Friend Encounters: Skye Blue and Ty

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Keeping his memory alive, I once again feature my departed friend Ty. He would really love this one.

Ty was a big wrestling fan. He watched wrestler Skye Blue from her earliest days. Now he would enjoy watching her rise in All Elie Wrestling. At least Ty got to see her debut in AEW and start the climb.

It is rare to follow a wrestler basically from the very beginning, but Ty and several of us saw her many years ago. She was so young, but you could see the talent in her. It just took time and experience to hone those skills. Skye worked hard at all aspects of her career and it paid off. She is one of the most visible wrestlers in AEW now and her future is bright.

Ty would be so excited and so proud of her. He was such a loyal suporter of her an all other of his favorites. Ty was everything you would want in a wrestling fan and a friend actually.

I miss Ty at wrestling shows and comic cons. We all do. RIP Ty.

Ty and Skye Blue January 2024.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #812: Harold Carmichael & Billy Bean

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series featuring celebrities wearing sports jerseys. I am continuing my season-long alphabetical march through all MLB teams. Today I get phanatical about the Phillies.

Born in Florida, Harold Carmichael starred at Southern University before the Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the 7th round of the 1971 NFL draft. He went on to have a Hall of Fame career, at wide receiver. At 6'8", he was a force on the field, racking up almost 9,000 receiving yards 14 years, although he last season was only two games with the Dallas Cowboys, a stint which still annoys me. That yardage was impressive for that era. He signed with the Cowboys after being waived by the Eagles. He caught one pass in those two games and was cut. I hate seeing careers end like that. Carmichael went old school with his jersey as he made a Celebrity Jersey Card with the Phanatic.

Born in California, Billy Bean played six seasons with three teams in the MLB, as well as one season in Japan. His legacy goes well beyond the ball field though. A couple years after retiring, Bean came out as gay and was named MLB's first ambassador for inclusion in 2014. After years of working to promote inclusion, Bean died of leukemia in 2023. He earned his Celebrity Jersey Card while on the field for a Phillies game. Once again, the Phanatic got into the picture. Someday, I hope to meet the Phanatic.

Cards That Never Were: Larry Lintz Topps 1978-79

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series featuring virtual trading cards I created for players missing in various sets. It is a concept I have borrowed from far too many to list, but I thank them all.

Larry Lintz was selected from San Jose State University by the Montreal Expos in the 6th round of the 1971 MLB June Amateur Draft. After making his MLB debut in 1972 with the Expos, he played for them until he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals midseason in 1975. After the '75 season, he was traded to the Oakland A's, who released him after two seasons. He finished his career in 1978 with the Cleveland Indians. All told, he played 350 games, hitting .227 with no homers, 27 RBIs and 137 runs scored. He also had 128 stolen bases. While with the A's, he played in 109 games, but only batted 31 times. He was part of the pinchrunning crew utilized by the A's.

For his eforts, Topps gave him cards in sets 1973-77. That left 1978-79 missing. Once again I was beaten to these by folks from the Custom Baseball Cards Facebook Group. It is filled with thousands of such creations. These two were made by Lynn and Jeff, two of the best and busiest creators.

Gorgeous George Frankenstein Stephanie Bellars

That title is a long name (or series of names) for an interesting woman who rose to fame in the wrestling world. Let me explain all of that.

The woman in the picture doesn't look like a George. She does look gorgeous though. So how did Stephanie Bellars become Gorgeous George?

Many years ago, Stephanie dated Macho Man Randy Savage. He began using her as his velt in pro wrestling. Savage already owned the Gorgeous George name, having purchased it for his brother Lanny Poffo to use, but he gave it to Bellars for use in World Championship Wrestling.

Savage and Bellars broke up, but she kept using the name or variations of it. She later altered it to George Frankenstein. She certainly doesn't look like a Frankenstein, but that's another story.

I first met her many years ago thanks to PL Myers. Since then, I have seen her several times. When I saw she was appearing in Romeoville and I was in nearby Naperville, I had to visit her.

As soon as I walked into the convention, Georgie ran up to me and gave me a huge hug. She's such a sweetie. We caught up for a while, but I didn't want to get in the way of her meeting fans. I popped in and out a couple times, not overstaying each visit. Upon leaving, I made sure to chat one last time.

Georgie has had an interesting life. I don't know if the wrestling business was really fair to her, but she gained a lot of fans and friends. She's a genuinely nice person and I wish her happiness. I also hope to see her here again soon.

Gorgeous George and me in Romeville, IL-June 2026.

Congratulations to New St. Laurence Softball Coach Abby Ramirez

Congratulations to longtime favorite Abby Ramirez on being named Softball Head Coach at St. Laurence High School in Chicago. Actually, first, congratulations to Abby Ramirez-Battaglia on her fairly recent marriage.

A Chicago area native, Abby starred at the University of Michigan. She was a three-time Big Ten champion, three-time All-Big Ten selection and a member of Michigan’s 2015 national runner-up team. After Michigan, she joined the Chicago Bandits, and later Athletes Unlimited. All told, she spent seven seasons playing pro softball.

She began her coaching career as an assistant at Northwestern, before moving on to DePaul. It was always great seeing her at those games.

It will be sad not seeing Abby at DePaul, but the good news for us fans is St. Laurence is not too far on the south side of Chicago. Looks like I will cover my first high school softball game. That is the type of respect I have for Abby. I can't let a season go without a quick catch up.

I wish Abby a lot of success at St. Laurence. I'll miss her at DePaul, but I appreciate all of her kindness over the years. I am sure I will see her again though.

Abby Ramirez and me in Rosemont, IL-Summer 2017.

Clowning Around Again with Bozo

Last year, Tony and I met Joey D'Auria, better known as Bozo. After chatting with him, I just felt he would be willing to do a short interview, even though I hadn't previously requested one. He very graciously agreed. You can find that video and a lot of other fun interviews on the Global Traveler YouTube channel.

He gave us a few interesting tidbits, including revealing actor David Arquette owns the rights to Bozo. Because of this, D'Auria is now allowed to do such appearances.

A few weeks later, Tony and I went to another convention and we saw D'Auria again. Of course, I had to go back and thank him again. He was just as gracious. What a nice man.

Tony and I still joke that we interviewed Bozo. Succeeding Bob Bell, D'Auria filled the clown shoes quite well. Both men wee big parts of our childhood. There may be bigger names I interviewed over the years, but few made me as excited as this one.

 Tony, Joey D'Auria and me in Milwaukee, WI-August 2025.

Thank You Maren Berger

Whenever I cover college sports, I usually get a few pictures with players. People who notice this generally ask me any of three main questions.

Why do you do it? I get pictures for several reasons. Pictures with players are good for social media. They are also good for drawing attention to anything I write. 

Do the players mind? I have never been turned down by a player. (One coach declined several years ago). Usually, they are very happy to get exposure and appreciation. I ask for pictures within the confines of coverage. While they take pictures with fans, too, I like to let them know I am covering the event and will mention them.

Is it hard getting pictures? The difficulty depends on the situations. Sometimes players go straight to their lockerrooms. When they come to the concourse or at least off the main playing field, I always wait until they aren't busy doing other things (preparing, eating, chatting with family or friends). 

Butler redshirt sophomore pitcher Maren Berger is a great example of a perfect interaction after pitching a gem in the Big East Softball Tournament. After the game, I went to the restroom. Upon leaving, Berger was a few feet away. She wasn't doing anything (maybe waiting for friends or teammates?). I approached her, complimented her on a great game and asked for a picture for my Global Traveler story. Her response was a very eager "heck yea!" We even chuckled at how excited she was. This couldn't have been easier or more pleasant.

A fact often overlooked is these female athletes aren't used to much press exposure. Many of them have thanked me over the years. Some even thank me years later if our paths cross again.

Maran Berger and me in Rosemont, IL-April 2026.

Friend Encounters: Gwen Svekis and Jim

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Continuing my focus on the reborn Chicago Bandits, today I feature two catchers.

Gwen Svekis had a great career at the university of Oregon, helping the Ducks to three Women's College World Series appearances. She turned pro and played for the Chicago Bandits and then the inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited. Gwen was one of the most popular players for the Bandits and then the AU teams. The Rosemont crowds loved Gwen.

The other catcher didn't accomplish nearly as much, nor was he as popular as Gwen. Still, my pal Jim has done fine in his life. Jim helped me several times when I was covering the old Chicago Bandits. While he is not part of the old guard, he does qualify as an "old crusty" like the rest of us. He is also embraced by the old guard because he is a real fan of the game.

I took this picture of catcher meeting catcher. I was happy to return the favor after Jim did so much photography for me.

Gwen is still involved with AU in a leadership role. More importantly, Gwen married Taylor Edwards, another former catcher for the Bandits and AU. They are a great couple. Both are so positive and happy.

For more info on the Bandits, go to auprosports.com. Check my recurring coverage here.

Gwen and Jim in Rosemont, IL-June 2018.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #811: Alex Morgan & Abby Dahlkemper

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series featuring celebrities wearing sports jerseys. I am continuing my season-long alphabetical march through all MLB teams. Today, I elite soccer players.

Alex Morgan was born in Los Angeles, California and rose to fame on the soccer field. She starred at UCLA, but also several; pro teams, as well as Team USA. She earned numerous awards, including a gold and bronze medal with Team USA in 2012 and 2020 respectively. Morgan earned a Celebrity Jersey Card while tossing a ceremonial pitch for the San Diego Padres. Joining her on her card are a couple Padres and her soccer colleague Abby Dahlkemper.

Born in Pennsylvania, but raised in California, Abby Dahlkemper was a soccer star in her teens. In 2010, she was named Gatorade California Girls Soccer Player of the Year. She went on to star at UCLA, helping them to their first NCAA championship. She has played for several teams professionally, but also for Team USA, helping them to a bronze medal in 2020. Dahlkemper earned her Celebrity Jersey Card while tossing a ceremonial pitch for the Padres. 

Cards That Never Were: Joe DeSa Topps 1981

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series in which I create virtual trading cards for players missed in various sets. It is a concept I have borrowed from far too many to thank, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

Joe DeSa was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 3rd round of the 1977 MLB June Amateur Draft. He made his Major League debut in 1980 by appearing in seven games for the Cards. Becoming a free agent after the 1983 season, DeSa signed with the Chicago White Sox and made it back to the bigs in 1985. It was back to the minors in 1986. He was released after the '86 season and signed by the Kansas City Royals, but he died tragically late in 1986. For his career, DeSa saw action in 35 games over two seasons, hitting .200 with 2 HRs, 7 RBIs and 5 runs scored.

Topps gave DeSa a card in its 1986 set, but failed to give him one for his time with the Cardinals. I set out to do that, when I saw Jeff in the Custom Baseball Cards Facebook group beat me to it. His was perfect, meaning I didn't need to do one. Still, I wanted to highlight his great work and the work of all in that group. There are thousands of creations and not just baseball cards.