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American Morning
Cursing Fate; Chicago, 'According to Jim'
Aired October 21, 2004 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING on the road in Chicago.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Back here live at the Field Museum. In 1893, they had the World's Fair here in Chicago, and they did it to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus sailing to America. They missed it by a year. It should have been 1892, but they still had it anyway.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Close enough I'd say. But then took all of those artifacts...
HEMMER: That's exactly right.
O'BRIEN: ... and really created the first museum that would later become the Field Museum. And then, of course, it was Marshall Field's who forked over a lot of cash, $8 million....
HEMMER: And that it did.
O'BRIEN: ... to create this new facility, which is pretty darned amazing, I think.
HEMMER: That is right.
O'BRIEN: And, of course, we've got Sue over our shoulders. We're going to talk more about Sue. Did you know?
HEMMER: Tell me.
O'BRIEN: Well, I'm not going to tell. I don't want to give it away.
HEMMER: OK.
O'BRIEN: I've got some fun facts about Sue.
HEMMER: I like that.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that's a good tease, right?
HEMMER: We'll get to that in a moment.
We're taking a look this half-hour, though, at the Red Sox last night, how they managed to come back against their arch rivals, the Yankees. This is such a significant sports story that it bleeds over into our news coverage today. We are going to talk to a guy today who must be a bit envious, too, a Chicago sportscaster, Corey McPharrin, covers the Cubs here. We'll revisit the subject of the curses with him.
O'BRIEN: Did you watch the game last night, the whole game?
HEMMER: I saw a little bit. At 8-1 I had to put that thing off.
O'BRIEN: Brad let our 4-year-old stay up to watch. She's watching for mommy.
Also this morning, Chicago's very own Jim Belushi is going to take us through the city. He tells us what makes Chicago tick and also takes us back to the great days of Second City and the actors that made it so famous.
HEMMER: All right. Also, Heidi Collins is with us this morning. By the way, there was another baseball game being played, right?
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, there was another baseball game.
HEMMER: By the way.
COLLINS: Yes, and they're going to be meeting up with our Boston Red Sox. But quickly, you had your 4-year-old. I had a 3-year-old watching. He calls them the "Ankees."
HEMMER: "Ankees."
COLLINS: No "y," the "Ankees."
I want to get straight to that news, though. Boston's World Series opponent will be determined tonight. The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Houston Astros yesterday in dramatic fashion to even the NLCS at three games apiece. The seventh and deciding game is tonight in St. Louis.
A U.S. Army captain is relieved of his command after last week's convoy incident in Iraq. Eighteen Reservists refused to drive a fuel convoy into a known danger zone over concerns for their safety and claims of broken down trucks. The captain's name has not yet been released. An official announcement is expected today.
In California, Rangers are planning to retrieve the bodies of two Japanese climbers in Yosemite National Park. They were spotted yesterday near El Capitan, considered one of the world's best-known rock climbing spots. A search also resumes this is morning for a group of four hikers from San Francisco. Heavy snow and strong winds have made that rescue effort, though, very difficult.
And in Havana, Cuban President Fidel Castro says he's -- quote -- "in one piece" after a tumble off a state. Castro had just finished a speech and was walking away from the podium when he apparently tripped. The Cuban leader was taken to the hospital with a possible broken leg. Quite a fall there. Ouch!
HEMMER: Indeed you're right. Back to baseball for a moment here.
COLLINS: You got it.
HEMMER: The Boston Red Sox last night, a major step taken last night to reversing the curse that has kept them from winning a World Series for the past 86 years or so. Here is the scene in Boston. So then the Red Sox beat the Yankees, completing the biggest comeback in post-season baseball history. It takes them into the World Series.
And from New York last night, here is Mark McKay at Yankee Stadium.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARK MCKAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As they celebrated under the hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium, Red Sox players had to be pinching themselves. Could this have actually happened? After a nightmarish start to the American League championship series, Boston enjoyed a dream finish and are World Series bound for the first time in 18 years at the expense of their greatest rival.
CURT SCHILLING, RED SOX PITCHER: We just beat the best organization in sports history. We're going to get to the World Series in an unprecedented fashion. So, what an appropriate group of guys to do it.
KEVIN MILLER, RED SOX FIRST BASEMAN: And you've got to win four games, not three. It's just like when you're hitting, you get three strikes, not two. And I'll tell you right now, they didn't win the fourth.
THEO EPSTEIN, RED SOX GENERAL MANAGER: This one's for all the great Red Sox teams that couldn't quite beat the Yankees, you know, since '49. Suddenly, our team last year fell just short against these guys.
MCKAY: History has never been kind to Boston. If the Red Sox exorcized demons against the Yankees, they did so in grand fashion, after being victimized by past playoff homeruns from such unlikely heroes as Bucky Danton and Aaron Boone, this Red Sox team turned the tables by simply bombing the Bronx Bombers.
DEREK JETER, YANKEES SHORTSTOP: Well, we didn't deserve to win. You know, we didn't play well enough. You know, we had our opportunities. We let some slip away. And, you know, they played better than us.
ALEX RODRIGUEZ, YANKEES THIRD BASEMAN: It's something that's going to hurt all winter, and I think it's going to make us stronger and make us hungrier for next year. And we'll be back.
THEO EPSTEIN, RED SOX GENERAL MANAGER: We'll take a trip to the World Series no matter the road. But coming through Yankee Stadium, falling down 3-0 to these guys, to be down in the ninth inning in game four and come back to beat them in Yankee Stadium makes it beyond the imagination. MCKAY (on camera): With history in their back pocket, the Red Sox will now go about the business of trying to reverse the curse. Eighty-six years after winning their last World Series title, the Red Sox play host to game one of the 2004 fall classic Saturday at Fenway Park.
Mark McKay, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER: All right, Mark, thanks for that.
Back here in Chicago, this town is no stranger to baseball curses. Any Cub fan can tell you that. Corey McPharrin covers sports for WFLD television in Chicago, here to talk about the comeback from last night and also the World Series possibilities.
Good morning to you.
COREY MCPHARRIN, WFLD-TV SPORTS ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Nice to see you after all these years back on the sports beat. What happened to the Yankees in this series, Corey?
Well, you know, as much as we talk about the Red Sox and what an incredible comeback, it's the biggest collapse obviously in history. And you look at it and you wonder, how could it happen? They were three outs away Sunday from the four-game sweep. They've the best reliever in the planet in there. The Red Sox come back on in, and they lose it in 12. They lose the next day in 14. You've got Curt Schilling on one leg. You've got Johnny Damon unproductive in the whole series and he comes through with two homes last night.
I think it's more about what the Red Sox did than what the Yankees didn't do.
HEMMER: How so?
MCPHARRIN: Well, just because they really performed under pressure. I mean, you know, they have this weight of history against them, and yet they stood still -- stood together as a team and just got it done. I mean, this is why we watch sports. This is why we come intoxicated with sports is the idea that anything can happen. And we saw history made in front of our eyes. Incredible stuff.
HEMMER: But they haven't reversed the curse just yet.
MCPHARRIN: No, no.
HEMMER: On the front page of "USA Today" today, they call it a ghostbuster. They busted the ghost in New York City at Yankee Stadium, but they haven't won the series just yet. So the curse still stands. Why is it that folks in Chicago, down to every last person we've talked to, supports Boston and not New York?
MCPHARRIN: Well, two things. One, there's this New York-Chicago rivalry. So right away, you've got going against the Yankees. And, No. 2, Cubs fans, and to a degree White Sox fans, understand what misery and pain and suffering is all about. I mean, the Cubs haven't won.
HEMMER: So they commiserate together.
MCPHARRIN: Yes, they haven't won since 1908. But I've got to tell you, there is a certain faction, I would think, among Cubs fans that aren't rooting for the Red Sox, because if the Red Sox win this thing...
HEMMER: They're the only ones left.
MCPHARRIN: Yes.
HEMMER: You're exactly.
MCPHARRIN: Yes.
HEMMER: Quickly, the other series is tied at 3-3. There is a huge rivalry in baseball, other than the Yankees and Red Sox, and that's the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.
MCPHARRIN: No doubt. In fact, a lot of Midwesterners probably don't quite fully understand this Yankees-Red Sox thing, because they think the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry is the best.
HEMMER: There's too much attention.
MCPHARRIN: So, yes, in terms of this series, there aren't a lot of Cubs fans supporting the Cardinals, that's for sure. But it's a great rivalry. And so what I would say is that the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry is a bit more kind of Midwestern wholesome fun as opposed to the Yankees and the Red Sox. It's a little more combative, a little more venom involved.
HEMMER: Well, we'll see what happens there. By the way, do you have predictions? Cardinals, Astros?
MCPHARRIN: You know what? It's hard not to go with Roger Clemens.
HEMMER: Yes, that's very true.
MCPHARRIN: I mean, one of the all-time great pitchers.
HEMMER: But...
MCPHARRIN: But it seems St. Louis...
HEMMER: ... great offense for St. Louis, too.
MCPHARRIN: Yes, the best in the game. I've been going with the Cardinals the whole way. So I think it's the Cardinals to meet the Red Sox in the World Series. It's kind of...
HEMMER: I've been going with St. Louis as well.
MCPHARRIN: Are you?
HEMMER: Who have you been going with, my dear?
O'BRIEN: I told my husband to ask who he is going with, and then I keep the family harmony together.
MCPHARRIN: That's an easy out.
O'BRIEN: I've got to tell you, we are raising a 4-year-old who is into the game. I'm like, 'You go, girl,' because mommy is not watching.
MCPHARRIN: Well, if this series doesn't get you into the game, you know, what is? I mean, this is unbelievable. I mean, this is what turns people on to baseball, seriously.
HEMMER: Good to see you, Corey.
MCPHARRIN: Bill, good to see you again.
HEMMER: Nice to see you.
MCPHARRIN: Soledad, thanks.
O'BRIEN: Nice to see you, thanks.
HEMMER: Thanks for having us, too, in your town.
MCPHARRIN: Well, I'm glad you are enjoying it.
O'BRIEN: Yes, we've been loving it.
MCPHARRIN: Good.
O'BRIEN: Well, turning now to this story, lawyers for Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly face off in court tomorrow with lawyers for a former O'Reilly producer. O'Reilly is accused by the producer of sexual harassment and of creating a sexually hostile work environment.
Last night, O'Reilly's attorney spoke with Anderson Cooper about what he believes is the woman's motivation in this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD GREEN, BILL O'REILLY'S ATTORNEY: We know that she is in financial jeopardy. We've established that fact. We know that she told co-workers that she intended to bring Bill O'Reilly down, take a million dollars from him and buy the New York City apartment she couldn't previously afford.
We know that within days prior to her lawyer sending the letter that brought upon the meeting in which he made this demand, initially for $600 million, reduced to $60 million, she answered a friend's confidential personal inquiry by e-mail, in which she said, I'm having a wonderful time here. I love this environment. I'm home again. And I will never leave. We know at the same time she was peddling a book.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Producer Andrea Mackris filed the lawsuit on October 13. Among the likely topics on Friday, the possible existence of taped phone conversations between Mackris and O'Reilly.
HEMMER: We'll move overseas a moment here. The worst typhoon in at least 16 years sweeping out of the southern Japanese islands. At least 39 were dead yesterday, killed, and as many more are missing from flash flooding and buildings collapsing touched off by that storm. Typhoon is for the name for hurricane-strength winds in the northwest Pacific.
Despite the seriousness of that storm, people in the major city of Fukuoka tried to go about their daily routines. Clearly umbrellas and business attire not holding up against these winds; no chance, as a matter of fact. Just standing up for some was almost impossible. That was the scene from Japan.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: And still ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING, Andy is back "Minding Your Business." He's going to tell you how Disney is selling off a piece of its Magic Kingdom.
HEMMER: Also in a moment, "According to Jim," what do you have to do? What's a must-see on a visit to Chicago? Native son Jim Belushi from the set of the sitcom in a moment here live in Chicago on the road with AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Can you guess who this belongs to? This is Sue's skull, the real thing. The one that's mounted downstairs on the skeleton is actually made of fiberglass. That's because this one, the real thing weighs about 600 pounds. It's far too heavy to be held up by the skeleton. It took seven paleontologists some 3,500 hours to clean and prepare just this part of the Tyrannosaurus Rex -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad, good stuff there, T-Rex with a very big head.
Chicago's the backdrop for the TV sitcom "According to Jim," starring the native son here in this town, Jim Belushi. He sat down recently and told us what we need to see here while we're in Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BELUSHI, ACTOR: Bill, Soledad, I've got to tell you, Chicago, you've got to go to the Second City. You've got to go to the House of Blues. You've got to go to Portillos (ph) for hot dogs, Mr. B for beef, Wrigley field. You've got to go Wrigley Field, even if the Cubs aren't playing right now.
But the must-see for me when I go to Chicago is, of course, the beautiful lakefront, the park, Lincoln Park, the million-dollar mile there on Michigan Avenue, and, of course, the Second City. I mean, Second City has been there since 1959. It spawned great talents, like my brother John, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner.
The music scene is a great scene there. I mean, you can go to the House of Blues, which is right downtown, fabulous, $27 million opera house juke joint for blues and any kind of music. Chicago, like the blues, sweet home, Chicago, that civilized living city.
Chicago is great for cinema. You know, I mean, Mayor Daley, the original Mayor Daley, the father, didn't like films coming to Chicago, because he felt they always depicted Chicago as gangsters and a lot of crime and violence. And so he had a moratorium on filmmaking.
And then I was in one of the first movies that started there. It was "Ordinary People," and now Chicago is filled with great filming.
It's time for a drum solo.
This is the fourth season of "According to Jim," which takes place in Chicago, and we're very happy about that. "According to Jim" takes place in Chicago, because Chicago has a lot to offer. I mean, there's a great personality of Chicago that we try to capture in the show. Being a Bears fan, a Cubs fan, the great Mayor Daley and the great politics of Chicago.
My life is out here now. I've been out here for 18 years. This is where my work is. But I love Chicago. Chicago is the coolest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: And we love Chicago, too.
HEMMER: No question about it, yes. Jim Belushi from the set recently. He did not mention food. And food comes in every conversation we've had this week.
O'BRIEN: I know.
HEMMER: Does it not?
O'BRIEN: I know. We are sort of eating our way through Chicago. We have to take a day off, no more.
HEMMER: Yes. I went to a great Japanese restaurant last night, kind of Japanese-French, like Japanee (ph) here in Chicago. It was really good stuff.
O'BRIEN: Thanks for asking me to go with you.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: I'm just joking you. I'm joking you.
HEMMER: All right. O'BRIEN: All right, still to come this morning, we're taking a look at business. The mouse house is practically giving away a big chunk of its cheese. Andy Serwer is going to join us to explain, coming up in just a moment as AMERICAN MORNING continues live from Chicago. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back everybody. We're coming to you from the Field Museum this morning. Our Windy City visit will wind up tomorrow at the Adler Planetarium, not too far from here. Tomorrow we speak with the director of the planetarium. We're going to check back in with film critics, Ebert and Roeper, and we're going to grab one last slice of deep dish politics. All that and much, much more coming to you tomorrow in Chicago.
HEMMER: All right, in the meantime, back over to Jack and Andy across the room here at the museum.
Hey, guys. Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning.
CAFFERTY: Earnings season in full swing, the insurance scandal continues and the Disney company topping Andy's list. Andy Serwer, "Minding Your Business."
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning to you, Jack.
Some titillating stock stories this morning. We'll get to those in a second.
Let's talk a little bit about the indexes yesterday, 10 up and 10 down. The Dow is down 10, the Nasdaq up 10. You can see here digesting all of that earnings news.
Let's talk about some of those stock stories. EBay, first of all, America's new general store. That's how you have to describe this company, just roaring ahead. Earnings up 80 percent in the latest quarter. The stock at a near new -- close to a near 52-week high, all-time high, $95.
AIG, a Dow component, obviously the subject of Eliot Spitzer's probe. The New City attorney general is looking into its business practices. It reported earnings slightly higher. It didn't do much for the stock. It continues to slump. And now this morning we understand that the company is the subject of a grand jury criminal probe.
Finally, let's talk about Disney. You know, its chain of stores at malls not doing so well. It's got about 300-plus stores that have been losing money. So now we are hearing that the company is selling those stores to the Children's Place chain of retailers. And, Jack, they are selling these stores for nothing, basically for inventory.
CAFFERTY: Really?
SERWER: The Children's Place is paying $50 to is $100 million just to buy the stuff in the stores.
CAFFERTY: Wow!
SERWER: Disney wants to unload this operation.
CAFFERTY: Trying to get out from under it.
SERWER: That's it.
CAFFERTY: Cut costs. All right, thanks, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
CAFFERTY: The "Question of the Day." Sinclair Broadcasting in full retreat now from their original intentions to air this documentary highly critical of Senator John Kerry. Originally, as the story was reported, it was ordered that the 62 Sinclair stations put this thing on the air. It's scheduled -- the program is going to air tomorrow night.
But now, because stockholders complained and sponsors complained and the Democrats just went nuts when they heard this thin, they have changed their plan. Now there will be portions of this documentary included in a larger one-hour program. The company saying, oh, we never intended to run the whole thing.
Nevertheless, the vice president of the company did tell "The Washington Post" at one point they planned to air this thing unless Senator Kerry agreed to be interviewed.
So it's folding up like the proverbial cheap suit would be the characterization of Sinclair.
Here's the question: In a race this tight, is it appropriate for Sinclair to air portions of such a highly controversial and partisan film? And here are some of the e-mail we're getting. We made the Chicago papers, too, after complaining about Gibson's yesterday. We'll tell you about that later.
SERWER: Right.
CAFFERTY: Wayne in Marlton, New Jersey: "Let Sinclair knock themselves out. They will lose millions in advertising, bring on heavy legal fees and give lots of ammo to people who don't want the media ownership rules relaxed."
Michael in Maddock, Ontario: "Yes, it's fair. It's time we saw the real John Kerry. If you don't like it, turn the TV off."
Mike in Lewes, Delaware: "As a strong supporter of freedom of the press, I believe in the Sinclair company's right to air this film. However, I also believe in the truth. If they're to air it, it should be aired as a highly slanted op-ed piece only, and not presented as a news item or a legitimate documentary."
Lynn in Laurel, Maryland: "With the issues at hand, I'd rather the airwaves stick to the current agendas, not what might or might not have happened 30 years ago. Why not run a documentary on the current happenings in Iraq? That's what we should be watching."
And Robert in Oklahoma City says: "Stop calling Sinclair's propaganda piece a documentary. It is nothing but a fake so-called news piece to influence the election. Theirs was the most outrageous political act since the Supreme Court elected a president for us."
AM@CNN.com if you have thoughts, we'll talk about it a little bit later, and part two of the nightmare at Gibson's coming later in the broadcast.
O'BRIEN: There's a part two?
SERWER: Oh, yes.
CAFFERTY: We made the Chicago newspaper. Remember yesterday I was whining about this is snotty little...
O'BRIEN: I know, blonde baby.
CAFFERTY: ... menu girl that they have at the front door?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: She's a blonde, by the way. Well, the TV page of the "Sun-Time's" apparently caught the show and said it was nice that the people from CNN didn't get treated any better at Gibson's than anybody else. So apparently they have a habit of treating their customers a bit haughtily, for lack after better word.
O'BRIEN: I'm afraid to ask. Does this young woman have her job still?
CAFFERTY: I hope not. The way she acted, I wouldn't let her be greeting people at a Sinclair station, let alone a high-class Chicago steakhouse.
O'BRIEN: Maybe she...
CAFFERTY: She ought to be working behind the counter at McDonald's.
O'BRIEN: They're rolling the music, Jack. Do you know what that means?
CAFFERTY: Yes, it means a break.
O'BRIEN: We've got to go commercial. All right, Jack, we'll check in with you a little bit later. Still to come this morning, just 12 days to go. The war in Iraq now becoming the center of attention in some all-important battleground states. We're going to tell you what each side is saying about that. That's ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, TV's "ER" got its inspiration from a real hospital right here in Chicago. So what is it about the TV show that drives the real-life doctors nuts? We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired October 21, 2004 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING on the road in Chicago.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Back here live at the Field Museum. In 1893, they had the World's Fair here in Chicago, and they did it to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus sailing to America. They missed it by a year. It should have been 1892, but they still had it anyway.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Close enough I'd say. But then took all of those artifacts...
HEMMER: That's exactly right.
O'BRIEN: ... and really created the first museum that would later become the Field Museum. And then, of course, it was Marshall Field's who forked over a lot of cash, $8 million....
HEMMER: And that it did.
O'BRIEN: ... to create this new facility, which is pretty darned amazing, I think.
HEMMER: That is right.
O'BRIEN: And, of course, we've got Sue over our shoulders. We're going to talk more about Sue. Did you know?
HEMMER: Tell me.
O'BRIEN: Well, I'm not going to tell. I don't want to give it away.
HEMMER: OK.
O'BRIEN: I've got some fun facts about Sue.
HEMMER: I like that.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that's a good tease, right?
HEMMER: We'll get to that in a moment.
We're taking a look this half-hour, though, at the Red Sox last night, how they managed to come back against their arch rivals, the Yankees. This is such a significant sports story that it bleeds over into our news coverage today. We are going to talk to a guy today who must be a bit envious, too, a Chicago sportscaster, Corey McPharrin, covers the Cubs here. We'll revisit the subject of the curses with him.
O'BRIEN: Did you watch the game last night, the whole game?
HEMMER: I saw a little bit. At 8-1 I had to put that thing off.
O'BRIEN: Brad let our 4-year-old stay up to watch. She's watching for mommy.
Also this morning, Chicago's very own Jim Belushi is going to take us through the city. He tells us what makes Chicago tick and also takes us back to the great days of Second City and the actors that made it so famous.
HEMMER: All right. Also, Heidi Collins is with us this morning. By the way, there was another baseball game being played, right?
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, there was another baseball game.
HEMMER: By the way.
COLLINS: Yes, and they're going to be meeting up with our Boston Red Sox. But quickly, you had your 4-year-old. I had a 3-year-old watching. He calls them the "Ankees."
HEMMER: "Ankees."
COLLINS: No "y," the "Ankees."
I want to get straight to that news, though. Boston's World Series opponent will be determined tonight. The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Houston Astros yesterday in dramatic fashion to even the NLCS at three games apiece. The seventh and deciding game is tonight in St. Louis.
A U.S. Army captain is relieved of his command after last week's convoy incident in Iraq. Eighteen Reservists refused to drive a fuel convoy into a known danger zone over concerns for their safety and claims of broken down trucks. The captain's name has not yet been released. An official announcement is expected today.
In California, Rangers are planning to retrieve the bodies of two Japanese climbers in Yosemite National Park. They were spotted yesterday near El Capitan, considered one of the world's best-known rock climbing spots. A search also resumes this is morning for a group of four hikers from San Francisco. Heavy snow and strong winds have made that rescue effort, though, very difficult.
And in Havana, Cuban President Fidel Castro says he's -- quote -- "in one piece" after a tumble off a state. Castro had just finished a speech and was walking away from the podium when he apparently tripped. The Cuban leader was taken to the hospital with a possible broken leg. Quite a fall there. Ouch!
HEMMER: Indeed you're right. Back to baseball for a moment here.
COLLINS: You got it.
HEMMER: The Boston Red Sox last night, a major step taken last night to reversing the curse that has kept them from winning a World Series for the past 86 years or so. Here is the scene in Boston. So then the Red Sox beat the Yankees, completing the biggest comeback in post-season baseball history. It takes them into the World Series.
And from New York last night, here is Mark McKay at Yankee Stadium.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARK MCKAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As they celebrated under the hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium, Red Sox players had to be pinching themselves. Could this have actually happened? After a nightmarish start to the American League championship series, Boston enjoyed a dream finish and are World Series bound for the first time in 18 years at the expense of their greatest rival.
CURT SCHILLING, RED SOX PITCHER: We just beat the best organization in sports history. We're going to get to the World Series in an unprecedented fashion. So, what an appropriate group of guys to do it.
KEVIN MILLER, RED SOX FIRST BASEMAN: And you've got to win four games, not three. It's just like when you're hitting, you get three strikes, not two. And I'll tell you right now, they didn't win the fourth.
THEO EPSTEIN, RED SOX GENERAL MANAGER: This one's for all the great Red Sox teams that couldn't quite beat the Yankees, you know, since '49. Suddenly, our team last year fell just short against these guys.
MCKAY: History has never been kind to Boston. If the Red Sox exorcized demons against the Yankees, they did so in grand fashion, after being victimized by past playoff homeruns from such unlikely heroes as Bucky Danton and Aaron Boone, this Red Sox team turned the tables by simply bombing the Bronx Bombers.
DEREK JETER, YANKEES SHORTSTOP: Well, we didn't deserve to win. You know, we didn't play well enough. You know, we had our opportunities. We let some slip away. And, you know, they played better than us.
ALEX RODRIGUEZ, YANKEES THIRD BASEMAN: It's something that's going to hurt all winter, and I think it's going to make us stronger and make us hungrier for next year. And we'll be back.
THEO EPSTEIN, RED SOX GENERAL MANAGER: We'll take a trip to the World Series no matter the road. But coming through Yankee Stadium, falling down 3-0 to these guys, to be down in the ninth inning in game four and come back to beat them in Yankee Stadium makes it beyond the imagination. MCKAY (on camera): With history in their back pocket, the Red Sox will now go about the business of trying to reverse the curse. Eighty-six years after winning their last World Series title, the Red Sox play host to game one of the 2004 fall classic Saturday at Fenway Park.
Mark McKay, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER: All right, Mark, thanks for that.
Back here in Chicago, this town is no stranger to baseball curses. Any Cub fan can tell you that. Corey McPharrin covers sports for WFLD television in Chicago, here to talk about the comeback from last night and also the World Series possibilities.
Good morning to you.
COREY MCPHARRIN, WFLD-TV SPORTS ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Nice to see you after all these years back on the sports beat. What happened to the Yankees in this series, Corey?
Well, you know, as much as we talk about the Red Sox and what an incredible comeback, it's the biggest collapse obviously in history. And you look at it and you wonder, how could it happen? They were three outs away Sunday from the four-game sweep. They've the best reliever in the planet in there. The Red Sox come back on in, and they lose it in 12. They lose the next day in 14. You've got Curt Schilling on one leg. You've got Johnny Damon unproductive in the whole series and he comes through with two homes last night.
I think it's more about what the Red Sox did than what the Yankees didn't do.
HEMMER: How so?
MCPHARRIN: Well, just because they really performed under pressure. I mean, you know, they have this weight of history against them, and yet they stood still -- stood together as a team and just got it done. I mean, this is why we watch sports. This is why we come intoxicated with sports is the idea that anything can happen. And we saw history made in front of our eyes. Incredible stuff.
HEMMER: But they haven't reversed the curse just yet.
MCPHARRIN: No, no.
HEMMER: On the front page of "USA Today" today, they call it a ghostbuster. They busted the ghost in New York City at Yankee Stadium, but they haven't won the series just yet. So the curse still stands. Why is it that folks in Chicago, down to every last person we've talked to, supports Boston and not New York?
MCPHARRIN: Well, two things. One, there's this New York-Chicago rivalry. So right away, you've got going against the Yankees. And, No. 2, Cubs fans, and to a degree White Sox fans, understand what misery and pain and suffering is all about. I mean, the Cubs haven't won.
HEMMER: So they commiserate together.
MCPHARRIN: Yes, they haven't won since 1908. But I've got to tell you, there is a certain faction, I would think, among Cubs fans that aren't rooting for the Red Sox, because if the Red Sox win this thing...
HEMMER: They're the only ones left.
MCPHARRIN: Yes.
HEMMER: You're exactly.
MCPHARRIN: Yes.
HEMMER: Quickly, the other series is tied at 3-3. There is a huge rivalry in baseball, other than the Yankees and Red Sox, and that's the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.
MCPHARRIN: No doubt. In fact, a lot of Midwesterners probably don't quite fully understand this Yankees-Red Sox thing, because they think the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry is the best.
HEMMER: There's too much attention.
MCPHARRIN: So, yes, in terms of this series, there aren't a lot of Cubs fans supporting the Cardinals, that's for sure. But it's a great rivalry. And so what I would say is that the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry is a bit more kind of Midwestern wholesome fun as opposed to the Yankees and the Red Sox. It's a little more combative, a little more venom involved.
HEMMER: Well, we'll see what happens there. By the way, do you have predictions? Cardinals, Astros?
MCPHARRIN: You know what? It's hard not to go with Roger Clemens.
HEMMER: Yes, that's very true.
MCPHARRIN: I mean, one of the all-time great pitchers.
HEMMER: But...
MCPHARRIN: But it seems St. Louis...
HEMMER: ... great offense for St. Louis, too.
MCPHARRIN: Yes, the best in the game. I've been going with the Cardinals the whole way. So I think it's the Cardinals to meet the Red Sox in the World Series. It's kind of...
HEMMER: I've been going with St. Louis as well.
MCPHARRIN: Are you?
HEMMER: Who have you been going with, my dear?
O'BRIEN: I told my husband to ask who he is going with, and then I keep the family harmony together.
MCPHARRIN: That's an easy out.
O'BRIEN: I've got to tell you, we are raising a 4-year-old who is into the game. I'm like, 'You go, girl,' because mommy is not watching.
MCPHARRIN: Well, if this series doesn't get you into the game, you know, what is? I mean, this is unbelievable. I mean, this is what turns people on to baseball, seriously.
HEMMER: Good to see you, Corey.
MCPHARRIN: Bill, good to see you again.
HEMMER: Nice to see you.
MCPHARRIN: Soledad, thanks.
O'BRIEN: Nice to see you, thanks.
HEMMER: Thanks for having us, too, in your town.
MCPHARRIN: Well, I'm glad you are enjoying it.
O'BRIEN: Yes, we've been loving it.
MCPHARRIN: Good.
O'BRIEN: Well, turning now to this story, lawyers for Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly face off in court tomorrow with lawyers for a former O'Reilly producer. O'Reilly is accused by the producer of sexual harassment and of creating a sexually hostile work environment.
Last night, O'Reilly's attorney spoke with Anderson Cooper about what he believes is the woman's motivation in this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD GREEN, BILL O'REILLY'S ATTORNEY: We know that she is in financial jeopardy. We've established that fact. We know that she told co-workers that she intended to bring Bill O'Reilly down, take a million dollars from him and buy the New York City apartment she couldn't previously afford.
We know that within days prior to her lawyer sending the letter that brought upon the meeting in which he made this demand, initially for $600 million, reduced to $60 million, she answered a friend's confidential personal inquiry by e-mail, in which she said, I'm having a wonderful time here. I love this environment. I'm home again. And I will never leave. We know at the same time she was peddling a book.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Producer Andrea Mackris filed the lawsuit on October 13. Among the likely topics on Friday, the possible existence of taped phone conversations between Mackris and O'Reilly.
HEMMER: We'll move overseas a moment here. The worst typhoon in at least 16 years sweeping out of the southern Japanese islands. At least 39 were dead yesterday, killed, and as many more are missing from flash flooding and buildings collapsing touched off by that storm. Typhoon is for the name for hurricane-strength winds in the northwest Pacific.
Despite the seriousness of that storm, people in the major city of Fukuoka tried to go about their daily routines. Clearly umbrellas and business attire not holding up against these winds; no chance, as a matter of fact. Just standing up for some was almost impossible. That was the scene from Japan.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: And still ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING, Andy is back "Minding Your Business." He's going to tell you how Disney is selling off a piece of its Magic Kingdom.
HEMMER: Also in a moment, "According to Jim," what do you have to do? What's a must-see on a visit to Chicago? Native son Jim Belushi from the set of the sitcom in a moment here live in Chicago on the road with AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Can you guess who this belongs to? This is Sue's skull, the real thing. The one that's mounted downstairs on the skeleton is actually made of fiberglass. That's because this one, the real thing weighs about 600 pounds. It's far too heavy to be held up by the skeleton. It took seven paleontologists some 3,500 hours to clean and prepare just this part of the Tyrannosaurus Rex -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad, good stuff there, T-Rex with a very big head.
Chicago's the backdrop for the TV sitcom "According to Jim," starring the native son here in this town, Jim Belushi. He sat down recently and told us what we need to see here while we're in Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BELUSHI, ACTOR: Bill, Soledad, I've got to tell you, Chicago, you've got to go to the Second City. You've got to go to the House of Blues. You've got to go to Portillos (ph) for hot dogs, Mr. B for beef, Wrigley field. You've got to go Wrigley Field, even if the Cubs aren't playing right now.
But the must-see for me when I go to Chicago is, of course, the beautiful lakefront, the park, Lincoln Park, the million-dollar mile there on Michigan Avenue, and, of course, the Second City. I mean, Second City has been there since 1959. It spawned great talents, like my brother John, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner.
The music scene is a great scene there. I mean, you can go to the House of Blues, which is right downtown, fabulous, $27 million opera house juke joint for blues and any kind of music. Chicago, like the blues, sweet home, Chicago, that civilized living city.
Chicago is great for cinema. You know, I mean, Mayor Daley, the original Mayor Daley, the father, didn't like films coming to Chicago, because he felt they always depicted Chicago as gangsters and a lot of crime and violence. And so he had a moratorium on filmmaking.
And then I was in one of the first movies that started there. It was "Ordinary People," and now Chicago is filled with great filming.
It's time for a drum solo.
This is the fourth season of "According to Jim," which takes place in Chicago, and we're very happy about that. "According to Jim" takes place in Chicago, because Chicago has a lot to offer. I mean, there's a great personality of Chicago that we try to capture in the show. Being a Bears fan, a Cubs fan, the great Mayor Daley and the great politics of Chicago.
My life is out here now. I've been out here for 18 years. This is where my work is. But I love Chicago. Chicago is the coolest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: And we love Chicago, too.
HEMMER: No question about it, yes. Jim Belushi from the set recently. He did not mention food. And food comes in every conversation we've had this week.
O'BRIEN: I know.
HEMMER: Does it not?
O'BRIEN: I know. We are sort of eating our way through Chicago. We have to take a day off, no more.
HEMMER: Yes. I went to a great Japanese restaurant last night, kind of Japanese-French, like Japanee (ph) here in Chicago. It was really good stuff.
O'BRIEN: Thanks for asking me to go with you.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: I'm just joking you. I'm joking you.
HEMMER: All right. O'BRIEN: All right, still to come this morning, we're taking a look at business. The mouse house is practically giving away a big chunk of its cheese. Andy Serwer is going to join us to explain, coming up in just a moment as AMERICAN MORNING continues live from Chicago. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back everybody. We're coming to you from the Field Museum this morning. Our Windy City visit will wind up tomorrow at the Adler Planetarium, not too far from here. Tomorrow we speak with the director of the planetarium. We're going to check back in with film critics, Ebert and Roeper, and we're going to grab one last slice of deep dish politics. All that and much, much more coming to you tomorrow in Chicago.
HEMMER: All right, in the meantime, back over to Jack and Andy across the room here at the museum.
Hey, guys. Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning.
CAFFERTY: Earnings season in full swing, the insurance scandal continues and the Disney company topping Andy's list. Andy Serwer, "Minding Your Business."
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning to you, Jack.
Some titillating stock stories this morning. We'll get to those in a second.
Let's talk a little bit about the indexes yesterday, 10 up and 10 down. The Dow is down 10, the Nasdaq up 10. You can see here digesting all of that earnings news.
Let's talk about some of those stock stories. EBay, first of all, America's new general store. That's how you have to describe this company, just roaring ahead. Earnings up 80 percent in the latest quarter. The stock at a near new -- close to a near 52-week high, all-time high, $95.
AIG, a Dow component, obviously the subject of Eliot Spitzer's probe. The New City attorney general is looking into its business practices. It reported earnings slightly higher. It didn't do much for the stock. It continues to slump. And now this morning we understand that the company is the subject of a grand jury criminal probe.
Finally, let's talk about Disney. You know, its chain of stores at malls not doing so well. It's got about 300-plus stores that have been losing money. So now we are hearing that the company is selling those stores to the Children's Place chain of retailers. And, Jack, they are selling these stores for nothing, basically for inventory.
CAFFERTY: Really?
SERWER: The Children's Place is paying $50 to is $100 million just to buy the stuff in the stores.
CAFFERTY: Wow!
SERWER: Disney wants to unload this operation.
CAFFERTY: Trying to get out from under it.
SERWER: That's it.
CAFFERTY: Cut costs. All right, thanks, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
CAFFERTY: The "Question of the Day." Sinclair Broadcasting in full retreat now from their original intentions to air this documentary highly critical of Senator John Kerry. Originally, as the story was reported, it was ordered that the 62 Sinclair stations put this thing on the air. It's scheduled -- the program is going to air tomorrow night.
But now, because stockholders complained and sponsors complained and the Democrats just went nuts when they heard this thin, they have changed their plan. Now there will be portions of this documentary included in a larger one-hour program. The company saying, oh, we never intended to run the whole thing.
Nevertheless, the vice president of the company did tell "The Washington Post" at one point they planned to air this thing unless Senator Kerry agreed to be interviewed.
So it's folding up like the proverbial cheap suit would be the characterization of Sinclair.
Here's the question: In a race this tight, is it appropriate for Sinclair to air portions of such a highly controversial and partisan film? And here are some of the e-mail we're getting. We made the Chicago papers, too, after complaining about Gibson's yesterday. We'll tell you about that later.
SERWER: Right.
CAFFERTY: Wayne in Marlton, New Jersey: "Let Sinclair knock themselves out. They will lose millions in advertising, bring on heavy legal fees and give lots of ammo to people who don't want the media ownership rules relaxed."
Michael in Maddock, Ontario: "Yes, it's fair. It's time we saw the real John Kerry. If you don't like it, turn the TV off."
Mike in Lewes, Delaware: "As a strong supporter of freedom of the press, I believe in the Sinclair company's right to air this film. However, I also believe in the truth. If they're to air it, it should be aired as a highly slanted op-ed piece only, and not presented as a news item or a legitimate documentary."
Lynn in Laurel, Maryland: "With the issues at hand, I'd rather the airwaves stick to the current agendas, not what might or might not have happened 30 years ago. Why not run a documentary on the current happenings in Iraq? That's what we should be watching."
And Robert in Oklahoma City says: "Stop calling Sinclair's propaganda piece a documentary. It is nothing but a fake so-called news piece to influence the election. Theirs was the most outrageous political act since the Supreme Court elected a president for us."
AM@CNN.com if you have thoughts, we'll talk about it a little bit later, and part two of the nightmare at Gibson's coming later in the broadcast.
O'BRIEN: There's a part two?
SERWER: Oh, yes.
CAFFERTY: We made the Chicago newspaper. Remember yesterday I was whining about this is snotty little...
O'BRIEN: I know, blonde baby.
CAFFERTY: ... menu girl that they have at the front door?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: She's a blonde, by the way. Well, the TV page of the "Sun-Time's" apparently caught the show and said it was nice that the people from CNN didn't get treated any better at Gibson's than anybody else. So apparently they have a habit of treating their customers a bit haughtily, for lack after better word.
O'BRIEN: I'm afraid to ask. Does this young woman have her job still?
CAFFERTY: I hope not. The way she acted, I wouldn't let her be greeting people at a Sinclair station, let alone a high-class Chicago steakhouse.
O'BRIEN: Maybe she...
CAFFERTY: She ought to be working behind the counter at McDonald's.
O'BRIEN: They're rolling the music, Jack. Do you know what that means?
CAFFERTY: Yes, it means a break.
O'BRIEN: We've got to go commercial. All right, Jack, we'll check in with you a little bit later. Still to come this morning, just 12 days to go. The war in Iraq now becoming the center of attention in some all-important battleground states. We're going to tell you what each side is saying about that. That's ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, TV's "ER" got its inspiration from a real hospital right here in Chicago. So what is it about the TV show that drives the real-life doctors nuts? We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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