_________________________________________________________ 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, 1998-2008 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 00416 _________________________________________________________ Volume XI, Number 22 Publisher and Author July 31, 2008 Richard C. Jaffeson Washington, DC HallFame@usa.com http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame _________________________________________________________ 2007 NWB HALL OF FAME INDUCTION KRIS "LEFTY" RANISZEWSKI 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 TED WILLIAMS WEBSITE http://www.saveted.net _________________________________________________________ A. COLUMN: K.C. HIGGINS AT THE BAT The ballad "Casey at the Bat" written in 1888 along with "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," the 1908 classic song by Jack Norworth honored this July on its 100th anniversary with a commemorative postage stamp, are highly regarded and retain legendary status in baseball folklore. "Casey" appeared in a Sunday edition of the San Francisco Examiner, June 3, 1888, page 4, column 4, under the byline "Phin," a fictitious name of author Ernest Lawrence Thayer. The complete title of the verse was, "Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic, Sung in the Year 1888." Unfortunately, the delightful ditty was forgotten by the printing of the Monday daily, and probably securely found a place at the bottom of Nob Hill bird cages or as packing filler in sundry suitcases and steamer trunks. One of those nefarious trunks eventually made it backstage to Wallack's Theatre 3,000 miles away in New York City in August 1889 where a vaudeville performer desperate to recite anything about baseball recalled the newspaper clipping and quickly resurfaced it for a pending engagement. Several of the New York Giants and visiting Chicago White Stockings were in the audience, and vaudeville performer William DeWolf Hopper needed new material. Subsequently, and for the next 45 years, Hopper made a career of that singular performance with more than 10,000 presentations. Hopper more than anyone else breathed life into Thayer's obscure work. At first few people knew who "Phin" was, and it took a long time before Thayer accepted any credit. Once questioned about recognition for "Casey," he replied, "All I ask is never to be reminded of it again." In addition to popularizing "Casey," Hopper eventually became the husband of columnist Hedda Hopper. Whereas, in a strange twist of fate the owner and editor of the Examiner, William Randolph Hearst, a classmate of Thayer at Harvard, rewarded her arch-rival Louella Parsons with a life-time contract in order to secure her loyalty. For more than a hundred years, there were countless "Casey" parodies and sequels, numerous renditions with similar and modified titles, changes in outcomes, many recordings from notable orators, and several movies depicting that famous scene wrapped around by various related stories. The first movies entitled "Casey at the Bat" were produced by Vitagraph in 1913, Fine Arts-Triangle in 1916, and John Franklin Meyer in 1920; all were silent in black and white. The Triangle version actually featured Hopper. Paramount produced a classic "Casey at the Bat" released in April 1927, which was also silent and starred Wallace Beery, Zasu Pitts, and Ford Sterling. Disney Studios released animated versions in 1946 "Make Mine Music" with Jerry Colonna as the narrator reciting the verse. In 1953, Disney created "Casey Bats Again," and it featured an all-girl team. At the dramatic conclusion, a male Casey substituted as a pinch hitter, but alas to no avail. A more recent 1985 playful version starred Elliott Gould and Carol Kane, and it is worth listening to Howard Cosell recite the ballad and also serve as narrator and announcer. The first known recording of "Casey at the Bat" was performed by Russell Hunting in 1899 on Edison cylinder #3802. In 1906, Hopper produced his own version on a 12" Victor record. Other notables who recorded their interpretations of "Casey" were: Mel Allen in 1950, Tony Martin in 1951, Lionel Barrymore in 1954, Vin Scully in 1960, Vincent Price in 1961, Jackie Gleason in 1965, Johnny Bench in 1980, Tug McGraw in 1980, and Eddie Albert, Vincent Price, Hal Halbrook, Ed Begley, and Frederick O'Neal in 1982. There have been hundreds of sequels to "Casey," and four were written by columnist Grantland Rice, 1880-1954, (who also was responsible for promoting Babe Didrikson throughout her career starting in 1932 with the Olympics in Los Angeles). Rice is known for his colorful description of the Notre Dame football team's "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" during 1924. His colleagues included Gallico, Lardner, Runyon, and Broun. And, he is perhaps best remembered for these lines (see below) written as part of a verse for a Vanderbilt alumni reunion in June 1908 (he also coached their baseball team that year). "For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark your name, He writes not that you won or lost, but how you played the game." Regarding the Thayer ballad, Grantland Rice penned, "Casey's Revenge" in 1906, "Mudville's Fate" in 1913, "He Never Heard of Casey" in 1926, and "Casey's Revenge (Revised)" in 1941. From others, there appeared women's teams as sequels, such as, "Mrs. Casey at the Bat" in 1893, starring Mrs. Nellie Casey in the key role, "Casey the Second in Baseball" (sisters act) in 1911 by James O'Dea with Hortense Casey, and "Casey's Daughter at the Bat" in 1939 by Al Graham with Patsy Casey. There was a well-regarded opera, "The Mighty Casey" in 1953 by William Schuman who eventually became President of New York's Lincoln Center from 1962-1968, and was President of Juilliard from 1935-1961. Perhaps, a future Fame Forum column should attempt a sequel to "Casey" with a potential title, "K.C. Higgins at the Bat" as a remake featuring Esther Williams and the Wolves in "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," combining the best of both classic ballads. Or, a future issue could offer something a little more modern, "JoAnn Hit the Ball" with the Flames and JoAnn Milliken in the starring role from Eastern Women's Baseball Conference. There was one prior Fame Forum column nine years ago on "Casey." The January 1999 article did not attempt to rewrite the verse, but offered additional information and incorporated some of Grantland Rice's perspective. "It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game!" IT'S HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME by Richard C. Jaffeson Fame Forum, Volume II, Number 06, January 31, 1999 "Who was Casey and the Mudville nine?" This could have been a real batter and a team, as some attempted to claim. Of course, it was only part of a wonderful story formed in the collective imagination of myth that often captures the country surrounding the nature of this game. It really didn't matter who it was, or where it happened; we pretend it did occur, and like to embrace those images because it embodies the spirit of baseball. The expected and the unexpected combined together in an entertaining story, a poem, and a very real reflection on the game of baseball and the nature of life. In a sport filled with precise dates, facts, and figures; often this mythical magic transforms the game. This is the precise element that makes baseball so special, not just the words by themselves, but this type of story that simplistically touches the soul of America. Upon occasion in baseball, there is a unique capacity to accept things that never really happened. As this story unfolded on Sunday, June 3, 1888, it was a slow news day at the San Francisco Examiner. A very young editor, William Randolph Hearst, only a couple of years removed from Harvard, approved the publication of a small poem about baseball. It was placed in a corner of the paper, and thought soon to be forgotten, probably when the next Monday edition was on the streets. "Casey at the Bat" surprised them all! This quick flash of brilliance and wit was under the creative pen name of "Phin," that was Ernest Lawrence Thayer. He received $5 for the thirteen stanzas, which became baseball legend, but the acceptance and appreciation were not immediate. The magic required time to brew, and included elements of chance and circumstance. Words often have their own destiny well beyond the author. In June 1888, those words in the poem were tossed out the next day by most in the Bay area. However, they were clipped and saved by at least one person that June day. They were saved for just that right moment in baseball, all the way across the country. More than a year later, in New York City that clipping resurfaced at its appointed time and place in history, for its own fame and immortality. This was destined to happen, just as the words had to be written, for it was already determined to be part of the legend of baseball. In August 1889, members of the New York Giants and Chicago White Stockings attended a performance at Wallack's Theatre in New York City. This was classic vaudeville, songs and dance, recitals and music, all performed live. There were no movies or sound tracks in 1889. A talented performer, DeWolf Hopper, realizing there were baseball celebrities in the audience, took the initiative and quickly decided to perform something special about the game. What to recite? Surprisingly, he had nothing suitable on the subject. From inside a backstage trunk, somehow, someone's hand reached and found the newspaper clipping from the June 3, 1888 San Francisco Examiner, and that was what Hopper memorized and presented to delight the audience and baseball players. The reaction was spontaneous, the surprise ending and humor was infectious, and it was an immediate hit. Hopper made his career from that six minute poem, which he repeated for the next 45 years to more than 10,000 audiences on stage. He also produced recordings, and so did many other performers. Many claimed to be the author, some players proposed to be Casey, and a few towns insisted that they were the Mudville to which the story referred. In fact, Stockton, California placed a plaque in their ballpark to commemorate the 1888 event, and even renamed the local team the Mudville Nine. History provided the answer, and the author of "Casey" was finally revealed. "Phin" was Thayer. He did not want to claim the work, requested no royalties, and submitted no copyright. This only added more mystic to the poem, and everyone was free to quote and copy the words across America, which is exactly what happened. [Note: "Phin" was short for "Phinny" Thayer's nickname at college where he was editor of the Harvard Lampoon and wrote annual Hasty Pudding plays. The student business manager of the Lampoon was William Randolph Hearst. Thayer graduated magna cum laude in 1885, while Hearst was requested to leave, but his father gave him the Examiner to keep him occupied.] There is also a more serious side to the light-hearted story designed just for entertainment on a lazy Sunday. There is another thought that remains on the nature of the game from the last line of the famous refrain. "But there is no joy in Mudville mighty Casey has struck out." When first recited in August 1889, the audience roared, the Giants were pleased for it was all in fun, and they went on the next day to defeat the visiting Chicago team. There is also some sadness in the poem, a realization in baseball that only one team is victorious. In baseball, essentially there are no ties, its win or else, and finally for one team, half of those that play, there could be "no joy" for that particular day. The MLB rules state the game must continue after nine innings if there is a tie. Record books and statistics require a definitive outcome. Even the longest professional game in baseball history featuring the Rochester Red Wings (AAA Orioles) and Pawtucket in 1981, although suspended after 32 innings in a 2-2 tie, they were required two months later to resume the conclusion in 33 innings. Part of baseball, or any sport, is the thrill of playing and individual achievement. The objective should not be competition for its own sake, or to take advantage of another individual or team (see "Baseball Character," Fame Forum, Volume I, Number 07, October 29, 1998). For an individual, it should be personal achievement and success compared to a previous standard or future goal. It is self-improvement in the game, how it is played, and the contributions to others in achieving similar results. This is the true measure of success and the real source of enjoyment. If "Casey" strikes-out, the lesson is not the loss, but rather what can be learned towards improvement regardless of the situation. It was only one out, and there should be no sadness, but a commitment to achieve more the next time. In Mudville, they played the game well right to the last inning, and provided the same entertainment and recreation which we can experience today. It's learning, improving, and developing skills from the experience of playing baseball that builds pride and character as a result of new accomplishments. Individual achievement and recognition are far more important than the final outcome of any game. After the scores are a memory, those characteristics are retained and continue into many other endeavors. With a spirit of achievement the entire team benefits, all players become winners and enjoy every game. B. NWB HALL OF FAME PRODUCTS These baseball items are available from the NWB Hall of Fame: commemorative buttons (2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, and 1999), t-shirts, caps, and bats. Free commemorative ribbons are 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 28, 1889 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, 1990 Nolan Ryan wins 300th game. August 1, 1945 Mel Ott hits 500th homerun. August 1, 1957 Glen Gorbous record 445'10" baseball throw. August 1, 1996 US women first Olympic soccer title. August 2, 1938 Dodgers experiment with yellow baseballs. August 2, 1979 Thurman Munson plane accident in Ohio. August 3, 1894 Harry Heilmann birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. August 4, 1985 Tom Seaver wins 300th game. August 5, 1867 Jacob Ruppert birthdate, MLB executive. August 5, 1921 First baseball radio broadcast from KDKA. August 6, 1901 Louella Parsons birthdate, Hearst columnist. August 6, 1981 Satchel Paige at 47 pitches complete game. August 7, 1935 Ada Deer birthdate, Bureau of Indian Affairs. August 7, 1956 Largest International League crowd 57,000. August 8, 1936 Frank Howard birthdate, MLB player and manager. August 9, 1906 Jack Taylor pitches 187th consecutive game. August 9, 1963 Whitney Houston birthdate, Grammy recipient. August 9, 1988 First night game at Wrigley Field. August 10, 1944 Red Barrett 58 pitches complete game. August 10, 1971 Harmon Killebrew hits 500th homerun. August 11, 1929 Babe Ruth hits 500th homerun. August 11, 1970 Jim Bunning wins 100th game in both leagues. August 12, 1859 Katharine Bates birthdate, after climbing Pike's Peak wrote "America the Beautiful." August 12, 1880 Christy Mathewson birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. August 12, 1892 Roy Schalk birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. August 13, 1910 Dodgers and Pirates tie game 8-8. August 13, 1979 Lou Brock 3,000th hit. *August 14, 1863 Ernest Thayer birthdate, "Casey at the Bat." August 14, 1947 Danielle Steele birthdate, author. August 15, 1912 Julia Child birthdate, gourmet chef. August 15, 1859 Charles Comiskey birthdate, White Sox owner. August 15, 1975 Orioles Earl Weaver ejected twice in one day. August 15, 1945 Suzanne Farrell birthdate, ballerina. D. FAME FORUM ISSUES Volume XI, 2008 Season Publications Number 22, K.C. Higgins at the Bat (Casey), July 31. Number 21, Base Ball To Day, Polo Grounds, July 25. Number 20, Hit the Ball: Act One, Scene One, July 23. Number 19, Batting Beauty (Esther Williams), July 19. Number 18, Playing and Pitching Parodies, July 16. Number 17, Swinging in the Rain (Freed hits), July 14. Number 16, Begin the Ball-Guine (Porter hits), July 11. Number 15, Puttin' on Your Mitts (Berlin hits), July 3. Number 14, 2008 NWB Hall of Fame Induction Form, June 29. Number 13, Judy, Judy, Judy (Johnson), June 12. Number 12, Tales of Narda: The Guessing Game, May 10. Number 11, Clifford Plays Some Hoops (Auerbach), April 21. Number 10, Tales of Narda: Lady with the Light, April 13. Number 09, Tales of Narda: Turning the War Club, April 2. Number 08, Playing for a Higher Authority (Natural), March 22. Number 07, Prayerful Pearl (Janis Joplin), March 14. Number 06, Reigning at Ringside in Ritchie (boxing), March 11. Number 05, Tales of Narda: Origin of the Magic Bat, February 28. Number 04, Clifford's Favorite Store (Ballentine), February 15. Number 03, Bases Loaded, Reel Two, (baseball movies) February 12. Number 02, Bases Loaded Remake (Sunset Boulevard), February 2. 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 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, 1998-2008 __________________________________________________________