Chicago • US Cellular Field • April 15, 2005
New Comiskey Park, to me at least, has been a wonderful place
to see a ballgame this year – I’ve already been twice;
two more times than I’ve been in years.
A much more serene place than Wrigley, in which
a ball game is being played, not a party attended.
Pictured above are Minoso & Buban and Zoccoli & Comiskey.
Historically today, April 15, 1947,
Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier
in Baseball and forever changed people’s Minds.
Minnie Minoso…I have two great stories about him. The first was April 18th, 1991, the Opening Day of the new Comiskey Park. I paid $450 for a pair of tickets to see the Tigers pummel the White Sox and Jack McDowell 16-0! I spent the night at my friend Cheryl Suire’s after hanging out at the now defunct south side club Traxx…at 63rd and the tracks near Lawndale or so before we ventured to the game the next day. There was a lot of fanfare that day and we had souvenir posters of the park and there was a huge crowd around Mr. Minoso and I thought, “we don’t have a chance to get these things signed.” She had other ideas and said “give them to me.” Her diminutive frame disappeared into the human abyss and after some time emerged with signed copies of the posters…women sometimes have the upper hand in these situations. Thanks Cheryl, wherever you may be now!
The second occurred in 1995 when I was working at Lincoln Park Zoo running the parking lot. We had the street blocked off as the lot was full at the time and I see this white Lincoln Town Car coming at me with a fake plate that said “Minoso 9” on it. The driver was trying to talk to me and I just moved the barricade and waved him through. He stopped and thanked me for letting him in and got out of his car. He proceeded to open the trunk which contained numerous baseballs scattered about and picked one up and signed it for me. I told him I was a longtime Sox fan and thanked him. He was a great guy and I appreciated the gesture…and I let him park for free! Minnie! You’re the man! Thanks Vince, for capturing me with the legend’s likeness.
Comment by Mark — 4/19/2005 @ 12:37 Tue