_________________________________________________________ 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, TXU180346. Issue Number 00330 _________________________________________________________ Volume IX, Number 09 Publisher and Author March 15, 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: CLIFFORD WEARS SOME GREEN Emily could clearly hear Clifford humming a happy tune and clipping something special inside his cozy doggie domain. This time she decided to announce herself upon arriving at his palatial one-room home. She had a good idea what he was up to because it was so close to another joyous holiday. "Cead mile failte!" Emily proclaimed as she jumped through the wide open doorway. Clifford was so startled that he dropped his scissors, and uncharacteristically said nothing. "Dia's Murie dhuit," Emily continued the symbolic greeting. "Woof...?" a low barely audible inquisitive response was all Clifford could muster, as he instinctively turned his head slightly to one side. He was completely taken by surprise, and didn't fully understand what Emily meant. Emily delightfully giggled knowing she had verbally topped Clifford, at least for the moment, which is difficult to do. "Since I correctly assumed what you were doing, I decided to greet you in Gaelic." Emily stated. "What...?" he was still wondering about Emily's salutations. "Oh, Clifford," Emily beamed and chuckled, "perhaps for this week I should call you, 'O'Clifford.' Heh, heh, heh!" "Gaelic," she composed herself, "is the traditional language of the Celtic tribes who settled Ireland many centuries ago. The greeting, 'Cead mile failte,' is literally, 'A hundred thousand welcomes,' which is a pleasant thing to say." "For Saint Patrick's Day, one should say, 'Dia's Muire dhuit,' which is 'God and Mary be with you.' The proper response is, 'Dia's Muire agus Padraig dhuit,' or 'God, Mary, and Patrick be with you.'" "Oh, I get it," Clifford grinned, always appreciating Emily's explanations of new things. "Patrick must be Saint Patrick," he quickly and proudly proclaimed. "True, true, true!" Emily was pleased she had a smart dog. "I knew you would be preparing Saint Patrick Day decorations to give to your friends." Emily began to survey the interior of Clifford's spacious home, which was again covered with colorful bits and pieces of paper and bright ribbons. Today instead of red hearts and flowers, everything was green, including the scraps and snips of items sticking to O'Clifford himself. "What exactly are you designing, big buddy?" Emily laughed at the disarray as she tried to make sense out of his endeavors. "Well, these aren't going to be cards for friends," Clifford attempted to explain, "but decorations for around here, and maybe the Pet Barn. She already has doggie items dressed in green for the front display, and one big Saint Patrick Day's shamrock in the store window which proclaims 'Welcome.'" "I'm making green shamrocks," Clifford continued, "in many different sizes. Most are three-leafed, but a few have four fronds for good luck." "Clifford, besides the shamrocks," Emily cautiously suggested, "you could make shillelaghs, gold harps, top hats, clay pipes, and leprechauns. You might even try your paw at poetry." Emily deliberately introduced some new words to Clifford, and she patiently waited for his response, while he instinctively raised one of his long big red ears, as only he can. "A shillelagh or sprig of shillelagh," Emily explained, "is a club made from an oak tree. There was once Shillelagh Forest in County Wicklow, Ireland." "Is it like a baseball bat?" Clifford asked. "More of a short stout walking stick," she noted. "Not smooth or as long as a bat," she looked at Clifford's wall where his wood model was on display. "In olden days, one would not walk about the Emerald Isle without a shillelagh in hand; it was for defense and afforded good luck. It can also be used in a game called hurling, which is somewhat similar to field hockey. Here's a poem about the shillelagh." "Oh, the Irishman's heart is stout as shillelagh, as it beats with delight to chase sorrow or woe. When the piper plays up then it dances us gaily, and thumps it with a whack for to weather a foe." "OK, Emily, OK," Clifford had little patience for any poetry, "What was that other word, 'leap-if-you-can?' A sport?" "No big buddy, it's just the opposite of you!" Emily announced. "It's 'leprechauns,' or little people." "As in the Wizard of Oz?" Clifford wanted to know more. "They are smaller, magical, and harder to find," Emily smiled. "Legends state they are industrious, and delight in making music and dance. They are mischievous, and cannot be trusted. But, if you catch one, you receive good luck, and can make him give you a pot of gold. Leprechauns horde their money, and won't spend any needlessly." "They can be very tricky when caught, and never want to reveal where their pot of gold is hidden. There was a little tale of one leprechaun who was caught, and made to divulge the location of his gold. The lucky fellow who caught this leprechaun tied a red bandanna around the small twig at that site, and went to find a shovel to dig up his reward. By the time he returned, the leprechaun placed red bandannas around hundreds of similar twigs in that same field." Clifford was puzzled and asked, "Why didn't the leprechaun remove the one bandanna? Couldn't that man dig up all the twigs to be sure? How much was in the pot of gold?" "Whoa big fella, too many questions," Emily interrupted him. "This was just a tale, nothing more, not to be taken seriously. But, here's another poem." Clifford quickly pulled his ears down tight and tied them underneath before she began. "Do you not catch that of tiny clamor, whilst busy click of an elfin hammer? Voice of a leprechaun singing shrill, as merrily plies his trade concealed." "O'Clifford," Emily laughed hardily at his seeming displeasure. "Most of these poems are short pieces. Ireland is proud of its saints and poets. Saint Patrick is the favorite." "How did he become famous?" again Clifford wanted to know more. "His dates were about 385-464 AD," Emily mentioned as Clifford settled down on his haunches to carefully listen. "He grew up somewhere on the British Isle, probably in Scotland, and not in Ireland. When he was a young man, his village was attacked by Irish raiders. He was taken captive back to Eire, as it was then called. For six years, he was forced to tend his chieftain's sheep. Patrick continuously prayed for freedom, and had plenty of time to think about God and the purpose and nature of life. He often prayed 100 times a day, and finally they were answered by the thought he should escape to the sea, which was 20 miles away. When he reached the coast, there was a ship ready to depart for Gaul, which is France; it was loaded with a cargo of Irish Wolfhounds. Patrick joined the crew!" Emily paused for a moment, and knew Clifford would be pleased with her reference to the ship's cargo. While Clifford thought to himself, "I'd probably be part of the cargo. Heh, heh, heh!" "In Gaul," she continued, "Patrick decided to devote himself to God and learned to teach His word. He received training in many churches and monasteries, although which ones are still unclear. In the 430's, he was sent to convert the Celtic tribes in Eire to Christianity. At the time, most of the people were Druids, and believed in spirits and magic. Patrick was chosen for his mission because he spent six years there, and knew the Celtic language, traditions, and religion." "At first his work was difficult and dangerous, but he persisted. Druid priests and ceremonies were established among the people. However, Patrick decided to first convert the tribal and county chieftains. If the leaders were baptized, others would follow, which is exactly what happened. He became successful, and where a chieftain was converted, Patrick would ask for a small piece of land where a church could be built." "Like Johnny Appleseed," Clifford speculated, and he imagined churches spring up like little apple trees and sprouting fruit. He didn't say a word so as not to interrupt as Emily continued. "His churches were constructed all over Ireland, while original Druid worship became less and less popular. As in other lands, certain traditions and legends were retained and incorporated into Christianity. Saint Patrick finally settled in Armagh, part of Ulster, where he built his main church. Although he confronted adversity and paganism, one man in his own lifetime converted an entire nation, which was a great testimony, and the primary reason why he became a saint." "Very interesting," Clifford was impressed, "but what about the 'Wearing of the Green,' and why was March 17 selected?" "Easy questions," Emily noted. "March 17 represents the date of his passing commemorated by this holiday, and it reflects the coming of Spring. Green is also the national color of Ireland, the Emerald Isle. Everyone can wear green for this occasion, but it's special for Irish men or women." "Can baseball players wear green?" Clifford inquired further. "Ha! I thought you'd get to that," Emily joyfully surmised. "There are many uniform regulations in baseball," she explained. "The rules state that all players on a team must wear uniforms which are exactly the same in color, trim, and style. If the uniform is not identical, then the individual wearer can't play. Also, no player may attach tape or other material of a different color to the uniform." "Clifford, you can wear as much green as you want," Emily warmly smiled. "But, adding a shamrock to a baseball uniform is probably not permitted, and they can't use a shillelagh either for a bat. As for the leprechauns, you never know when one might appear on a field of green where there are enough shamrocks to make good luck." 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 March 14, 1914 Harry Caray birthdate, MLB announcer. March 14, 1918 Dickey Chapelle birthdate, photojournalist. March 15, 1888 Fred Lieb birthdate, MLB sportswriter. March 15, 1912 Cy Young retires with 511 wins. March 16, 1876 Nelly Saunders and Rose Harland prizefight. March 16, 1906 Lloyd Waner birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. March 17, 1917 First women's bowling tournament. March 17, 1956 Mae Jemison birthdate, Endeavor astronaut. March 18, 1953 Boston Braves approve move to Milwaukee. March 18, 1927 George Plimpton birthdate, sports writer. March 19, 1871 Joe McGinnity birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. March 19, 1927 Richie Ashburn birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. March 19, 1998 Rupert Murdoch purchases LA Dodgers. March 20, 1965 Chris Hoiles birthdate, MLB player. March 20, 1973 Roberto Clemente induction MLB Hall of Fame. March 21, 1934 Babe Didrikson pitches inning in exhibition game for the Philadelphia Athletics. March 22, 1952 Bob Costas birthdate, broadcaster. March 22, 1979 Christen Powell birthdate, racecar driver. March 23, 1881 Gavvy Cravath birthdate, MLB player. March 24, 1893 George Sisler birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. March 24, 1945 Priscilla Presley birthdate, Elvis offspring. March 25, 1918 Howard Cosell birthdate, broadcaster. March 25, 1966 Tom Glavine birthdate, MLB pitcher. March 25, 1971 Sheryl Swoopes birthdate, baseball player. March 26, 1930 Sandra Day O'Connor birthdate, Supreme Court. March 27, 1879 Miller Huggins birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. March 27, 1899 Gloria Swanson birthdate, film actor. March 27, 1902 Chicago Cubs adopted their nickname. D. FAME FORUM ISSUES Volume IX, 2006 Season Publications Number 09, Clifford Wears Some Green, March 15. Number 08, Let the Games Begin (1936 Olympics), March 14. Number 07, To Be or Not to Be (Williams), February 24. Number 06, Clifford's Favorite Valentine, February 10. Number 05, Models D29 and 36D (Marilyn), February 5. Number 04, Additional Recognition (letter), February 1. Number 03, Breaking Away (DiMaggio), January 20. 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, TXU180346. Copyrights(c), NWB Hall of Fame, 1998-2006 __________________________________________________________