Cleaning out the Inbox

 The cleaning of the inbox starts with the long-overdue induction of Dick Allen into the baseball Hall of Fame.

Jayson Stark of The Athletic writes about Allen's induction and why Allen was such an important player to fans who grew up in his era.

I've always thought of Allen as a member of the White Sox more than a Phillie, despite Allen spending more seasons with Philadelphia, because Allen's best Phillies years came before I could remember, but no denying that, outside of Chicago, Allen is remembered as a Phillie.

Finally, it appears that McDonald's has come to its senses as Cherie sent me this note that McDonald's is returning its missing McDonaldland characters as part of a new meal aimed at adults.

The meals will return the classic characters that the company shelved over twenty years ago, and there will be more promotions with those characters in the future, per the company.

Hoping to see more Mayor McCheese, Officer Big Mac, and Captain Crook!

Youngstown, Ohio, will be decorating the entire side of a building with a penguin.

Youngstown State uses the Penguin as their mascot and has given permission for the Gallagher building to paint a mural of Pete the Penguin on the side of the building.

No word on what Pete's wife thinks of the exposure.

The Athletic writes about a treasured staple of my childhood and even adulthood-the preseason football preview magazines.

I collected these for years (and still do), ranging from childhood Street and Smith's to Lindy's and Athlon's regional (Big Ten) magazines, and in recent years, the massive Phil Steele versions.

Steele's college football preview is the number one selling magazine for Barnes and Noble every year, and that stat doesn't come from Steele's self-promotion; it comes from Barnes and Noble itself which has no reason to lie.

I used to buy these from all sports, but now I'm down to only college football in the internet age.

Although I do have a weakness for the seventies Street and Smith's editions, and I still collect them if the price is right.

Still, I look forward to these every year, and I devour Phil Steele's every year as a throwback to a simpler time.