Baseball Quiz: 1) Who has the most 200-hit seasons? 2) Who
has the most multiple homer games? 3) Most pinch-hit homers
with 20? 4) What Hall of Famer had 16 pinch-hit home runs?
Answers below.
Rachel Carson
We have a tradition here at Bar Chat, honoring Rachel Carson
for Earth Day. And each year I come up with a new tidbit or two
to add to the story. Of course I do this to prove to my critics that
I’m really a closet greenie. So, once again, the Rachel Carson
story.
Born May 1907 in a 5-room farmhouse in Springdale, PA,
Carson always had a certain fondness for nature, though she
grew up wanting to be a writer. Then, while at Chatham College,
a science teacher convinced Rachel to change her major from
English to Zoology.
Meanwhile, back during World War II, the U.S. military had
been making great use of an insect spray, DDT, which was
particularly effective in fighting lice and other disease-carrying
insects. But the effect on humans was little tested. Following
the war, however, E.I. DuPont, the manufacturer, had large
stockpiles of DDT left over and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture championed its use.
We didn’t know it at the time, but DDT wasn’t the only potential
problem. By the late 1950s, the daily flushings from industries
and cities were turning America’s waterways into sewers.
Rachel Carson was now an editor with the Fish and Wildlife
Service and she thought our nation was acting too quickly in
approving and using various chemicals and pesticides, so she
sought to do a formal study. But when no one seemed interested
in supporting this effort, Carson turned to marine biology and
began a broad look at the earth’s life-support system in 1958.
The main subject of her 4-year study was the effect on wildlife of
the new poisons being produced by the likes of DuPont.
Carson’s work would thrust the concept of environmentalism
into the mainstream of human thought.
By 1962, having been convinced by friends to write a protest
article on the widespread use of DDT to control mosquitoes,
Carson published her first piece in The New Yorker, later
expanding it to a book, “Silent Spring.” It would prove to be one
of the most influential works of the 20th century. As writer /
editor Harold Evans notes, “She had the scientific training, she
had the reverence for life in all its forms and she had the literary
ability to make the subject readable.”
Here are just a few selected passages:
“There was once a town in the heart of America where all life
seemed to be in harmony with its surroundings. The town lay in
the midst of a checkerboard of prosperous farms, with fields of
grain and hillsides of orchards where, in spring, white clouds of
bloom drifted above the green fields. In autumn, oak and maple
and birch set up a blaze of color that flamed and flickered across
a backdrop of pines….
“Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began
to change. Some evil spell had settled on the community;
mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens; the cattle and
sheep sickened and died. Everywhere was a shadow of death.
The farmers spoke of much illness among their families. In the
town the doctors had become more and more puzzled by new
kinds of sickness appearing among their patients….
“There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example – where
had they gone?….
“….Even the streams were now lifeless. Anglers no longer
visited them, for all the fish had died….
“No witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new
life in this stricken world. The people had done it themselves…..
“It took hundreds of millions of years to produce the life that
now inhabits the earth – eons of time in which that developing
and evolving and diversifying life reached a state of adjustment
and balance with its surroundings….Given time – time not in
years but in millennia – life adjusts, and a balance has been
reached. For time is the essential ingredient; but in the modern
world there is no time.”
The book was purposefully divided into two sections because
Rachel had to address different constituencies. The first part was
an ecology primer that millions of ordinary readers could
understand, while the second was an argument against the
chemical industry’s scientists. The book connected the new “age
of poisons” and “nature’s web on interwoven lives” to the
everyday existence of her readers.
Knowing she would face fierce counterattacks, Carson concluded
with a huge 55-page appendix of “principle sources.” The
invitation was to “tear it apart if you can.” The chemical
industry blasted her, the conclusions were “baloney.” Ezra
Benson, Eisenhower’s former Secretary of Agriculture, said
Carson was “probably a Communist.” She was accused of being
a hysterical woman who loved animals more than humans.
Two years into “Silent Spring,” Rachel was stricken with cancer,
yet she felt a solemn obligation to finish the book.
“The beauty of the world I was trying to save has always been
uppermost in my mind,” she said. “That, and anger of the
senseless, brutish things that were being done…if I didn’t at least
try I could never again be happy in nature.”
President Kennedy had his Science Advisory Committee
evaluate Carson’s findings and the prestigious group validated
her thesis.
Then in 1963, the American Academy of Arts and Letters gave
her an award:
“A scientist in the grand literary style of Galileo and Buffon
(French naturalist), she had used her scientific knowledge and
moral feeling to deepen our consciousness of living nature and to
alert us to the calamitous possibility that our short-sighted
technological conquests might destroy the very sources of our
being.”
Rachel Caron died on April 14, 1964. The pesticide DDT was
banned in 1972.
[Sources: American Heritage magazine; “The American
Century,” Harold Evans; “The Century,” Todd Brewster and
Peter Jennings; “Muckraking!” edited by Judith and William
Serrin.]
Richard Nixon and the Environment
Yes, your editor’s favorite president, next to Ronald Reagan (just
don’t tell anyone), played a leading role in the environmental
movement. But back during the campaign of 1968, neither
Nixon nor Hubert Humphrey addressed it. After all, a poll taken
following Nixon’s election showed that only 1% believed the
environment was the most important issue facing the new
president. Shortly after taking office, for example, Nixon told
Henry Kissinger of a meeting he had had with the Sierra Club.
“What is the Sierra Club?” Kissinger asked. Two years later,
though, the polls had changed. The environment was now the #1
issue among 25% of the people.
Nixon, ever the pragmatist, saw an opportunity to champion a
movement that was beginning to stir and so in his 1970 State of
the Union Address he declared, “Clean air, clean water, open
spaces – these should once again be the birthright of every
American.” The result was the Clean Air Act of 1970, which
forced the auto industry to meet emission standards. [Granted,
Detroit didn’t initially do a great job at this, but it was a start.]
Well, the first Earth Day was also in 1970, and 10,000 schools,
2,000 colleges and almost every town in America took part.
100,000 celebrated in New York City and the environmental
movement was officially born.
At the time environmental responsibilities were looked after in
various departments of the Federal Government; Interior for
water, Health, Education & Welfare for air quality, while the
Department of Agriculture regulated pesticides. Nixon proposed,
just two months after the first Earth Day, the creation of the
Environmental Protection Agency to take over the scattered
functions, while giving the EPA greater regulatory power. The
agency opened its doors on December 2, 1970 and the first
administrator, William Ruckelshaus, was a strong leader.
Did Richard Nixon champion the environment for political
reasons? Perhaps. Should anyone care? Of course not, the man
got things done. That’s just my opinion….I paid for this site!!!
[Source: “One of Us,” Tom Wicker]
Did You Know?
Continuing with our Earth Day theme…that in 1620, anonymous
members of the legislature in Bermuda passed “An Act Agaynst
The Killinge of Ouer Yonge Tortoyses” in an effort to protect
green turtles? Or that on February 14, 1646, the town of
Portsmouth, Rhode Island closed the local deer season “from the
first of May till the first of November”? Or that in 1672, writer
John Josselyn bemoaned the loss of New England’s wild turkeys,
“the English and the Indians having now destroyed the breed”?
All true.
[Source: Wyoming Wildlife / Chris Madson]
Stuff
–Ugly story from Australia, via Adrian Humphreys of the
National Post. Back on September 2, 1998, 14-year-old Natasha
Ryan disappeared from her quaint town near Queensland.
Eventually, Natasha was presumed to be dead, the victim of a
kidnapping, and a suspect was almost prosecuted, one who
legitimately committed similar crimes in the area. Then a little
while ago, Natasha showed up. She had been living with her
boyfriend just about two miles from home for the past 4 ½ years,
spending almost all of her time inside.
Well, this is one time when the locals weren’t exactly ecstatic to
see her. Picture how the family and residents had spent months
looking for her. Memorial services were held. But today
Natasha, now 19, is running around trying to line up a TV movie
with her agent. Despicable.
–Pittsburgh Steelers fans are mourning the death at age 55 of
former wide receiver Ron Shanklin, the second player ever
drafted by coach Chuck Noll (the first being Terry Bradshaw).
Shanklin led the team in receptions his first three seasons, 1971-
73, and had 166 catches in his career, 24 for touchdowns.
–Just hours after the Milwaukee Bucks were crushed by the New
Jersey Nets in their first round playoff game Saturday, Bucks
players Gary Payton, Sam Cassell and Jason Caffey surrendered
to Toronto police following an investigation into an assault
outside a strip club April 11. The players were charged with
assaulting two men and two women. If you’re in the Toronto
area on May 30, stop by the courthouse for round two. I’m
sure all of Milwaukee is really proud of these three.
–I have a fair number of readers from the Washington /
Baltimore area so I thought they’d get a kick out of something I
heard on a New York Mets broadcast the other day. [Actually,
you have to be an old-time baseball fan to appreciate this.]
Tom Seaver and his partner were talking about the “Baby Birds”
pitching staff of the Baltimore Orioles in the early 1960s and for
the most part they were way off. Milt Pappas was correctly
identified, as was Chuck Estrada, but then they were throwing
names around like Mike Cuellar and Pat Dobson, both of whom
weren’t even close.
So, by my research, the real Baby Birds go back to 1961.
Steve Barber, 22; Chuck Estrada, 23; Jack Fischer, 22; and Milt
Pappas, 22.
Where there is some controversy is with Dave McNally, who at
age 20 became a full-time starter in 1963, while in 1964, 19-
year-old Wally Bunker went 19-5. You know of McNally’s fine
career, but Bunker was out of baseball at age 26 with just a 60-52
mark after that awesome debut.
Anyway, as for the others…
Barber hung around to finish his career at 121-106.
Estrada was out of baseball at 29, having gone 50-44.
Pappas managed to wrack up 200 wins…209-164…but is best
known for being the other end of the Frank Robinson trade to
Baltimore from Cincinnati in 1966, whereupon F. Robby won the
Triple Crown for the Orioles.
And then there was “Fat Jack” Fischer, who was out of the game
at age 30, having compiled a 86-139 mark, including some
hideous years with the New York Mets. Great baseball card,
though.
–Jack Donohue died. He was Lew Alcindor”s coach at Power
Memorial High School in New York and later established Canada”s
men”s basketball program from scratch, leading the team to the
Olympics four times. *I still have my Alcindor rookie card.
–Suddenly, with 17 career wins, you can no longer say Davis
Love III”s career has been a disappointment.
–Wow, Sammy Sosa is one lucky dude. He”s dead if he was wearing
an old time helmet.
–With his 55 points yesterday, Allen Iverson joins the following
elite company as the only players to score 55 or more in a playoff
game…Rick Barry, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Wilt, and
Elgin Baylor. Jordan holds the record at 63. And nice games by
Dirk Nowitzki (46) and Tracy McGrady (43).
–I knew it…as soon as I criticized the Mets, they”d start to hit
a little. Mo Vaughn is suddenly up to .241…only 143 below his
weight!
Top 3 songs for the week of 4/22/67: 31 “Somethin’ Stupid”
(Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra) #2 “Happy Together” (The
Turtles) #3 “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” (The Monkees)
…………always thought ’67 was the second best year to ’64.
Baseball Quiz Answers: 1) Most 200-hit seasons: Pete Rose, 10
(Ty Cobb had 9) 2) Multiple homer games: Babe Ruth, 72; Mark
McGwire, 67; Willie Mays, 63; Hank Aaron, 62; Barry Bonds,
61; Sammy Sosa, 58. [The latter two entering ’03 season.] 3)
Career pinch-hit home runs with 20 – Cliff Johnson. 4) Willie
McCovey had 16 pinch-homers.
Next Bar Chat, Thursday.
