Welcome to the May 2025 edition of CUBS WORLD CHATTER! As the baseball season heats up (and we pray for some rain) things are looking good. My wife’s heartthrob, Pete Crow Armstrong is proving his worth. You can feel energy with this team. We all love the way they keep fighting back when behind. MAY this keep up well into the post-season! AMEN.
MAY THE GOOD SHIP CHICAGO CUBS SAIL ON TO THE SAFE PORTS OF THE POST SEASON!
UPCOMING CUBS WORLD EVENTS
Windy City Classic (watch party)
Saturday May 17th
Gators in Brownwood
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MONDAY, MAY 2ND
COLONY COTTAGE
SPECIAL GUEST (BY ZOOM)
BOBBY "THE DEER" DERNIER
Windy City Classic (watch party)
Saturday May 17th
Gators in Brownwood
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MONDAY, MAY 2ND
COLONY COTTAGE
SPECIAL GUEST (BY ZOOM)
BOBBY "THE DEER" DERNIER
CUBS WORLD TO BE VISITED BY A DEER
by Wayne Richards
The deer I speak of once graced Wrigley field with an inside the park home run! It is the one and only BOB DERNIER!
Bob was fan favorite of the Chicago Cubs in 1984 when they won NL East crown and fell one win shy of advancing to the World Series. That year, he became the first Cubs outfielder ever to win a Gold Glove!
These days. Bobby is active playing golf and traveling quite a bit. He keeps in touch with other Cubs legends such as Manny Trillo, who lives not too far from the Villages. Hopefully, Manny can visit us in person one of these days.
Bobby is very anxious to join us by zoom for what should be an interesting presentation. Don't miss it!!!!!!
by Wayne Richards
The deer I speak of once graced Wrigley field with an inside the park home run! It is the one and only BOB DERNIER!
Bob was fan favorite of the Chicago Cubs in 1984 when they won NL East crown and fell one win shy of advancing to the World Series. That year, he became the first Cubs outfielder ever to win a Gold Glove!
These days. Bobby is active playing golf and traveling quite a bit. He keeps in touch with other Cubs legends such as Manny Trillo, who lives not too far from the Villages. Hopefully, Manny can visit us in person one of these days.
Bobby is very anxious to join us by zoom for what should be an interesting presentation. Don't miss it!!!!!!
THE RED WORD IS BACK!
by Wayne Richards
Finally, the RED WORD problem is fixed! For those of you who are new members to Cubs World and don't know what the RED WORD is all about...here is what you need to know.
In every edition this newsletter, you will find a word printed in RED somewhere in the publication. Sometimes we're sneaky and other times the word might be the biggest tree in the forest.
When you find it, write it down and bring it to the next membership meeting. Place it in a special jar designated for a drawing and you just might win a Publix gift card! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!!!!
by Wayne Richards
Finally, the RED WORD problem is fixed! For those of you who are new members to Cubs World and don't know what the RED WORD is all about...here is what you need to know.
In every edition this newsletter, you will find a word printed in RED somewhere in the publication. Sometimes we're sneaky and other times the word might be the biggest tree in the forest.
When you find it, write it down and bring it to the next membership meeting. Place it in a special jar designated for a drawing and you just might win a Publix gift card! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!!!!
NEW MEMBERS AMONGST US!
by Wayne Richards
It is always wonderful to see CUBS WORLD grow. We have a collection of very interesting individuals with amazing backgrounds. As a matter of fact, the Cubs World Chatter would appreciate the opportunity to interview you. I can assure you, we do everything we can to make it a simple and enjoyable experience!
WELCOME TO...
WILL GEIST...RUTH HARDING...RON SHAPP...and...
DENNIS VAN EWYK! Glad to have you in our family!
by Wayne Richards
It is always wonderful to see CUBS WORLD grow. We have a collection of very interesting individuals with amazing backgrounds. As a matter of fact, the Cubs World Chatter would appreciate the opportunity to interview you. I can assure you, we do everything we can to make it a simple and enjoyable experience!
WELCOME TO...
WILL GEIST...RUTH HARDING...RON SHAPP...and...
DENNIS VAN EWYK! Glad to have you in our family!
A ZOOMING DOUBLE HEADER!
by Dan Marx
Our meeting had a different look to it in May. Instead of featuring speakers in person, we had 2 speakers via zoom.
It all began with a delicious pulled pork dinner from Golden Corral. Thank you, Debi and your servers to all of the great work that you consistently do. Then, while we were awarding Publix gift cards, our president, Wayne Richards, proved that he was willing to go the extra mile, and was on his way to the men’s room to award the gift card to the lucky winner. Luckily, for all concerned, the winner came back into the main room just in time.
Our first Zoom speaker was a favorite Chicago icon, Wayne Messmer. In case you haven’t experienced goosebumps in a while, go to You Tube and watch Wayne sing the Canadian and American National anthem at a Blackhawk game. Wayne was extremely excited to speak to us, and he told us of so many experiences during the years singing for the Cubs and White Sox and Blackhawks . Besides doing the anthems, he was also the Public Address announcer for the Cubs. He sang 36 opening day national anthems at Wrigley starting in 1984. He said that his experience of singing the anthem before the MASSIVE sea of fans in Grant Park after our championship victory was beyond belief. His favorite Cub was Ron Santo, whom he called a man of great courage.
He has done a few albums, and authored a book, “ a voice of victory” describing his recovery from being shot in the neck, and still being able to sing, let alone live.
Thank you so much, Wayne. We hope to have you speak for us again.
Our other ZOOM speaker was a very youthful Dolly Ozburn. Dolly is 88 years old, and would have loved to speak to us in person , but had recently broke her leg. Dolly was a pitcher for the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League.
She was a tomboy growing up, and only wanted to play sports with the boys. When she was 12, she played baseball in a 14 and under league. When she was 13, she saw a sign promoting theAAGPBL, and tried out, but was not able to play until she was14.
She met her husband while she was playing professional ball. The league existed from 1943-1954, with Dolly joining the league in 1951. Dolly said the experience was very enjoyable. Her manager was the great Jimmie Foxx, whom Tom Hank’s character, Jimmy Dugan, was loosely based on, from the movie “A League Of Their Own” . Dolly did say that Foxx would never go into the ladies locker room ,unlike Hanks did in the movie.
by Dan Marx
Our meeting had a different look to it in May. Instead of featuring speakers in person, we had 2 speakers via zoom.
It all began with a delicious pulled pork dinner from Golden Corral. Thank you, Debi and your servers to all of the great work that you consistently do. Then, while we were awarding Publix gift cards, our president, Wayne Richards, proved that he was willing to go the extra mile, and was on his way to the men’s room to award the gift card to the lucky winner. Luckily, for all concerned, the winner came back into the main room just in time.
Our first Zoom speaker was a favorite Chicago icon, Wayne Messmer. In case you haven’t experienced goosebumps in a while, go to You Tube and watch Wayne sing the Canadian and American National anthem at a Blackhawk game. Wayne was extremely excited to speak to us, and he told us of so many experiences during the years singing for the Cubs and White Sox and Blackhawks . Besides doing the anthems, he was also the Public Address announcer for the Cubs. He sang 36 opening day national anthems at Wrigley starting in 1984. He said that his experience of singing the anthem before the MASSIVE sea of fans in Grant Park after our championship victory was beyond belief. His favorite Cub was Ron Santo, whom he called a man of great courage.
He has done a few albums, and authored a book, “ a voice of victory” describing his recovery from being shot in the neck, and still being able to sing, let alone live.
Thank you so much, Wayne. We hope to have you speak for us again.
Our other ZOOM speaker was a very youthful Dolly Ozburn. Dolly is 88 years old, and would have loved to speak to us in person , but had recently broke her leg. Dolly was a pitcher for the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League.
She was a tomboy growing up, and only wanted to play sports with the boys. When she was 12, she played baseball in a 14 and under league. When she was 13, she saw a sign promoting theAAGPBL, and tried out, but was not able to play until she was14.
She met her husband while she was playing professional ball. The league existed from 1943-1954, with Dolly joining the league in 1951. Dolly said the experience was very enjoyable. Her manager was the great Jimmie Foxx, whom Tom Hank’s character, Jimmy Dugan, was loosely based on, from the movie “A League Of Their Own” . Dolly did say that Foxx would never go into the ladies locker room ,unlike Hanks did in the movie.
AN OBSERVATION
By Wayne Richards
While watching a recent Cubs /Mets game, a gentleman sitting in the stands caught my eye. Could it be Wayne Messmer sitting there in a Mets shirt? Is this possible? By the way, I took this photo direct from our tv. Nothing has been photo-shopped.
I've communicated with Wayne many times and know he is a good guy so I thought it might be fun to send him the photo. I did so and he sent me the following text....." If he's a stinking Mets fan...I claim no connection!"
By Wayne Richards
While watching a recent Cubs /Mets game, a gentleman sitting in the stands caught my eye. Could it be Wayne Messmer sitting there in a Mets shirt? Is this possible? By the way, I took this photo direct from our tv. Nothing has been photo-shopped.
I've communicated with Wayne many times and know he is a good guy so I thought it might be fun to send him the photo. I did so and he sent me the following text....." If he's a stinking Mets fan...I claim no connection!"
OUR FAVORITE CORNER
by Dan Marx and Wayne Richards
As we pondered what question to pose this month at our favorite corner, my editor, Dan and I had one of those moments where we generated the same thought at the same time! This often happens with song writers. There are only so many notes and sooner or later, two melodies will pop out in similar fashion. THEN, WE ALL WIND UP IN COURT!
As far as this newsletter is concerned, we love when similar thoughts fill the air. So....in Dan's outstanding phrasing...here is the question.
"Assuming our record will be much better in 2 months, and that we’re a buyer looking for players to get us to the promised lad, who is the player in our minor league system that we can give up to get a great quality player in return?" What do you think? Please leave a comment. We always love to hear your opinions at the Member's corner.
by Dan Marx and Wayne Richards
As we pondered what question to pose this month at our favorite corner, my editor, Dan and I had one of those moments where we generated the same thought at the same time! This often happens with song writers. There are only so many notes and sooner or later, two melodies will pop out in similar fashion. THEN, WE ALL WIND UP IN COURT!
As far as this newsletter is concerned, we love when similar thoughts fill the air. So....in Dan's outstanding phrasing...here is the question.
"Assuming our record will be much better in 2 months, and that we’re a buyer looking for players to get us to the promised lad, who is the player in our minor league system that we can give up to get a great quality player in return?" What do you think? Please leave a comment. We always love to hear your opinions at the Member's corner.
BLEACHER BUM REPORT
by Jack Herbon
For this month I will test your knowledge of the 2016 World Champion Chicago Cubs. Here are the 12 trivia questions. Answers will be below. Perfect score will get you a six pack of Old Style and some poppy seed buns.
1/ How many wins did the Cubs have during this season?
2/ Who lead the team in home runs?
3/ Who threw a no-hitter that year?
4/ How long was that rain delay in game seven in Cleveland?
5/ Who played centerfield for the Cubs in 2016?
6// Who were the first and third base coaches that year?
7/ Who managed the Indians against the Cubs in the World Series?
8/ In Cleveland he became the oldest player to hit a home run in game seven. Who was he?
9/ Who wore number 18 on that year?
10/ What was the final play in the 2016 World Series?
11/ Who did the Cubs play in the 2016 opener?
12/ On the final play in Cleveland what did Anthony Rizzo do with the ball?
ANSWERS 1/ 103 2/ Kris Bryant 3/ Jake Arrieta 4/ 17 minutes 5/ Dexter Fowler 6/ Brandon Hyde-Gary Jones
7/ Terry Francona 8/ David Ross 9/ Ben Zobrist 10/Ground out 11/ LA Angles on 4/4 and won 9-0 12/ He put it in his back pocket.
by Jack Herbon
For this month I will test your knowledge of the 2016 World Champion Chicago Cubs. Here are the 12 trivia questions. Answers will be below. Perfect score will get you a six pack of Old Style and some poppy seed buns.
1/ How many wins did the Cubs have during this season?
2/ Who lead the team in home runs?
3/ Who threw a no-hitter that year?
4/ How long was that rain delay in game seven in Cleveland?
5/ Who played centerfield for the Cubs in 2016?
6// Who were the first and third base coaches that year?
7/ Who managed the Indians against the Cubs in the World Series?
8/ In Cleveland he became the oldest player to hit a home run in game seven. Who was he?
9/ Who wore number 18 on that year?
10/ What was the final play in the 2016 World Series?
11/ Who did the Cubs play in the 2016 opener?
12/ On the final play in Cleveland what did Anthony Rizzo do with the ball?
ANSWERS 1/ 103 2/ Kris Bryant 3/ Jake Arrieta 4/ 17 minutes 5/ Dexter Fowler 6/ Brandon Hyde-Gary Jones
7/ Terry Francona 8/ David Ross 9/ Ben Zobrist 10/Ground out 11/ LA Angles on 4/4 and won 9-0 12/ He put it in his back pocket.
BLEACHER BUM EXTRA
Now that we've had a chance to take Jack's quiz, here is a short video which should bring back some memories!
CLICK HERE
Now that we've had a chance to take Jack's quiz, here is a short video which should bring back some memories!
CLICK HERE
THE SOUND WE CANNOT FORGET!
by Wayne Richards
Whenever I have had the pleasure of visiting Wrigley Field, it was always a sensory experience. The smell of a hot dog, the taste of an ice cold brew, the touch of the wind...and a legendary strange sound made by one man named Ronnie Wickers. We know him as the one and only RONNIE WOO WOO.
The all too familiar tonality of his loudly enthusiastic cheer is one of a kind, to say the least! It was both annoying and endearing at the same time. The man is a Cubs fan through and through!
One time, after a game, Annie and I could clearly hear him passing by in the street as we were dining at an outdoor cafe. You have to admire that kind of reliability and persistence!
It was the late and great Harry Carey who gave Ronnie the nick name of "LEATHER LUNGS." But, those lungs , unfortunately, are being challenged in an unfortunate way. He has been silenced by an aggressive lung condition.
His personal history is not a thing of joy. His escape from the sadness was his love and support of the Cubs...quite a reality for SOUTH SIDER!
He has been homeless, washed windows and has worked as a custodian for Northwestern University. In 2005, he survived being hit by a motorist.
Many regular fans at Wrigley reached out to Ronnie and donated tickets whenever they could. The popular broadcaster "Mancow" bought him dentures to improve his appearance and arranged for him to do some commercial spots.
Ronnie Woo Woo became such a strong icon through the years, a documentary was produced called WOO LIFE. The film is available through the Chicago historical Society. GET BETTER RONNIE!
by Wayne Richards
Whenever I have had the pleasure of visiting Wrigley Field, it was always a sensory experience. The smell of a hot dog, the taste of an ice cold brew, the touch of the wind...and a legendary strange sound made by one man named Ronnie Wickers. We know him as the one and only RONNIE WOO WOO.
The all too familiar tonality of his loudly enthusiastic cheer is one of a kind, to say the least! It was both annoying and endearing at the same time. The man is a Cubs fan through and through!
One time, after a game, Annie and I could clearly hear him passing by in the street as we were dining at an outdoor cafe. You have to admire that kind of reliability and persistence!
It was the late and great Harry Carey who gave Ronnie the nick name of "LEATHER LUNGS." But, those lungs , unfortunately, are being challenged in an unfortunate way. He has been silenced by an aggressive lung condition.
His personal history is not a thing of joy. His escape from the sadness was his love and support of the Cubs...quite a reality for SOUTH SIDER!
He has been homeless, washed windows and has worked as a custodian for Northwestern University. In 2005, he survived being hit by a motorist.
Many regular fans at Wrigley reached out to Ronnie and donated tickets whenever they could. The popular broadcaster "Mancow" bought him dentures to improve his appearance and arranged for him to do some commercial spots.
Ronnie Woo Woo became such a strong icon through the years, a documentary was produced called WOO LIFE. The film is available through the Chicago historical Society. GET BETTER RONNIE!
A NEW CUBS WORLD CHATTER FEATURE
BY WAYNE RICHARDS
We are always happy when new individuals join Cubs World! For those who do, you are now members of an ever-growing family.
We thought it would be nice to offer the opportunity for our new arrivals (or any member for that matter) to let us know who you are. We have an array of fascinating individuals in our midst and we love discovering just who you are.
Every month from now on, we will send an invite to people to grant us an interview. People will discover quickly that these interviews are painless and actually fun!
In the case of DENNIS VAN EWYK and his wife Sue, they discovered us by noticing an ad in the Daily Sun and also taking note of one of our watch parties!
Dennis and Sue were high school sweethearts, although in separate schools...it wasn't much of a problem due to the fact that they married and had two sons and a daughter. Dennis was in the floor covering industry, settling in Atlanta.
Of course, all our members have memories of how the Cubs came into their lives. For Dennis, it began when he was eight years old, rushing home from school to watch the remainder of an afternoon game at Wrigley on the GREAT WGN!
He was of little league age when he first visited Wrigley. "I was awestruck!" said Van Ewyk. "I remember the 69 Cubs and a game in 1961 when the Cubs played St. Louis."
Whenever asked about a player he admires, Dennis answered without hesitation. "Ryne Sandburg!" said he. "I liked him because he seemed to be a spark plug for the team."
Cubs World welcomes you! We all look forward to cheering on the Cubbies...together!
BY WAYNE RICHARDS
We are always happy when new individuals join Cubs World! For those who do, you are now members of an ever-growing family.
We thought it would be nice to offer the opportunity for our new arrivals (or any member for that matter) to let us know who you are. We have an array of fascinating individuals in our midst and we love discovering just who you are.
Every month from now on, we will send an invite to people to grant us an interview. People will discover quickly that these interviews are painless and actually fun!
In the case of DENNIS VAN EWYK and his wife Sue, they discovered us by noticing an ad in the Daily Sun and also taking note of one of our watch parties!
Dennis and Sue were high school sweethearts, although in separate schools...it wasn't much of a problem due to the fact that they married and had two sons and a daughter. Dennis was in the floor covering industry, settling in Atlanta.
Of course, all our members have memories of how the Cubs came into their lives. For Dennis, it began when he was eight years old, rushing home from school to watch the remainder of an afternoon game at Wrigley on the GREAT WGN!
He was of little league age when he first visited Wrigley. "I was awestruck!" said Van Ewyk. "I remember the 69 Cubs and a game in 1961 when the Cubs played St. Louis."
Whenever asked about a player he admires, Dennis answered without hesitation. "Ryne Sandburg!" said he. "I liked him because he seemed to be a spark plug for the team."
Cubs World welcomes you! We all look forward to cheering on the Cubbies...together!
FAKE NEWS HAS REACHED EPIDEMIC LEVELS!
by Wayne Richards
One of the most enjoyable things in my everyday routine is waking up to a great cup of coffee and flipping on the old puter for news, weather and sports.
Then..it happened! A headline popped up reading, CRAIG COUNSELL LEAVES CUBS...FANS IN SHOCK! I almost did a spit take!
Then...it dawned on me. This particular FACEBOOK page (which I will not mention) has regularly reported made up stories designed to get a rise out of readers. These are well written pieces created by spammers!
Some stories are just plain sick! Before Spring training, it was reported that broadcaster, Pat Hughes has suddenly died. In a bit of irony, after learning that Pat was just fine , an announcement came out the next day or so about the death of the legendary Bob Eucker. At first I thought, "Here we go again!" Unfortunately, he DID pass.
Crazy mind-bending stories are published every day! I suppose these warped creators have a great time manipulating the emotions of the poor gullible souls who explore the net.
I've written and spoken several times about the wonderful opportunity to have breakfast with the one and only Jack Brickhouse. During that conversation we touched upon the subject of sports reporting. Said Jack, "I don't care if you're the most seasoned reporter. Nobody actually knows what goes on in the locker room, nor does management share all the details. But we do our best to follow up a story so that some truth comes out!
Its unfortunate, but in this day and age, whether we like it or not, we all need to fact check! Just watch out for some of these ridiculous Cubs rumors that seem to come out every few days. And.......for the individual or individuals who make up this crap...WE'RE ON TO YOU!
by Wayne Richards
One of the most enjoyable things in my everyday routine is waking up to a great cup of coffee and flipping on the old puter for news, weather and sports.
Then..it happened! A headline popped up reading, CRAIG COUNSELL LEAVES CUBS...FANS IN SHOCK! I almost did a spit take!
Then...it dawned on me. This particular FACEBOOK page (which I will not mention) has regularly reported made up stories designed to get a rise out of readers. These are well written pieces created by spammers!
Some stories are just plain sick! Before Spring training, it was reported that broadcaster, Pat Hughes has suddenly died. In a bit of irony, after learning that Pat was just fine , an announcement came out the next day or so about the death of the legendary Bob Eucker. At first I thought, "Here we go again!" Unfortunately, he DID pass.
Crazy mind-bending stories are published every day! I suppose these warped creators have a great time manipulating the emotions of the poor gullible souls who explore the net.
I've written and spoken several times about the wonderful opportunity to have breakfast with the one and only Jack Brickhouse. During that conversation we touched upon the subject of sports reporting. Said Jack, "I don't care if you're the most seasoned reporter. Nobody actually knows what goes on in the locker room, nor does management share all the details. But we do our best to follow up a story so that some truth comes out!
Its unfortunate, but in this day and age, whether we like it or not, we all need to fact check! Just watch out for some of these ridiculous Cubs rumors that seem to come out every few days. And.......for the individual or individuals who make up this crap...WE'RE ON TO YOU!
FROM THE PREZ'S DESK
by Wayne Richards
There are documents that proclaim that I currently serve as the Cubs World President. I do it with pride.
However, I do have a request. I prefer being called, "THE PREZ". Many of you do and I deeply appreciate it.
I'm into my second year and I can't help but reflect on how this club been evolving. Oh, we've had some guests get into an accident or two. In fact, we had Sue Zipay scheduled to join us at our upcoming movie night in July. But, she's in the hospital and not doing well at all. In fact, I spoke to her son and she can't even do a zoom session.
This is the reality of things. People get ill. They can't travel nor do they have the desire to do so. This is why ZOOMING is so important.
Of course, we will do everything we can to have live presentations on our schedule. Your Prez listens very carefully to suggestions from the membership. I encourage you to continue doing that. Some people think a game night is in order and we will be booking that soon.
Your input is very important! You may write to me personally at [email protected] if you wish. You may also find me via our web site.
In the meantime.......GO CUBBIES!!!!!!!!
by Wayne Richards
There are documents that proclaim that I currently serve as the Cubs World President. I do it with pride.
However, I do have a request. I prefer being called, "THE PREZ". Many of you do and I deeply appreciate it.
I'm into my second year and I can't help but reflect on how this club been evolving. Oh, we've had some guests get into an accident or two. In fact, we had Sue Zipay scheduled to join us at our upcoming movie night in July. But, she's in the hospital and not doing well at all. In fact, I spoke to her son and she can't even do a zoom session.
This is the reality of things. People get ill. They can't travel nor do they have the desire to do so. This is why ZOOMING is so important.
Of course, we will do everything we can to have live presentations on our schedule. Your Prez listens very carefully to suggestions from the membership. I encourage you to continue doing that. Some people think a game night is in order and we will be booking that soon.
Your input is very important! You may write to me personally at [email protected] if you wish. You may also find me via our web site.
In the meantime.......GO CUBBIES!!!!!!!!
As usual, here is your opportunity to share your thoughts and observations. Tell us what's on your mind.
Thank you for supporting the CUBS WORLD CHATTER!
Thank you for supporting the CUBS WORLD CHATTER!
