In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

For the guys on the field, becoming a major leaguer is a dream come true. The same can be said for the man up in the booth behind the organ. Gary Pressy dreamed of playing the organ for a big-time ball club since he was five years old. His dream became a reality 30 years ago when he was hired to be Wrigley Field’s organist, and as of Wednesday, he’s been the organist for 2,383 consecutive games. He’s as excited about his job today as he was the day he got the call. WBEZ’s sports contributor Cheryl Raye Stout talked to Pressy about his long-time love of the Cubs and the many celebrities he’s accompanied on “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the famed 7th Inning Stretch.

After 8 years, Chicago’s-own Derrick Rose is leaving the Bulls. The team Wednesday traded its franchise player to the New York Knicks. WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout has been on the sidelines -- and in the training rooms -- for every step and misstep of Rose’s career and gives some insight into the trade.

Hamilton is likely the most hyped about musical of all time. Or is it?  To put Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical into context, we talk to Broadway historian Peter Filichia about other landmark plays and how they stand the test of time.

In the book world, you have your publishing behemoths like HarperCollins, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster at one end of the spectrum and folks who self-publish their works on Amazon on the other end. It’s somewhere in the middle where you’ll find Curbside Splendor Publishing, an independent publishing house founded in 2009 in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood that puts out a few dozen fiction and nonfiction titles a year. including The Empty Bottle Chicago: 21+ Years of Music / Friendly / Dancing, which is out this month.  Morning Shift talks to Curbside editor-in-chief Naomi Huffman about the small press biz.

We reminisce with John Dugan, editor of The Empty Bottle Chicago: 21+ Years of Music / Friendly / Dancing, due out this month.

Morning Shift gets a glimpse at life, rebuilding and the meaning of community one year after tornadoes tore apart Coal City.

Find out everything you need to know about Hamilton tickets as we talk to Chicago Tribune theatre critic Chris Jones. Hamilton premieres at the Private Bank Theater this fall. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, June 21.

In the latest installment of the Morning Shift’s “Working Shift” series, we talk to two guests about some of the best bike practices.  We sit down with Dave Tibbets, head mechanic of Robert’s Cycle, and Brandon Goodall, assistant manager at Kozy’s Cyclery. These two bike experts answer questions about bike safety and keeping up a solid bike.

As Chicago continues to shed residents, we’ve heard a lot of reasons why they’re saying adieu. The weather. Gun violence. The state budget crisis. Chicago Public Schools. The list goes on.  In 2015, we lost more residents than any other major city or region in the country. Nevertheless, people are moving to Chicago. Morning Shift talks with recent transplants about why they moved to town and how they’re liking things so far.

Morning Shift talks to Suzanne Sellers, founder and Executive Director of Families Organizing for Child Welfare Justice and Diane Redleaf, founder and Executive Director of the Family Defense Center.