Does Tom Dreesen really need to give his credentials anymore as a true blue Cubs fan?
If you question his ivy cred, consider the following...
*When Harry Caray had his stroke in 1987, Tom was one of the celebrities brought into the booth to fill in for him. He was already Harry's friend at the time.
*In George Castle's book "I Remember Harry Caray," Dreesen told some of his favorite Harry Caray stories. This one is my favorite: "I saw Harry before the game and he told me he hadn't had a drink in two years...He said 'You know all that stuff, that people tell you can have just as much fun not drinking as you can have drinking? They're full of s***. I've never been so bored in all my life.'"
*He has sung "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at least 8 times by our count ('98, '01, '02, '03, '05, '06, '07 & '08).
*Watch him sing it in 2007.
*One of those times he threw a hundred one dollar bills into the crowd and yelled "Have a beer on Harry Caray." Tom relates what happened next: "The next day, some radio guy said I’d been throwing 20s and 50s, and sure enough, people started calling in saying they’d gotten one of the fifties. I wasn’t about to tell anyone I hadn't been that charitable."
*He wrote the introduction to the book "Cubbies: Quotations and the Chicago Cubs"
*He has spoken openly of the hardship of being a Cubs fan that grew up on the South Side of Chicago (actually Harvey).
*He has been on hand to help lead rallies when the Cubs won their division.
*And finally, my favorite Tom Dreesen quote about the Cubs. He said this in 2006.
"Our hope is always that this is the year. I have two thoughts on this. First of all, there are less suicides among Cubs' fans than any other fandom in America because we always think well maybe this will be the year. So I worry that if the Cubs ever win the World Series the following day 20,000 people will leap off of the top of the Tribune Tower. There are Cubs fans everywhere."
Now that's a Cubs fan.
He's not just a Cubs fan either. I understand Tom Dreesen is a professional stand up comedian in his spare time. He apparently opened for an Italian singer for many years. I think the singer's name was similar to the name of Cubs coach Matt Sinatro, but it isn't coming to me at the moment.
