A Meadowlark Sighting

Among Fergie's friends were people who were not baseball people. While not able to attend, former Chicago Bear Gayle Sayers was on the Hall-of-Fame list; Sayers and Jenkins were stars in Chicago during the same years and came into contact often. But among the biggest of Hall-of-Fame stars was basketball magician Meadowlark Lemon, longtime heart and soul of the Harlem Globetrotters.

In great shape for a senior citizen (and I can say that, being one myself), Meadowlark laughed and talked and shook hands and posed with hundreds of fans and he looked in fine enough shape that he might have been able to demonstrate some flashy Trotter moves.

In speaking with several Cub fans, I posed the question as to why Meadowlark Lemon was present. All answered that he must have been a friend of Fergie. But pushed again with another question -- why? how? when? -- not one knew what I knew. Back in the 1960s, major league players made good salaries, but few made enough to take the entire offseason as a vacation. Fergie Jenkins played with the Harlem Globetrotters for three winters and was Lemon's teammate. It was another enjoyable nugget in a great evening of entertainment. I met the Clown Prince of Basketball.

One more post from the Fergie and Friends baseball night.