockings)
More about this... a great day for baseball in
New Haven, 1875.
The New Haven Register's Chip Malafronte wrote a great piece about Fred in a series of articles
about New Haven's rich sports history.
Click here to read Chips article
Read this clip from Wiki on the controversy from legendary sports announcer Bill Stern:
Bill Stern on the curveball
In 1949, Stern waded into "The Great Curveball Debate" about who invented the curveball in the 19th century, Candy Cummings or Fred Goldsmith. In his book of that year, Bill Stern's Favorite Baseball Stories, he came down solidly in Goldsmith's corner: "Some 80 years ago, an obscure kid pitcher on the Connecticut sandlots made a discovery that revolutionized baseball. He discovered that he could perform an amazing trick. He could actually pitch a baseball in such a way as to make it curve! In 1870, before a large but skeptical crowd, Freddy Goldsmith gave a demonstration of his new invention. The test was made by drawing a chalk line along the ground for 45 feet. Poles were set upright at each end of the line, and another was placed midway between these two. Freddy Goldsmith stood at the first pole and his catcher at the other end. To the amazement of the crowd, Freddy demonstrated that he could throw a baseball so that it went on the outside of the center pole and the inside of the others, in a curve. Thus the baseball world came to know of Freddy Goldsmith and his invention -- 'the curve ball.' Freddy Goldsmith became nationally famous. Big league clubs fought for his pitching services. He became a star with the Chicago White Stockings. With his "curve ball," pitcher Goldsmith was soon the most talked-about ballplayer in America! But there is a curious ending to this story. For years, long after his days of baseball glory were over, Freddy Goldsmith lived happily in the knowledge that posterity would always know him as the inventor of the curve ball. However, another pitcher named Arthur Cummings popped up, claiming to be the inventor, and quite a few baseball men believed him. When Freddy Goldsmith heard about this, it broke him up completely. Ill and bed-ridden at the time, he died a broken-hearted man, pathetically maintaining to the end that he, and only he, was the original inventor of 'the curve ball.
Take a gander at some photos of our private tour of
Wrigley Field (and we caught a game)
in all its glory on its
100th Birthday!
had the first concession stand.
"Let's Play two!"
(across the street on top on buildings!)
According to the Cubs tour guide, and in
George Will's Book
"A nice little place on the North Side"
explains that the Cubs made deals with the owners of these houses to reap 17% of their revenues.
Resulting in $2,000,000+
Click here for Amazon's link to George Will's book. Very easy good read!
Also, Mr Will points out that a trip to Wrigley is a step back in time. There is very little advertising in the outfield, the don't play loud music but have an
old fashioned organ player.
And it you have been to Fenway, they have squeezed advertising and seat in wherever they can for the income to compete at the highest level.
Wrigley is very relaxing. Mr Wrigley of the Gum business, was a frugal man. He fielded mediocre teams and sold the experience of going to the park
as a means of entertainment.... win or lose.
Chicago started the tradition of letting fans
keep the balls that were hit into the stands.
They also drew up to 10,000 women for Women's day where the women got in for free!
One usher said he'd rather face a stadium of rowdy beacher bums than the rush of Ladies trying to
get in on the free day. (George Will)
Despite a 100 year absence from the World Series, they draw an amazing 80% capacity.
George Will also pointed out the teams strategy to raise more revenue turned to your ice cold beer.
They raised beer prices and tickets sales dropped.
As a result? The cubs have the 3rd cheapest beer
in the Major League Baseball.
a one, and a two and a three...
Take me out to the ballgame...
Check out a short video by Jim Belushi on Harry and his singing
After his death in the late 90's, guest "singers"
filled in for the gig. According to our Tour Guide, the Chicago Bear's ex-coach and Chicago legend, was well, one of the worst.
Click the link and judge for yourself!
click here to hear Mike Ditka's "perfomance"
Wrigley Football Fact Fans!
The only stadium that has more Football games at it than Wrigley field was the old Giant's stadium. Home to both the Giants and the Jets.
The Chicago Bears played there for years. They even had a hockey game.
Ironically, Mr Wrigley was one of the first owners to buy lights for night baseball. But he donated the lights to the war effort, and later stated that night baseball didn't have much promise...
Since the Cubs played all home games during the day, the group of people that were in the bleachers were
called, Bleacher Bums! Mostly because they heckled quite a bit and one wondered why they were not working or otherwise doing something more productive with their lives.
In fact, Babe Ruth's most famous home run came here at Wrigley. The Wallop over the Wall came after he "pointed" to the bleachers (his famous called shot) and proceeded to hit a home run to the spot and did his funny little jig and jog around the bases.
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Thanks Wrigley Field!
Unfortunately, we never made it to
the Chicago White Sox Game.
A huge storm came through and they postponed the game for 2 hours then completely. I forgot about those scary
storms out in the Wild Mid West!
Thanks Chicago!!
1875 Baseball in New Haven
Fred Goldsmith made his debut with the
New Haven Elm Citites in 1975 and New Haven
was deep in the hunt... for last place. They ended their one and only season 7-40, 48 games behind the Boston Red Stockings.
Baseball was and is big, and we were in the big leagues. The Chicago White Stockings played here at Hamilton Park, at the corner of Whalley Ave and West Park Avenue. The park was used by Yale in the 19th century until the Yale Field was built in the 1880s.
Did you know that when baseball teams skunked an opponent (shut them out) they called that being
"Chicagoed", for reasons I do not know!
Great to be back in Historic Wooster Square!
Stay tuned for the Pizza updates coming soon!
Then the
Wooster Square Blossom Blogs to the new
Connecticut Open!
World Class Sports,
in a World Class City.
Sign up to follow on your favorite feed or by email! You won't want to miss
anything about Wooster Square, New Haven, Connecticut and beyond!
See you at the Open
or
See you Round the Square!
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