By Mike Houlihan

October 10^th, 2026

Don’t know about youse, but I am loving this post-season Chicago White Sox team stirring up the playoffs with a team full of personalities destined, we hope, for another World Series.

There’s an electricity once again on the streets of Bridgeport that hasn’t been felt since the night the cops closed down Schaller’s Pump after the Sox won the World Series that night in 2005 in Houston, so the Schaller’s could celebrate in peace as a family in their storied saloon.

I’ve always loved Schaller’s and sure do miss it today. My earliest White Sox memory takes me back to 1959, the Sox were on fire, taking the American league pennant, and I was with my dad at a game. I was about 11 years old and in awe of the energy of Comiskey Park.

Years later I would be caddying for Chuck Comiskey at Beverly Country Club and he was penalized a couple strokes in the Western Open Pro-Am cuz his caddy nudged/kicked his ball onto the tenth green trying to help him. The crowd gasped, and an oily guy in shades and a fedora grabbed me by the arm as we headed to the 11^th tee and bleeped at me, “Watch the ball, clod!”

But that’s another story. In 1959 I was with my old man at the Sox game and he saw Bill Veeck watching the game not three rows over from us. Dad sez, “That’s Bill Veeck, you should go ask him for his autograph.”

I grabbed the pen and program my dad handed me and approached Veeck as in Wreck. He was just hanging out with the fans that day, his wooden leg crossed in front of him and a tiny ashtray build into the calf of his fake leg. Bill flicked the ash from his cig and I said, “Mr. Veeck, I’m a huge Sox fan, can I please have your autograph?”

Bill Veeck is the guy who created the go-go White Sox and in 1959 led them to the American League pennant. “Hi ya, kid. Sure thing.” And as he signed his name for me, (a fifth grader at Christ the King school on the south side), a photographer stepped up and took our picture, flash!

Next day I was on the front page of the Tribune with Bill Veeck. Man I would love to get a copy of that if it still exists. Or maybe I just dreamed it. I know I didn’t dream walking into Mrs. Meade’s class the next day with fifty copies of the Trib, one for each of my classmates!

In 1985 I was Special Events Director at the State of Illinois Center and my kids were little leaguers. I created Bill Veeck Day and asked his widow Mary Frances to speak, and Nancy Faust played the organ, the kids got the day off school and were bussed downtown to take it all in.

Then in October of 2005 I was at the infamous “dropped third strike game” when the Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels after Sox superstar A. J. Pierzynski alertly ran to first base when the Angels screwed up and the ump made the right call. I was at the game with my pal, “retired adult film star” Johnny Vegas and the place went nutz as the Sox won and would go on to win the World Series.

That night we headed over the Schaller’s Pump for victory beers and the place was packed. Somebody dropped a quarter into the juke box and everybody’s ears perked up to hear Sinatra croon, “Now this could only happen to a guy like me…”  And the entire crowd sang along with ol’ Blue Eyes warbling “My Kinda Town, Chicago Is!” It was magical.

I recently had the honor of interviewing some of Bridgeport’s legends like Father Dan Brandt, former pastor of Nativity of Our Lord Parish, former CPD 9^th District Commander Gene Roy, retired 11^th Ward Alderman Jim Balcer, and the lovely Kim Schaller Shinnick; all telling stories of the last time the White Sox won the World Series for a TV special we’re working on, “Bridgeport’s Favorite Year”.

Keep an eye out for it on your telly soon. And let’s all keep rooting for this legendary young White Sox team as they continue winning their way through the playoffs for hopefully the NEXT World Series Championship.

Go-Go White Sox!

-30-

Known around town as “Houli,” he is former features columnist for The Chicago Sun-Times, Irish American News and currently Chicago correspondent for The Irish Echo. He began his career in 1973 as an apprentice with The American Shakespeare Festival, appearing in the classics there and in regional productions across the nation as well as Off-Broadway, on Broadway, on TV and in major motion pictures. He is a playwright and author of anthologies “Hooliganism Stories” and “More Hooliganism Stories” and the gonzo Mayoral campaign journal “Nothin’s on The Square”. Founder of the Annual Irish American Movie Hooley film festival each Fall at The Wilmette Theatre. He was honored as 2020/2021 “Irishman of the Year” by the Emerald Society, the Irish American Police Association. His Hibernian Radio Hour podcast can be found at hibernianradio.org and streaming worldwide on Sat. nights from 7-8PM on Global Irish Radio, GIR.ie.

His latest book ” Chicago Irish Mythology” is available on Amazon and wherever else you buy your books.

https://abbeyfealepress.com/

Even more info about Houli is available here, on his latest adventures: hibernianmedia.org