_________________________________________________________ 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, 1998-2009 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, TXU348663, TXU346055, TXU1OPSAH, TXU1Z5BTB, TXU2ACJSN Issue Number 00432 _________________________________________________________ Volume XII, Number 03 Publisher and Author February 22, 2009 Richard C. Jaffeson Washington, DC HallFame@usa.com http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame _________________________________________________________ 2008 NWB HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS MELISSA GIBBONS AND ROSIE WEAVER 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, NELSON, DOMINGUEZ, TRIOLO, RANISZEWSKI, GIBBONS, WEAVER TED WILLIAMS WEBSITE http://www.saveted.net _________________________________________________________ A. COLUMN: ABBOTT AND CIULLO CELEBRATE GEORGE'S BIRTHDAY Holiday Inn, Alexandria, VA February 22, 2009 In this unconventional account, a famous comedy team starring in nearly forty feature films during the 1940's and 1950's, Buddie Abbott and Louise Ciullo recently redeemed apparitions casually sit at a hotel dinning room table observing moderate pedestrian and vehicular traffic passing by King Street while enjoying breakfast. Since it was too early in the day to be playing and arguing over poker, they discussed other matters of interest pertaining to their present locale. Bud: "You know Lou that was a swell parade last Monday with all those patriotic songs and the hundreds and hundreds of marchers in colonial uniforms and historic costumes briskly stepping along. They certainly were impressive!" Lou: "Sure, sure, they had to, it was sooo cold!" Bud: "Cold, nothing! They were inspired! This was special! This was George Washington's birthday parade! This was in Alexandria! His home Mount Vernon is just down the road." "We saw the largest parade in the entire nation honoring our first President and 'Father of our Country.' Now I ask you, what could be better? Aren't you glad we decided to remain materialized after our Presidential Pardon last month?" "Show some respect! Be patriotic! Why do you always have to say something negative? Say something positive for a change." Lou: "How could that have been Washington's birthday parade? Everybody knows his birthday is February 22. This Sunday!" Bud: "Yes, that's true it is today, but last Monday was when it is now observed, also known as 'President's Day' to honor all our past Presidents." Lou: "Well, they all weren't great as Washington or Lincoln. And, just who made George Washington's birthday February 16? It's suppose to be the 22nd! In Paterson, NJ, it was always on the 22nd! Our parade was always on the 22nd!" Bud: "George Washington's birthday actually was February 11 in 1732, but back then not too many families had calendars." Lou: "Whoooa!!! You mean February 22, not February 11, and Washington certainly wasn't born February 16." Bud: "George Washington was born February 11 and February 22." Lou: "How can he be born on both February 11 and February 22? A person can only have one birthday, even George Washington! His mother would have had something to say about that matter!" "Abbott, you have only one birthday, it's October 2. Right! I have only one birthday on March 6, which is coming up soon. Everybody has only ONE birthday!!!" Bud: "Now you're getting confused again. Here let me explain. Washington was born February 11, 1732 under the Julian Calendar, and 20 years later when England and its colonies changed to the Gregorian Calendar the new date became February 22, 1732." "There, that's easy enough! Washington was born on February 11 and February 22 depending upon the calendar." Lou: "You mean there were two calendars in colonial times, and that's why Washington had two birthdays? Did little George get two sets of presents? You said he had two birthdays, then he should have had twice as many presents. It's only fair!" Bud: "Will you be serious for a moment. The American colonies had two different calendars, but not at the same time." "You see at first there was the old Julian Calendar devised by Julius Caesar in 45 BC for lands controlled by the Roman Empire including Britain. His calendar facilitated trade and travel, and made celebrations of state ceremonies and religious holidays more uniform. The Julian calendar lasted for hundreds of years, but it wasn't always accurate. Gradually, it gained days." Lou: "How does a calendar gain extra days? Nobody creates them out of thin air! There are just sooo many days per month." Bud: "Well, I'm truly amazed Lou that's correct, and it was why Pope Gregory XIII revised Julius Caesar's calendar in order to achieve more accuracy. People can't go around without knowing which day of the week is today. Not on your life!" Lou: "Or, even afterwards! We're apparitions you know, ghosts!" Bud: "A minor detail; here I'll continue. In October 1582, all Catholic nations adopted the Pope's calendar, and the remainder of Europe did by 1700. The King of England had his country and colonies accept the Pope's calendar by 1752. Japan did in 1873, and China changed by 1912. The entire world finally followed the Gregorian Calendar. Just think what we'd be like without a uniform accurate calendar." Lou: "Yeah, a Sunday holiday could be celebrated on a Monday!" Bud: "Hmmm, something like that, but a few cultures also retain their traditional calendars. The oldest continuous one in use is the Hebrew calendar, and this year is 5770. And, the Chinese calendar is second oldest at 4707 in 2009." Lou: "Enough of Kings and Popes! Why was President Washington's birthday celebrated last Monday on February 16?" Bud: "Oh, that was because of Congress!" Lou: "You mean Congress had to butt in on this, too? They weren't satisfied with Kings and Popes in the dating business." Bud: "I was just getting to that part. In 1968, Congress decided to change celebrations of certain holidays to Mondays, which went into effect January 1, 1971." Lou: "Hey, they didn't change the Fourth of July, that's still on the good old 4th. And, Christmas is always December 25!" Bud: "Certainly, that's correct, and New Year's Day is January 1 no matter what day of the week it may happen to fall upon. Some holidays they didn't dare change. And, Labor Day didn't need to change since it is always the first Monday in September." Lou: "They didn't dare change Thanksgiving, that's always on a Thursday. Armistice Day is still November 11, the anniversary of the armistice for the Great War." Bud: "Well, they did try to change Armistice Day to the fourth Monday in November, but many veterans groups were in an uproar. Congress returned it to November 11 renamed as Veteran's Day." "But, they switched Columbus Day to the second Monday in October instead of October 12. Washington's Birthday became the third Monday in February. This year it was February 16. Memorial Day is now the fourth Monday in May instead of May 30. This was all in the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed in June 1968. One more holiday was added in 1983 for Martin Luther King's birthday, but it too was adjusted." Duo: "Monday!" Bud: "Yes, that's right, it became the third Monday in January instead of January 15." "So, five federal holidays remain on their original dates, and four were moved to Mondays, and another was always on a Monday. There have you got that straight?!" Lou: "Yeah, now I see what happens when Congress messes around. Pretty soon they'll try to change all the dates and names!" Bud: "Don't give them any ideas! At least we saw a good parade last Monday in honor of President George Washington!" Lou: "Yeah, I love parades. And, it reminded me of the parades back in Paterson, NJ. Although, it wasn't as big as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Nobody will ever change that one!" Bud: "Sure, sure, you're talking about New York the Big Apple. Parades there are tops! Remember the big ones after Lindbergh's flight and when MacArthur returned home." Lou: "Those were great! And, once Mayor LaGuardia gave us the 'Keys to New York City.' But, George Washington was my hero, right after Babe Ruth." "George Washington never told a lie even when he chopped down that cherry tree. And, he threw a dollar across the Potomac." Bud: "I'll bet you he didn't throw a dollar across the Potomac." Lou: "How can you win that bet?" Bud: "Look, the river is right at the end of King Street, and it's at least a mile wide here and downstream at Mount Vernon. Nobody could toss a dollar across the Potomac at this location. Maybe if it was upstream or across one of the tributaries." Lou: "Maybe he couldn't throw things too well. Maybe he had someone else throw it for him." Bud: "Who did you have in mind? You met Washington in one of our movies 'The Time of Their Lives.' Are you saying you threw that famous silver dollar across the Potomac?" Lou: "Maybe I could! I once was a great basketball player." Bud: "Well, yes, that's true. You did win the New Jersey state foul-shooting championship." Lou: "And, in 'Here Come the Coeds' I played a basketball star Daisy Dimple as 'The Greatest Girl Basketball Player Ever.'" Bud: "Wait a minute! Only one person has earned that title!" Duo: "Ballentine!" Lou: "Yeah, I know, I know, that's Ballentine with a 'B' and not Valentine with a 'V.' And, on the February 14th holiday, everyone in the stands would shout, 'Ballentine, Valentine!'" Bud: "February 14th?" Lou: "Last weekend!" Bud: "She scored her collegiate record shattering 40 points in one game on February 27. And, back then there weren't any three-point shots." Lou: "She played for George Washington, too." Bud: "Certainly, she was a Colonial. But, the Revolution was a little before her time. She must have missed that one." "I'll bet she could throw a dollar across the river just like George Washington." Lou: "Let's go ask George himself. He's down at Mount Vernon." Bud: "How can we do that?" Lou: "We're ghosts aren't we?! He can talk with us, so let's go find out who threw what and where. He can't tell a lie." Bud: "OK, he is resting down the road in Mount Vernon. And, you're suppose to be in Calvary Cemetery off Whitter Boulevard in Los Angeles. I should be scattered about the Pacific Ocean. Well, at least we're not beheaded and frozen." Duo: "Ted Williams!" Lou: "Yeah, he was suppose to have his ashes spread across the Florida Keys with Slugger his dog, and where he enjoyed fishing. His favorite pastime!" Bud: "There's nothing wrong with a few ashes spread around here and there. All sorts of people have done that, --Ansel Adams is in Yosemite where he took photographs, Ingrid Bergman is over in her beloved Sweden, Albert Einstein is on the Princeton campus, and Leonardo da Vinci is up in the Italian Alps. Lots of folks picked the blue Pacific Ocean, --Mama Cass Elliot, Rock Hudson, Janis Joplin, Henry Miller, Barbara Stanwyck, and John Steinbeck. And, Cary Grant, William Holden, Viven Leigh, John Lennon, and Steve McQueen requested other locations." Lou: "OK, Abbott! Since there's no parade today, let's go see George Washington. Which way is Mount Vernon???" Note: This article is a continuation of two other recreated original Abbott and Costello stories which appeared in this newsletter, "Abbott and Ciullo Meet Ted Williams," November 28, 2008; and "Abbott and Ciullo in Washington," December 17, 2008. In one movie "The Time of Their Lives," the character of Lou Costello encountered General George Washington. In several movies, and they were in nearly forty films, the duo encountered numerous apparitions and supernatural entities, such as, "Hold That Ghost," 1941; "The Time of Their Lives," 1946; and a series of "Abbott and Costello Meet ...Frankenstein," 1948; "...Boris Karloff," 1949; "...Invisible Man," 1951; "...Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," 1953; and "...The Mummy," 1955. For this baseball newsletter, their names were changed to Buddie Abbott and Louise Ciullo (derivation of Ciulla, 2003 NWB Hall of Fame). B. NWB HALL OF FAME PRODUCTS These baseball items are available from the NWB Hall of Fame: commemorative buttons (2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, and 1999), t-shirts, caps, and bats. Also, free commemorative ribbons are available. The website homepage has an order form, and the photo page displays several items. http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame C. HISTORIC TIMELINE February 21, 1903 Tom Yawkey birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame, Red Sox owner from 1933 to 1976. February 22, 1874 Bill Klem birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. February 22, 1918 Charlie Finley birthdate, MLB executive. February 22, 1934 Sparky Anderson birthdate, MLB manager. February 22, 1975 Drew Barrymore birthdate, actor. February 23, 1929 Elston Howard birthdate, MLB player. February 23, 1960 Demolition begins at Ebbets Field. February 24, 1874 Honus Wagner birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. February 25, 1922 Rose Bascom birthdate, Cowgirl Hall of Fame. February 25, 1924 Marie Boyd, 156 points at Lonacoming, MD. February 26, 1887 Grover Cleveland Alexander birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. February 26, 1935 Babe Ruth signed with Boston Braves. February 27, 1877 Spike Briggs birthdate, MLB owner. February 27, 1964 April Heinricks birthdate, soccer star. D. FAME FORUM ISSUES Volume XII, 2009 Season Publications Number 03, Abbott and Ciullo Celebrate George's Birthday, February 22. Number 02, Commemorative NWB Hall of Fame Buttons, February 20. Number 01, That Was the Year That Was, January 2. 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 with 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, TXU348663, TXU346055. TXU1OPSAH, TXU1Z5BTB, TXU2ACJSN Copyrights(c), NWB Hall of Fame, 1998-2009 __________________________________________________________