The Rebel Wrote a Book

Chicago Cubs legend Randy Hundley wrote a book. Ironman is Randy's story on and off the field.

Prior to the 1960 season, the San Francisco Giants signed Randy Hundley. This was before the MLB Draft was implemented.

Randy made his MLB debut with two games in 1964, followed by six games in 1965. In December of 1965, Randy was traded to the Chicago Cubs, where he would establish himself as a starting catcher. Oer the next four seasons, Randy averaged 153 games, including 160 in one season. That's an incredibly high number, especially considering half of those games were played in the daytime at Wrigley Field.

After the 1973 season, Randy was traded to the Minnesota Twins for George Mitterwald. When the Twins released him after the 1974 season, Randy signed with the San Diego Padres. He played one season with the Padres before the Cubs brought him back for two seasons.

For his career, Randy played parts of 14 years, logging 1,061 games. He had 813 hits for a .236 average. He won a Gold Glove in 1967 and made the All-Star team in 1969. Randy's s[on Todd would follow his footsteps and have a fine career, too.

A couple years ago, I interviewed former Cubs catcher Jody Davis. That interview caught the eye of author John St. Augustine, who was in the process of co-authoring Randy's book. I connected John with Jody and also my writer/author friend George Castle.

Much to my surprise, when the book was published, I was listed among in the special thanks section. Although my participation was minimal, I appreciate the acknowledgement.

I was out of town for the book release party last year. Recently, John and Randy held another small event. I finally got to meet Randy. Although i82 and showing physical signs of wear and tear from so much catching, Randy is sharp and full of great stories. He even let me wear his 2016 World Series ring given to him by the Cubs.

Ironman is a great book. It's a must for any Cubs fan and really, any baseball fan in general. The pictures alone brought back so many great memories, as did all of the names in the stories.

Randy Hundley and me in Palatine, IL-September 2024.