13 replies to this topic

[Fishin Phil]

Cubs Fact:

On June 22, 1969, Cubs third baseman Ron Santo was so excited that his teammate Jim Hickman hit a two-run walk-off homer, he ran down the third base line and jumped and clicked his heels three times. It became a good luck charm for the team during the season.

[Fishin Phil]

I was a 7 yr old boy who loved the Cubs at the time. I remember running around the neigborhood clicking my heels all the time that summer. Well, until the collapse.

[Oswego Chris]

Damn Mr. Phil!..you are a bit older than me....unfortunately from what I read the heel clicking rubbed many opponents the wrong way....and may have been one of the reasons players conspired to keep Ronnie out...if you think about it...today, that would seem pretty tame as far as athletic celebrations go...so you could say Ronnie was ahead of his time.....

[Fishin Phil]

That is true, the heel clicking did piss off some opponents. Regardless of what the calendar says, it didn't really seem like an effective good luck charm either. But it was fun!

That first day he just did it spontaneously. When Durocher saw it, he asked him to continue doing it after home wins.

[Brett]

God forbid a player should be excited about his team winning...

[TWC]

Cubs Fact:
It became a good luck charm for the team during the season.

Well, maybe not *all* of the rest of that season, eh?

[TWC]

I was a 7 yr old boy who loved the Cubs at the time. I remember running around the neigborhood clicking my heels all the time that summer. Well, until the collapse.

You were 7 in '69? So you're hitting the big five-oh this yeah, eh Phillip? Me thinks we should throw you a party. I'll bring the booze.

[Fishin Phil]

That's right, a half century. To think, in my younger days the smart money was on me not making it to 30.

[Tommy]

I was a 7 yr old boy who loved the Cubs at the time. I remember running around the neigborhood clicking my heels all the time that summer. Well, until the collapse.

With age comes wisdom, Phil my friend - as well as a bad heart, high cholesterol, and anal polyps! Congratulations on being what is most likely the BN senior member - you have my sincere admiration and appreciation, sir!

For the record - 1968 here. My earliest memories are of:
1B Bill Buckner
2B Manny Trillo
3B Steve Ontiveros
SS Ivan DeJesus (yeah, baby - shoulda kept him as a coach!)
C George Mitterwald
LF Jose Cardenal
CF Jerry Morales
RF Bobby Mercer

Started going to games earlier than that, but I didn't really start to remember names until I was 10. That's when my dad started buying me the team roster photo dealies, and all the big buttons. I remember, even at that age thinking 'man, these guys suck!'. That was not the best team ever assembled, but thinking back, they had some big name pitchers (Rick Reuschel, Mike Krukow, Willie Hernandez, Donnie Moore, Bruce Sutter. I think Hernandez went to win a Cy Young with someone else, of course, and we all know about Sutter.)

Sorry, my ADHD kicked in for a bit there. What was I talking about? Anyway, curious what the first lineup you can remember would be, Philly? What amazes me is I can name every position of the 1978 team, but I couldn't do it for more recent years if you asked me. Funny how our minds work, ain't it!

[Fishin Phil]

First lineup I remember was:

SS Don Kessinger
2B Glenn Beckert
LF Billy Williams
1B Ernie Banks
3B Ron Santo
RF Jim Hickman
C Randy Hundley
CF Al Spangler

Pitchers like Fergie Jenkins, Bill Hands, Phil Regan etc.

That first lineup you remember give me a few bad flashbacks: in particular Steve Ontiveros and George Mitterwald. Talk about suckitude!

I've been carrying a grudge against the Mets for almost 43 years. In honor of Ronnie, I will continue to carry that grudge.

[Fishin Phil]

Side note about Jim Hickman - He had a pretty damn good year in 1969, but my dad still always referred to him as "The Blind Pig". As in "Even a blind pig finds an acorn every once in a while."

[Tommy]

That first lineup you remember give me a few bad flashbacks: in particular Steve Ontiveros and George Mitterwald. Talk about suckitude!

LOL! Sucktitude about wraps it up!

Man, that was a great lineup that you got to see when you were younger. You got to see some Cub legends in your day! I'm thinking from looking at that lineup that you must have been aware of the Bill Madlock trade when it happened, too? Thankfully, I was too young to notice.

[Fishin Phil]

Loved Bill Madlock. Cried the day he left. OK, I didn't really cry, but I was bummed.

[MichiganGoat]

I was a 7 yr old boy who loved the Cubs at the time. I remember running around the neigborhood clicking my heels all the time that summer. Well, until the collapse.

You were 7 in '69? So you're hitting the big five-oh this yeah, eh Phillip? Me thinks we should throw you a party. I'll bring the booze.

Oh I want to come ill bring some amazing Michigan IPAs and goat for Phil to BBQ