Picking someone to pull for in this World Series is a bit like deciding who you’d like to win the Weasel Royale besides your son and yourself. The Cardinals just won a couple of years ago, and the Red Sox are the new Evil empire. I’m cheering for baseball and a Game Seven.
Speaking of Game Seven, my mom was in labor in Lawrence, Massachusetts, during Game Seven of the 1967 World Series between these same two teams. Carl Yastrzemski won the Triple Crown that year, and a lot of people suggested that my parents name their baby boy after him. My dad had other plans, and fortunately, neither parent was a big baseball fan at the time.
On that day, my mom was more focused on her pain and the doctors and nurses who weren’t doing anything about it. Instead of her, they were gathered around the television, watching the game. At one point, my mom cursed them all with words you wouldn’t normally expect to hear in Lawrence: "I hope the Red Sox lose!"
For my mom, those words came naturally. As an Italian-American, she grew up a Yankees fan. The Red Sox’ Dom DiMaggio was no substitute for brother Joe.
Her words had the desired effect, on both the game and the hospital staff. The Red Sox lost that game on Oct. 12, and I finally arrived 28 minutes after midnight on Oct. 13.
The Red Sox also lost Game 7 in 1975 and again in 1986, victims again of the Curse of the Bambino. Most people believe the curse’s bambino is Babe Ruth. My family knows otherwise.
Anyway, here’s the latest news from the Weasels.
A Bull Weasel Rises
There can be only one Bull Weasel. And if you like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/chicagodiplomacy), follow us on Twitter (@WindyCityWeasel), or just happened upon our hashtag (#RoyaleDay), then you already know who it is. We were all over social media on Saturday.
Two of the seven contenders were gunning for their second crown, and another was trying to complete the club’s first Grand Slam (titles for the Royale, Moot, CODCon and Weasel of the Year), but the winner was one of the four new faces.
While living in China, Josh Heffernan fell in with a group of Canadian ex-pats. They taught him how to play Diplomacy. He was already battle-hardened when he joined our club in January. At that game, he declared himself a contender by posting a convincing board top. He shared two more board tops in his next eight games and finished Season Eight in fourth place.
And Saturday in the 2013 Weasel Royale club championship game at Dan Burgess’ home in Downers Grove, he became the fourth four seed to win the Bull Weasel title and the sixth different winner in six years.
Read more here.
Tony Takes the Undercard
Meanwhile, for the fifth straight year, we held a regular season league game at the Royale. The Undercard, as we call it, started on Dan’s deck but moved to his basement lair when the temperature dropped.
The board-topper from each of the first three Undercard games eventually qualified for the next year’s Royale. Tony Prokes played with one of them (John Gramila) in the 2011 Royale, and he signed up for last year’s Undercard hoping to launch a return trip. But he finished that game with a disappointing four centers. Undeterred, Prokes returned this year, and this time, he topped the board.
Check out the game summary here.
An Unexpected Title
Nate Cockerill’s slow, slimy conquest of the Diplomacy hobby continued on Saturday, but the title he captured wasn’t the one he sought.
During a pizza break, the Sixth Sneak held its first meeting of the year, and the first item on the agenda was the election of officers. Burgess magnanimously honored Sneak tradition by stepping down after his second term. The board unanimously supported Cockerill to replace him.
Catch up on all the Sneak news here.
Tora! Tora! Tora! at Ted’s
Our resident author Ted McClelland will host a Diplomacy game at his place in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood on Dec. 7. The game is set to begin at 11 a.m., but if I were you, I’d show up at dawn with guns blazing. Four seats remain.
Upcoming Games
- Nov. 6 at the Red Lion in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago, starting at 6:30 p.m. until no later than 11. Have four.
- Dec. 7 at Ted McClelland’s home in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, starting at 11 a.m. Have three.
Sign up for games here, on Meetup, or by emailing your faithful War Weasel (which is now Dan Burgess, danburgess67@gmail.com).
More House Games Coming
We’d like to start scheduling house games a little farther in advance. Burgess plans to host on either Jan. 11 or 18. We hope to announce that game next week after he firms up the date. If you’d like to host in late December, late January, or February, please let me know.
Dues
We haven’t even issued our call for 2014 dues, and already seven Weasels have paid up. Thank you Ben DiPaola, Brad Harrington, Josh Heffernan, Kevin O’Kelly, Matt Sundstrom, the other Kevin O’Kelley, and me for making it easy on us by paying without being asked. We hope to send out our annual e-appeal in the next month. In the meantime, you can use the PayPal link we set up for 2013 to pay your 2014 dues, or just PayPal us directly at wcwsneak@gmail.com. We’re still charging $25, $10 if you’re a student.
Important Dates
- Nov. 28: Thanksgiving. Be thankful for the Weasels.
That’s all for this week.
Jim
