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From Black Sox to Three-Peats

A Century of Chicago’s Best Sportswriting from the "Tribune," "Sun-Times," and Other Newspapers

From Black Sox to Three-Peats

A Century of Chicago’s Best Sportswriting from the "Tribune," "Sun-Times," and Other Newspapers

Bears, Bulls, Cubs, Sox, Blackhawks—there’s no city like Chicago when it comes to sports. Generation after generation, Chicagoans pass down their almost religious allegiances to teams, stadiums, and players and their never-say-die attitude, along with the stories of the city’s best (and worst) sports moments. And every one of those moments—every come-from-behind victory or crushing defeat—has been chronicled by Chicago’s unparalleled sportswriters.

In From Black Sox to Three-Peats, veteran Chicago sports columnist Ron Rapoportassembles one hundred of the best columns and articles from the Tribune, Sun-Times, Daily News, Defender, and other papers to tell the unforgettable story of a century of Chicago sports. From Ring Lardner to Rick Telander, Westbrook Pegler to Bob Verdi, Mike Royko to Hugh Fullerton , Melissa Isaacson to Brent Musburger, and on and on, this collection reminds us that Chicago sports fans have enjoyed a wealth of talent not just on the field, but in the press box as well. Through their stories we relive the betrayal of the Black Sox, the cocksure power of the ’85 Bears, the assassin’s efficiency of Jordan’s Bulls, the Blackhawks’ stunning reclamation of the Stanley Cup, the Cubs’ century of futility—all as seen in the moment, described and interpreted on the spot by some of the most talented columnists ever to grace a sports page.

Sports are the most ephemeral of news events: once you know the outcome, the drama is gone. But every once in a while, there are those games, those teams, those players that make it into something more—and great writers can transform those fleeting moments into lasting stories that become part of the very identity of a city. From Black Sox to Three-Peats is Chicago history at its most exciting and celebratory. No sports fan should be without it.

328 pages | 6 x 9 | © 2013

Chicago and Illinois

Sport and Recreation

Reviews

“This is a great book for a great sports town.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel

“Growing up in Chicago, I was privileged to read some of the sports columnists that Ron Rapoport includes in this marvelous collection. Though I moved to New York to write my own sports column, I continued to enjoy the contemporary Chicago sportswriters. Now, we can re-read all of them, plus greats from past years. From Black Sox to Three-Peats is pure pleasure from beginning to end.”

Ira Berkow, former New York Times sports columnist

"Some cities can boast of more winners, but no town ever had more good people to write about than Chicago. What writers, what characters, what moments!"

Alan Barra | Chicago Tribune

Table of Contents

Introduction
Pioneers
A Hot Tip from the Umpire
By Ring Lardner
A Polecat in the Hotel: Major Leaguers Fail to Drop Color Bar
By Frank A. Young
The Game of the Century
By Arch Ward
George Halas: “I Always Liked the Tough Ones”
By Jack Griffin
Ray Meyer: The Name of the Game Is Loyalty
By David Condon
Bill Veeck: A Man for All Seasons
By Jerome Holtzman
Double Duty Radcliffe: The One and Only
By Dave Hoekstra
Legends and Heroes
It’s a Beautiful Day for Mr. Cub
By David Condon
Walter Payton: Records Are Like Dreams
By Bernie Lincicome
The Compelling Absence of Bobby Hull
By David Israel
A Whale of a Tale about Tony Zale
By John Schulian
Gale Sayers: Curtain Call for a Legend
By Ray Sons
Nellie Fox: The Mighty Mite Battles On
By David Condon
Da Ex-Coach Hasn’t Mellowed One Bit
By Rick Telander
Summer Love: Harry Caray, a Radio, and Baseball
By Skip Bayless
Back to the Bush Leagues with Minnie Minoso
By Tom Fitzpatrick
Ryne Sandberg: Every Day Was a Battle
By Barry Rozner
Just One Word for Terror: Butkus
By Don Pierson
Andy Pafko and the Cubs: How Do You Explain a Love Affair?
By Steve Daley
What’s Up with Phil Cavarretta
By Joe Goddard
For Chico Carrasquel, White Sox Are Always There
By Mike Downey
Ron Santo: “I’m Way Ahead of the Game”
By Paul Ladewski
Leo Durocher: The Spit Take and the Bow
By Ron Rapoport
Only in Chicago
What Is Wrong with the White Sox? Kid Gleason Asks
By James Crusinberry
The Called Shot Heard Round the World
By Westbrook Pegler
Ten Years after Woodstock, There Was Veeckstock
By David Israel
Lee Elia Swings for the Seats, Hits Fans
By Robert Markus
William Perry: Fat Is Where It’s At
By Mike Imrem
The Bottom Line: Acupuncture Puts Jim McMahon’s Troubles behind Him
By Bob Verdi
Steve Bartman: In the Middle of the Maelstrom
By John Kass
Magic Moments
Sox Join Cubs, Pennant Is Won: Thousands of Baseball Fans Frantic with Joy over Victories Which Bring Both Flags to Chicago
By Hugh S. Fullerton
Cubs Supreme in Baseball World:Final Victory over Detroit gives Chicago Club Greatest Record in the History of the Game
By I. E. Sanborn
White Sox Beat Giants: Crepe Dims Happy Lights of Broadway—Chorus Girls Weep, Waiters Sulk, and Joy Is Gone
By James Crusinberry
Tan Tornado Tears Loose with a Right: Joe Louis Writes His Name in Book of Champions at Sox Park
By Dan Burley
The Homer in the Gloamin’: “Lord God Almighty”
By John P. Carmichael
Bears Shock Redskins, and Everybody Else, 73–0
By Warren Brown
A Tale of Three Bears—and the NFL Title
By John P. Carmichael
No Contest: Bears the Best, Win Super Bowl XX
By Don Pierson
White Sox Seize the Day, Own the City
By Jay Mariotti
From Glad to Verse: for Sox Fans, There’s No Rhyme or Reason behind 2005 Season
By Mike Downey
Wildcats Pinch Themselves—All the Way to Pasadena
By Gene Wojciechowski
Say Cheesesteak: Blackhawks Win Stanley Cup
By David Haugh
Any Team Can have a Bad Century
1918: The Curse of the Bambino, Chicago Style—Ruth Triumphs over Vaughn, 1–0, in First Game of World Series
By Charles Dryden
1945: The Great, the Good, and the Awful
By Warren Brown
Brock for Broglio: Joined at the Hip
By Jerome Holtzman
Madness in Wrigley Field; Enjoy It While It Lasts
By Brent Musburger
1969: Trial by Torture, One Day at a Time
By Rick Talley
45 Runs Later, Cubs Come Up One Short
By Dave Nightingale
1984: “This One Will Hurt for a Long, Long Time”
By Bob Verdi
A Very Solid Book
By Mike Royko
1989: The Boys of Zimmer Leave Their Hearts in San Francisco
By Philip Hersh
2003: One More Desolate Night at Wrigley Field
By Rick Morrissey
Michael
“The Shot” Is Too Good Not to Be True
By Terry Boers
When Jordan Cried behind Closed Doors
By Bob Greene
Champions: Bulls Stampede to First Title
By Sam Smith
Baseball, Birmingham, and Dreams of His Father
By Melissa Isaacson
Jordan Applies a Perfect Touch to One Last Masterpiece
By Jay Mariotti
So Long, Michael: It’s Been Great
By Bernie Lincicome
Neighborhoods
K Town
By John Schulian
Roof Bums
By Ron Rapoport
The Sun Sets on Cubs’ Illusions
By Bernie Lincicome
North versus South—the Twain Shall Finally Meet
By Dave Hoekstra
A Space Invasion in Wrigleyville
By Carol Slezak
Sox Fan Enters Lineup at Comiskey Park
By Mark Brown
“If They Don’t Have a Truce by Tuesday, Derrick Rose Day Will Never Happen”
By Rick Telander
Sidekicks and Amateurs, Forgotten Men and Lost Teams, Hustlers and Clowns
Scottie Pippen Thrived in Jordan’s Shadow
By Sam Smith
Eric Nesterenko and the Examined Life
By Bob Greene
Lou Novikoff: “I Am Dead and Only Waiting to Be Buried”
By Tom Fitzpatrick
Doug Plank Leaves a Lasting Impression
By David Israel
Blood, Sweat, Tears, and Worse at the Finish Line
By Carol Slezak
Darren Pang Measures Up as a Goalie
By Terry Boers
Doug Atkins: A Study in Pride and Pain
By Rick Telander
The Chicago Football Cardinals: Fabric of a Champion
By Bill Gleason
The Wimp at Work
By Bob Greene
There Were Lots of Clowns, but Only One Andy
By Richard Roeper
the real world
Slaying of Israelis Recalls Nightmare at Dachau
By Robert Markus
For Troops, Sports Provide a Strong Link to Home
By Mike Imrem
They Teach You a Special Lesson
By Bob Verdi
An Earthquake That Brings Out the Best in So Many
By Ray Sons
Remembering Sarajevo
By Philip Hersh
Oklahoma City: “Part of My Hometown Died”
By Skip Bayless
Remembering Ben Wilson: “We Must Rise Up and Seize Control”
By Taylor Bell
From the Depths of Darkness, Theo Fleury and Sheldon Kennedy Find Light
By Barry Rozner
When Silence Is the Only Answer
By Rick Morrissey
Battles Won and Lost
Look Who’s Beating the Cubs Now
By Al Monroe
“We Are Tired of Staying in Flop Houses”
By Wendell Smith
Taking a Stand and Paying the Price
By Wendell Smith
When Jackie Robinson Came to Wrigley Field
By Mike Royko
High Time for Bud Selig to Pardon Buck Weaver
By Mike Downey
Crystals on Top of an Iceberg
By Jeannie Morris
From Too Tall to Scaling the Heights
By Melissa Isaacson
From the Heart
“God Is My Primary-Care Physician”
By Lacy J. Banks
I Cannot Escape the Compulsion to Be Thin—Even though I Know It Could Kill Me
By Diane Simpson
Fishing with Mother: Strangled Chicken for Dinner
By Jack Griffin
I Was a Bears Baby, Too
By Greg Couch
Remembering the Land of Enchantment
By John Kuenster
Wishing for Dreams That Can’t Come True
By Skip Bayless
That Stinging Sensation: This One’s for You, Dad
By Phil Arvia
A Short Walk Down a Long Corridor
By Carol Slezak
Summer’s End Recalls Memory of a Faded Dream
By John Schulian
Contributors
Acknowledgments
About the Editor

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