His Father, Dick Allen

Earlier this summer, I attended a special screening of My Father, Dick Allen, a documentary about the legendary Hall of Fame baseball player. I met a lot of folks that night, but meeting Dick's son was one of the highlights.

Th documentary and his father's induction into the Hall of Fame made for a long journey, but were labors of love. Dick Jr. strongly, and rightly, believed his father belonged in the HOF. Even I, as a fan of an elite HOF, feels Allen Sr. belonged. Allen might have fallen a bit short on total stats, but he was dominate. He was feared. Fans wanted to watch him and pitchers did not want to face him.

Some of his delay might have been caused by his reputation. Fair or not, that's just the way it was. Dick Jr. and the film crew did a wonderful job showing all sides of Allen Sr. They showed the struggles with racism even with his hometown teams. I was always a fan of Allen's, but I gained a whole new perspective on him after seeing the doc.

Dick Jr. has had a few other screenings and events. I had to miss his last one in Chicago, but I really hope he returns.

After the presentation, I made sure to make my way to Dick Jr. to meet him and get a pic. Despite being swarmed, I muscled my way to get to him and he was very gracious.

Dick Sr. played three seasons with the Chicago White Sox. Those were my first three seasons of really watching baseball. I though Allen was super human. Fast forward 50+ years and I enjoyed a great evening of the history of Allen. It truly was a heartwarming night.

Richard Allen, Jr. and me in Chicago, IL-June 2026.

Friend Encounters: Mike Wolfe, Tony and JoAnne

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

I witnessed this one. It is all thanks to Tony.

A big fan of the American Pickers tv show, Tony always wanted to meet Mike Wolfe, who owns Antique Archeology in LeClaire, Iowa. When he saw Wolfe was doing a meet-and-greet there, he enlisted me to accompany him on the several hour drive. Always willing to meet a celeb and knowing Tony has gone out of the way for some of my quests, I quickly agreed. When the day came, Tony's wife also joined us, making it even more fun.

As usual, we arrived early, but there already was a line. Soon, Wolfe pulled up in his truck. He was actually early, a surprise for these such events.

The line moved a bit slowly, only because Wolfe made each person have a special moment. When it came time for us, I let Tony meet him as I stayed back. This was his big moment and he admits he was a bit giddy. I met Wolfe next and found him very engaging. He asked where we lived and why we came. The moment lasted a few minutes, but it was nicer than most such events.

I know this was one of Tony's all time favorites. It was a fun day for me, too. We saw some interesting buffalo statues (there is a Buffalo Bill Museum there) and had a great lunch. I recapped it all on globaltravelerusa.com.

Tony, Mike Wolfe and JoAnne in LeClaire, IA-August 2026.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #826: Jordan Davis & Bob Buckhorn

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series in which I create virtual trading cards for celebrities wearing sports jerseys. Today, I salute the two teams in the World Series.

Born in Louisiana, Jordan Davis is a country music singer and songwriter. In 2019, David won The Best New Country Artist Award from iHeart Radio. He also won the Country Music Association Awards Song of the Year in 2023 and 2024. I don't know of his connection to Milwaukee. I will guess he had a concert there and threw out the ceremonial pitch. No matter how, he did earn a Celebrity Jersey Card.

Illinois native Bob Buckhorn served as Mayor of Tampa, Florida, from 2011-2019. Tampa earn several accolades during his tenure, including being names as the best city in the southeast by Money magazine. Buckhorn earned his Celebrity Jersey Card tossing a ceremonial pitch for the Rays.

Cards That Never Were: Paul Jata Topps 1973

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

Paul Jata was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round of the 1967 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 1972, playing 32 games. He hit .230 with no HRs, 3 RBIs and 8 runs scored. Unfortunately, that would be his entire MLB career. Jata was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Jim Nettles after the 1973 season. He apparently did not play in 1974-75, but returned for a season with the Twins minor league team in 1976. A s a fun side note, of the 32MLB games he played, only one was at catcher, yet that is his picture here. For his entire pro career though, he played catcher for 69 games out of 137.

For his efforts, he received no card from Topps. As I prepared to make one, once again I saw Gio from When Topps Had (Base)Balls already made one. The man is a master, with thousands of awesome cards on his site.

My family at Global Traveler

I have written a lot about my Global Traveler family. Today, I am writing about my family at Global Traveler.

The Chicago event was announced very early this year. Of course, I invited my family and friends to share in the fun. Most of my family was able to make it.

My brother-in-law Scott, sister Jean, sister Nancy, niece Laura and her friend Karen all made the trek downtown Chicago through rush hour on a Monday. It was their first time at any GT event. I love seeing those worlds collide.

I loved more spending that evening with my family and we were all dressed up. LOL. It really meant a lot to me to have them there. I greatly appreciated their support and love (and the applause when GT Publisher Fran announced my name).

I am a lucky guy. I love them all dearly.

Scott, Jean, Laura, Nancy, Karen and me in Chicago, IL-August 2026.

Talking Travel (and Sober October) with Scott Spiezio

In another interview fitting for Sober October, I talked to former Major League Baseball layer Scott Spiezio. A recovering addict, Spiezio has a book and documentary about his battles and recovery.

Spiezio spoke honestly about his addictions and credits God with his recovery. Now he wants to deter others from following his roaqd.

Of course, we also talked about his career, baseball cards, travel and more. It was a fun interview from a positive guy.

Go to globaltravelerusa.com for the full recap and interview. While you are there, please subscribe to the GT YouTube channel.

Ric Flair at Squared Circle Expo 2027

The fine folks at Squared Circle Expo started announcing wrestling guests for SCX VII. The first name was greeted with a collective "Wooooooo" by the online community.

Ric Flair is coming to SCX VII. It doesn't get much bigger than this.

Flair is considered by most to be on the Mount Rushmore of pro wrestling. No matter which title count you use, Flair has held a world title in multiple companies many times. 

The only problem now for SCX is how do you follow that announcement? Actually, the organizers did a fine job with the next several names. Demolition, Cora Jade, Brian Myers, SCX Heavyweight champ Jake Omen, Ron Reis, Samuel Shaw and Kevin Von Erich. That's an amazing group and they are just getting started.

SCX VII runs May 21-22, meaning it is exactly seven months away. Tickets will go on sale Friday, but don't wait long. They will sell quickly.

For more info on SCX, go to squaredcirclex.com. Also, check here for my updates.

Ric Flair and me in Indianapolis, IN-Spring 2015.

Are Big Ben and Benson Really Mascots?

Obviously, I have heard of Benny the Bull, the official mascot of the Chicago Bulls. Despite my fascination with mascots, I had not heard of Benson and Big Ben until a couple months ago at Bulls Fest.

On my way out of the event, I saw a sign for a photo op with "Bulls mascots Big Ben and Benson." Having no idea of their existence, I ventured over to the area and learned they are large inflated creatures. They do have actual folks inside of them though.

Upon further researching the duo, I learned they are part of the extended family of mascots who accompany Benny at games and events. Mini Benny and Benji are two others.

I have no problem with them being part of the entertainment crew. My question is if they really can be called mascots. For the purpose of this site, I count them as mascots. I also took the opportunity to get a picture with them.

Still, I cannot classify them as true mascots. I also question why the Bulls couldn't just get regular costumes for them. It would have to be easier for the performer. It certainly would loo better.

Does the inflation disqualify them as mascots? I just can't accept them as true mascots. If they had really costumes, I would call them mascots. I like them for what they are. I just think they could be much better.

Big Ben, Benson and me in Chicago, IL-August 2026.

Friend Encounters: AJ Croce and John

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

My buddy John scored a big one over me when he met A.J. Croce. I had wanted to go to this show, but was unable to make it.

A.J. is the son of the legendary deceased singer Jim Croce. At just 30 years old and reaching major success, Jim was killed in a small plane crash. He left behind a wife and son.

Adrian James was just two when his father died. His story is amazing. As a toddler, he was temporarily blinded due to abuse from his mom's then-boyfriend. He was hospitalized for months, but regained some vision. He learned how to play piano through inspiration from Ray Charles. He started playing professionally when he was only 12 and has built a solid career since. Tragically, his wife died in 2018, leaving him as a single father of two. Through all of this, A.J. has remained incredibly positive. I enjoy his music, but his story makes me respect him that much more.

My buddy John saw him earlier this year. John meets a lot of celebrities and we often cross paths. He usually beats me with musicians, but this is one of the ones I really envy.

AJ Croce and John in St. Charles, IL-June 2026.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #825: Elena Delle Donne & Kendall Coyne

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series featuring celebrities wearing sports jerseys. With the MLB playoffs upon us, I salute the Chicago teams, who both made the playoffs in a true rare feat.

Born in Delaware, Elena Delle Donne starred at the University of Delaware before being selected by the Chicago Sky in the 2013 WNBA draft. She played four seasons with the Sky before being traded to the Washington Mystic. Unfortunately for her, injuries hampered her productivity and time on the court. Even going back to her college time, she missed games due to Lyme's Disease. During her time with the Sky, she tossed a ceremonial pitch for the Chicago Cubs to earn her Celebrity Jersey Card.

Born in a Chicago suburb, Kendall Coyne became a star on the frozen pond. After starring at Northeastern, she played for a few pro teams. Most recently, she was a captain of the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League, leading the team to back-to-back Walter Cup championships in 2024 and 2025. Coyne tossed a couple ceremonial pitches for the Chicago White Sox to earn her Celebrity Jersey Card. Because I mistakenly made two cards, I am showing both.