Baseball Quiz: 1) Who are the top 5 all-time in most times struck
out for their career? 2) Last week Cal Ripken broke the record
for most times grounded into a double play. Whose dubious
record did he break? Answers below.
Andrew Higgins
This week we are going to have some tales from World War II as
we gear up for Memorial Day. Nebraska-born Higgins was an
Irishman who is as responsible as any one individual for the Allied
victory in WW II. It was Higgins whose factories built 20,094
boats, his famous landing craft bearing his name, that put our
troops on the ground at North Africa, Sicily, the Pacific and
Normandy.
Born in 1886, Higgins was tossed out of school for brawling
once, eventually dropping out of high school to join the National
Guard. He drifted around, landing a job in New Orleans in 1910
managing a lumber-exporting firm. He ended up forming his own
company, A.J. Higgins Lumber and Export, which sold pine
planks and cypress blocks around the world.
But in order to ship his lumber he needed something to convey it
in so he built his own schooners. By 1937 he owned a little
boatyard that employed about 50 people. It was then after Pearl
Harbor that he designed a prototype landing craft. Said Higgins,
“The sad state of war has made it my duty to build.”
And build he did. And build. And build. Expanding into 8 plants
around New Orleans, Higgins soon employed 20,000 workers
who produced 700 boats per month. Since young men were
drafted into the army, Higgins had to rely on women, blacks, the
elderly and the handicapped. Everyone who had the same job
was paid the same.
Higgins primarily constructed two different kinds of craft, high-
speed PT boats and various models of landing craft. Historian
Jerry Strahan wrote of the time, “Without Higgins”s uniquely
designed craft there could not have been a mass landing of troops
and materiel on European shores or the beaches of the Pacific
islands, at least not without a tremendously higher rate of
casualties.”
In 1964, historian Stephen Ambrose met former President Dwight
D. Eisenhower at his home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Ambrose hails from New Orleans and Eisenhower inquired if
he had ever met Andrew Higgins.
“No, sir,” Ambrose replied. “He died before I moved to the city.”
“That”s too bad,” Ike said. “You know he is the man who won
the war for us…that”s right. If Andy Higgins had not developed
and then built those landing craft, we never could have gone in
over an open beach. It would have changed the whole strategy of
the war.”
Ambrose relates that Ike explained that “without the landing craft
vehicle personnel (LCVP) – a flat-bottomed boat with a ramp that
could run right into shore and discharge 30 armed men, turn
around, and return to the transport for another load – the Allies
would have had to take a French or Belgian port, something that
was nearly impossible because the Germans had concentrated
their defense at those ports. Indeed, when the Canadians had
tried it in 1942 at Dieppe, (sorry, Harry), they lost an entire
division without gaining one inch of continental Europe.”
In a Thanksgiving address to the nation in 1944, General
Eisenhower said, “Let us thank God for Higgins Industries”
management and labor which has given us the landing boats with
which to conduct our campaign.” A disgruntled Hitler called
Higgins the “new Noah.”
Higgins motto was “The Hell I Can”t.” Historian Douglas
Brinkley said “he always exceeded expectations.”
R.R.M. Emmett, who commanded landing forces in North Africa,
wrote during the war, “When the history of this war is finally
written by historians far enough removed from its present turmoil
and clamor to be cool and impartial, I predict they will place Mr.
Higgins very high on the list of those who deserve the
commendation and gratitude of all citizens.”
Andrew Higgins died in 1952. Today, his story is told at the new
D-Day Museum in New Orleans.
Note: To be historically accurate, the first usage of the Higgins
boats was an unmitigated disaster as 94% of the first wave were
lost at Algiers. But there were no specialized beach recovery and
repair teams to salvage damaged craft, the boats (and troops)
were overburdened and there was a lack of training and adequate
surveys of the landing areas. We learned our lessons quickly.
[Source: American Heritage / Article by Douglas Brinkley]
Baseball
Peter Gammons had an article on the ESPN link about offseason
conditioning and the amount of players these days whose best
years are often when they are well into their 30s.
Of course, this is a big reason why guys like Steve Finley have
career seasons when they are 35. Says Finley, “The training for
strength, explosiveness and baseball-specific needs is
remarkable…What we”re seeing is more and more players who
are better in their 30s than they were in their 20s.”
Gammons compares the baseball rosters of 1975 and today. In
”75 there were only 2 starting pitchers in the NL who were at
least 33 (Woodie Fryman and Jim Lonborg) and just 8 in the AL
(Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, Bill Hands, Jim Kaat, Gaylord Perry,
Jim Perry, Luis Tiant, Wilbur Wood). There were 7 everyday
players in the NL and 4 non-DH in the AL who were 33 or older.
In 2000, 21 starting pitchers and 28 everyday players in the NL
are at least 33, with 18 starters and 27 non-DH everyday
ballplayers in the AL.
So, as my friends and I get increasingly frustrated at the HR totals
being racked up today, there is no doubt that the players are
far better conditioned than those of our youth, let alone our
father”s. And, of course, the money is a big enough incentive for
many to stay in shape as well. And the juiced up balls, and the
small parks, and the…
Hunting in New Jersey
Boy, if you want to bag some game, get a hunting license in New
Jersey (my home state) this year. Those of you who aren”t from
the area probably have a certain none too pleasant image of our
fair state. Personally, I love it, but that”s my problem. Anyway,
bet you didn”t know the following.
In 2000, it is estimated that hunters will bag 75,000 deer (out of
an estimated herd of 200,000). And, for the first time since 1970,
NJ will hold a black bear hunting season where it”s hoped 350 out
of 1,000 bruins will end up strapped to car roofs. In addition, we
need to kill about 5,300 wild turkeys and 400 beavers. As for the
latter, you may not know that New Jersey”s beavers have been
busy building hydroelectric plants without proper permits.
Fish
And I just have to share a personal experience. The other day in
a New York restaurant I noticed that “Sea Robin” was on the
menu. Now I have probably fished just 5 or 6 times in my life and
the few times I”ve been deep-sea fishing the only thing I caught
was sea robin, known as a true “garbage” fish. I have never seen
it on a menu anywhere. Anyway, I ordered it and it was
absolutely delicious. So go for it! Cook sea robin at your next
gourmet club. Wow your friends…or lose the ones you always
wanted to.
Top 3 songs for the week of 5/18/68: #1 “Tighten Up” (Archie
Bell & The Drells) #2 “Mrs. Robinson” (Simon & Garfunkel) #3
“Honey” (Bobby Goldsboro…I think I got this ”45 off of the back
of a box of Sugar Smacks).
*I just saw a Fox promo for a local affiliate that said, “Stock Car
racing LIVE! Tomorrow at noon.” One problem. The morons
showed an Indy Car.
Quiz Anwers: 1) Reggie Jackson 2597, Willie Stargell 1936,
Mike Schmidt 1883, Tony Perez 1867, Dave Kingman 1816.
[Kingman should be in the Hall. Paid for by the Dave Kingman
for Hall Committee. Brian Trumbore, Treasurer.]
2) Ripken broke Hank Aaron”s record for most times grounding
into a DP, 328.
Next Bar Chat, Wednesday…Tarawa.
