My visit to White Sox Park tomorrow is going to be bittersweet. Not because of the team – they actually did better than I expected this year. It’s because of the organist. This is Nancy Faust’s last year at the pipe organ, and tomorrow’s game has been named Faust Fest in honor of her 41 years entertaining fans at White Sox games.
My relationship with Nancy Faust started on another bittersweet day –- the day my eye surgeon told Mike and me that none of the surgeries they tried had worked, From my memoir, Long Time, No See:
The White Sox were in town that day. Going to a ballgame after learning I’d be blind for the rest of my life was probably a strange thing to do, but it beat heading home and sitting on our pitiful second-hand couch and wondering where to turn next.
The White Sox were having a rotten year. There were maybe 8,000 people in the stands. Floyd Banister pitched, the Sox lost. But it was strangely pleasant, sitting next to Mike with my head up, not giving a thought to eyes or surgery. We each had a bratwurst and a beer. Between bites and gulps and giving me play by play, Mike bantered with other fans, cursing the underachievers on the team. I laughed at the tunes selected by Nancy Faust, the Sox organist-she’s famous for picking songs that play on player’s names. Mike marveled at the endurance of Carlton Fisk, and we both wondered out loud why every time we went to a game, that bum Banister was pitching.
I stopped by Nancy Faust’s booth at White Sox Park after Long Time, No See was published to sign a copy for her. She is absolutely lovely. I was tickled to have an opportunity to thank her personally for helping me track what’s happening on the field. When Nancy Faust is at the organ and a player walks, you hear Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line.” If there’s a pickoff throw, she plays Michael Jackson’s “Somebody’s Watching me.” And when the pickoff is successful? The Kinks “You Really Got me.”
Nancy helps me know who’s batting by teasing the player’s name with a tune. Mike’s all-time favorite is the one for Gary Disarcina. No, it wasn’t “Gary, Indiana” from the Music Man. That is wayyyy too obvious. It was “Have you Seen Her?” by the Chi-Lites.
As for me, I think Nancy’s at her best whenever Travis Hafner’s in town. At the last Cleveland Indians game I went to, she played “Bunny Hop” for his first at bat, and then J. Geils “Centerfold” “his next time up. And you Yankee fans who read this blog will never understand our sorrow when Jason Giambi ended up in the National League. Nancy Faust used to play the theme from “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” any time he came to bat. And no, it wasn’t about steroids. Again, wayyy to obvious. Duh. The reason she played Pee Wee’s Playhouse theme song for Giambi? A character on the show is named “Jambi.” Natch!
Some of Nancy’s choices are a lot more obvious –- Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” for players with that number, the theme from “Magnificent Seven” for players sporting number seven on their backs. Michael Jackson’sBobby Day’s “Rockin’ Robin” bounced from the pipes back when Robin Ventura played third base for us, And we heard a lot of “Jingle Bells” and the disco hit “Ring My Bell” when Albert Bell was on the team. If he struck out? “We’re so sorry, Uncle Albert.”
My upper lip has remained stiff through all the other changes the White Sox have put me through -– new park, new managers, new announcers, new players. That lip is certain to weaken tomorrow during Faust Fest. The one thing that will pull me through without breaking down completely: the White Sox are giving free Nancy Faust bobble-hands dolls to the first 10,000 fans attending tomorrow’s game. Trust me, I’ll be there early.
LOVE IT!!!! What a wonderful story. Enjoy that bobble head doll.
Who are they playing? Any of the players have good names?
They’re playing the Detroit Tigers. I’m anticipating music from the Austin Powers movies (Austin Jackson); “Johnny Angel” and “Johnny Get Angry” and “It’s My Party” for the two Johnnies in the line-up; maybe even “Bus Stop” from the Hollies. You know, for Brian INGE!
Oops, I meant *Brendan* Inge. And yes, Nancy did play that tonight. Did I tell you I love nancy Faust?!
Oh what a nice story. Enjoy the game and I realized that I didn’t know they had a real organ player at the games.
Yeah, from what I gather, this season only about half of the 30 major league
teams still have live organists. Glad we still have ours, until the end of the season, at least!
Hearing that organ always makes me remember going to the games growing up. There are fewer things that remain the same from those days (although Teri Hemmert is still on the air!). . .I would be sentimental too if I were at the game. Hope it doesn’t get rained out.
Yeah,dang. It’s raining. But…eyebrows up – just think of the possibilities for Nancy while we wait for the rain delay—
“Rainy Days and Mondays”
“Raindrops keep falling on my Head”
“Pennies from Heaven”
“Stormy”
“Rain”
“Singing’ in the Rain”
“Can’t Stop the Rain”
“Thunder Road”
And my favorite – “Knock on Wood.”
Wow great story! Would be great on your NPR affiliate with some tunes in the background!
Ah, I thought of that, too, Nancy – can’t you just hear the organ music in the background? It’d make for great radio! Unfortunately the local affiliate had that same notion. They’d already assigned the story to someone else by the time I emailed them my own Nancy Faust essay. The Chicago Public Radio story ran Friday morning (they interviewed Nancy Faust and all that) and The editor there said they weren’t interested in running any more pipe organ stories now.
And so, heck, I set my sights higher! I sent the piece to the *national* affiliate in DC, maybe Morning Edition will be looking for an “end of the baseball season” story in a few weeks. As I like to say…stay tuned!
[…] your positive comments to my post about Nancy Faust Day at White Sox Park made me think. Hey, maybe the Chicago Tribune would like to publish a blind […]
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