February 18, 2017: South Side

Technically I’m from the South Side.  Technically I’m from the West Side.  No, not THE south or west sides making the news everyday for the wrong reasons in our city, although we did have our share.  That’s why I never claimed south side… or west side.  I claimed “Heart of Chicago”.  I had many arguments about that growing up… I still have some today.  It is true though… look it up.  The Heart of Chicago is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the Lower West Side.  That’s where I’m from.

I describe it in my intro on my website.  Through a little research I found out that Papa Bear George Halas grew up about 6 blocks from where I did.  He may have known my mother’s parents, who grew up in this same neighborhood.  I’m proud of where I’m from.  I don’t like when people trash Chicago.  Yeah, we got problems, but not any worse than a whole lot of other cities.  I love my city.

I had to make a couple trips to the south side this weekend.  Seeing our tax guy on Saturday and my good friend on Sunday, I was all over the south side of Chicago… the south side that I knew.  I was trying to think of how to spin this into a sports blog.

All the memories as I drove down these streets…  My wife says I’ve told her the same story about a particular place multiple times, as we drive by a particular place, and I tell her a story.  For example.. “Down this street I was held up at gunpoint, and all I had on me was $5 and a bus pass”.  You know, just another Chicago story…  OK this isn’t turning into a sports blog yet…

But then I saw a sign driving down Western… can’t believe I don’t recall in front of what school it was… maybe it was a grammar school that’s why I can’t remember it.  But it said “PAC meeting this Wednesday”.  PAC standing for Parents Advisory Council I’m assuming…  That’s not the PAC I remember.  Aha, a sports angle!

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Yes, Harrison Park is where we played.  The Dodgers were my team.  We were sponsored by the Boys Club on 19th.  That was the only time we finished in last place.  We had some good teams… some really good teams.  I remember our trip to Iowa one summer…

All the best players were pulled from each team and driven to Iowa to face their best.  Supposedly these guys were one of the best teams in the state.  We annihilated them.  All these kids from the Heart of Chicago travelled West to the country and put on a show.  There were teams from each level:  pee wee league, little league, and pony league.  I’d have to confirm with my Dad, but I’m pretty sure we swept them… convincingly.  It was a proud moment.

Yes, and a few years after that last place trophy in pee wee league, I was on the mound, pitching for the championship.  As I fired a fast ball chest high to this kid, the umpire generously rang him up.  We were champs.  The team we beat was the Indians… funny.

Yeah, just one of many stories… many, many stories.  They’re not all about sports, but they are mostly about Chicago.  So thankful to have so many good memories of this city I’m from.  Still building on these blocks every single day…