_________________________________________________________ F A M E F O R U M N E W S L E T T E R N A T I O N A L W O M E N 'S B A S E B A L L H A L L O F F A M E National Syndicated Column (contents are protected) Copyrights(c), NWB Hall of Fame, 1998-2006 TXU877085, TXU959430, TXU973266, TXU013972, TXU986753, TXU949885, TXU004037, TXU022893, TXU026161, TXU047111, TXU050230, TXU061149, TXU088068, TXU120937, TXU148132, TXU163784, TXU170668, TXU196853, TXU211917, TXU216769, TXU234252, TXU253116, TXU260664, TXU180346, TXU288273, TXU311442. Issue Number 00355 _________________________________________________________ Volume IX, Number 34 Publisher and Author December 7, 2006 Richard C. Jaffeson Washington, DC HallFame@usa.com http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame _________________________________________________________ 2006 NWB HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS NELSON, DOMINGUEZ, TRIOLO SEE THE WEBSITE FOR ALL "HALL OF FAMERS" http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame/albums DIDRIKSON, HOWARD, SCHILLACE, DANCER, FERGUSON, WINTER, WRIGHT, LUKASIK, MILLIKEN, BALLENTINE, GEYER, WALLACE, CIULLA, GUIDACE, MACURIO, SHELDON, BEAUCHAMP, HUDSON, BRENNEMAN, FERENO, SWEENEY TED WILLIAMS WEBSITE http://www.saveted.net _________________________________________________________ A. COLUMN: CLIFFORD'S MYSTERIOUS MORNING "GONE FISHIN'!" the sign boldly proclaimed in solid block letters, and the unusual message was securely tacked to the tightly closed front door of his palatial doggie domain. As soon as Emily entered the backyard on this chilly sunny morning, that sign and words were immediately visible, but she didn't have a clue as to what that meant and wondered, "What's he up to now? It is December, and even if he did, where would he fish this time of year? Silly dog!" She also instantly knew exactly where the answers to those questions could be found. But, before she departed, Emily removed the sign just in case Cleo and T-Bone wandered by, folded that paper and placed it in her pocket, and turned towards Clifford's favorite store to hopefully determine his whereabouts or at least obtain an explanation. The journey did not take too long, and as Emily drew near she could see the proprietor re-arranging the front window with holiday decorations for Christmas, as only she can. Upon entering the shop, she was greeted with a very joyful, "Hey Emily, where's Clifford?" "Well, that's what I was about to ask you," Emily replied. "Where is Clifford this morning?" And, she also pleasantly remarked as an aside, "Nice display." "Thanks! I change the window for each season," and then she addressed Emily's interest. "Haven't seen Cliff today." "He left this mysterious note on his door," Emily attempted to elucidate further. "Here!" She retrieved the message and handed it over, but did not comment regarding the usage of the abbreviated nickname for her famous furry friend. There was only one person in the whole wide world who could call him "Cliff," and there she was in person. Not even Emily would use that moniker. "Yeah, I see your concern, December is not the best time to be out on the Bay," she laughed while changing positions of several stuffed animals. "Yes, probably too cold for fish," Emily casually surmised. "Oh, they're still there," she laughed in response, "but the weather isn't agreeable for us, because it's cold and windy on the water's surface and there are sudden storms. Nobody likes to get drenched and frozen out on the Bay. Many boats are out of the water for the duration of winter. The fish are also 'quiet' because of the water temperature; it's not exactly hibernation, but something similar." "I love the Bay," she continued while stopping to observe her storefront handiwork. "Did you know that the Chesapeake shoreline is longer than the entire continental west coast? Yeah, there are 11,684 square miles for me to explore and pursue my favorite pastime. Hey, more than one lifetime!" "Oh, really?!" Emily was impressed, enjoyed discussing such esoteric facts, and naturally took the bait. "Sure, someone estimated it contains 18 trillion gallons of water about half of which is fresh and the other is from the Atlantic Ocean. The Susquehanna River provides half of the fresh water because of its extensive watershed, and there are substantial contributions from the Potomac, Rappahannock, and James Rivers. The watershed covers 64,000 square miles, primarily in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia; which is drained by 150 rivers and 100,000 streams, almost too many to name and count. It is the largest estuary in America!" "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the 1970s built a huge hydraulic model of the Chesapeake on Kent Island near the Bay Bridge to simulate and measure its fluid dynamics. This was once the largest physical model of its kind, and the building enclosed 14 acres. I toured it twice when it was operational, but the model has been replaced with less dramatic and more accurate computer simulations." "The David Taylor Modeling Basin is still operational at Cabin John," she continued, "but those hydraulic systems are linear and circular to test hull designs, and rarely used any more. The original historic David Taylor Basin was built during the Civil War, and now is off-limits at the Navy Yard downtown next to the gunnery museum." "Do you know what I like best about the Bay?" she returned to her favorite topic with an obvious question for Emily. "Yes, I know," Emily quickly responded, "Going fishin'!" She mimicked Clifford's mysterious sign. "Right!" and not missing a beat she provided related facts. "There are 348 species of fish in the Bay. And, it contains 173 species of shellfish and 29 species of waterfowl, which are fine but they are not 'fish!' In total, the Chesapeake produces more than 500 million pounds of seafood annually, plus whatever I catch. Heh, heh, heh!" "But, what about Clifford?" Emily addressed the reason for her initial visit to the store. "Have you seen him?" "Not today," she feigned a wry reply. "Then when?" Emily again implored. "He was here yesterday afternoon to collect earnings from his Thanksgiving performance and holiday parking assignment," the store owner explained. "I paid him a salary in addition to treats from the doggie bakery. He was also on his way to Rocky Gorge to collect his check for retrieving baseballs." "So, he was here, wasn't he? Why didn't you say so in the first place?" Emily pleaded. "You were holding out on me with those Chesapeake Bay fishy stories." "You asked me if he was here 'this' morning," she grinned. "Oh, really," Emily enjoyed the joke and added her own poke. "You've been spending too much time with the watermen." "Hey Emily, don't worry, he's probably Christmas shopping. The stores at Columbia Mall open early. He picked up his change here and at Rocky Gorge, and high-tailed over there first thing in the morning to retrieve bargains for you. No mystery. No worry. No fuss. He'll be back real soon. In the meantime, come on, help me with these decorations." "OK! You sure know about dogs and fish," Emily admitted. "Hey, it's my business to know about dogs, as for fish," she explained, "whenever I die that's where I want to be, out on the Bay in my boat." "Yes, you said that two summers ago after a baseball game at Marshall while leaving the field." Emily concurred. Emily decided that it was her turn to provide some facts, and so she purposely added, "You know Ted Williams loved baseball, dogs, and fish." "Slugger was his favorite dog, a Dalmatian," she continued unchallenged. "He even took him on his boat fishing off the Florida Keys. He could take Slugger anywhere. I can't always do that with Clifford." "Yeah, I read about that," the storekeeper agreed, "and when Slugger died he was cremated. Williams wanted their ashes together to be spread across the Keys when he died; it was in his 1996 Last Will and Testament." "Right!" Emily continued, "His son interceded with a hand written note called a Holographic Will, which in Florida is not acceptable, but somehow was approved by a local judge. The son had power of attorney, and he obtained the remains of his famous father on July 5, 2002, and subjected him to cryonics treatment; --deceased, decapitated, and deep-frozen at -340F. This was done based upon a mere scrap of paper because of which he was frozen (see attachment)." "Even in states which do admit Holographic Wills," Emily explained, "they must be entirely written by the testator and signed by the same. This note was written by the son. I received a copy from the family attorney. Some day that decision will be reversed, and Ted Williams' remains will be released so that his final wishes can be followed over the waters of the Florida Keys." "Lots of folks have requested cremation," Emily continued. "The procedure was good enough for Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, and Sigmund Freud. Ansel Adams, Henry Miller, and John Steinbeck found it acceptable. It was also followed by Ingrid Bergman, Cass Elliot, Cary Grant, Woody Guthrie, Janis Joplin, John Lennon, Steve McQueen, Barbara Stanwyck, Vivian Vance, and Virginia Woolf and many others." [see Fame Forum, "Natural and Supernatural," Volume VIII, Number 04, January 24, 2005.] "That's an impressive list," the store proprietor agreed. Emily concurred and reflected. "It was true, Ted Williams loved all three, --baseball, dogs, and fish. But, how many women are accomplished anglers like you?" "The tradition goes way back," the response began, "maybe not to biblical times, but there was one hero Muriel Foster. She was born in 1884 in Surrey, England. Fishing was her foremost passion. She was an expert angler and artist." "Muriel Foster was raised in a Victorian style family, but was uninterested in marriage. The family purchased for her a Queen Anne country house staffed with a cook, maid, and all the comforts of home. She turned her formidable talents to fishing and painting." "What exactly did she paint?" Emily was curious. "Fish, of course! Muriel included sketches of waterfowl, wildlife, lakes, and streams. She maintained an elaborate fishing diary with hundreds of renditions and notations. A rare copy was recently found and brought to the store." However, at that moment, prancing in front of the store was the primary object of Emily's attention who had finished his personal fishing expedition at Columbia Mall. "Look, here comes my Clifford!" Emily politely interrupted. "Perhaps, next time you can tell me about Muriel. Right now I have to catch one big red snapper! You know how difficult sometimes that can be to bring him in and safely home." "Yeah, Emily I sure do! Heh, Heh, heh," the store proprietor cordially confirmed, as only she can. B. NWB HALL OF FAME PRODUCTS These baseball items are available from the NWB Hall of Fame: new induction poster, commemorative buttons (2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, and 1999), personalized magnet locker nametags, t-shirts, caps, knife, and ten model bats. Free commemorative ribbons are also available. The website main page has an order form, and the photo page displays several items. http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame C. HISTORIC TIMELINE December 3, 1965 Katarina Witt birthdate, Olympic medalist. December 4, 1861 Lillian Russell birthdate, theater actor. December 4, 1868 Jesse Burkett birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 5, 1894 Philip K. Wrigley birthdate, team owner. December 6, 1899 Jocko Conlan birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 6, 1900 Agnes Moorehead birthdate, actor. December 6, 1903 Tony Lazzeri birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 7, 1947 Johnny Bench birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 8, 1968 Mike Mussina birthdate, MLB pitcher. December 9, 1871 Joe Kelley birthdate, MLB outfielder. December 9, 1965 Passing of Branch Rickey, MLB manager. December 10, 1830 Emily Dickinson birthdate, poet. December 10, 1971 Nolan Ryan traded by Mets to Angels. December 11, 1854 Hoss Radbourne birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 11, 1926 Big Mama Thornton birthdate, blues singer. December 12, 1864 Phenomenal Smith birthdate, MLB pitcher. December 13, 1943 Ferguson Jenkins birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 14, 1897 Margaret Chase Smith birthdate, US Congress. December 15, 1900 Christy Mathewson traded to NY Giants. December 16, 1901 Margaret Mead birthdate, anthropologist. December 16, 1951 Mike Flanagan birthdate, MLB pitcher. December 16, 1964 Billy Ripken birthdate, MLB player. December 17, 1903 Wright brothers first flight. December 18, 1886 Ty Cobb birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 18, 1916 Betty Grable birthdate, film actor. December 18, 1930 Bill Skowron birthdate, MLB player. December 19, 1894 Ford Frick birthdate, MLB Commissioner. December 19, 1934 Al Kaline birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 20, 1881 Branch Rickey birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 20, 1888 Fred Merkle birthdate, MLB player. December 20, 1900 Gabby Harnett birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 21, 1912 Josh Gibson birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 21, 1954 Chris Evert birthdate, tennis champion. December 22, 1862 Connie Mack birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 22, 1944 Steve Carlton birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 23, 1942 Jerry Koosman birthdate, MLB player. December 24, 1889 Bill Otis birthdate, MLB player. December 24, 1922 Ava Gardner birthdate, film actor. December 25, 1865 Evangeline Booth birthdate, Salvation Army. December 25, 1855 Pud Galvin birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 25, 1888 First indoor baseball game in Philadelphia. December 25, 1958 Rickey Henderson birthdate, MLB player. December 26, 1837 Morgan Bulkeley birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 26, 1947 Carlton Fisk birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 26, 1954 Susan Butcher birthdate, Iditarod champion. December 27, 1943 Roy White birthdate, MLB player. December 28, 1900 Ted Lyons birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 29, 1937 Mary Tyler Moore birthdate, Emmy Award winner. December 30, 1935 Sandy Koufax birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 31, 1857 King Kelly birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. December 31, 1870 Tom Connolly birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. D. FAME FORUM ISSUES Volume IX, 2006 Season Publications Number 34, Clifford's Mysterious Morning, December 7. Number 33, Case Addendum of JoAnna Dollar, December 2. Number 32, Case of the Purloined Bat (DiMaggio), November 28. Number 31, Clifford's Hometown Parade, November 21. Number 30, Eephus, Eiphus, Ophus (pitches), November 20. Number 29, Magnus Force --Make My Day!, November 5. Number 28, Better Babies and Baseball (SIDS), November 2. Number 27, Clifford's October Surprise, October 30. Number 26, Where in the World is Carmen Dominguez?, October 13. Number 25, More Information on NWB Hall of Famers, October 11. Number 24, 2006 NWB Hall of Fame Inductions, October 9. Number 23, 2006 Nominations for Induction, October 2. Number 22, Program Announcements, September 11. Number 21, LBI's Batting Third (Brenneman), August 22. Number 20, Saving Ted Williams, August 8. Number 19, Ted Williams Action Agenda, August 4. Number 18, Say it Ain't So Joe (treatment), July 6. Number 17, Spirit of 1776 (painting), July 2. Number 16, New NWB Products Available, June 26. Number 15, Meet Jane Doe (codes), June 22. Number 14, 2006 NWB Hall of Fame Induction Form, May 31. Number 13, Playing on Abraham's Side (Williams), May 25. Number 12, Clifford Finds the Easter Bunny, April 14. Number 11, Way to Go Joltin' Jo (Joes and Jo), April 7. Number 10, Alibi Isis Misses Spring Training, March 31. Number 09, Clifford Wears Some Green, March 15. Number 08, Let the Games Begin (1936 Olympics), March 14. Number 07, To Be or Not to Be (Williams), February 24. Number 06, Clifford's Favorite Valentine, February 10. Number 05, Models D29 and 36D (Marilyn), February 5. Number 04, Additional Recognition (letter), February 1. Number 03, Breaking Away (DiMaggio), January 20. Number 02, Annie's Big Apple (Runyon), January 10. Number 01, That Was the Year That Was (2005), January 1. http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame/news E. NWB HALL OF FAME PROGRAMS The National Women's Baseball Hall of Fame, an independent not-for-profit organization established September 1998, is situated in suburban Washington, DC. The objective is to recognize achievements of women in regulation baseball. The NWB Hall of Fame offers these programs for participants in regulation baseball with organized leagues. Managers are are encouraged to recommend recognition awards and suggest articles on their teams, players, or events. Applications are available through email and are posted on the website. NWB HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS Nominations for the NWB Hall of Fame are due September 30. Inductions may include four current and one previous players by formal application or candidate statement. NATIONAL MVP AND MANAGER AWARDS MVP player and manager award requests are due December 31. Season nominations should be by a manager or administrator. One MVP player per team may be selected annually. Membership covers transmission of newsletters, announcements, invitations, applications, and access to all website pages. Membership is $9.00 renewed annually, and an application is available on the NWB Hall of Fame website. _________________________________________________________ NATIONAL WOMEN'S BASEBALL HALL OF FAME Richard C. Jaffeson, Executive Director PO Box 15282, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20825 301-847-0102 HallFame@USA.com http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame "National Women's Baseball Hall of Fame" is a registered trade name with the State of Maryland. MD672265, October 19, 1998. Programs, articles, and contents presented herein are protected under provisions of the U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. Fame Forum registrations are listed below: TXU877085, TXU959430, TXU973266, TXU013972, TXU986753, TXU949885, TXU004037, TXU022893, TXU026161, TXU047111, TXU050230, TXU061149, TXU088068, TXU120937, TXU148132, TXU163784, TXU170668, TXU196853, TXU211917, TXU216769, TXU234252, TXU253116, TXU260664, TXU180346, TXU288273, TXU311442. Copyrights(c), NWB Hall of Fame, 1998-2006 __________________________________________________________