Chicago Cubs Quiz (1876-2002): 1) What was the first year at
Wrigley Field? 2) Who are the only 3 Cubs to see their uniform
retired? 3) Who am I? I went 24-11 in 1964. 4) Who was the
last Cub to win a batting title? 5) Career leader in wins? [Hint:
This is tough.] 6) What four Cubs hit 20+ homers in 1969? 7)
Who were the four main starting pitchers in ’69? [Yes, your
editor, a Mets fans, is just tormenting his Cubs brethren.]
Answers below.
*I just received word of the death of former New York Knicks
great, Dave DeBusschere, of a massive heart attack at age 62. So
much to write, but you’ll have to forgive me for now as I need to
post. Much more next chat. Suffice it to say, those of us who
came of age as Knicks fans in the late 60s will never forget the
1968 trade that brought DeBusschere to New York. One of the
great moves of all time in any sport. Quaff an ale to a true
champion.
George Mallory
Four years ago I covered the story of Mallory, but it’s
appropriate to review it again as we approach the 50th
anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s assault on Mount Everest,
May 29th, especially since there has been a new revelation.
In the early 19th century, geographer George Everest began
mapping the 1,500-mile-long Himalayan range. Back then the
locals called the highest peak Chomolungma, “the abode of the
gods.” Mark Twain visited the region in 1892, but he never got
to see what was now called Mount Everest due to the weather.
Then 30 years later, George Mallory arrived on the scene and
began preparing his expedition to climb the peak. Yes, it was
George Mallory who when asked why, replied, “Because it is
there.”
But as the story of Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay
floods the airwaves and print press over the coming weeks, there
is still a shred of doubt that perhaps Mallory, not Hillary, was
actually first.
Mallory and his team, which included George Irvine, prepared
for close to two years before launching their assault on Everest.
Mallory, 38 at the time, had been scaling the Alps since 1904,
while Irvine, 22, was a novice climber but great athlete, who had
recently completed an arctic expedition.
You have to use your imagination a little to realize how
spectacular Mallory’s effort was back in 1924. Compared to the
equipment that Hillary used almost 30 years later, let alone the
high-tech gear of today, picture Mallory and Irvine dressed in
heavy tweed and a pair of leather boots. The fact they got to
27,000 feet (or higher) is remarkable.
The two were last seen at 12:50 PM on June 8th by geologist
Noel Odell who viewed them through his telescope, two black
spots moving up a rock step. Some now say that with the precise
measurements of today, Mallory and Irvine were already as high
as 28,230 feet, and in Odell’s words, “going strong for the top.
Then the whole fascinating vision vanished, enveloped in cloud,”
he wrote in a dispatch to the Times of London.
So was Mallory going up or coming down? Mallory”s body
wasn”t uncovered until an expedition for the PBS program “NOVA”
did so in 1999, though it had been spotted years earlier, and he
was found in what is known as the “Death Zone,” in which lack
of oxygen dulls the brain and debilitates the body. Did he just sit
down in the snow and succumb, or did he die as a result of a fall?
Mallory’s clothes were remarkably intact (his body was
bleached, alabaster), tweeds, boots, a rope around the waist and a
name tag sewn into the clothing. Snow goggles were found in
his breast pocket. Some say he would have never taken off his
goggles during the day, when snowblindness was an ever present
danger. The fact that he had removed them suggests both he and
Irvine were hurrying down in the evening to avoid a night on the
mountain. Also, his leg had clearly been broken and his position
indicated he may have survived a 1,500-foot fall, after which he
tried to drag himself, broken leg and all, across the snow to
shelter.
One member of the team that recovered the body said “I don’t
think they made it to the summit. The route was too long and too
hard.” Mallory’s son John says, “My guess is that he did make
the summit. But to me the only way you achieve a summit is to
come back alive.” Edmund Hillary has always said it would be
“appropriate” if Mallory reached the summit.
One piece of evidence that could solve the puzzle has never been
found, a Kodak camera Mallory was known to have hung around
his neck. Someday, this may turn up.
The whole Mallory issue was renewed just last month because a
man involved in a 1960 Chinese expedition came forward after
43 years to reveal he found George Irvine’s body back then,
though it was not recovered. Due to government restrictions in
those days, and in succeeding years, he was afraid to let this be
known, for some silly reason. The Chinese climber estimates
that Irvine’s body was found at 27,300 feet, above the slope
where Mallory’s body was later discovered.
Audrey Salkeld, an expert on Mallory and Irvine, now concludes:
“Mallory was found with frayed rope still attached to him. It
may be that he slipped, Irvine tried to hold him and then the rope
snapped over a rock between them.
“If the story of the sleeping bag is correct – two bags were found
in the climbers’ last tent – then it points to a very poignant story
of Irvine surviving a fall, bivouacking for the night and failing to
get back to the tent.”
[Source: Nicholas Hellen / Sunday Times of London]
Stuff
–Goodness, gracious. The Times of London reports that on
Tuesday, a badger went berserk and sent five people to the
hospital, including one poor soul that required skin grafts to his
legs and an arm, after the marauding, 2 ½ foot long beast sank its
fangs into him. Instead of running away at the sight of humans,
as is their wont, the badger charged his victims. Two police
officers even jumped on the hood of their patrol car when the
animal made its move.
Said the chairman of the “Worcestershire Badger Society” (yes,
there is such an organization), “I have never heard of anything
like this in 24 years of work with badgers throughout the UK.”
It was finally captured. No word on its fate.
–The New York Post’s Page Six reports on the new book by
Frank Sinatra’s valet, George Jacobs, “Mr. S.: My Life with
Frank Sinatra.” According to Jacobs, then Senator John F.
Kennedy was coking up big time, especially when he was around
brother-in-law Peter Lawford. Yeah, this isn’t new, but this is
bar chat, after all. Now the Robert Dallek news on JFK and his
fling with a 19-year-old intern is definitely new. Mimi was her
name. If she cares to come forward and tell her own side of the
story, exclusively to Bar Chat, we’re all ears.
–For those of you who saw Ben Affleck and J-Lo at the Lakers
game the other day, Page Six also reports that the two aren’t
getting married just yet. For starters, J-Lo is spending the
summer in Winnipeg shooting a movie with Richard Gere. Ya
think that Ben will be a little jealous? I say they break up by
Fourth of July.
–Speaking of the Lakers and their crowd, who is that jerk sitting
to Jack Nicholson’s right? And how ‘bout those Lakers Girls,
guys? [I think I just got in trouble with this comment.]
–Go, speed racer………Formula One star Juan Pablo Montoya
was caught doing 130 mph in an 80 zone on a French highway
the other day. His license may be suspended, but he’ll still be
allowed to drive in Grand Prix races. 3 years ago, driver Jenson
Button hit 144 in northern France.
–U.S. News & World Report’s “Washington Whispers” column
reports that President Bush is having major problems with
Barney, the black Scotty. Basically, Barney has been
insubordinate. He refuses to climb the stairs of the helicopter to
Camp David, insisting instead on being carried, and he hardly
ever rushes out to greet the President when he returns from a
long trip. Spotty, the other First Dog, does. You know, I
wouldn’t put up with this crap. Time to reassign Barney to
Diego Garcia, or Qatar.
–ACC expansion is looking more and more likely. 7 of 9
schools must approve the bid to add Miami, Syracuse and, now,
either Boston College or Virginia Tech, and it appears the votes
are there.
–The men of the PGA Tour are really beginning to speak out on
Annika Sorenstam’s participation at Colonial next week.
Vijay Singh: “It’s just different for ladies to play on the men’s
tour. It’s like getting the Williams sisters to play (tennis) against
a man, and they’re far better athletes than she (Sorenstam) is….
She doesn’t belong out here. If I’m drawn with her, which I
won’t be, I won’t play.” [PGA Tour winners are normally
matched up with each other in the first two rounds of an event.]
Scott Hoch: “Most guys hope she plays well and what comes out
of this is that she realizes she can’t compete against the men.”
We’re just heating up on this one.
–Speaking of golf…I was looking at the World Golf Hall of
Fame the other day. Nick Price was just elected and the selection
forced me to look at the overall list. There are 99 now in the
Hall and just like any other sport, you can debate the
qualifications of a number of them. I can’t disagree on Price,
especially when you throw in his global record, but to me one
name stands out, that being Tommy Bolt. I mean the guy won 15
PGA events and just one major in an era that had nowhere near
as many potential victors, week in and week out, as you see
today. To me, Bolt’s selection is like putting Chris Chambliss in
the Baseball Hall of Fame. Nice career, .279 with 185 home runs
and 972 RBI, but a Hall of Famer? Of course not.
Now one guy who will be interesting down the road is Larry
Nelson. He only won 10 times on the PGA Tour, but 3 were
majors. Discuss amongst yourselves.
Top 3 songs for the week of 5/17/75: #1 “He Don’t Love You
(Like I Love You)” Tony Orlando & Dawn #2 “Before the Next
Teardrop Falls” (Freddy Fender) #3 “Jackie Blue” (Ozark
Mountain Daredevils)
–Harry K. (and Dan L.) alerted me to the fact that Noel Redding,
the bass player for Jimi Hendrix’s Experience, died. You know,
I just realized, I don’t think I’ve ever done a full piece on
Hendrix. I promise, next Thursday.
Anyway, Harry and I exchanged notes on various ‘what ifs,’ like
what if Hendrix were still alive? Or what would have happened
had someone like George Martin produced his records, which are
kind of “muddy,” to use Harry’s term.
I couldn’t help but wonder on folks like Buddy Holly and Bobby
Darin. Darin would have turned 67 on May 14, Holly would be
66. We agreed that Darin would be doing Vegas, but that Holly
would still be going strong. Then again, there’s Marvin Gaye.
More next week.
Chicago Cubs Quiz Answers: 1) Wrigley opened in 1916. The
first home run was hit by Johnny Beall of the Reds. 2) Retired
uniforms: Ernie Banks, #14; Ryan Sandberg, #23; Billy
Williams, #26. 3) Larry Jackson went 24-11 in ’64, quite a feat
considering the team was 76-86, overall. 4) Bill Buckner is the
last Cub to win a batting title, 1980. [Bill Madlock won his in ’75
and ’76.] 5) Charlie Root is the career leader in wins with 201
(1926-41). 6) 1969: 20 home runs – Ron Santo, 29; Ernie Banks,
23; Billy Williams, 21; Jim Hickman, 21. 7) 1969: Starting staff
/ Fergie Jenkins, 21-15; Bill Hands, 20-14; Ken Holtzman, 17-
13; Dick Selma, 10-8. [If you got both Hickman and Selma,
quaff a beer.]
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday. Sir Edmund Hillary, if you keep it
where it is.
