Anaheim Angels Quiz (1961 to date): [Hey, someone has to give
it!] 1) Who was the Angels” first manager? 2) Most years by
non-pitcher? 3) Most RBI, season? 4) Most games won, career?
Answers below.
The Editor Plays the Ponies
It was a beautiful day, last Wednesday, as the editor cruised
down to Monmouth Park here in New Jersey for the first time in
at least 20 years. As a kid, my parents took me to the track now
and then, including a few trips up to Saratoga, but the last few
decades (it pains me to write that) I pretty much stayed clear.
I had the stock market, after all.
So I arrived at noon, paid my $1.50 general admission, checked
out the track (conditions were “firm”), and headed for the cafT /
cafeteria, whereupon I had a turkey sandwich loaded with
mashed potatoes and gravy, all for $6.95. It was rather bland,
but it was also near post time.
Now my strategy was to bet $10 to win and $4 to place (2nd or
better) on each of the five races I was going to watch. I had no
system but I did have the Daily Racing Form and the track
program and I was confident I could figure this stuff out.
Well, it took me until near post time just to figure out the racing
form, after all these years, so with a few minutes to spare I bet on
She”s Mahvelous to win and Living Faith to place. Living Faith
was being ridden by Jennifer Whitaker.yes, it was a babe bet.
And when I saw her horse on the track I knew I was trouble.it
looked like Don Zimmer. She”s Mahvelous, though, looked
strong. And they”re off..and I lost, down $14.
On to the second race. I checked out the horses as they came out
for the warm-up, and I had my eye on jockey Rachel
Goodgame…or rather her ride, The Mighty Atom. Actually, to
be honest, I thought the name Rachel Goodgame was pretty
classy, ya know, like a Bond Girl. So I bet $4 to place on
Goodgame and $10 to win on Belt Driven…Down the stretch
they come.and it”s Belt Driven at the wire!!.with The Mighty
Atom coming in 3rd. I lost the place bet but I was darn proud of
Ms. Goodgame and I told her so (politely, mind you) as she
walked back to the paddock area. Mighty Atom paid $6.20, or
$31 on my $10 bet. Minus $4 for Goodgame and I was net now
up $3 on the day. Celebrex on the house!!
Now did I mention that the average age of the spectators was 86-
years-old? I never saw more walkers in my life. Geez, it was
kind of depressing, but what the hell, they all seemed to be
having a pretty good time. Anyway, time for a beer to toast my
good fortune. And then I called Rod at CSI (the folks who host
this site) and let him choose a horse in the 3rd.
Rod picked Sioux D”Or, the longshot, to win. I chose Montana
Bill to win and Mount Green to place. My picks were extremely
conservative, based on the horses” track records. Alas, Rod and I
got our butts whipped. In a 7-horse race, all three were out of the
money. [Sioux D”Or embarrassed the whole Sioux nation as it
stumbled out of the gate and finished about 6 furlongs behind.]
Evidently, I wasn”t alone in my disgust as the folks all around me
angrily ripped up their tickets. I”m now down $11 (not including
Rod”s $5 spot). It was time to work harder.
But first, did you know that the pari-mutuel betting system was
developed more than 130 years ago by a French lottery operator
and perfumist named Pierre Oller?
The French term “pari-mutuel” means “amongst ourselves” and
that”s exactly the way to describe the betting conducted at
Monmouth Park [I”m obviously borrowing this from the
program.] A track establishes common pools for each type of
wager in a race and deducts a certain percentage as a service
charge. Oller originally called this system of wagering “pairier
mutual.” Adopted in England, it became known as Paris Mutuels
and soon after, pari-mutuels. As the program reads, “It”s
possible to win betting horse racing in the long run because you
are competing against other ”players.” In a way it is similar to
playing the stock market, except that most of your competition
don”t have Ivy League M.B.A.”s.” Dammit, I thought, I can win,
I just know I can win.
In the 4th race, we”re going to the turf, folks, for a mile and a
sixteenth. Scratch Captain Jim and Saboya, if you”re playing at
home. I bet on ChiChi Dancer to win, Concorde Lady to place. I
got blown away again. Concorde Lady was last out of 10 horses
and ChiChi Dancer was no Chi Chi Rodriguez. I knew I was in
trouble when during the warm-up Concorde Lady was bobbing
way more than what you would consider normal for a horse, kind
of like Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone. Might be a good
thing in baseball, but I figured my horse had a mental illness.
I”m now down $25.
Well, after being trackside for the first four, I headed up to the
grandstand for a different view and a change of luck. As I watch
the tractor grooming the track I think, that would kind of be neat
for an afternoon. Or how about those kids walking around
pounding the turf after the last race? Yeah, I could do that.
Feeling more than a little down, as I”m waiting in the beer line
the gentleman in front of me, obviously a regular who knows the
girls tending the counter, says in a very loud voice, “I”d never get
a light beer!” I then order my Coors Light and give him the evil
eye. The whole experience must have affected my betting. I
chose Stanslast Prospect to win and Luvinheriseasi to place.
Stanslast finished third and Luvinheriseasi was last seen heading
up the Parkway with ten cop cars in pursuit. I was out $39 and I
headed home, disgusted. Oh well, it was a gorgeous day and it
was a nice change of pace. And I got to fill up some space in Bar
Chat, unfortunately, at your expense!
Stuff
–E.T. Hall died the other day at the age of 77. Hall was the
Oxford University professor who is responsible for debunking
various hoaxes, including “Piltdown Man.” Back in 1912 in
southern England, bones were found in a gravel pit that were
thought to be those of a missing link in the evolution chain. But
in 1953, Hall was the first to use X-ray techniques to prove that
the bones had been tampered with to give them a fossilized look,
as well as the fact that the facial bones were that of an orangutan.
Then the Roman Catholic Church asked Hall and his team to
look into the “Shroud of Turin,” whereupon Hall used the
process of carbon-dating for the first time to reveal that the
shroud was a medieval hoax dating to 1260-1390. The Church
then released the findings, though there are still more than a few
believers out there.
–Thanks to Eddie J. for passing along the story about the bald
eagle, which terrorized bathers in the Hampton Beach, NH area
last week. Lisa Capone of the Boston Globe reports a rather
extraordinary finding, that being that this particular eagle (which
was then later caught) had been banded and released just this past
July 25 in a North Carolina sanctuary. It then flew up to New
Hampshire and started dive-bombing the locals, slightly injuring
a few of them. [I”m surprised no one died of a heart attack. It
would be more than a bit unnerving to be tossing a football on
the beach, as some of the victims were doing, and suddenly have
an eagle with a 6-foot wingspan attack you.] Eagles always shy
away from human contact, so this story is just another piece of
the puzzle, as the animals gear up for what I predict will be a
nationwide spring assault, after the bears wake up. [Actually, the
bears may be faking hibernation this winter and, instead,
gathering with their compatriots from the animal kingdom in the
Bahamas for a little convention.]
–Speaking of bears, even radio”s Don Imus now has bears on his
New Mexico ranch property. They number 6,000 in the state and
a 93-year-old woman was recently killed when she surprised a
bear in her house. Or was it three bears?
–Herman Maier, reigning World Cup ski champion, was
seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. No Salt Lake City
Olympics for him. He thus becomes eligible for the
StocksandNews “Idiot of the Year” award.
–Thank you Michael Bamberger of Sports Illustrated. Last week
I commented on Dick Enberg”s remark that Shingo Katayama of
Japan was wearing a “spaghetti western” hat at the PGA.
Bamberger correctly called it a “toy rodeo hat.”
–SI reports that Colgate University will be dropping the “Red”
from Red Raiders because it may offend Native Americans.
But just plain “Raiders” must be trademarked by Oakland and
Paul Revere, right?
–In the 1960s, 46 players hit 3 home runs in a game. Thus far in
the 2000s, 26 have, including 17 this year.
–Hank Sauer died the other day at age 84, after collapsing on the
first tee of his golf club. Sauer slammed 288 home runs in his
baseball career, most with the Cubs, even though he didn”t
become a regular until age 31. At age 35 he won the N.L. MVP
as a Cubbie when he hit 37 homers and drove in 121.
–Paul O”Neill became the oldest player in baseball history to get
20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season. O”Neill is 38. I
can”t stand this guy, but you have to admire the way he plays the
game. And with his 21 steals, he has 9 more than the New York
Mets leading basestealer. Speaking of the Mets, will someone
take Todd Zeile and Robin Ventura off our hands, puh-leeze?
–I recently wrote about Troy State”s schedule in its first year as a
Division-I football school. It turns out that in playing Maryland,
Miami, Mississippi State and Nebraska, they are picking up $1.4
million to get their butt kicked. I guess I”d take that, too.
–An 8-year-old girl in the Pittsburgh area died the other day
from injuries suffered in an attack by a 10-foot Burmese python,
which her parents kept in the house. Ordinarily, I don”t comment
in this space on a tragedy of this kind (I try to keep children out
of it), but it is unbelievable to learn that the parents had 5 large
exotic snakes in the home, along with assorted lizards. This
particular 10-footer was kept in a carton in the parents”
bathroom. And now it has come to light that, years ago, their 3-
month-old daughter died when the father rolled over on her in
bed. What more can you say?
Top 3 songs for the week of 8/30/75: #1 “Get Down Tonight”
(K.C. & The Sunshine Band) #2 “Fallin” In Love” (Hamilton,
Joe Frank & Reynolds) #3 “Rhinestone Cowboy” (Glen
Campbell)
*Saturday night U2 played before 80,000 in Dublin, the largest
gathering ever in that country for a rock concert. Now that
would have been one cool event to attend.
Anaheim Angels Quiz Answer: 1) First manager: Bill Rigney,
1961-69 (I can still picture his baseball card.classic career
baseball man). 2) Most years non-pitcher: Brian Downing, 13.
3) RBI, season: Don Baylor, 139. 4) Games won, career: Chuck
Finley, 165.
In just their second season, Bill Rigney led them to a 86-76
record, good enough for third. And this was long before free
agency, and a franchise”s ability to buy success. But, otherwise,
what an incredibly mediocre club.
Next Bar Chat, Wednesday.
