Bleacher Bums

Last updated
Bleacher Bums
Written byRoberta Custer
Richard Fire
Dennis Franz
Stuart Gordon
Joe Mantegna
Josephine Paoletti
Dennis Paoli
Carolyn Purdy-Gordon
Michael Saad
Ian Patrick Williams
Keith Szarabajka
Date premiered1977
Place premiered Organic Theater Company, Chicago, Illinois
Original language English
GenreDrama
Setting Wrigley Field

Bleacher Bums is a 1977 play written collaboratively by members of Chicago's Organic Theater Company, from an idea by actor Joe Mantegna. Its original Chicago production was directed by Stuart Gordon. A 1979 performance of the play was taped for PBS television, and in 2002 a made-for-TV movie adaptation was produced.

Contents

Plot

External videos
Bleacher Bums.jpg
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Bleacher Bums (Part 1, 1984), WTTW - Channel 11, Play with Dennis Franz and Joe Mantegna [1]

Bleacher Bums takes place in the bleachers of Chicago's Wrigley Field. The characters are a bunch of Chicago Cubs fans, watching a game in progress on a summer afternoon. Most of them have been gathering here for some time and know each other; even if they might not necessarily like or tolerate each other. Beer is being drunk, hot dogs are being eaten, and friendly wagers start to take on increasing importance.

Touring

Bleacher Bums was put on in different cities across the United States. In 1981, longtime Cubs fan Jerry Pritikin, the Bleacher Preacher, was hired as a paid consultant for a production in San Francisco, instructing the cast there on Chicago fan vernacular, and proper fan behavior. [2]

Cast

Joe Mantegna and Dennis Franz starred in the original production, a performance of which was filmed for PBS broadcast in 1979, directed by Stuart Gordon. Other cast members over the years have included Dennis Farina, Gary Sandy, Gary Houston and George Wendt.

Television film

A 2002 TV movie version for cable television was directed by Saul Rubinek and starred Brad Garrett, Wayne Knight, Matt Craven, Peter Riegert and Hal Sparks. Due to licensing issues with Major League Baseball, the name of the team was changed from the Chicago Cubs to the Chicago Bruins, the St. Louis Cardinals became the St. Louis Eagles, and Wrigley Field was renamed, but references to former Cubs players (Cap Anson, Mordecai Brown, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance) and to the Cubs' World series record remain.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Cubs</span> Major League Baseball franchise in Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) Central Division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located on Chicago's North Side. They are one of two major league teams based in Chicago, alongside the American League (AL)’s Chicago White Sox. The Cubs, first known as the White Stockings, were a founding member of the NL in 1876, becoming the Chicago Cubs in 1903.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrigley Field</span> Baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois

Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Whales of the Federal League, which folded after the 1915 baseball season. The Cubs played their first home game at the park on April 20, 1916, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 7–6 in 11 innings. Chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. of the Wrigley Company acquired the Cubs in 1921. It was named Cubs Park from 1920 to 1926, before being renamed Wrigley Field in 1927. The stadium currently seats 41,649 people and is the second stadium to be named Wrigley Field, as a Los Angeles ballpark with the same name opened in 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Mantegna</span> American actor (born 1947)

Joseph Anthony Mantegna is an American actor. He has starred in the CBS television series Criminal Minds since 2007 as FBI Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi. He has voiced the recurring role of mob boss Fat Tony on the animated series The Simpsons, beginning with the 1991 episode "Bart the Murderer", as well as The Simpsons Movie (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrigley Field (Los Angeles)</span> Former baseball stadium in Los Angeles, California

Wrigley Field was a ballpark in Los Angeles, California. It hosted minor league baseball teams in the region for more than 30 years. It was the home park for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), as well as for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB) during its inaugural season in 1961. The park was designed by Zachary Taylor Davis, who had designed MLB stadiums Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The ballpark was used as the backdrop for Hollywood films about baseball, the 1960 TV series Home Run Derby, jazz festivals, beauty contests, and civil rights rallies.

The Curse of the Billy Goat was a sports curse that was supposedly placed on the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in 1945, by Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis. The curse lasted 71 years, from 1945 to 2016. During Game 4 of the 1945 World Series at Wrigley Field, Sianis's pet goat, named Murphy, was bothering other fans, and so the pair were asked to leave the stadium. Outraged, Sianis allegedly declared, "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more", which had been interpreted to mean that the Cubs would never win another National League (NL) pennant, at least for the remainder of Sianis's life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Farina</span> American actor (1944–2013)

Donaldo Gugliermo "Dennis" Farina was an American stage and film actor, who prior to his acting career worked as a Chicago police detective.

<i>Rookie of the Year</i> (film) 1993 film by Daniel Stern

Rookie of the Year is a 1993 American sports comedy film starring Thomas Ian Nicholas and Gary Busey as players for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. The cast also includes Albert Hall, Dan Hedaya, Eddie Bracken, Amy Morton, Bruce Altman, John Gegenhuber, Neil Flynn, Daniel Stern, and John Candy in an uncredited role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas Green (baseball)</span> American baseball player and manager (1934-2017)

George Dallas Green was an American professional baseball pitcher, manager, scout and executive in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played big league baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Senators and New York Mets, from 1960 through 1967. A man of towering stature, at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and 210 pounds (95 kg), Green achieved notoriety for his blunt manner. He possessed a booming voice and achieved many successes over a baseball career that lasted over 60 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardinals–Cubs rivalry</span> Major League Baseball rivalry

The Cardinals–Cubs rivalry, also called the Route 66 rivalry and The I-55 rivalry, refers to the rivalry between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs of the National League (NL), one of the most bitter rivalries in Major League Baseball and in all of North American professional sports. The Cardinals have won 19 NL pennants, while the Cubs have won 17. However, the Cardinals have a clear edge when it comes to World Series success, having won 11 championships to the Cubs' three. Games between the two clubs see numerous visiting fans in either St. Louis's Busch Stadium or Chicago's Wrigley Field. When the NL split into two divisions in 1969, and later three divisions in 1994, the Cardinals and Cubs remained together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Gordon</span> American film and theatre director and writer (1947–2020)

Stuart Alan Gordon was an American filmmaker, theatre director, screenwriter, and playwright. Initially recognized for his provocative and frequently controversial work in experimental theatre, Gordon began directing films in 1985. Most of Gordon's cinematic output was in the horror genre, though he also ventured into science fiction and film noir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Pritikin</span>

Jerry Pritikin is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan known as the Bleacher Preacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organic Theater Company</span>

Organic Theater Company was founded in 1969 in Madison, Wisconsin by artistic director Stuart Gordon and his wife Carolyn Purdy Gordon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Chicago Cubs</span> Aspect of baseball

The following is a franchise history of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball, a charter member of the National League who started play in the National Association in 1870 as the Chicago White Stockings. The Chicago National League Ball Club is the only franchise to play continuously in the same city since the formation of the National League in 1876. They are the earliest formed active professional sports club in North America, predating the team now known as the Atlanta Braves by one year. In their early history, they were called in the press the White Stockings, Orphans, Infants, Remnants and Colts before officially becoming "Cubs" in 1907.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Chicago Cubs season</span> Major League Baseball club season

The 1984 Chicago Cubs season was the 113th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 109th in the National League and the 69th at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished with a record of 96 wins and 65 losses in first place of the National League East. Chicago was managed by Jim Frey and the general manager was Dallas Green. The Cubs' postseason appearance in this season was their first since 1945. The Cubs pitching staff included 1984 Cy Young Award winner Rick Sutcliffe, and the lineup included 1984 Baseball Most Valuable Player Award winner second baseman Ryne Sandberg. Frey was awarded Manager of the Year for the National League for leading the Cubs to 96 victories. The Cubs were defeated in the 1984 National League Championship Series by the San Diego Padres three games to two.

<i>This Old Cub</i> 2004 American film

This Old Cub is a 2004 documentary film. The film is centered on former Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo and both his playing days and his battle against diabetes. The film was written, co-produced, and directed by Santo's son Jeff. It is often mentioned during Cub game broadcasts by Pat Hughes, who was Santo's partner in the WGN Radio booth. The film was a gift from Jeff to his father as a part of the "Ron Santo Day" celebration that season after Santo had both his legs amputated and had just missed induction into the MLB Hall of Fame a few months earlier. A portion of all proceeds from the release of This Old Cub are donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The film has raised over a half-million dollars for the JDRF. Cub first baseman Ernie Banks, Gary Sinise, Bill Murray, former Chicago Bears linebacker Doug Buffone, and many others are interviewed in the film, which is narrated by actor Joe Mantegna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Chicago Cubs season</span> Major League Baseball team season

The 1976 Chicago Cubs season was the 105th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 101st in the National League and the 61st at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished fourth in the National League East with a record of 75–87.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas S. Ricketts</span> Chairman of the Chicago Cubs

Thomas Stuart Ricketts is the Chairman of the Chicago Cubs, and the Chairman, co-founder and former CEO of Incapital LLC, a firm that provides securities firms and individual investors more efficient access to corporate bonds. Together with his sister Laura and brothers Pete and Todd, the Ricketts siblings are the board of directors for the Cubs. He is the son of TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation founder J. Joseph Ricketts. Joe Ricketts has a net worth of US$2.3 billion as of 2018 according to Forbes.

The history of Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball's National League, begins well before the Cubs played their first game in that venue.

Dennis Paoli is a screenwriter and playwright known for his work on horror films, specifically those directed by Stuart Gordon. He has written or co-written five of Gordon's films, including Re-Animator (1985) and From Beyond (1986). He has also collaborated with Gordon on the stage productions of Bleacher Bums, Re-Animator: The Musical, and Nevermore: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe, and on two episodes of the Showtime horror television series Masters of Horror.

On June 23, 1984, the Chicago Cubs took on the St. Louis Cardinals in a Major League Baseball contest that saw Willie McGee hit for the cycle, but Ryne Sandberg hit two home runs—in the ninth and tenth innings—to propel the Cubs to a 12–11 victory. The Cubs overcame deficits of 7–1, 9–3, and 11–9 as Sandberg hit a pair of game-tying home runs in late-inning action, both off ex-Cubs ace Bruce Sutter. NBC play-by-play announcer Bob Costas, who called the game with Tony Kubek, is remembered for saying "Do you believe it?!" when Sandberg hit the second home run. The game is known as The Sandberg Game.

References

  1. "Bleacher Bums (Part 1, 1984)". The Museum of Classic Chicago Television. 1984. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  2. "Nothing to Cheer About". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 16 April 2015.