_________________________________________________________ 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 00433 _________________________________________________________ Volume XII, Number 04 Publisher and Author March 26, 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 AT SPRING TRAINING A recently reconstituted comedic duo who were former famous stars of stage and screen, Buddie Abbott and Louise Ciullo, relax on a wooden bench in Oronoco Park near the Robinson Terminal Warehouse in Alexandria, VA on a mild sunny Sunday afternoon during late March watching the peaceful Potomac flow past and a pair of frisky Italian greyhounds at play. Lou: "Wow! Look at that catch right in mid-air! And, that flying saucer thing didn't even touch the ground." Bud: "You've seen dogs perform before. Animal acts always were big hits in vaudeville. What's so unusual about that?" Lou: "Yeah, but Abbott that little greyhound isn't running, he's hopping and leaping along barely touching the ground. At the last second he jumps and 'snap,' he's got it between his teeth! Look, there he did it again!" "In Paterson, when we threw sticks for our dogs, they never came back. This one returns that saucer every time!" Bud: "Nowadays it's called a frisbee. This isn't the 1950's." Lou: "Yeah, I know, I know, the first time I passed away was back in 1959. And, most people alive today weren't even born. Now I'm back, we're both back, again." Bud: "Well, maybe this time around you'll get things right! This apparition business is like being on parole from heaven. You know like Jimmy Stewart in 'It's A Wonderful Life,' or Cary Grant and Connie Bennett in 'Topper.' This time there will be no more of your foolish mistakes!" Lou: "OK, I promise." Bud: "No more teasing Bobby Barber." Lou: "Sure, he's probably still rushing around somewhere trying to put out a fire with cups of water. One glass at a time!" Bud: "There'll be no reruns of outdated burlesque routines." Lou: "OK, but that'll be hard." Bud: "And, nobody should call you a 'bad' anything any more." Lou: "Bessie Whitehead my school teacher in Paterson began that, but she never got anything right. I can still hear her scolding me saying, 'I'm a baaad boy!'" Bud: "Hey, none of that! Now who's confused?" Lou: "I don't know?!" Duo: "Third base!" Lou: "Well, Miss Whitehead was very nearsighted, and she made me write that phrase on the blackboard 150 times. But, Abbott, I fooled her. Yes, I did. I only wrote it 149 times!" Bud: "Oh, brother! Look, it's time for a brand new fresh start. It's spring! Everything and everyone gets another chance like a new beginning. You know, --blossoms and flowers, birds and bees. We received Presidential Pardons and were reconstituted. And, what do we always think about every spring?!" Lou: "Girls!!!" Bud: "There you go again! What did I just say about a fresh start? Think spring! It's time for baseball!" Lou: "OK, and we don't have to travel too far to see tryouts and spring training. Let's go to Griffith Stadium this afternoon." Bud: "Wait a minute, wait a minute, Lou you're a little behind the times. Griffith Stadium on Georgia near Florida Avenue is long gone, and is a parking lot and part of Howard University Hospital. Furthermore, the local team departed RFK Stadium on East Capitol Street at the end of the 1971 season. Ted Williams was the Senator's last manager. They have a new stadium now at M Street and South Capitol. And, they're also back reconstituted and ready for business in April 2005 as the Washington Nationals in the National League." Lou: "Good, let's go! And, we can do the 'Mustard Routine.'" Bud: "We can't do that!" Lou: "Why? No hot dogs? Baseball parks must have hot dogs! Everybody loves hot dogs with or without mustard." Bud: "Teams today have training either in Florida or Arizona." Lou: "What about the Landis Line? They should be at home!" Bud: "There is no such thing; that was during World War II." Lou: "Well, I must have missed that one. But, we were doing 'Buck Privates' in 1941 and 'Buck Privates Come Home' in 1947." Bud: "Yes, that's correct, in as privates and out as privates. We never really served wearing an authorized uniform from our Uncle Sam. Those outfits and scenes were just in the movies." Lou: "But, our movies boosted the morale for all the soldiers and civilians. And, we performed at training camps." Bud: "True, we starred in 20 movies during the war. In those films, we were in the army, navy, air corps, and later once in the foreign legion. We also made lots of money for Uncle Sam by selling War Bonds at theaters and factories." Lou: "Yeah, I recall in 1942 we raised millions of dollars for the war effort." Bud: "Now you're talking, that's correct! After production of 'Who Done It' in 1942, we visited 78 cities in 34 days raising $85 million in War Bonds." Lou: "How much do you think that is in today's 2009 money?" Bud: "Well, considering inflation over several decades that's about $85 billion give or take a few million." Lou: "Oh, I get it! We just add a few more zeros. We covered that updated routine a few weeks ago." Bud: "Yes, that's correct. Instead of my asking you for a mere $50 loan, we updated it to $50 billion, just a few more zeros. Wall Street does that all the time. Because your $85 million from 1942 is now $85 billion, you could loan some of it to me. After all, it's just a friendly little loan. And, certainly, you trust me. I'm your buddy. You'll get every penny back." Lou: "You might be able to fool me with the loan routine, but that's Uncle Sam's money. Nobody messes with Uncle Sam. And, what did you just say about a fresh start and it's springtime? We're not doing anything wrong this time." Bud: "There you go again changing the subject! And, I thought we were talking about baseball." Lou: "OK, but not 'Who's on First,' because we were discussing spring training." Bud: "Yes, that's right! The Landis Line was during the war, and for spring training teams could not travel south of the Potomac or west of the Mississippi, except Saint Louis which is right on the river. The Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis proclaimed those travel restrictions starting in 1943 for the duration through 1945." Lou: "Well, then it was easy since there were only 16 teams, eight in each league, and no major league clubs played south of Washington or west of Saint Louis." At that moment, a bicycle rider proceeding along the park path in a Western Union outfit and trademark cap loudly announced... Cap: "Telegram, telegram for Abbott and Ciullo! Telegram!!!" Even the greyhounds stopped playing, but only for a second. Bud: "Over here, I'll take it!" Lou: "Come on Abbott, what does it say?" Bud: "Apparently, it's for you, and what a coincidence because it concerns spring training in town." Lou: "I told you they'd practice around here. Let me read it." Bud: "Well, that's right. And, you've been invited to tryout for the Virginia Flames at Marshall Field." Lou: "You're kidding me? Not Marshall Fields the big store?" Bud: "This is a baseball field named after George C. Marshall. You know, the Chief of Staff during World War II. Roosevelt never slept if Marshall was out-of-town. There are directions to the ballpark. Read this for yourself." Lou: "Wow! This is great! I wonder if I'll make the Flames. You know, this is just a tryout. They may not need me." Bud: "Remember after the war you were invited to substitute for Joe DiMaggio. One spring he was out with bone spur surgery." Lou: "Yeah, and his operation was at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. I was ready, but they never called me up." Bud: "In our movie 'Here Come the Coeds,' you actually played." Lou: "Yeah, that was 1945, and I was a natural in basketball." Bud: "Sure, in New Jersey you were a state champ. For a good athlete, it's all the same, --basketball or baseball." Lou: "But, I won't brag about what the movie billboards said about my playing basketball in 1945. You'll get mad at me." Bud: "I know what the advertisements claimed about your skills. I won't get mad. Go ahead you can say it." Lou: "No, you'll get angry and correct me!" Bud: "Of course not, I'll do nothing of the kind. Those movie placards were entirely correct. There's no need to admonish you." Lou: "I don't even know what that means, but I dare not say it!" Bud: "Go ahead, it'll do you good. After all those were just the words of some studio ad man you'll be repeating." Lou: "OK, in 'Here Come the Coeds,' I was billed as Daisy Dimple at Bixby College the 'World's Greatest Girl Basketball Player.'" Bud: "Wait a minute, wait a minute, now you've gone too far in self-righteous self-promotion. 'World's Greatest?' Indeed!" Lou: "I knew it, I knew it! Abbott, you suckered me again!" Bud: "You should know better. I'm ashamed of you. There is only one person who fits that title." Duo: "Ballentine!!!" Lou: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's Ballentine with a 'B,' I know. But, if she can star in basketball and baseball then so can I." Bud: "Well, that remains to be seen." Duo: "Tryouts!" Lou: "It's this weekend, weather permitting. I'm not worried because Babe Ruth himself taught me everything I need to know. He was our most favorite baseball player." Bud: "Well, now you're talking properly. He certainly was the 'World's Greatest Baseball Player,' which nobody can deny." Lou: "Let's go to the batting cages! You just wait until I get my hands on a bat. I'll show you how to hit the ball!" Note: This article is a sequel to three other recreated original Abbott and Costello newsletter stories, "Abbott and Ciullo Celebrate George's Birthday," February 22, 2009; "Abbott and Ciullo in Washington," December 17, 2008; and "Abbott and Ciullo Meet Ted Williams," November 28, 2008. In the 1945 movie "Here Come the Coeds," Lou Costello played Daisy Dimple who was billed as the "Greatest Girl Basketball Player." Ballentine #14 (see website homepage), inducted into the NWB Hall of Fame in 2001, was primarily a catcher for the Montgomery County BarnCats. During college, she was an all-star forward for the George Washington University Colonials. Voted Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, Ballentine holds a collegiate record for 40 points in a single game. Lou Costello was born Louis Cristillo, March 6, 1906, and loved baseball and basketball at which he excelled. Sebastian, his father, appeared as a cameo on a park bench in the 1947 film, "Buck Privates Come Home." For this baseball newsletter, the duo's names were changed to Buddie Abbott and Louise Ciullo (derived from Ciulla, NWB Hall of Fame in 2003). 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 March 25, 1918 Howard Cosell birthdate, broadcaster. March 25, 1971 Sheryl Swoopes birthdate, WNBA basketball player. March 25, 1979 First NBA 3-point shot by Chris Ford, Celtics. 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. March 28, 1899 August Busch birthdate, MLB executive. March 28, 1973 Wilt Chamberlain retires from NBA with 1,045 games, 14 seasons, never fouled-out. March 28, 1989 Cathy McAllister and Stefni Whitten pitch back-to-back perfect games in softball for Southwestern Louisiana College. March 29, 1867 Cy Young birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. March 29, 1918 Pearl Bailey birthdate, singer and actor. March 29, 1944 Denny McLain birthdate, MLB pitcher. March 31, 1823 Mary Chestnut birthdate, Civil War author. March 31, 1998 Tampa Bay Devil Rays first MLB game. March 31, 1998 Arizona Diamondbacks first MLB game. D. FAME FORUM ISSUES Volume XII, 2009 Season Publications Number 04, Abbott and Ciullo at Spring Training, March 26. 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 __________________________________________________________