Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves Quiz (1953-2002): 1) Who was NL
MVP in 1991? 2) How many Cy Young awards did Braves
hurlers win in the 1990s? 3) Who was NL rookie of the year in
1971? 4) What two players hit a team record 47 homers in a
single season? 5) Who holds the record for RBI in a single
season? 6) Who was the NL ERA champ in 1974? 7) What two
pitchers threw no-hitters in 1960? 8) What was the first year in
Atlanta? Answers below.
Bear Hunt
Well, it’s official. The animal rights groups can’t prevent a six-
day bear hunt in designated areas of New Jersey this coming
December. I guarantee this will be a “60 Minutes” piece this
coming fall, especially since most folks around the country can’t
imagine New Jersey having a problem of this kind. [But not you,
dear readers, who have been on the cutting edge of this story
since the founding of StocksandNews.]
Back in 1970 there were an estimated 100 black bears here,
living only in the far northwest corner of the state, but now there
are 3,000+. It’s also important to note that my fellow residents
are in favor of a hunt by a 3 to 1 margin, much to the chagrin of
the animal Know-Nothings.
Oh, I’m all for saving the whale and get pissed when I read of the
shark slaughter that’s going on in our oceans…thereby helping to
deny us “Shark Kills Surfer” stories for Bar Chat. But there has
to be some common sense in the debate. When PETA starts
suing Kentucky Fried Chicken for it’s treatment of the idiotic,
yet highly tasty critters, things have gone a bit too far.
The other day a bear was spotted in the town of Summit, N.J.,
world headquarters for StocksandNews. [I live in a community
next door.] The local paper had a quote from the policeman
responding to a resident’s complaint, the latter wanting the
animal relocated (at the least).
“We’re living in their habitat,” said the cop.
Now understand that Summit (home to Senator Jon Corzine,
before his wife threw him out, as well as CNBC’s Jim Cramer, to
add a touch of flavor) is far from a rural town. This isn’t bear
country, that’s for sure. And I liked the woman’s response.
“I’ve been here 60 years and I pay taxes. The bears don’t.”
Right on. Actually, I don’t really want to see the bears killed,
but at the same time the situation has gotten totally out of control
and we have little choice. And the animal rights groups always
put forward this ridiculous argument that “the animals were here
first.” Bull. Did you know that there are over 100,000 deer
(giant rats, as we call ‘em) in New Jersey? It’s estimated there
were a mere 1,000 back in George Washington’s day.
Paul Mulshine, who writes for the Star-Ledger, had a column the
other day quoting Emile DeVito of the New Jersey Conservation
Foundation, “(who) notes that the species we see today have
taken over the niches formerly occupied by other species that
really were here first.” [Of course you can say this about
virtually all of America these days.]
“Pretty much everything that was here first is gone now,” she
said. Mulshine adds:
“Before the first Indians reached New Jersey about 12,000 years
ago, the state was home to the woolly mammoth, the giant sloth
and a beaver the size of a bear, all now extinct. The extinctions
accelerated when Europeans showed up and started carving out
cities and farms….The problem with development, said DeVito,
is that it favors ‘generalists’ but kills off ‘specialists.’”
Development thus helps generalists such as the raccoon, notes
Mulshine, “which can eat just anything, certainly anything I put in
my trash.”
So whether it’s the dangerous deer that carry Lyme disease and
kill more than a handful of drivers each year through their
stupidity and penchant for jumping in front of cars, or the geese
that crap in our drinking water, something has to give. The
animals better hire a good attorney, especially since history is not
on their side.
—
Animals Making the Editor’s Cut
Woolly Mammoths……..though I haven’t seen one recently.
Now if suddenly there are 300 strolling along the Garden State
Parkway in ten years, smashing through rest areas, I’ll probably
change my opinion.
Kodiak Bears….awesome dudes. Saw one at a zoo in Sydney
this year, standing up, and it took my breath away. [The medical
staff on site revived me without further brain damage.]
All Dogs….except Pit Bulls.
All Fish, Whales, Sharks…but only those living in their original
habitats of 100 years ago. In other words, the Asian Carp
making its way up the Mississippi needs to be fed to the Kodiak
Bears.
Wolverines…Harry K.’s favorite animal and useful weapon
against terrorism.
Eagles, Hawks, Falcons…..preferably to take out the pigeons and
rats.
Panthers….and all other Big Cats. Jury is out on household
variety.
*Incidentally, all snakes are also kaput….unless they eat pigeons,
geese or deer. And unless we see a Triple Crown winner in
2004, horses are at risk, too, except those that can trace their
lineage back to Seabiscuit.
[That’s all for now. I have a long drive coming up this weekend
so we may have to pick up this topic next Chat. No, seriously.]
But wait, there’s more!
Did you see the Sky News story about the German zoo owner
who may have been barbecuing his own animals? Actually, 3
Shetland ponies were possibly among the victims served up as
fake venison, which is pretty gross, so we’ll move along. The
now ‘former’ owner faces serious charges.
Names
Peggy Orenstein had a piece in the Sunday Times on baby
names. You can go to the following website, maintained by the
Social Security Administration, and pick up some interesting info
if you so desire, or if you want to make fun of your neighbor’s
kids’ names.
www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
In checking out the site, here are the top ten male and female
names for both 2002 and 1992.
2002
1. Jacob…Emily
2. Michael…Madison
3. Joshua…Hannah
4. Matthew…Emma
5. Ethan…Alexis
6. Joseph…Ashley
7. Andrew…Abigail
8. Christopher…Sarah
9. Daniel…Samantha
10. Nicholas…Olivia
1992
1. Michael…Jessica
2. Christopher…Ashley
3. Matthew…Amanda
4. Joshua…Sarah
5. Andrew…Brittany
6. Daniel…Samantha
7. Brandon…Emily
8. David…Stephanie
9. James…Elizabeth
10. Tyler…Jennifer
Now “Madison” wasn’t even a Top 50 in 1992, nor was Olivia or
Abigail. Alexis was #41 then. I also had to break the news to
Trader George that “George” wasn’t Top 50 either year.
Actually, “The Editor” was nowhere to be found as well.
Stuff
–Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker inserted foot in mouth,
making the following comment on Saturday about day baseball
and playing in the heat.
“It’s easier for most Latin guys and it’s easier for most minority
people because most of us come from heat. You don’t find too
many brothers in New Hampshire and Maine and the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan….We were brought over here for the
heat, right? Isn’t that history? Weren’t we brought over because
we could take the heat?”
Noted black sports sociologist Harry Edwards admitted, “If a
white manager made these statements, there’s no question he
would find himself in a group that includes Al Campanis and
Jimmy ‘The Greek’ Snyder.” [Source: USA Today]
Baker later tried to amend his remarks, saying, “What I meant is
that blacks and Latins take the heat better than most whites, and
whites take the cold better than most blacks and Latins. That’s
it, pure and simple.”
I wasn’t going to get too riled up over this, but what did get my
juices flowing was viewing Baker’s attitude and expressions on
television as he was being interviewed the past few days. I hope
he swallows his toothpick. He’s overrated anyway.
–Speaking of blacks in baseball, as a follow-up to Tuesday’s
piece on the lack of African-Americans in the sport, it’s
interesting to note that for the first time since 1961 the Boston
Red Sox don’t have a starting pitcher or every-day player who is
black. It was in 1959 that Boston became the last club to
integrate its squad. The following is from the Sporting News,
July 29 of that year.
“On the night of July 21, Pumpsie Green joined the Red Sox
after being recalled from Minneapolis….
“Green was the subject of a race controversy last spring when the
Red Sox shipped him (to the minors) a few days before the start
of the season and at a time when it seemed he had made the
team.”
Green was 25-years-old when he finally made it to the big
leagues and he proved to be a rather mediocre player, batting just
.246 in 796 career at-bats over parts of five seasons, the last in
1963 with the New York Mets.
–Buddy Ebsen, RIP. Incredibly, “The Beverly Hillbillies,” in
which Ebsen starred, was a top ten television show for the 9
years it ran, beginning in 1962. But in reading his obituaries, I
was struck by how he hung in there throughout his early career,
despite being blackballed from MGM studios in the 1930s
because he wouldn’t put up with their bull when it came to
signing contracts. Ebsen waited almost 20 years before getting a
break in the mid-1950s to play Davy Crockett’s sidekick in the
Disney series. That work set up “The Beverly Hillbillies.”
Ebsen was about 47 when he received the Disney call, having
made ends meet with Broadway work. So quaff an ale to a great
American who persevered to become rich beyond his wildest
dreams.
–Just another baseball tidbit for you, it being the season and all.
I was glancing through the record of the St. Louis Browns, who
following the 1953 season moved to Baltimore and became the
Orioles. Geezuz, these guys sucked for a long stretch. To wit:
1947…59-95
1948…59-94
1949…53-101
1950…58-96
1951…52-102
1952…64-90
1953…54-100
1954…54-100
1955…57-97
Then they started to improve.
But the real reason for bringing this all up is because I wanted to
give you a chance to make some major bucks at your local
tavern. Who is the only pitcher in baseball history to win 20
games for a last place team that lost 100 or more games?
Why it’s Ned Garver, who in 1951 went 20-12 (completing 24 of
30 starts) for the Brownies, meaning that the rest of the time the
team was 32-90. Garver finished 129-157 lifetime.
–Last week Erik Brady had a piece in USA Today on the “10
Magical Numbers in Sports,” such as 56 for Joe DiMaggio’s
hitting streak or 100 for Wilt Chamberlain’s single game scoring
mark. And then there is the number 7, best remembered for
Mickey Mantle and John Elway.
Brady also discusses 3…4…0…1…755 (Hank Aaron)…23 and
300. So here’s my opinion. Given today’s younger sports fan,
who doesn’t always have much knowledge of the past, I’d say
it’s between 23 and 3 for most magical.
23 is Michael Jordan, of course. But my nod goes to #3. Babe
Ruth and Dale Earnhardt. Combining both the past and present,
though in the case of Earnhardt, I guess you could say it’s
‘present-past.’ Now discuss amongst yourselves.
[Actually, I was going to say #7, not just because of Mickey
Mantle but for Ed Kranepool, but then most of you wouldn’t
understand the passion behind the choice.]
–In the July 7 / July 14 issue of the Weekly Standard, humorist
P.J. O’Rourke reviews “Living History” by Hillary Clinton.
Since I had no plans to buy this tome myself, I appreciated Mr.
O’Rourke’s insightful analysis. Commenting on how life
revolves around Hillary, he quotes her in the following passage.
“ ‘I was raised to love my God and my country, to help others, to
protect and defend the democratic ideals that have inspired and
guided free people for more than 200 years,’ a slap in the face to
those of us who were raised to say please and thank you and not
track mud into the house.”
And there’s the time Hillary gave a speech in China at a UN
conference on women. Hillary:
“The serious and stony-faced delegates suddenly leaped from
their seats to give me a standing ovation. Delegates rushed to
touch me, shout words of appreciation and thank me for
coming.”
In Chicago, at the 1996 Democratic Convention.
“The crowd erupted into a frenzy of clapping, chanting, and foot-
stomping….My motions to urge the crowd to sit down were
futile, so I just waved and let the cheers wash over me.”
I think I’m getting sick…………cough…gag…gag.
In one of his conclusions, O’Rourke writes:
“In fact, Hillary and her husband aren’t representative of much of
anything American. Neither can drive a car. Hillary hasn’t been
behind the wheel since 1996….And Bill should never try…..In
nearly twenty years of family life, the Clintons did not own a
home or go to the mall without armed guards.”
–Back to baseball, remember J.R. Richard? It’s easy to forget
just how great the 6’8” hurler was over a 4 1/2 –year stretch for
the Houston Astros.
1976…20-15, 214 Ks [Team was 80-82]
1977…18-12, 214 Ks [81-81]
1978…18-11, 303 Ks (led NL) [74-88]
1979…18-13, 313 Ks (led NL) [89-73]
1980…10-4, 119 Ks…………
……then on July 30 of ’80, Richard was working out in the
Astrodome when he suffered a major stroke. He never pitched
again in the major leagues. J.R. turned 30 in 1980 and with a
career mark of 107-71 at the time of his demise, it’s easy to see
him winning well in excess of 200 had he stayed healthy.
Coupled with his strikeout prowess, he was a sure-fire Hall of
Famer.
[Richard’s life, post-stroke, was not a good one. While he
recovered enough physically to give baseball one more shot,
though never making it to the big leagues, his finances were a
mess and he was found living under a bridge in 1995 before
Houston officials rescued him, offering J.R. a job in the
organization.]
–Due to the playoff on Monday, I didn’t have a chance to
congratulate Hillary Lunke for her stirring win in the U.S.
Women’s Open, which also gives me another opportunity to note
Annika’s giant choke job on Sunday.
–Skydivers in Britain are scared to death, following the murder
of one of their own when his primary and backup chute failed to
open at 13,000 feet, the cords of both having been cut. Clearly a
fellow sky diver had to do it, as the sabotage was concealed
masterfully. It is estimated the victim had 8 seconds to ponder
his fate.
–I saw that actor Fred Savage turned 27 the other day. I wonder
if he spent it with Winnie Cooper?
–So Barry Bonds’ 73rd home run ball went for only $450,000 at
auction and now the attorney for Alex Popov, one of the two
schleps that fought over it and agreed to share the proceeds, has
sued him for $473,500, claiming this is the final tally for his
services, which means that for all his trouble, Popov is out about
$250,000. Have a good day, sucker.
–And now for your New York Mets update. Scientists refute my
assertion that the 12-metre blob found off the coast of Chile is
really Mo Vaughn. Separately, I’ve decided that outfielder
Roger Cedeno is among the ten most worthless players in the
history of the game. Admittedly, picking the other nine will
require extensive research.
Top 3 songs for the week of 7/10/71: #1 “It’s Too Late” (Carole
King) #2 “Indian Reservation” (Raiders) #3 “Treat Her Like A
Lady” (Cornelius Bros. & Sister Rose)
Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves Quiz Answers: 1) Terry Pendleton
was league MVP in 1991. 2) Cy Young awards in the 90s: [6]
Tom Glavine (’91, ’98), Greg Maddux (’93-’95), John Smoltz
(’96). 3) Earl Williams was rookie of the year in 1971. 4) Hank
Aaron (’71) and Eddie Mathews (’53) hit 47 home runs. 5)
Mathews holds the single season RBI mark with 1935. [The
previous two answers apply to the Boston Braves, as well, unless
you want to include Hugh Duffy’s 145 RBI in 1894.] 6) Buzz
Capra won the NL ERA crown in 1974, 2.28. 7) Lew Burdette
and Warren Spahn tossed no-hitters in 1960. 8) 1966 was the
Braves’ first season in Atlanta.
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday.
