Chili Dog MVP: Dick Allen, The ’72 White Sox and a Transforming Chicago, by David Fletcher, John Owens, and George Castle, was a runner up for this year’s Book of the Year Award for non-fiction. David Fletcher speaks about the book, story structure techniques and collaboration on a writing project.
Read more at ChicagoWrites.podbean.com!
By K.P. Lynne
Eckhartz Press best-selling authors David Fletcher and John Owens took home a well-deserved Honorable Mention at the Book of the Year Awards, sponsored by the Chicago Writers Association. The literary event of the year was held on January 21, 2023 at The Book Cellar in Chicago.
Publishers Rick Kaempfer and David Stern of Eckhartz Press were on hand to receive the award, alongside authors David Fletcher and John Owens.
The “Home-Run” of all Chicago White Sox books…Chili Dog MVP: Dick Allen, The 1972 White Sox and a Transforming Chicago (Eckhartz Press, 2022) is an exceptionally well-written, intensively researched, thought-provoking, enlightening and professionally packaged treasure trove of baseball history.
Read the full article at Patch.com…
The authors, John Owens and Dr. David J. Fletcher, truthfully did their “homework” on this one…conducting exhaustive research, first-hand interviews, extreme fact-checking and hour-upon-hour of historical research, resulting in a magnificent romp through a by-gone era, jam-packed with solid, reliable, scholarly research, presented in a highly entertaining and enjoyable format, enhanced by a myriad of historically significant photography.
Chili Dog MVP was featured on National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum‘s Virtual Author Series with an interview with Bruce Markusen, John Owens and David Fletcher on October 13, 2022.
Owens and Fletcher discuss the impact of Allen, his White Sox teammates, and legendary broadcaster Harry Caray on the landscape of Chicago baseball.
The Robert R. McCormick House at Cantigny Park resumed its Headlines from History series with a presentation by the authors of “Chili Dog MVP: Dick Allen, the ’72 White Sox, and a Transforming Chicago.”
Co-Author Dr. David Fletcher talked about a unique time and place in baseball and Chicago history, when the arrival of a controversial slugger electrified Chicago and the White Sox stayed in town. The program weaved a narrative of Allen, his teammates, broadcaster Harry Caray, and organist Nancy Faust bringing pride to a franchise that had one foot out of town to Milwaukee just 2½ years previously. The “Chili Dog MVP” program brought to life a more innocent time in baseball intertwining with the hard truths of a hyper-political city like Chicago. In both baseball and life, for which the game is often a metaphor, past is prologue.
Recorded in front of a live crowd at Blue Island Beer Company as the White Sox finished off the first half against the Twins. We sit down with the authors of “Chili Dog MVP: Dick Allen, The ’72 White Sox And A Transforming of Chicago.” Learn how a season not talked about enough by White Sox fans featured that year’s MLB attraction, a young Harry Caray, the inventor of walk-up music Nancy Faust & the resurgence of a team on the brink of leaving the south side. Enjoy a very fun end entertaining “30 Minutes of Sox!”
The authors of Chili Dog MVP will be at Blue Island Beer Company on July 17, 2022 for a book signing and a podcast recording – come on out for some baseball talk and some beer!
Chili Dog MVP is an exceptionally well-written, intensively researched, thought-provoking, enlightening and professionally packaged treasure trove of baseball history.
The authors, John Owens and Dr. David J. Fletcher, truthfully did their “homework” on this one…conducting exhaustive research, first-hand interviews, extreme fact-checking and hour-upon-hour of historical research, resulting in a magnificent romp through a by-gone era, jam-packed with solid, reliable, scholarly research, presented in a highly entertaining and enjoyable format, enhanced by a myriad of historically significant photography.
Sports fans and non-sports fans alike will revel with delight at every aspect of this masterpiece. If you were lucky enough to be there and experience it first-hand in 1972…you’ll love the walk down memory lane. If you are just discovering the magic for the first time…you’re in for the ride of your life! The book debuted as #1 Hot New Release in its category and skyrocketed to #1 Best-Seller in Baseball History books on Amazon.
Preliminary plans include:
Chili Dog MVP Authors Dr. David Fletcher and John Owens greeted readers and signed books at the Sports Cards and More Show in Orland Park, IL on Sunday, March 27, 2022.
Chili Dog MVP debuted as #1 Hot New Release in its category and skyrocketed to #1 Best-Seller in Baseball History books on Amazon.com!
