A Letter to Chicago White Sox Ownership

Our family have been Sox fans since 1921. I attended my first game at Comiskey Park in 1954 (or maybe 1953) and have seen the Sox play every season since (not counting 2020) except 1970, when I saw the Sox play in Fenway Park. I’ve attended Game 1 of the 1959 and 2005 World Series, Buehrle’s no-hitter and perfect game, two one-hitters (one by the Sox, the other by the Cardinals), Joe Stanka’s only MLB win, Bill Veeck’s Twins Night in 1961, at least one postseason game except 1983, the last Opening Day and final game in Comiskey Park in 1900 and the first game in the new ballpark the following season. In addition to Wrigley Field, I’ve watched the Sox (usually lose) in Boston, New York (pre- and post-renovated old Yankee Stadium), Milwaukee, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Denver and St. Louis.

Last game at Comiskey Park, 9/30/90/First game at Comiskey Park, 4/18/91

Luckily, I was out of Chicago during the most recent worst-of-times. September 1967 collapse and 0-10 start to the 1968: freshman at Lehigh University. Losing 106 games in 1970: senior at Boston University. Things turned around after returning home to Chicago, including sitting in the first row behind the Yankees’ dugout with my parents sitting in the second row next to Yankees president Michael Burke (tickets courtesy Yankees manager Ralph Houk) in the famous doubleheader in June 1972 when Dick Allen came off the bench to hit the walk-off homerun to sweep both games. Other than the South Side Hitmen and Winning Ugly teams, there wasn’t much to stimulate excitement until 2005.

As recently as 2021, I attended 35 White Sox games. Unfortunately, severe lower back pains and subsequent spinal surgery limited my attendance last year to only Opening Day. In relating my plight to a Sox employee and a limited partner (both who will remain nameless), their responses were identical: “You didn’t miss anything.”

Section 126, a familiar spot

Several instances of organizational indifference and worse have multiplied in recent years, many of which I will not relate in print. Most obvious, of course, is the utter inability to field a team this season that could challenge the 1962 Mets record of 120 losses in one season. Fellow fans question roster moves that have proven disastrous, most notably a veteran relief pitcher who was lit up in spring training, only to make the Opening Day roster and blow a save before finally being DFA’d. The lineup begs a new hitting designation, as several players recently under the Mendoza Line (.200 batting average). At least Angel Bravo hit .294, even though he couldn’t get a throw in from the outfield on less than three bounces.

Finally, my excitement about attending my 18th Opening Day (all but one since 1990), was tempered by the following incident. As someone who has taken digital SLR cameras into Sox Park since 2008, as well as into all of the previously mentioned ballparks, I was greatly surprised when questioned about my small Olympus OM-D Mark II mirrorless DSLR. After placing the small mirrorless camera, extra lens, keys and cellphone in the basket and passing through Gate 3 security successfully, I was told to walk back out, and another security guard questioned whether the lens came off my camera. I showed them it did; I figured it was something about security.

Opening Day, March 28, 2024

I'm not sure what he requested next, as I asked if this were a new policy - he said it wasn't - to which I responded that in the 16 years I've been bringing a camera to Sox Park I was NEVER questioned. He then said I could argue but this was the rule (not sure what the rule was); I said fine if that's the rule. Fortunately, another security guard came in and told me everything was o.k.

I wrote to the Sox via email – I couldn’t find a security desk at the ballpark – pointing out it took 70 years for staff to hassle me but it didn’t make it any more palatable. Response . . . surprise!: nothing to date.

 I’m not concerned with the new ballpark drama, since I’ll be 80 years old in the final year of the G Rate lease, or the “Sell the Team” chant (tax consideration for now). And maybe by 2029, I will no longer be a White Sox fan . . . I’ll worry about that then, but it won’t be the Cubs. The Brewers perhaps or, perish the thoughts, the Yankees. Remember Jerry, with a 6-25 record, you are taxing my patience.

First in Shoes, First in Booze and Last in the American League

 I believe I attended my first Major League baseball game in 1954, a White Sox game at Comiskey Park against a long-forgotten opponent. One of them was not the St. Louis Browns, who had moved to Baltimore to become the Orioles during the previous offseason. Despite not seeing them play, my interest in the Browns was initiated by a 1952 Topps trading card for Les Moss (one of the few if only from that season).

Les Moss, Topps Collection 1952

Mainly a backup catcher, Moss broke in with Browns in 1946 and ended his career with the White Sox in 1957. With both teams, he was the backup to Sherman Lollar. Moss served as the Sox’s interim manager in 1968 when headman Al Lopez was out after an appendectomy. I wondered: what was this card and what was this team?

The Browns were undoubtedly the most inept franchises in MLB history, thus the title of this post. Founded as the Milwaukee Brewers as a charter member of the American League in 1901, the team moved to St. Louis the following season to become the Browns, after the Brown Stockings, the St. Louis Cardinals’ name from the 1880s to 1900. In its 50+ years of existence, the Browns won one pennant and no World Series, most often finishing at or near the bottom of the American League standings. Their one World Series was the last one played at only one ballpark (not counting 2020) – Sportsman’s Park– in 1944, losing to the Cardinals in six games. I was fortunate to attend a Cardinals game in the stadium in 1965, shortly before the team moved to the new Busch Stadium and the ballpark was demolished.

Sportsman's Park

Of the 11 Hall of Fame members who played for the Browns, only two logged significant years with the team: shortstop Bobby Wallace (1902 – 1916) and 1^st baseman George Sisler (1915 – 1927). My uncle, Dr. Adolph Nachman, was among approximately 15,000 fans who witnessed the Browns greatest pitching feat. On September 6, 1924, Urban Schocker, who had led the American League with 27 wins three seasons before, started and completed both games of a doubleheader vs. the White Sox in Comiskey Park, winning both by 6-2 scores over Red Faber and Hollis Thurston. He would win one more game before being traded back to the Yankees for the 1925 season; he tragically died just short of age 38 of pneumonia at the end of the 1928 season. The feat of winning two complete doubleheader games was accomplished only once after Schocker triumphs.

Urban Schocker

The team is mainly known for two players with rather significant handicaps: Pete Gray and Gaedel.

With so many players off to World War II, the Browns brought up Gray in 1945, an outfielder who had lost his right arm in a machinery accident. He had played the previous two seasons with the Memphis Chicks of the Southern Association. In his only MLB season, Gray hit .218 with no home runs and 13 RBI. Ironically, 1945 was the last season the Browns had a winning record until moving to Baltimore.

Pete Gray, 1945

Eddie Gaedel, despite playing in only one inning of one game, is the most famous Brownie. Bill Veeck, who had purchased the Browns in 1951 after owning the Cleveland Indians, vowed to revive the franchise and run the Cardinals out of town. The Browns had the lowest of attendance in the American League every season since 1946. As part of perhaps his greatest stunt, the 3’7” Gaedel was announced as the pinch-hitter for Frank Saucier (who at age 97 is the oldest living former Brownie) leading off the second game of an August 19, 1951, doubleheader. Despite umpire protests, Browns manager Zack Wheat produced a legal contract for the player wearing number 1/8. He easily walked on four pitches and was taken out for a pinch runner. Gaedel’s contract was voided the following day.

Eddie Gaedel after walking in his one plate appearance, August 19, 1951

The diminutive Gaedel continued to serve Veeck after the owner purchased his hometown Chicago White Sox in 1959. In one pregame stunt, he was one of four spacemen who invaded Comiskey Park and sought to deliver ray guns to infielders Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio. Later, Veeck hired several then-called midgets as beer vendors, promoting the idea that they wouldn’t block fans’ views. Unfortunately, Gaedel and his cohorts lasted only one game, due to the rigors of hauling heavy beer cases. After being assaulted on the South Side in 1961, Gaedel died of a heart attack a few days later at age 36.

Eddie Gaedel bobblehead and selected Browns publications

A much less known but highly deserving of honor was Hank Thompson. Futile on the field and playing before empty houses, the Browns signed two Black players in July 1947, Thompson – the third African American to play Major League baseball – and Willard Brown (more on Brown later). Thompson eventually added the first of his many “firsts” to his long-forgotten third. When Brown started his first game two days later, they were the first two Blacks in one game. Less than a month later, facing the Cleveland Indians, Thompson and Doby were the first Blacks playing on opposing teams. The Browns gave up on Thompson and Brown in less than two months, releasing them in late September. A second baseman, Thompson played in 27 games, with no home runs, 5 RBI and a .256 batting average. The first player to integrate a team in each league, as a New York Giant facing Brooklyn Dodgers Don Newcombe in 1949, it was the first time a Black pitcher threw to a Black batter. Thompson become part of the first all African-American outfield, with Willie Mays and Monty Irvin, in the 1951 World Series, and also played for the 1954 World Series champion Giants.

Hank Thompson, 1947

Some thirty years ago, I stopped in a sporting-apparel store at 2234 N. Clark Street. One item immediately caught my attention: a Mitchell & Ness replica St. Louis Browns jersey the team wore from 1946 to 1951, the only M&N jersey in the store. After returning home with my purchase, I found it was marketed as a number 15 Roy Sievers jersey, the Browns’ 1949 American Rookie of the Year who was traded to the Washington Senators after the team’s final season in St. Louis. Subsequent research revealed a Hall of Fame outfielder also wore number 15. The others that wore 15 before the Browns changed uniform designs in 1952 were mostly fringe players.

Mitchell & Ness St. Louis Browns, 1946 - 1950 jersey

As noted above, Willard Brown was the fourth African American to play in the Major Leagues. He debuted professionally with the Monroe Monarchs in the minor Negro Southern League at age 19 in 1934 and moved up to the legendary Kansas City Monarchs in 1937. Brown was the first Black to hit a home run in the American League, an inside-the-park blast vs. Hall of Fame Detroit Tigers pitcher Hal Newhouser. He had borrowed the bat from Jeff Heath, who proceeded to splinter it after Brown returned to the dugout. It turns out Heath was superstitious and believed there were no more home runs left in the bat; Brown noted Heath was one of the more cordial teammates. Like Thompson, his stay in St. Louis was brief: 21 games, batting average .179 and 6 RBI to go with his 1 home run. Returning to the Monarchs that season, Brown ironically led the Negro National League in batting average (.377) and RBI (64) in 48 games. He would play in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico (won the 1947 – 1948 Winter League Triple Crown with a .432 batting average, 27 home runs and 86 RBI and repeated the feat two seasons later), Dominican Republic and Venezuela before retiring in 1958. Willard Brown passed away in 1996, missing his 2006 election into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Willard Brown, 1947

American League owners were all too happy to rid themselves of Bill Veeck and the inept Browns franchise. After Anheuser-Busch acquired the Cardinals in 1952, it became obvious to all the Browns would have to move. An effort to return to Milwaukee was thwarted by the Boston Braves, who moved there in 1953. Veeck’s earlier negotiations with Baltimore Mayor Tommy D’Alesandro (Nancy Pelosi’s father) initially were nixed by fellow club owners, but the sale of the team was finally approved for the 1954 season, without Veeck retaining an ownership stake. The Orioles registered its winning season in 1960 and won the American League pennant in 1966. With a subsidiary envelope company in Baltimore, my father (the CFO) and his friend and partner (the president) figured early October would be a good time to check out its operations . . . and attend Games 3 and 4 (both 1-0 victories) of the O’s World Series sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers from behind the Orioles’ dugout. The company’s previous owner was among the investors who brought the team to Baltimore, and the company retained his tickets.

Baltimore Orioles 1966 World Series program

I’m still fascinated with the Browns since those early years, to the point where I’ve been a member of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society and Fan Club for several years. This very active organization has multiple programs and publications; the website is The Official Site of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society and Fan Club (thestlbrowns.com). Someday I may make it down to the city for its St. Louis Browns Annual Reunion Luncheon.

Confirmations: 1932 and 1965

Ninety years ago this month, my father was confirmed from South Shore Temple. The family had gone from Orthodox (First Roumanian Congregation) to Conservative (South Side Hebrew Congregation) to Reform (South Shore Temple) in the span of only two generations. I have two keepsakes commemorating dad’s confirmation.

 

First Roumanian Congregation, 1352 S. Union St.

The first is his Union Prayer Book, presented by the president of the congregation, whose fancy script signature I can’t make out beyond “Michael.” This revised edition was published in 1924 and contains sections Services for the Sabbath (Evening, Morning and Afternoon services), Services for the Three Festivals (Evening and Morning services), Services for Weekdays (Evening, Evening at the House of Mourning and Morning) and Prayers for Private Devotion. By the time we started attending High Holiday services, the prayer book had been revised again.

 

Union Prayer Book

I have read passages from a portion of the Mourning service on three occasions. The first was during a group photowalk in Graceland Cemetery in June 2012, the second at the headstone dedication for my cousin Jim in July 2012, and the third during officiating at my mother’s funeral, March 28, 2013, at Zion Gardens Cemetery.

Perhaps the most poignant passage is part of the Silent Devotion section. It reads, “We know that every night has its morning, that after the hours of darkness come again the hours of daylight. Grant that we may rise again to do our allotted tasks in peace of soul. Remember that the seed, oft sown in tears ripens into a harvest to be gathered in joy.”

 My mother long ago had stated she didn’t want a rabbi (and probably by extension any member of the clergy) to officiate at her funeral. Because it wasn’t in writing, I thought perhaps someone could at least say the prayers. The House of Mourning section gave me an excellent blueprint for a service, so I conducted it myself, due in some part that I’d be using my father’s prayer book. The funeral was one day short of 40 years that my father died suddenly at age 55. Somehow, it seemed so appropriate. I even got a very nice complement after the service from the funeral director.

 

Sachs Family Section, Zion Gardens Cemetery

I’ve written about the other item the blog post (The View From Brule Lake: To Ring or Not to Ring (brulelaker.blogspot.com). My father received a monogram ring that contained a small diamond, which came from a stickpin presented to my grandfather by one of the previously mentioned congregations for serving as president. It literally rolled out of a personal-effects envelope at the hospital that terrible day. I put it on and later had it sized. As I say, I’ve worn it for better and for worse: 41 years for him, 49 years for me.

 

Confirmation Ring, 1932

My confirmation memorabilia consist of far less valuable keepsakes. I was an indifferent student and thus was one of those whose participation in the June 6, 1965, ceremony at Congregation Solel consisted solely of marching in and watching from the audience. A photograph (my scanner cropped off a bit of each end but includes two who went to jail and a third who dodged a felony conviction through death), program and certificate are reminders of my religious education. The confirmands are pictured here (you will have to guess which twin is which).

 

Congregation Solel Confirmation Class, 1965

Today, I am unaffiliated; Janet and Marisa belong to the congregation to which we once all belonged. Since moving to the Gold Coast in 1998, I can see a shul out our windows, one-half block away. Although I’m certainly not the most religious of persons, this one isn’t for me, in part due to the previous rabbi who criticized other Reform congregations for having too many rituals and performing mixed marriages (no problem on its face) with Catholic priests on Saturday afternoons. We all have limits.

Synagogue from a Window

Demise of the Paper Ticket: Hockey

The last in my ticket posts covers hockey.  My venue visits are limited to Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit and South Florida. It pains me to write about the Blackhawks – the disappointments of recent days are beyond sad – but my memories go back to before the 1961 Original Six Stanley Cup, so here’s a rundown. 

NOTE: Most of my out-of-town tickets from 1994 to 2007, except where noted, were arranged by my college roommate Nate Greenberg, who spent 34 years in the Boston Bruins front office. During that time period, the Bill Wirtz/Bob Pulford regime comped my tickets maybe twice (during years the teams played more than once at home), only after Nate told them I had to take out a second mortgage to pay for seats directly behind the bench. 

 Chicago Black Hawks vs. Philadelphia Flyers,  February 3, 1968.  Unfortunately, I don't have the ticket stub for the first season the NHL went from the Original Six to the second six, all expansion teams placed in a separate division. Because of traffic backups on the north side of The Spectrum, we missed the first goal of the game, the Flyers at 1:09. The eventual West Division champions defeated the Black Hawks (they became the Blackhawks for the 1985 -1986 season), 5-3. After completing the 1954 - 1955 season with the Black Hawks, Larry Zeidel returned to the NHL in 1967 at age 39. The Jewish forward from Quebec was taunted with anti-Semitic slurs during his tenure; a friend heard the tape of an interview Zeidel gave with the Anti-Defamation League naming at least two Boston Bruins (I'm not posting their names; both have passed away).

Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago Black Hawks, January 1, 1959. In one of my earliest, if not the earliest, hockey games, the Black Hawks tied the Canadiens, 2-2, on New Year's Day. The Hawks finished 3rd in a 6-team league and lost to the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

Boston Bruins vs. Chicago Black Hawks, December 18, 1983. The night had double significance: I caught up with college roommate Nate Greenberg after being out of touch for ten years, and Bobby Hull's number was retired. The Hawks lost 5-1. Before the game Nate (Bruins public relations director) and I were walking in the concourse when he spotted Hawks General Manager Bob Pulford approaching us. Nate declared, “Watch this. I’m going to yank Pulford’s chain.” Nate said, “Hey Pully, how come you’re retiring is number after all of the trouble he gave you?” In typically Pully fashion, he mumbled something unintelligible, while looking down to the floor, and kept walking. Two years ago, I told Hull the story; he loved it.

 

Boston Bruins vs. Chicago Blackhawks, February 27, 1994. This was my last game at Chicago Stadium and first appearance on a hockey telecast. The Bruins shutout the Hawks, 4-0. Nate had sent the tickets to Chicago with the broadcast producer; upon picking them up at The Westin, he told me I would be on television the next day. With my seats' location in hand, Nate told him to put on TV, which he did after a stoppage of play leading into a commercial. 

Calgary Flames vs. Chicago Blackhawks, November 12, 2004. In a season that would find the Blackhawks tied for the second lowest point total in the NHL (59), the Flames beat the Hawks 6-2, as goalie Michael Leighton allowed 5 goals. He would later let in Patrick Kane's goal that won the 2010 Stanley Cup. Rookie Matthew Lombardi, in his 14th NHL game, had a hat trick. The game drew an announced crowd of 11,988 but there were probably about 7,500 in the house. The only seats taken in our long row behind the goal were the two on each end.

 

San Jose Sharks vs. Chicago Blackhawks, May 23, 2010. The Blackhawks advanced to the Stanley Cup finals by defeating the Sharks, 4-2, to sweep the Western Conference championship, 4 games to 0. Attendance was 22,224.  I paid "only" $80 on a winning eBay auction. The last time I had stood for a game was after paying $5 to get in a back door of the Boston Garden on Jan. 17, 1970, to see the Hawks (B. Hull, Mikita, Tony O.) battle the Bruins (Phil Espo, Orr, Bucyk).

 

Los Angeles Kings vs. Chicago Blackhawks, June 2, 2013. The Blackhawks drove Jonathan Quick from the nets with 4 goals on 17 shots in the first 30 minutes on the way to a 4-2 victory in Game 2 of the Western Conference final. Attendance was 21,824. The $101.25 ticket in our seats in Section 328 was $48 during the regular season. NOTE: Our group wisely gave up our season tickets for this season. By the time the Hawks met the Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals, my friend Nate Greenberg (see 1983 entry) had finished his 34-year career with the Bruins, and I couldn’t ask him for tickets.

 

Anaheim Ducks vs. Chicago Blackhawks, April 21, 2015. After playing in the longest game in team history in Anaheim two nights before, the Blackhawks lost Game 3 to the Ducks, 2-1, as the team failed to score on all of its power-plays, including a 4-minute penalty in the 1st period. Attendance was 22,160. The Hawks would go on to win the series in 7 games on the way to defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning for their third Stanley Cup championship in six seasons.

New York Rangers vs. Chicago Blackhawks, February 19, 2020. My last paper ticket and game before the pandemic locked down the NHL for five months. Tied 1-1 after two periods, the Rangers poured in 5 goals in 11 minutes to defeat the Hawks, 6-3, before 21,572 fans. I have not been back since and don't plan to for the foreseeable future.

 

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings, December 8, 1992. I attended my first hockey game in Detroit during a business trip to the Motor City. Tickets were graciously provided by client Valassis Communications, who we were not visiting that day.  The Blackhawks defeated the Red Wings, 3-2. The Joe Louis Arena was a great place to watch hockey, as seating was on one level with great sight lines. A wide aisle halfway up was used for standing room; the area was so popular ushers checked tickets to keep out interlopers. I also attended a Bruins - Red Wings at the Joe in 1995 as part of another business trip.

 

Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers, December 19, 1993.  We were fortunate the Bruins were in town during our annual holiday visit for first season if the Florida Panthers. Both the Heat and Panthers played at the downtown Miami Arena. The Bruins defeated the Panthers, 2-1, on an overtime goal by Joe Juneau. Except for a mix-up noted below, the Panthers always comped our tickets until his contact at the team retired in 1999.

 

Montreal Canadiens vs. Florida Panthers, December 29, 1996. A mix-up in the Panthers' ticket office ended up with us purchasing tickets partway up the upper level (tickets were usually comped thanks to Nate Greenberg’s friendship with Panthers’ management). Oddly, we ended up sitting next to Ralph Mellanby, the former producer of "Hockey Night in Canada" and the father of Cats' captain Scott Mellanby. We found out when he said, 'That's my son" after Scott scored the Panthers' only goal. I don't know why he didn't have a better seat. The Canadiens won, 2-1, on two goals by Vincent Damphousse. Montreal had only 17 shots on goal during the game. The Panthers moved out of the Miami Arena after that season; we were fortunate to attend a game during the Year of the Rat (1995 - 1996). The arena was demolished in 2008.

 

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Florida Panthers, March 8, 2011. Dale Tallon (pictured on the ticket) spent 33 years with the Blackhawks as a player, announcer and front-office executive.  He joined the Panthers that season as general manager.  The call-out was prophetic, as the Panthers led 3-0 after one period (chasing Corey Crawford from the nets) and went on to win 3-2. I attended a Red Wings – Panthers game with our daughter the month before, where two-thirds of the crowd were wearing Detroit apparel.

 

Los Angeles Kings vs. Florida Panthers, February 9, 2012. With Nate retired and my ticket guy gone over a dispute with the team, I found tickets for the family for $8.99 each on eBay. The Panthers made two 2nd-period goals stand up (adding an empty netter in the last minute) to defeat the Kings, 3-1, for the first time since Nov. 2002. The Panthers finished first in the Southeast Division but would lose to eventual conference champion New Jersey Devils, The Kings, the 8th seed in the Western Conference, went on to defeat the Devils to win the Stanley Cup in 2012. This was our last Panthers game. We sold our South Florida apartment the following year but did not attend a game.

 

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins, March 22, 2007. Nate Greeenberg got me the Media Pss in what was his 34th and last year with the team.  I sat next to Gerry Cheevers during the first period and also took the elevator up to the press level with Canadiens greats Guy Lefleur and Bob Gainey. My name was on the scoreboard for my birthday in the TD Banknorth Garden, a first and no doubt a last. The Canadiens, scoring 5 unanswered goals beginning with less than 2 minutes left in the 2^nd period, defeated the Bruins, 6-3. I also sat with Nate in one of the crow’s net press boxes for a game vs. the New York Rangers on April 1, 2005, the last season for the old Boston Garden; a shortened season because of a lockout prevented me from seeing the Blackhawks’ last game at the Garden.

 

Rockford IceHogs vs. Chicago Wolves, November 26, 2016. We attended our first American Hockey League game at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont with tickets won at a charity auction. The Wolves, a Blues affiliate, defeated the IceHogs, a Blackhawks affiliate, 3-2 before 7,126 fans. We did not know the IceHogs had scored the second goal until returning home; because it was scored with 0.6 seconds left in the game, there was no face-off at center ice that usually follows a goal.

The Demise of the Paper Ticket: Basketball

Two venues for which I don’t have ticket stubs – The Spectrum in Philadelphia and Boston Garden – merit coverage for their significance. I attended both in my college days and both have been demolished.

The Spectrum is notable for the one 76ers game I attended and one that I didn’t. Back in the day, the NBA thought nothing of scheduling consecutive Friday-to-Sunday games. The Bulls, in their second season, were the first of three Sixers’ weekend opponents on February 9, 1968, falling 118-113. It appeared the Sixers kept some in the tank – they would travel to New York on Saturday and return home to face the Western Division leading St. Louis Hawks on Sunday. Wilt Chamberlain had a triple-double: 20 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists.

I had planned on accompanying three fellow Lehigh freshmen to the first game of the Eastern Conference finals vs. the Celtics in Philadelphia on Friday, April 5, 1968. Tragically, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated the day before; I figured the game would be postponed. When it wasn’t, one of my friends and I bailed; the other two drove to the game. Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo vowed there would be no riots in Philadelphia and, as my friends related, armed National Guard troops lined the length of Broad Street to the Spectrum. With several players – including Chamberlain – strongly opposed to playing the game, the show went on, and the Sixers lost 127-118. They would win the next three, then lose the next three, giving the Celtics the road to another NBA championship.

Beginning with the 1959 -1957 season, the Celtics won 11 NBA titles (including 8 consecutive) and 12 Eastern Conference championships, ending after the 1968 -1969 season. I attended several games during the last championship season (tickets were not difficult to buy). My first was vs. the Seattle Supersonics on November 8, 1968; not only did Bob Rule scorch Bill Russell for 37 points but Russell missed a last-second tip-in, resulting in a 114 -112 loss. The last was the Eastern Conference finals on April 18, 1969, where, despite a 4^th-place, the Celtics vied with the rejuvenated New York Knicks. Clinging to a 1-point lead with time ticking down the 24-second clock, the ball went to the least likely Celtic: Satch Sanders. The defensive specialist threw one up from the top of the key that banked in for his second field goal, leaving only enough time for a Willis Reed uncontested dunk (no 3-point line then) and a 106-105 victory and the conference championship, 4 games to 2.

Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Packers, November 12, 1961. Professional basketball returned to Chicago for the first time since the demise of the Chicago Stags in 1950 (my father attended the game). The Packers lost to the Celtics, 112-96, on the way to an eight-game losing streak and an 18-62 record. Bill Russell and Tommy Heinsohn led the Celtics with 28 and 23 points, respectively. Walt Bellamy and Bobby Leonard each scored 17 points for the Packers. NBA basketball in Chicago lasted only one more season, as the team could not get a lease for Chicago Stadium. The Packers became the Zephyrs the following season and played at the Chicago Coliseum before moving to Baltimore to become the Bullets. The Bulls entered the NBA for the 1966 - 1967 season. 

New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls, May 29, 1993. In my only post-season game during the Jordan era, the Bulls trounced the Knicks, 103-83. Trailing 2 games to none in the Eastern Conference finals, the win was the first of four in a row. There was some controversy regarding a Michael Jordan trip to Atlantic City during the earlier games; his return to Chicago resulted in the loudest pregame introduction I’ve heard. I was also seen on national TV in the background of a half-time interview by Ahmad Rashad with Jerry Krause. 

Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls, March 30, 2019. My last NBA paper ticket. The woeful Bulls, playing without five of their best players, were trounced by the Raptors, 124 - 101, before an announced crowd of 21,238. The only Bulls' bright spot was Chicago native and Julian High School grad Walter Lemon, Jr,. scoring 19 points in his Bulls debut. The Raptors would go on to win the NBA championship. 

San Diego Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns, February 13, 1981. On a trip to visit my mother and stepfather in Scottsdale, I attended a game at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Suns defeated the San Diego Clippers, 110-94, on the way to the Pacific Division title. All five starters scored in double figure, and 11 Suns (including fan favorite Mike Niles) put up points. Joe Bryant, Kobe's dad, led the Clippers with 19 points. The highlight of the evening was a Motorola engineer hitting a half-court shot to win a Ford Thunderbird. In his excitement, he let the shot fly before the PA man finished his introduction. The Clippers entered the NBA in 1970 - 1971 as the Buffalo Braves before moving to San Diego for the 1978 - 1979 season and Los Angeles for the 1984 - 1985 season. 

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Miami Heat, December 28, 1999. I didn’t know at the time our company’s insurance providers gave me the tickets that this would be the last NBA game at the Miami Arena. The Heat defeated the T’wolves, 89-79, before a capacity crowd of 15,200. Alonzo Mourning led the Heat with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks. Kevin Garnett had an off night, scoring 16 points on 7 for 23 shooting. The Miami Arena was obsolete the day it opened in 1988 – it had the smallest seating capacity of all NBA and NHL arena – and it was demolished just a month after its last event in June 2008. No longer needing to share an arena, the Heat began play in the American Airlines Arena five days later while the Florida Panthers headed to Sunrise in northwest Broward County.

 

University of Illinois vs. Northwestern University, January 14, 1963. Like football, our father began taking us to see his alma mater play at Northwestern in the late 1950s. In one of the most famous games in Illinois basketball history, Illinois captain Bob Starnes hit a 55-foot shot at the buzzer to defeat Northwestern, 78-76. Illinois was ranked #3 in the country at that time. All-American Tal Brody threw the inbounds pass for the assist; some 50 years later, I presented Brody – known as Mr. Basketball in the State of Israel – with my ticket stub during one of his frequent visits here for the Israeli government.

University of Michigan vs. Northwestern University, January 15, 1966. Freshman were not eligible for varsity sports then but the freshman team played exhibition games. We knew to buy a cheap ticket, arrive early and pass ourselves off as Northwestern students. This allowed us to sit in the unreserved student section in the first rows at midcourt, the best seats in the house. Chicago’s own Cazzie Russell poured in 39 points, breaking the Michigan all-time scoring record on his way to becoming College Basketball Player of the Year.  Michigan defeated Northwestern, 94-86, that evening; several friends saw us on TV, sitting just a few rows from courtside.

Lehigh University vs. DePaul University, November 26, 2014. Lehigh upset DePaul, 86-74, before 5,785 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. It was the Mountain Hawks' first win of the season. Unfortunately, I could not attend, having come down with an illness that not only prevented me from attending but has also kept us from my cousin's Thanksgiving dinner. Luckily, the tickets on StubHub were only $13.25 each. It would have been my first Lehigh basketball game since seeing Jim McMillian’s Columbia University debut, December 4,1967, at 78 -57 win at Taylor Gym in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The Demise of the Paper Ticket: Football

I have attended far fewer football venues than baseball stadiums, although some of the baseball parks once hosted football. Three are still in existence (Fenway Park, Oakland Coliseum and Joe Robbie Stadium) and several have been demolished (County Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Connie Mack Stadium, Busch Stadium and Candlestick Park). Here are some notable games.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Chicago Cardinals, November 23, 1958. My only trip to my favorite baseball stadium for football was the second-to-last NFL game at Comiskey Park. The Cardinals played home games the following year in Soldier Field (4) and Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota (2), before moving to St. Louis for the 1960 season. On a beautiful late November afternoon, only 15,946 showed up to see Bobby Layne go 16 for 28 for 352 yards, including the 4^th-quarter 78-yard TD pass to Jimmy Orr that gave the Steelers the 27-20 win. Cardinals speedster Ollie Matson, who was later traded to the Los Angeles Rams for nine players, ran back the opening kickoff 101 yards. 

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears, November 17, 1963. On the way to their first NFL championship since 1946, the Bears forced 7 turnovers (5 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries) and 5 quarterback sacks in the 26-7 triumph. This was our first Bears game, for which we learned the difference between Cubs chairs and Bears chairs (The View From Brule Lake: Lesson Learned: Cubs Chairs vs. Bears Chairs (brulelaker.blogspot.com)) the hard way. Because the team put bleachers in right field to increase the seating capacity, the Bears didn’t play home games until after the baseball season ended. President Kennedy was assassinated five days later, and the NFL would regretfully proceed with its November 24 schedule, although no games were broadcast on television or radio. 

Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears, November 11, 2018. This was my last Bears paper ticket (I don’t know if some type of paper ticket still exists). The team has generally produced graphically excellent tickets, which I save during my yearly trek to Soldier Field among other things to check how I they jack up the ticket prices. The Bears won 9 of their last 10 regular-season games, including this 34-22 win in which Mitch Trubisky completed 23 of 30 passes for 355 yards and 3TDs and Matthew Stafford was sacked six times, to make the postseason. Double Doink . . . need I say more? 

University of Illinois vs. Northwestern University, October 6, 1962. The Wildcats would win their first six games and reach #1 ranking, including the 45-0 rout of the Fighting Illini, before losing to Wisconsin and Michigan State and falling out of Rose Bowl contention. There is no attendance figure for the game; Northwestern averaged 45,929 that season, including the largest crowd in stadium history – 55,752 – vs. Notre Dame. Our father began taking Frank and me to Dyche Stadium to see his alma mater in the late 1950s. 

Purdue University vs. University of Illinois, November 2, 1963. Our only trip to dad’s alma mater came one year after turning a disastrous 2-7 season into a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl victory, 17-7, vs. the University of Washington. Jim Grabowski scored three touchdowns and All-American Dick Butkus anchored the defense in the 41-21 win before approximately 62,000 fans. 

Lehigh University vs. University of Pennsylvania, September 30, 1967. No ticket stub for the game at Franklin Field during my freshman year at Lehigh. The stadium, currently undergoing a $44 million renovation for which only the north stands are open, is credited by the NCAA as the oldest college football stadium. The Philadelphia Eagles played here from 1958 to 1970 after moving from Connie Mack Stadium. Constructed in 1895, seating capacity at the time was 60,658; it’s been reduced to 52,958. Penn beat Lehigh, 35-23, before 10,502.

University of Oklahoma vs. University of Miami, January 1, 1988. My only bowl game and visit to the legendary Orange Bowl in Miami. I got the tickets from a client headquartered in Chandler, Oklahoma. The #1 Sooners took on the #2 Hurricanes in what served as a national championship game for the two undefeated teams. Miami defeated Oklahoma, 20-14, before 74,760 fans. The respective coaches, Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson, would both later coach the Dallas Cowboys and both lead them to Super Bowl wins.

 

Indiana University vs. Northwestern University, October 22, 2016. My final entry, marking Janet’s first major-college football game, features a StubHub print-at-home ticket. The Wildcats trounced the Hoosiers, 24-14, in a contest featuring a combined 102 passes (NU’s Clayton Thorson, 24-43 for 285 yards and 3 TD; Richard Lagrow, 35-59 for 317 yards and 2 interceptions). Attendance was 35,417, almost 12,000 below capacity on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.