Baseballs and Tiaras

There’s royalty in the house, as Elliott & David welcome the reigning Miss Illinois USA Angela Sparrow as their in-studio guest. Then, we talk baseball with Hall of Famers Gaylord Perry and Jim Bunning.

Episode Segments:

Sports & Torts: Miss Illinois USA Angela Sparrow Angela tells us how she went from Pacers cheerleader to the reigning Miss Illinois, and what she’s doing to prep for June’s Miss USA pageant. Image Courtesy of Miss Universe.com.
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Sports & Torts: Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry Gaylord wasn’t just throwing spitballs. He was corking bats! Hear that story, along with other tales from his career, and his take on Barry Bonds, too.
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Sports & Torts: Hall of Famer Jim Bunning Kentucky Colonel talks about the transition from baseball to politics, his accomplishments in the major leagues, and striking out Ted Williams three times in a single game. Also – why the government needs to get more involved in professional sports, and a simple solution to clearing up the partisan gridlock in Washington DC
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Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Angela Sparrow Angela Sparrow was crowned Miss Illinois USA 2011 on November 21, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. At the end of the three-day pageant, the multitalented Chicagoan outlasted 138 other beautiful young women. She is elated to be the titleholder and is committed to being a positive role model and proud representative of Illinois during her reign, and journey to the live televised NBC production of the 60th Miss USA pageant. A native to Charleston, South Carolina, Angie is the daughter to the late Danny Johnson and Tamara Sparrow-Saunders. Her stepfather, Sean Saunders and four younger siblings: Ashley, Austin, Ethan and Adriana make up the rest of her immediate family. Angie received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management with a certificate in Meeting and Event Management from Chicago’s Roosevelt University in 2009. Currently, she is the Communications Manager and Special Events Coordinator at SCR Medical Transportation, Inc., the fastest growing minority owned transportation business in Chicago. She is responsible for developing marketing campaigns, brand management and implementing tools for internal communications, all while coordinating company events, workshops and career fairs throughout the year. Angie’s presence extends far beyond her roles and responsibilities as she facilitates employee incentives, encourages teamwork and creates a more positive working environment for over 600 individuals. Her true joy in work, however, comes from knowing that her career ambitions help support the improvement of on demand transportation services to senior citizens and people with disabilities and provide a valued service that benefits the friends, families and supporters of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Veterans Administration. Her hard working ethic, fearless attitude, and versatility have led her to many endeavors and will continue to guide on her destiny to the 2011 Miss USA Crown. Some of Angie’s other professional goals include continuing her education by obtaining her Masters Degree and becoming a Certified Special Events Planner through the International Society of Special Events. Whether it was during her time spent as a gymnastics instructor, NBA dancer, make-up artist or runway model, her aim has always been to leave a lasting impression of acceptance in the hearts and minds of those that she is able to reach. Coming from a blended and biracial family, Angie feels that she is in a unique position to help bridge divided communities and help remove barriers that may hold some children back. Her lifelong goal is to improve the welfare and quality of life for all by bringing communities together though positive messaging, and encouraging healthy lifestyles to optimize physical and mental development in all young children. In her spare time Angie enjoys staying active by jogging with her two dogs, taking dance classes, and practicing photography. She also enjoys traveling to other countries, where she can acquire unique tastes and experience native languages by fully immersing herself into the culture. Miss Illinois USA Website

Gaylord Perry Notorious for doctoring baseballs (throwing a spitball), Perry won314 games over a 22-year career starting in 1962. A five-time All-Star, he was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in each league, winning it in 1972 with the Cleveland Indians and in 1978with the San Diego Padres. He is also distinguished, along with his brother Jim, for being the second-winningest brother combination in baseball history--second only to the knuckleballing Niekro brothers, Phil and Joe. While pitching for the Seattle Mariners, Perry defeated the New York Yankees on May 6, 1982 to become the fifteenth member of the 300 win club for pitchers, but the first since Early Wynn did it in 1963. In 1983, he became the third pitcher in the same year to surpass longtime strikeout king Walter Johnson's record of 3,509 strikeouts. Steve Carlton and Nolan Ryan were the others. Perry retired in 1983 after pitching for eight teams (the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals Despite his admission of illegal pitches he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991 and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In 1999 The Sporting News ranked him 97th on their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. On July 23 2005 the San Francisco Giants retired his uniform number 36. Perry is one of four pitchers to win the Cy Young for both the American and National League (Pedro Martinez,Roger Clemens, & Randy Johnson being the others). He held the record for most consecutive 15-win season since 1900 with 13 (1966-1978) and was 2nd all-time to Cy Young, who had 15 (1891-1905). Greg Maddux surpassed both men, with 17 in a row (1988-2004). Gaylord's Career stats

Jim Bunning During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career strikeouts in Major League history; he is currently 17th. Bunning pitched the seventh perfect game in baseball history on June 21, 1964 against the New York Mets, a feat that has currently been accomplished only twenty times in baseball history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. After retiring from baseball, Bunning returned to his native northern Kentucky and was subsequently elected to the city council, and then the state senate, in which he served as minority leader. In 1986, Bunning was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 4th congressional district, and served in the House from 1987 to 1999. He was elected to the United States Senate from Kentucky in 1998 and has served there from 1999 as the Republican junior U.S. Senator. In July 2009, he announced that he would not run for re-election in 2010, citing difficulty in raising campaign funds. Bunning gave his farewell speech to the Senate on December 9, 2010, and was succeeded by current Senator Rand Paul on January 3, 2011. Jim's Career Stats

Angela's Crowning Moment