St. Louis Cardinals Quiz: 1) When did the Cardinals last win the
Series? 2) What year did Busch Memorial Stadium open? 3)
Who were the three N.L. MVPs in the 1960s? 4) Who was lone
Rookie of the Year in the 70s? 5) Identify the following retired
uniforms…#2? #17? #20? 6) Who was the N.L. strikeout
leader, 1989, initials J.D.? 7) Who holds the single season RBI
mark? 8) How many home runs did Bob Gibson hit in his career,
regular season? [OK, come within 3 and you win the home
version of “Bar Chat: The Game,” whenever we get around to
producing it.] Answers below.
July 30, 1945
One of the dark days in U.S. naval history; the story of the USS
Indianapolis, a heavy cruiser carrying a crew of 1,200 that sailed
out of San Francisco on July 16, 1945. The ship was carrying a
secret cargo that not even the captain knew the contents of.
Encased in a lead cylinder was Uranium 235, the heart for two
bombs that would soon obliterate two Japanese cities, Hiroshima
and Nagasaki.
After delivering the cargo to the island of Tinian in the Western
Pacific, the Indianapolis was to proceed to Guam and from there
on to a base in the Philippine Islands. But she never made it,
victim of the worst sea disaster in the history of the U.S. Navy.
On the evening of July 29, the sky was so thick you couldn’t see
from one end of the ship to the other. The Indianapolis had been
zigzagging because of the threat from Japanese submarines and
the cruiser had no sub detection equipment. Captain Charles
Butler McVay had asked for a destroyer escort but was rebuffed
and told the threat posed by the Japanese was virtually
nonexistent.
Because of the lack of visibility, McVay felt comfortable giving
the order to cease zigzagging unless conditions changed. In a
story for the August 20, 2000 issue of Parade Magazine, author
Peter Maas describes what happened next.
“Around midnight, for a brief interval, the clouds suddenly
parted, revealing a quarter moon. At that precise moment, one of
the few Japanese submarines still operating, the I-58, surfaced
and spotted the cruiser. Six torpedoes were fired. One blew off
the bow of the ship. The second slammed into her powder
magazines and fuel tanks. She sank in only 12 minutes. In those
frantic minutes, at least three SOS messages were sent over an
international distress frequency channel.”
300 went down with the ship, but about 900 more, many naked
or in their underwear, managed to don life jackets and leap into
the oil-covered ocean. Others, including Captain McVay, found
their way onto the few lifeboats available. There was little doubt
they would be recovered sometime the next morning. But then
nothing. And nothing the second day, nor the third. Maas:
“Surrounded by water, they had no water to drink. In despair,
some did anyway and died. Others began to hallucinate and
swim off to mirages that promised a safe haven. Sharks circled
them and attacked. The men could see the incoming fins and
hear the screams.”
By the fourth day, the fact was the crewmen of the USS
Indianapolis hadn’t even been missed. Nobody knew they were
out there. But out of nowhere, at noon a Navy patrol plane just
happened to spot an oil slick and saw heads bobbing in it. A
massive rescue operation was then launched but only 317 men
survived.
The Navy announced the sinking of the Indianapolis on the same
day that Japan surrendered (Aug. 10), in a seeming attempt to
bury the news. But the media began checking around. Shortly
thereafter, the Navy court-martialed Captain McVay, finding him
guilty of “hazarding” his ship while the nation was at war.
It wasn’t until decades later that the Navy’s high command was
forced to admit it knew all along that the Indianapolis was sailing
into extreme danger and never warned the captain. Back in
1960, in a series of interviews on the reunion of the remaining
crew, a number of them finally spoke to the press about their
incredible ordeal.
Seaman John Bullard said, “Somebody yelled, ‘Shark!’ and we
saw this fin coming toward us…A fellow had drifted off from the
group. You know how the bobber on a catfish line floats on the
surface above the bait and runs when a fish hits? The last time I
saw this fellow, his head was running like a bobber. A shark had
hit him. His head was like a bobber.”
Coxswain Mike Kuryla remembered, “The exposure and
dehydration were worse than the sharks. We were blistered like
prunes. During the day, you’d roast and pray for night. At night,
you’d freeze and pray for day. If you gave up, you died. One
guy said, ‘I’ll see you, good buddies,’ and he swam away and
was gone.”
[Of course the story of the Indianapolis was featured in the
movie “Jaws,” when Robert Shaw’s character recalls how the
crew had been attacked by sharks.]
As for McVay, he received vicious hate mail over the years. But
at the first reunion in 1960, he was embraced by the survivors.
Then in 1968, after opening up another piece of hate mail,
McVay committed suicide.
Navy documentation later revealed, only four days before the
Indianapolis was torpedoed, that a U.S. destroyer had met the
same fate, in the very same area; yet McVay knew none of this.
Finally, in the spring of 2000, the U.S. House of Representatives,
after a thorough review of the record and McVay’s court-martial
proceedings, passed a resolution that the charges against McVay
were “not morally sustainable” and that his conviction was a
“miscarriage of justice that led to his unjust humiliation and
damage to his career.” The Senate version stopped short of
saying an injustice had occurred.
But by October 2000, a sense of Congress was signed by
President Clinton that read the “military record should now
reflect that (McVay) is exonerated” for the loss of the USS
Indianapolis and 900 of its crew.
Today, according to a piece in USA Today from July 25, 93 of
the 317 survivors are still alive.
Stuff
–Long John Baldry died the other day, one of the founding
fathers of British rock ‘n’ roll. Known for his deep voice and
6’7” frame, he enjoyed his greatest success as a pop balladeer
and had the #1 UK hit, “Let The Heartaches Begin.” [Didn’t
even chart in the U.S., however.]
In 1963, as a founding member of Blues Incorporated, he played
alongside drummer Charlie Watts. As noted in the London
Times, “The band’s Thursday-night residency at the Marquee
Club in Soho was a magnet for aspiring musicians, including
Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards and
Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones.”
But soon after Baldry left to play the German club circuit where
the Beatles had found success. Then in 1964 he headed the band
the Hoochie Coochie Men, taking his cue from a Muddy Waters
tune and recruited a young Rod Stewart. Stewart recalled.
“Picture this elegant man with a proper English accent, never
without a tie, a towering six-foot-seven. I was intimidated by his
offer but I immediately said yes. In those days the only music
we fell in love with was the blues, and John was the first white
guy singing it.”
Paul McCartney was impressed enough to have Baldry sing
Muddy Waters’ “I Got My Mojo Workin’” on the Beatles first
TV special, “Around the World with the Beatles.”
But the Hoochie Coochie Men released only one album before
disbanding. In time Stewart left to go on his own and Baldry put
together another outfit called Bluesology, which included pianist
Reg Dwight, a k a Elton John.
Baldry found some success in the UK with a solo career,
including the aforementioned #1 in ’67, and then in 1980 he
moved to Vancouver, where he lived as a Canadian and drank
beer aaalll night.
So, continuing with our music history from the UK, here are
some selected #1s, 1966-76. [In prior chats, I covered 1963-65]
Beatles – Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out…12/65
Walker Brothers – The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore…3/66
Dusty Springfield – You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me…4/66
Rolling Stones – Paint It Black…5/66
Frank Sinatra – Strangers In The Night…6/66
Kinks – Sunny Afternoon…7/66
Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames – Getaway…7/66
Beatles – Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby…8/66
Jim Reeves – Distant Drums…9/66…you know, country star Jim
Reeves died in ’64…this can’t be a re-release, is it? Well, guess
what? It is…in fact I just looked up and found he had five #1
country hits after his plane crash on 7/13/64. Just strange this
became a #1 UK pop hit and didn’t chart on the Billboard top 40
in the U.S.
Four Tops – Reach Out I’ll Be There…10/66
Beach Boys – Good Vibrations…11/66
Monkees – I’m A Believer…1/67
Engelbert Humperdink – Release Me…3/67
Frank Sinatra & Nancy Sinatra – Somethin’ Stupid…4/67
Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade Of Pale…6/67
Beatles – All You Need Is Love…7/67
Scott McKenzie – San Francisco…8/67
Bee Gees – Massachusetts…10/67
Manfred Mann – Mighty Quinn…2/68
Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World / Cabaret…4/68
Union Gap – Young Girl…5/68
Crazy World of Arthur Brown – Fire…8/68
Beatles – Hey Jude…9/68…#1 only two weeks
Mary Hopkin – Those Were The Days…9/68
Hugo Montenegro Orchestra – The Good, The Bad, And The
Ugly…11/68…favorite of Trader George and yours truly…also
perhaps the greatest flick ever made….
Fleetwood Mac – Albatross…1/6
Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through The Grapevine…3/69
Desmond Dekker & The Aces – Israelites…4/69…ughh
Tommy Roe – Dizzy…6/69
Zager & Evans – In The Year 2525…8/69…Brits liked bad
music the same as us Yanks did.
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising…9/69
Archies – Sugar Sugar…10/69…see Zager & Evans
Rolf Harris – Two Little Boys…12/69…creepy tune…same guy
who did “Tie Me Kangaroo Down”
Edison Lighthouse – Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
…1/70
Lee Marvin – Wandrin’ Star…3/70…you’ve got to be kidding
me…not top 40 in U.S.
Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water…3/70
Norman Greenbaum – Spirit In The Sky…5/70…see also Zager
& Evans
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears Of A Clown…9/70
Freda Payne – Band Of Gold…9/70
Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo Chile…11/70
George Harrison – My Sweet Lord…1/71
Dawn – Knock Three Times…5/71
Tams – Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me…9/71…not top 40 in U.S.
Rod Stewart – Maggie May…10/71
Don McLean – Vincent…6/72… “American Pie” was NOT #1
here, though as an American you can’t leave a pub without being
forced to sing it, both in the UK and in Ireland.
Donny Osmond – Puppy Love…7/72
Alice Cooper – School’s Out…8/72
David Cassidy – How Can I Be Sure…9/72
Gilbert O’Sullivan – Clair…11/72
Little Jimmy Osmond – Long Haired Lover From Liverpool…
12/72…only #38 in U.S.
Terry Jacks – Seasons In The Sun…4/74…see also Zager &
Evans
Ray Stevens – The Streak…6/74
Charles Aznavour – She…6/74
Carl Douglas – Kung Fu Fighting…9/74….ughhhhhh
John Denver – Annie’s Song…10/74…Yoh John? Have enough
fuel?
Barry White – You’re The First, The Last, My Everything…
12/74
Telly Savalas – If…3/75…what the @#$%?
10 CC – I’m Not In Love…6/75…be quiet…requesting quiet…
requesting quiet
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody…11/75
Four Season – December ’63 (Oh, What A Night)…2/76
Chicago – If You Leave Me Now…11/76
David Soul – Don’t Give Up On Us…1/77….eegads…talk about
schmaltz city…
Well, just thought you’d be curious how the Brits treated some of
our hits, and others that weren’t. And here are some other asides.
Gary Glitter, child molester, and the man behind “Rock and Roll
Part 2,” had three #1s in the UK.
Donny Osmond had three #1s (‘The Osmonds’ had another).
Mungo Jerry (British) had two #1s. British group T. Rex had
four chart-toppers, but only a single #10 in the U.S.
And then you had The Brotherhood of Man. You’ll recall these
guys had the #13 1970 song “United We Stand.” Hell, didn’t
realize they were British. No wonder they then had three #1s in
the UK later in the 70s. It was a studio group featuring lead
singer Tony Burrows, who was also lead for Edison Lighthouse,
First Class, The Pipkins and White Plains.
There, I think we’ve about exhausted this topic. One final UK
music installment next time.
–Miami running back Ricky Williams is back. Asked to explain
his absence in 2004, Ricky told the world:
“There were things about life that I wanted to explore outside of
football….I realize by making that decision, I affected the team
in a negative way and upset a lot of fans….I do realize that to a
lot of people it comes off as being very selfish. So I do offer an
apology to all the people who were negatively impacted.”
Apology not accepted, you jerk. Williams will have to first serve
a four-game drug-related suspension before he plays in a regular
season game for the Dolphins.
–Speaking of men with the last name of Williams, you know
who is a good guy? Former Knicks coach Herb Williams. He’s
handled a terrible situation, having to deal with general manager
Isaiah Thomas as he was being passed over in favor of Larry
Brown, with a lot of class. Brown, meanwhile, is signing for $10
million plus a year for five seasons.
–Johnny Mac and I were discussing the baseball season the other
day and, boy, you have to hand it to Phil Garner for getting his
Houston Astros back in the race (it also helps Lance Berkman is
healthy again) and, as much as we both hate to give Billy Beane
credit, Oakland has one helluva franchise…six straight seasons
1st or 2nd in their division and it’s looking real strong for a similar
finish in 2005.
–With the bankruptcy of Fleer and the loss of Donruss baseball
cards, only Topps and Upper Deck remain, which is good in the
long run for collectors. In a piece by Ross Forman for USA
Today:
“The players association also is taking steps to clarify the rookie
card rules. Starting with the 2006 sets, a ‘rookie card’ logo will
appear on the cards of players making their major league card
debut in the set.”
I still have some Johnny Bench rookie cards I’d be willing to
unload if anyone’s interested. And I still have my Lew Alcindor
rookie card….worth huge bucks…..I mean huuuuuuuge.
–Bruce Weber of the New York Times had a piece on minor
league umpires looking for the big break to get the call up to the
majors. There are about 300 full-time professional umps, of
which 68 are in the major leagues. Openings are rare…two in
2004, none this year. Minor league umps generally make around
$2,400 a month for a five-month season. Parents, urge your
children to do something else.
–Yikes…more tales from the wild. On the South Atlantic island
of Gough, an uninhabited piece of land that is part of the Tristan
da Cunha group, “Giant mice are causing an ecological disaster
…by eating the chicks of the endangered sea birds that nest
there.” [Mark Henderson / London Times]
It turns out that these mice, three times larger than what we
would consider normal ones, are eating albatross chicks
weighing 250 times what they do!
“The birds, however, are virtually immobile and must be
protected from attack by adults, who spend many hours away
fishing for food. The mice gnaw the live chicks, their wounds
become infected and they die. ‘It is like a tabby cat attacking a
hippopotamus,’ said Geoff Hilton, a research biologist.
“ ‘We think there are about 700,000 mice, which have somehow
learnt to eat chicks alive.’”
The problem is that the Gough Island is home to 99 percent of
the world’s Tristan albatross and Atlantic petrel populations.
Another researcher said, “The albatross chicks spend eight
months sitting waiting for food from their parents….Without
predators present this would not be a problem, but for a
carnivorous mouse population on one of the wettest and windiest
places on Earth it is an easy meal of almost unimaginable
quality. The result is carnage.”
A million chicks a year are being killed by mice. So if you have
an idea for an appropriate predator, pass along your suggestion to
the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. I’m submitting the
Kodiak bear.
–Great news from Johnny Mac. The beer industry is on the verge
of a price war. Not good for brewery profits, that’s for sure, but
perfect for those of us who like to unwind at the end of a long
day with a cold frosty.
Top 3 songs for the week of 7/27/68: #1 “Grazing In The Grass”
(Hugh Masekela) #2 “Lady Willpower” (Gary Puckett & The
Union Gap) #3 “Stoned Soul Picnic” (The 5th Dimension)…and
this one….#5 “The Horse” (Cliff Nobles & Co. …what the heck
were people thinking? This is absolutely dreadful…and the bane
of anyone in marching band back in the 1970s)
But it was a great week otherwise…
#4 “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (Rolling Stones)
#6 “Hurdy Gurdy Man” (Donovan)
#7 “This Guy’s In Love With You” (Herb Alpert)
#8 “Classical Gas” (Mason Williams…..except this one)
#9 “Hello, I Love You” (The Doors….shot to #1 following
week)
#10 “Indian Lake” (Cowsils)
#13 “Reach Out Of The Darkness” (Friend & Lover)
#16 “The Look Of Love” (Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66)
#18 “Sunshine Of Your Love” (Cream)
#21 “Autumn Of My Life” (Bobby Goldsboro…for LT)
#26 “Never Give You Up” (Jerry Butler)
#28 “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy” (Ohio Express….oops, how
did this one get in here?)
#31 “Born To Be Wild” (Steppenwolf)
#32 “People Got To Be Free” (Rascals)
#34 “Mony, Mony” (Tommy James & The Shondells)
#37 “Folsom Prison Blues” (Johnny Cash)
#45 “Dream Of The Everyday Housewife” (Glen Campbell)
#47 (You Keep Me) Hangin’ On” (Vanilla Fudge)
#61 “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy” (Tams…huge beach
music song for us Wake Forest and other southern school
students…preppy frats featured it on their juke boxes…)
#62 “Light My Fire” (The Doors…highest debut for the week)
#69 “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” (Tammy Wynette)
#80 “You’re All I Need To Get By” (Marvin Gaye & Tammi
Terrell)
#108 “My Name Is Jack” (Manfred Mann)
#119 “Girl Watcher” (The O’Kaysions…on it’s way to #5 in
September…sextet from Wilson, NC)
#123 “What A Wonderful World” (Louis Armstrong…wasn’t a
top 40 tune until 1988…peaked at #32).
**We note the passing of long-time New York radio disc jockey
Joe O’Brien, one of WMCA’s “Good Guys” back in the 1960s
when it was a leading rock station. Overall, he spent 35 years at
WMCA, beginning in 1935. After leaving for WNBC-AM in
1970, he handled the morning duties until 1972 when he was
replaced by none other than Don Imus. O’Brien died in a car
crash near Pittsfield, Mass.
St. Louis Cardinals Quiz Answers: 1) The Cards last won a
Series in 1982. 2) Busch Stadium opened in 1966 (May 12).
First year attendance was only 1,712,000…kind of interesting.
From 1998-2000, they drew 3.2 million and higher. 3) MVPs /
1960s: Ken Boyer, ’64; Orlando Cepeda, ’67; Bob Gibson, ’68.
4) Rookie of the Year, 70s: Bake McBride, 1974. 5) Retired
uniforms: #2 Red Schoedienst, #17 Dizzy Dean, #20 Lou Brock.
And the remaining ones…#1 Ozzie Smith, #6 Stan Musial, #9
Enos Slaughter, #45 Bob Gibson. Owner / president August
Busch Jr. was given #85. 6) N.L. strikeout champ, 1989: Jose
DeLeon. 7) Single season, RBI: Joe Medwick, 154, 1937…the
same year he won the triple crown with 31 homers (tied for lead)
while batting .374. Last in N.L. to do so. 8) Bob Gibson hit 24
regular season home runs, plus one in each of the ’67 and ’68
World Series.
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday.
