_________________________________________________________ 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, TXU348663, TXU346055. Issue Number 00383 _________________________________________________________ Volume X, Number 26 Publisher and Author July 19, 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 ALL NIGHT STAND "Oh, Clifford, Clifford..." Emily gamefully called into the backyard well past the appointed hour for her fury friend's presence to consume his usual hardy breakfast. But, this particular morning there was not even a faint woof or wisp of a wagging tail. Considering his voracious appetite, which single-handedly could keep the PetBarn in business, and anticipating his customary promptness and dependability, Clifford's absence was highly unusual. Perplexed about her non-responsive canine companion, Emily decided to investigate further and proceeded towards the realm of his palatial doggie domain. As she approached, Emily observed there was no note on the door which was shut tight. "Perhaps, he's not feeling well," she thought and carefully knocked on the front door. But, again there was no response. Never being one to rely upon ceremony, and recognizing that Clifford did not entertain overnight, Emily peaked inside. "Who knows what Clifford could be up to?" she thought, but alas she soon discovered the place was vacant. There was no indication of any disturbance for Clifford kept his home neat and tidy. Emily looked to see what was missing which might reveal some clues to his whereabouts. His baseball cap was gone from the hat rack, the one that JoAnn had given him several seasons ago so that he could play for the Flames. But, he wouldn't be playing baseball at this hour of the morning. Emily also checked his bedding and found the doggie mattress was cold, and she surmised he had been gone for long time. She continued carefully observing like any good detective. His knapsack, the one he used last Memorial Day at Arlington Cemetery, and his prized binoculars were missing from their customary places. Although these clues were interesting, it was not enough to reveal his intentions or destination. "He must have traveled somewhere," Emily concluded and began the quick journey to the PetBarn. "They'd know! He'll need supplies." she apprisingly snapped. With the store in sight, Emily called out as she approached, "Have you seen my Clifford?" for as luck would have it, the proprietor was in the doorway. "Yeah, Cliff stopped by last night to pick up a few items," the owner casually replied. There is only one person anywhere who could call him "Cliff." Emily well understood that fact, and there she was standing in the PetBarn doorway waiting for her. "I assumed as much," Emily continued. "He took his knapsack. Did Clifford say where he was going?" "Sure, he's always talkative and expressive with me," laughed the proprietor. "You mean he didn't tell you?" "Well, no..." Emily was somewhat embarrassed because she didn't know the whereabouts of Clifford, and apparently this time he informed others but not her. Not that she had to be concerned about his attention and affection, which were guaranteed, but there were certain attractions to owning a specialty store full of goodies and supplies which also contained a doggie bakery. Sensing Emily's slight uneasiness with the proceeding question, the proprietor attempted to dispell her concerns, "Oh, he has an assignment downtown guarding things. Dogs are good at that!" "Where, where, where?!" Emily excitedly interrupted before the full explanation could be provided. "I was just getting to that," the store owner laughed. "You'll be proud because he's at the construction site of the stadium near M Street and South Capitol. He's there for a few nights until everything is secure. Right now, it's wide open. Here are some photos (attachments). You'll never see anything like this again at that location until another 50 years. It's the birth of a stadium! Kind of exciting!" "Wow, he's guarding the construction site for the Nationals," Emily was proud and figured it was just the sort of thing that Clifford would do at night, and be home before morning so that she wouldn't worry or even know he was gone. For some reason, this day he was delayed. "He stocked up on the new PetBarn line of clear canine waters with doggie flavors. You know we have beef, chicken, and liver natural extracts mixed right in the bottles. I don't like it, but they woof it down. Ah, like water. Dogs do drink a lot." Emily smiled in agreement, while the proprietor continued and proceeded to ready the store for customers and their canines. "Many times I've seen old photos of stadiums being torn down. This is just the opposite," the owner began, and straightened the front counter while talking. "Griffith Stadium required considerable demolition since it had a steel frame and poured concrete base. The main entrance was along U Street, but it was surrounded by 7th Street or Georgia Avenue on the west and Florida Avenue, NW on the south. They began its removal in 1965." "The site now is Howard University Hospital, and the section along Georgia Avenue is the patient parking lot." "Griffith operated from April 1911 to September 1961 serving not only the Senators, but also seven other regional teams. Seating was modest, and ranged around 30,000 depending upon yearly modifications. It was difficult to hit a homerun out of the park; Josh Gibson did it twice and Mickey Mantle once." Emily enjoyed listening to interesting facts, but usually it was her enlightening Clifford. This was a delightful twist, as the proprietor continued. "Before 1911, the same diamond was the home of the American League Park for the 1904 to 1910 seasons. This was smaller, primarily of wood construction, and featured a dog house in centerfield." "Whoa..." Emily happily commanded. "Did you say a dog house on the field?!" "Yeah, centerfield," was the equally cheerful response on a topic of mutual appreciation. "The dog house was in the outfield near the flagpole, and that's where they'd keep 'Old Glory' between games. The groundskeeper would raise the flag each morning when a game was scheduled or the field would be occupied." "One day he forgot to lock the dog house door, and a game was held that afternoon which resulted in a Senators homerun. In fact, it was, 'The Dog House Homer,' the only inside the park round-tripper of its kind. A line drive was hit into the open door, and the A's centerfield got stuck attempting to retrieve the ball. By the time he was free, one run was chalked up for the Senators." "Did they win the game?" Emily inquired. "Probably not," the proprietor surmised, "but the dog house was removed permanently afterwards never to be seen again. They found another more suitable place to store the flag." "Gee," Emily thought, "Clifford's dog house would easily cover half the infield. An entire team could fit inside!" "Well, the Nationals are now playing in RFK Stadium along East Capitol Street," Emily considered it was her turn to contribute some facts. "But, the Senators played there when it was new, starting in April 1962." "It originally was called DC Stadium, and cost $23 million," she continued, "and could seat 45,000. President Kennedy was there for its inauguration on April 9, and remained for the entire game. He enjoyed baseball and had an unofficial 'Under-Secretary of Baseball' on staff, Dave Powers, who kept him apprised of scores, especially for the Red Sox." "RFK remained the home of the Senators until the end of the 1971 season, when the team moved to Texas. Ted Williams was manager for the last three years." "Now the Nationals are back in RFK," the store owner added, "beginning with their home opener April 15, 2005. This will be their last season, and the new stadium should be ready by spring 2008. The new stadium will cost $611 million, and is planned to seat 41,000. The project will anchor a Ballpark Planning District with offices, stores, entertainment, and residences primarily along the M Street corridor." "The stadium topped out on July 11, 2007," the proprietor continued, "that is the final beam was set in place, since it's not like a building with a roof. Kind of exciting!" "And, that's where Clifford is, downtown on vigil protecting our investment in an all night stand. I suspect this morning he probably stayed to help raise the new flag!" Note: Attached photos were taken July 17, 2007 depicting the final beam structure for the Nationals stadium (north and west sides). 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 July 16, 1889 Shoeless Joe Jackson birthdate, MLB player. July 16, 1942 Margaret Smith Court birthdate, tennis champion. July 17, 1941 Joe DiMaggio completes 56 game hitting streak. July 17, 1974 Bob Gibson 3,000th strikeout. July 18, 1941 Martha Reeves birthdate, entertainer. July 18, 1970 Willie Mays 3,000th hit. July 18, 1940 Joe Torre birthdate, MLB manager. July 19, 1910 Cy Young wins 500th game. July 19, 1927 Ty Cobb 4,000th hit. July 20, 1858 First baseball admission 50c in Long Island. July 20, 1901 Heinie Manush birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. July 20, 1933 Nelson Doubleday birthdate, baseball publisher. July 21, 1881 Johnny Evers birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. July 21, 1973 Hank Aaron 700th homerun. July 22, 1908 Amy Vanderbilt birthdate, etiquette expert. July 22, 1893 Jesse Haines birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. July 23, 1880 Emma Carr birthdate, Garvon Chemists Medal. July 23, 1925 Lou Gehrig hits first grand slam homerun. July 23, 1936 Don Drysdale birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. July 24, 1898 Amelia Earhart birthdate, early aviator. July 24, 1911 Addie Joss benefit game at Cleveland. July 25, 1930 Athletics two triple steals in one game. July 25, 1941 Lefty Grove wins 300th game. July 26, 1902 Gracie Allen birthdate, comedian. July 26, 1923 Hoyt Wilhelm birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. July 27, 1880 Joe Tinker birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. July 27, 1903 Leo Durocher birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. July 28, 1889 Bullet Joe Rogan birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. July 28, 1949 Vida Blue birthdate, MLB pitcher. July 28, 1966 Rachel Sweet birthdate, entertainer. July 28, 1991 Dennis Martinez pitches perfect game. July 29, 1996 Tommy Lasorda retires, MLB manager. July 30, 1890 Casey Stengel birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. July 30, 1968 Ron Hansen unassisted triple play. July 31, 1816 Lydia Bradley birthdate, founded college. July 31, 1932 Municipal Stadium opens in Cleveland. July 31, 1954 Joe Adcock hits 4 homeruns in one game. July 31, 1961 All-Star game 1-1 tie at Fenway Park. July 31, 1990 Nolan Ryan wins 300th game. D. FAME FORUM ISSUES Volume IX, 2007 Season Publications Number 26, Clifford's All Night Stand (stadium), July 19, 2007. Number 25, Tributes or Tribulations for TeddyBallgame, July 9, 2007. Number 24, Where Have You Gone Ted Williams?, July 3, 2007. Number 23, Return of Young Frankenstein (Williams), June 30, 2007. Number 22, 2007 NWB Hall of Fame Induction Form, June 1, 2007. Number 21, Clifford Carries the Flag (Memorial Day), May 25, 2007. Number 20, Call for Philip Morr-razz (billboards), May 24, 2007. Number 19, Bodacious Broadcast (radio story), May 18, 2007. Number 18, Alibi Isis Augurs a Perfect Game, May 11, 2007. Number 17, Guideposts and Sentinels (code ribbons), May 4, 2007. Number 16, Fenway Bats and Panther Jets (VMF-311 Williams), April 27. Number 15, How to Succeed in Baseball Without Really Trying, April 20. Number 14, Personal Courage and National Resolve, April 16. Number 13, Talkin' with Bat and Glove (Robinson), April 13. Number 12, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Fame Forum, April 5. Number 11, High Jinxes and High Hopes in Havana, March 28. Number 10, Clifford's Gigantic Gamer (gloves), March 23. Number 09, Great Caesar's Ghost (Williams), March 15. Number 08, The Night They KO'ed Hemingway, March 9. Number 07, Rumble at Ritchie (boxing), February 27. Number 06, Million Dollar Mermaid (Belles), February 14. 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, TXU348663, TXU346055. Copyrights(c), NWB Hall of Fame, 1998-2007 __________________________________________________________