Montreal Expos Quiz (1969-2003…hey, it’s for my Canadian
readers): 1) Capacity of Jarry Park, 1969-76? 2) First manager?
3) Name the two rookies of the year, both in the 1970s. 4) Who
threw two no-hitters? 5) Career leader in wins? 6) Name the
four who had 200 home runs in an Expos uniform. 7) Who is the
only 20-game winner in franchise history? [Hint: Be careful, not
an obvious pick.] Answers below.
War Story
My favorite bookstore, where I have been spending about $1,500
a year for books used on StocksandNews, is going out of
business; another Mom and Pop operation that can’t compete
with the big boys. I swear, sports fans, I’m more upset about this
than just about anything these days. It was just a fun place to go
and all my special orders were filled promptly. [Buchmeister’s
(Carmela and Hal) in Chatham, N.J., for those of you in the
area.]
Anyway, in going through their last stack the other day, I saw
this book on McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. I was
curious why it’s called McGuire. Growing up in the state, I
never knew.
Turns out it’s the story of Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. Born in
Ridgewood, N.J. on August 1, 1920, his father owned a Packard
dealership in Patterson. Young Tom was accepted as an
engineering student at Georgia Tech, but left college in his third
year to join the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1941.
McGuire started out flying pursuit-type aircraft and his first
operational assignment was flying patrols over the Aleutian
Islands and Alaska.
In March 1943 he was sent to the South Pacific and that summer
became part of the 431st Fighter Squadron (Satan’s Angels) of
Gen. George Kenney’s all-P-38 475th Fighter Group – the first
such group to activate overseas.
On August 18, 1943, McGuire was flying top cover for bombers
striking at Wewak, New Guinea. Nearing their target, the
fighters were attacked by Japanese aircraft. During the battle,
McGuire shot down 3 planes. On the following day, he downed
two more, making him an ace after just two engagements.
McGuire’s score rose quickly thereafter and some say he was the
best in U.S. Air Force history. By the end of 1944, he had 38
aerial victories, still the second highest of all time. Then fate
intervened.
On January 7, 1945, McGuire was leading a group of four P-38s
over the Japanese-held Fabrica airstrip on Negros Islands, the
Philippines. His formation was scattered by rough weather.
As McGuire dove on a Ki-43 Oscar at low level, he didn’t realize
he was followed by another Japanese aircraft, a superior Ki-84
Frank. From author G.W. Boyd:
“McGuire’s P-38 apparently entered a low-speed unrecoverable
stall at low level while attempting to clear the tail of his
wingman, Lt. Edwin Weaver. His plane crashed, inverted, a few
miles from the Fabrica airstrip near a village….
“McGuire was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for
his final mission and for missions on December 25 and 26, in
which he shot down seven Japanese fighters.”
McGuire’s other medals included the Distinguished Service
Cross, 3 silver stars, 6 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 15 Air
Medals, and 3 Purple Hearts – all before he was 25. Boyd
writes:
“He was that rarest of individuals who achieved many
extraordinary goals through sheer will and hard work – a
warrior’s warrior who graces our midst infrequently.”
And now, my fellow New Jerseyans, you know the rest of the
story. We owe our way of life to men like him.
Stuff
–Stephen Baker and Brian Gow have a piece in the August 9
issue of Business Week that’s a little scary concerning online
gambling sites and how Russian gangs of hackers are creating a
wave of terror by demanding sums of up to $40,000 in exchange
for keeping the sites up and running. This form of extortion is
just the tip of the iceberg, according to authorities like the FBI.
What the criminals do is demand the “protection” money be
wired to various accounts or they launch massive denial of
service attacks on the web sites. Many owners just choose to pay
up, but one fellow, Mickey Richardson of Betcris.com (out of
Costa Rica since the U.S. doesn’t allow them) fought back, but it
wasn’t easy. Richardson’s tech team had to keep coming up with
one layer of defense after another to combat the hackers and
finally the thugs moved on, though Richardson had to have lost
quite a bit of business in the process.
Other extortion rings are being run out of the Middle East and
China. Meanwhile, there are opportunities for companies who
help build the defenses, including Cisco and Juniper Networks,
as well as smaller outfits such as Portcullis and DigiDefense
International.
–Boy, I didn’t know this. Phillies outfielder Bobby Abreu has
six consecutive 20-homer, 20-steal seasons, joining only Willie
Mays, Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds with streaks of that length.
–Tampa Bay”s Carl Crawford already has 17 triples. No one in
either league has had more than 21 since 1950. [Willie Wilson,
1985; Lance Johnson, 1996.]
–Derek Jeter is now dating Jessica Alba………..drat.
–When men were men. Complete games.
Christy Mathewson…551 starts, 434 complete games.
Walter Johnson…646 starts, 531 CG
Cy Young…815 starts, 749 CG
[If I could go back in time to just one event, without fearing for
my life, it would be an old-time baseball game, watching
Mathewson or Johnson pitch.]
–Jerk of the Year candidate: Kellen Winslow Jr., Cleveland’s
new tight end and the 6th pick in the NFL draft. First off,
Winslow was issued #11 but he’s bitching about not getting his
Hall of Fame father’s number, #80. More importantly, Winslow
was offered a $40 million package, with a $7mm+ signing bonus
(the key for football players, since most contracts aren’t
guaranteed due to the injury risk). That’s not enough for him.
–The other day I had an Atlanta Braves quiz and said the team
had won only 9 division titles in a row. Then I’m watching the
game Saturday night and the announcers talk of 12. Here’s the
distinction. The Braves also won titles 1991-93 but 1994 was the
strike season and Atlanta wasn’t leading when the players
walked out. I concede, however, I may have given an incorrect
answer. I now lay myself before the Bar Chat judges and await
my punishment…………………………………………………
……………………………………….Not Guilty! No Probation!
–Speaking of the Braves, I was watching the Mets-Braves game
and the newest Met pitcher, Kris Benson. Let’s just say it wasn’t
a great outting (and I also forgot to watch Robby Knieval do his
thing, after telling you all to do so…doh!). But what’s more
important, especially for Bar Chat, is the fact that Benson’s wife,
Anna, promises to be great copy for those of us in the New York
area.
That’s Anna Benson, 36-24-34, star of www.annabenson.net and
Penthouse. Now if her husband can just give us 7 decent innings
each start, us Mets fans will be truly happy campers.
[The couple is already legendary on the charity front, and for
some very good causes, unlike the efforts of the corporate
dirtballs I write so frequently about elsewhere on this site.]
–Mike Piazza has one home run in his last 28 games and hit
.162 in July. And remember, Mets fans, at six games below .500
it is appropriate to finish any correspondence with “Mets blow.”
–Congratulations Boston! I feel your excitement in getting rid
of Nomar. This guy proved to be one of the big losers in the
game.
–My Kansas City Royals are only 21 ½ games back, and just 20
out of a wildcard slot.
Keep Hope Alive!….Keep Hope Alive!….Keep Hope Alive!
Hey, what happened to the f’n balloon drop!
–Sports Illustrated will be running a reality series based on
its swimsuit issue sometime late this year or early ”05. We
applaud this decision.
–Phew…I’m glad Jason Giambi’s medical problem was finally
diagnosed to be a benign tumor. I was kind of playing with fire
last chat not knowing. But now the Japanese are due a big-time
apology because it would appear that the earlier diagnosis of an
“intestinal parasite” was an incorrect one and for those of you
outside the New York area, just understand that many in the
Yankees organization were strongly hinting that the team’s
opening series in Japan was the cause. Wars have started over
less….mused the editor.
–No doubt…the figure coming out of the closet next season on
“The Simpsons” is comic book guy….not that I’m making any
broad generalizations about comic book dealers overall, mind
you. And for those picking Waylon Smithers…it’s already a
given that he is.
–So long, Mike Tyson, the victim of a 4th-round knockout at the
fists of that well-known pugilist, Danny Williams. Danny
Williams?! Amazingly, 17,000 showed up to watch the event in
Louisville.
–Olympics Tidbit: The world’s strongest man is Iranian Hossein
Rezazadeh. Only 26, he has hoisted a record 579.8 pounds in the
clean and jerk. As Sports Illustrated points out, a standard
refrigerator weighs one third of that. Turkey actually offered
him $20,000 a month to switch countries.
–The U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball squad could be interesting
to watch. If Allen Iverson behaves, it certainly could elevate his
visibility to Olympian heights…sorry…but more importantly,
Tim Duncan could become a real hero if he plays well and the
U.S. brings home the gold. He’s a great role model, but outside
of the basketball fanatics, America still knows little about him.
[Paid for by Wake Forest Alumni Association]
–We note the passing of Steve Patterson, the UCLA center
between Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton, who was part of three
NCAA championships, 1969-71. Patterson, who went on to play
four seasons in the NBA, wasn’t a superstar but rather one of
those serviceable players who was born in the wrong era. He
would’ve been making $5 million+ in today’s game.
–USA Today / ESPN 2004 College Football Preseason Poll
1. USC
2. Oklahoma
3. LSU
4. Georgia
5. Miami
6. Florida State
7. Michigan
8. Texas
9. Ohio State
10. Florida
I’ll go with #15 Cal as being a real sleeper to get into the BCS
hunt (assuming their only loss is to USC).
And of course we’re ecstatic to have the USC cheerleaders
leading the pack. [Incidentally, as of this writing, wide receiver
Mike Williams’ eligibility is still up in the air.]
If the top 25 poll was extended to “others receiving votes,”
Nebraska would have been #26. Wake Forest didn’t receive one.
It could be a long season for my Deacs. But who cares? It’s all
about Wake basketball, baby!
By the way, mark your calendars…Monday night, September 6.
Florida State – Miami. Now that’s a way to start a season,
though I imagine the two squads hate this.
–Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams admitted
he failed a 3rd drug test for marijuana. Williams told the Miami
Herald that his love of pot was part of his thought process in
retiring after just five seasons. He wants to keep smoking.
–According to American Thunder, the best barbecue sauce is…
Texas Best Barbecue Sauce: “Excellent rich color, nice
consistency, a perfect hint of sweetness, and a pleasantly spicy
aftertaste. The clear winner. Don’t mess with Texas!”
The worst, in a taste test of ten brands (40 participants), was
Southern Comfort Classic Barbecue Sauce… “not one of our
testers had a good word for this one.”
–Two weeks before Woodstock in August 1969, Atlantic City
was the scene of its own Pop Festival, August 1-3. If you went
all three days it would have cost you $15 and you would have
seen:
Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane,
Santana, Canned Heat, B.B. King, Procol Harum, Frank Zappa,
Chicago, Booker T. & The MGs, the Byrds, Moody Blues, Sir
Douglas Quintet, Iron Butterfly, Three Dog Night, and the Crazy
World of Arthur Brown.
Now that would have been fun. The crowd was about 110,000
vs. the estimated 400,000 at Woodstock. [Guy Sterling / Star-
Ledger]
–Nice story in the U.S. Senior Open as Peter Jacobsen, just three
months removed from major hip surgery, won his first major. It
was all the more remarkable in that he had to walk 36 holes on
Sunday due to rain washing out Friday’s round.
–Vijay Singh won his 19th PGA Tour event, beating John Daly
and Tiger. Damn, he’s had himself one great career.
–A Boy Named Sue
Believe it or not, it was 35 years ago this month that Johnny
Cash had a #2 pop hit (for 3 weeks), #1 country, with this Shel
Silverstein song. And so since we love Johnny here at Bar Chat,
as does my brother and friend Trader George, tell your boss to
chill out and get the office to sing the song, “A Boy Named Sue.”
My daddy left home when I was three
And he didn’t leave much to ma and me,
Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze.
Now, I don’t blame him cause he run and hid
But the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he left, he went and named me “Sue.”
Well, he must o’thought that is quite a joke
And it got a lot of laughs from a’lots of folk,
It seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal would giggle and I’d get red
And some guy’d laugh and I’d bust his head,
I tell ya, life ain’t easy for a boy named “Sue.”
Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean,
My fist got hard and my wits got keen,
I’d roam from town to town to hide my shame.
But I made a vow to the moon and stars
That I’d search the honky-tonks and bars
And kill that man who gave me that awful name.
Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July
And I just hit town and my throat was dry,
I thought I’d stop and have myself a brew.
At an old saloon on a street of mud,
There at a table, dealing stud,
Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me “Sue.”
Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
From a worn-out picture that my mother’d had,
And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye.
He was big and bent and gray and old,
And I looked at him and my blood ran cold
And I said: “My name is ‘Sue!’ How do you do!
Now you’re gonna die!”
Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes
And he went down, but to my surprise,
He come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear.
But I busted a chair right across his teeth
And we crashed through the wall and into the street
Kicking and a’gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer.
I tell ya, I’ve fought tougher men
But I really can’t remember when,
He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile.
I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss,
He went for his gun and I pulled mine first,
He stood there lookin’ at me and I saw him smile.
And he said, “Son, this world is rough
And if a man’s gonna make it, he’s gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn’t be there to help ya along.
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you’d have to get tough or die
And it’s the name that helped to make you strong.”
He said: “Now you just fought one hell of a fight
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
To kill me now, and I wouldn’t blame you if you do.
But ya ought to thank me, before I die,
For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
Cause I’m the son-of-a-bitch that named you “Sue.”
I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
And I called him my pa, and he called me his son,
And I came away with a different point of view.
And I think about him, now and then,
Every time I try and every time I win,
And if I ever have a son, I think I’m gonna name him
Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name!
—
Top 3 songs for the week of 8/6/66: #1 “Wild Thing” (The
Troggs) #2 “Lil’ Red Riding Hood” (Sam The Sham & The
Pharaohs) #3 “Summer In The City” (The Lovin’ Spoonful…
just a great time for music…a little of everything)
*The other day “In The Year 2525” was at the top of the survey,
a tune I labeled “dreadful.” So Jeff B. checked in to say that
when it first came out he thought it was cool, but the other day it
comes on and he realized “what a piece of crap” it is. “When
they started to repeat the first verse at the end, I was tempted to
drive off the road.”
**Harry K. reports that “Canadian Idol” is superior to the
American version. For example, the other night the kids had to
sing songs from the British Invasion and some were quite good,
he reports. But Harry also ridiculed me for liking “Crystal Blue
Persuasion,” comparing Tommy James and the Shondells to
Terry Jacks and the Poppy Family. Well…I vehemently disagree
and stick to my viewpoint that Tommy James is ONE OF THE
MOST UNDERRATED MUSICIANS OF THE ROCK ERA!
[Harry, I do agree “Crimson and Clover” sucks.]
Montreal Expos Quiz Answers: 1) Jarry Park had a capacity of
28,000. The Expos drew 1,212,000 in their first season. 2) Gene
Mauch was the first manager, 1969-75 (499-627). 3) Rookies of
the Year: Carl Morton, P, 1970; Andre Dawson, OF, 1977. 4)
Bill Stoneman threw two no-hitters, 1969, 72. 5) Steve Rogers is
the career leader in wins with 158 (158-152). 6) 200 HR: Vlad
Guerrero, 234; Andre Dawson, 225; Gary Carter, 220; Tim
Wallach, 204. 7) Only 20-game winner, incredibly, is Ross
Grimsley, 20-11 in 1978.
Opening Day lineup, 4/8/69, an 11-10 defeat of the Mets. Your
editor played sick that day…as he did every Opening Day for
years. I am eternally grateful to my mother for playing along.
Maury Wills, SS
Gary Sutherland, 2B
Rusty Staub, RF…29 HR 79 RBI, .302
Mack Jones, LF…22-79
Bob Bailey, 1B
John Bateman, C
Coco Laboy, 3B…83 RBI
Don Hahn, CF
Mudcat Grant, P
Montreal finished 52-110 its first year.
Next Bar Chat, Thursday.
