Texas Rangers / Washington Senators Quiz (1961-2001…
original Senators moved to Minnesota…new expansion franchise
then granted): 1) Single season record, home runs? 2) Single
season, RBI? 3) Name the only three 20-game winners in
franchise history? 4) Who is the only rookie of the year? 5)
Who was the first 16-game winner for Washington? 6) Can you
name one player in the Opening Day lineup, 4/10/61? Answers
below.
Nothing But Stuff
–So here was the great travel / horror story I alluded to in my
“Week in Review” column. [Funny how the editor signs that
one, but doesn’t do the same with “Bar Chat,” isn’t it?]
When I was planning this current trip to Slovenia, I saw that
there was about a 40- mile difference between Ljubljana and
Bled, so hiring a taxi would have been too expensive and I
wasn’t keen on driving. But the bus seemed like the way to go,
so before I even got here I memorized the maps and the layout of
Bled so that I could easily walk to the hotel from the bus stop if
there weren’t any cabs. I figured, my big bag has wheels and it’s
only 15 minutes or so.
So our bus is making local stops along the way, but I’m
confident I’m not going to miss Bled and, alas, the driver tells
me I’ve arrived. I pulled my big bag from the outside storage bin
and wheeled down towards the lake and the Park Hotel. Damn,
it’s a beautiful spot, I thought, and the walk was only about ten
minutes. I checked in quickly, went up to the room and
immediately opened my suitcase. [My laptop and money /
passport were in a smaller bag.]
Except I couldn’t manage the combination on the lock. That’s
funny. Oh no…it’s not my bag!!! Well, imagine all the thoughts
going through your editor’s head. “No…no…no…it can’t
be…@#$%… @#$%.” The bus was making at least another 5
stops, so I’m thinking it could be a while before the rightful
owners discover the mistake, plus, I can’t speak the language so
how would I track it down anyway? There are tons of these
buses crisscrossing the country.
I rush down to the lobby, bag in tow. “Quick, I need a cab.” The
roads just closed, I was told, there are no cabs available. [There
was this big E.U. conference going on…with ridiculous levels of
police around, for a bunch of bureaucrats.] So I had to roll the
bag back up the hill to the bus depot to plot my next move.
We’re talking sweat city for your editor. I would survive, I
thought, but it would cost me major bucks. I get to the station,
round the corner and…holy cow, it’s my bag, with a Japanese
family rifling through the outside sleeves that were open. At
least 30 minutes had elapsed since the bus had gone off to its
next stop. What I didn’t know is that this couple with a small
child had gotten off with me, but taken their sweet time in doing
so, I guessed, as I ran away with their bag. They were absolutely
identical, down to the bag tag and all, except I have yellow tape
on mine and I didn’t even look for this. Idiot.
Well, all I could do was run up and hug these startled folks. The
husband was still a bit unhappy, but the wife could not have been
more understanding. Yes, just by luck they got off at the same
stop. Well, I gave them $10 in local currency and said buy
yourself a drink…as I was now going to buy myself six or
seven.
There you have it…one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done, but
luckily it had a happy ending. Oh, one other thing. Bled is a
small place and the street from the bus stop to the hotel was filled
with people sitting on park benches, admiring the scenery. Think
of the story they had that evening. “Honey, I saw this American
go to the hotel with a bag, wheel it back up the hill, and then take
the same bag back down to the hotel. What do you think that
was about?” No wonder I got some strange looks at the local
establishments the next 3 days.
–Dumb move #2 was getting rid of my Nets season tickets this
year. D’oh! [Actually, I was attending just ten games a year,
splitting the seats with friends. The person who is really upset is
the guy I ended up giving most of the tickets to.] Now who
would have thunk it? The Nets and Carolina Cougars, err,
Hurricanes in the Finals of their respective leagues. Yes, if the
Nets were to will their way to victory over Los Angeles, it would
be an upset rivaling the ’69 Mets and the Joe Namath Jets, if not
better.
–What the hell happened to Wake Forest? Not only did the golf
team choke at the end of the season, but for the umpteenth year
in a row, the baseball team can’t get out of the first round of the
NCAAs! Goodness, gracious. I’m paying good money to
advertise with their athletic department, after all. Oh well, at
least most of our kids graduate…and at the end of the day isn’t
that what really matters?………………..cough cough. Someone
get me some water.
–Speaking of the University of Michigan and players like Chris
Webber and Jalen Rose raking in $tens of thousands, at least,
while in school….
–But then there is the feel good story of the University of
Minnesota, which has had more than its own share of problems
the past few years. Amazingly, it’s Men’s golf team won the
NCAA Division I Championship, the first northern team in 23
years to do so. And the program had been earmarked for
extinction due to Title IX. Go Gophers!
–What? Baseball players are using steroids? And it could be
rampant? You mean that Mark McGwire was juiced? And
Barry Bonds? You mean these records are all phony? You
betcha. And that’s what truly sucks, boys and girls, especially
for us long-time fans who cherish the baseball record book.
[In case you missed it, former MVP Ken Caminiti was
interviewed for the current issue of Sports Illustrated (I just saw a
wire service story, myself), claiming that half of all major
leaguers use steroids. Then he tried to back off, just like all these
guys do after talking to a reporter.]
–Speaking of baseball, saw where Bobby Valentine had another
flare-up with an umpire, this time Ed Rapuano. Now according
to the story I saw (by the way, surfing the Net in Europe is both
extremely time-consuming – downloading can be excruciating –
and expensive, so I can’t keep up on everything as much as I’d
like too), Valentine was bumped by Rapuano, who then threw
Bobby V. out. Of course Valentine could only respond in true
Bobby V. fashion.
“What is this, the Gestapo? They’ll write it up and they’ll be
angels. They’re always right,” he sneered.
Valentine is right on. Umpiring is simply dreadful, but then the
players are all juiced so why should anyone care?
–I’ll tell you what is important. The new Miss Universe is a
Russian police lieutenant, that’s what’s important. Can you say
James Bond flick?
–World Cup: The games have been on at pretty good times
around here, most in the morning, so I have seen a few of them.
Unfortunately, Slovenia’s loss to Spain was ugly, especially
since they were robbed of a penalty kick with the score 2-1,
Spain. Then the referee gave Spain a penalty kick on an
outrageous call. The locals in Bled were an unhappy lot, but not
as much as I expected.
Boy, the Ireland-Cameroon game was exciting, a 1-1 draw and
well played on both sides.
But I returned to Ljubljana Monday morning and just caught
Turkey taking a 1-0 lead on Brazil. Alas, it wasn’t to be. Turkey
also played pretty dirty, if you ask me. [Another reason why we
need them in the battle against Saddam.]
In the Brazil game goals were scored by Ronaldo and Rivaldo.
So I decided I want just one name, too. Something like
Beeraldo, or Sudsaldo.
–Went to a casino in Bled and actually did alright, especially
considering I was playing blackjack for about 4 hours, much of it
alone at the table. [The locals prefer roulette.] I figure close
to 1,000 hands…and no one was hurt!
–So I’m at this Modern Art Museum in Ljubljana (not normally
my cup of tea) and there was this big canvas, painted flaming
orange and red, and then in a corner of this non-art was an
embedded video screen that was showing violent scenes from
“The Sopranos.” Yeah, you had to be there, but it was pretty
amusing.
Top 3 songs for the week of 6/4/66: #1 “When A Man Loves A
Woman” (Percy Sledge) #2 “A Groovy Kind Of Love” (The
Mindbenders) #3 “Paint It, Black” (The Rolling Stones)
Billboard Top Ten Song Quiz
Here is our second installment. Each of the following had at
least 5 Billboard Top Tens. Name the first. [Answers to be
supplied on Thursday.]
The 5th Dimension, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, The 4 Seasons,
The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, The Guess Who, Hall &
Oates, George Harrison, Heart, Herman’s Hermits, The Hollies,
Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Tommy James & The Shondells,
Billy Joel, Elton John.
Texas Rangers / Washington Senators Quiz Answers: 1) HR,
season: Alex Rodriguez, 52 (2001). 2) RBI, season: Juan
Gonzalez, 157 (1998). 3) 20-game winners: Fergie Jenkins,
25-12 (1974); Kevin Brown, 21-11 (1992); Rick Helling, 20-7
(1998). 4) Rookie of the Year: Mike Hargrove, 1974. 5) First
16-game winner for Washington: Dick Bosman, 16-12 (1970).
6) Opening Day lineup, 4/10/61
Coot Veal, SS
Billy Klaus, 3B
Marty Keough, RF
Dale Long, 1B
Gene Woodling, LF
Willie Tasby, CF
Danny O’Connell, 2B
Pete Daley, C
Dick Donovan, P
That first squad went 61-100.
95% of the women in Slovenia (the 18-35 demographic, prized
by advertisers and tourists alike) are revealing some midriff.
You’re reading Bar Chat. Next one, Thursday.
