Softball All Stars

This past Sunday I posted a blog naming my 2011 Major League Baseball All Star Teams. I mentioned that I would name the reserves later. Well, I lied. With the Rotary Tournament in full swing, I have decided to switch the All Star talk to Kenosha softball.

Calling upon the acumen of Kenosha softball veterans, Gary Petersen, Jimmy Gentile and Pat Hegewald, here are our four All Star teams.

Based on the old adage, age before beauty, Gary “The Wizard” Petersen’s lineup will lead things off. Finney’s Pirates, Zirbel Concrete, Slim’s Tap, Matador Lounge, Wizard’s, Kenosha Kings and Pitts Decorating are among the teams that the Wizard was associated with. He is easily the most colorful player ever to grace a softball diamond in Kenosha and never at a loss for words.

Wizard’s Kenosha All Stars

P – Gary “The Wizard” Petersen

C – Bill Johnson
1B – Gene Willems
2B – Dick Laba
3B – Bill “Mountain” Griffiths
SS – Bruce “Hollywood” Meyers
OF – Richie Baumgarten
OF – Chuck Lange
OF – Mark Hackbarth
OF – Jack Zimmerman
DH – Dan Wade

The next All Star team comes courtesy of long time 400 Club outfielder, Jimmy Gentile. While Jimmy G hasn’t been around quite as long as the Wizard, he too has played his share of softball games. When I called Jimmy G last night to get his lineup for this blog, it turned into a 2-hour conversation reminiscing about the good old days.

Jimmy G’s Kenosha All-Stars

P – Jim Nehls

C – Bill Johnson

1B – Jim Darula

2B – Dick Laba

3B – Jeff Clark

SS – Bruce “Hollywood” Meyers

OF – Glen Marescalco

OF – Carmen Pillizzi

OF – Peter Bruneo

OF – Matt Montemurro

DH – Larry Tostrud

The third squad of All Stars comes from none other than Kenosha softball wonk, Pat Hegewald. Hegs is the youngest of this illustrious group, the only one still playing ball; but that makes him no less an authority. His expertise was evident by his contributions in my book, “Some Kenosha Softball”. You would be hard pressed to name a player that Hegs hasn't seen since the '70s.

Heg’s Kenosha All Stars:

P – Rocky Tirabassi

C – Jerry Reeves

1B – Wally Marciniak

2B – Dick Laba

SS – Bruce “Hollywood” Meyers

3B – Jeff Clark

OF – Scott Barthuly

OF – Mark Hackbarth

OF – Tom Jahne

OF – Dan Ausloos

DH – Jerry Kalbfell

My team is made up of what I consider to be greatest softball players that I have ever seen play. This isn't scientific or anything, just my opinion. But please keep in mind that I saw approximately 32 games a week while managing the 400 Club and announcing at historic Finney’s West each summer for over a decade. That has to count for something.

My Kenosha All Stars.

P – Gary “The Wizard” Petersen

C – Bill Johnson
1B – Gene Willems
2B – Dick Laba
3B – Bill “Mountain” Griffiths
SS – Bruce “Hollywood” Meyers
OF – Rich Baumgarten
OF – Gene Heckel
OF – Jerry Reeves
OF – Jack Zimmerman
DH – Chuck Lange

A few interesting observations:

Surprisingly, seventeen of the 44 spots were unique. However, there was some overlapping.

Dick Laba and Bruce “Hollywood” Meyers showed up on all four teams.

Bill Johnson appeared on three of the lists.

Appearing on two of the squads were Wizard, Gene Willems, Bill Griffiths, Jeff Clark, Rich Baumgarten, Chuck Lange, Mark Hackbarth and Jack Zimmerman.

Jimmy G’s entire outfield is made up of players of Italian descent. I won’t repeat what the Wizard said when he heard this.

The one disturbing thing that I noticed was that my All Star team and the Wizard’s are very similar. Nine of the players are the same. Hopefully I’m not beginning to think like Wiz, as I get older.

Let me know whom you think was overlooked on our teams. It would be interesting to see if anyone can come up with a lineup stronger than any of these.

Until next time…from the booth.

Vagnoni Breakfast On The Fourth

This past Monday, at the suggestion of my cousin Susie, the Vagnoni family got together for a small breakfast gathering to celebrate Independence Day. What started out as a quiet and intimate get-together at Bonnie’s Diner on the northside of Kenosha, quickly turned into a boisterous and somewhat raucous congregation of family and friends. The throng of 24 even required a “kids” table.

Here are a few photos taken at the gala Fourth of July event.

Mark giving Mom a hug

Domenic, Pat and Mark

Uncle Dave and Aunt Bonnie

Auntie Joanne, Shelly and James

Aunt Bonnie, Samantha, Dusty, Uncle Joe and Auntie Joanne

Nancy, Briah, Jasmine and Joey

Shelly, James, Uncle Johnny and Auntie Janet

Mia and Nick

Annie and Susie

Mom, Me and Alex

Thanks to Mom, Susie, Alex, Nick, Joey, Nancy, Uncle Johnny, Auntie Janet, Uncle Joe, Auntie Joanne, Uncle Dave, Aunt Bonnie, Annie, Mia, Mark, Pat, Shelly, James, Dusty, Samantha, Briah, Jasmine and Domenic for making this a wonderful morning. And in case you were wondering, Aunt Bonnie isn't the proprietor of Bonnie's Diner.

 Hopefully everyone can make it again next year because I made reservations on the way out. Until next time…from the booth.

From The Booth All Stars

The wait is almost over. Major League Baseball will make it official this morning when the starters and reserves are unveiled for next week's All-Star Game at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. Online fan voting ended late Thursday night and entering the final week of balloting, a record 18.5 million ballots and 250 million total votes already had been cast. Rosters for both leagues were announced live at 11 a.m. on the All-Star Selection Show on TBS.

Before watching the All-Star Selection Show, I would like to make my picks public. For each league I have chosen the eight position players, a designated hitter, a starting pitcher and a relief pitcher. Please note that finding a deserving third baseman for the National League was next to impossible.

American League

 C – Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers

1B – Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox

2B – Robinson Cano, New York Yankees

3B – Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

SS – Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians

OF – Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees

OF – Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays

OF – Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox

DH – Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox

SP – Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

RP – Brandon League, Seattle Mariners

National League

 C – Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves

1B – Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers

2B – Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers

3B – Ty Wiggington, Colorado Rockies

SS – Jose Reyes, New York Mets

OF – Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers

OF – Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

OF – Carlos Gonzales, Colorado Rockies

DH – Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

SP – Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

RF – Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves

I know, three Brewers. Call me a homer if you like, but those are my All Star squads. I have not yet chosen my reserves; I will do so later in the week. 

I don’t know if each team will get a representative, I don’t like that rule. However, with that being said, I am willing to listen to Cub fans as to who they feel should represent the northside of Chicago. Please be realistic.

Make sure you vote on the Greatest Sports Franchise in my poll. Until next time…from the booth.

The Best

As I have grown older I have made a conscious effort not to deal in hyperbole unless I’m attempting to be sarcastic. Something else that I try to steer clear of is absolutes. Often times my blogs will feature personal favorites, but to the best of my knowledge, I never wrote one proclaiming something is the unequivocal best. Well tonight that changes. Because I don’t know what else to write about, here is a list of things that ARE the best. At least in my opinion.

The best television drama ever is the HBO hit, The Wire. Nothing comes close.

The best television character ever is Omar Little from; you guessed it, The Wire.

The best television sitcom ever is Leave It To Beaver.

The best television dad ever is Sheriff Andy Taylor from the Andy Griffith Show. Opie had a good pa.

The best television game show ever is Match Game.

The best male television game show panelist ever is Charles Nelson Reilly.

The best female television game show panelist ever is Elaine Joyce. Heavy sigh…

The best animated television show ever is King Of The Hill.

The best thing I ever saw on television was coach Leroy Fedders drowning in a bowl of Mary Hartman’s chicken soup. Priceless.

The best band ever is The Who.

The best “new” band is Dropkick Murphys.

The best concert I ever went to was at the Milwaukee Arena when Cheap Trick opened for Queen. It was wonderful.

The best football game ever that I saw in person took place September 27, 1992, when Brett Favre tossed a 35 yard TD pass to Kitrick Taylor with 32 seconds left in the game, sealing a dramatic come-from-behind victory for the Packers over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The best football game that I ever saw on television was the immortal Ice Bowl game. As quarterback Bart Starr snuck across the goal line giving the Packers the1967 NFL Championship over the Dallas Cowboys, my mother bounced off of the couch onto the floor as she squealed in delight.

The best baseball game that I ever saw in person was at Wrigley Field between the Cubs and the Mets in the late ‘60s. I went with my dad, uncle Dave and my sister Teri along with a couple of our cousins. I don’t even remember who won. It was still the best.

The best playoff baseball game that I ever saw in person was at venerable County Stadium in October of 1982. The Brewers beat the California in game four of the American League Championship Series.

The best baseball game that I ever saw on television was between the Brewers and the Minnesota Twins on June 25, 2005. In that game Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks each hit their first career home runs. I will never forget the raw emotion exhibited by J.J. Hardy and Prince in the dugout after Fielder’s homer.

The best hockey game that I ever saw in person was an IHL game at the Bradley Center between the Milwaukee Admirals and the San Diego Gulls on November 27, 1992. It was the day after Thanksgiving and I went to the game with my girlfriend Michelle. The Admirals gave the Gulls their first loss of the season in a hair-rising shootout.

The best hockey moment that I ever saw on television was a game between the Rangers and the Penguins on April 18, 1999. The game marked the retirement of Wayne Gretzky. When the game had ended, Gretzky, fighting back tears, skated laps around the rink for more than ten minutes, showing appreciation to those in attendance and to those watching the live telecast.

The best softball player that I ever saw play was Bruce “Hollywood” Meyers. I always felt good when he was coming up to bat.

The best double cheeseburger in Kenosha comes from The Spot. There I said it.

The best flavor of ice cream is Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

The best flavor of custard is Pumpkin Pie from Shirl’s Drive-In.

The best raviolis that I have ever tasted were made by my grandma ‘Noni. They were the size of a man’s fist and she never ran out of them at family get-togethers. Never.

The best meal my mom ever made is her famous “Perone Macaroni”. My little brother Joey calls it “poor food”. I call it a meal that brings back wonderful memories of family.

That’s enough; I’m all bested out. I really don’t care if you agree with me or not because theses things ARE the best. At least in my opinion.

Until next time…from the booth.

What’s In A Middle Name?

I have always loved my middle name, Enrico. Not only does it reflect on my Italian heritage but also, more importantly, it is in honor of my grandfather, Enrico Vagnoni. Translated, Enrico is Henry. What a great name! Growing up, I was often reminded by brothers Mike and Joey, that I got the cool middle name. In fact, they often complained about the middle names that they were saddled with. I know that Enrico is quite distinguished, but the names Gerard and Francis aren’t that bad. Are they?

As much as Michael Gerard Vagnoni and Joseph Francis Vagnoni grumbled about their middle names, they could have done much worse, they really could have. If you don’t think so, please read on.

Take for example some of the middle names that some of the gang from Koos Inc. had to deal with:

Glen Lamont Ekern

John August Peters

Jim Ruben Weber

Harry Richard Leipzig

While the first three are obviously unusual middle names, you are probably asking yourself what’s so odd with Harry’s. Please keep in mind that we were a rather sophomoric group at Koos and that there is a rather common nickname for Richard. Think about it. See, I told you that we were juvenile.

Athletes are another group that sport unique middle names. Consider the monikers that these Green Bay Packers were given:

Bryan Bartlett Starr

Henry Wendell Jordan

Boyd Hamilton Dowler

Robert DeLafayette Jeter

Jermichael Decorean Finley

I couldn’t ignore baseball. Obviously football players didn’t corner the market on peculiar middle names. Check these out:

Cecil Randolph Hundley (better known as Randy Hundley)

Don Eulon Kessinger

Cecil Celester Cooper

Benjamin Ambrosio Oglivie

Will Nuschler Clark

Pretty strange, huh? Well, none of them come to close to that of former Milwaukee Brewer pitching coach Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish. McLish was named for Calvin Coolidge, Julius Caesar, and Tuskahoma, Oklahoma. He has stated that the origin of his lengthy name is that his father was given permission to name his newborn son and took full advantage of the opportunity.

And finally, celebrities with bizarre middle names. A couple of these are so eccentric that I had to make sure to let you know who they were. The Celebs:

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger

Leslie Townes Hope (Bob Hope)

Harry Lillis Crosby (Bing Crosby)

Edward Bridge Danson III (Ted Danson)

Truman Streckfus Persons (Truman Capote)

John Uhler Lemmon III (Jack Lemmon)

See, I told you that there were some rather unconventional middle names out there. These were much more uncommon than either Gerard or Francis. Don’t you think?

While I am quite aware that Michael Gerard Vagnoni and Joseph Francis Vagnoni were never overjoyed with the middle names that our very Catholic parents gave them, they should realize something. Not everyone can be baptized Paul Enrico Vagnoni.

Be sure to stay cool and give your opinion on the new poll on the right before you click away. Until next time…from the booth.

I Was Wrong!

Larry Fine

In my last blog, Is It Just Me?, I asked, “Is it just me or do men appreciate the brilliance of the Three Stooges much more than women?” Based on the feedback that I received, evidently it was indeed just me. Judi, Jayne and Sharon all made it a point, that in no uncertain terms, they not only appreciated the brilliance of the Stooges, but also were all longtime fans.

By no means am I exaggerating when I use the term longtime, especially with Jayne. She has been a fan of the legendary comedy act since she was a child. In fact, she had the privilege of meeting one of her idols at a young age.

When she told me this, I asked if she would be able to send a recap to tell me about her experience so that I could use it in my blog. Her response was, “But of course! Anything to promote my guys!”

Here is Jayne’s touching tale:

I was but a mere child, around 12 or 13 years old. My stepdad was the manager of the Winnebago County Fair, and we lived in a big old house on the fairgrounds itself.

Every year my stepdad would let me see the “list” of acts within the price range that were available to appear at the fair. One year the Three Stooges were on that list! Woo hoo! I mean, woo-woo-woo!  With a tiny bit of encouragement, he arranged for their appearance.

The day of the show arrived, and I was working the grandstand as an usherette, as I did every year. It was a sunny day, about an hour and a half before show time and I was sitting alone in the huge grandstand, about halfway up. There were very few people there yet, so I was just hanging out, watching the workers putting their finishing touches on the stage on the field down below.

It was then that I noticed this funny little man climbing up all those steps toward me. He was wearing a suit, and had curly, fuzzy hair sticking out of his head. There was no mistaking him for anyone but LARRY!!! It was Larry Fine of the Three Stooges!

I couldn’t believe my eyes. I knew he was heading for me, as I was the only one in the area. He had a lot of steps to climb to get to me, but he was agile and it didn't take him very long.

I was extremely shy back then (yes, really I was), and I mean extremely. He smiled at me as he sat down right next to me. I was mortified. It was just Larry and me. I was so taken aback and embarrassed at myself that all I could do was giggle. I was speechless.

He just kept smiling at me. And when I didn't say anything and continued to giggle, he started laughing too and asked me “Are you laughing at me or with me?” I finally got the courage to speak and said, “With you!” Then I asked him if my stepdad had put him up to this and he admitted that he had, pointing out my stepdad down below. Who was of course laughing, too.

We shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, and said it was nice to meet each other. And then he was on his way back down the steps. The whole thing only took a few minutes, but I could tell during that brief encounter that he had the mannerisms of a very kind and gentle man. What a guy to do that for a kid. He made my day!

Thanks for sharing that heartwarming story, Jayne.

Remarkably, Jayne wasn’t the only person to send me a recollection of a personal experience with one of the Stooges. Believe it or not, Mike also had an encounter with Larry Fine. Thing is, this story isn’t nearly as uplifting. In fact, it might be better if Jayne doesn’t read it.

I will let you judge for yourself. Here’s what Mike had to say:

First a little background, my friend Bob and I were longtime phone pranksters. We almost always worked as a team, from our early teens well in to adulthood. We had a pretty impressive body of work. Several celebrities that most people have heard of were among our victims.

We hit Larry Fine circa 1973.

Bob was a close friend of longtime radio personality Chicago Eddie Schwartz and because I was Bob's oldest friend, Schwartz and I sort of became “friends-in-law”. When he did the all night show at WIND, Bob and I would often bring our dates up to the studio at 625 N. Michigan, hoping to impress them and Eddie would let us sit in on his show.

Due to his closeness with Schwartz, Bob got the telephone numbers of various celebrities that Schwartz had interviewed. Um, big mistake, Eddie.

One evening, Bob and I decide to call Larry. He was living at a “home for retired actors” and was very easy to get on the phone. Bob and I decided to play a little prank on the famous Stooge.

My role was to get him on the phone for a fake "radio interview". Bob was playing the role of a representative from the B’nai B’rith who was bestowing an award on Mr. Fine.

The prank call went something like this:

Fine answers. His trademark, nasally voice was very distinctive. It sounded the same, but in slow motion. I replied in a booming, morning-zoo like radio demeanor, “Hey, it's an honor to have the great Larry Fine with us on the air tonight. Good evening Mr. Fine, I'm Bob Rouse.”

It was the first name I could think of. Rouse was the assistant manager of the bowling alley I patronized in Chicago. I went on, “With me is Sid Meyers and he has some wonderful news for you, Larry”. I wanted to use a Jewish name and I thought of Sid, a security guard at the Polk Bros. store that I worked at in high school.

Bob then took over. “Larry, it’s great to talk to you. I’m a longtime fan of you guys, except for Curly Joe. Anyhow, Larry, it's my great privilege to tell you at this time that you are the winner of our organization’s Golden Age of Comedy Award and we would love to have you receive it in person at our annual banquet in September”.

Larry finally spoke. Slowly, but distinctly he said, “I’m afraid I can't travel, I’m in a wheelchair.” Bob, without breaking stride, came right back with, “Larry, not to worry. We are sending you two first class round-trip airlines tickets for you and your caretaker. And, oh yes, Mr. Fine, I almost forgot. There is a $10,000.00 honorarium that comes with this award.”

Larry immediately changed his tune and replied, “Really?!? Okay, send me the details, I’m definitely going to make it there!” Bob then told him, “A registered letter will be sent out to you on Monday.” He paused and suddenly blurted, “Larry, excuse me, please hold on for a second. It seems that Bob Rouse has to do an FCC thing.”

My friend Bob handed me the phone because he couldn't control his laughter anymore. It didn't help when I said, “It's 8:00 pm straight-up here in the Windy City. I’m Bob Rouse here with Larry Fine. It's 83° at Midway and 16° at O'Hare.”

At this point we both lost it and went in to convulsions, laughing hysterically. We ended up just hanging the phone up on Larry Fine. He was probably sitting in that wheelchair until the day he died wondering when his plane tickets were going to arrive.

I warned you that Mike’s remembrance of Larry Fine wasn’t quite as cheery as Jayne’s.

Maybe I was wrong about women appreciating the Three Stooges, but there is no questioning their popularity. Hopefully these two very personal accounts satisfied the many requests for more Stooges.

Until next time…from the booth.