First, I can’t remember if I heard this news last year. But I did hear about it earlier this week. Pat Hughes was finally inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I don’t know why it didn’t happen until now. But I’m glad it did.
Him and Ron Santo were very important people in my childhood. Growing up without cable and too far to get WGN on TV through an antenna, all I had was the radio. I forgot who did it before him. But I do remember Harry Carey doing some radio games and Santo was still there.
From when I was 10 in 1996 up until 2002, almost every game was listened to on the radio. It was my escape in life from all of the bullshit I was growing up with. It was in my room by myself with the radio on 720 AM. And even from when I finally had cable in 2003 until I stopped giving a shit in 2008, him and Ron Santo were the ones who made me feel great despite the heartbreaks of the team.
I met Pat on the final home game of the 2005 season just outside Wrigley. He signed my ball and as a 19 year old, I was marking out. I spoke fast like an idiot because I was so excited. I basically told him that I had listened to him since I was a child and that he was a big part of my life. I am sure his thought was “this kid has issues.” But what he told me was “Thank you for tuning in” along with something else I can’t remember.
I may sound bitter here. But I wish the Cubs had won the World Series when I was still emotionally into it. Selfish? Probably. But still hearing him call that victory was something that reminded me of my childhood.
Congratulations. Well-earned and long overdue.
Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Ben Johnson 
July 23, 2023 at 1:43 pm
Fro, you might be young enough to have missed out on a very odd radio pairing from the 1970’s. These two were arguably the best and the worst of all time, paired together. Vince Lloyd, and Lou Boudreau. Lloyd was a really good announcer, while Boudreau was probably the worst I’ve ever heard. He was at his very worst when they played the Philadelphia Phillies. He always pronounced Mike Schmidts’ last name as “Smitt”. The man was an absolute, utter idiot.
On the TV side, and I might piss some people off with this, but it needs to be said, the worst announcer, and by far the most overrated, was Harry Caray. I’m sorry, but this fucking hack of an announcer was, more often than not, drunk and slurring his words by the fifth inning. Even when he wasn’t loaded, he was a goddamn load to listen to. To this day I don’t understand what the attraction was with him. It was weird, if someone said anything critical of him, his fans acting like it was an attack on Santa Claus. Those who have known me here know that I have no problem bashing the most sacred of cows upside the head with a piece of heavy mining equipment. Just like our legendary fitness friend, and former radio personality, Terry Boers.
God, I miss that man. Sports radio just hasn’t been the same.
July 25, 2023 at 3:52 pm
Fire David Ross! What is the matter with Chicago sports teams that they cannot fire their feckless management?? Help me out here, Fro and Chucky.
July 26, 2023 at 10:10 am
Ernie, I’ve been screaming from the fucking rooftops that the Cubs never should have hired Ross to start with. But not just Ross, but Jed Clampett Hoyer too. Hoyer is no Theo Epstein, despite what he says. and I’ve NEVER liked Ross as manager. They had the chance to either hire a competent manager like Girardi, or someone who will bust a couple of balls when needed, or even retain Joe Maddon. What do they do? They do the “Cubbie” thing and hire a no experience hack in Ross. Remember when they wanted to pull the ultimate “Cubbie” thing? They were actually going to hire Ryne Sandberg! That would have been an even worse disaster than Ross! Hoyer guts a World Series winning team, and what did he get in return? JACK FUCKING SHIT, THAT’S WHAT!! This team was great, they won, and they were even likable. You don’t replace Bryant and Rizzo with Wisdom and Schwindel, even if it’s only temporary. Hoyer doesn’t know what in the goddamned hell he’s doing, Ross is a clueless idiot, and I think we need to enjoy the fact that we got to see the Cubs win the World Series, because we aren’t going to see that happen again.
Bastards!