_________________________________________________________ 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 00424 _________________________________________________________ Volume XI, Number 30 Publisher and Author October 14, 2008 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: FOREVER YOUNG (MEL GIBBONS) Phoenixville, PA, October 2008 [Scene opens in the Office of the Mayor with background music a modified version of an old Billy Holiday tune "The Very Thought of You," as credits roll. Arriving in the room for an emergency meeting are the borough's Chief of Police and Director of Recreation.] [Refrain] "We don't need a photograph, at any gallery but instead, her images are for the web. We don't need a photograph, for us to recall or remind, your ballplaying is divine." "The very thought of you... We won't forget the things, extraordinary gamers bring. It's like being in a dream, makes you happy as a queen. The very thought of you... Your face is in each field, and throws are beyond real. So, when we hear your name, you're in the Hall of Fame. The very thought of you..." [The Mayor abruptly turns off the music in the middle of a refrain, and the story dialogue commences.] Leo: "They've got something of ours!" the Mayor impatiently began looking at his recreation staff momentarily ignoring Lieutenant Dave, the long-time keeper of law and order in pleasant and peaceful Phoenixville. "I want you," he continued the initial directive, "to drive down to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, and bring back this thing. Pronto! Whatever it is! Take Buck with you in one of those large recreation department trucks. I was told this is kind of big!" He paused and lowered his voice, "This is on my authority to drive out-of-state, and it's top secret. And, don't let the Historic Preservation Society folks know anything until we've seen it first, and figure out if it's useful. This may be a piece of junk in an abandoned warehouse the Army thinks they can dump on us. Well, this is Phoenixville, been around for a long, long while, and we weren't born yesterday." Mel: "OK, Mayor, it's a secret, a big secret, but it would be helpful for me to know exactly what you're talking about, that little old bit of information would be useful." Leo: "I don't know what it is myself, exactly, nobody does. The Army called me this morning, and they're cleaning out a warehouse in a remote corner of the base. And, they found something that belongs to us, or so they say, and it's some sort of sealed container or time capsule. They don't want to open it, and plan to just pass it along to someone else. So, go look it over, maybe it's something your department could put on display in one of the parks." Again, Mel interrupted, "How did they know that it's ours? Did it have your name on the side?" Leo: "Don't be cute," he laughed, "it has a foundry marking on its side, which clearly states, 'PIW.'" "Phoenix Iron Works," Dave commented, "and that means us!" Everyone nodded in solemn agreement as the Mayor continued. "We know it, and the Army checked Sothebys for verification. Aberdeen doesn't want it, whatever it is, and apparently it was manufactured here so we have jurisdiction." "Who knows what condition it's in, or what's inside, but it has been there for decades." The Mayor produced an envelope labeled 'Top Secret,' which was delivered moments earlier by special courier, and he continued. "Records indicate it was recovered near the North Pole back in late 1959 by one of our nuclear submarines, almost fifty years ago. During August 1959, the USS Nautilus, our first nuclear sub, passed underneath the North Pole on a four-day trip under the ice. Apparently, its scientific instruments detected something, and seven months later the USS Skate was sent on a secret mission to recover that object. The Skate surfaced somewhere in the Arctic, but its course and action were classified." "Whatever it was seemed harmless in a frozen state, although it was emitting low-level radiation, which the Nautilus crew had reported. The Nautilus mission was to only cruise under the pole, and the Skate went back with scientists and orders to surface. They thought it was a fallen Soviet satellite, remnants of an unsuccessful sputnik or muttnik. The Ruskies at that time were sending up anything in order to be first. But, Skate's crew saw it was a PIW container." Dave: "Why didn't they leave it up there at the North Pole?" "I was getting to that part," the Mayor explained further. "They had to bring something back. Ike wanted to know, and he was always suspicious of the Soviets." "You mean he wasn't golfing around in Gettysburg?" whispered Mel to herself while the Mayor continued. "Apparently, the container was shipped to the Naval Research Lab in Anacostia. They were busy with Voyager and space, and not interested in the deep freeze at the pole. Over the years, our container was passed along to White Oak, Carderock, and a warehouse at Aberdeen, where it was stored as a 'water heater' on their inventory and promptly forgotten, until this month. They're demolishing the storage building." The Mayor closed the report, "It's up to you to bring it here, since the Army doesn't want it and claim it's our baby." Dave: "The iron works made Phoenixville famous. This object, whatever it is, might do the same." Recalling some department brochures, Mel added, "During the Civil War the Phoenix Iron Works was busy day and night." Dave: "Well, it was a little before my time. I must have missed that one." Mel: "This was a boom town from 1861-1865. We produced the famous Griffen Gun, about 1,400 field cannons, named after the plant owner. The Griffen is depicted in the Civil War battlefield images with two large carriage wheels supporting a solid six foot tapered barrel. It was very reliable and accurate, and most importantly it didn't explode during the heat of battle. Must have been that good old Pennsylvania anthracite firing the furnaces. PIW also produced rails for the expanding railroads, and in 1862 they invented the 'Phoenix Column.' In construction, those columns and beams were bolted together and hollow inside, and provided greater strength and lighter weight than solid iron predecessors. 'Phoenix Columns' helped build the first skyscrapers." Leo: "OK, enough local history. Something from PIW was up at the North Pole, and now it's at Aberdeen. It could be anything, --time capsule, battlefield armor, small submarine, perhaps a plane or rocket from WWII, or Soviet satellite; and possibly there is something or someone is inside." Mel: "Like a frozen test pilot was in 'Forever Young?'" Leo: "Or, as Sigorney Weaver was suspended in 'Alien?'" Dave: "How about Ted Williams in a cryonics cylinder?" Mel: "I have it on good authority, the Splendid Splinter and others are truly dead in Arizona, --decapitated, dehydrated, and deep frozen at -340F. Nobody is revived and awaken from those conditions, not even a chicken." Leo: "OK, off you go! If PIW's capsule is in good shape, maybe it should belong in the Civic Center or Reeves Park. Dave give her a police escort, one vehicle and no sirens. This mission is top secret!" Aberdeen, MD (later) Buck drove and Mel navigated to the proper seldom used gate at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. A guard examined her pass which was in the envelope delivered to the Mayor. They were escorted to the warehouse where the container was waiting outside under a tarp. Without a word, it was immediately loaded on the truck ready for the return trip. "Sign on this line, initial here and there, and sign and date the bottom," an officer at the warehouse requested. "Now this water heater is yours. The Army and Navy kept it for almost fifty years, probably doesn't work, unless it was from Sears." With their cargo intact, the mission from Phoenixville began the return journey. Phoenixville, PA (later) The contents of the container remained unobtrusive until they crossed the Mason-Dixon Line. Then mysteriously it began to emit a mild reddish glow. The red light became brighter more frequent and stronger as they neared Phoenixville, which was apparent to vehicles on the roadway, but not to those in the caravan until arriving on Main Street. Something was amiss. They stopped for a traffic light in the center of town, and a crowd surrounded the truck, which was bathed in a pulsating reddish glow. Mel and Buck jumped from the cab. "Hey, I've seen that before," someone in the crowd shouted. "Everyone step back," Lieutenant Dave commanded, "I've heard about it, too. This means only one thing!" The crowd proclaimed in amazed unison and instant recognition. "It's T-H-E B-L-O-B!!!" Everyone started wildly shouting. Mel stepped in the front of the growing crowd, "Don't panic, remain calm, all is well, and DON'T open that container!!!" "The last time the Blob absorbed dozens of Phoenixvillers at the Downingtown Diner, Colonial Movie Theater, Meineke Muffler, and Jerry's Supermarket, which is now Gary's Drugstore." "But, wait!" she excitedly recalled a scene, "Steve McQueen and Aneta Corseaut were safe in Jerry's walk-in refrigerator! Blobs hate cold!!!" She quickly recited several solutions to resolve this crisis. "Keep it in the container. Remove all the foundry markings. Commandeer an ice cream truck. Drive it to Scottsdale, AZ." "Gotcha Sucker!!!" Note: "The Blob" in 1958 was filmed entirely in Chester and Montgomery Counties, PA, and on the streets and in the buildings of Phoenixville by an independent company Valley Forge Films. It was Steve McQueen's first starring role, although he had a small part in "Somebody Up There Likes Me" in 1956. McQueen was 28 at the time, and had a choice of $3,000 up front for the film, or 10% of the gross. He accepted the cash advance, but the movie garnered $12 million as an instant cult classic. McQueen might have become a millionaire by age 29 in the late 1950's. The movie's budget was only $240,000 with a basic plot: the Blob was discovered, it absorbed people at various town locations, McQueen and Corseaut warned citizens, and it was captured and parachuted into the Arctic. "The Very Thought of You," vocalized by Billy Holiday was the opening refrain in the 1992 Mel Gibson movie "Forever Young." It was utilized as background and transition throughout the film. Lyrics were written by Ray Noble in 1934, and the song was subsequently popularized by Holiday. The movie begins in 1939, test pilot Gibson was voluntarily frozen and revived fifty years later. "Gotcha Sucker!!!" is the dramatic concluding line used by Eddie Murphy when he subdues aliens descending to earth in "Chubby Rain" being filmed by Steve Martin as a spoof within the 1999 movie "Bowfinger." This 2008 remake stars Melissa Gibbons, who really is the Phoenixville Recreation Director, and saves the day by sending the frozen red ooze away to Scottsdale, AZ, which is Ted Williams' temporary place of internment. Interconnecting themes were irresistible: Mel Gibbons and Mel Gibson in "Forever Young," Phoenixville and "The Blob," and Ted Williams for good measure; all of which could have been expanded, but fortunately email venues have length limitations. Melissa Gibbons was inducted into the NWB Hall of Fame in October 2008, another notation which may be added to her many credits. The following are statements which accompanied her official nomination. MELISSA GIBBONS 2008 CANDIDATE STATEMENTS A. Personal Statement From Melissa Gibbons Phoenixville Blue Crush, Captain, Pitcher, and Shortstop "I began my baseball career in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania at six years old. I went up through the levels playing on all boys teams. I was a pitcher who threw 50 mph at the age of ten. As I got older it was harder for the boys teams to accept me, but as my fastball got quicker the acceptance continued to grow. I moved to Colorado at age ten and had to reprove myself to a whole new group of people who initially wanted me to move over to softball. Again it was my fastball that paved the way for me. I pitched for an all boys team and several All-Star teams while out west. At the age of fifteen I moved back east to Yardley, Pennsylvania and had my first setback as I was cut from the High School team and told to move to softball. I refused to move on to softball and continued playing in a town league." "In the summer of 1994, I was offered a tryout with the Mid-Atlantic Pride, a woman’s semi-professional team that played exhibition games at minor league ballparks throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. I was the youngest player on the team. Many of the other players were former Division 1 college softball players. For three years we traveled around playing games against men’s team to generate interest for woman’s baseball. We would raise money for charities while exposing young girls to an alternative to softball. While playing for the Pride we played in a women’s baseball tournament in Battlecreek, Michigan against teams from Arizona, California, Chicago, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Michigan; despite losing in the Championship game to Chicago. I was named MVP of the tournament. The highlight of my career with the Mid-Atlantic Pride was an exhibition game played before a Philadelphia Phillies game at Veterans Stadium where I became the first woman ever to pitch at Veteran Stadium." "After the Mid-Atlantic Pride broke up, I played in a woman’s league in New Jersey until I was recruited to play professionally for the New Jersey Diamonds. This professional league had teams all over the country but unfortunately, due to financial problems, only lasted one year. Since that time I have continued to play while continuing to encourage young girls to explore baseball as an option." B. Nomination Statement From Narda Quigley Philadelphia Women's Baseball League, Founder and Organizer "When we began thinking about starting a women’s baseball league in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area back in the winter of 2004, JoAnn Milliken (Eastern Women’s Baseball Conference) and Susan Winthrop (New York Women’s Baseball League) put me in touch with several people in the area who they thought would be interested in joining and/or taking on leadership roles to help develop the fledgling league." "Thankfully for me, Mel Gibbons was one of the first people they put me in touch with. From the first meeting we had to generate ideas about the league, I had the sense that Mel was a thoughtful, hard-working, intelligent, and knowledgeable individual who would be able to bring great things to the league. Mel has followed through on my initial impressions and exceeded everyone in the Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League’s expectations in terms of her personal leadership, dedication, and commitment to women’s baseball. Our league would not have existed without her efforts, and we continue to rely on her (probably more than we should!) for her outstanding motivation and leadership." "Mel took on the role of Captain of the Blue Crush in the summer of 2004, working closely with our league coaches and captains to plan our first PWBL schedule, build a roster of talented players, and contribute to her team with her own talents with respect to pitching (a devastating fastball and deceptive curveball are her strengths) and fielding (she is an admirable defensive player, our league’s best at her position)." "She is the rare triple-threat sort of individual who can contribute to the league on the administrative end, the coaching end, and the playing end of things. I cannot exaggerate how important her participation and presence is to the continued success of the Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League." "As an individual, Mel is a person characterized by integrity, honesty, generosity, and kindness. She is unfailingly empathetic and understands well the challenges associated with recruiting female players to play a game that culturally (and unfortunately) has been relegated to one gender. I have seen Mel work hard at the last minute to recruit softball players from other teams she participates on to play for the Crush in order to fill out roster spots that had opened up due to vacations in mid-summer, etc., her can-do attitude and general positive nature help potential players overcome their fears of playing a game that they have been told for years is off-limits." "To conclude, Mel would be an outstanding and worthy choice to join the National Women’s Baseball Hall of Fame. She is a talented player, a dedicated member of the PWBL, and a wonderful, deserving person. She has also made baseball a priority throughout her life, giving up opportunities in fastpitch softball in order to proceed with her baseball career. I can think of no better honor for her than to receive standing in the Hall of Fame." 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 October 10, 1900 Helen Hayes birthdate, award winning actor. October 10, 1924 Washington Senators win only World Series. October 11, 1900 Eddie Dyer birthdate, World Series MLB manager. October 11, 1939 Maria Bueno birthdate, tennis champion. October 12, 1906 Joe Cronin birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 13, 1754 Molly Pitcher birthdate, Revolutionary War soldier. October 13, 1876 Rube Waddell birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 13, 1903 Boston wins first World Series. October 14, 1905 Giants all shut-out World Series. October 15, 1830 Helen Jackson birthdate, US Indian Commissioner. October 15, 1945 Jim Palmer birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 16, 1900 Goose Goslin birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 16, 1969 Miracle Mets win World Series. October 17, 1848 Candy Cummings birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 17, 1859 Buck Ewing birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 17, 1956 Mae Jemison birthdate, Endeavor astronaut. October 18, 1836 Ellen Scripps birthday, newspaper owner. October 18, 1977 Reggie Jackson 3 World Series homeruns. October 19, 1876 Peter Brown birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 20, 1931 Mickey Mantle birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 20, 1942 Christiane Volard birthdate, Nobel Prize. October 21, 1928 Whitey Ford birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 21, 1975 Carlton Fisk 12th inning World Series homerun. October 22, 1907 Jimmie Foxx birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 23, 1906 Gertrude Ederle birthdate, Channel swimmer. October 23, 1931 Jim Bunning birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 24, 1871 Louis Sockalexis birthdate, MLB player. October 25, 1889 Smoky Joe Wood birthdate, MLB player. October 26, 1899 Julius Johnson birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 27, 1922 Ralph Kiner birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 28, 1886 Statue of Liberty dedicated. October 28, 1926 Bowie Kuhn birthdate, MLB Commissioner. October 29, 1859 Charles Ebbets birthdate, Dodgers owner. October 29, 1891 Fanny Brice birthdate, singer and dancer. October 29, 1953 Saint Louis Browns became Baltimore Orioles. October 30, 1916 Leon Day birthdate, MLB Hall of Fame. October 31, 1912 Dale Evans birthdate, television star. D. FAME FORUM ISSUES Volume XI, 2008 Season Publications Number 30, Forever Young (Mel Gibbons), October 14. Number 29, 2008 NWB Hall of Fame Inductions, October 8. Number 28, Melissa Gibbons Article From 2000, October 5. Number 27, Rosie Weaver Article From 2005, October 4. Number 26, 2008 Nominations for Induction (NWB/HoF), October 3. Number 25, Move Over Bobby Thomson, (EWBC final), September 22. Number 24, 2008 NWB Hall of Fame Induction Form, September 4. Number 23, Niner at the Plate (Casey II), August 4. 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 __________________________________________________________