Baseball, Life, and Other Stuff

Another Nice Review

I have been sitting in the press box at Rebel Park this fine Monday morning, watching New Market's first practice.  I don't like breaking the routine, however, and so I do have a post for you and it is a very flattering one for Safe at Home:  A Season in the Valley.  Written by the editor of the Winchester Star, Mr. Adrian O'Connor, it may be read by clicking here.   I encourage all my readers who enjoy history, both local and national, to check out Adrian's "Valley Pike" column which appears every Wednesday.  Adrian also often writes about the good people in the Winchester community and the connections that folks there have with one another.  Readers of Safe at Home will recognize that as a familiar theme and indeed, it was a real pleasure talking to Adrian when we met back in April.  Anyway, I'm sure that you'll enjoy his commentary (I certainly did!) while I enjoy practice.

Last Lunch

Yesterday was one of those routine days that holds great significance, nevertheless.  It was the last day that I made Sarah's lunch for high school.  She graduates next Thursday and of course, she has three days of paperwork and rehearsal, but lunch on those days will be spent at Buffalo Wild Wings or Tony's Pizza, with many friends no doubt.  Today, there's a pizza party in Mod 2 and so, my official lunch making days are over.

I've been mindful for many mornings as I put the drink box of Yoo-Hoo--a daily lunch requirement for Sarah--in her  brown bag that yesterday would arrive soon enough.  Making Sarah's lunch is a way that I have connected with her all through high school, even if she isn't necessarily aware of that connection.  I've sent her on her way with lunch and a kiss and the hope that each day would be a good one.

Sarah and I used to spend a great deal of time together in the car driving to soccer practice or school or a friend's house.  She got her license at 16 of course, and I no longer needed to chauffeur her around.  She has worked at Dairy Queen for almost a year, providing herself with her own spending money.  When she turned 18 in April, she went out and got a tattoo.  I forget what it says, but to me it reads, "I'm not little anymore."  She has a boyfriend now.  He is polite and affectionate and there to hold her hand and help her through the bad days.  In the fall, she'll be off to Salisbury University.

I already miss making her lunch.

The first day of kindergarten was a long time ago . . .

Happy Birthday Tonto and the Duke

If you're a fan of Westerns, then today is indeed a day to celebrate, for it marks the birthdays of Jay Silverheels, famous for his role as Tonto on The Lone Ranger, as well as the all-time Western icon, John Wayne.  Silverheels, born Harold Smith in Canada was a Mohawk who "excelled in athletics" particularly lacrosse, according to Wikipedia. He started in Hollywood as a stunt man.

Wayne was born Marion Morrison in Iowa, but the family moved to California when he was 4.  He played football for the University of Southern California before an injury cut short his career, but not before silent screen star Tom Mix had obtained a summer job for him working in the prop department in exchange for football tickets.

Jay Silverheels always had such a regal presence on screen, even when playing second banana as Tonto to Clayton Moore's Lone Ranger.  And his voice was as distinctive as any actor's in Hollywood.  Tonto was the first Indian I ever saw who was portrayed as a human being and the Lone Ranger was the first person who actively did not care about "cowboy or Indian," but only about "right and wrong."  A simple message on a simple show, but then love your neighbor is a simple message, too, and we still don't have that one down too well.

As for John Wayne, it is hard to select my one favorite movie.  I've always loved She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, which is the definitive cavalry movie.  He certainly deserved the Oscar which he received for True Grit and he was hilarious in Rooster Cogburn, True Grit's sequel.  Stagecoach, The Searchers, Red River, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance are all classics that I've seen several times.  Perhaps the greatest Wayne movie, however was his last.  The Shootist with Ron Howard, Lauren Bacall, and Richard Boone featured an all-star cast.  Wayne, portraying an aging gunfighter has outlived his own era and he is dying of cancer.  The scene in which he visits the doctor, played by Jimmy Stewart, who confirms this diagnosis is one of the best scenes ever filmed.  Two veteran, highly skilled actors demonstrate the what their craft is all about.  The scene is even more poignant in retrospect:  John Wayne would die of stomach cancer three years after this movie was shot.

Happy trails, gentlemen; happy trails.

Union 1812 by A. J. Langguth

Becky and Jesse were recently commenting on the fact that they were never taught anything about the War of 1812 in any history class from elementary school through college.  Indeed, the History Channel's A History of Us skated right over this period.  Professor A. J. Langguth has filled in the national blank that we seem to draw regarding this part of our history with his 2006 work entitled, Union 1812:  The American Who Fought the Second War of Independence.

Langguth, who penned the best book that I've ever read, entitled Patriots:  The Men Who Started the American Revolution (click here for my review), covers the thirty year period from the end of the Revolution through the War of 1812.  It is a fascinating, if largely ignored period of our history, and includes such disparate characters as Dolly Madison, Davy Crockett, Oliver Perry, Andrew Jackson, Aaron Burr, Sam Houston, and Tecumseh to name a few.  Professor Langguth brings his considerable talent for narrative to bear on the part each played in the growing republic.

Indeed, the best chapters were the ones leading up to the war itself as well as the final one entitled "Afterword: 1815-1861" in which Langguth draws many interesting, even thrilling connections across American history.  The chapters on the war itself, though well-written, seemed rather disjointed to me, however, and that's not meant as a reflection on the author.  The war itself seems to have been a disjointed, stop and start affair.  There were no grand campaigns nor set battles pitting the American army against the British army as took place during the Revolution.  Much of this war occurred on the frontier surrounding the Great Lakes.  I often felt that I had missed something from one chapter to the next, which was disconcerting even if there was apparently nothing to miss.

Furthermore, the "main characters" simply aren't as familiar to me as those in Patriots.  In that work, if John Hancock, for example, was mentioned, I could mentally reference a dozen different sources to fill in a complete picture.  I have no such background for Oliver Perry or William Henry Harrison.

In addition, were I the editor, I would have moved the "Acknowledgments" from the end of the book to the beginning because it is an excellent summary of the author's approach to the subject, something I would want to know before chapter one.

I definitely recommend Union 1812 for anyone interested in this period of American history as well as to anyone who finds fascinating the human connections that form history.  It is also for anyone who enjoys well-told history of any kind.

A Painful Record

The 2010 New Market Rebels Press Guide and Record Book is now available for Rebel fans.  Produced and written by the crack Rebels publicity department, it is so hot off the press that a price hasn't even been set!

One of the more interesting records established in last year's campaign was that for being hit by the most pitches.  In 2009, Kevin Rufus set the all-time Rebel record when he was plunked 18 times.  Interestingly, Kenny Mickens is second on the list with 11, while Zack Helgeson is tied for third with 10.  Both played with New Market last year.  The 2009 season was a big one for being hit by a pitch!

The most HBP's in a major league season is an astounding 51 by Hughie Jennings of the old Baltimore Orioles in 1896.  Hughie hit .401 that year with an on-base percentage of .472, striking out only 11 times during the season.  In 1971, Expos second baseman Ron Hunt just missed tying the record when he was hit 50 times.  Hunt's OBP was .402 that year.

Minnie Minoso led the AL in being hit by a pitch in 10 different seasons, a major league record.  Minnie was plunked more often than any other American Leaguer every year from 1951 to 1961, with the exception of 1955.  Hunt has the National League record for most seasons leading the league in being hit by a pitch with 7.

Let's hope that the Rebels get hit less often this year (especially Kenny Mickens, since #11 put him out for the year) and that they establish a record for most wins in a season!

 

Kevin Rufus takes his cuts against Luray.

(Photo courtesy of Melissa Dodge.)

Do WHAT At the Hop?

I recently heard the classic rock 'n' roll hit, "At the Hop" by Danny and the Juniors and realized that here indeed was a song whose lyrics had to be researched.  Perhaps you'll recall our discussion from March concerning songs to which you think you know the words, but you really have no clue what the singers are singing.  As for "At the Hop," which was released late in 1957 (the same year that I was), I have never been able to figure out why you could "littzle when you chicken at the hop."  Thanks to the Internet, I have discovered all kinds of fascinating information concerning this misunderstood lyric, and I have also avoided mopping the kitchen floor for the entire afternoon because I've been viewing about 19 versions of "At the Hop" on YouTube.  That's how much I care about my readers--nothing but the best.

Anyway, it turns out that no one is "littzling."  The actual words in full are, "When the records start to spinnin' you chalypso and you chicken at the hop."  I knew that the Chicken was a dance, but had no idea what in the world "chalypso" was.

It turns out that the Chalypso was a short-lived dance craze on American Bandstand during 1957 that essentially combined the Cha Cha and the Calypso, hence "chalypso."  There were several records cut to capitalize on this dance including one by Ike Turner called the Chalypso Love Cry.  Danny and the Juniors included this dance in the lyrics to their song, "Do the Bop," which they played for Dick Clark.  Clark knew that the Bop was losing its popularity as a dance and suggested that the group change the title and lyrics to "At the Hop."  The original impetus for the song was co-writer Dave Madara's desire to make a record with piano rifts like the ones in Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On."

From a live performance in St. Louis, here then is the #2 song from 1958.  Some of those kids on the dance floor no doubt are chalypsoing.  Speaking of floors, that reminds me--I still have to mop.

A Painful Record

The 2010 New Market Rebels Press Guide and Record Book is now available for Rebel fans this year.  Produced and written by the crack Rebels publicity department, it is so hot off the press that a price hasn't even been set yet!

One of the more interesting records established in last year's campaign was that for being hit by the most pitches.  In 2009, Kevin Rufus set the all-time Rebel record when he was plunked 18 times.  Interestingly, Kenny Mickens is second on the list with 11, while Zack Helgeson is tied for third with 10.  Both played with New Market last year.  The 2009 season was a big one for being hit by the pitch!

The most HBP's in a major league season is an astounding 51 by Hughie Jennings of the old Baltimore Orioles in 1896.  Hughie hit .401 that year with an on-base percentage of .472, striking out only 11 times during the season.  In 1971, Expos second baseman Ron Hunt just missed tying the record when he was hit 50 times.  Hunt's OBP was .402 that year.

Minnie Minoso lead the AL in being hit by the pitch in 10 different seasons, a major league record.  Minnie was plunked more often than any other American Leaguer every year from 1951-1961 with the exception of 1955.  Hunt has the National League record for most seasons leading the league in being hit by a pitch with 7.

Let's hope that the Rebels get hit less often this year (especially Kenny Mickens since #11 put him out for the year) and that they establish a record for most wins in a season!

 

Kevin Rufus takes his cuts against Luray.

(Photo courtesy of Melissa Dodge.)

Four Follies of the Diamond

Baseball is a game of many possibilities; some of them stupid.  Here are four such occurrences:

A runner on second advances on one base on a double.  How can a major league player either read the ball off the bat so badly or be so slow or both?  This has happened twice to the Orioles already, which is no surprise given their record.

The pitcher running from a pop up as though it was a hand grenade about to come to earth.  Here is a professional athlete who is expected to field 100 MPH line drives hit his way, but somehow, no one expects him to be able to make the easiest play on the diamond.

The manager removes an effective relief pitcher to bring in the closer just because it's the 9th inning.  No, I will not get off this soapbox!!

A fielder loses a fly ball in the sun because he either forgot to flip down his sunglasses, as happened in the Twins/Yankees game yesterday or the alternate version when the fielder has them on top of the brim of his hat but has forgotten to put them on.

What else can you add to the list, faithful readers?

Happy Birthday, Virginia!

It was on this day in 1607 that Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in America was founded.  Jamestown, which is part of the Colonial National Historical Park , along with the Yorktown Battlefield, is one of the nicest historic sites that we have visited.  The fort has been reconstructed on as much of the original foundations as still exists.  Some of the original ground has been claimed by the James River, along the banks of which the site stands.  An archeological museum is open to visitors and contains  one of the most interesting features that we have ever seen.  Several computers with lenses are set up inside.  Point the lens out the long picture window and the computer shows you what the current area looked like during the early settlement.

Jamestown is not only historically interesting, it is a beautiful spot as well, but take heed.  I've never seen my three girls as hot as they were when we visited in July some years ago.  The humidity in the Tidewater area can be fierce and one can only wonder what those colonists from cool old England thought about their new surroundings during their first summer!

Jamestown is within minutes of Williamsburg and if you vacation in the later, I strongly urge you to take in the former, which was settled 403 years ago today.

 

A statue of Captain John Smith looks out across the James River inside the Jamestown National Historical Park in Virginia

Nora and Me

I was recently invited to a book signing to be held on July 10 at the Turn the Page Bookstore Cafe in Boonsboro, MD.  Turn the Page happens to be owned by world famous romance writer Nora Roberts who lives in the area and as it turns out, Ms. Roberts will also be one of the writers participating in the book signing.  This signing commemorates the 15th anniversary of Turn the Page and also includes writers Loretta Chase, Jocelynn Drake, Dianne Whiteside, Donna Kauffman, and Mary Blayney, as well as another "local author," Katrina Shelley.

Safe at Home:  A Season in the Valley is a love story, of course, but I'm not sure that the ladies who will be attending are interested in the love that New Market has for its Rebels.  In fact, I have a feeling that most attendees will be more interested in seeing Nora than in seeing me.  "Interested" is probably putting it mildly considering that Turn the Page found it necessary to post "signing rules of etiquette" on its website.  According to the rules, Nora will not sign "audios, DVDs, or other items."  Well, if you're planning on attending this event, take heart:  I'll sign your audios, DVDs, autograph books, tee-shirts, sweatshirts, socks,hands, scraps of paper; heck, I'll sign Nora's audios and DVDs.  Just buy a copy of Safe at Home.

While the event is scheduled from noon --2:00, tickets will be distributed at 10:00 and I've been told that it is hoped that the event will end by 5:00 or so.  Now, if you are a Nora Roberts fan, you should know that I'm allowed to bring an assistant, a position that I would be happy to put up for bid so that you can spend the day staring, 8 tables over, at your second favorite writer.  The winning bid not only gets to help me, but receives an autographed book.  One of mine, though, not one of Nora's.