Vintage Baseball Radio Interviews
Remembering WGN and the Cubs: Cardwell no-no got Cholly jolly post-game
By George Castle – CBM Historian on January 31, 2017
Don Cardwell (left) thrilled WGN-TV viewers as he bore down on his no-hitter in the ninth. Analyst Charlie Grimm (right) was pretty much a spectator while Jack Quinlan handled the riveting play-by-play on WGN-Radio, but was very expressive amid the post-game hoopla.
The Chicago Baseball Museum is presenting a series of five podcasts commemorating the 57-year relationship between WGN Radio and the Cubs that is ending this season.
The vintage segment presented here originally aired on WGN on Sunday afternoon, May 15, 1960. Almost the entire top of the ninth of newly-acquired Cubs pitcher Don Cardwell’s no-hitter is replayed with the incomparable Jack Quinlan’s riveting play-by-play. Interestingly, Charlie Grimm, ol’ “Jolly Cholly” himself, said practically nothing during the final three outs to add perspective. Just a week earlier, Grimm was involved in another strange P.K. Wrigley move. After starting the season with his third tenure as Cubs manager, Grimm traded jobs in the broadcast booth with analyst Lou Boudreau, former manager of the Indians, Red Sox and Athletics.
After Cardwell completed his no-no and did a hectic on-field TV-radio interview with Vince Lloyd, Quinlan turned over the mic to Grimm to describe the wild scene in which thousands of happy fans stormed Wrigley Field. Grimm was impressed, considering he had seen many dramatic events as a Cub. The clip apparently is the only surviving record of Grimm’s radio work that had dated back to the 1930s, right after his successful first stint as manager.
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Category Vintage Baseball Radio Interviews TagsRemembering WGN and the Cubs: Mottlow does 1959 game via ticker
Red Mottlow later in his life. In 1959, he filled in on one of WGN’s last Western Union ticker baseball broadcasts.
By George Castle – CBM Historian on January 30, 2017
The Chicago Baseball Museum is presenting a series of five podcasts commemorating the 57-year relationship between WGN Radio and the Cubs that is ending this season.
The vintage segment presented here originally aired on WGN on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 5, 1959. On days when the Cubs were off or playing at night on the road, the station aired other games re-created by Western Union ticker. On Sept. 5, all the regular station sports announcers were not available for the broadcast. WGN writer-producer Red Mottlow, who had re-created Triple-A games in Minneapolis only a few years earlier, was tapped to fill in.
Mottlow, a Chicago native and graduate of Marshall High School, handled a Reds-Braves game. Later on, in the mid-1960s, he became the first Chicago radio sportscaster to carry a tape recorder into the locker room and eventually co-hosted the Diamond Gems baseball show. On a Diamond Gems in 1998, Mottlow recalled how he handled the ticker re-creation in the studio. That segment, along with a half-inning of his play-by-play, is featured here.
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Category Vintage Baseball Radio Interviews TagsRemembering WGN and the Cubs: A rookie’s call of Musial’s 3,000th hit
By George Castle – CBM Historian on January 29, 2017
As a rookie announcer, Lou Boudreau (left) managed to craft a decent play-by-play of Stan Musial’s (right) 3,000th hit at Wrigley Field in 1958
The Chicago Baseball Museum is presenting a series of five podcasts commemorating the 57-year relationship between WGN Radio and the Cubs that is ending this season.
The vintage segment presented here was part of WGN’s first season airing the Cubs in 1958. On May 13, rookie announcer Lou Boudreau spelled play-by-play man Jack Quinlan when Stan Musial collected his 3,000th hit as a pinch hitter against Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field. Harry Caray’s version of the historic hit on the Cardinals’ radio network is the most commonly replayed, while Boudreau’s call has rarely been heard ever since other than on the syndicated Diamond Gems radio show.
Harvey native Boudreau, the AL’s MVP as the Cleveland Indians’ player-manager in 1948, was a staple on the Cubs broadcasts as analyst and relief play-by-play man through 1987. He teamed with Quinlan, Vince Lloyd, Milo Hamilton and Dewayne Staats.
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Category Vintage Baseball Radio Interviews TagsRemembering WGN and the Cubs: First broadcast from LA Coliseum in ’58
Jack Quinlan (bottom) and Lou Boudreau did their sixth regular-season WGN Radio Cubs broadcast from the odd-looking, for baseball, Los Angeles Coliseum on April 22, 1958.
By George Castle – CBM Historian on January 28, 2017
The Chicago Baseball Museum kicks off a series of five podcasts here commemorating the 57-year relationship between WGN Radio and the Cubs that is ending this season.
The vintage segment presented today was part of WGN’s sixth regular-season broadcast upon assuming the Cubs’ radio rights in 1958. On April 22 of that season, announcers Jack Quinlan and Lou Boudreau describe the strange layout for baseball that was shoehorned into the 100,000-seat Los Angeles Coliseum. The broadcast was the Cubs’ first visit to Los Angeles after the Dodgers had moved from Brooklyn.
The clip begins with Boudreau in 1997 recalling how the golden-voiced Quinlan helped break him into his long Cubs announcing career in 1958. The Boudreau interview and vintage broadcast first aired on the Diamond Gems baseball radio show in 1997.
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Category Vintage Baseball Radio Interviews Tags1997 — Brickhouse did 1st Bulls deal on ‘Matty’s’ placemat
Bulls founding owner Dick Klein (left) poses with original assistant coach Al Bianchi (center) and head coach Johnny “Red” Kerr in the team’s early days. Klein completed his first TV rights deal with Jack Brickhouse in a very unorthodox manner. Photo courtesy of Chicago Bulls.
By George Castle – CBM Historian on January 27, 2017
The Chicago Baseball Museum is presenting classic interviews from the archives of CBM historian George Castle’s “Diamond Gems” syndicated weekly baseball radio show, which aired from 1994 to 2010.
In this edition, presented in connection with a new special web site celebrating the life of Jack Brickhouse, the all-time Chicago announcer recalls how he negotiated the Bulls’ first-ever TV contract with Bulls founding owner Dick Klein on a placemat at Matty’s Wayside Inn in Glenview, Ill. Brickhouse was the Bulls’ first TV announcer for the NBA team’s initial seven seasons. Also included here is a clip of Brickhouse’s final Bulls broadcast, a last-minute Game 7 playoff meltdown by the Chicagoans against the Lakers during the playoffs on April 15, 1973 in Los Angeles.
“The Diamond Gems Flashback” also features photos of the interviewees from the one-of-a-kind Leo Bauby Photo Collection, emphasizing Chicago baseball. Many photos are available to the general public directly on Ebay via seller name Soxphotos soxphotos | eBay.
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Category Vintage Baseball Radio Interviews Tags1997 — Brickhouse, no-hitters, Bruce Froemming
History brought together Milt Pappas (left) and Bruce Froemming (right) in the last no-hitter Jack Brickhouse broadcast. Brickhouse had a just-as-unusual Froemming story from the latter’s minor-league days as part of his reservoir of stories.
By George Castle – CBM Historian on January 26, 2017
The Chicago Baseball Museum is presenting classic interviews from the archives of CBM historian George Castle’s “Diamond Gems” syndicated weekly baseball radio show, which aired from 1994 to 2010.
This edition features the second of four consecutive segments taken from a retrospective on the career of famed Chicago announcer Jack Brickhouse, taped in Aug. 1997. In this segment, Jack recalls broadcasting eight no-hitters — and tells a hilarious story involving Bruce Froemming, the key figure in the final no-hitter, by Milt Pappas, in 1972. Brickhouse also will be honored this season with a bobblehead day at Wrigley Field as part of its 100th anniversary. The Chicago Baseball Museum supports the Brickhouse family in the promotional effort.
“The Diamond Gems Flashback” also features photos of the interviewees from the one-of-a-kind Leo Bauby Photo Collection, emphasizing Chicago baseball. Many photos are available to the general public directly on Ebay via seller name Soxphotos soxphotos | eBay.
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Category Vintage Baseball Radio Interviews Tags1997 — Brickhouse recalls how ‘Hey Hey’ call began
By George Castle – CBM Historian on January 25, 2017
Hank Sauer’s (left) Cubs slugging feats generated the “Hey Hey” home-run call of Jack Brickhouse, shown at right with broadcaster Tom Shaer at Opening Day at Wrigley Field in 1997.
The Chicago Baseball Museum is presenting classic interviews from the archives of CBM historian George Castle’s “Diamond Gems” syndicated weekly baseball radio show, which aired from 1994 to 2010.
This edition features one of four consecutive segments taken from a retrospective on the career of famed Chicago announcer Jack Brickhouse, taped in Aug. 1997. In this segment, Jack recalls how his famed “Hey Hey” home-run call came about around 1950, in the first years of televised baseball at Wrigley Field. Brickhouse had been using the call for homers by Cubs slugger Hank Sauer without realizing it. Brickhouse also will be honored this season with a bobblehead day at Wrigley Field as part of its 100th anniversary. The Chicago Baseball Museum supports the Brickhouse family in the promotional effort.
“The Diamond Gems Flashback” also features photos of the interviewees from the one-of-a-kind Leo Bauby Photo Collection, emphasizing Chicago baseball. Many photos are available to the general public directly on Ebay via seller name Soxphotos soxphotos | eBay.
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Category Vintage Baseball Radio Interviews Tags1969 — Durocher, Holland enthused over new Cubs season’s outlook
John Holland (left) and Cubs owner Phil Wrigley finally thought they might have a winner going into 1969.
By George Castle – CBM Historian on January 24, 2017
The Chicago Baseball Museum is presenting classic interviews from the archives of CBM historian George Castle’s “Diamond Gems” syndicated weekly baseball radio show, which aired from 1994 to 2010.
This edition features the Durocher in the Dugout and Leadoff Man radio interviews broadcast just before the Cubs famed Opening Day 1969 and replayed on “Diamond Gems” starting in 1997. Cubs manager Leo Durocher and GM John Holland, the latter on the Leadoff Man, were optimistic about their team’s chances. Lou Boudreau, as usual, hosted both programs. Pay close attention to Holland’s analysis of top outfield prospect Oscar Gamble.
“The Diamond Gems Flashback” also features photos of the interviewees from the one-of-a-kind Leo Bauby Photo Collection, emphasizing Chicago baseball. Many photos are available to the general public directly on Ebay via seller name Soxphotos soxphotos | eBay.
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Category Vintage Baseball Radio Interviews Tags1997 — Glavine went past his own projected expiration date to win 305 games
Amid all his Hall of Fame achievements, Tom Glavine also claimed some pitching history at Wrigley Field. Photo credit: 2 on a Whim Creations.
By George Castle – CBM Historian on January 23, 2017
The Chicago Baseball Museum is presenting classic interviews from the archives of CBM historian George Castle’s “Diamond Gems” syndicated weekly baseball radio show, which aired from 1994 to 2010.
This edition, final in a series of chats with newly-elected Hall of Famers, features an April 1997 interview with Braves lefty Tom Glavine taped at Wrigley Field. At the time, Glavine, 31, was part of the game’s greatest pitching Big Three along with Greg Maddux and John Smoltz. He thought he might pitch up to five more years. But Glavine went past his own projected expiration date to win his 300th game as a Met at Wrigley Field on Aug. 5, 2007. He became the only pitcher to win his 300th at Wrigley Field. Glavine finished his career with 305 victories in 2008 back with the Braves.
“The Diamond Gems Flashback” also features photos of the interviewees from the one-of-a-kind Leo Bauby Photo Collection, emphasizing Chicago baseball. Many photos are available to the general public directly on Ebay via seller name Soxphotos soxphotos | eBay.
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Category Vintage Baseball Radio Interviews Tags