Attendance Quiz: No, I”m not checking up on how many times
you”ve logged in. As of games played through 7/28, what team
led the major leagues in ”road” attendance? Answer below.
The ”68 Democratic Convention…Finis
We pick up the story late on Wednesday, Aug. 28. After all of
the chaotic action earlier in the evening, Hubert Humphrey
formally received the nomination with 1761 votes to 601 for
Eugene McCarthy. [George McGovern tallied 146 and 67 went
to Reverend Channing Phillips of the District of Columbia, the
first black ever placed in presidential nomination in a major
party.]
Edmund Muskie was then nominated to be vice president.
Humphrey himself didn”t select Muskie until Thursday morning.
LBJ had wanted Hubert to pick former North Carolina governor
Terry Sanford. But HHH chose Muskie over Oklahoma Senator
Fred Harris.
[In the nominating procedure, Julian Bond was the only other
candidate nominated, a symbolic choice as he wasn”t even old
enough to qualify.]
Meanwhile, Eugene McCarthy was running around saying he
might support a 4th party. [George Wallace was the 3rd party
candidate in ”68.] The next day, 500 dissidents formed the New
Party, which ended up obtaining ballot positions in 29 states.
Comedian Dick Gregory became their presidential nominee.
Yes, McCarthy was no John McCain. He told his supporters he
would endorse neither Humphrey nor Richard Nixon.
Tom Hayden continued to whip his fellow scuzzballs into a
frenzy. 2,000 assembled in Grant Park as Hayden spoke of a new
time, “(The) era of peaceful and orderly demonstrations is coming
to an end.other methods will be needed.”
On the final night of the convention, Thursday, Teddy Kennedy
introduced another film of a fallen brother (in ”64 Bobby had
introduced a film of JFK). Teddy said:
“If my brother”s life, and death, had one meaning above all others,
it was this: that we should not hate but love one another, that our
strength should not be used to create the conditions of oppression
that lead to violence, but the conditions of justice that lead to
peace.”
LBJ had insisted the memorial film be shown after Humphrey had
clinched the nomination. Smart move, because otherwise the
convention could have moved to Teddy for president. The film,
and the memories, riled them up.
In his acceptance speech, Hubert Humphrey, ever gracious,
honored Democratic nominees from the past, including, at the
end, LBJ, which led to a chorus of boos. Humphrey had refused
to distance himself from an unpopular president out of a sense of
loyalty. [I always liked HHH. A good person, if a little
misguided.]
There was one final tragedy of the convention. Some of
McCarthy”s campaign workers were drowning their sorrows back
at the Hilton. After 5 in the morning, police raided the room
where they were partying and began pounding on the kids. The
police said they were being pelted from the 15th floor suite. This
was highly debatable. Some of the workers were severely beaten.
As the conventioneers finally made their way from Chicago,
Mayor Daley held a news conference, denouncing the
demonstrators as “terrorists.” Later, when told that 650 had been
arrested during the week, Daley added, “I think you newsmen
missed the point. No one was killed.” Daley had conveniently
forgotten the 17-year-old, Jerome Johnson, who had been shot 4
days before the convention began. A report on the convention,
commissioned by LBJ, later labeled the whole week as a “police
riot.”
By the time Hubert Humphrey received the nomination, the party
was in a shambles. The election was essentially over.
In their book, “The Century,” authors Peter Jennings and Todd
Brewster comment.
“Played out on a national scale, Chicago was the moment of
confrontation every dysfunctional family dreads, the ritual dinner
when son finally challenges father and the long-suppressed
oedipal rage breaks free across the table, sending the potatoes
flying and the rest of the family running for cover. Only the ritual
here was a national ritual, a political convention, as old a national
ritual as the nation itself, and the family watching the blood
flowing was the family of America, at home in front of its
television set.”
Regardless of which side you supported, the whole bloody scene
was shameful. And, in case you”re wondering why I decided to
run a story on a Democratic Convention while the Republican one
was taking place, well, it”s because I have a sense that Los
Angeles could have some echoes of Chicago. Philly was tame.
But the protesters you see in L.A. starting on August 14 could be
loaded for bear.
[Additional Source: “1968: The Year the Dream Died,” Jules
Witcover.]
Bigfoot Tale
I hope you”ll excuse your editor as I take a break from writing
about political conventions. In my effort to relax the
other day, I came across the following story in The Weekly World
News. I”ll let you be the judge as to its authenticity.
[Actually, if you have never picked up this paper, it”s fun to
peruse about twice a year.]
So it seems that one Dr. Frank Chavis was doing some research
on my favorite topic, black bears. He sprained his ankle walking
through some trails and fell through a clump of bushes. On the
other side were “Bigfoot cubs,” each about 3-feet tall. Chavis
was led to a cave where the 9-foot parents were. The good
doctor said that the parents faces were expressive and human!
I”m thinkin” Jim Carrey or John Belushi, personally. Dr. Frank
tells us:
“Not having TV or radio, they entertained themselves by taking a
rock or twig and passing it around, seeming to admire the natural
beauty in it. The most important thing I learned from living with
a Bigfoot family is that it”s possible to be happy and peaceful
without the hectic complications of cars, TV, and the other
trappings of modern society.”
That is a truly remarkable and beautiful tale, Dr. Frank. Yes, we
really need to just slow down sometimes. Admire that rock or
twig…but away from your family. You could find yourself
sleeping elsewhere.
A Real Fish Tale
Tired of my bear stories? Now this one is totally true. It seems a
giant swordfish hooked off the Mexican coast jumped into the
fisherman”s boat and speared the man through his abdomen.
A spokesman for Acapulco General Hospital, David Millan, said
Jose Rojas Mayarita, 39, was reeling in the 10-foot marlin last
Saturday when the fish leaped from the waves and landed on him.
The marlin”s spear pierced the fisherman”s abdomen and came out
the other side. Rojas drifted for two days in his boat, unable to
get up, until another vessel rescued him. He was treated Tuesday
and was under observation in the hospital. [Source: AP]
I”m assuming the swordfish was grilled with a touch of lemon.
I”m also fairly certain that Mr. Mayarita will have some wicked
nightmares the rest of his life. We wish him the best. Want a
Corona?!
Update…GTS Katie
So here I”ve been running some stories on the cargo ship, GTS
Katie, that has been sitting up in the North Atlantic with 10% of
the Canadian Forces tanks and other equipment once used in the
Balkans. The U.S.-based (but Caribbean registered) ship”s
owners were afraid that if they brought the vessel into port, they
wouldn”t be paid.
Well, as of this writing, the captain of the ship told CBC that they
were “under attack” as Canadian troops are in the process of
boarding, and guiding, it into Canadian waters.
Top 3 songs for the week of 8/7/65: 31 “I”m Henry VIII, I AM”
(Herman”s Hermits) #2 “(I Can”t Get No) Satisfaction” (The
Rolling Stones) #3 “What”s New Pussycat” (Tom Jones…which
reminds me, it”s about time to profile Tom…maybe Wednesday).
More No-Hit Trivia
Johnny Mac wanted to pass along his favorite pitchers who threw
no-hitters. We both love the more obscure players.
J Mac”s personal favorite is Bobo Holloman, who in 1953 was in
his first season as a long relief man with the St. Louis Browns
when he was given the opportunity to start a game. The
date.May 6. Holloman throws a No-No. He finished up the
season 3-7 with a 5.26 ERA. That was also his career record.
But he”s in the record book.
And then there is Virgil “Fire” Trucks. Yes, a hideous nickname.
But this was a pretty darn good pitcher who compiled a 177-135
record in the majors, mostly with the Tigers in the 40s and 50s.
Trucks had one real off season, 1952, when he went 5-19 for a
horrible Tigers ball club (50-104). Horrible, except for two
things. He threw two No-No”s. Both 1-0 masterpieces.
And now you can wow your friends and win an ale or two.
Attendance Quiz: Did you say Yankees? WRONG!
The correct answer is the Cincinnati Reds with a 39,550 avg.
attendance at road games. The Yankees are second at 36,500
with the Cardinals third, 35,900.
Next Bar Chat, Monday…The Roseboro / Marichal basebrawl.
And some scary nature stuff.
