Barring an unlikely turnaround this season, the Chicago Cubs are mired in another long year, sitting in last place in the National League Central Division. But this weekend, Cubs fans will be reminded of a time their team was at the top. As part of the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field, they’re getting a visit from the team’s last living connection to a World Series. Illinois Public Radio’s Jeff Bossert gave him a call:
At age 97, Lennie is oldest living former Chicago Cub and the last living Cubs player to have played in a World Series.
“I was always a shortstop. I could always run and throw with anybody. But as far as hitting was concerned, that was another thing.”
Merullo spent seven years in the majors, all with the Cubs. With a lifetime .240 batting average, he was by no means a star. But he played around plenty of them, names like Phil Caveretta, Andy Pafko, and manager and player Charlie Grimm.
“I was the best they had to play shortstop, because I was the strongest, I had the best arm, and I could run – I covered the most ground. That’s what they had to have.”
Lennie grew up in East Boston and now lives in nearby Reading, Massachusetts with his wife Jean, and son Dave. He requires 24-hour home health care, but is about return to Chicago to throw out Saturday’s ceremonial first pitch.
“That will be a thrill of a lifetime, just to go back to Chicago, and just to walk into Wrigley Field. You know the old fire station, right down the street.. the firemen, they were all Cubs fans.”
Merullo’s Reading home isn’t far from where he was first recruited to play in the majors. A Boston Herald sportswriter named Ralph Wheeler introduced the infielder to manager Charlie Grimm. At at age 15, Lennie was invited to work out with the Cubs during a trip to Boston’s Braves Field. It’s there that he and some of the players had a chance encounter with an out-of-shape, 40-year old Babe Ruth in what would be the slugger’s final season:
“And all the Cubs players were all around him, they were poking fun at him, and they were all having fun, just teasing the hell out of him, and I got a big kick out of that, how well the players got together, and how they kidded each other.”
The Cubs have been stuck for decades with the ‘loveable losers’ moniker, but 1945 was a different time for the Cubs. Back then, the Cubs last World Series appearance was just 7 years ago in 1938. And they had won the series in 1907 and 08, twice beating the Detroit Tigers.
In 1945, the Cubs and Tigers squared off in the series again.
(WGN broadcast)
That’s Bill Slater on the call for Mutual Radio in Game 5 of the 1945 World Series – the only game Merullo would start. He went oh-for-2– his only at-bats of the series. Merullo also pinch-ran and played defense in two other games, and it’s serving in that role that produced a memento:
“I can remember when tagging out a runner at second base, and wanted to be sure that I tagged him out, so I just kept my arm there, and he pinned my arm against the base, and gave me a pretty good cut on the upper arm. And I wanted to keep that as a memory, so I kept scratching that scar. And I still have the scar, I have this cut on my arm.”
The 1945 World Series is also known for a famous story in Cub folklore. It was the year William Sianis and his goat attended Game 4, but was later escorted out when ushers reportedly told him to leave because of the smell of his pet. The tavern owner then swore the Cubs would never return to the series – and they never have. But Merullo won’t give in to superstition:
“I don’t pay attention to it. Why do they come up with that, the curse of the Cubs, why would that question be asked all the time?”
(WGN broadcast)
That’s sports columnist Bill Corum at the end of the game 7 in which the Cubs fell behind early to Detroit, and lost 8 to 4.
Lennie Merullo retired after the 1947 season. He stayed in the game as a scout for another 50 years. Lennie says as long as you’re highly respected, you’ll always have a job in baseball. And he’s passed on those talents. His son Len ‘Boots’ Merullo, played in the minor leagues… and grandson Matt Merullo spent time in the majors in the 1990’s, including four seasons with White Sox.
Lennie says he still watches a lot of baseball, and especially the Cubs, but this weekend’s trip marks his first visit to Wrigley since an old-timers game in 1980. Fans will get to cheer him on twice with the ceremonial first pitch, and he’ll attempt to fill Harry Caray’s shoes.
“I don’t have much of a voice – but I’ll give em what I got. –(starts singing..)
Merullo and members his family will serve as guest conductors for the 7th inning stretch.