Billy Williams to get statue at Wrigley

[Butterscup1679666578]

per @cst_cubs on Twitter. Paul Sullivan says it'll happen on Sept. 7

[Andy]

Not really necessary (like the Ernie statue was), but what the hey. Good for Billy.

[Sammy Sofa]

Very cool. Now if they could just move Harry's off to a lonely corner somewhere we'd be good.

[Garwilly]

I'm in favor of a dozen statues, ala St louis

[Garwilly]

Very cool. Now if they could just move Harry's off to a lonely corner somewhere we'd be good.

 

:-k

[SouthSideRyan]

No sleep til Gabby gets one

[Backtobanks]

No sleep til Gabby gets one

 

I think Santo would get one first.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Sammy should be next.

[SouthSideRyan]

No sleep til Gabby gets one

 

I think Santo would get one first.

 

Why? Cause he's alive?

[Sammy Sofa]

Very cool. Now if they could just move Harry's off to a lonely corner somewhere we'd be good.

 

:-k

 

Pet peeve of mine. Harry, to me, is the human embodiment of the "lovable loser" image most people have of the Cubs and their fans. His terrible, sloppy, drunken broadcasts with the Cubs just represent the idea of people who don't give a [expletive] about the games or the team and just want to go the ballpark and drink. It's even more laughable that he has a statue like he was some cornerstone of Cubs lore like he basically spent his career broadcasting for them when he was in the Cubs' booth for only 17 years and spent most of his career broadcasting for the Cubs' two biggest rivals. It strikes me as ridiculous that he's treated like this "lifetime Cub" when he was just a hired gun who spent his worst broadcasting years by far with the Cubs. Giving him a statue over someone like Brickhouse and especially before any other players is ridiculous.

[nick23]

Very cool. Now if they could just move Harry's off to a lonely corner somewhere we'd be good.

 

:-k

 

Pet peeve of mine. Harry, to me, is the human embodiment of the "lovable loser" image most people have of the Cubs and their fans. His terrible, sloppy, drunken broadcasts with the Cubs just represent the idea of people who don't give a [expletive] about the games or the team and just want to go the ballpark and drink. It's even more laughable that he has a statue like he was some cornerstone of Cubs lore like he basically spent his career broadcasting for them when he was in the Cubs' booth for only 17 years and spent most of his career broadcasting for the Cubs' two biggest rivals. It strikes me as ridiculous that he's treated like this "lifetime Cub" when he was just a hired gun who spent his worst broadcasting years by far with the Cubs. Giving him a statue over someone like Brickhouse and especially before any other players is ridiculous.

Couldn't agree less.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm more indifferent to the Harry statue than aggressively against it. I don't think your argument really holds much sway. Harry personified having a good time, but not lovable losers who didn't care, he hated the teams struggles and was one of the few announcers to complain about the team's performance. Likewise, the fact that he "only" spent 17 years in Chicago and was a hired gun is pointless. His career is most remembered with the Cubs. Nationwide he is remembered as a Cubs announcer. Players who have spent much shorter times with teams are similarly honored and as long as it is acceptable to honor announcers with statues, it's perfectly acceptable for the cubs to have one of Harry.

 

It's all just stupid marketing gimmicks and unnecessary, but it's part of baseball and harmless. So be it.

[Sammy Sofa]

I'm more indifferent to the Harry statue than aggressively against it. I don't think your argument really holds much sway.

 

It wasn't an argument. It was my opinion.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm more indifferent to the Harry statue than aggressively against it. I don't think your argument really holds much sway.

 

It wasn't an argument. It was my opinion.

 

Fair enough, just think it's a bit over the top.

[Sammy Sofa]

I'm more indifferent to the Harry statue than aggressively against it. I don't think your argument really holds much sway.

 

It wasn't an argument. It was my opinion.

 

Fair enough, just think it's a bit over the top.

 

How so? The statement about them moving the statue was a joke. I don't actually expect that to happen or even care that it does or doesn't. I just was never a fan of Harry's, even when I was younger, and I think that the first statue they put up at Wrigley is one of him is silly. That's it. It's not like any of the reasons I listed for not being a fan of his are somehow wrong or unjustified. They're all subjective.

[Old Style]

I'm more indifferent to the Harry statue than aggressively against it. I don't think your argument really holds much sway. Harry personified having a good time, but not lovable losers who didn't care, he hated the teams struggles and was one of the few announcers to complain about the team's performance. Likewise, the fact that he "only" spent 17 years in Chicago and was a hired gun is pointless. His career is most remembered with the Cubs. Nationwide he is remembered as a Cubs announcer. Players who have spent much shorter times with teams are similarly honored and as long as it is acceptable to honor announcers with statues, it's perfectly acceptable for the cubs to have one of Harry.

 

It's all just stupid marketing gimmicks and unnecessary, but it's part of baseball and harmless. So be it.

I agree with this. Harry HATED losing more than anyone. I don't remember any other broadcasters before him calling out lazy, boneheaded players and complaining about bad play. I wouldn't have given him the first statue outside of Wrigley, but I have no problem with it.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm more indifferent to the Harry statue than aggressively against it. I don't think your argument really holds much sway.

 

It wasn't an argument. It was my opinion.

 

Fair enough, just think it's a bit over the top.

 

How so? The statement about them moving the statue was a joke. I don't actually expect that to happen or even care that it does or doesn't. I just was never a fan of Harry's, even when I was younger, and I think that the first statue they put up at Wrigley is one of him is silly. That's it. It's not like any of the reasons I listed for not being a fan of his are somehow wrong or unjustified. They're all subjective.

 

Well like I said, he wasn't the lovable loser that didn't care about the outcome as you claim. He hardly personifies that crowd. And he spent more than enough time in Chicago to be mostly associated with them.

 

It is quite pathetic that he was the first statue, but not entirely unjustified, given the fact that this team isn't exactly overrunning with successful players that had to be honored. The whole idea of a statue for a player or announcer is just silly to begin with.

 

But within the generally accepted practice of building statues for personalities involved with sports, Harry fits with room to spare.

 

At least it's not Rocky.

[Garwilly]

FWIW, Brickhouse has a statue. Outside the Tribune building.

[ConstableRabbit]

Harry was never actually drunk during games... it was a schtick.

[UMFan83]

No disrespect to Billy (and Ernie), but when are we going to have a statue of a Cub who has played even 1 playoff game for this franchise? We're enshrining career losers. I mean I guess that's the argument people have to keep Santo out of the hall, but the Hall has already opened up the floodgates for membership. I feel like statues are something that only the cornerstones of your franchise's history should be. Picking 2 great players who played together and led mostly miserably bad or mediocre teams is an odd choice in my book.

 

But I don't want to take away from the honor that Billy Williams is receiving, good for him and congrats.

[Sammy Sofa]

Well like I said, he wasn't the lovable loser that didn't care about the outcome as you claim. He hardly personifies that crowd. And he spent more than enough time in Chicago to be mostly associated with them.

 

I never said that he didn't care about the game. I was saying he personifies it to me with what I look at as the poor quality of his broadcasting for most of his time with the Cubs and how so many people embraced it.

[jersey cubs fan]

No disrespect to Billy (and Ernie), but when are we going to have a statue of a Cub who has played even 1 playoff game for this franchise? We're enshrining career losers.

 

Well, this is essentially the same thing as judging pitchers on W totals. A great player in a bad organization can't be blamed for the team's lack of titles.

[Sammy Sofa]

Harry was never actually drunk during games... it was a schtick.

 

Either way it's something I'm not a fan of.

 

You listen to many of those games he calls in the early 80's it's a hell of a schtick he's got going on because he starts the games off sounding pretty professional and very much like the good broadcaster he was for most of his career, and then as the games go on he's definitely sounding like he's getting more and more "refreshed." Maybe it was indicative of the health issues to come, I don't know, or it was just a gimmick like you're saying, but it's very bizarre to listen to.

[dew1679666265]

No disrespect to Billy (and Ernie), but when are we going to have a statue of a Cub who has played even 1 playoff game for this franchise? We're enshrining career losers. I mean I guess that's the argument people have to keep Santo out of the hall, but the Hall has already opened up the floodgates for membership. I feel like statues are something that only the cornerstones of your franchise's history should be. Picking 2 great players who played together and led mostly miserably bad or mediocre teams is an odd choice in my book.

 

But I don't want to take away from the honor that Billy Williams is receiving, good for him and congrats.

 

Matt Karchner or Felix Heredia? Which statue do we build first? :D

[Sammy Sofa]

He's saying that we should not rest until there's a giant statue of Jim Edmonds in front of Wrigley.