Friday OT - Stars In His Eyes

[1UNI2ISU]

Mark Grace

Was my absolute favorite player to watch play and then when 12 year old me heard about what his life was like after all those day games at Wrigley, he became an untouchable legend.

 

[JP4CY]

Mark Grace

Was my absolute favorite player to watch play and then when 12 year old me heard about what his life was like after all those day games at Wrigley, he became an untouchable legend.

My dad loved Grace because he didn't use batting gloves at a time when I wanted batting gloves.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Reading through this thread, I'm now even more aware that women's sports were not easy to access when I was a child. Like, I knew it, but this is a harsh reminder. I'm glad times have changed a bit.

That said, I didn't have any real idols as a kid, but I remember singing along with Tiffany and Debbie Gibson. And in my early teen years, I really wanted to be on "MMC" or "Kids, Inc." despite having no musical ability. Ha ha ha.

FWIW, Chris Evert was one of my favorite tennis players

 

[Frog]

Local late model dirt track racer Ronnie Weedon. My family went to the races Friday through Sunday. I loved going to the races in Davenport, West Liberty, East Moline, Blue Grass, and Maquoketa when he ran there watching him race and win a lot. My dad was friends with his brother and our family helped support the car. I wore Weedon shirts from Auto Ron's, Still have many signed pictures, the whole nine yards. LOL.
Got my brother and now nephew in racing. I just help them in the pits and support.

 

[JayV]

Chuck Yeager. Read his auto-biography when I was young and thought he was amazing. Since it was an auto-biography he didn't include a lot of stuff that would be unflattering. Learned some of that later. Still think he accomplished great things but he was apparently quite the jackhole outside of that.

 

[Cyclonsin]

Chuck Yeager. Read his auto-biography when I was young and thought he was amazing. Since it was an auto-biography he didn't include a lot of stuff that would be unflattering. Learned some of that later. Still think he accomplished great things but he was apparently quite the jackhole outside of that.

Saw him speak one year at EAA Airventure in Osh Kosh. Fascinating to listen to him tell his stories. Wish I could remember more of that day.

 

[CRcyclone6]

My dad loved Grace because he didn't use batting gloves at a time when I wanted batting gloves.

Not Grace, but love the quote.

 

[CyCrazy]

Jordan or Ozzie Smith, Willie Mcgee is close to those 2.

 

[StevieISU23]

Ozzie Smith

Super little Stevie: He-Man

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

My dad loved Grace because he didn't use batting gloves at a time when I wanted batting gloves.

Guy who popularized term slumpbuster.

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

Kirby Puckett

 

[carvers4math]

I loved watching Bjorn Borg and played a lot of tennis. Cried when he retired so young.

The mentions of the Cubs in the 1980’s brings back numerous games we went to when I was in grad school. A bunch of guys were determined to get Sandberg to sign something for them. Ron Cey came over and signed my visor, and went and got Sandberg for them.

 

[madguy30]

Summer afternoons in the 80s with nothing to do on a rainy day, watching the Cubs down 8 in the 5th inning, listening to a heavily buzzed Harry Carry (who was also down 8 - Budweisers) berate Steve Stone about his cigars, while the cameraman was zooming in on girls in tank tops in the crowd.

Good times! And I didn't even like the Cubs...

Every now and then in the dryer hot summer days and I'm outside I catch a scent of the grass or something that puts me right back to afternoons at my grandparents' house.

It was boring but really simple and good, finding things to do outside in their yard/trees with WGN on inside.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

How many times a day did your mom give you Ritalin?

Yours stopped?!?

 

[Turn2]

This really dates me but at least it is in color. When the Orioles played the Dodgers in '66 World Series and the teacher asked for a show of hands for who was rooting for the birds, I was the only one. After they swept the blue I was treated like a savant.

 

[VeloClone]

Who was your childhood hero? Did you have an affinity for Elvis or Hulk Hogan? Big Abe Lincoln fan? Who did you admire most as a kid?

I told everyone that David Hasselhoff was my father.

 

[VeloClone]

FWIW, Chris Evert was one of my favorite tennis players

This Chris Evert?