Cougars: 2024

Saturday, August 10, 2024

Takin' Care of Business

Grandma Radtke loved Elvis. She adored him and his music. Especially his gospel music. She also loved his slow soft ballads as well as his lovely Hawiian tunes. She was not as much of a fan of his rock music. It was the gospel music to which she always returned.

Elvis’s sweet soulful voice was always filling the house from her console record player. And every time he graced her ears, she would momentarily drift away, gaze into the distance, and remark about the beauty of his angelic voice.

Ever since I was a little boy, our whole family knew that her only request for her memorial service was that we played Elvis’s rendition of How Great Thou Art.

One of her lifetime highlights was in the 1970s when she and Grandpa were staying at the Coco Palms Resort in Kauai. The Coco Palms is where Elvis filmed Blue Hawaii, and Grandma and Grandpa intentionally stayed there to soak up the atmosphere.

To her surprise, Elvis was vacationing there at the same time! She was in awe. She would tell the story quite often. She would tell us how kind he was to the children at the resort and how she did not like that adults were constantly trying to bother him.

She didn’t want to be intrusive. However, she did want to capture her memory of him. When she had her chance, she hid behind a coconut tree and snapped what is one of our family’s most treasured photos.

Watching her enjoy Elvis and listening to her gush about him is a favorite memory for our family.

My love of Elvis is as great as hers.

Elvis also helped popularize the phrase "Takin’ Care of Business" and often used it as his personal motto. He had a custom necklace that he designed with Priscilla, made with the letters "TCB" and a lightning bolt, symbolizing "Taking Care of Business in a Flash."

On Tuesday, the Cougars started our playoff run with A Little Bit of Green, took care of business, and we left Tito’s All Shook Up with a 16-6 victory.

1st Inning

The Cougars stepped on the Green Green Grass of Home at Howard Park to give our opponent A Mess of Blues. It was Heartbreak Hotel for Tito’s because they only had a lone single and no hit record. From the first inning to the final inning, Joker was a rock star behind the plate calling pitches from Martini that were Riding The Rainbow.

In our first at-bats, Kev strummed an electric single to center. Charley followed with a dazzling double to right. Andy was delayed and, unsure if we would win Without Him, Rads laced up his Blue Green Suede Shoes and got an infield single for our first run. Martini was a king of the rock and rolled one down the third base line for another run. Eddy flashed the ball down the right field line for a RBI. Big Ball Jimmy hit a tall ball to the outfield to make the score four. Like an artist, Boom recorded a walk. Li’l Rads showed some Amazing Grace and popped one to left field to clear all the bases as we watched all the Saints Come Marching In. It was Viva Las Vegas as the Cougars rolled a seven.

Cougars 7 Tito’s 0

2nd Inning

Tito's baserunners made it to second and third but our defense made it a Silent Night and we kept them scoreless. Charley made an over the shoulder running catch on a ball that Saved us.

Kev led off with a liner that made everyone Stop, Look, and Listen. Charley tripled to right center and made the bases his personal Speedway to score Number Eight. Rads, who is no Fool, punched one to the right side to score another. Goose, who never hits the ball Gently, flattened the ball up the middle for a single. Martini, our ultimate U.S. Male, hit one to right to score another. Jimmy had a big ball through the infield as we were Working on the Building of four more runs.

Cougars 11 - 0

3rd Inning

It was a Blue Christmas for the Cougars because we gave Tito’s a couple gifts and they tallied two. Rads made a nice play at third base that he used to make in his Young Dreams.

In our at-bats, Li’l Rads walked and moved his hips to first base. Charley Rads hit an infield single that said Keep Your Hands Off It. Like a Fairytale, Rads figured It’s Now or Never and singled to right center to score his brother and son in what felt like the 1968 Elvis comeback show.

Cougars 13 Titos 2

4th Inning

With a couple more errors to gift Tito’s runs, it was like Santa Claus Is Back in Town. That’s All Right because Kev and Jimmy combined for a double play that gave Tito’s Double Trouble to get us out of the inning. Tito’s tally two.

Big Boss Man Eddy rocketed a hard to handle double to right field. Boom showed great Confidence and nailed the ball through the right side to plate a run.

Cougars 14 Tito’s 4

5th Inning

Hard Knocks for the Cougars as Tito’s scored two. Oh well, Easy Come, Easy Go. In the inning, Eddy showed his strength and threw a Flaming Star to the backstop for reasons Known Only to Him.

Charley was a Lonely Man and had a Solitaire single but no other action.

6th Inning

No hits, no runs. Our defense spelled T-R-O-U-B-L-E for Tito’s.

Goose put a Hurt on the ball for a single. Eddy hit a screamin’ single that made the ball say, I Got Stung! Big Ball Jimmy said, Forget Me Never and crushed the Clincher to score one. Bobi, Playing For Keeps, powered the ball to plate a head first sliding Eddy who had a Dirty, Dirty Feeling.

Diamond Dave, who put his Diamond Heart into scorebook, let us know we had a 10 run lead and that Tito’s had to Surrender. We were Too Much and screamed It’s Over!

After the game we shook hands with our foe and went our Separate Ways.

The Cougars could not wait to Get Back to our backyard Graceland to celebrate Such a Night!

The Cougars are finding our rhythm and Tuesday is One Night is when we see How Great the Cougars Art to get to the Promised Land. We are going to Follow that Dream and create lasting Memories.

We can win it all if we continue Takin' Care of Business and Only Believe!

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Rads and Li'l Rads with Grandma and Grandpa Radtke (Charles and Lavergne)

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COUGAR NATION

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Nobody is ever going to ask us, Are You Lonesome Tonight? Cougar Nation is as dedicated and enthusiastic as Elvis's Army.

Our fans have a Burning Love for the Cougars!

Girls! Girls! Girls!

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BACKSTAGE PICS

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We had a perfect postgame Party!

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HIGHLIGHT VIDEO

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SCOREBOOK

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BRACKET

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RESULTS

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FULL GAME VIDEO

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Saturday, August 3, 2024

Softball Olympiad

Growing up, a tradition at McKinley School in South Holland was the 6th grade Olympics. It was similar to the Field Days experience many of our kids had at McKenzie School.

In fact, Diddy, Bobi, and Li’l Rads all attended McKinley and also have fond memories of the 6th grade Olympics. (Julie was a proud Texan for most of her youth and didn't start McK until 8th grade, so she missed out on the Olympics.)

The Olympics included contests such as the 50-yard dash, long jump, frisbee toss, and tug of war. Each classroom decorated shirts and came up with a team name. In my class, taught by Mr. Kavalunas, we called ourselves the Olympians and created red, white, and blue tie dyed shirts displaying the Olympic rings.

Ahh, to be young and innocent once again.

Mr. Kavalunas taught us that the Olympic rings represented the continents of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Australia (aka Oceania). Also, he taught us that the colors of the five interlocking rings were significant because at least one of these colors appears on the flag of every nation. The five rings also reflect the Olympic values of excellence, friendship, and respect.

My school year was 1980-1981 when I participated in our Olympics. Our version of the Olympics took on such special meaning and is still vivid to me over 40 years later because the Winter Olympics had just been held in Lake Placid. The United States won the hockey gold medal, and our country boycotted the Summer Olympics. Both were big deals.

My favorite memory I have was our version of the shotput, the long toss contest. Of course, honoring Chicago’s glorious sport, we used a 16-inch softball. I didn’t win because I was a small guy, but I gave it my all.

It was that same school year that I had my first experience playing organized 16-inch softball. I was the captain of our homeroom team and led us to an undefeated record up until we lost the championship to Mr. Zim's team, who had far superior players. My 6th grade team reminds me of the Cougars because we aren't composed of only superstars, but rather talented guys with lots of heart and grit.

Captain Cougar crushing the Clincher during our outdoor education at Camp Timberlee.

Howard Park was our Olympia for back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday (yes, Wednesday!).

On Tuesday night, we beat Boogie Knights, avenging our earlier loss to them. The Cougars played stellar defense and had many scoring highlights.

1st Inning: Kev walloped an infield single. Charley clobbered a liner to right field. Andy punched a single through the right side to tally two. Goose pummeled the ball through the left side for a single. Martini drew a walk to load the bases. Bobi belted an infield single to tally another two. Jimmy drilled a big ball to center field for a sacrifice fly ribbie.

2nd Inning: Crawdaddy blasted a single to left and Kev crushed a triple to left center to plate a run.

3rd Inning: Andy launched a bomb to center for a homer. Eddy nailed a single to right. Bobi labeled an infield single. Jimmy mashed the ball up the middle for a run.

4th inning: Crawdaddy cracked a single down the third base line. Joker whacked a liner to left. Kev drove a single to center to load 'em up. Charley tattooed the ball to the right side for a RBI.

5th inning: Goose tore the cover off the ball for a single. Bobi rocketed a triple over the center fielder’s head for a tally.

Cougars win 10-4!

Because we were rained out for three consecutive weeks, we had a makeup game and played in our first ever Wednesday game. We were short on numbers so Charley took the mound and we had some help on tap from the Brennan Boys, Tim and Liam.

Unlike a typical Tuesday, the atmosphere at the park was a little sluggish and the only big slugging we had was in the third inning when Andy hammered a bases-loaded single to center to score Liam, Boom, and Charley.

There was one heroic defensive play on the dirt by Charley and Liam. Charley threw a lofty pitch to the batter who laced a liner that ricocheted off Charley’s hands into the air towards our very own Hermes at third base. Like a Greek god, Liam lept and went airborne to grasp the ball to secure the out. What a play!

Leapin' Liam!

One interesting note is that when I coached Liam and Charley in baseball during their 6th grade year, they played those same positions!

Cougars win 3-1!

With the back to back wins, the Cougars secured third place in the regular season standings as we start the playoffs.

Next Tuesday, we begin our Olympic journey in the playoffs. At the end, only one team will stand atop the podium — let’s bring home the gold!

Go Cougars!

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Here are a couple of fun postscripts:

In 1988, Julie was voted Prom Queen of Thornwood High School in South Holland. Her counterpart Prom King was T.C. Dantzler. T.C. was a top wrestler for our Thunderbirds and at age 37, he qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, becoming the second-oldest U.S. wrestler to ever compete at the Olympics.

Love the 80s!!!

For the last three baseball seasons, I have worked with the Leo Catholic High School baseball team. It’s an unofficial role and I am the team photographer as well as a motivator for the boys and consigliere to the coaching staff. While the school is located on the South Side of Chicago, on 79th Street a few blocks west of the Dan Ryan Expressway, many of the boys and their families happen to reside in our hometown of South Holland and also attended McKinley School. In fact, one of the moms is on the school board. It is a great coincidence and fun to be with them and share similar experiences even though there are a few decades between us.