Sad news to pass along, as Lennie Merullo, who had been the oldest living Cub – and the awesome guy you may have remembered from the booth last year – has passed away at the age of 98. Although I can’t claim to know the man, personally, the small slice we were offered last year suggested strongly that this was a man who lived fully every day of his 98 years. Good for him. Very few people pull that off in far fewer years.
Here’s a statement from Tom Ricketts on the passing:
We were saddened to hear the news our oldest living Cub Lennie Merullo passed away earlier today. While I have experienced many joys as owner of this great franchise, one of the most memorable was meeting Lennie last season. When the Cubs last appeared in a World Series in 1945, Lennie was a 28-year-old shortstop. Nearly 70 years later, he brought the same youthful spirit and excitement, as he threw out the first pitch and led the entire ballpark in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame’” joined by family and friends. If there was any doubt Wrigley Field does make dreams come true, you could look into Lennie’s eyes beaming with joy as he visited his beloved ballpark for what would be the last time. He told everyone he would never forget that day. To his family, friends and loved ones, our organization will never forget him.
And you can watch his rendition of ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ last year:
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