The Common Fan Sings

America's Game is the Fan's Game

2009-01-29T23:35:00.001-08:00

By Brent Davies

And no game like baseball at Wrigley let's the fans "share the field" as much. The Shawon-O-Meter was a bleacher icon that not only created a bond with one of the Cubs, but will forever be attached to the legendary broadcaster Harry Carey who started the 7th inning sing a long at Wrigley field. While not be a celebrity, by letting Mr. Cihla and others sing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game", the Cubs not only pay tribute to fan participation and loyalty, but also develop a marketing campaign----one that rewards the fans who make baseball what it is today.

The Shawon-O-Meter Goes on a Road Trip

2009-01-15T22:39:00.000-08:00

By Steven Katz

In 1990 David Cihla came to visit me in Philadelphia with Shawon-O-Meter in tow (actually, two in tow). The plan was to hit a couple of Phillies games at Veteran’s Stadium and then take the train to DC to drop the original Shawon-O-Meter off at the Smithsonian. I’m pretty sure it was late in the season because both the Phillies and Cubs were out of the picture (though I guess that happens by May with the Cubs some years).

They were making up a rained out game, so there we were at a Friday Night Twilight Double Header in an empty Veteran’s Stadium. Apparently Veteran’s Stadium is a great place to go for securing alcohol if you’re an underaged High School kid. Said alcohol sales were scheduled to stop after the 7^th inning stretch of the 2^nd game. Game one went 13 innings and needless to say the natives were restless and not very appreciative of Cihla and his Shawon-O-Meter. I think it was about the 5^th inning of the 2^nd game that a gang of 17 year olds came over and threatened us with bodily harm. No blood was spilled but the Shawon-O-Meter was grabbed and thrown down in some crevice 50 ft. below us right behind the center field wall.

My initial reaction was “no big deal, we can spend $4.50 to make another one”……but Cihla was determined to retrieve his treasured meter…..leaving me on my own to deal with the drunken youth of Philadelphia. Some how we made it out alive with the meter (version #2, the one that is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame) in one piece……well, its normal 27 pieces in a black hefty garbage bag that is.

Disclaimer: Almost twenty years on Steve’s and my memory is a little foggy. The descriptions and details are deemed not accurate, but approximate

Online Petition Live!!

2009-01-07T23:05:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,

One of my friends from college is petitioning the Chicago Cubs and WGN television to allow him to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley Field this June. Twenty years ago, he was part of the Shawon-O-Meter people, who displayed Shawon Dunston's batting average throughout the season (google 'shawon o meter' or see link below). He is not only a big Cub fan, but also still a fan favorite (The Shawon O Meter is well known among Cub and baseball fans) and would be a great representative of all 'regular fans' who have spent countless hot summer days in the famous Wrigley Field bleachers.

To everyone outside the US who is probably not familiar with the Shawon O Meter, the Cubs and/or baseball: This sport is our national pastime and the Cubs are known nationally as the 'lovable losers' who now have gone 100 years without winning the World Series (or the US championship series). This petition is real, and it may seem a bit out of the ordinary, even somewhat childish, however it is legitimate. Without going into to much detail, a beloved announcer of Cub games, Harry Caray sang the song and since his passing, there has been 'guest singers' for each Cub game since. Usually the guests are celebrities, among whom have been the likes of Eddie Vedder, Bill Murray, Mohammed Ali, Jimmy Buffet, Russell Crowe, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Shania Twain, Jay Leno, Mel Gibson, as well as hundreds of local Chicago athletes and other celebrities. By signing the petition, we will give a regular fan the chance to become part of the phenomenon.

Please, take a couple of minutes to sign. It would be great to see names from all over the world. Thank you!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/commonfansings/

Ty

Take Me Out To The Shawon-O-Meter

2009-01-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

By Donald G. Evans

A confluence of activity goes into the Wrigley Field experience. What happens on the field is certainly a big part of it: Milt Pappas’ near-perfect game, Kerry Wood’s 20 strikeouts, Reed Johnson’s diving, hat-flipping catch, Willie Smith’s Opening Day walk-off home run, the Michael Barrett-A.J. Pierzynski brawl. But what happens in the stands, in the bars surrounding the park, around the souvenir stands, all along Waveland and Sheffield and Addison and Clark, on the el platform, under the stadium in the concession area, and yes, in the broadcast booth…that’s as much a part of it.

My personal memories of Wrigley Field include eating Ron Santo Pizza, catching knuckleballs from peanut vendors, taking the Cicero Avenue bus to Addison, skipping school, listening to hecklers ride the umpires, hearing the conversations between Bleacher Bums.

Roaring with the crowd as the Shawon-O-Meter was hoisted in the air.

Dave Cihla and his famous sign were as much a part of the 1980s Wrigley experience as Andre Dawson, Greg Maddux and Mark Grace. Certainly more than a great variety of celebrities who’ve been chosen to guest conduct the Seventh Inning Stretch.

Here are some of the celebrities chosen to sing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” since the tradition began in 1998:

· Bea Arthur: Maude, in a word. Okay, she was also Dorothy Zbornak on the Golden Girls. Born in New York City, raised in Maryland, schooled in Virginia, Bea Arthur’s Chicago connection is dubious, at best. Cub fan? Who knows?

· David Cassidy: Keith Partridge. Also born in New York City, it’s not clear what, if anything, David Cassidy has to do with the Cubs. Maybe he was promoting his Partridge family greatest hits album, which came out the year before his Wrigley appearance. I can’t be sure.

· Barbara Eden: Had Jeannie shown a little midriff during her guest stint, I could have seen it. But she didn’t, and I don’t.

· Erik Estrada: He played Ponch on “CHIPs.” Another New York City guy. Do we really need to go to New York to drum up aging television stars?

· Peter Frampton: Hey, I still drag out my “Frampton Comes Alive!” vinyl album on occasion, too, but I’m not sure that warrants the prime slot in my ballpark.

· Barney the Dinosaur: I was fine with Bozo the Clown—I get that—but why do purple dinosaurs get the red carpet treatment and billy goats get bounced?

· American Girls: Dolls come alive? Dolls sing? Can a doll be a Cub fan?

· Ozzie Osbourne: Well, he didn’t bite the head off a bat, even a Louisville Slugger, but that’s the best you could say about the whole thing.

· Marion Ross: Mrs. Cunningham. Born here? No. Went to school here? No. Did an internship in Palatine? No. She didn’t even bring the Fonz or Potsie with her.

· Dawn Wells. Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island. As I recall, Thurston Howell III liked golf, but I don’t remember any mention of baseball. What I’m looking for here is evidence that Dawn or Mary Ann, any of the shipwrecked characters, cared one iota about the Cubs.

· Jerry Mathers: Everybody loved the Beav—50 years ago. So we dust him off, find him a Cubs hat that sort of fits, and shove a mic into his hand. This does justice to Harry Caray’s memory…how?

I could go on. The Cubs’ insist that in order to guest conduct the seventh-inning stretch, one must be famous, or a sports figure, or a special interest group. That means “Macho Man” Randy Savage is in; Jerry “The Bleacher Preacher” Pritikin is out. Hottie and the Blowfish are in; the beer venders are out. Mickey Mouse and the Dapper Dan Quartets are in; the old bleacher bums are out.

Presumably, the thinking is that everybody loves celebrities. Celebrities are good for business. They’re an attraction. But isn’t The Shawon-O-Meter as famous as famous gets, in Wrigley Field?

The Cubs do have one category that allows “special individual guests.” These rare exceptions are the ones I feel have done justice to the spirit of Harry Caray and everything the guest conducting program entails. Ronnie “Woo Woo” Wickers got a chance, as did Illinois Teacher of the Year Bob Gramm and Wrigley Field organist Gary Pressy. Last year, the team held a 7^th Inning Stretch competition and let the winner, Dustin Egleseder, lead. These were fun, precious moments.

Dave Cihla should be next. On June 12. Wouldn’t Harry just love seeing Dave and his sign ham it up on the 20^th anniversary of The Shawon-O-Meter? Wouldn’t he?

Donald G. Evans is the editor of the new anthology Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting Till Next Year. Cubbie Blues is the sponsor of the petition to nominate the "Shawon-O-Meter" as guest conductor on June 12, 2009.

An appeal to Cubs fans

2009-01-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

The seventh-inning stretch has become quite the tradition at Wrigley Field since Harry Caray brought his act from the Southside Sox to the Northside Cubs. In Harry's absence the Cubs carry the torch and have quest singers perform the song every game. The seventh inning stretch at Wrigley may have its detractors but I feel it's a fitting tribute to a man whose mark on baseball and the city of Chicago is indelible.

The Cubs try to keep the singing roster to ex-players, celebrities and occasionally an accomplished sports team/group from the area. They introduced the "Ultimate 7th-Inning Stretch Competition" in 2007, opening up the field to budding performers ala "American Idol". This was a nice nod to the fans but for me it felt a little like David Letterman's "Stupid Human Tricks".

What would be nice is to see the Cubs allow a common fan with a long history with the team or relevant personal story sing the seventh inning stetch once a year. each year a different fan would be chosen. I feel diehard Cubs fans would appreciate the gesture.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the genesis of this idea and my own personal motives behind this blog. June 5th, 2009, will mark the 20th anniversary of the "Shawon-O-Meter" - the makeshift placard used in the left filed bleachers to track the batting average of Cubs shortstop Shawon Dunston. The original sign is in the Smithsonian Institution and subsequent versions in the Baseball Hall of Fame and Chicago History Museum. To commemorate the anniversary I thought the seventh inning stretch would be a nice bookend to the sage. I have initiated efforts to that effect and will update this site with any progress.

In 1989 and beyond we used to record the games on VHS tapes and consolidate "Shawon-O-Meter" clips on a master tape. One of these was sent to the Smithsonian when I initially proposed its donation. With the twentieth anniversary looming and for posterity and personal use, I felt it necessary to get with the 21st century, edit and digitize the clips from 1989 and burn onto DVD.

What resulted was a 56-minute time capsule of that magical year, complete with a skinny Barry Bonds and a crescendo of excitement as the Cubs crept towards the playoffs and the doorstep of the World Series. But you know what sticks with me after viewing? It's not the steady climb of Dunston's batting average from .203 to .282 or seeing my mug and those of my friends while holding the sign: it's the amazing power, presence and passion of Harry Caray's voice describing what he's seeing on the field. And then realizing there will never be another like him, and appreciating the statue erected in his honor at Sheffield & Addison.

I'd like to think Harry would approve of letting a common fan sing the seventh inning stretch. He broadcast as a fan first, announcer second, in my opinion. Let a common fan sing!!