The aforementioned post notes that returning to the
ballpark means reacquainting oneself with people after a fall and winter’s
absence. I mentioned my beer vendor Kenneth. Sadly, Kenneth Sherwin – or Kenny as many
called him – will not be at Opening Day at either Chicago park, for he passed
away suddenly in Miami Beach at age 61 on December 29. It shocked and saddened
everybody who knew him.
Kenneth Sherwin, June 26, 2009
Kenneth was a character, to be sure, which most of us found
out in more detail after his passing. The youngest of five children, he grew up
on the North Side before attending the University of Miami. He decided against
a career in law – his father was an attorney as are two brothers – and
variously worked as a trader and as a high-end men’s clothing salesman. Kenneth
became a vendor in 1981 and worked both ballparks, Chicago Stadium and United
Center for the Bulls and Blackhawks, Soldier Field for the Bears and various
concert venues. He was also a throwback to the days when many of the vendors
were Jewish.
Kenneth with cousins Jim, Cathy and Bob, June 26, 2009
Last season through my friend Rob Taman, I attended six
games at Wrigley Field. Upon spotting me, Kenneth invariably asked, “What are
you doing here?” Between the two stadiums, I must have seen him 20 times last
season. In fact, as I headed to his funeral service, I told Janet, “How many
people do I see 20 times a year?”
A cold night at Wrigley Field, May 24, 2011
With winters now open, Kenneth bought a condominium in South
Beach, four blocks from the ocean, so he could continue his tennis and cycling
pursuits year-around. He was a regular at the annual tennis tournament at Key
Biscayne, where he followed his favorites both on and off the court. It’s not
surprising his Florida residence featured a framed jacket autographed by Roger
Federer. It was his love of tennis and cycling and ability to haul beer cases
some 150 times a year that made his sudden passing so much more baffling.
Opening Day will follow the usual
routine: arrive early and roam the park taking photographs, order a brat by the
stand at Section 126, take a seat (either 3 or 4) in Row 9 and wait for my beer
guy. But like Godot and Lefty, Kenneth will not arrive. Back to our last
conversation. After my friend Rick, a Cubs fan and good tipper, ordered our
second round, Kenneth said so all could hear, “Bring this guy to the park more
often.” I plan to this season; I only wish Kenneth would be there to accept the
tips.
The sentifment of your blog capture's how we all feel about Kenny's shocking death. He's been a fixture in the Chicago sports vending scene for thirty years. Joe Madden's reference to the new jumbotron as the "new reality". It applies well to Ken's absence, except we'll never get used to this new nealtiy. Baseball and Wrigley will not be the same. Period.
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