We've already talked about many different works of sculpture in the city(Folding Forms, The Republic, Nautilus, Expanding Universe, and The Bean, just to name a few), but there are plenty more pieces to go around. One of those pieces is located on the lakefront art walk(along with Transcendent-3GP, Airship, and others) and is named Flamenco Revisited.
The work, which is yet another piece being exhibited as part of the Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, was crafted by Ruth Aizuss Migdal in 2012. Migdal has always been based out of the Chicagoland area, having completed her collegiate studies at the school of the Art Institute. She then moved on to sculpting in 1971, a craft which she continues to this day. Between 1967 and 1996, she served as a professor at UIC as well as three of the City Colleges of Chicago. She has also participated in several art exhibitions over the years.
The sculpture itself is made of stainless steel painted red. From the front of it, it seems to resemble a woman dancing with her arms over her head, but it could be an angel as well? To be frank, I'm not really too sure what it's supposed to mean. Of course I don't really have a problem with it, that's just the way it is. In closing, that's just one more piece in the art walk.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Day 119: Lee Elia and the 15 Percent
When Lou Piniella came on as Cubs manager starting in the 2007 season, he coined the term "Cubbie Occurance" This right here may very well be EXACTLY what he meant by such a phrase. On April 29, 1983, the Chicago Cubs suffered a particularly crushing home loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, being surpassed by the Dodgers at home by only one run. This proved particularly upsetting to the close to 3,000 fans in attendance at the game, who immediately started heckling the Cubs players as they walked off. After the loss, Elia gave a postgame interview to 4 reporters. One of those reporters(who just so happened to be from WLS) happened to have a mic turned on, which turned out to be a very good thing, as the following rant was captured for posterity:
"I'll tell you one fuckin' thing - I hope we get fuckin' hotter than shit just to stuff it up them three thousand fuckin' people that show up every fuckin' day. Because if they're the real Chicago fuckin' fans, they can kiss my fuckin' ass, right Downtown, and print it! They're really, really behind you around here. My fuckin' ass! What...what the fuck am I supposed to do? Go out there and get destroyed,and be quiet about it? For the fuckin' nickel/dime people that show up? The motherfuckers don't even work! That's why they're out at the fuckin' game! They ought to get a fuckin' job and find out what it's like to go out and earn a fuckin' living. Eighty-five percent of the fuckin' world is working. The other fifteen come out here. A fuckin' playground for the cocksuckers. Rip them motherfuckers! Rip those country cocksuckers, like the fuckin' players! We've got guys bustin' their fuckin' asses and those fuckin' people boo...and that's the Cubs? My fuckin' ass! They talk about the great fuckin' support that the players get around here, I haven't seen it this fuckin' year!"
Needless to say, the tirade did not do wonders for the career of Elia, although he did manage to hold onto his job for another 4 months before finally getting fired at the end of August. And at the end of the season, when the team thudded to a 71-91 record, nobody could have ever guessed at what the Cubs were getting ready to do that next season. The team would go on to win 90+ games in 1984 and become a household team name up till this day. But that's all another story...
"I'll tell you one fuckin' thing - I hope we get fuckin' hotter than shit just to stuff it up them three thousand fuckin' people that show up every fuckin' day. Because if they're the real Chicago fuckin' fans, they can kiss my fuckin' ass, right Downtown, and print it! They're really, really behind you around here. My fuckin' ass! What...what the fuck am I supposed to do? Go out there and get destroyed,and be quiet about it? For the fuckin' nickel/dime people that show up? The motherfuckers don't even work! That's why they're out at the fuckin' game! They ought to get a fuckin' job and find out what it's like to go out and earn a fuckin' living. Eighty-five percent of the fuckin' world is working. The other fifteen come out here. A fuckin' playground for the cocksuckers. Rip them motherfuckers! Rip those country cocksuckers, like the fuckin' players! We've got guys bustin' their fuckin' asses and those fuckin' people boo...and that's the Cubs? My fuckin' ass! They talk about the great fuckin' support that the players get around here, I haven't seen it this fuckin' year!"
Needless to say, the tirade did not do wonders for the career of Elia, although he did manage to hold onto his job for another 4 months before finally getting fired at the end of August. And at the end of the season, when the team thudded to a 71-91 record, nobody could have ever guessed at what the Cubs were getting ready to do that next season. The team would go on to win 90+ games in 1984 and become a household team name up till this day. But that's all another story...
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Day 115: Flag-burning gets a case of the Mondays
In 1976, the country was wrapped in a fervor over the impeding Bicentennial celebrations coming on July 4 of that year. From a special Bicentennial symbol, to the commissioning of a park in Joliet, to even a special edition of the quarter, America had a bad case of Bicentennial fever. Meanwhile over in the world of Baseball, the Chicago Cubs were commemorating the 100th Anniversary of their (and the NL's) origins.
April 25, 1976 marked 100 years since the first game ever played in Cubs history, and they were marking the occasion by playing a contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the fourth inning of that game, Cubs player Rick Monday was warming up in the outfield. At this point, two fans all of a sudden charged the field and start running toward the center. In the 70s, streaking had elevated itself to a common pastime, and so it may have been assumed that that was what they were up to. However, nobody really knew what was going on, and so the two men proceeded to the middle of the field. It was at this point that Monday noticed that the object the two men were holding was a folded up American Flag. They draped it on the playing surface, perhaps as if to use it as a picnic surface of sorts? But wait, then they started dousing it with lighter fluid, and then they brandished matches? My goodness, they were gonna burn it! At this point, Monday(who had served in the Marine Corps reserve) sprung into action, sprinting all the way from Center field to Left, swooping down and snatching up the flag mere seconds before it would've burst into flames(a moment that was captured for posterity in this picture by Jim Roark). Immediately, Monday was honored with multitudes of praise, was named the Grand Marshall of Chicago's 1976 Flag Day Parade, and established a legacy that would go on to define his career.
Looking back on it now, Monday is intensely proud of that act and has said that "If you're going to burn the flag, don't do it around me. I've been to too many veterans' hospitals and seen too many broken bodies of guys who tried to protect it.". In the intervening 37 years since the incident, Monday has been offered amounts of money up to and including $1 Million to sell the flag, but has decided to keep it for his personal collection. The 1976 Cubs finished that season with a 4th place record, but Rick Monday finished first in the hearts of Americans in our Bicentennial Year.
April 25, 1976 marked 100 years since the first game ever played in Cubs history, and they were marking the occasion by playing a contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the fourth inning of that game, Cubs player Rick Monday was warming up in the outfield. At this point, two fans all of a sudden charged the field and start running toward the center. In the 70s, streaking had elevated itself to a common pastime, and so it may have been assumed that that was what they were up to. However, nobody really knew what was going on, and so the two men proceeded to the middle of the field. It was at this point that Monday noticed that the object the two men were holding was a folded up American Flag. They draped it on the playing surface, perhaps as if to use it as a picnic surface of sorts? But wait, then they started dousing it with lighter fluid, and then they brandished matches? My goodness, they were gonna burn it! At this point, Monday(who had served in the Marine Corps reserve) sprung into action, sprinting all the way from Center field to Left, swooping down and snatching up the flag mere seconds before it would've burst into flames(a moment that was captured for posterity in this picture by Jim Roark). Immediately, Monday was honored with multitudes of praise, was named the Grand Marshall of Chicago's 1976 Flag Day Parade, and established a legacy that would go on to define his career.
Looking back on it now, Monday is intensely proud of that act and has said that "If you're going to burn the flag, don't do it around me. I've been to too many veterans' hospitals and seen too many broken bodies of guys who tried to protect it.". In the intervening 37 years since the incident, Monday has been offered amounts of money up to and including $1 Million to sell the flag, but has decided to keep it for his personal collection. The 1976 Cubs finished that season with a 4th place record, but Rick Monday finished first in the hearts of Americans in our Bicentennial Year.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Day 114: Bronzeville's Station
In the buildup to the 1893 World's Fair, the first rapid transit line in the history of Chicago was commissioned, the South Side Rapid Transit. There were ten stops on that line, one of which we've already talked about. Today we will be taking a look at the station at 35th Street. When the stop was originally opened in 1892, it was located at the same level as the trains running by(aka: grade level), but that was changed in 1907, when the state passed an ordinance mandating the elevation of all station facilities in order to allow for expansion of the tracks. In 1949, the station was renamed to denote its location next to the Illinois Institute of Technology. In October 1962, the station was gutted by a massive fire. Later on, the station was completely rebuilt, and the new station opened up in mid-1965.
Ever since 1901, the station had seen a considerable amount of business whenever the White Sox played in town, since that stop was the closest El station to the ballpark. A lot of the crowding was eliminated in 1969, when the new 35th St. stop opened on the Red Line, right across the street from Comiskey Park. Now mind you, this wasn't a bad thing, it was actually good for all parties involved. The CTA got another station out of the deal, the fans were able to use a station located a stones throw from their ballpark, and the 35th-Tech station stopped getting so overcrowded on game days.
In 1993, the South Side service was realigned with the Lake Street Service up north and became known as the Green Line. At that time, the station was also renamed to 35th-Bronzeville-IIT to pay homage to the Bronzeville neighborhood(and former stomping grounds of Two-Gun Pete) that it was located in. However, that was not the last time that the 35th-Tech station would see a train headed to Howard. In 2013, the CTA embarked on a bold plan to shut down the southern portion of the Red Line for 5 months to completely rehab the tracks. As part of this shutdown, northbound Red Line trains were shifted over to the 35th-Tech stop, thus bringing Howard-bound service back to the station(albeit temporarily) for the first time in 20 years.
Ever since 1901, the station had seen a considerable amount of business whenever the White Sox played in town, since that stop was the closest El station to the ballpark. A lot of the crowding was eliminated in 1969, when the new 35th St. stop opened on the Red Line, right across the street from Comiskey Park. Now mind you, this wasn't a bad thing, it was actually good for all parties involved. The CTA got another station out of the deal, the fans were able to use a station located a stones throw from their ballpark, and the 35th-Tech station stopped getting so overcrowded on game days.
In 1993, the South Side service was realigned with the Lake Street Service up north and became known as the Green Line. At that time, the station was also renamed to 35th-Bronzeville-IIT to pay homage to the Bronzeville neighborhood(and former stomping grounds of Two-Gun Pete) that it was located in. However, that was not the last time that the 35th-Tech station would see a train headed to Howard. In 2013, the CTA embarked on a bold plan to shut down the southern portion of the Red Line for 5 months to completely rehab the tracks. As part of this shutdown, northbound Red Line trains were shifted over to the 35th-Tech stop, thus bringing Howard-bound service back to the station(albeit temporarily) for the first time in 20 years.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Day 106: The Cornerstone of a Community: Gayles Drive
As we've previously talked about, churches can be cornerstones of the communities that they reside in. The leaders of those churches are no exceptions. The Rev. Jethro Ward Gayles founded the Gospel Temple Baptist Church in 1956 at the age of 34. In 1970, the church moved to its current location on W. 103rd St., and it was led there by Gayles himself. By the time Gayles was 72, he had become as much a part of the church as the choir. On March 26, 1994, Gayles was hard at work compiling his sermon for Palm Sunday, which was to be that coming Sunday. But then disaster struck. An unidentified man snuck into the church and assaulted Gayle. In the scuffle, Gayle was stabbed several times, and he ultimately died. Even worse, the crime was never solved.
But that is not where the story ends. In the confusion and grief that followed Gayle's murder, a neighboring church sent over a 25 year old assistant pastor named Bishop Smith. Within a few months, the church was so confident in Smith's abilities that it offered him the pastoral position. Smith initially turned down their offer, but he later reconsidered and accepted the call. There were a few early bumps in the road, but within 4 years time, the church was doing great under the stewardship of Rev. Smith. But while the church is now thriving, Rev. Gayles' memory lives on. Both as a larger than life painting that hangs permanently behind the altar, and also in a named street. The city officially renamed the area at 10300 South Aberdeen Street to Dr. Jethro W. Gayles Drive. This way, the name of Rev. Gayles will live on long into posterity.
But that is not where the story ends. In the confusion and grief that followed Gayle's murder, a neighboring church sent over a 25 year old assistant pastor named Bishop Smith. Within a few months, the church was so confident in Smith's abilities that it offered him the pastoral position. Smith initially turned down their offer, but he later reconsidered and accepted the call. There were a few early bumps in the road, but within 4 years time, the church was doing great under the stewardship of Rev. Smith. But while the church is now thriving, Rev. Gayles' memory lives on. Both as a larger than life painting that hangs permanently behind the altar, and also in a named street. The city officially renamed the area at 10300 South Aberdeen Street to Dr. Jethro W. Gayles Drive. This way, the name of Rev. Gayles will live on long into posterity.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Day 105: A Street transformed into a Park: the Museum Campus.
The address of the John G. Shedd Aquarium is 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, even though the building really comes nowhere close to LSD(the only road that even borders Shedd is called Solidarity Drive[which is another tip of the hat to Chicago's Polish heritage]). Have you ever wondered why this is? Read on to find out...
The Adler Planetarium was finished in 1930. For the next 60 years, the Adler, Field Museum, and Shedd Aquarium were all in the same area, however the Field and Shedd were bisected by the northbound lanes of Lake Shire Drive, which would come right up to the front steps of the building. You could actually take a bus right from the front steps. This also presented a somewhat workman like challenge in getting between the museums. In order to go from Soldier Field parking to either one of the museums, you had to cross a lane of Lake Shore Drive. Luckily, there was a pedestrian underpass for the safety of the guests. This would all change in the mid-90s, when the city conceived of a plan to unify the city's lakefront museums into one interconnected body. This plan involved redirecting the course of Lake Shore Drive from in between the Field and Shedd to a path along the west side of the Field Museum. While the biggest change was undoubtedly changing the course of LSD, once the road was moved, the city faced another question: what to do with the former road space. A solution was quickly found, and the entire area was turned into a big park, with plenty of green space, a food shack located in between the Field and the Shedd, and many different statues and sculptures spread all throughout the park. In fact, what follows is just a partial list of all the stuff that has been put into the Museum Campus over the past 15 years:
- 3 hot dog stands, showing that Abe Drexler's legacy lives on
- Field Museum and its Bushman exhibit, continuing the legacy of Carl Akeley
- The 3 museums all together, with their numerous contributions made by both the Pritzkers and the Rice Family
- A train platform serving both the Metra Electric and South Shore Lines
- Another Thought, a statue by Michael Brown
- A tribute to Thaddeus Kosciuszko
- A statue of Nicolaus Copernicus outside of the Adler
- One word: Kelpies.
- And of course, the Man with Fish fountain
For the first 5 years of its life, the Campus even had an airport attached to it in Meigs Field. Ultimately, this airport fell to Mayor Daley's thuggishness in 2003, and sits today as Northerly Island Park. Today, the Campus serves as a beautiful green area, as well as a seamless connection to the boat launch and the lakefront trail to the Buckingham Fountain, downtown, and Navy Pier, as well as a continued monument to Chicago's status as a green city.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Day 104: The North Side Ballclub
In the year 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings made waves as the first ever professionally organized baseball team. The Red Stockings embarked upon a nationwide barnstorming tour, walloping every team that they faced, amounting to a record of 113-2-1. This record did not survive a side trip to Chicago. The city fathers had invested $20,000 in the formation of a ball club to enhance civic spirit. This team defeated the heavily favored Cincinnati club in two games in 1870. This prompted the team to join up in the National Association and start playing regularly. The team immediately did well, winning the 1870 title and leading the pack for the whole 1871 season-until October 8, when the phrase that the team was "on fire" became darkly ironic. Their home park met the same fate as the first Holy Name Cathedral and the first Marshall Field's store. Facing the loss of their park, the team went on the road for their final games and lost them, ending their repeat hopes. 1872 and 1873 had the team sitting out as the city rebuilt.
The team competed again in 1874 and 1875. By the end of the '75 season, the National Association was in sorry shape, as the league was largely unregulated, and all kinds of rule breaking was common. Due to this, William Hulbert(the president of the team) led the effort to disband the National Association and replace it with the National League(the same NL that we know of today). In February of 1876, the National League had been organized, and the Cubs franchise that we know today was officially born. The Chicago White Stockings set the tone in that first season, cruising to a 52-win season against only 14 losses on the year. The Chicago team was THE powerhouse team in the NL's first two decades, so much so that when a team was shut out it was said to be "Chicagoed".
One other amusing incident from the early years came in 1895 when the entire team was arrested for playing baseball on a Sunday. By the 1890s, the team's manager Cap Anson(who was the first person to ever accumulate 3,000 hits in a career, and was the game's first all-around superstar) had been with the team ever since its formation in 1876, and was as much of an institution as the team itself. For this reason it was an absolute shock when Anson was fired at the end of the 1897 season, bringing a sudden halt to a 22-year association with the club, and leaving the team lost ad adrift. So much so in fact, that starting with the 1898 season, the team was referred to as the Orphans for many years.
This period of being adrift in the wilderness lasted several seasons, and was compounded in 1901 when the American League declared itself a major league and started raiding NL rosters for talent. The new AL franchise in Chicago co-opted the NL team's old name and called themselves the White Stockings. Not only did they take their old name, but they also robbed the Cubs of so much talent that they came to be known as the "Remnants" after that. By 1906, the Cubs had retooled, and set a major league record with 116 wins(a mark that has only been tied once in the interceding 106 seasons). Obviously, they made the World Series, only to be brought down by the White Stockings, a team so ineffectual at the plate that it was dubbed "the hitless wonders". The team stormed back though, and became the first team to ever win two championships in a row after defeating the Detroit Tigers in 1907 and 1908. After that, the team continued on its period of dominance, becoming the winningest team to miss the playoffs in the 1909 season, before making it to the Series yet again in 1910. In 1916, the team moved into Wrigley Field, a previously occupied park that already had an Elevated Train Station next to it. The team was still powerful, but didn't make the Series again in 1918, losing to the Red Sox.
In the 1929 season, the team made another splash and then proceeded to make the Series every three years there afterwards. This streak included the 1932 series, which is when Babe Ruth called his shot and entered another line into baseball lore. The Cubs took advantage of a depleted wartime talent pool and surprisingly made it to the 1945 World Series. It was during this Series where an incident occurred that lives on in Cubs Lore today. The owner of the Billy Goat Tavern(a local drinking establishment that would later gain fame off of Saturday Night Live), one William Sianis, wanted to attend a World Series game with his pet...Billy Goat. Sianis made it through the gate just fine, but after a few innings, the goat started to smell like, well, a goat. The other fans were bothered by this, so P.K. Wrigley himself told Sianis to evict the goat. At this point, Sianis supposedly said "the Cubs, they ain't gonna win [the Series] no more". And with that the most infamous curse in baseball history was born.
After they lost the '45 Series, the Cubs had a respectable showing in '46, before settling into a long stretch of mediocrity. The team would have losing seasons every year until 1963(with the exception of '52 where they ended up at exactly .500). The team finally found its way out of the doldrums in the late Sixties, when Leo Durocher came on board. His first season in town was a total flop, as the team lost 103 games, tying the worst record ever. Eventually, the team rebounded and reeled off 6 consecutive winning campaigns(the most they've ever managed to string together since the '30s up to the present day). The low light of these is the disappointment of '69, where the Cubs were up ahead only to be overtaken by the New York Mets and be left in the dust.
After that, the Cubs had limited success over the next decade, hitting a low point in '83 when their manager went on a tirade about their fans being a bunch of unemployed bums. The franchise was revitalized in 1984 when the team won their first postseason berth in 39 years. They ultimately fell in the playoffs, but this season was important for two off-field reasons. First off, it cemented Harry Caray's status as a North Side legend, and it also generated enough fan interest to bring about the first ever Cubs Convention in January of 1986.
In 1994, the MLB went on strike, and when they came back the next season, there were some worries about if the fans would come back. Initially some stayed away, but the actions of one Cubs player in 1998 helped stem the flow. That year, Sammy Sosa engaged in an epic home run duel against Mark McGuire(which eventually turned out to be completely based on steroids.) In 2003, the team made the playoffs, and won the NLDS, taking their first postseason series since 1908. The NLCS featured its own challenges, and after an incident involving a fan, the team lost that series. Since then, the team has made the playoffs twice, only to be bumped in a first round sweep both times. Currently, the team is undergoing a rebuilding plan headed by President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein. The first year of the new regime saw the Cubs lose 101 games. We shall see if the new way leads the Cubs back to the promised land.
The team competed again in 1874 and 1875. By the end of the '75 season, the National Association was in sorry shape, as the league was largely unregulated, and all kinds of rule breaking was common. Due to this, William Hulbert(the president of the team) led the effort to disband the National Association and replace it with the National League(the same NL that we know of today). In February of 1876, the National League had been organized, and the Cubs franchise that we know today was officially born. The Chicago White Stockings set the tone in that first season, cruising to a 52-win season against only 14 losses on the year. The Chicago team was THE powerhouse team in the NL's first two decades, so much so that when a team was shut out it was said to be "Chicagoed".
One other amusing incident from the early years came in 1895 when the entire team was arrested for playing baseball on a Sunday. By the 1890s, the team's manager Cap Anson(who was the first person to ever accumulate 3,000 hits in a career, and was the game's first all-around superstar) had been with the team ever since its formation in 1876, and was as much of an institution as the team itself. For this reason it was an absolute shock when Anson was fired at the end of the 1897 season, bringing a sudden halt to a 22-year association with the club, and leaving the team lost ad adrift. So much so in fact, that starting with the 1898 season, the team was referred to as the Orphans for many years.
This period of being adrift in the wilderness lasted several seasons, and was compounded in 1901 when the American League declared itself a major league and started raiding NL rosters for talent. The new AL franchise in Chicago co-opted the NL team's old name and called themselves the White Stockings. Not only did they take their old name, but they also robbed the Cubs of so much talent that they came to be known as the "Remnants" after that. By 1906, the Cubs had retooled, and set a major league record with 116 wins(a mark that has only been tied once in the interceding 106 seasons). Obviously, they made the World Series, only to be brought down by the White Stockings, a team so ineffectual at the plate that it was dubbed "the hitless wonders". The team stormed back though, and became the first team to ever win two championships in a row after defeating the Detroit Tigers in 1907 and 1908. After that, the team continued on its period of dominance, becoming the winningest team to miss the playoffs in the 1909 season, before making it to the Series yet again in 1910. In 1916, the team moved into Wrigley Field, a previously occupied park that already had an Elevated Train Station next to it. The team was still powerful, but didn't make the Series again in 1918, losing to the Red Sox.
In the 1929 season, the team made another splash and then proceeded to make the Series every three years there afterwards. This streak included the 1932 series, which is when Babe Ruth called his shot and entered another line into baseball lore. The Cubs took advantage of a depleted wartime talent pool and surprisingly made it to the 1945 World Series. It was during this Series where an incident occurred that lives on in Cubs Lore today. The owner of the Billy Goat Tavern(a local drinking establishment that would later gain fame off of Saturday Night Live), one William Sianis, wanted to attend a World Series game with his pet...Billy Goat. Sianis made it through the gate just fine, but after a few innings, the goat started to smell like, well, a goat. The other fans were bothered by this, so P.K. Wrigley himself told Sianis to evict the goat. At this point, Sianis supposedly said "the Cubs, they ain't gonna win [the Series] no more". And with that the most infamous curse in baseball history was born.
After they lost the '45 Series, the Cubs had a respectable showing in '46, before settling into a long stretch of mediocrity. The team would have losing seasons every year until 1963(with the exception of '52 where they ended up at exactly .500). The team finally found its way out of the doldrums in the late Sixties, when Leo Durocher came on board. His first season in town was a total flop, as the team lost 103 games, tying the worst record ever. Eventually, the team rebounded and reeled off 6 consecutive winning campaigns(the most they've ever managed to string together since the '30s up to the present day). The low light of these is the disappointment of '69, where the Cubs were up ahead only to be overtaken by the New York Mets and be left in the dust.
After that, the Cubs had limited success over the next decade, hitting a low point in '83 when their manager went on a tirade about their fans being a bunch of unemployed bums. The franchise was revitalized in 1984 when the team won their first postseason berth in 39 years. They ultimately fell in the playoffs, but this season was important for two off-field reasons. First off, it cemented Harry Caray's status as a North Side legend, and it also generated enough fan interest to bring about the first ever Cubs Convention in January of 1986.
In 1994, the MLB went on strike, and when they came back the next season, there were some worries about if the fans would come back. Initially some stayed away, but the actions of one Cubs player in 1998 helped stem the flow. That year, Sammy Sosa engaged in an epic home run duel against Mark McGuire(which eventually turned out to be completely based on steroids.) In 2003, the team made the playoffs, and won the NLDS, taking their first postseason series since 1908. The NLCS featured its own challenges, and after an incident involving a fan, the team lost that series. Since then, the team has made the playoffs twice, only to be bumped in a first round sweep both times. Currently, the team is undergoing a rebuilding plan headed by President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein. The first year of the new regime saw the Cubs lose 101 games. We shall see if the new way leads the Cubs back to the promised land.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Day 103: The Great Chicago Leak
In Early April of 1992, work crews were performing a rehabilitation project on one of the bridges spanning the Chicago River at Kinzie Street. What they were not aware of was the fact that an old coal transport tunnel from the turn of the century sat beneath the river bed, having long fallen out of use and memory. As pilings were being driven down for the bridge work, the increase in pressure cracked the decades-old tunnel wall, causing mud to ooze in. Eventually, a city employee working in the tunnels noticed the mud oozing in from the leak. The employee forwarded a tape of this occurrence to their superior, but the city believed it to be a low priority problem and opened a lengthy bid process to fix the leak. Alas, the problem was more severe than the city thought, and once all of the mud had passed through the hole by April 13, water started rushing in straight from the Chicago River. Upon this happening, the financial district was shuttered and evacuated, in case the water shorted out electrical utilities.
At this point, nobody really knew where all the water was coming from, or at least they didn't until WMAQ reporter Larry Langford started listening in on a police scanner and overheard some chatter from the Merchandise Mart addressing water in the basement-with fish included. Langford soon went down to the Mart, where he filed the following report: "I have found something very interesting in the Chicago River...I see swirling water that looks like a giant drain...the source of the water could be the river itself...I do not see any emergency crews near the spinning swirl...I think someone should wake up the Mayor!"(Luckily, the Mayor didn't have any boorish responses this time around.) Needless to say, somebody woke up the Mayor soon after Langford's report aired. By the time city crews got to the hole, it was an astounding 20 FEET in diameter. Where 65 truckloads of rocks and cement failed, ultimately plugs inserted into drilled shafts in the river did the trick of stopping the flood. The flood cost the city $1.95 Billion, which touched off a years-long insurance battle over the parsing of words. Leaks are covered under insurance, while floods are not. Ultimately, the incident was ruled a leak, thus coining the term "Great Chicago Leak" for what had transpired.
At this point, nobody really knew where all the water was coming from, or at least they didn't until WMAQ reporter Larry Langford started listening in on a police scanner and overheard some chatter from the Merchandise Mart addressing water in the basement-with fish included. Langford soon went down to the Mart, where he filed the following report: "I have found something very interesting in the Chicago River...I see swirling water that looks like a giant drain...the source of the water could be the river itself...I do not see any emergency crews near the spinning swirl...I think someone should wake up the Mayor!"(Luckily, the Mayor didn't have any boorish responses this time around.) Needless to say, somebody woke up the Mayor soon after Langford's report aired. By the time city crews got to the hole, it was an astounding 20 FEET in diameter. Where 65 truckloads of rocks and cement failed, ultimately plugs inserted into drilled shafts in the river did the trick of stopping the flood. The flood cost the city $1.95 Billion, which touched off a years-long insurance battle over the parsing of words. Leaks are covered under insurance, while floods are not. Ultimately, the incident was ruled a leak, thus coining the term "Great Chicago Leak" for what had transpired.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Day 102: The Big 89 at 89
At the onset of the Roaring Twenties, Sears, Roebuck and Company was a titan in the mail-order shopping industry. But it was looking for ways to target farmers with its advertising, and somebody suggested getting into the radio business. And so, on April 12, 1924, WLS-AM(which stood for World's Largest Store) went live over the airwaves, broadcasting from Sears' headquarters on the West Side. One week later, WLS broadcast the first National Barn Dance, a country music variety show that served as the inspiration for Nashville's own Grand Ole Opry.
Over the next 30 years, WLS served as an affiliate of the NBC Radio Network and would air popular radio serials of the day(such as Fibber McGee and Molly, and Lum and Abner) and sporting events. But one of its moat momentous early moments came courtesy of its news team. In 1937, the German airship Hindenburg was drifting into its moorings in New Jersey. The flammable hydrogen gas that filled the air cells finally caught fire and ignited, engulfing the craft in a massive fireball. Present on the scene was WLS Radio reporter Herb Morrison, whose emotion filled report(decrying the humanity of the situation) has since become inextricably linked to the disaster. In 1943, NBC was forced to divest itself of some of its stations, and WLS(as a part of the former NBC Blue Network) was sold to Edward J. Noble. Two years later, the network was renamed as the American Broadcasting Company(which marked the beginnings of what we know of today as the ABC Network.)
By 1959, ABC had assumed full control of WLS and was on the verge of changing Chicago radio forever. In 1960, WLS hired future radio legend Dick Biondi(as vital a part of Chicago History as Walter Peyton, Jack Brickhouse, Harry Caray, or Ron Santo) away from a station in Buffalo. On May 2 of that year, Mort Crowley welcomed Chicago listeners to a new era of Top 40 radio in the city. Just under 3 years later, Dick Biondi became the first American DJ to play a Beatles record when he spun "Please Please Me" on February 8, 1963. Another feature that WLS rolled out in the Sixties was the Silver Dollar Survey, a weekly roundup of the top tracks that were being played over the radio. By the mid Seventies, the station was starting to lose its touch as the hot and hip behemoth it used to be. The Top 40 format stayed around until the mid Eighties, when the station switched to an Adult Contemporary format. In June of 1989, WLS announced that they were going to move to an all-talk format by the end of that summer. On August 23, the Big 89 shut off the music for good, and started a program of talk radio that included Rush Limbaugh from the outset. Today, you can find WLS airing a mix of locally based and nationally syndicated programs, including shows from Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity. Regardless of its current format, WLS Radio maintains its place in Chicago's story that it has held for the past 89 Years.
Over the next 30 years, WLS served as an affiliate of the NBC Radio Network and would air popular radio serials of the day(such as Fibber McGee and Molly, and Lum and Abner) and sporting events. But one of its moat momentous early moments came courtesy of its news team. In 1937, the German airship Hindenburg was drifting into its moorings in New Jersey. The flammable hydrogen gas that filled the air cells finally caught fire and ignited, engulfing the craft in a massive fireball. Present on the scene was WLS Radio reporter Herb Morrison, whose emotion filled report(decrying the humanity of the situation) has since become inextricably linked to the disaster. In 1943, NBC was forced to divest itself of some of its stations, and WLS(as a part of the former NBC Blue Network) was sold to Edward J. Noble. Two years later, the network was renamed as the American Broadcasting Company(which marked the beginnings of what we know of today as the ABC Network.)
By 1959, ABC had assumed full control of WLS and was on the verge of changing Chicago radio forever. In 1960, WLS hired future radio legend Dick Biondi(as vital a part of Chicago History as Walter Peyton, Jack Brickhouse, Harry Caray, or Ron Santo) away from a station in Buffalo. On May 2 of that year, Mort Crowley welcomed Chicago listeners to a new era of Top 40 radio in the city. Just under 3 years later, Dick Biondi became the first American DJ to play a Beatles record when he spun "Please Please Me" on February 8, 1963. Another feature that WLS rolled out in the Sixties was the Silver Dollar Survey, a weekly roundup of the top tracks that were being played over the radio. By the mid Seventies, the station was starting to lose its touch as the hot and hip behemoth it used to be. The Top 40 format stayed around until the mid Eighties, when the station switched to an Adult Contemporary format. In June of 1989, WLS announced that they were going to move to an all-talk format by the end of that summer. On August 23, the Big 89 shut off the music for good, and started a program of talk radio that included Rush Limbaugh from the outset. Today, you can find WLS airing a mix of locally based and nationally syndicated programs, including shows from Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity. Regardless of its current format, WLS Radio maintains its place in Chicago's story that it has held for the past 89 Years.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Day 101: The Cubs Train
So far we have mostly been looking at Stations in or near The Loop. Today sees us going for something slightly different, as we look to the North Side and another station next to a ballpark. When the first rapid transit lines were built north of downtown, the build was started by the Northwestern Elevated Railroad in 1896. However, Financial difficulties hampered this process, and the construction was still not done by the time the original deadline of December 31, 1899 came around. An extension was obtained, and the station at Addison opened for the first time on June 6, 1900. The original station house that was built with the station was similar to the ones at other stations on the north side, all built by the Northwestern RR. The house was built out of brick and terra-cotta, in a style that might be regarded today as Classical Revival. When the Northwestern was building the line, they put in four tracks on the North Side to allow for both local and express service.
This increase in efficiency proved useful and fortuitous in 1914, when the Federal League was started, and along with it a Chicago franchise playing at a home field less than a block away from the Addison station. The addition of this traffic produced a dramatic spike in the traffic going through the station. When it was first constructed the Northwestern RR had labeled Addison as a local station, and even though the station had been built with four tracks, the addition of an entire ballpark next door meant that the station could no longer handle the crowds that were streaming through. In the period of private ownership of rapid transit, the companies did what they could to fix up the facilities, but even though they made an attempt, their efforts proved fruitless. The problem wasn't fully resolved until the CTA took over operations of all the city's various rail lines. Speaking of new station houses, the Addison station was finally rebuilt in 1994,with a complete redo of the head house, platform, and tracks. This renovation was done in the same line of thought as the construction of the Orange Line the year before(the head house has the same kind of elongated lobby as Midway Station).
There are two things about this station that make it VERY distinctive to its location. First off, it is just frankly outstanding to be able to stand on the platform at Addison and being able to see the game going on.(or standing on the back of a rooftop and seeing the train go by right in front of you.) Secondly, if you go down into the station house, you'll see that there are various murals and paintings on the Wall, all associated with the Cubs. These are all done by local artist Steve Musgrave, who has also released the drawings for the themed Transit Cards each year for the Crosstown Classic. All in all, the Addison station is a fitting tribute to its location next to Chicago's oldest ballpark.
This increase in efficiency proved useful and fortuitous in 1914, when the Federal League was started, and along with it a Chicago franchise playing at a home field less than a block away from the Addison station. The addition of this traffic produced a dramatic spike in the traffic going through the station. When it was first constructed the Northwestern RR had labeled Addison as a local station, and even though the station had been built with four tracks, the addition of an entire ballpark next door meant that the station could no longer handle the crowds that were streaming through. In the period of private ownership of rapid transit, the companies did what they could to fix up the facilities, but even though they made an attempt, their efforts proved fruitless. The problem wasn't fully resolved until the CTA took over operations of all the city's various rail lines. Speaking of new station houses, the Addison station was finally rebuilt in 1994,with a complete redo of the head house, platform, and tracks. This renovation was done in the same line of thought as the construction of the Orange Line the year before(the head house has the same kind of elongated lobby as Midway Station).
There are two things about this station that make it VERY distinctive to its location. First off, it is just frankly outstanding to be able to stand on the platform at Addison and being able to see the game going on.(or standing on the back of a rooftop and seeing the train go by right in front of you.) Secondly, if you go down into the station house, you'll see that there are various murals and paintings on the Wall, all associated with the Cubs. These are all done by local artist Steve Musgrave, who has also released the drawings for the themed Transit Cards each year for the Crosstown Classic. All in all, the Addison station is a fitting tribute to its location next to Chicago's oldest ballpark.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Day 100: Vote Early, Vote Often, and Bomb Always: The Pineapple Primary
After being elected to two consecutive terms as Mayor in the 1910s, William Hale Thompson sat out of the 1923 election and turned his talents to hobbies that didn't involve bastardizing the integrity of the office of Mayor(I'm sorry, what am I talking about? This is Chicago, the office of Mayor never even had a drop of integrity to start with!) This mostly involved running a boilerplate philanthropic venture whose only real purpose was to jeep his name in the papers.
But by 1927, Big Bill was looking around and was in absolute disgust at the lack of brazen corruption at City Hall, so he threw his hat into the ring. Backed by both the booze-laden dreams of Chicagoans, as well as a totally OVER the table donation of $250,000 from one Alphonse Capone, Thompson beat the reform candidate by a slim margin, and embarked on his mission to make Chicago so wet that people started looking around for an ark. This was all going along so well, bit then the 1928 Primary rolled around, and Thompson was forced to wage war against reformist voices from within his own Party. This faction was led by Senator Charles Deneen, who(while not running himself either) had had a rivalry with Thompson for almost 25 years. Thompson controlled every elected office in the city, county, AND state(save for one) and he wanted to keep it that way.
One key office that was up for grabs was that of Cook County State's Attorney, in charge of prosecuting corruption cases in the city. Thompson's man was the incumbent, and his re-election was of vital importance to Thompson. Thompson's neck was on the line this time(both literally and figuratively), so he did what any rational, level-headed, democratically-minded politician would do: he declared open War against Deneen's faction and anybody else who got in his way. In the six months prior to the primary, there were 62 bombings in the city, taking the lives of two politicians. At the time, a popular slang term for a grenade was a "pineapple", thus earning the 1928 contest the nickname "Pineapple Primary". Things got so bad that 3,000 local lawyers were deputized as poll watchers, with the power to have any malfeasance reported to the police and have the perpetrators arrested(at the same time, a federal grand jury was sworn in to protect the voting rights of the citizenry). In the end, Thompson would serve only 3 more years before being bounced out of office by Anton Cermak, but he would leave a legacy of corruption and thuggery that would follow him to this day.
But by 1927, Big Bill was looking around and was in absolute disgust at the lack of brazen corruption at City Hall, so he threw his hat into the ring. Backed by both the booze-laden dreams of Chicagoans, as well as a totally OVER the table donation of $250,000 from one Alphonse Capone, Thompson beat the reform candidate by a slim margin, and embarked on his mission to make Chicago so wet that people started looking around for an ark. This was all going along so well, bit then the 1928 Primary rolled around, and Thompson was forced to wage war against reformist voices from within his own Party. This faction was led by Senator Charles Deneen, who(while not running himself either) had had a rivalry with Thompson for almost 25 years. Thompson controlled every elected office in the city, county, AND state(save for one) and he wanted to keep it that way.
One key office that was up for grabs was that of Cook County State's Attorney, in charge of prosecuting corruption cases in the city. Thompson's man was the incumbent, and his re-election was of vital importance to Thompson. Thompson's neck was on the line this time(both literally and figuratively), so he did what any rational, level-headed, democratically-minded politician would do: he declared open War against Deneen's faction and anybody else who got in his way. In the six months prior to the primary, there were 62 bombings in the city, taking the lives of two politicians. At the time, a popular slang term for a grenade was a "pineapple", thus earning the 1928 contest the nickname "Pineapple Primary". Things got so bad that 3,000 local lawyers were deputized as poll watchers, with the power to have any malfeasance reported to the police and have the perpetrators arrested(at the same time, a federal grand jury was sworn in to protect the voting rights of the citizenry). In the end, Thompson would serve only 3 more years before being bounced out of office by Anton Cermak, but he would leave a legacy of corruption and thuggery that would follow him to this day.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Day 98: How do you build a community? Run a train through it: The Story of the UP Northwest Line
When the ancestor of today's UP North line was chartered in 1851, the State of Illinois authorized the Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad to lay tracks between McHenry County and another point in Cook County. The first passenger train to go down the line steamed away in 1854. As was the case with many early railroads, the nascent line helped sprout up communities along its path. Case in point: William Dunton gave some of his land to the railroad to ensure that it would take a route through his area. The tracks did indeed enter his area, but they also entered his house. After Dunton bought a new house, the community sprung up around the depot. After two earlier attempts at naming the town, Dunton took the advice of developers to give the town an attractive name in order to attract residents, and thus the town of Arlington Heights was incorporated in 1887.
Meanwhile, the Illinois and Wisconsin had merged with another railroad and had added stops in towns such as Palatine, Woodstock, Harvard, and Crystal Lake. In 1857, the line was being extended near Crystal Lake, and the town did not feel the need to put any money into the development of the line. So, the railroad responded by bypassing the town. At the same time, the Fox River Valley Railroad was laying track in Crystal Lake. There were frequent clashes between the two work gangs, at times culminating in violence, which did nit filly abate until the intersection was bridged. A town named Nunda was founded at this intersection, and then the bad blood started anew, this time between Nunda and Crystal Lake. All bad blood was finally resolved in 1914 when Crystal Lake absorbed Nunda.
The merged version of the I & W RR went bankrupt in 1859 and was reformed into the Chicago and North-Western Railway, which would go on to be a major player in the next century of Chicagoland railroading(including the construction of the first iteration of what is now Ogilvie Station.) The post-1871 railroad boom led to more expansion of the line, including into the small hamlet of Brickton, which had earned that name from the brick factory that made bricks for several different train depots. When the town wanted to incorporate in 1873, the city fathers made the same choice that Bill Dunton would make 15 years down the road and renamed their town Park Ridge. After that, the line had its basic foundation, and the 20th Century went according to plan. Eventually, the Union Pacific Railroad acquired the line. Today the trackage rights are leased to Metra, who operates the line under the UP Northwest name. Along with the other two UP lines, the Northwest still uses Ogilvie Transportation Center, the descendant of the first depot build by the C & NW all the way back in 1911.
Meanwhile, the Illinois and Wisconsin had merged with another railroad and had added stops in towns such as Palatine, Woodstock, Harvard, and Crystal Lake. In 1857, the line was being extended near Crystal Lake, and the town did not feel the need to put any money into the development of the line. So, the railroad responded by bypassing the town. At the same time, the Fox River Valley Railroad was laying track in Crystal Lake. There were frequent clashes between the two work gangs, at times culminating in violence, which did nit filly abate until the intersection was bridged. A town named Nunda was founded at this intersection, and then the bad blood started anew, this time between Nunda and Crystal Lake. All bad blood was finally resolved in 1914 when Crystal Lake absorbed Nunda.
The merged version of the I & W RR went bankrupt in 1859 and was reformed into the Chicago and North-Western Railway, which would go on to be a major player in the next century of Chicagoland railroading(including the construction of the first iteration of what is now Ogilvie Station.) The post-1871 railroad boom led to more expansion of the line, including into the small hamlet of Brickton, which had earned that name from the brick factory that made bricks for several different train depots. When the town wanted to incorporate in 1873, the city fathers made the same choice that Bill Dunton would make 15 years down the road and renamed their town Park Ridge. After that, the line had its basic foundation, and the 20th Century went according to plan. Eventually, the Union Pacific Railroad acquired the line. Today the trackage rights are leased to Metra, who operates the line under the UP Northwest name. Along with the other two UP lines, the Northwest still uses Ogilvie Transportation Center, the descendant of the first depot build by the C & NW all the way back in 1911.
Day 63: A Stuffed Legacy
We've already seen in this blog how museums use preserved animals as part of exhibits(i.e. Bushman, for one), but did you know that the father of the art of taxidermy has heavy connections to Chicago? Well you do now. We are talking about Carl Akeley, a naturalist from the late 19th/early 20th centuries, who(as previously stated) is noted for inventing the art of modern taxidermy(which is the act of stuffing animals in order to preserve them).
Akeley was born in New York in 1864. Growing up, he studied taxidermy before starting an apprenticeship in Rochester. When he was 22, Akeley brought his trade to the Milwaukee Public Museum, where he presented the first ever complete habitat diorama in a museum in 1890. After that, Akeley spend 8 more years perfecting taxidermy techniques in Milwaukee. During that time, he also worked with the Field Museum in Chicago. It was here that he would develop a cement gun that would help make exhibits. Not only that, but his cement gun is today used as the basis of shotcrete. Akeley's talents mainly were in the preservation of African Mammals. He was skilled in fitting skins over a framework, thus ensuring a realistic look to the specimen.
In 1921, Akeley went on a trip to the Belgian Congo, where he collected mountain gorillas for his exhibit. At some point in the trip, he became very enthralled with gorillas, and started to work with African authorities to safeguard them. Sadly, Akeley died of a fever in the Congo while on his fifth expedition to Africa. Carl Akeley was one of the groundbreaking pioneers in the field of taxidermy, a man whose stunning works can be seen at the Field Museum of Natural History.
Akeley was born in New York in 1864. Growing up, he studied taxidermy before starting an apprenticeship in Rochester. When he was 22, Akeley brought his trade to the Milwaukee Public Museum, where he presented the first ever complete habitat diorama in a museum in 1890. After that, Akeley spend 8 more years perfecting taxidermy techniques in Milwaukee. During that time, he also worked with the Field Museum in Chicago. It was here that he would develop a cement gun that would help make exhibits. Not only that, but his cement gun is today used as the basis of shotcrete. Akeley's talents mainly were in the preservation of African Mammals. He was skilled in fitting skins over a framework, thus ensuring a realistic look to the specimen.
In 1921, Akeley went on a trip to the Belgian Congo, where he collected mountain gorillas for his exhibit. At some point in the trip, he became very enthralled with gorillas, and started to work with African authorities to safeguard them. Sadly, Akeley died of a fever in the Congo while on his fifth expedition to Africa. Carl Akeley was one of the groundbreaking pioneers in the field of taxidermy, a man whose stunning works can be seen at the Field Museum of Natural History.
Day 62: Chicago's Money Families-The Rices
As you might remember from our previous entry on this topic, there are quite a few families in Chicago that have not only been blessed with extraordinary riches, but who have also paid it forward and given to various organizations throughout the city. This time around, we'll be focusing on the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation, established by Daniel Rice and his wife Ada, so as to give back some of their monies to their city.
Daniel Rice went to the Chicago Public Schools, and then to DePaul and Notre Dame. Upon graduation, he went on to found a commodity brokerage that was successful for over 35 years, until it merged with another company in 1960. Aside from that, the Rices became involved in the world of Thoroughbred racing, purchasing a horse farm in Wheaton in 1929. This farm also included a stable with capacity for 25 horses, as well as a training area for the horses. Later on, a tunnel was built under the road so that the horses could get from their stables to the training area. Daniel Rice was also on the board of the Arlington Race Track, as well as being a part owner of the Los Angeles Dons of the All-American Football Conference.
In 1947, the Rices set up their charitable foundation, which still exists to this day. Some of the places they have left their name have been:
Daniel Rice went to the Chicago Public Schools, and then to DePaul and Notre Dame. Upon graduation, he went on to found a commodity brokerage that was successful for over 35 years, until it merged with another company in 1960. Aside from that, the Rices became involved in the world of Thoroughbred racing, purchasing a horse farm in Wheaton in 1929. This farm also included a stable with capacity for 25 horses, as well as a training area for the horses. Later on, a tunnel was built under the road so that the horses could get from their stables to the training area. Daniel Rice was also on the board of the Arlington Race Track, as well as being a part owner of the Los Angeles Dons of the All-American Football Conference.
In 1947, the Rices set up their charitable foundation, which still exists to this day. Some of the places they have left their name have been:
- The Rice Foundation Amphitheater at the Shedd Aquarium
- The Rice Gallery at the Field Museum
- The Rice Building at the Art Institute
- The Rice Grand Foyer at the Lyric Opera
- The Rice Pavilion in front of the Chicago History Museum
- The Rice Plant Resource Center at the Chicago Botanic Gardens
- The Rice Solarium and cafeteria at the Adler Planetarium
- And many more throughout the metropolitan area.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Day 97: The South Side Ballclub
At the dawn of the 20th Century, Charlie Comiskey found himself with an ownership interest in a minor league ball club out of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Wanting to push things a bit, Comiskey decided to move into the Chicago Market. For the 1900 season, the team operated out of the South Side of Chicago as a minor league, which meant that it was secondary to the National League outfit in the city(which at this point was known as the Chicago Orphans, entering their 24th year of existence.) After one year of this arrangement, the Western League reorganized into the American League, declared themselves to be in competition with the NL, and started raiding player contracts for their own use.
The AL's first season in 1901 saw the White Stockings(having taken the original name of the Orphans/Cubs) cruise to the league pennant. The first true superstar to emerge in the team's early years was pitcher Ed Walsh, who would routinely pitch over 400 innings in any given season(the official baseball term used for that feat today is "Holy Sh*t!"). It was behind Walsh that the Sox won their first World Series in 1906, despite being loaded with young players, despite being known as the "Hitless Wonders", AND despite being up against a Chicago Cubs team that had just reeled off a 116-win regular season(a feat that has only been repeated once in the 106 seasons since).
In 1915, the franchise took another step forward with the addition of "Shoeless Joe" Jackson. This in turn helped them to win the Series yet again in 1917. Jackson would prove integral to the next chapter of Sox history as well. In 1919, the White Sox yet again made it to the World Series, this time earning the right to play a best of 9 series against the Cincinnati Reds. The White Sox had stormed through the regular season, so it must have seemed quite peculiar when they were defeated by the Reds in 8 games. Over the course of the 1920 season, rumors started swirling about a possible rigging of the 1919 Series. The scandal finally blew up in September of 1920, completely killing any chances the 1920 squad had of contending, and also leading to the suspension and banning(for life) of 8 players, including Jackson. This heavily deflated the Sox, and they would not contend again until 1935.
Even then, the team was not regularly competitive again until the 1950s, at which point they became involved in annual pennant races. The dominance of the New York Yankees usually stymied the Sox, with the lone exception coming in 1959. That year, the Sox cruised through the AL and won the Pennant. Ever the White Sox fan(and minor boor[plus potential race rioter to boot]), Mayor Richard J. Daley ordered the city's air raid sirens to be set off in celebration. Given that this went down in the midst of the Cold War, I'm sure that not a soul mistook this for an actual Soviet attack. Falsely inciting panic aside, the White Sox fell to the Dodgers in the World Series. The next decade saw the team continually frustrated by the Yankees and other AL powers, and they failed to make the postseason.
The Sixties marked the acquisition of the team by the bombastic Bill Veeck, whose mind was as wide open as the great outdoors. Additionally, the Sixties saw the construction of the Dan Ryan Branch of the CTA, which included a station right by the ballpark. The Sox were under the relocation gun twice, first in 1968 when they were almost moved to Milwaukee, and then in 1975 when they were almost in on a three team deal that would have seen them move to Seattle, with the Athletics coming to town to replace them in Chicago. In 1983, the team had their best season since 1959, winning 99 games. Ultimately though, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual World Champion Baltimore Orioles. 1990 was a significant year for the team, as they bid farewell to the original Comiskey Park, which had been their home field since 1910.
The next year, they opened up a brand-new ballpark that soon became dated thanks to the retro ballpark craze that hit the very next year. On the field, the 2000 team won 95 games and easily had the best season since 1983. Alas, the team met a familiar fate and lost in the first round of the playoffs yet again. 5 years later, things would turn out differently. The 2005 White Sox ran roughshod over the competition to win 99 games and qualify for the playoffs. After dispatching the reigning champion Red Sox in the ALDS, they faced the Angels, who they beat 4-1. The Sox were in the World Series for the first time since 1959. (and no sirens this time) They defeated the Houston Astros 4 games to none, and celebrated their first Series win since 1917(with a little help from Journey).
Since 2005, the White Sox have made the playoffs one time(another first-round exit in 2008), and have had two pitchers throw a perfect game(Mark Buehrle in 2009 and Phillip Humber in 2012.) The White Sox have been the South Side's ball club for well over 100 years, and they promise to be around for many more years to come.
The AL's first season in 1901 saw the White Stockings(having taken the original name of the Orphans/Cubs) cruise to the league pennant. The first true superstar to emerge in the team's early years was pitcher Ed Walsh, who would routinely pitch over 400 innings in any given season(the official baseball term used for that feat today is "Holy Sh*t!"). It was behind Walsh that the Sox won their first World Series in 1906, despite being loaded with young players, despite being known as the "Hitless Wonders", AND despite being up against a Chicago Cubs team that had just reeled off a 116-win regular season(a feat that has only been repeated once in the 106 seasons since).
In 1915, the franchise took another step forward with the addition of "Shoeless Joe" Jackson. This in turn helped them to win the Series yet again in 1917. Jackson would prove integral to the next chapter of Sox history as well. In 1919, the White Sox yet again made it to the World Series, this time earning the right to play a best of 9 series against the Cincinnati Reds. The White Sox had stormed through the regular season, so it must have seemed quite peculiar when they were defeated by the Reds in 8 games. Over the course of the 1920 season, rumors started swirling about a possible rigging of the 1919 Series. The scandal finally blew up in September of 1920, completely killing any chances the 1920 squad had of contending, and also leading to the suspension and banning(for life) of 8 players, including Jackson. This heavily deflated the Sox, and they would not contend again until 1935.
Even then, the team was not regularly competitive again until the 1950s, at which point they became involved in annual pennant races. The dominance of the New York Yankees usually stymied the Sox, with the lone exception coming in 1959. That year, the Sox cruised through the AL and won the Pennant. Ever the White Sox fan(and minor boor[plus potential race rioter to boot]), Mayor Richard J. Daley ordered the city's air raid sirens to be set off in celebration. Given that this went down in the midst of the Cold War, I'm sure that not a soul mistook this for an actual Soviet attack. Falsely inciting panic aside, the White Sox fell to the Dodgers in the World Series. The next decade saw the team continually frustrated by the Yankees and other AL powers, and they failed to make the postseason.
The Sixties marked the acquisition of the team by the bombastic Bill Veeck, whose mind was as wide open as the great outdoors. Additionally, the Sixties saw the construction of the Dan Ryan Branch of the CTA, which included a station right by the ballpark. The Sox were under the relocation gun twice, first in 1968 when they were almost moved to Milwaukee, and then in 1975 when they were almost in on a three team deal that would have seen them move to Seattle, with the Athletics coming to town to replace them in Chicago. In 1983, the team had their best season since 1959, winning 99 games. Ultimately though, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual World Champion Baltimore Orioles. 1990 was a significant year for the team, as they bid farewell to the original Comiskey Park, which had been their home field since 1910.
The next year, they opened up a brand-new ballpark that soon became dated thanks to the retro ballpark craze that hit the very next year. On the field, the 2000 team won 95 games and easily had the best season since 1983. Alas, the team met a familiar fate and lost in the first round of the playoffs yet again. 5 years later, things would turn out differently. The 2005 White Sox ran roughshod over the competition to win 99 games and qualify for the playoffs. After dispatching the reigning champion Red Sox in the ALDS, they faced the Angels, who they beat 4-1. The Sox were in the World Series for the first time since 1959. (and no sirens this time) They defeated the Houston Astros 4 games to none, and celebrated their first Series win since 1917(with a little help from Journey).
Since 2005, the White Sox have made the playoffs one time(another first-round exit in 2008), and have had two pitchers throw a perfect game(Mark Buehrle in 2009 and Phillip Humber in 2012.) The White Sox have been the South Side's ball club for well over 100 years, and they promise to be around for many more years to come.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Day 96: "Needlessly Contentious": The Rise and Fall of Meigs Field
When Daniel Burnham drew up his famed plan of Chicago(only a scant six years after the flight of the Wright Brothers), he neglected to include any provisions for an airport to serve the city. So when airplanes started to be used more often, the city fathers were in a bind. At first, they merely directed the planes to land in Grant Park. In the aftermath of an airship accident in The Loop that cost the lives of several people, aircraft takeoffs/landings were banned from the downtown area. In 1920, plans were made to extend the landfill of an island south of Grant Park(right next to where the Adler Planetarium is now located). Two years later, Mayor William Thompson approved plans to locate an airport on the landfill site. However, construction was soon interrupted, first by the Great Depression, and then again by World War II. Soon after the War had ended, construction of the airfield had finally begun.
The airport was opened in 1948, and was renamed on June 30, 1950 in honor of Merrill C. Meigs, a local publisher and advocate of aviation. By the 1970s, the field had become the busiest single-strip airfield in the nation, and was also becoming instrumental in the field of medical aviation, as its convenient downtown location placed it as the closest airport to many of the city's hospitals. In addition to its vital medical role, Meigs also served several regional commuter airlines, mainly to cities such as Springfield or Carbondale. One of the largest airplanes to ever use the strip(and the largest to ever use it on a regular basis) was a 44-seat turboprop plane operated by Air Illinois. However, the largest aircraft to ever land at Meigs was a Boeing 727 that touched down on October 15, 1992, destined for display at the Museum of Science and Industry(alongside the Pioneer Zephyr and the U-505).
The airline proved convenient for VIP visits, such as when the President came to town. In a typical case, Air Force One would land at one of the larger airports, and then the POTUS would board a helicopter bound for Meigs, thus eliminating the hassle of having to use ground transport between the airport and the city. In 1994, Mayor Richard M. Daley announced his desire an plan to close down the airport and turn Northerly Island into a park. The plan met resistance, and even though the airfield was closed for a 4-month period starting in October of 1996, pressure from the state legislature kept Meigs open. In 2001, the city, state, and federal government agreed to keep the airport open until 2026.
This did not sit well with Dear Leader Daley, and so in his most brazen display of political thuggery, he sent out city crews on the night of March 30, 2003 to destroy the runway by cutting giant X signs into the surface. Not only was this in flagrant violation of FAA rules(which required at least 30 days notice before closing an airport), but the move also stranded 16 airplanes on the runway. The planes were able to flee the airport via Meigs' taxiway. The next morning, Daley held a news conference where he deemed his move the only way that would have worked, as "[doing] this any other way would have been needlessly contentious." In the aftermath, the city was fined $33,000 for destroying the runway, plus it had to repay another $1 Million in FAA funds. Nowadays, the former site of Meigs Field is the home of Northerly Island Park and the Charter One Pavilion, where you can see any number of concerts throughout the course of the year.
The airport was opened in 1948, and was renamed on June 30, 1950 in honor of Merrill C. Meigs, a local publisher and advocate of aviation. By the 1970s, the field had become the busiest single-strip airfield in the nation, and was also becoming instrumental in the field of medical aviation, as its convenient downtown location placed it as the closest airport to many of the city's hospitals. In addition to its vital medical role, Meigs also served several regional commuter airlines, mainly to cities such as Springfield or Carbondale. One of the largest airplanes to ever use the strip(and the largest to ever use it on a regular basis) was a 44-seat turboprop plane operated by Air Illinois. However, the largest aircraft to ever land at Meigs was a Boeing 727 that touched down on October 15, 1992, destined for display at the Museum of Science and Industry(alongside the Pioneer Zephyr and the U-505).
The airline proved convenient for VIP visits, such as when the President came to town. In a typical case, Air Force One would land at one of the larger airports, and then the POTUS would board a helicopter bound for Meigs, thus eliminating the hassle of having to use ground transport between the airport and the city. In 1994, Mayor Richard M. Daley announced his desire an plan to close down the airport and turn Northerly Island into a park. The plan met resistance, and even though the airfield was closed for a 4-month period starting in October of 1996, pressure from the state legislature kept Meigs open. In 2001, the city, state, and federal government agreed to keep the airport open until 2026.
This did not sit well with Dear Leader Daley, and so in his most brazen display of political thuggery, he sent out city crews on the night of March 30, 2003 to destroy the runway by cutting giant X signs into the surface. Not only was this in flagrant violation of FAA rules(which required at least 30 days notice before closing an airport), but the move also stranded 16 airplanes on the runway. The planes were able to flee the airport via Meigs' taxiway. The next morning, Daley held a news conference where he deemed his move the only way that would have worked, as "[doing] this any other way would have been needlessly contentious." In the aftermath, the city was fined $33,000 for destroying the runway, plus it had to repay another $1 Million in FAA funds. Nowadays, the former site of Meigs Field is the home of Northerly Island Park and the Charter One Pavilion, where you can see any number of concerts throughout the course of the year.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Day 95: Their way or the Highway: 176 years of political thuggery.
They say that Chicago is called the Windy City because of its constant breezes, but really its called that because of its windbag politicians. Chicago politicians have always been corrupt(remember Big Bill Thompson and the Levee Boys?), but they've also always been slightly boorish. What follows is an anthology of the most outrageous things ever said by Chicago Politicians:
(*=Not a direct quote)
- "Gentlemen, let's get this thing straight, once and for all. The policeman is not here to create disorder. The policeman is here to preserve disorder" Mayor Richard J. Daley, talking to reporters about the chaos that surrounded the 1968 Democratic National Convention
- "It’s been very effective. (Holding a rifle): I put this up your butt, you’ll find out how effective it is. Let me put a round up your, you know" Mayor Richard M. Daley, responding to a reporter's question on the effectiveness of the city's handgun ban in 2010.
- "I won't take a back seat to that Bohunk, Chairmock, Chermack or whatever his name is. Tony, Tony, where's your pushcart at? Can you picture a World's Fair mayor? With a name like that?" Mayor William H. Thompson, issuing a racial-slur laden campaign against Anton Cermak in the 1931 election(which he lost, by the way)
- "They think there’s wetlands out there. They’re trying to romanticize the wetlands issue. … I guess everything’s a wetland. My backyard could be a wetland. It should be designated. They could designate everything in the country as a wetland. All of DuPage County would be a wetland" Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1991, addressing concerns that a potential suburban airport would negatively impact wetlands
- "I've got this thing, and it's F$%#ing golden!" Governor Rod Blagojevich, referring to Barack Obama's former Senate seat that he was attempting to sell in late 2008
- "I thought the health of people is very important. If a rat is on your sandwich, you hope to know it before. If a mouse is on your salad, it’s common sense" Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1994, addressing concerns over food safety in the city's restaurants.
- "Snow? What Snow?!"* Mayor Michael Bilandic, downplaying the severity of the 1979 Blizzard that was indeed quite severe. The next month, Bilandic lost his bid for reelection to Jane Byrne in the primary.
- "To do this any other way would have been needlessly contentious" Mayor Richard M. Daley, defending his 2003 decision to tear up Meigs Field with bulldozers, in violation of an FAA ruling.
(*=Not a direct quote)
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Day 93: Red Line, White Sox
In 1969, the Chicago White Sox thudded to a 5th-place finish in the American League West, only managing to a achieve a 68-94 record. However, outside of the park, big things were happening. 1969 was also the year that the Dan Ryan Branch of what would come to be known as the Red Line was being constructed, connecting Comiskey Park to the rest of the city and the transit system, giving fans a new and improved way of getting to games.
In 1967, the city started work on a new extension of the transit system going south of the city along the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway(named for the former President of the Cook County Board, who had been a staunch advocate of the expressway system). One of the stops was to be placed just steps away form Comiskey Park, so that stop became known as Sox-35th. The station itself(along with the other 8 stations on the line) was built by Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill(the folks behind the Sears Tower, the Trump Tower, and several other Chicago buildings.) The station was designed to harmonize with the other ones on the line, with windbreaks, dividers, and ticket booths all crafted from stainless steel. Overall, the station was built to be functional and formal, with white-painted steel frames, glass enclosures, and open, uncluttered interiors.(the head house of the 35th St. Station looks somewhat reminiscent of the one in the Midway Station, except Midway's house is even bigger.) The overarching concept in the design of the 35th Station(and all the other Dan Ryan stops) was that of "less is more". Many of the stations did not have concession stands, the washrooms were for employee use only, there were large amounts of sleek, stainless steel used in construction, and every inch of the station was designed to enhance maximum efficiency in queuing and movement of passengers.
As with many CTA Stations, the 35th stop underwent some renovations in the early 2000s. In 2000, an elevator was installed in the station in order to spur compliance with ADA regulations. The next year, there were new signs installed in the station, to go along with the new CTA standard(which was in part inspired by the original 1969 signage on the Dan Ryan Branch). In 2003, the city reconstructed the 35th St. Bridge, so the station's main entrance was closed off during the work, and the 33rd St. entrance became the main entrance. When construction finished, commuters were welcomed with a new Chicago White Sox mosaic on the floor of the main entrance. Over the next decade, not much changed at the station, with the exception of another refurbishment that took place in 2006.
However, the biggest change is going on right now. On May 19, 2013, Sox-35th (as well as the other eight Dan Ryan stops) closed down for 5 months to allow for a complete refurbishment of the line. During this time, the stations will be spruced up, and the entire track structure(track, gravel, track bed, EVERYTHING) will be torn out and replaced. While the next 5 months will prove a challenge for all South Side commuters(and baseball fans), when the station reopens in October it should have a bright future for many, many years to come.
In 1967, the city started work on a new extension of the transit system going south of the city along the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway(named for the former President of the Cook County Board, who had been a staunch advocate of the expressway system). One of the stops was to be placed just steps away form Comiskey Park, so that stop became known as Sox-35th. The station itself(along with the other 8 stations on the line) was built by Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill(the folks behind the Sears Tower, the Trump Tower, and several other Chicago buildings.) The station was designed to harmonize with the other ones on the line, with windbreaks, dividers, and ticket booths all crafted from stainless steel. Overall, the station was built to be functional and formal, with white-painted steel frames, glass enclosures, and open, uncluttered interiors.(the head house of the 35th St. Station looks somewhat reminiscent of the one in the Midway Station, except Midway's house is even bigger.) The overarching concept in the design of the 35th Station(and all the other Dan Ryan stops) was that of "less is more". Many of the stations did not have concession stands, the washrooms were for employee use only, there were large amounts of sleek, stainless steel used in construction, and every inch of the station was designed to enhance maximum efficiency in queuing and movement of passengers.
As with many CTA Stations, the 35th stop underwent some renovations in the early 2000s. In 2000, an elevator was installed in the station in order to spur compliance with ADA regulations. The next year, there were new signs installed in the station, to go along with the new CTA standard(which was in part inspired by the original 1969 signage on the Dan Ryan Branch). In 2003, the city reconstructed the 35th St. Bridge, so the station's main entrance was closed off during the work, and the 33rd St. entrance became the main entrance. When construction finished, commuters were welcomed with a new Chicago White Sox mosaic on the floor of the main entrance. Over the next decade, not much changed at the station, with the exception of another refurbishment that took place in 2006.
However, the biggest change is going on right now. On May 19, 2013, Sox-35th (as well as the other eight Dan Ryan stops) closed down for 5 months to allow for a complete refurbishment of the line. During this time, the stations will be spruced up, and the entire track structure(track, gravel, track bed, EVERYTHING) will be torn out and replaced. While the next 5 months will prove a challenge for all South Side commuters(and baseball fans), when the station reopens in October it should have a bright future for many, many years to come.
Day 61: Nautilus
Question: What do the following things have in common:
This particular piece was done by Suzanne Horwitz, a Chicago artist who completed her schooling at the School of the Art Institute as well as the University of Michigan. In her life as an artist, she has embraced the art of figurative sculpting, and has worked on many different pieces, most of them in Chicago, but with a few of them outside the city in places as far-flung as Wisconsin and New Jersey. Her works have made it into various galleries, including The Center for Visual Arts in New Jersey, the Montclair Art Museum also in New Jersey, as well as the Chicago Cultural Center. Additionally, her works have been in the corporate collections of both The Options Clearing Corporation and Goldman Sachs.
However, this is an entry about the sculpture, not its artist, so lets talk about the work for a little bit. As you approach it, you've already seen many of the other pieces, so you're expecting something out of the ordinary. What you get is just that. It is shaped roughly like a metallic Nautilus, which is a sea creature that looks like this. Other than that, there isn't too much more to be said about it, so just remember to keep an eye out for it next time you're walking the path between the Museum Campus and Navy Pier.
- An exploding lightbulb
- An airship
- A tribute to the Playstation
- 2 Kelpies
- A twisted hunk of metal
- A striped piece of limestone
- Today's Entry.
This particular piece was done by Suzanne Horwitz, a Chicago artist who completed her schooling at the School of the Art Institute as well as the University of Michigan. In her life as an artist, she has embraced the art of figurative sculpting, and has worked on many different pieces, most of them in Chicago, but with a few of them outside the city in places as far-flung as Wisconsin and New Jersey. Her works have made it into various galleries, including The Center for Visual Arts in New Jersey, the Montclair Art Museum also in New Jersey, as well as the Chicago Cultural Center. Additionally, her works have been in the corporate collections of both The Options Clearing Corporation and Goldman Sachs.
However, this is an entry about the sculpture, not its artist, so lets talk about the work for a little bit. As you approach it, you've already seen many of the other pieces, so you're expecting something out of the ordinary. What you get is just that. It is shaped roughly like a metallic Nautilus, which is a sea creature that looks like this. Other than that, there isn't too much more to be said about it, so just remember to keep an eye out for it next time you're walking the path between the Museum Campus and Navy Pier.
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