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There's no better, no more inspirational, no more fun guy to be around than Ron Santo. He's a treat for all of us to be around on a daily basis and his passion for the Cubs is not only wonderful, but highly contagious. During Wednesday's rain delay, Ron joined Len & Bob as was as entertaining as always. (Due to MLB restriction, we can't show the Skip Parker piece on all the 3rd basemen who have tried to replace Ron).
During Wednesday night's rain delay, Jim Hendry's right-hand man, Gary Hughes, made his way up to the booth to talk with Len and Bob about the deals made at the trading deadline and other topics.
Gee, the last time the Cubs were in Cincinnati, things were certainly different. Opening Day was one to remember and not just because the Cubs put up 16 runs in a win over the Reds.
We had received word several weeks in advance that President Bush would be in town to throw out the first pitch. Since WGN has been fortunate enough to have several presidents on during our telecasts (including a play-by-play stint by President Reagan in 1988), we contacted the White House to see if President Bush would be willing to join us. We were told no numerous times, including several times by the press office at the Stadium that day.
In the third inning, the President did come to the press box to talk with Cincinnati legend Marty Brennaman. There was a glass divider between our two booths and the Prez laughed as Bob and I kept waving him to come over. Bob not only spent some time with the President at the 2001 World Series, but also had dinner with him in Arizona that winter and visited the White House with the Diamondbacks.
Between innings, the door suddenly swung open and in popped the President, who as you all know is a huge baseball fan. He shook hands with everyone in the booth, wished the Cubs well for the season, declined my request to stay for an interview (3 times), then grabbed us and said "let's take a photo".
We received this picture through the Cubs before the road trip started. Regardless of your politics (and I know there will be some angry posts), meeting the leader of this country is still a great thrill.
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Working with Len & Bob is a daily adventure. They're great to be around, always well-prepared, and best of all, ready to laugh at a moment's notice. Yesterday, for only the second time in their tenure together, both showed up in matching WGN Sports shirts - Pittsburgh black to be exact. (Kudos and a shameless plug to our good friends at Ashworth who take such good care of us.)
Due to the shifting winds, it turned cold so Len put on his jacket on, but not before getting a little bit of abuse in the booth.
Bob & Len Wear The Same Shirt