Daily Madden: SF Police Chief Clears Up 'Suhr' Baseball Link

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - John Madden talked about one of his childhood's favorite baseball players Wednesday - the late Gus Suhr who played for the minor league San Francisco Seals and major league Pittsburgh Pirates - and wondered along the KCBS morning crew whether he was related to San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr.

Madden explained that as a child, he had a baseball autographed by Gus Suhr. Madden ended up losing that baseball and after talking about his lost baseball story on the air, Gus Suhr sent him another autographed ball, just a few years he passed away in 2004 at the age of 98.

"It wouldn't shock me before we sign off this segment we hear from somebody saying whether Police Chief Greg Suhr is kin to Gus Suhr," said KCBS anchor Stan Bunger.

"He could be a grandchild," said Madden.

Minutes later, none other that Chief Suhr called up the KCBS studios and cleared up the mystery.  "There was a falling out in the family... my grandmother wouldn't talk about him," said Suhr. "She would just say, 'he's a cousin or something.'"  Suhr said he is not clear of the exact relation and that only his grandmother knows the whole story.

"When did you change your name, the pronunciation ... from <soo-er> to <sir>?" asked Madden. "I knew your grandfather and he was Gus, or sometimes Gussy, <soo-er>"

"John, you ever go through grammar school and have them call you 'sewer' all the time?" said Suhr.

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