_________________________________________________________ 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. Issue Number 00323 _________________________________________________________ Volume IX, Number 02 Publisher and Author January 10, 2006 Richard C. Jaffeson Washington, DC HallFame@usa.com http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame _________________________________________________________ 2005 NWB HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS WINTER, BRENNEMAN, SWEENEY, FERENO SEE THE WEBSITE PHOTO PAGES "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: ANNIE'S BIG APPLE Before the midnight hour, situated in Missouri Martin's, an off-Broadway speakeasy of the highest caliber in the early 1930's featuring the liveliest entertainment and the finest illegal hooch available, several high stakes gamblers and their occasional cronies dressed in evening attire stood three deep around a reserved table watching the latest wager draw to its inevitable conclusion. "Say, what's going on?" a perpetual scofflaw, and most recent arrival that night at this infamous establishment inquired. "I'm looking for Dana the Dude." "Shhh, quiet down," Missouri the proprietor cautioned, a shapely blonde with short bobbed hair and an unusually seductive raspy voice. She was standing alongside the crowded table, but always kept one eye on the stage and the other on the "secret" front entrance. Missouri was herself two steps beyond a chorus line, and earned the necessary financing for her club the hard way. Because of her dubious position in life, and unique ability to provide almost anything at anytime to anybody, she was well-connected with the various and sordid elements of evening society from the highest to lowest. Everyone knew her place, and at one time or another eventually found themselves inside Missouri Martin's. "Ya don't have to look no further," Missouri responded. "Dude's sitting right over there," a wave of her hand was directed towards the center of the table surrounded by numerous onlookers. "She has a bet going with Gus the Greek," she explained. Missouri knew better than to speak above a whisper while a wager was in progress, and she motioned to Shakespeare, the Dude's inquisitive sidekick who had recently arrived to do the same. In hushed tones, she continued, "The bet is a grand on which sugar cube a fly is gonna land. No decision yet, and it has already been about fifteen minutes." "Hey, that's nothing," Shakespeare added, "I've seen the Dude bet a guy which rain drop would reach the bottom of a windowpane first, and outsmart the Greek on how much cash she had in her purse. Of course, she won! Figure she'll do the same again this time." "Maybe, and maybe not," Missouri cautiously observed. "The table is a mess," she pointed, "that fly should take-off, and the Dude doesn't have her apple tonight." As those ominous words were spoken and disappeared into the nightclub's musty and noisy atmosphere, the errant fly landed on the Greek's sugar cube. At that moment, the Dude's wallet instantly became one thousand dollars lighter, and the crowd around the table quickly began dispersing with most muttering in disappointment. "Tough luck Dude," Missouri offered. "Luck?" the Dude gasped. "At best, this should have been a draw, that fly should have never landed, it violated the second law of thermodynamics! And, I didn't have my apple from Annie! Where's Shakespeare?" "I'm right here boss!" her accomplice in crime responded. "I told you to find Annie so I could buy one of her apples," the Dude reiterated her previous instructions. "Where is she? I won't gamble, place another bet, or make any deals without her apple! This little wager just cost me a thousand calms. What am I paying you for? Nice work Shakespeare!" "Boss, I looked all over Broadway. She just ain't around," was the whinning response. "There ain't no panhandlers on the streets tonight." "Impossible!" the Dude snapped, "We gotta find that Annie. I won't make a move without..." "Yeah, I know boss, without one of her apples," Shakespeare completed the thought. "OK, who knows where Annie lives?" the Dude began looking around at her remaining supporters by the table. "There's gotta be someone with an address. How about you Missouri? You've got everybody's number." "Annie? Oh, sure Dude," Missouri wryly replied, "Around the corner on Schubert's Alley. You'll have to ask over there which flat. They look out for each other." "Thanks," the Dude smiled. "Come on Shakespeare let's go buy an apple!" The unlikely duo grabbed their overcoats and hurriedly departed. "Well, you're right, Shakespeare, the streets are clean," the Dude concluded once outside. "Let's find that Annie, and get this over." They turned down a neighboring alley. There was a small crowd in front of Annie's one-room hovel. Nearly all of Broadway's professional panhandlers gathered there, and one remarked. "Here comes the Dude! She's gotta help!" "Hey, what's going on? This is Annie's place ain't it?" the Dude snapped. "Me help? Doing what?" "Annie got some terrible news today," one explained. "She's been boozing all afternoon," another noted. "I think she needs the Doc," someone proclaimed. "Let me see," the Dude stepped through the motley group. "If she needs a doctor, Dana the Dude will send for one, and pay the bill, too. Sure, we all wanta help Annie, no matter what the problem." The Dude again surveyed the ragged crowd and commented, "You all ain't doing Annie any good by hanging around. I'll take care of everything. You're missing all those easy marks on the street. You won't get any lettuce by standing around this alley. Better get along." Shakespeare began ushering the troupe of characters out of the way and back into the bright lights of the broad thoroughfare. Within moments, the Dude and Shakespeare were alone with Annie and inside her flat. Immediately, the Dude spotted a wicker fruit basket, saw it was full, and directed her attention towards Apple Annie, who was totally disheveled and inebriated. "What seems to be the matter, Annie?" the Dude opened with a sympathetic grin and tone knowing she could get her apple later. Annie could barely speak in her condition, but referred to a letter received from her daughter in Spain whom she never met before although they regularly corresponded. Annie attempted to explain, "Ya see Dude, my daughter is coming to visit. We've never seen each other since she was born. She was raised in Europe, and now she's planning an ocean voyage to see me." "Say, that's swell, Annie!" the Dude enthusiastically attempted to cheer her. "You should be really pleased! Pull yourself together, and put down that bottle." "Dude, if it was only that easy," Annie sadly remarked. "I wrote her things about me which weren't exactly true. When she sees me, it'll be a great disappointment and embarrassment. I don't think I can face her, especially after all these years." "What was so bad?" the Dude inquired, and couldn't imagine Annie could have done or said anything which might have been that offensive or incorrect. "Ya see Dude, I wrote her I was a sports star in order to impress her, just like Babe Didrikson in the papers. The reason I couldn't take a steamship overseas to see her was because I was always playing or training, and had no time to leave the country." "Well, that's unusual. What kind of sports?" the Dude inquired further. "Babe plays everything." "Baseball!" Annie more hopefully reported. "And, they don't play any baseball in Spain," the Dude surmised the details, "so you figured you could write your daughter anything about the game, she'd believe it, and never find out. Now she's coming over here, and you think your goose is cooked." Annie sheepishly nodded her head in the affirmative. "But, at your age, she can't expect you to be playing," the Dude continued, "maybe ten years ago, but not now." "I wrote her I was still active and helping the team," Annie admitted, "and I knew the big stars. I'd mention them by name in my letters." "I'm afraid to ask," the Dude coughed. "Which team?" "Yankees, of course!" Annie lowered her head further. "Ahhh, Annie, you've really done it," the Dude sadly shook her head, "put your foot in the bucket this time." She turned around the room in contemplation and thought, "I'll have to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. There's always an angle." "OK, I'll buy you a uniform so at least you can look the part," the Dude further considered. "We'll put you up in a fancy hotel for a week like the ball players. But, why did ya say Yankees? Hoboken would have been more like it. Your daughter from Spain will want to meet some of the team. How are we gonna swing that?" "Wait," Shakespeare added, "Missouri knows everybody, and I've seen Babe Ruth in her joint plenty of times. But, not Gehrig, he doesn't fool around." "Right!" the Dude snapped back. "Good play Shakespeare! Ruth would be there anyway, but Lou Gehrig never drinks. However, Missouri gets her supplies from Ruppert, and the Colonel owns the team. We can get whomever we want, and even have a little practice. Missouri's joint has five stories, a downtown country club with billiards and pool tables, miniature golf course, ping-pong, and batting cages. This could work!" The Dude rubbed her hands together in delight and anticipation. "OK, let's get started," the Dude commenced. "I'll tell Missouri, she'll inform Ruppert, he'll instruct Ruth and Gehrig separately, since they're not on speaking terms. This time I'll be the one who'll beat that second law of thermodynamics. This time I'll win." While Shakespeare concluded, "And, this time you'll have plenty of Annie's big apples. Note: Based on the movie "Lady for a Day" 1933 directed by Frank Capra, and the novel "Madame La Gimp" 1924 by Damon Runyon (several basic characters reappear in "Guys and Dolls"). Similar themes are portrayed in "Pygmalion," "My Fair Lady," "Pocketful of Miracles," "Trading Places," and "Maid in Manhattan." B. NWB HALL OF FAME PRODUCTS These baseball items are available from the NWB Hall of Fame: new induction poster, commemorative buttons (2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, and 1999), personalized magnetic locker nametags, t-shirts, caps, knife, and model bats. The website main page has order information, and the photo page displays most items. http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame C. HISTORIC TIMELINE January 09, 1903 Orioles become NY Highlanders (Yankees). January 09, 1941 Joan Baez birthdate, folk singer. January 10, 1835 Harry Wright birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. January 10, 1938 Willie McCovey birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. January 11, 1876 Elmer Flick birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. January 11, 1890 Max Carey birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. January 11, 1963 Tracy Caulkins birthdate, world record swimmer. January 11, 1973 American League adopts Designated Hitter Rule. January 12, 1960 Mike Marshall birthdate, MLB player. January 13, 1925 Gwen Verdon birthdate, actor ("Damn Yankees"). January 14, 1919 Stoneham, McGraw, McQuade purchase NY Giants. January 14, 1942 Carol Bellamy birthdate, Peace Corp director. January 15, 1917 Johnny Rucker birthdate, MLB player. January 16, 1870 Jimmy Collins birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. January 16, 1911 Dizzy Dean birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. January 17, 1931 James Earl Jones birthdate, actor. January 18, 1896 Bill McGowan birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. January 18, 1955 Kevin Costner birthdate, actor. January 19, 1966 Stef Edberg birthdate, tennis star. January 20, 1887 Bill James birthdate, MLB player. January 20, 1934 Camilo Pascual birthdate, MLB player. January 21, 1957 Geena Davis birthdate, actor. January 22, 1857 NABP adopts 9 inning game rule. January 23, 1918 Gertrude Elion birthdate, Nobel Prize medicine. January 23, 1962 Jackie Robinson elected to MLB Hall of Fame. January 24, 1955 Required 20 second rule for pitchers. January 24, 1968 Mary Lou Retton birthdate, Olympics gymnast. January 25, 1918 Ernie Harwell birthdate, broadcaster. D. FAME FORUM ISSUES Volume IX, 2006 Season Publications 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. "National Women's Baseball Hall of Fame" is a Trademark/Servicemark pending with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 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. Copyrights(c), NWB Hall of Fame, 1998-2006 __________________________________________________________