It all started with the effrontery of the sports department in choosing a dream Bears team early this month. They spread it across two pages in the Monday sports section. How could they be so sure? Are they the ranking experts in the world on Chicago sports? Well, some of them are, and they earned berths on the All-Star Chicago Sports Experts Team assembled by SUNDAY to choose Dream Teams from the rosters of five Chicago professional sports franchises:
Black Hawks, Bears, White Sox, Cubs and Bulls. The challenge to the experts was simple: Choose the best team you can by putting together athletes from among all those who ever played for the above hockey, football, baseball and basketball franchises. It was something like those sports arguments that erupt when the relatives gather around the dinner table at holidays, except this time it happened around a conference table at The Tribune, and the people doing the talking knew something about what they were arguing about.
Our own ”Dream Team” of critics included former White Sox owner and sportsman-about-town Bill Veeck, columnist Mike Royko, sports agent Eloise Saperstein, veteran sportswriters Dave Condon and Jerome Holtzman and the host of WGN-Radio`s ”The Sportswriters,” Ben Bentley. Tribune Sports Editor Gene Quinn refereed.
It was supposed to take two hours.
It took almost four.
It was supposed to be easy.
The arguments started even before cigar smoke filled the room. Veeck wanted some clarification of the ground rules. Holtzman didn`t think it was worth a damn trying to name a basketball team. Royko got testy and tried to bulldoze some people.
In other words, it was a lot of fun.
There`s Veeck, plucking names with ease from the mid-1920s, like Black Hawk Taffy Abel, and bemoaning the fact that many of his favorite players had never even been seen by the youngsters around the table. There`s Bentley, reminiscing about former Bulls guard Jerry Sloan and Royko nominating him for a berth because he skinned his knees so often. There`s Holtzman, offering to name all 33 members of the 1941 Bears, including their jersey numbers.
In the background, Quinn grappled with massive sports almanacs and kept the combatants supplied with fresh statistics to bolster their cases or destroy others`. How many games did the Bulls win under Motta? What was the White Sox`s Johnny Mostil`s career batting average and how did it compare to Jim Landis`? Which of the hockey-playing Bentley Brothers, Doug or Max, was better? Who was Erwin ”Wolfgang” Mueller? How can you forget Cap Anson? Was Red Grange a better ice-wagon driver than professional football player? Was Minnie Minoso overrated? Is Gary Fencik a wimp?
Things got good and loud. And strange.
One typical exchange:
Bentley: How about Emil Kush for first base?
Royko: Emil Kush was a bum; that`s a joke. He came from your neighborhood.
Bentley: Emil Kush came from my neighborhood. As did Baby Face Nelson. But anyhow . . . .
After all the arguments, invective and near fisticuffs, the five experts managed to select their Dream Teams. But before we reveal their choices, we`d like to hear from you. The facing page is a ballot on which you can vote for your Dream Team. We`ll tabulate the results and print your choices along with our experts` picks on March 9. Vote for only one in each category unless otherwise indicated. If you don`t like the candidates at a position, you may write in your choice. However, be sure that your choice played for the current sports franchises–Hawks, Bears, Sox, Cubs or Bulls–and played at the position, however briefly, for which you are nominating him.
And if you don`t agree with our experts–well, who the heck do they think they are, anyway?
HERE`S YOUR ALL-STAR BALLOT, SPORTS FANS
Pit your wits against our panel of experts and choose your own Dream Teams by filling out the poll on this and the following page and returning it to us.
CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS
Wings (pick 2):
( ) Doug Bentley
( ) John Gottselig
( ) Bobby Hull
( ) Bill Mosienko
( ) Other
( ) Other
Center:
( ) Pit Martin
( ) Stan Mikita
( ) Denis Savard
( ) Other
Defensemen (pick 2):
( ) Taffy Abel
( ) Keith Magnuson
( ) Pierre Pilote
( ) Pat Stapleton
( ) Other
( ) Other
Goaltender:
( ) Tony Esposito
( ) Charles Gardiner
( ) Glenn Hall
( ) Other
Coach:
( ) Rudy Pilous
( ) Bob Pulford
( ) Billy Reay
( ) Other
CHICAGO BEARS
Split End:
( ) Bill Hewitt
( ) Harlon Hill
( ) Ken Kavanaugh
( ) Johnny Morris
( ) Other
Offensive Tackles (pick 2):
( ) Ed Healey
( ) Herman Lee
( ) Link Lyman
( ) Joe Stydahar
( ) Other
( ) Other
Offensive Guards (pick 2):
( ) Ray Bray
( ) Danny Fortmann
( ) Stan Jones
( ) George Musso
( ) Other
( ) Other
Center:
( ) Mike Pyle
( ) George Trafton
( ) Bulldog Turner
( ) Other
Tight End:
( ) Mike Ditka
( ) Bill McColl
( ) George Wilson
( ) Other
Quarterback:
( ) Sid Luckman
( ) Johnny Lujack
( ) Bill Wade
( ) Other
Halfbacks (pick 2):
( ) Red Grange
( ) George McAfee
( ) Walter Payton
( ) Gale Sayers
( ) Other
( ) Other
Fullback:
( ) Rick Casares
( ) Bronko Nagurski
( ) Bill Osmanski
( ) Other
Defensive Ends (pick 2):
( ) Doug Atkins
( ) Dan Hampton
( ) Ed Sprinkle
( ) George Wilson
( ) Other
( ) Other
Defensive Tackles (Pick 2):
( ) Lee Artoe
( ) Wally Chambers
( ) Steve McMichael
( ) Fred Williams
( ) Other
( ) Other
Linebackers (pick 3):
( ) Doug Buffone
( ) Dick Butkus
( ) George Connor
( ) Joe Fortunato
( ) Bill George
( ) Larry Morris
( ) Mike Singletary
( ) Other
( ) Other
( ) Other
Defensive Backs (pick 4):
( ) J.C. Caroline
( ) Gary Fencik
( ) Bennie McRae
( ) Richie Petitbon
( ) Doug Plank
( ) Roosevelt Taylor
( ) Dave Whitsell
( ) Other
( ) Other
( ) Other
( ) Other
Kicker:
( ) George Blanda
( ) Mac Percival
( ) Bob Thomas
( ) Other
Kick Returner:
( ) Red Grange
( ) Ron Smith
( ) Cecil Turner
( ) Other
Punter:
( ) Bobby Joe Green
( ) George Gulyanics
( ) Bob Parsons
( ) Other
Punt Returner:
( ) George McAfee
( ) Scooter McLean
( ) Other
Coach:
( ) Mike Ditka
( ) George Halas
( ) Other
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
First Baseman:
( ) Dick Allen
( ) Zeke Bonura
( ) Eddie Robinson
( ) Other
Second Baseman:
( ) Eddie Collins
( ) Nellie Fox
( ) Cass Michaels
( ) Other
Third Baseman:
( ) Willie Kamm
( ) Bill Melton
( ) Buck Weaver
( ) Other
Shortstop:
( ) Luis Aparicio
( ) Luke Appling
( ) Chico Carrasquel
( ) Other
Outfielders (pick 3):
( ) Harold Baines
( ) ”Shoeless” Joe Jackson
( ) Jim Landis
( ) Carlos May
( ) Minnie Minoso
( ) Johnny Mostil
( ) Pete Ward
( ) Other
( ) Other
( ) Other
Catcher:
( ) Carlton Fisk
( ) Sherman Lollar
( ) Ray Schalk
( ) Other
Right-handed Pitcher:
( ) Red Faber
( ) Ted Lyons
( ) Ed Walsh
( ) Other
Left-handed Pitcher:
( ) Gary Peters
( ) Billy Pierce
( ) Wilbur Wood
( ) Other
Relief pitcher:
( ) Gerry Staley
( ) Hoyt Wilhelm
( ) Wilbur Wood
( ) Other
Utility Man/Pinch-Hitter:
( ) Jimmy Dykes
( ) Sammy Esposito
( ) Other
Manager:
( ) Jimmy Dykes
( ) Al Lopez
( ) Paul Richards
( ) Other
CHICAGO CUBS
First Baseman:
( ) Frank Chance
( ) Phil Cavarretta
( ) Charlie Grimm
( ) Other
Second Baseman:
( ) John Evers
( ) Billy Herman
( ) Ryne Sandberg
( ) Other
Third Baseman:
( ) Stan Hack
( ) Bill Madlock
( ) Ron Santo
( ) Other
Shortstop:
( ) Ernie Banks
( ) Bill Jurges
( ) Don Kessinger
( ) Other
Outfielders (pick 3):
( ) Kiki Cuyler
( ) Bill Nicholson
( ) Andy Pafko
( ) Riggs Stephenson
( ) Hank Sauer
( ) Billy Williams
( ) Hack Wilson
( ) Other
( ) Other
( ) Other
Catcher:
( ) Johnny Kling
( ) Gabby Hartnett
( ) Randy Hundley
( ) Other
Right-handed Pitcher:
( ) Ferguson Jenkins
( ) Charlie Root
( ) Lon Warneke
( ) Other
Left-handed Pitcher:
( ) Larry French
( ) Ken Holtzman
( ) Other
Relief Pitcher:
( ) Don Elston
( ) Phil Regan
( ) Bruce Sutter
( ) Other
Utility Man/Pinch-Hitter:
( ) Andy Pafko
( ) Ryne Sandberg
( ) Other
Manager:
( ) Cap Anson
( ) Frank Chance
( ) Leo Durocher
( ) Charlie Grimm
( ) Other
CHICAGO BULLS
Guards (pick 2):
( ) Michael Jordan
( ) Jerry Sloan
( ) Reggie Theus
( ) Norm Van Lier
( ) Other
( ) Other
Forwards (pick 2):
( ) Bob Boozer
( ) Bob Love
( ) Chet Walker
( ) Orlando Woolridge
( ) Other
( ) Other
Center:
( ) Tom Boerwinkle
( ) Artis Gilmore
( ) Other
Coach:
( ) John Kerr
( ) Dick Motta
( ) Jerry Sloan
( ) Other
How to send in your vote
Sports poll ballots may be mechanically duplicated, but only one entry per person will be accepted, and each entry must be mailed in a separate envelope to be included in the tabulation. Send entries to Sports Poll, P.O. Box 8640, Chicago, Ill. 60680. All entries must be received by Jan. 11, 1986, to be included in the results, which will be published in the March 9, 1986, issue of SUNDAY.
