Remember when I wrote that post last September about recording a StoryCorps interview with renowned baseball organist Nancy Faust? It’s going to air this Friday morning, March 15, 2019 on WBEZ in Chicago!

That’s me celebrating with Nancy at Half Sour (our local tavern) after recording the interview last year. (Photo: Joe Jenkins.)

The timing is perfect: Mike, Seeing Eye dog Whitney and I are flying to Arizona tomorrow to stay with Nancy and Joe for a few days. Their son Eric and his girlfriend Ann will be there, too, and we’ll all head to Camelback Ranch on Friday to be at Nancy’s one-day return to the baseball organ bench: She’s performing at Friday’s Cubs-Sox Spring Training game!

The baseball field at Camelback Ranch does not have a baseball organ, but Nancy says that’s no problem: with the help of her sweet husband Joe Jenkins, she will bring her own. “They changed the spot for the organ and asked if we could deliver it Thursday instead of today,” she wrote me in an email message this morning. “So we arranged for a 10 a.m. delivery and can easily get to the airport when you arrive.” Now, tell me: How many people do you know who have baseball organist friends who pick them up at the airport, and, when necessary, bring their own instrument from home to play at the ballpark?

My relationship with Nancy Faust started on a 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 Bannister 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 Bannister was pitching.

When Nancy Faust was at the organ and a player walked, you might hear Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line.” If there was a pickoff throw, she’d likely play “Somebody’s Watching me.” And when the pickoff was successful? The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.” Nancy was also at the organ when Harry Caray first sang “Take me out to the ballgame” for the seventh-inning stretch at Comiskey Park. And she was the first to play “Na, na, na, nah, na, na, na, nah, hey, hey, hey, goooodbye!” when the opposing pitcher got sent to the showers.

She always helped me know who was batting by teasing the player’s name with a tune. Some of Nancy’s choices were obvious — Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” for players with that number, the theme from “Magnificent Seven” for players sporting number seven on their backs. Nancy invented walkup music, and to my mind, she was better at choosing songs than today’s players are.

I stopped by Nancy Faust’s booth at White Sox Park after Long Time, No See was published in 2003 to sign a copy for her. I was tickled to have an opportunity to thank her personally for helping me track what’s happening on the field, and we’ve been friends ever since.

Mike’s all-time favorite Nancy Faust walk-up tune is the one she’d play 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 used to think Nancy was at her best whenever Travis Hafner was in town. At a game against the Cleveland Indians, she played “Bunny Hop” for his first at bat, and then J. Geils “Centerfold” his next time up. During our StoryCorps interview she told me that when a streaker once jumped from the stands and ran across the outfield, she played, “Is That All There Is?” That’s my new fave.

The interview she and I did last September was 45 minutes long. The one that airs Friday will be five minutes, tops, but I’m hoping/expecting they’ll leave some of the parts in where she explains where she comes up with all these ideas. Chicago Tribune Sports writer Phil Rosenthal said it perfectly in the opening to his Monday column, where he alerts fans to cue the fanfare for the comeback at the March 15 Spring Training game: “It’s a big week for one of the greatest, most consistent, versatile and innovative players in Chicago sports history,” he says. “That, of course, would be Nancy Faust.”

Nancy graciously took time out on her last day to talk with me (and Hanni, of course).

I was out of town for yesterday’s home opener at White Sox park, so I listened to the game on the radio. The fans were loud, the Sox scored right away, Edwin Jackson struck out 13 batters and we won. All great stuff, but I couldn’t help but notice. Something was missing. For the first time in 42 years, legendary White Sox organist Nancy Faust was not playing on opening day. Loyal blog readers might remember the piece I wrote for the Chicago Tribune about Nancy Faust when she retired last year:

During one game, I had my Seeing Eye dog Hanni lead me to Nancy’s booth so I could thank her for helping me track

what was happening on the field. Nancy was absolutely lovely in person, and Hanni and I waltzed back to our seats to a pipe organ chorus of “How Much is that Doggie in the Window?”

A reporter interviewed Nancy for an article in yesterday’s Daily Herald about what she’d be doing on her first day off work. Probably watching the game on TV, she said. The story credited Nancy for reinventing the role of a ballpark organist by incorporating rock and pop songs into her repertoire, and gave a shout out to Rollie Hudson (another organist I’ve blogged about here). It also listed some of the clever songs she’d come up with over the years:

• A Whiter Shade of Pale for Henry Blanco
• In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida for player Pete Incaviglia
• I Could Have Danced All Night for Chone Figgins

Don’t get that last one? It’s a reference to Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady, of course. Rhymes with Figgins! My favorite literary reference from the Daily Herald article was this one:

Acquiescing to tastes beyond the literary library of most baseball fans, Faust once followed a fan’s suggestion to welcome Detroit Tiger Brandon Inge with The Hollies’ song “Bus Stop” in reference to the classic work “Bus Stop” by playwright William Inge. The next day, two fans excitedly rushed up to Faust to tell her that connection was brilliant.

“I guess I made three people happy,” Faust says. “The fan who suggested it and those two.”

Make that four happy people, Nancy. You may be retired, but these stories about you continue to make me smile.

Sox fans will miss you Nancy, and so will MLB.

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.

Here’s a story with a sad beginning…and a happy ending.

A letter I received late last Spring from the good folks at the Chicago StoryCorps booth alerted me to yet another change to accept here in Chicago.

That’s Wanda Bridgeforth and me after recording our StoryCorps conversation. The two of us are always happy to be together, can you tell? Photo courtesy StoryCorps.

Dear Beth,
We’re writing to share that after eight years at the Chicago Cultural Center, this September we will be ceasing operations at the Chicago StoryBooth.

Since we first opened in 2013, StoryCorps Chicago has recorded and preserved more than 4,000 facilitated interviews, including yours.

We are grateful to the Chicago Cultural Center and DCASE; to our Chicago-based funders; to WBEZ, our local station partner, and producer Bill Healy; to the many organizations we’ve partnered with which have enabled us to preserve so many voices of Chicago; and of course, to the Chicago participants like you who have shared their stories with us.

With gratitude,
The StoryCorps Chicago Team

In the eight years that StoryCorps was located here in Chicago, three conversations I recorded in the StoryBooth aired on Chicago Public Radio. Two were conversations with writers who were in the memoir-writing classes I lead:

1. In 2017 I interviewed Giovanna Breu. a retired journalist who had a long career with Life, Giovanna had covered the funeral and burial of President John F. Kennedy for the magazine in 1962.
2. In 2019, StoryCorps recorded a conversation I had with Wanda Bridgeforth. Among many other things Wanda talked about during that interview, she outlined the boundaries she grew up with on Chicago’s South Side. “When I was a kid, if you crossed east on Cottage Grove Avenue, a policeman would come out of nowhere, ask where you were going and escort you right back across the street.”

And then in 2019, when StoryCorpscontacted my friend Nancy Faust, the renowned retired White Sox baseball organist to see if she’d be willing to let them record a conversation with her in the Chicago StoryCorps booth, Nancy agreed “as long as Beth Finke is the one who interviews me.” What fun that interview was, and what an honor to be the interviewer Nancy Faust insisted on. The conversations with Wanda Bridgeforth and with Nancy Faust are now featured in two separate posts on their StoryCorps blog.

But wait. There’s more! Yesterday I received additional good –and very flattering – news.Here’s their letter:

As you may know, the Chicago StoryCorps booth has now closed its doors for the public at the Chicago Cultural Center, and we’re moving on with a final listening event. We chose to feature your conversation with Wanda and other memorable stories for this closing virtual event on August 26th from 6:00pm -7:3-pm hosted by Nestor Gomez. Would you be available to join us for a Q&A for this event?

No specifics yet about how you can tune in to the listening event, or what I have to do to participate, but You know me: I said yes. I also mentioned that while I haven’t been face-to-face with Wanda since March of 2020, we do keep in touch by phone. You Safe & Sound readers already know I have Wanda to thank for us getting so much positive attention from StoryCorps –she’s a superstar!

My appreciation goes out to Amy Tardif, Regional Manager of the Chicago StoryBooth for listening, to Bill Healy, the talented producer and great guy who put together the StoryCorps conversations that aired on WBEZ, and to the entire StoryCorps Chicago team. Thanks for the memories!

Starting tomorrow, May 24, all three of the memoir-writing classes I lead will be on summer break. What fun to think of these fully-vaccinated writers visiting and hugging their grandchildren, attending outdoor concerts, visiting museums, meeting friends for coffee, heading to beaches faraway… or beaches right here on Lake Michigan. If there’s one thing we’ve all learned in the past year-and-a-half, it’s how to adapt to change! With all of them taking advantage of these new pre-post-pandemic times, I’m giving our Saturdays with Seniors feature a summer break as well.

That’s Wanda Bridgeforth and me after recording our StoryCorps conversation. The two of us are always happy to be together, can you tell? Photo courtesy StoryCorps.

One change here I was sorry to hear about is the decision by StoryCorps to permanently close the StoryBooth that’d been located here at the Chicago Cultural Center for years. Here’s an excerpt from a letter they sent me to break the news:

Dear Beth,
We’re writing to share that after eight years at the Chicago Cultural Center, this September we will be ceasing operations at the Chicago StoryBooth.

Since we first opened in 2013, StoryCorps Chicago has recorded and preserved more than 4,000 facilitated interviews, including yours.

We are grateful to the Chicago Cultural Center and DCASE; to our Chicago-based funders; to WBEZ, our local station partner, and producer Bill Healy; to the many organizations we’ve partnered with which have enabled us to preserve so many voices of Chicago; and of course, to the Chicago participants like you who have shared their stories with us..

With gratitude,
The StoryCorps Chicago Team

In the eight years that StoryCorps was located here in Chicago, three interviews I recorded in the StoryBooth aired on Chicago Public Radio. Two were conversations with writers who were in the memoir-writing classes I lead:

1. In 2017 I interviewed Giovanna Breu. a retired journalist who had a long career with Life, Giovanna had covered the funeral and burial of President John F. Kennedy for the magazine in 1962.
2. In 2019, StoryCorps recorded a conversation I had with Wanda Bridgeforth. Among many other things Wanda talked about during that interview, she outlined the boundaries she grew up with on Chicago’s South Side. “When I was a kid, if you crossed east on Cottage Grove Avenue, a policeman would come out of nowhere, ask where you were going and escort you right back across the street.”

And then in 2019, when StoryCorps) contacted my friend Nancy Faust, the renowned retired White Sox baseball organist to see if she’d be willing to let them record a conversation with her in the Chicago StoryCorps booth, Nancy agreed “as long as Beth Finke is the one who interviews me.” What fun that interview was, and what an honor to be the interviewer Nancy Faust insisted on!

Earlier this month I received more news from StoryCorps Chicago: they will soon be featuring my conversations with Wanda Bridgeforth and with Nancy Faust in two separate posts on their StoryCorps blog.
But still, I’m sorry to see our StoryCorps Chicago booth go, it was a privilege to be part of these conversations and to hear other fabulous Chicago interviews on WBEZ all these years. My appreciation goes out to Amy Tardif, Regional Manager of the Chicago StoryBooth for listening, to Bill Healy, the talented producer and great guy who put together the StoryCorps conversations that aired on WBEZ and to the entire StoryCorps Chicago team. Thanks for the memories!

Want to stay connected and celebrate StoryCorps Chicago over the summer? A limited number of public appointments are available at Chicago’s StoryBooth now through June 30. I highly recommend it! It’s easy to make a reservation online or over the phone by calling 1-800-850-4406.