Minnesota Twins Quiz (1961 – ): 1) Most homers lefthanded,
season? 2) Who hit 3 grand slams in the 1976 season? 3) Most
stolen bases, season? 4) Manager Tom Kelly”s first full season?
Answers below.
Guam and World War II
Just a few thoughts, as we approach Memorial Day. I learned
some things while at the “War in the Pacific Museum” in Guam
last week.
To refresh your memory, Guam was an American territory at the
time of the start of WW II, as part of the settlement of the
Spanish – American War in 1898. But before the “Big One,” the
U.S. decided that Guam was indefensible and only stationed a
small contingent on the island. We”re talking, literally, just a
few guns.
The day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Guam was also bombed
by Japanese forces (as was Manila, as part of their coordinated
plan). [Also, understand this is 12/8, not 12/7, because of the
time change. and the international dateline.] By December 10,
the Japanese had moved in and the minimal American garrison
surrendered, all except six, it would seem, including George
Tweed.
Tweed was the sole survivor of those Americans who escaped
into the jungle on 12/10. From that day until shortly before the
American liberation in July 1944, he was hidden, clothed, and
fed by the sympathetic Chamorros (the native people of Guam).
Many of the Chamorros risked torture, but they considered
Tweed a symbol of the U.S., of hope and freedom, and a cause
they were willing to die for. [Tweed died just a few years ago,
so the park ranger told me.]
There was another hero in the search for Tweed, Father Jesus
Baza Duenas, the spiritual leader of the church on Guam. Father
Duenas openly defied Japanese authority as he was suspected of
harboring Tweed. Duenas and his nephew were horribly tortured
and then beheaded just days before the American liberation of
Guam. They never uttered a word to their captors.
[In general, as the Americans began to recover in the Pacific, the
Japanese held “mass executions” of the Chamorros, as they were
concerned they would aid Allied invasion forces.]
The U.S. might have ignored Guam except that it was U.S.
territory and many Chamorros served in the naval forces. So on
July 21, 1944, bombing commenced and by August 12, Guam
was recaptured. Over 1,000 Marines lost their lives in this battle,
with the Japanese losing over 10,000 (3,200 in one night). [And
as I mentioned in the current “Week in Review,” a Japanese
sergeant, Yokoi, survived in the jungle until 1972! This was pre-
brown treensnake, mind you.]
Following are just a few quotes from those who lived through
these times.
“I didn”t say I hate them. I forgive them for what they did to
many of the peoples, but I want them to know that I won”t forget
it.” –Juan Perez, Chamorros resident.
“Looking at this place right now, how beautiful it is, how
peaceful it is, it”s hard to envision that it was such a site of
bloodshed, violence. And I guess the world is just that way.
We”ll always solve our problems by killing each other. But,
unfortunately, it”s always the wrong people being killed.”
–First Lieut. Jack Eddy / 9th Marine Division Liberation Force,
as he recollected in 1993.
Elmer Bernstein
Turner Classic Movies has been recently highlighting some of
the films that the great movie composer cranked out. Bernstein
is responsible for 180 film scores and his theme from “The
Magnificent Seven” is perhaps the best known ever. [Think
Marlboro commercials, if you”re blanking out.]
“Film music, properly done, should give the film a kind of
emotional rail on which to ride,” Bernstein says. But today, the
studios are more interested in selling a CD and fill soundtracks
with songs that don”t necessarily fit the mood.
Some of Bernstein”s other big scores: “The Man with the
Golden Arm” (Frank Sinatra played a junkie jazzman and
Bernstein introduced jazz as theme music), “To Kill A
Mockingbird,” “The Great Escape,” “Animal House,”
“Airplane!” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” for which he won
his sole Oscar in 13 nominations.
Bernstein was also blacklisted (“gray-listed”) in the 50s for a
while as he was accused of being Communist. He was relegated
to scoring for B-movies, until Cecil B. DeMille hired him for
“The Ten Commandments.”
And back to “The Magnificent Seven,” if it seems a little like
Aaron Copeland, it is, because Copeland was, in essence,
Bernstein”s first teacher.
Stuff
–58 underclassmen have declared for the NBA draft. Of course,
most of these guys will end up in Europe or Latin America, if
they”re lucky. Unfortunately, a player affected by all of this is
the fellow I have told you about a few times, Div. III”s Horace
Jenkins, a talented guard out of William Paterson University in
New Jersey. Just a few months ago, Jenkins was projected to be
a late first rounder. Now he”ll be lucky to be selected.
–The bodies of 93 who were attempting to cross the Sahara were
found last week. Remember, if you decide to cross a desert
yourself this summer, bring plenty of water!
–I flick on the television here in Hong Kong the other day and
what do I come across but The Asian Cup…for badminton! And
you should have heard these English commentators. Exciting
stuff…cough cough.
–Guam”s brown tree snakes: OK, here”s the lowdown. As I told
you before, the locals are very embarrassed and are reluctant to
discuss this topic. Roughly 20 years ago, the snakes stole away
on a freighter from Indonesia (I think this is right), and have
devastated the island ever since. [A slight exaggeration, there
are still some beautiful spots where you can feel reasonably
secure…but keep your eyes peeled!]
So I finally got a cabbie to open up to me. Actually, he was
excited to tell me all about them. “Are they still a problem?” I
asked. “It only gets worse,” he said. “Just a few months ago,
they were the cause of a major power outage.”
While the snakes aren”t poisonous, they can grow up to 5 or 6-
feet in length, and the man said they are as thick as your leg. He
knows, because he once cleared jungle for a construction project
and he has had more than his share of altercations. They are
biting people all of the time…but the press tries to hush this up.
And since the snakes have no enemy, they will just continue to
proliferate.
Folks, looks like the U.S. military, with its huge presence on the
island, is going to have to be called on to go to war against these
terrifying creatures. Perhaps a few missile strikes will let the
snakes know what they”re dealing with.
–A Van Gogh drawing recently sold for $4.4 million. That”s a
drawing, folks. Don”t throw away your doodlings.
–It”s a little after 8:00 AM in Hong Kong as I type this and I
stumbled onto the Sixers – Raptors Game 7, televised live, I”m
assuming (with Chinese commentators)…there is a 12-hour time
difference between here and the East Coast. Geezuz, pretty good
ending. It was also good to see Iverson”s supporting cast bailing
him out.
–We here at Bar Chat salute Harold Stilson, 101, who aced the
108-yard 16th hole at Deerfield Country Club in Florida to
become the oldest known player to hit a hole-in-one, according
to Golf Digest.
–San Miguel (Philippines) is a pretty tasty beer, by the way. It
seems to be the brew of choice for your editor on his Asian
adventure, though I did quaff a few Foster”s the other day.
[This Beer Update is brought to you by the folks at San Miguel
Brewery…that”s San Miguel…”People power in a can!”]
Top 3 songs for the week of 5/25/68: #1 “Tighten Up” (Archie
Bell & The Drells) #2 “Mrs. Robinson” (Simon & Garfunkel)
#3 “A Beautiful Morning” (The Rascals)
Minnesota Twins Quiz Answers: 1) Homers, lefthanded: Kent
Hrbek, 34 (1987) 2) Grand slams, 1976: Rod Carew, of all
people, hit 3. Carew hit .331 that season, with 200 hits and 49
stolen bases. But he only hit 9 homers total.yet drove in 90.
3) SBs, season: Chuck Knoblauch stole 62 in 1997. 4) Tom
Kelly”s first full season was 1987 (he was an interim manager the
previous year). Kelly guided the Twins to Series titles in ”87 and
”91. [Of course, if the Twins weren”t off to such a great start,
we wouldn”t be having this quiz.]
Next Bar Chat, Wednesday. Remembrances from the attack on
Pearl Harbor.
