04/16/24
April 10, 2006
Mike Royko: (a legendary columnist) reminisces about his life, his father's bar and his favorite sport --16-inch softball -- in this never before seen film from his favorite saloon, The Billy Goat Tavern. (via Coudal)
posted by jasonspaceman to baseball at 11:08 AM - 8 comments
He was a down to earth writer who really told it like it is whether it be baseball or politics. The best thing about him was: He was a great CUBS fan.
posted by The Woj at 02:27 PM on April 10, 2006
As a recent Chicago transplant, let me say before reading that article that 16 inch softball is really, really stupid and annoying to play. That being said, the Billy Goat rules.
posted by Bernreuther at 05:09 PM on April 10, 2006
The best thing about him was: he was a hell of a good writer. Thanks, jason.
posted by chicobangs at 05:31 PM on April 10, 2006
You don't ALWAYS have to agree with a journalist to respect his ways. Thank you, Jason. As for 16 inch ball, the arthritis in the two broken knuckles ALWAYS remind me that softball was meant to be played with a glove, like most of us pussies do, or did.
posted by wolfdad at 09:20 PM on April 10, 2006
I couldn't possibly watch enough documentaries of sports-loving people, like Royko, in legendary beer halls, like the Billy Goat, relating impromptu stories of sports-lore, like this one. Great, great post spaceman. As an avid writer, an avid softball player, and an avid video producer, I was trebly inspired.
posted by BullpenPro at 10:11 PM on April 10, 2006
I used to read Royko all the time when I was in college at Southern Illinois and think, "What the hell is so special about this guy?" until I finally realized why he was so popular in Chicago -- because he was Chicago. He wrote how Chicagoans talk and think and feel, and this clip just bears that theory out. As for 16-inch softball, I played it competitively for a couple seasons, but I could never get past that awful dull "thuk" the ball made when you hit it squarely. Sounded like someone smashing old canteloupes. That, and you just can't make the cool diving stops at third without a glove.
posted by wfrazerjr at 09:16 AM on April 11, 2006
That clip epitomizes working class Chicagoans. My Mom was an avid Sun-Times reader and Royko fan. A day would hardly go by without her asking "Didja see what Royko wrote today?" Thanks for the post.
posted by willthrill72 at 02:02 PM on April 12, 2006
Slats is probably happy now it's great too remember a writer like Royko I used to love reading his column