Bob Ibach knows baseball. Now, he is ready to share his stories from behind the scenes of more than 50 years of professional sports as a writer, author, and broadcaster.
Ibach is a Sun City resident since 2016, has five decades of comprehensive experience in sports journalism, public and media relations, sports marketing, promotions, and publications management.
“We call our sessions Behind the Curtain, Baseball Stories Nobody Knows,” said Ibach, emphasizing the unique and exclusive nature of their stories. He added, “I have partnered with Tony Garofalo, former Chicago Cubs trainer who worked with me when I was the Cubs PR director. Between us, we have more than 80-plus years in Major League Baseball in a variety of capacities, sharing stories that are not commonly known.”
The first game Ibach ever attended in person was Don Larsen’s perfect game for the Yankees in the 1956 World Series. Ibach went on to share how that specific game sparked his interest in baseball. His grandfather, Ernst Ibach, once served as the chauffeur for an ill Lou Gehrig. Often, Ibach’s dad, as a young boy, would sit on the edge of Gehrig’s bed at his home in the Bronx and have talks with the Iron Horse, as Gehrig was nicknamed due to his remarkable durability and consistency as a baseball player.
Gehrig once played in 2,130 consecutive games, a record that stood for 56 years. His nickname was inspired by the Iron Horse locomotives, which were renowned for their ability to run for extended periods of time.
Ibach said, “One late afternoon when my dad was bringing Gehrig back from Yankee Stadium after a game, they arrived at Gehrig’s home in Fieldston in the Bronx. Upon seeing my dad, who was just seven years old at the time, Lou tossed him his glove, which had a broken web during the game that day. Gehrig looked at the young Ibach and said, ‘Here, show me what you got.”
Within moments, Ibach was tossing the ball back and forth with the Hall of Fame first baseman when a Rolls Royce drove up to the house and out popped the legendary Babe Ruth, smoking a cigar. Babe lived only a few miles away. Babe soon joined in on playing a three-way catch in the yard.
“My dad was seven years old, and he was playing catch with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig” recalled his son. “What a thrill that must have been.”
Many years later, Bob Ibach Jr. said it was that story that inspired his desire to pursue a career in baseball as a sportswriter for the Washington Post and Baltimore Evening Sun.
Tony Garofalo has also shared many fascinating stories from his 43 years of experience in the sports arena. He served as the Chicago Cubs’ head athletic trainer from 1977 to 1986.
Ibach said, “Some of the inside stories Tony shares with fans are hilarious and give a fan insight into what transpires during games, as well as before and after.”
In addition to baseball, the two men can also deliver stories from other sports.
Ibach, for instance, has covered other major sporting events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, and Stanley Cup.
“Tony and I have been blessed, and we have heard and seen a lot of things that sports fans have never heard,” noted Ibach.
Years later, Ibach and Garofalo have now decided to share their stories. The idea came to Ibach from a conversation he once had with Hall of Fame Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray during a road trip out west.
“We had landed in Los Angeles, and all these people gravitated towards Harry. I asked him why he was so popular, ” recalled Ibach. “He told me they feel that I am one of them. I sit down, drink with them, and often tell them some stories from behind the scenes.”
Ibach now wants to pass these personal memories forward to others, sharing experiences to provide fans with a better insight into what ballplayers see and feel.
“Tony and I want to give them a chance to get to know the real players, how they feel and act when they are not competing on the baseball diamonds,” he said.
Garofalo added, “These players are not out of the ordinary. They have grown men playing a young man’s game. Fans often don’t get a chance to see all the hijinks they are involved in behind the scenes. Fans often put these athletes on a pedestal. They see their names in the paper or hear about them on radio and TV, but I can tell you that most of them have the same fears and problems as we all do in our lives.”
Now, these two men, Ibach and Garofalo, want to share their life stories with others and entertain fans with stories, most of which have never been heard in public, making for great entertainment at club meetings, birthday parties, anniversaries, or any social event. Ibach said, “We have entertained groups as large as 500 people and some as few as 25. We customize our session to fit the needs of the group.”
Their experiences were recently shared at The Villages in Florida, as well as during baseball bus trips and business and club meetings in Huntley, West Dundee, Elgin, and Barrington, among other locations.
Ibach said, “We also provide a few pieces of sports memorabilia for these sessions that the sponsoring group can use for silent auctions and raffles to raise monies for good causes.”
To book a session for your next event, please get in touch with Bob at 847-922-6686 or email him at bobdunk@aol.com.
