Lou Novikoff
Encyclopedia
Lou Novikoff was a Major League Baseball
player in the 1940s. He played mostly for the Chicago Cubs
(1941–44) and closed his career with the Philadelphia Phillies
(1946). His best year was 1942, when he played nearly a full season and batted .300 as a Cubs outfielder during the first of the World War II
years when the player ranks were thinned by the draft.
Because of his eccentric personality, the media dubbed him "The Mad Russian", in reference to a popular radio character of the same name played by Bert Gordon
. According to Warren Brown
's history of the Cubs (written after the 1945 season, when Novikoff had been recently active with the team), Novikoff was afraid to approach the ivy on the Wrigley Field
walls, fearing that it was poison ivy, thus diminishing his usefulness as an outfielder at the time, however Cubs trainer Bob Lewis took Novikoff to the vines one day and rubbed them all over his body and chewed some up proving they were safe. Novikoff smiled politely afterwards and asked if they were ok for smoking. (Gold & Ahrens 22)
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player in the 1940s. He played mostly for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(1941–44) and closed his career with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1946). His best year was 1942, when he played nearly a full season and batted .300 as a Cubs outfielder during the first of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
years when the player ranks were thinned by the draft.
Because of his eccentric personality, the media dubbed him "The Mad Russian", in reference to a popular radio character of the same name played by Bert Gordon
Bert Gordon
Bert Gordon was an American comedian and voice actor. His birth name was Barney Gorodetsky. He appeared in many roles over his lengthy career and was known by the moniker "the Mad Russian"....
. According to Warren Brown
Warren Brown
The Hon. Warren Brown was a writer, historian, farmer, and politician from Hampton Falls, New Hampshire.-Early life:...
's history of the Cubs (written after the 1945 season, when Novikoff had been recently active with the team), Novikoff was afraid to approach the ivy on the Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
walls, fearing that it was poison ivy, thus diminishing his usefulness as an outfielder at the time, however Cubs trainer Bob Lewis took Novikoff to the vines one day and rubbed them all over his body and chewed some up proving they were safe. Novikoff smiled politely afterwards and asked if they were ok for smoking. (Gold & Ahrens 22)