Archive for the ‘The Greatest Sports Town’ Category

Julie and Will Mozeliak

The team that knows how. That’s the Cardinals all over. History might prove the team is more precise than the cryptic Phillies. “Who you for – the Cardinals or the Phillies?”, asked the daring columnist of the tailgaters on Tuesday at the risk of being beat up. “We just came from the pet blessing at Ste. Genevieve du Bois Church,” said charming Julie Mozelliak, wife of Cardinals vp and gm John Mozeliak. With her was their son, 6 year-old Will, who professed his ambition to be a player – not a manager. Then, a visit with beloved Fanny Sehollin the Red Bird Roost. It’s a tradition to pay homage

Fanny Seholl

to the 95 year-old who’s been flipping homemade hamburgers in both Busch Stadiums for 42 years. Retirement? “When the good Lord wants me to,” she said. No frozen hamburgers for Fanny, who enjoys preparing her own seasoning and uses fresh ground meat. She proudly exclaimed she grew up on Fourteenth and O’Fallon Streets and attended the St. Lawrence O’Toole School. Member of the Cardinal ownership, Fred Hanser, popped in to hug Fanny as did his wife, Kathy. Joining Kathy was Bill Wallaceof U.S. Vets St. Louis. He revealed a new home for homeless veterans will be

Fred Hanser, Fanny Seholl

established in an apartment building in St. John. The 12 homes in the nation are funded by various federal and HUD grants. “We are the largest provider for homeless vets in the country,” Wallace said. Meanwhile, remember that wonderful, long gone restaurant and cigar bar – Joseph’s Italian Cafe and Jo-Jo’s in Kirkwood? Joe Consolo and his family are about to bow a dinery in Naples, Florida, where he and his wife, Geri, now call home. Their daughter Tiffany, lives here with her husband Eric LaRocca, who was catching the game Tuesday with Tom Murphy – both with Weiss Insurance.
As I paradiddled my fingers on the keyboard

Kathy Hanser, Bill Wallace

on Wednesday, the thought occurred to me that when a telecaster says, “Well, things could be worse,” you know he has given up the search for something better. “Down but not out,” predicted a news reader. Others: “Are the Red Birds done?” “The comeback Cardinals,” “I hope I’m on a plane to Philly in the morning,” cheered Frank Cusumano on Channel 5. Meanwhile, can you just hear Tony LaRussa telling the team, “Hey, what’re you guys trying to do with old Tony?” As the curtain fell on the loss, fans revolted and sounded a little menacing, too. Good luck tonight to the Cardinals, the team that won’t

Tom Murphy and Eric La Rocca

give up!

Collector of Revenue Greg F.X. Daly, Associate District Judge Nannette Baker, Stacy and Chief Juvenile Judge Jimmie Edwards, an honoree.

Westminster College in Fulton has frozen tuition through 2013 at $19k for the two-semester year. . .SLU has delayed the $2 million expansion of the law school building due to “”faltering economy”. . .WashU students are complaining they’re having difficulties with WiFi in residence halls. . .Almost two-thirds of U.S. adults say they watch NFL football for as much as 10 hours a week, according to an Adweek/Harris poll. . .Docs are saying that since the advent of 24-hour news, almost
19 percent of viewers exposed to mass violence and natural disasters are affected with a wide range of psychopathological consequences. . . PNC Bank has filed a motion seeking approval of sale procedures and a private sale of the Susan Pines Apartments, a 36-acre, 336-unit apartment complex in St. Louis county ( a Gannon/William Franke business). . .Missouri Attorney Gen. Chris Koster is seeking donations to his reelection campaign. He writes: “We want to be well-prepared for whomever may come our way”. . .Tongues are still wagging about the exciting Gateway Classic foorball game Saturday at the Edward Jones Dome, where the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff was pitted against the Clark-Atlanta U; Missouri Southern State vs. Lincoln U.  The games and lifetime achievement honorees were honored at a gala that preceded the games with proceeds going to scholarships for area needy black students. The football classic was co-sponsored by Ameren Missouri and helmed by
Rich Gray, son of the classic’s founder Earl Wilson. During the black-tie gala at the Hyatt Regency, Judge Jimmie Edwards and his wife, Stacy mingled with Lou “Fatha” Thimes and seen there were such luminaries as Dr. John Wright, Cong. Lacy Clay, Jonathan Butler, Dr. Arlene Ackerman, Ruth Smith, Barbara and John Noble, Greg F.X. Daly, Jim Buford, Dawn Fuller with DeWayne Butler, Brian Leonard and Shirley Stennis, Mattie Moore, Kitty Ratcliffe, Judge Nanette Baker. Emcee was  Denise Thimes. . .To mark the 110th anniversary of the treasured Straub’s markets, fifth generation owner Jack “Trip” Straub, III., will offer at his four stores special sale prices, tastings from “Straubalicious” items and more surprises beginning Oct. 8. ..Violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman will perform Bruch‘s Violin Concerto on Saturday night as part of the Red Ball at Powell Hall. . .Congrats to the esteemed Leadership 100 of top diverse professionals, who were
honored by the Regional Business Council on Tuesday night at the Peabody.

That lovable, historic landmark on not-always-lovable Washington Avenue – the handsome Missouri Athletic Club- (MAC) – brought to minds on Thursday night sports heroes, who became household names  Painless nostalgia is hard to beat, when you meet up with the honorees at the “Rookie of the Year” event. presented by the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame and the MAC.  The program and dinner drew such notables as:

• Football Cardinals’ Ottis Anderson: “I live in New Jersey and build amateur football fields.”
• Football Cardinals head coach Jim Hanifan: “My heart goes out to Bill Bidwill, who’s affected by Alzheimer’s. Some people ask me why I feel that way because he fired me. and I tell them, ‘Yes, but he hired me.’”
• Baseball Cardinals’ Wally Moon: “I’ve written a book, ‘Moon Shot,” and it’s about my years in baseball, including  from 1954-1958 with the Cardinals, when I played with Stan Musial and Kenny Boyer.”
• St. Louis Hawks Basketball’s Bob Pettit: “I’m totally retired nowadays – no more challenges.”

About 400 guests assembled in the ballroom, where Hall of Fame’s president Greg Maracek pointed out that the $25,000 raised from the event (including a generous donation from Bob Costas) will be used to underwrite the maintenance of the Sports Hall of Fame at Scottrade Center and to create an educational platform for the youth and adults “to know and understand and learn life lessons from the greats.” Here ‘n there were: glamorous event planner Kristie Schneidegger; Todd Worrell; Johnny Roland; Jim Leeker; Vince Coleman; Willie McGee; Roy Sievers; Bill Verdon and Ted Sizemore.The MAC is a point of view that points to itself with pride. Now, watch some spoilsport suggest it should be steel-balled. Later, the club’s exec David Weiss settled down with the columnist in the jumping Jack Buck Grill, teeming with associate club members (31 years-old and younger)  Weiss touted the MAC’s history and facilities. There are currently 2,400 members of the club, said prez Tom Albus. Among the younger set was Henry Elster, an attorney who specializes in constitutional law, who explained, “It’s more scholarly than any other field. I enjoy it, because there’s so much history involved. But, I won’t make a fortune.”

101 ESPN Radio has inked its radio broadcast team and show line-up for the 2011-2012 season. Randy Karaker will host the pre-game show with analyst coach Rick Venturi. In-game coverage play-by-play will be helmed by Steve Savard and color analyst D’Marco Farr with in-game reporting by Tony Softli while studio host will be Tom Casey. Post-game host will be Zach McCrite with analysts Howard Balzer and Gus Ferotte.

Curt Flood, yesteryear center fielder for the Cardinals, will be the subject of a documentary to be aired at 8 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) on HBO. Titled “The Curious Case of Curt Flood,” it will feature interviews with our town’s Allan Zerman, who was Flood’s personal attorney during Flood’s challenge in refusing to accept a trade, which resulted in solidarity among players to fight against the reserve clause and their seeking free agent status.