Month: February 2023

by Susan Tooze

Terrific book. I particularly liked how the author focus not only on the fame and fortune and unfortunate but also on why Helms and the Band were important figures in rock ‘n’ roll history.

by Eric Hoffer

Hoffer was an American moral and social philosopher. He was the author of ten books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983. His first book, The True Believer (1951), was widely recognized as a classic, receiving critical acclaim from both scholars and laymen, although Hoffer believed that The Ordeal of Change (1963) was his finest work.

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Preoccupation with the self has always seemed to me unhealthy. p. 3

Men feel lonely when they do not the one thing they ought to do. p. 8

I have always wondered whether it is vital for a society that all its members should have some common subjects in which they are equally interested and in which they all have some expertise. In Byzantium the common subjects were theology and chariot races. In this country they are machines and sports. p. 11

He who clings with all his might to an absolute truth fears compromise more than the devil. p. 12

The whole world is imitating us, is becoming Americanized, yet the countries that become like us tend to resent us. p. 16

Being without an unequivocal sense of usefulness and worth, the intellectual has a vital need for pride, which he usually derives from an identification with some compact group, be it a nation, a church, or a party. p. 30

We cannot experiment with humanity, but history is a record of how man reacted under a variety of conditions. p. 33

An optimal milieu is one in which the creative are in close intercourse with each other – hating, loving, envying, admiring; where faces flush, hears flutter, and minds swell with the passion to rival and emulate. p. 36

by National Baseball Hall of Fame

First World Series 1903 – Honus Wagner’s Pirates against Cy Young Pilgrims (Pilgrims won in best of nine – not seven)

Christy Mathewson – Giants – won 31 games in 1905 – in Series, pitched three shutouts in a six day span

1906 Cubs – record of 116-36 – never bested (Tinkers, to Evers, the Chance)

Fred “Bonehead” Merkle of Giants – didn’t touch second, so run didn’t count, lost pennant to Cubs

Cy Young – won 511 – lost 315. completed 749.

Ruth and Shore combined no-hitter – 1914

Babe Ruth – World Series pitching scoreless streak -of 29 2/3

lifetime 94-46

Black Sox 1919

Walter Johnson World Series relief appearance – 1924

Ty Cobb – top lifetime batting average .366. 4,189 hits (in 2,619 less appearances than Rose, who broke that record). 892 stolen bases

Grover Cleveland Alexander – 1926 series – brought in to relieve w/ bases loaded; got them out, pitch two more scoreless innings for the win.

1927 – Ruth hits 60. in 1919, Ruth hit 29, which was more than were hit by 10 of the 15 teams in the Majors.

Hack Wilson – 191 RBIs in 1930. in (NY Giants that year had a team batting average of .319. THe NL as a whole hit .303)

Carl Hubbell – make screwball famous – early coaches won’t let him throw it because to potential arms issues – so took him long time to reach the majors. Struck out Murders Rows in 1934 All-Star game.

Lights – 1935 first major league game under the lights – 1880 was the first game (not pro, more of an exhibition). 1909 first Negro League game w/ lights.

Johnny Vander Meer – two no-hitters in a row – ended after 21 2/3 innings

Lou Gehrig – 2,130 consecutive games

DiMaggio – a hit in 56 straight games – 1941

Mickey Owens – passed ball in ninth – 1941 World Series

Joe Nuxhall – youngest player ever – 15 – 1944

Jackie Robinson – first game April 15, 1947

Eddie Gaedel – midget – played one game in 1951

1951 – Bobby Thompson – “Shot Heard Around the World” – “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!” (Giants tied the Dodgers, the game was a special three game playoff)

“The Catch” – Willie May in the 1952 Series

Last Triple Crown – Carl Yasrzemski – 1967

Don Larsen – 1955 – pitched perfect game in 1956 Series

Harvey Haddix – 1959 – pitched perfect game until two out in 13th inning – lost game.

Ted Williams – homer in last at bat

Bill Mazeroski – homer, bottom of 9th, seventh game 1960 World Series

Maris – 61 homers in 1961 – took more than 154 games

Rickey Henderson – 130 stolen bases in 1982

Lou Brock – 118 in 1974

Maury Wills – 104 in 1962

Koufax – lowest ERA in five consecutive years

Nolan Ryan – 7 no-hitters

1968 – “year of the pitcher” – Gibson 1.12 ERA

Miracle Mets of 1969

The “Four Aces” – O’s in 1971 – Cuellar, Dobson, McNally, and Palmer

Aaron – 755 – broke record in 1974

Bucky Dent – homered to beat Sox in playoff (tied at end of season) -in 1978

Nap Lajoie – 1901 – .426

Hornsby 1924 .424

Cobb 1911 – .420

Williams – 1941 – .406

Rule 1.10 – pine tar – 1983

Rose – 4,192 hits

Cubs – lights – 1988

Nolan Ryan – 5,714 Ks

Ripken – 2,131 games