Born in Glenview and raised on the gritty streets of Wheeling's far-east side, Big Joe grew up playing KADDS baseball and Dave's Driveway basketball. His childhood is filled legendary heroics both on the diamond and the driveway. Although he never won an MVP award in baseball, BigJoe once held the single season homerun record of 44. It was broken the next season when he hit 77, but that was a distant second to the league leader who had 117. On the blacktop, BigJoe won the only MVP award ever given out in Dave's Driveway basketball. In the inaugural season BigJoe posted impressive numbers, over 50ppg and 20rpg. Once BigJoe's childhood sports career came to an end, he moved on to Wheeling high school, where he was a one-sport benchwarmer. In three years of baseball, Joe never posted a batting average over .200. However, Joe still holds the single season record for homeruns per at-bat ratio, going yard once every 7.5 at-bats. After his less that prodigious high school career BigJoe went on to play club baseball at Loyola. Arriving with high expectations, BigJoe never came to realize his potential and spent most of his career battling with the bottle instead of opposing pitchers. BigJoe did have a short career on the mound, and affectionately became known as the "Gas Man' for his overpowering fastball. That fastball eventually did Joe in, though, as he mangled his shoulder in a complete game victory over Lake Forest his junior year. BigJoe would see the mound only once more after that game, and would be almost non-existent for the Ramblers through his senior season. After ballooning to nearly 300 pounds in college, BigJoe has slimmed to down to about 260 and is "strong like bull." BigJoe occasionally plays some hoop at the world-renowned basketball factory that is the Buffalo Grove Fitness Center. Although a tad slower than he once was, BigJoe will occasionally dazzle no one in particular with a strong move to the hole or a long range three. BigJoe now spends most of his time complaining about work and drinking beer. He spends an inordinate amount of time watching and writing about the Loyola Ramblers basketball team. His girlfriend has given him the talk on many occasions that he is turning into a Bruno's guy and that he likes the Ramblers too much. BigJoe shrugs it off as a compliment despite the angry tone in his girlfriend's voice. 01/15/2002

Hoops Fan

Watching the college hoop. Spending time at the Bruno Lounge. Starting and never finishing wildly entertaining novels based on my life's travails. Fending off criticism of my NCAA Fantasy League.