_________________________________________________________ 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, 1998-2007 TXU877085, TXU959430, TXU973266, TXU013972, TXU986753, TXU949885, TXU004037, TXU022893, TXU026161, TXU047111, TXU050230, TXU061149, TXU088068, TXU120937, TXU148132, TXU163784, TXU170668, TXU196853, TXU211917, TXU216769, TXU234252, TXU253116, TXU260664, TXU276615, TXU288273, TXU311442, TXU186277. Issue Number 00362 _________________________________________________________ Volume X, Number 05 Publisher and Author February 1, 2007 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 PENNSYLVANIA PILGRIMAGE "Ummmph-pah-pah, ummmph-pah-pah, ummmph-pah-pah..." "O' roll out the barrels, we'll have a barrel of fun." "Roll out those barrels, we've got the blues on the run." "We're here to entertain ya, with a polka from Pennsylvania!" "Ummmph-pah-pah..." As Emily pranced into the backyard on a bright crisp morning on the first day of February, boisterous music was loudly emanating from Clifford's palatial doggie domain. It was so raucous that it seemed as if the entire dog house expanded and contracted to the sound of the song's down-beat. Oblivious to everything else, Clifford was delightfully and repetitively singing and dancing along with that outrageous polka refrain, as only he can. She didn't bother to knock because he simply would not have heard, even with his huge long red ears. When she entered the main room, there was Clifford hopping about, and collecting some belongings for his upcoming trip. Emily knew full well where he was going, but pretended she did not, thus providing Clifford with a golden opportunity to explain himself, which he always loved to do upon any occasion, especially for this one. Emily placed herself directly in front of Clifford and shouted, "Enough polka, over and over again! Clifford, enough already!" "I can hear you throughout the neighborhood! We can even hear you at the Pet Barn! They can hear you all the way to Krakow!" The last remark cinched it, and Clifford switched off the music. He also wanted to talk to Emily about his forthcoming annual trip. "I've already been to the Pet Barn," he calmly responded instead of singing. "Got my travel kit, --canine toothpaste, ear powder, nail clipper, and Kwik Stop. And, stocked up on goodies from the Doggie Bakery for my friends up north." "Oh, so you're going on a trip?" Emily feigned surprise. "Where on earth could that be?" she giggled. Clifford didn't miss a beat, and went along with her charade, "A little journey to Pennsylvania to check the weather forecast." "I'm traveling light," Clifford pointed to a small knapsack and new kit, an item recently introduced exclusively at the Pet Barn. "Only other things I'll need is my baseball cap to keep my ears tucked in, and a slicker in the knapsack in case it either rains or snows depending upon the prognostication." "What was that last word Clifford?" Emily smiled and was pleased he was expanding his vocabulary. "It's the reason I'm going on this trip," Clifford woofed knowing Emily already understood his mission. "Oh, what might that reason be, my dear Clifford?" Emily teased. "To see my buddy Phil," Clifford joyously barked, "because Friday is his special day, February 2!" "There have been several Phils," he continued, "ever since 1841 when the ceremony and celebration first started in Punxsutawney. A storekeeper began the tradition based upon a German folktale. Everyone gathers on Gobbler's Knob, the place where Phil resides that morning in a special container with a wooden door. Then at sunrise February 2, the mayor knocks on his front door with an acacia wood cane, and Phil comes out from his 'winter's sleep.'" "What happens next?" Emily laughed already knowing the answer. "If Phil sees his shadow," Clifford grinned, "he is 'frightened' and returns to his burrow. There'll be six more weeks of winter. But, if he doesn't see his shadow, because the sky is overcast and cloudy, he remains outside and there will be an early spring. I brought the treats from the Doggie Bakery assuming he'll stay around this year, have some food, and not return to hibernating." "There is considerable truth to the legend," Emily warmly added. "Animals sense weather conditions in order to protect themselves. This is really done by nature. If they need to hibernate longer, they do, or grow longer coats during winter. They appropriately react to the environment. Nature takes care of its own." "Cloud cover is also significant on February 2," Emily continued. "It's not just whether or not Phil sees his shadow. On a wintery evening, for example, if the sky is overcast, the earth retains its heat and it is warmer. An analogy would be like a blanket. If the sky is clear, heat is dissipated through the atmosphere and radiated harmlessly into space, and the night is colder." "How do you know that?" Clifford demanded. "Clifford, while in graduate school I was a TA and taught Physical Geography laboratories. We had sessions on meteorology, and weather conditions were explained with examples. The earth automatically adjusts itself, and as mentioned on a wintery night when there is extensive cloud cover, heat is more readily retained. If the sky is clear, excess energy is dissipated and radiated." "What about global warming?" Clifford inquired about something he heard on the local news. "It's a myth, dear Clifford," Emily explained. "There are many such pseudo-scientific myths perpetrated upon the general public, that being a most recent example. You may recall Y-2K, hole in the ozone layer, acid rain, and bird flu. In them there may be some grains of truth, but they are exaggerated for political and social reasons. Always be wary of issues which rightfully belong in a sophomore public speaking class rather than debated in the U.S. Congress or presented on national news networks." "Why would someone invent false issues?" Clifford was puzzled. "There are basic reasons; one is to create greater dependency, another to other control development, and a third is to present distractions or diversions from more important relevant issues," Emily cautiously outlined. "I still don't understand," Clifford sat down on his haunches for a more detailed explanation. "Take for example the sewer moratorium in Montgomery County in the late 1970s. This was a fictitious proclamation designed to limit development based upon a myth that there was no more sewage treatment capacity at Blue Plains. As a result, no new building permits were issued while the moratorium was in effect. However, at the same time for some reason the moratorium did not affect Prince George's County or the District of Columbia who were also dependent upon Blue Plains treatment. In the meantime, previous county commercial zones were removed taking development rights away from certain land owners and reallocating them to others." "And, how do you know that?" "Clifford, I wrote the environmental staff report to the county Planning Board indicating there WAS capacity. It was presented in closed session, and I was told the report must be re-written with adjusted projections to indicate there was NO capacity." "The moratorium was eventually lifted by the State. Since then, Blue Plains capacity remains intact, and county population has nearly doubled." "A false environmental premise was used to control development," Emily indicated. "Issues change, others have been substituted and expanded to cover more than one suburban county, perhaps an entire state or nation. With global warming, the attempt is to cover the world." "If Phil could talk," Emily changed her tone, "even he would tell you the atmosphere is highly porous and regulates itself, just like on a wintery evening." "But, there is more my faithful furry friend," she continued, "about the date February 2. You like the Nationals don't you?" "Yes, now I have another team to cheer for besides the Orioles, and they're in the National League." "True, that's the point," Emily concurred. "The National League was founded on February 2 in New York City in the Grand Central Hotel along Broadway." "William A. Hulbert from Chicago," she continued, "created the 'National League of Base Ball Clubs' in 1876. He first formed four franchises in the west, --Chicago, Saint Louis, Cincinnati, and Louisville. On February 2, 1876 team representatives from four cities in the east, --New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Hartford, officially joined to establish the National League." "The eight team league started their first year with a 70 game schedule, and each team would play the others ten times during the season. The team with the most victories would be declared league champion, and receive a pennant valued at $100 in 1876." "We owe the National League to Hulbert; its formation should be honored on February 2," Emily smiled. "Over the years many cities had franchises in the National League, but they settled into a consistent eight club roster by 1900 and remained that way for 53 years. There have been countless all-star players and numerous great teams." "Yes," Clifford concurred and cited information of his own on local major league teams in the National League, including the Washington Statesmen 1886-1889, Washington Senators 1892-1899, and Baltimore Orioles 1892-1899. "So, you do know something about the National League," Emily broadly grinned. "You've been holding out on me, eh, Clifford? Do you have any favorite teams or players?" Before responding to her question, Clifford scratched one of his huge long red ears, as only he can. "Emily there have been so many in both leagues, and also in the NWB Hall of Fame. I'd have to say, going back to the notorious Cubs and Giants game in September 1908 the Merkle Boner is often mentioned as, '...one of baseball's most controversial moments.'" "Not Fred Merkle?!" Emily coughed. "Nope, it's the guy who hit that ball. I have no other choice! The drive to center should have resulted in the winning run for the Giants, but that's when Merkle forgot to touch second base against the Cubs' infielders Tinkers, Evers, and Chance." "Interesting! Who did hit the ball which caused such a fuss?" Clifford smiled as he carefully finished packing the bakery items for his buddy Phil and friends, and finally responded, "Al Bridwell!" Note: The original Clifford stories were written by Norman Bridwell. Clifford, Emily and family reside on mythical Birdwell Island somewhere off a coast in New England, and in imaginations everywhere there is a heart large enough to encompass a Big Red Dog. The author twice served as President, Middle Atlantic Division, Association of American Geographers which includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. MAD/AAG consists of professional geographers in agencies such as USGS, CIA, NSA, NGS, DIA, NIMA, Census, State, and Library of Congress; and with universities which offer training in related research and analysis. B. NWB HALL OF FAME PRODUCTS These baseball items are available from the NWB Hall of Fame: new induction poster, commemorative buttons (2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, and 1999), personalized magnet locker nametags, t-shirts, caps, knife, and 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 January 31, 1919 Jackie Robinson birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. January 31, 1931 Ernie Banks birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. January 31, 1947 Nolan Ryan birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. February 1, 1896 Frank Lane birthdate, MLB executive. February 1, 1944 Paul Blair birthdate, MLB player. February 2, 1876 National League established. February 2, 1905 Ann Rand birthdate, author. February 2, 1923 Red Schoendienst birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. February 2, 1936 Cobb, Ruth, Wagner, Mathewson, and Johnson; first inductions into MLB Hall of Fame. February 3, 1890 Larry MacPhail birthdate, MLB executive. February 3, 1918 Helen Stephens birthdate, 1936 Olympic gold medalist, "World's Fastest Woman." February 4, 1969 Bowie Kuhn elected MLB Commissioner. February 5, 1891 Roger Peckinpaugh birthdate, MLB manager. February 5, 1934 Hank Aaron birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. February 6, 1895 Babe Ruth birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. February 7, 1949 Joe DiMaggio signed first $100,000 contract. February 7, 1969 Diana Crump first women jockey at Hialeah. February 8, 1869 Harry Pulliam birthdate, MLB executive. February 8, 1937 Clete Boyer birthdate, MLB player. February 9, 1914 Bill Veeck, birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. February 9, 1925 Vic Wertz birthdate, MLB player. February 10, 1884 Billy Evans birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. February 10, 1894 Herb Pennock birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. February 10, 1898 Judith Anderson birthdate, Emmy award. February 11, 1941 Sammy Ellis birthdate, MLB player. February 12, 1917 Dominic DiMaggio birthdate, MLB player. February 12, 1926 Joe Garagiola birthdate, sports broadcaster. February 13, 1918 Patti Berg birthdate, championship golfer. February 13, 1944 Sal Bando birthdate, MLB executive. February 14, 1913 Mel Allen birthdate, sports broadcaster. February 15, 1820 Susan B. Anthony birthdate. February 15, 1948 Ron Cey birthdate, MLB player. February 16, 1866 Billy Hamilton birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. February 17, 1908 Red Barber birthdate, sports broadcaster. February 18, 1975 Ila Borders birthdate, professional pitcher. D. FAME FORUM ISSUES Volume IX, 2007 Season Publications Number 05, Clifford's Pennsylvania Pilgrimage, February 1. Number 04, Beisbol Belles Broadcast (training), January 30. Number 03, Liberty Heights Revisited, January 18. Number 02, In Remembrance of President Jerry Ford, January 3. Number 01, That Was the Year That Was, January 1. http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame/handouts 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, TXU276615, TXU288273, TXU311442, TXU186277. Copyrights(c), NWB Hall of Fame, 1998-2007 __________________________________________________________