I had the pleasure of meeting Stan Zielinski a couple of times during his tenure with the Cubs. The first was in 2002, shortly after he joined the team as was scouting in the north suburbs. He always asked media guys if we knew of any players at whatever place he was headed to and if we knew anything about who he was watching, etc. In 2002, he had gone to a movie with his wife one February evening and came home to a phone message informing him he was fired by the team's new owner, Jeffrey Loria (http://onlineathens.com/stories/021702/spo_0217020048.shtml#.WG_Oc_ArKUk) (seriously, fuck this guy). A week or so later, Jim Hendry hired him to be the Cubs MW Scouting director. I crossed paths with him a week or so after the infamous Clement/Alfonseca-Tavarez/Willis (http://web.archive.org/web/20020408125357/http://desipio.com/features/guests/andy/032702-sixtoedsloth.htm) trade. No surprise, but Zielinski liked the trade, knowing Florida wanted to dump El Pulpo. He thought the world of Clement, and thus he was bragging about it to anyone who would listen.
He then turned to me at some point and grinned: "The Lake County Sheriff's Office took care of one of our critics this weekend." We spent the next couple of innings at this high school game having fun at old Rob Goldman's expense.
Anyway, he was a pretty good scout, with Kyle Schwarber as one of his last great finds. Stan died in his sleep the other night at 64. (http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170105/sports/170109432/)
My Grandad died in his sleep. I hope I go like him.
And not screaming and terrified, like the passengers on his bus.
Quote from: Tonker on January 06, 2017, 11:49:50 AM
My Grandad died in his sleep. I hope I go like him.
And not screaming and terrified, like the passengers on his bus.
I think this is the original Dad joke from which all other Dad jokes stem. My Dad and Grandpa have each told that joke more times than I count.
Quote from: SKO on January 06, 2017, 01:08:02 PM
Quote from: Tonker on January 06, 2017, 11:49:50 AM
My Grandad died in his sleep. I hope I go like him.
And not screaming and terrified, like the passengers on his bus.
I think this is the original Dad joke from which all other Dad jokes stem. My Dad and Grandpa have each told that joke more times than I count.
I could fill a book as big as Infinite Jest with all of the Dad jokes I was exposed to growing up, and yet I had never heard this one. Classic.
Quote from: Cannonball Titcomb on January 07, 2017, 09:39:56 AM
Quote from: SKO on January 06, 2017, 01:08:02 PM
Quote from: Tonker on January 06, 2017, 11:49:50 AM
My Grandad died in his sleep. I hope I go like him.
And not screaming and terrified, like the passengers on his bus.
I think this is the original Dad joke from which all other Dad jokes stem. My Dad and Grandpa have each told that joke more times than I count.
I could fill a book as big as Infinite Jest with all of the Dad jokes I was exposed to growing up, and yet I had never heard this one. Classic.
At this point in my life telling Dad jokes and getting the rolling eyes response makes my day. Every time.
Quote from: flannj on January 07, 2017, 01:20:11 PM
Quote from: Cannonball Titcomb on January 07, 2017, 09:39:56 AM
Quote from: SKO on January 06, 2017, 01:08:02 PM
Quote from: Tonker on January 06, 2017, 11:49:50 AM
My Grandad died in his sleep. I hope I go like him.
And not screaming and terrified, like the passengers on his bus.
I think this is the original Dad joke from which all other Dad jokes stem. My Dad and Grandpa have each told that joke more times than I count.
I could fill a book as big as Infinite Jest with all of the Dad jokes I was exposed to growing up, and yet I had never heard this one. Classic.
At this point in my life telling Dad jokes and getting the rolling eyes response makes my day. Every time.
One of my dad's favorites is a call-and-response. Usually told after everyone is already laughing from something:
"Who has more fun than people?"
"Monkeys, there's more of 'em."
I've never heard it anywhere else.