Hot Stove #187 – St. Patrick’s Day Special – Baseball, Pendergast and Guest Contributor Pat O’Neill

~ Lonnie Shalton

This post is not about the end of the MLB lockout. Anything I write would be eclipsed within a day by news of free agent signings, spring training news, roster moves, Bobby Witt Jr. hitting a homer, etc. A whole winter’s worth of baseball coverage is being compressed into the relatively few days before the season opens on April 7. I can’t keep up. Royals pundit Rany Jazayerli captured this in a clever tweet and photo: Continue reading →

Hot Stove #186 – Kansas City Royals – The  John Sherman Years (To Date) – Covid to Lockout

Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman, left, and general manager Dayton Moore walk between practice fields during spring training baseball practice Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, in Surprise, Ariz. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
~ Lonnie Shalton

In November of 2019, John Sherman and a group of local investors purchased the Kansas City Royals for $1 billion. Everyone was happy. The new buyers. The seller. The players. The fans. The sportswriters. Sherman and his investors were ingrained in Kansas City – the business sector, civic affairs and philanthropy. We celebrated our good fortune. Continue reading →

Charlie Hart – Political Insider

Charles Martin Hart II
~ Lonnie Shalton

[Excerpted from Hot Stove #185, posted on February 17, 2022.]

Charlie Hart – Political Insider: Charles Curry first won office as presiding judge in 1962 and was reelected in 1966. Curry was building a political organization, the Committee for County Progress (the CCP, occasionally referred to as Charles Curry’s Party). Charlie Hart became active in the CCP and helped Curry and his team win big in 1966, including victories for Alex Petrovic and Charlie Wheeler who joined Curry on the 3-judge county court. Below, Curry (middle) celebrating those victories with Alex Petrovic (left) and Charlie Wheeler. Continue reading →

Hot Stove #183 – I Heard It (the Game) On the Radio

~ Lonnie Shalton

Before I get to my baseball post, I want to pause a moment in remembrance of my long-time friend Wayne Tenenbaum. Wayne died on January 23 at the age of 80. A couple of years ago, I wrote a tribute to Ray Webb who I dubbed the “Most Unforgettable Character I Ever Met.” On reflection, Wayne might be tied with Ray for that title. Or maybe he is the most unforgettable from a different genre. The common trait was that they both made me laugh for decades. Continue reading →

Hot Stove #182 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day (2022) – Barrier Breakers

~ Lonnie Shalton

Starting in 2002, I have posted an annual message for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For the last several years, the message has been part of Hot Stove, and last year’s post was titled “Buck O’Neil on the Mountaintop.” It told the story of how Buck O’Neil, like Moses and King, had been to the mountaintop and seen – but not entered – the “Promised Land.” For Moses, the Promised Land was Israel. For King, equality, as eloquently presented in his last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” For Buck, the Hall of Fame. He was on the ballot in 2006, but did not receive the needed votes. Continue reading →