Ballpark Stars, Wrigley & Comiskey-- Part 4: Rookies, Weddings and Balki

7.  "ROOKIE OF THE YEAR" (1993)

It's the last game of the season and the Cubs are facing the Mets.  A win and they go to the National League Championship Series.  On the mound is 12-year-old Henry Rowengartner.  After breaking his arm he learned that the healed tendons can allow him to throw 100 mph balls.

But, during this game, he reinjures it and loses the ability.  Lots of shots of worried fans, a manager and announcer, but then mom tells him to "float it."  An underhanded and backhanded pitch.  The Mets slugger strikes out and the Cubs win!!

8.  "MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING"  (1997)

New Comiskey plays itself.  A prewedding gathering brings everyone to a ballpark suite.  That Julia Roberts doesn't spill a tray of beers as she makes her way up and down is movie magic.

9.  "PERFECT STRANGERS"  (1986-1993)

There is no better example of Wrigley Field being used to convey Chicago than in one of the opening credits of the old ABC sitcom.

Week after week Larry Appleton and his distant cousin from faraway Mypos, Balki Bartokomous, could not be more excited to attend a Cubs game.

DaCootRookie

Ballpark Stars, Wrigley Field & Comiskey Park-- Part 3: Chased Across Wrigley and Selling Hot Dogs

5.  THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN (2009)

The very first Conan O'Brien show after he replaced Jay Leno on June 1, 2009.  He discovers that he needs to be in Los Angles instead of New York.  Unable to get a cab, he sprints across the country a la Forrest Gump.  To the tune of Cheap Trick's "Surrender" he runs and goes through Chicago and across the field at Wrigley with security guards in hot pursuit.

Watch the video on You Tube.  Hilarious.

6.  UNDERCOVER BOSS  (2010)

New Cubs owner Todd Ricketts grew a beard and wore fake glasses with the name Mark Dawson (from Cubs players Mark Grace and Andre Dawson) and applied for jobs in and around the ballpark.  Some of the jobs he did was cleaning restrooms and trying to organize a remote parking lot.  He wasn't very good at either job.

But, he really failed at selling hot dogs.  His solution was to buy them all himself and toss them in the garbage.  But, his supervisor caught him.

--CootRicketts

Ball Park Stars, Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park-- Part 2: Ferris Bueller and the Lonely

I should mention that the White Sox play in Comiskey Park, no matter what the new name is.

"FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF"  (1986)

Ferris Bueller, Cameron Frye and Sloane Peterson were in Wrigley Field's lower-deck corner where Ferris caught a foul ball.  This scene was actually shot during a June 5, 1985, Cubs-Braves game.

"You realize," Bueller says, "if we played by the rules, right bow we'd be in gym."

Meanwhile, Ferris' nemesis, dean of students Ed Rooney is at a pizza joint where the game is on TV.  And, guess who he saw?

"ONLY THE LONELY"  (1991)

This romantic comedy featuring John Candy, Maureen O'Hara, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Quinn is the first-date picnic on the field of an empty Comiskey Park.

--DaCoot

Ball Park Stars: Wrigley Field & Comiskey Park-- Part 1: 'Blues Brothers' and 'A League of Their Ow3n'

Sorry, but it will always be Comiskey Park to me, no matter who has paid to put their name on it.  And the Sears Tower still stands.

From the May 5, 2019, Chicago Tribune by Phil Rosenthal and Tim Bannon.

Here are nine memorable movie and TV scenes at Chicago baseball parks over the last 40 years.

"THE BLUES BROTHERS" (1980)

A great cameo for Wrigley Field, even if it is just a fleeting look.  A Nazi group is looking for our boys, Jake and Elwood Blues.  They had the address for Elwood Blues as being at 1060 West Addison.  Cut to the cars with the Nazis pulling up to the famed Wrigley Field outside sign at night.

"A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN" (1992)

The tryout scene for the All American Girls Professional Baseball League with most of the movie's top characters is at Wrigley Field.

--Cooter

He Fired When Ready-- Part 9: Charles Gridley's Legacy

Jackalope did a good job of summing up the life of this true American.

So, what's the appeal of Gridley.  he was well-liked by all, but not particularly regarded for his gallantry, military acumen, or initiative.  He provided years of service to his country, but achieved little  distinction. His only real claim to fame  was that eh was standing next to the man of the hour when that man's moment finally came.

Even the Battle of Manila Bay  was largely a meaningless victory -- the Spanish fleet never really had a chance, and the U.S. lacked the strength to take  and hold the Philippines afterwards.  In fact, they spent the next three months trying to prevent the Germans from taking them.

Yet, Dewey's famous order has secured Gridley's place in the history books for eternity.  In addition to the park in Erie, Pennsylvania, he's also lent his name to four ships in the U.S. Navy, a type of destroyer, and a National Guard training camp in Pennsylvania.

His alma mater, Hillsdale College, added a seashell to their coat of arms to honor his service.  For someone who did relatively little, he made the most of what little he actually did.  (Or he would have had he lived after the battle.)

But maybe that's part of his mystique.  He's a well-regarded heroic figure who died at the peak of his fame.  He never had the chance to disappoint the public or to be revealed as a lucky mediocrity like Dewey.  He's too big to be built up, but too small to bother tearing down.

In hindsight, he's a man who seems to have been destined to be a footnote in history.

Well, that is one big footnote and I'd sure settle for it myself.  A great American in every way.

And to think that just a little over a month ago I had no knowledge of this man other than the quote.  I didn't even know that he fought during the Civil War.

From M.B. to M.B..   From the Battle of Mobile Bay to the Battle of Manila Bay.  And it would have been even better if I had found that he was at the Battles of Fort Fisher, but at least George Dewey was.

You May Stop This Blog When Ready, Cooter.  --DaCoot

Ships on Which Charles Gridley Served

The ships Charles V. Gridley served upon ran the whole history of the U.S. Navy from 1860 (actually back to 1798) to 1898.  A lot of years.

The ships went from wooden to steel, sails to steam.

USS Constitution (USNA)

USS Oneida

USS Brooklyn  (This ship was at the Battle of Mobile Bay and the Battles of Fort Fisher.  Gridley served on it after the war.)

USS Kearsarge

USS Michigan  (1871)

USS Monongahela  (1873)

USS Trenton

USS Marion (his first actual command 1892)

USS Olympia

--Cooter

He Fired When Ready-- Part 8: His Death, Burial and Honors

"The battle of Manila killed me, but I would do it again if necessary," were Charles Gridley's last  words on public record.  He died on June 5, 1898, while the Coptic was anchored in Kobe, Japan.  This was just over a month from the Battle of Manila Bay.

He was cremated in Yokohama and his ashes sent to his widow in Erie, Pennsylvania. Once there, the ashes were interned in the city's Lakeside Cemetery with great fanfare.  The Navy later placed four guns captured from the Spanish arsenal at Cavite by his graveside.

Fifteen years later, the people of Erie once again celebrated Charles Gridley by naming a municipal park after him.  In the center of Gridley Park is a simple Ionic column standing tall.  

At its base are two plaques recounting the details of Gridley's  service and death, made from metal recovered from the wreckage of the USS Maine.

--Cooter

Is It True About Ohio?

The U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp honoring the one hundredth anniversary of the first flight by the Wright Brothers.

The first man in powered flight was from Ohio.

The first man ever to orbit the Earth was from Ohio.

And, the first man on the Moon was from Ohio.

It sounds like a lot of people are trying to get out of Ohio.

But, really, congratulations to Orville, John and Neil and Ohio.

--CootOutofHere

He Fired When Ready-- Part 7: 'The Battle of Manila Killed Me, But I Would Do It Again If Necessary.'

I'm not sure of Charles Gridley was counted as the one death in the American fleet or not, but this battle marked the beginning of the end for him.

The heat and poor ventilation in the Olympia's conning tower made his existing medical conditions so much worse.  At one point in the battle, he hit his side on the edge of the chart table which caused him great pain.  After the battle he had to be carried away from his post.

As the days passed by, it became more and more apparent that his condition was deteriorating rapidly, and Dewey had no choice but to relieve him of command of the USS Olympia.

On May 25, he was sent  home aboard the USS Zafiro to receive medical treatment.

Two days later, he was transferred from the Zafiro to the Occidental & Oriental steamship Coptic which was bound for Japan.  On June 4, the Coptic reached Nagasaki, Japan, and it was there that Gridley discovered that he and Dewey were the men of the hour.

He gave a British newspaper reporter a short interview tinged with a little bitterness.  He did not see much of a future for the U.S. in the Philippines, seeing the islands as a backwater suitable only as a rest stop for fleets crossing the Pacific.

Still, he had no regrets about his life and role in the battle.  He said, "The battle of Manila killed me, but I would do it again if necessary."

--Cooter

He Fired When Ready-- Part 6: The Losses at the Battle of Manila Bay

The Asiatic Squadron had suffered few casualties.  Only six wounded.  However, on the Spanish side, nearly 400 sailors died and ten warships either destroyed or captured according to The History Channel site.

This source says that after two hours of the fight, the Spanish fleet was so decimated that Dewey met with his captains and ordered his crews to have a second breakfast.

Wikipedia says that American losses were 

1 dead of illness

9 wounded

1 protected cruiser damaged

*******************************

Spanish losses were

77 killed

271 wounded

2 protected cruisers scuttled

5 unprotected cruisers sunk

1 transport ship sunk

Anyway you want to look at it, this was one big disaster of a battle for Spain.

Like I Said, It Was Very One-Sided.  --Cooter

He Fired When Ready-- Part 5: It Wasn't Much of a Battle

The Battle of Manila Bay was a one-sided slaughter.  Outgunned and under-armored, the only real hope of the Spanish fleet was to ram the American vessels, but concentrated fire tactics made that impossible.  

In fact, the only real problem with the American side during the action came at 7:45 am,  when a garbled message from the quartermaster forced Charles Gridley  to message Dewey that only  15 rounds of ammunition remained for each gun.  The squadron withdrew to the middle of the bay  and had an impromptu breakfast for the enlisted men while the ammunition was counted.

It was eventually determined that the report had been reversed --  in fact, only 15 rounds of ammunition had been expended per gun.

So, breakfast was suspended and the action resumed.  At 12:40 pm, after seven hours of battle, the Spanish surrendered.  Their fleet had been annihilated.

--Cooter

He Fired When Ready-- Part 4: 'You May Fire When You Are Ready, Gridley.'

So, Commodore Dewey is ready to destroy the Spanish fleet, but he almost had to do it without the service of his friend (they had met during stateside lighthouse duty), Charles Gridley.

For several months, Gridley had been seriously ill, suffering from some dysentery and an unspecified  liver condition (now believed to have been cancer).  Some days, he could barely get out of bed.  But, if the fleet was going into battle there was no way he was going to miss it.  He'd gone 33 years between battles and this likely might be his last chance.  He pleaded with Dewey to let him participate.  Dewey relented and let him.

Under cover of darkness on the night of April 30th, Dewey and the entire U.S. Asiatic fleet sailed past the Spanish batteries on Corregidor and into Manila Bay.  The Spanish were not expecting the Americans to do this at night and their ships were anchored at Cavite, a small peninsula in the bay that allowed them protection from the weather and tides.

As the sun rose on April 1st they found themselves bottled up.  There was nowhere to go but to make a run for safety.

At 5:41 AM, Dewey turned to Gridley and gave a brief, informal order that went on to become very famous U.S. Naval words:

"You may fire when you are ready, Gridley.

Fire he did.

--Cooter

He Fired When Ready-- Part 3: Dewey to Strike First and Hard

So, Charles Gridley finally had that plum command, the USS Olympia.  But then, on February 15, 1898, the USS Maine blew up while anchored in Havana Harbor, Cuba.  The relations between Spain, who controlled Cuba, and the United States had been worsening for years.

The American people, spurred on by a Yellow Press Campaign of Spanish misdeeds in Cuba, were upset about heavy-handed tactics the Spanish were using to put down Cubans who were striving for independence.  And, the American government and business interests were trying to find ways to grab Spain's colonial possessions and make them their own.

The commander of the U.S. Asiatic Squadron, George Dewey,  had been preparing for war for months.  He knew that Spain's hold on the Philippines was tenuous at best, and that if he moved swiftly, he could strike a first blow and weaken Spain's ability to resist.

Just as soon as war was declared, he moved fast to destroy the Spanish fleet operating out of  Manila in the Philippines.

--Cooter

He Fired When Ready-- Part 2: Charles V. Gridley's Inter-War Years

Charles Vernon Gridley of Hillsdale, Michigan, was appointed to the USNA in 1860, by Michigan Congressman Henry Waldron.   At the academy, which moved to Newport, Rhode Island for safety in the strongly pro-Confederate state of Maryland, he attained no particular distinction and graduated in the bottom half of his class.  But, he was well-regarded and somehow picked up the nickname of "Steve."

His first assignment was to the USS Oneida which then took part in the Battle of Mobile Bay where he achieved commendation.

After the war it was difficult for younger officers to rise in the ranks because the Navy had more officers than it had postings.  Even so, Charles rose through the ranks fairly fast.  (See yesterday's post.)  In 1892, he received his first command on the USS Marion and  was posted to the Asiatic Squadron. 

Finally in 1897, he received promotion to captain and given command of the USS Olympia of the Asiatic Squadron.  The Olympic was one of the most modern ships in the Navy at the time, having been commissioned in 1895, and this was a highly desirable posting.  

He proved to be a popular commander, somehow managing to run a tight ship without having to be a strict disciplinarian.

--Cooter

Rising Through the Ranks: Charles Gridley

From Naval History and Heritage Command Navy Officers  1798-1900.

Acting Midshipman:  26 September 1860

Acting Ensign:   1 October 1863

Master:  10 May 1866

Lieutenant 21 February 1867

Lieutenant Commander: 12 March 1868

Commander:  10 March 1882

Captain:    14 March 1897

Died:  5 June 1898 

--Cooter

He Fired When Ready-- Part 1: Who Was This Gridley Guy?

From the order of the Jackalope "He fired when ready" by #13 (David White).

Well, of course if you have been reading this blog, you know.  I didn't know much about this person before I started this series of posts which actually started in my Civil War Navy blog Running the Blockade.  This is a part of my RoadTripping Through History approach to these blogs.

I figured this Gridly guy, and I had to find out his first name, must have been an officer under the command of Dewey.

David White remembers a family trip when he was a child and they went to Independence  Seaport Museum in Philadelphia where one of the attractions was the USS Olympia.  Bolted to the deck by the wheelhouse were two brass footprints engraved with this text:

"From this spot Commodore Dewey directed the Asiatic Squadron to victory in the Spanish-American War, launching the United States onto the world stage. 'You may fire when you are ready, Gridley.' May 11898, Manila Bay, Luzon, Philippines."

They are some of the most famous words in naval history, right up there with "Don't give up the ship" and "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead."

I figured he was a Navy man, likely an officer, but under the command of Dewey.

This is where David White started doing his own research.

--Cooter

Charles V. Gridley-- Part 12

The news of Charles Gridley's death was conveyed to the USS Olympia and was received with deep regret.  The Olympia's ship's newspaper, "The Bounding Billow," ran the following article:

"It is with indescribable  sorrow and regret that we hear of the untimely death of our beloved captain, Charles V. Gridley,.  He died on the  ). & ). Steamer Coptic at Kobe, Japan, June 5th.  Owing to a serious illness, he was ordered home on sick-leave,  taking with him the sincere respect and esteem of every man  in the fleet.

"He left on the Zafiro, escorted to sea by the Concord, amid the cheering of the entire fleet.  He was taken to the steamer by a boat's crew of officers with First Lieutenant Reese acting as coxswain.

"The news of his death came like a thunder-bolt, filling our hearts with grief and pain.  We respectively extend our  sincere sympathy to his relatives and friends."

Charles V. Gridley-- Part 11: His Death and Burial

Physically spent and finally released from the strain of command, Gridley's health began to sink even more quickly.  On May 27, when he transferred from the Zafiro to the commercial steamer  Coptic, he had to be taken aboard on a stretcher.  He knew his condition was grave and wrote, "I think I am done for it, personally."

Because of his actions at the Battle of Manila Bay,  Commodore Dewey  recommended that Gridley be advanced  ten numbers on the  promotions list as a reward for his services.    The Navy Department advanced him six places, still a strong testament o his ability.  

Captain Charles Vernon Gridley died on June 5, 1898, aboard the Coptic while it was in Kobe, Japan.  His body was cremated and sent home.  Services for him were held at  Erie, Pennsylvania's Cathedral of St. Paul and he was buried at  Erie's Lakeside Cemetery.

This Date in History, August 5: Sir William Wallace, Chicago and Cleveland's Lights

From the August 5, 2021 Chicago tribune "On August 5..."

Some very interesting things happening this date in history.

1305:  Sir William Wallace who unsuccessfully led Scottish resistance to the English in 1298, was captured near Glasgow by the English; he was executed for treason on August 23, 1305.  (From the movie "Braveheart.")

1833:  Chicago was incorporated as a village with population of 200.  (And, they weren't killing each other back then.)

1861:  The U.S. government levied an income tax for the first time.  Incomes of more than $800 were taxed at the rate of 3 percent.  (Funds needed to fight the Civil War.)

1884:  The cornerstone of the Statue of Liberty was laid on Bedloe's (now Liberty) Island near the entrance of New York Harbor.

1914:  The first electric traffic lights were installed in Cleveland, Ohio.

--Cooter

U.S. Warships USS William P. Lawrence-- Part 2

A full page picture comes with the month of August showing the USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110) and amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD-20) sailing with 15 other U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Australian Navy, Canadian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships in formation during Talisman Sabre 2019.

Talisman Sabre 2019 illustrates the closeness of the Australian and U.S. alliance and strength of the military-to-military relationship.  This is the eight iteration of this exercise.

--Cooter

U.S. Warships: The USS William P. Lawrence-- Part 1

From the Paralyzed Veterans of America 2021 calendar for August.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

DISPLACEMENT:  Approximately 9,200 tons

LENGTH:  509.5 feet

BEAM:  66 feet

DRAFT:  31 feet

ARMAMENT:  1 X 32 cell, 1 X64 cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems, 96 X RIM-66 SM-s, NCM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-Asroc missiles, 1 X 5/62 in (127/62 mm), 2 X 25 mm, 4 X 12.7 mm guns, 2 X MK 46 triple torpedo tubes, 1 X 20 Phalanx CIWS   (Now that I am totally confused.)

AIRCRAFT:  2 X SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters

--Cooter

Charles V. Gridley-- Part 10: Quite the Send-Off

Continuing with the account of Charles Gridley leaving the Olympia:

"There were men in the boat who had not pulled a stroke for a quarter of a century.  Old Glory was at the stern and a captain's silken coach-whip at the bow; and when Captain Gridley, beloved alike by officers and men, entered the boat, it was up oars, and all that, just as though they were common sailors who were to row him over to the Zafiro.

"When he sat down upon the handsome  boat-cloth that was spread for him, he bowed his head, and his hands hid his face as First-Lieutenant Reese, acting coxswain, ordered, 'Shove off; out oars;  give away!'

"Later in the day the lookout on the bridge reported "Zafiro  under way, sir!' and the deck officer passed on the word until a little twitter from Pat Murray's pipe brought all the other  bo's'ns around him, and in concert they sang out, 'Stand by to man the rigging!'  Not the Olympia alone,  but every other ship in the squadron dressed and manned, and the last we ever saw of our dear captain he was sitting on a chair on the Zafiro's quarterdeck, apparently listening to the [Olympia's] old band play."

--Cooter

Charles V. Gridley-- Part 9: Leaving the Olympia

He had already been suffering from dysentery and what  appears to have been liver cancer.  The heat and stress in that conning tower further weakened him.    Dewey would have relieved him of command had Gridley not protested.

Still, as days passed,  it became obvious that Captain Gridley couldn't carry out his duties, so he was sent home.

On May 25, 1898, Captain Gridley began his trip home.  One crew man aboard the Olympia recorded his leaving:

"He came up out of his cabin dressed in his civilian clothes and was met by the rear admiral [Dewey] who extended him a most cordial hand.  A look of disappointment flitted across the captain's brow, but vanished when he stepped to the head of the gangway and looking over saw not the launch, but a twelve-oared cutter manned entirely by officers of the Olympia."

--Cooter

Charles V. Gridley-- Part 8: The Battle of Manila Bay and Loss of Health

As the tensions between the United States and Spain increased, the tenuous  situation of the ships of the U.S. Asiatic Squadron became  clear.  A major step forward was made when the command of the squadron was turned over to Gridley's old comrade from the Lighthouse Board, Commodore George Dewey.

Efforts were soon underway among the whole fleet to prepare for war.

On May 1, 1898,  the ships of the Asiatic Squadron, with Gridley's Olympia in the lead as the flagship entered Manila Bay.  Within a few hours, the Battle of Manila Bay was over and the Spanish fleet was defeated.

Gridley was at his station, commanding the Olympia from the ship's armored conning tower.  The Philippine sun was beating on the exterior of the very small armored  control center, which, combined with the already high temperatures, must have made the conning tower virtually  uninhabitable.

From this location, the captain directed the ship's fire and controlled the actions  of the vessel.

This is where Dewey sent his famous message to Gridley: "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley.'

But, the victory came at a great cost to Charles Gridley.  At the conclusion of the battle, the captain was in no condition to celebrate the victory. He had already been a very sick man even before the battle, but those conditions made his health even worse.

--Cooter