Archive for May, 2022
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May 23, 2022

The Enduring Community of Chicago Beer

In search of the pure food beer (Courtesy of June Sawyers.)

Scottish by birth and a Chicagoan by heart, June Sawyers has written more than 25 books.

Her prolific catalog includes “Praying With Celtic Saints, Prophets, Martyrs, and Poets,”  “Dreams of Elsewhere: Selected Travel Writings of Robert Louis Stevenson” and a couple of my favorites, “Bob Dylan: New York” and “Racing in the Street: The Bruce Springsteen Reader.” She teaches at the Newberry Library in Chicago.

I’ve known Sawyers for many years.

I did not peg her as a beer person.

But she has just released “Chicago Beer (A History of [...]

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May 9, 2022

Roland Hemond: Baseball’s All-Star Nice Guy

Roland Hemond, 1929-2021

Roland Hemond is one of the most remarkable front office figures in Chicago baseball history.

He worked for White Sox owners John Allyn, Bill Veeck, and Jerry Reinsdorf.  As White Sox general manager in December 1971, he traded pitcher Tommy John to the Los Angeles Dodgers for slugger Dick Allen, which saved the Chicago franchise. After a lousy 1971 White Sox season Allen enchanted the south side in 1972 while hitting 37 home runs and winning the American League MVP.

Hemond spent 70 years of his life in baseball.

He died last December at the age of 92.

I’ve weathered the [...]

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