With tonight’s game being telecast by WGN, I’m sure there will be a well deserved tribute to Yosh Kawano. More than a few of us became Cubs fans when we got cable in the 1980s and started watching Harry Caray and Steve Stone on the superstation, channel 9. On whatever system I had then, it was channel 33.
Arne Harris, Dwayne Staats, Yosh, and a few others were part of the games too. You could count on Dorothy, the gray haired lady always being shown during “Take Me Out To the Ballgame”. I think Len said the other day that she is now 92. And who could forget the Shawon-O-Meter?
Those were the days when even the commercials were well known. A great city deserves a great newspaper, Murph’s 76 with the little girl not getting to see her Dad’s odometer turnover because she was busy waving goodbye to Murph. And, of course, the ubiquitous Garden Claw.
Another memory is the time Yosh was shown on camera in the visitor’s dugout wearing one of their ballcaps and Steve Stone saying “Oh no, Yosh has been traded”.
I was happy to see the Cubs honor Yosh by giving him a World Series ring.
RIP, Yosh.