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In the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice will occur on June 21.  As most of us know, the ss is the date with the longest period of daylight, and when the sun’s shadow is its shortest.  Furthermore, in most of the US it is the date on which the sun appears to be at its highest point in the sky.   In extreme northern locales the sun will be “out” the entire day.

The word “solstice” is derived from the Latin “sol,” meaning “sun” and “sistere,” meaning “to stand still.”  As the seasons progress from winter to summer in the northern hemisphere, the sun appears to move north in the sky.  On the date of the ss it has progressed as far north as it will get, and it momentarily “stands still” before it appears to begin to slide southward toward the point of its winter solstice.

In most cultures and countries the summer and winter solstices are intertwined with the seasons.  For example, in the US and many other countries the ss marks the commencement of summer.  On the other hand, in extreme northern and southern locations the solstices mark the midpoint of summer or winter.

For many ancient cultures the ss was a festive time.  Most of them were sun worshippers anyway, and the longest day of the year was a reason to celebrate the renewal of life. The recurrent themes, in various forms, were life, light, femininity, marriage and fertility.  (Perhaps, this concept was the derivation of the custom of having weddings in June.)

For example:

1. The pagan holiday, Litha, which is a celebration of light and life, was celebrated on that date.
2. Many archaeologists maintain that the ancient culture that constructed Stonehenge intended it to be a crude calendar. The stones do seem to have been placed to align with the sunrise on the date of the ss.
3. The ancient Chinese marked the date with celebrations of the femininity, the “Yin” forces, and the Earth. Itself. This served as a counterpoint to the winter solstice, which was a celebration of the heavens, masculinity, and the “Yang” forces.
4. Typically, Native Americans held festivals featuring body paint and ritualistic dances.
5. In ancient Gaul (modern-day France) the celebration was called the Feast of Epona after a mare goddess that protected horses and personified fertility.
6. Slavic and Germanic cultures celebrated with huge bonfires.

CONCLUSION

In modern times the ss is a time to celebrate the arrival of summer.  In many extreme northern areas, where the people maybe haven’t seen the sun for months, such as northern Sweden, Finland and Norway, people spend the entire day outside.  Many of them decorate their homes, light bonfires, and dance around Maypoles.

I have always enjoyed a warm summer day as much as the next guy.  But, truthfully, to me June 21 is just another day.  Depending on the weather I will play golf, play outside with the kids (or grandkids), go to the beach, or, if it’s inclement, just stay inside.  One final thought on the date, it has always seemed counterintuitive to me that the beginning of summer also marked the time when the days started to get shorter, and I view shorter days as a harbinger of winter.

Once again, US soccer is enjoying its time in the sports spotlight.  The seventh FIFA Women’s World Cup championship tournament began on June 6 and will continue through July 5.  The host team is Canada.  It is Canada’s initial turn as host, and only the third time the tournament will be played in North America.   (The US was the host in 1999 and 2003, the only occasions in which a country has hosted tournaments consecutively.)   The venues for the matches are Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton.  You will note the absence of Toronto, which, incredibly, had to decline the honor due to a scheduling conflict it could not resolve.

Although soccer, or football as it known throughout the rest of the world, is the most popular sport in the world, its popularity in the US is spotty and inconsistent.  American boys and girls play it in youth leagues, high schools and colleges, but serious professionals normally have to journey overseas to compete at the highest levels.  For the most part, the US media and the general public only focus on the sport during the Olympics and World Cups.

The field for this tournament was expanded from 16 teams to 24.  134 teams competed in various qualifying tournaments to earn one of 23 spots.  Canada, as host, automatically qualified.  The field is divided into six groups of four each, who play each other round-robin.  The top two teams in each group plus the four best third place finishers qualify for the knockout round.  In the knockout round teams are seeded based upon their records, so it would behoove one to win its bracket.   As I write this, the US is first in its bracket. .

North Korea was not permitted to compete.  After several of its players tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs during the 2011 tournament, it was banned from participating in 2015, the first such time for a women’s soccer team.

This will be the first tournament to be played on artificial turf.  Predictably this has sparked a concern over the greater potential for injuries.   American football fans will be familiar with this issue.  This is not without merit, as experience has demonstrated that artificial turf has caused some severe injuries in that sport.

Down through the years, the US team has been very successful and has done its part to “grow” the sport in the US.  It has won two World Cups, four Olympic gold medals and ten Algarve Cups, including nine of the last 13.   Perhaps, the team’s signature moment came in the final match of the 1999 World Cup when it defeated China in a shootout.   The game was watched by over 90,000 fans in the Rose Bowl , the largest crowd ever for a women’s sporting event, as well as countless more worldwide.  What a boost for the sport!  Anyone who saw it will never forget Brandi Chastain’s “unique” celebration after scoring the winning goal.  The famous image of her celebrating exultantly while on her knees stripped down to a sports bra was featured on newspapers, magazines and television programs all around the world.  Apparently, Brandi was not a disciple of former NFL football head coach, Tom Landry’s, who was not a fan of what he felt were excessive celebrations.  He would admonish his players to “act like you’ve been there before.”   Can you imagine if twitter and U-Tube had existed back then?

Incidentally, for the benefit of you more casual soccer fans, the Algarve Cup is a major annual invitational tournament hosted by the Portuguese Football Federation.  Its name is derived from the Algarve region of the country where the tournament is played.

The US team has twice been selected as the US Olympic Committee’s “Team of the Year” (1997 and 1999).   In 1999 “Sports Illustrated” named the team the “Sportsman of the Year.”   FIFA has ranked the team #1 or 2 in the world every year since 2008.  Currently, it is #2.  Two of its long-time stars, Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers, have been included on the list of the 125 greatest living soccer players.

CONCLUSION

This year’s team includes some familiar stars, such as Hope Solo, the goalie, Christie Rampone, Shannon Boxx and Abbey Wambeth, who are veterans of past Olympic gold medal teams.  Some observers have criticized the team as being too old as nine of the 23 players are 30 or older, but I would call it a nice blend of youth and experience.  Most observers have designated the team as one of the co-favorites, along with Japan and Germany.   Hopefully, they will come through once again.

The Triple Crown of thoroughbred horseracing includes the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.  Originally, owners began to send their colts to run in these races simply because they offered the biggest purses.  There was no concept of a Triple Crown.  Indeed, when Sir Barton won all three in 1919, he was not known as the “Triple Crown Winner.”  That designation gained traction in 1930 when Gallant Fox won all three.  It is believed that a sports writer, Charles Hatton, popularized the term.

Winning the TC is quite a feat.  The three races are run over a five week period, in different cities, and at different distances.  The TC winner must have the speed to win the Preakness, which is only 1 3/16 miles and the stamina to win the Belmont, which, at 1 ½ miles, is one of the longest races anywhere.   In addition, the horse must beat competitors that, having bypassed one or both of the other races, are fresher.

At long last, this past Saturday, June 6, American horseracing got its twelfth Triple Crown Winner as American Pharoah won the Belmont Stakes.  AP’s victory ended the longest drought between TC winners – 37 years.   The TC winners, whose names are very familiar to horseracing fans and to many general sports fans as well, are as follows:

Sir Barton – 1919

Gallant Fox – 1930

Omaha – 1935

War Admiral – 1937

Whirlaway – 1941

Count Fleet – 1943

Assault – 1946

Citation – 1948

Secretariat – 1973

Seattle Slew – 1977

Affirmed – 1978

American Pharoah – 2015

The current order of the three races was not fixed until 1932.  Prior to then, the Preakness was sometimes run before the Derby.  On a couple of occasions the Derby and the Preakness were run on the same day.  No TC winner those years!

Below please find a brief profile of each of the races.

Kentucky Derby (aka “The Run for the Roses”)

1. The Derby, as it is frequently called, was first run in 1875. The winner was a colt named Aristedes.
2. It is run on the first Saturday in May.
3. The driving force behind establishing the race was Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark. History buffs will recognize the name. Clark was the grandson of William Clark who, along with Meriwether Lewis, led the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition to Oregon in 1804-06.  Clark got the idea for the race during a trip to Europe when he observed The Derby in England and the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp.
4. Churchill Downs derived its name from John and Henry Churchill, who provided the land for the racetrack.
5. Originally, the distance was 1 ½ miles, but it has been run at its current 1 ¼ miles since 1896.
6. Traditions:

a. Drinking a mint julep, which is an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint and sugar syrup. One may drink it either in an ice-frosted julep cup or a souvenir cup.

b. A popular food is “burgoo,” which is a thick stew consisting of chicken, pork and vegetables. I hope it tastes better than it sounds.

c. Women wear lavish outfits accessorized by outlandish hats.

d. The band plays “My Old Kentucky Home” during the post parade.

e. The vast infield is utilized primarily for partying as not much of the actual race can be seen from it.

f. The stakes record is held by Secretariat at 1:59.40.

g. The most wins by a jockey is five by Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hardtack.

The Preakness Stakes

1. The race was named after a horse who won the featured stakes race on the day the track at Pimlico opened.
2. The race is run on the third Saturday in May.
3. Attendance ranks second behind the Derby and ahead of the Belmont Stakes.
4. The race is limited to 14 horses, probably due to space limitations.
5. Traditions:

a. The band plays “Maryland, My Maryland” during the post parade.

b. Prior to 1940, the winner received a Woodlawn Vase. Subsequently, the winner has been bedecked with black-eyed Susans, the Maryland State Flower.

c. The official cocktail is the “Black-eyed Susan,” which consists of vodka, St. Germain liqueur and pineapple, orange and lime juices.

d. The infield is for partying, not necessarily viewing the race. The gathering there is called the InfieldFest.

e. The record of 1:53 is held by Secretariat.

f. Eddie Arcaro has won the most times – six.

The Belmont Stakes (aka “The Test of the Champion”)

1. It is the oldest of the TC races, dating to 1868.
2. It is the longest of the races – 1 ½ miles.
3. It is held five weeks after the Derby and three weeks after the Preakness.
4. It is named for August Belmont, Sr., who financed the first race in 1866.
5. The original location was Jerome Park Racetrack in The Bronx, NY. The race was moved to Belmont Park in 1905.
6. The winner receives the prestigious August Belmont Trophy.
7. Traditions –

a. The traditional post parade song was “Sidewalks of NY” until 1996. Now, it is “The Theme from New York, New York.”

b. The official drink has also changed over the years, from the “White Carnation” to the “Belmont Breeze” to the “Belmont Jewel.”

c. The winner is draped with a blanket of white carnations.

d. The stakes record is held by (who else?) Secretariat, who won in 2:24 by an astounding 31 lengths.

e. The jockeys with the most wins are Eddie Arcaro and Jim McLaughlin with six each.

CONCLUSION

So, which horse was the best of the best?  Obviously, it is impossible to compare the relative merits of the twelve TC winners as they competed in different eras.  That said, I believe it is impossible to ignore the accomplishments of Secretariat who thoroughly dominated his rivals (winning by 31 lengths?!  Really?!) and holds the stakes record at all three tracks.  I would rate him as the best, although I welcome other opinions.

June is a busy sports month.  For baseball fans, the MLB season is in full swing.  June is the month when the better teams normally begin to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.  For basketball fans, there is “The Finals,” although this year’s matchup might be one-sided, and the upcoming college draft.  In thoroughbred horseracing, this year, there is the excitement of a possible Triple Crown winner.   Tennis fans have the French Open.  Golf fans have the US Open.  Football is always in the news, even during the off-season.  But, for hockey fans, the Stanley Cup playoffs dominate the scene.  American boys grow up dreaming of becoming the next Bryce Harper, Peyton Manning or LeBron James.  Canadian boys want to become the next Sid Crosby.  Even better, they want to win an NHL championship and get their name inscribed on the Cup.  Once your name is on the Cup, it is there forever.

The Stanley Cup, aka “The Cup,” is the oldest championship in North America.  It is named after Lord Stanley of Preston.   Stanley, who was appointed Governor General of Canada in 1888 by Queen Victoria, was a rabid hockey fan.  During that period organized hockey in Canada was in its infancy.  There were no organized leagues as such, just a collection of amateur teams who would play against each other (similar to the state of baseball in the US in the mid-19^th Century).

Stanley conceived of the idea of awarding a trophy to the top amateur team annually.  The Cup was first awarded in 1893 (to Montreal).  It became the de facto championship trophy to the NHL champion in 1926.  It has been awarded every year since 1893 with two exceptions – 1915 due to the Spanish Flu Pandemic and 2005 due to the NHL “lockout.”

Some little-known facts, traditions and anecdotes regarding The Cup:

1. Unlike trophies in other sports, such as baseball, football and basketball, the same Cup is awarded every year. In addition, the names of the players, coaches, staff and executives are engraved on it, which gives them a sports immortality of sorts. When all available space has been used, a new band is added. Old bands are detached and retained in the HOF.
2. There are actually three Cups. The Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup is the original Cup, which Stanley purchased in 1892 for the dollar equivalent of $50. It was awarded until 1970, but it has been retired, and is now on display permanently in the Vault Room at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The Presentation Cup is the one that is actually presented to the champions and is paraded around in public. The Replica Cup is maintained at the Hall of Fame as a stand-in for the Dominion Cup, when needed, a “spare,” if you will.
3. Occasionally, engraving errors have been made. Thus, we have 1971 “Bqstqn” Bruins and the 1981 NY “Ilanders.” Also, many players’ names have been misspelled, for example, “Glin” Hall and Alex “Belvecchio.” Such errors have not been corrected and have become part of Cup lore.
4. Twelve women’s names have been inscribed on the Cup primarily as management or owners, not players.
5. The team with the most Cup victories is Montreal with 24.
6. The player who appears on the Cup most often is Henri Richard, aka the “Pocket Rocket,” eleven times. Old time fans, such as me, will recall him from the powerhouse Montreal teams of the 1950s.
7. The coach with the most appearances is Scotty Bowman with nine.
8. The tradition of drinking champagne from the Cup commenced in 1896.
9. Prior to 1930s the Cup was not presented to the winner on the ice. Also, the tradition of the captain of the winning team parading the Cup around the ice dates from the 1950s.
10. The Cup winner is allowed 100 days to pass it around among its team members. It is always supposed to be accompanied by a representative of the HOF. Occasionally players have maltreated the Cup, usually due to excess celebration. For example, once, it was drop-kicked into a canal and left there over night; once it was left on the side of the road for a few hours after players removed it while changing a flat tire; two players have allowed their dogs to eat out of the Cup; and on three occasions it has been tossed into players’ pools. These are merely the G Rated stories; I’m sure there are more colorful ones that have never seen the light of day.
11. And, last but not least, in 1940 when the Rangers won, coincidentally the mortgage on MSG was paid off.  So, management decided to symbolically burn the mortgage in the Cup. Then, some inebriated players urinated in the Cup to put out the fire. Supposedly this fostered a “curse” on the team winning the Cup prospectively.   Sounds ridiculous, but the Rangers did go 54 years before winning again.

CONCLUSION

This year’s matchup is between Tampa and Chicago.   Hopefully, it will go seven games.  There is nothing more exciting in all of sports than overtime of a seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals.  The viewer cannot look away for a second, lest he miss the championship-winning goal.  Scoring plays can and do develop instantly.  That is truly “sudden death.”

By the way, I have always been curious as to the origin of the traditional hockey post-game handshake, which is unique in professional sports.  As best as I have been able to determine, it originated with a memorial all-star game in 1908 that was played to benefit a player who had died in a tragic diving accident.  If anyone has more information regarding this tradition please let me know.

LeBron James is one of a select few persons, like Cher, Prince, Kobe, Shaq or Magic, who can be identified by one name.  Mention “LeBron,” and most people, even non-basketball fans, will know to whom you are referring.  He is generally considered by fans, the media, and, most significantly, other players to be the best active player in the NBA and the face of the sport.  Furthermore, he is on the “short list” of the greatest basketball players ever with Michael (Jordan), Magic (Johnson), Wilt (Chamberlain) and Oscar (Robertson), among others.  However, the purpose of this blog is not to opine on where James ranks among these all-time greats but, rather, to explore why he has been the subject of so much undue criticism and controversy during his career.

LeBron Raymone James was born on December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio.  His mother was just 16.  He grew up in abject poverty without a father, not exactly a formula for success.   Fortunately, he had a talent for basketball and was guided by a local coach who served as male role model and mentor.  He became famous in high school where he led his team to three state championships in four years.  In addition, he won various individual awards, such as “Ohio’s Mr. Basketball” and “Gatorade National Player of the Year.” Oh, and in his spare time he was a first team all-state tight end on the football team.  Probably, he could have succeeded in the NFL if the basketball thing hadn’t worked out.  Following high school he went directly to the NBA.   The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him with the first pick of the 2003 draft.

LeBron is different from most other superstars both personally and professionally.  For example:

1. He has led a clean personal life, devoid of any criminal or civil problems. He has not been linked to drug or alcohol abuse, gotten into any fights at clubs, attacked women, nor abused animals. He is still married to his high school sweetheart and has three children. By all accounts, he has been a fine family man.
2. On the court he is very unselfish. Unlike many other superstars, he actually passes the ball. If you are open, he will get you the ball and in a position to score. He makes both other players and his team better. This is critical in basketball, where the most successful teams are normally better than the sum of their parts. (See the NY Knicks of the late 1960s/early 1970s and the recent San Antonio Spurs teams.)  Most players want to play with him.  His teams overachieve.  In 2007 he took an otherwise nondescript Cavs team to the finals where they lost to a superior Spurs team with three likely future Hall of Famers. This year he has carried an undermanned Cavs team, which missed the playoffs last year without him and whose next two best players have been injured, to The Finals again.  In Miami he sublimated his skills to blend in with his teammates for the benefit of the team and won two championships.
3. He is always working to improve his game. For example, early in his career he was not a great defensive player. Now, he is one of the best and most versatile. He can, and has, guarded every position on the court well. No other player has ever been able to do that.  He has improved his outside shooting and his post play, which were once weaknesses.

So, why the criticism and controversy?  In my opinion, it all stems from “The Decision.”   After the 2009-10 season, LeBron became a free agent.   Obviously, many teams wanted to sign him.  In July he held a press conference televised on ESPN to announce he was “taking [his] talents to South Beach.”   He was widely and bitterly criticized on all fronts.

1. The entire city of Cleveland, it seemed, led by the owner, was irate. The owner criticized him vehemently in an open letter to the fans. Some fans publicly burned their LeBron jerseys.
2. Much of the media and many players criticized him for leaving the Cavs, even though he had given them seven seasons and was entitled to do so under the rules of free agency.
3. The other teams that had courted him were very unhappy he didn’t sign with them.
4. Most of all, it seemed everyone was denouncing the announcement, itself.  “Unprofessional” was one of the more benign descriptions.  Later, LeBron admitted he didn’t handle it well, but we all make mistakes.  Lost in the furor was the fact that the telecast raised $6 million for various charities.

CONCLUSION

At this point, LeBron has rehabilitated himself in the eyes of most of his detractors.  However, there are still those that criticize him for any or all of the things mentioned above.   Some critics have even turned his unselfish play against him saying that he prefers to pass the ball rather than take the clutch shot with the game on the line.  They add that his track record for hitting the clutch shot is poor.  Personally, I don’t agree, and according to Henry Abbott, NBA analyst for TruHoop and ESPN, his shooting percentage with the game on the line exceeds that of such renowned clutch shooters as Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant.  (Many of those same people criticize other superstars for “forcing” shots through double-teams when teammates are wide open.)

Another common criticism is that LeBron has only won two titles, compared to Jordan’s six.   This has more validity in basketball, a sport in which one player can have a strong influence on the outcome of a game, than in other sports, such as baseball or football.  But, Jordan had a better supporting cast, notably Scottie Pippin, another all-time great, and one of the best coaches ever in Phil Jackson.  In any case, LeBron is still only 30 with 5 or so years of peak performance left, barring injury.  That is plenty of time to win more titles and add to his legacy.

Imagine what it would be like to be reading a newspaper one day and seeing your picture as a 12 year-old boy staring through the fence of a concentration camp.  Such was the experience of Yehuda Danzig.  Danzig is an 82-year-old Jew, living in Toronto, who, as a boy, was incarcerated in Bergen-Belsen along with most of his family.  Recently, while reading an article about the camp in the “Times of Israel,” he spotted a picture of a group of children taken at the camp in April 1945 shortly after liberation.  And there he was!   Along with his brother!

Of course, it was a tremendous shock to see the photo.  Danzig does not remember ever seeing a photo of himself as a young boy.  It turned out that it was a still image from a documentary on concentration camps that had been made 70 years ago and, inexplicably, never published until last year.  (The famous director, Alfred Hitchcock, had been one of the documentary’s collaborators.)

Danzig said the picture brought back painful memories, such as:

1. the daily roll calls, even in the rain, snow and freezing cold,
2. severe lack of food and water,
3. being covered in lice, and
4. omnipresent diseases, such as typhus, which ran rampant through the camp.

Danzig recalled that when they were finally liberated by the British they were like “zombies.”  Furthermore, since few of them spoke English, most of them did not understand the liberating soldiers who told them “you are free.”   Finally, he remembers the piles of unburied dead bodies all over.   People had been dying so quickly that the burial details could not keep up.  Some of the piles outside the barracks doors were so high that many of the prisoners could not even get outside!   No doubt, these were memories Danzig had spent a lifetime trying to forget, and here they were surfacing all over again.

Bergen-Belsen was located in northern Germany in the town of Bergen, village of Belsen.  In the 1930s the site housed a military training facility for the German Army.  Later, the Nazis built a concentration camp, the only one built exclusively to hold Jews.  It was designed to hold 7,000 prisoners, but by April 1945 it held 50,000.  No wonder disease was rampant.

From 1941 through 1945, 70,000 prisoners died there – including 50,000 civilian prisoners, predominantly Jews, and 20,000 Soviet army prisoners of war.  Approximately half of them died of typhus in just four months from January – April, 1945.  Conditions at the camp were so bad that even following their liberation about 500 prisoners continued to die every day from illness and malnutrition.  In order to contain the spread of typhus the British burned the camp to the ground with flamethrowers. The site constitutes the largest Jewish cemetery in Western Europe, but there are very few grave markers or monuments to identify the deceased.

After the War a displaced persons camp was constructed near the site.   Eventually, it grew to become the largest DP camp in Europe.

CONCLUSION

Danzig, his step-mother, two brothers and one sister managed to survive the war.  After liberation they, like most people, returned to their former home to try to find family and friends.  Unfortunately, only one uncle had managed to survive.  Eventually, some family members emigrated to Israel.  Danzig and one brother ended up in Canada where they were adopted by Jewish families.

Danzig lived his life.  He married, raised a family and earned a living in electronics.  Like most Holocaust survivors he was fairly reticent about discussing his experiences.  It appears that he lived a more or less quiet life until last month’s shocking revelation.

Most fans are under the impression that baseball rules have been consistent throughout history.  Indeed, other than the elimination of the “spitball” in 1920 and the advent of the designated hitter in 1973, baseball rules have not changed appreciably since the 19^th century.

Incidentally, when the “spitball” was outlawed pitchers who were throwing it were “grandfathered” until they retired.  Can you name the last pitcher who was able to throw it legally?  Can you name the first person to bat as a DH?  Please see below for the answers.

Most fans are under the impression that Alexander Cartwright and other baseball pioneers just woke up one day and banged out a set of rules that, for the most part, have been set in stone since the 1850s.  In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.  The fact of the matter is that the original so-called “Twenty Rules of Baseball,” promulgated in 1845, were quite vague, and the baseball rules we view as immutable have evolved over a period of time.  During the mid to late 1800s the rules were being amended and tweaked continuously.  Many of the early rules were quite bizarre and will astound you.

Some of the more interesting ones were as follows:

1. Pitching – Pitchers were required to “serve” the ball underhand from a distance of 45 feet. It was more of a motion used in bowling than what we see today. Over time, pitchers began to raise their arm angles, first to a sidearm motion then, eventually, to the overhand throwing style with which we are all familiar. Along the way the distance was increased to the present 60 feet, six inches, and a mound was created. The height of the mound has been raised and lowered throughout the years. Also, batters were permitted to designate the location of the pitch – high, low, inside or outside (similar to batting practice).
2. Length of game – The original rules did not mandate that a game be nine innings. Instead, the first team to score 21 runs, or “aces,” was the winner. Good change. I like the fact that, regardless of the score, the losing team will always have a chance to come back and win. The clock doesn’t run out as in other sports.
3. Bases – Originally, the distance between the bases was vague. Thirty “paces” was common. Later, the distance was standardized to 90 feet, which seems to be the ideal distance.
4. Catcher- Originally, catchers were no more than glorified backstops. Their main function was to stand a few feet behind the batter, retrieve the pitched ball and return it to the pitcher. In the 1870s a few brave, innovative souls began to crouch right behind the batter, but this was not commonplace until shortly after 1900.
5. Bats – At one time, bats were flat on one side, similar to cricket. That rule was rescinded in 1892.
6. Umpiring – 19^th century umpires had it made! They were volunteers selected from among the spectators. They were provided with easy chairs behind home plate to sit in. No crouching, and arguing was rare.
7. Walks – We have all heard the expression “a walk is as good as a hit.” Well, in 1887 walks counted as hits. Obviously, batting averages soared. Eleven players hit .400, and Adrian ( Cap) Anson, who batted .421, had 60 walks that inflated his batting average. That experiment lasted only one year. If not, can you imagine what the lifetime batting averages of sluggers, such as Ted Williams or Barry Bonds, who routinely drew in excess of 100 walks a year, would have been?
8. Home runs/ground rule doubles – In the early years, balls hit over the fence, which was a rare occurrence, were not automatic home runs. They were in play, and an outfielder was required to chase after them and make a play on the hitter.   Later, such balls became automatic home runs as did balls that cleared the fence on a bounce. It was not until 1931 that such balls became doubles in both leagues. In case you’re wondering, when Babe Ruth set the single season home run record of 60 in 1927 he did not hit any such homers.

CONCLUSION

I hope you found this as interesting as I did.  There are many more examples, but those are the main ones.

Quiz answers:  Burleigh Grimes and Ron Blomberg, respectively.

This weekend, millions of Americans will celebrate Memorial Day.  To many of them MD is merely a day off from work, a day to gather with friends and relatives, watch sports, barbecue, or maybe go away for a mini-vacation.  But, how many of us actually stop and ponder the meaning of MD?  What does it mean?  What is its derivation?  Well, I’m glad you asked.  Read on.

According to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs the purpose of MD is to honor veterans who have died in the service of their country.  (Some people confuse it with Veterans’ Day, celebrated in November, which is to honor LIVING veterans for their service.)  MD is celebrated on the final Monday in May, which this year is May 25.  It has also evolved into the unofficial start of summer, Opening Day for beaches, pools and vacation homes.

The original name for MD was “Decoration Day.”  The custom of decorating soldiers’ graves with flowers is centuries old.  Its origins are murky, but after the Civil War it became customary to “decorate” soldiers’ graves with flowers as a way to honor those who had died in that war.

Several cities claim to be the birthplace of MD.  Warrenton, Va. claims that the first CW soldier’s grave was decorated there in 1861.  Women began decorating soldiers’ graves in Savannah, Ga. as early as 1862.  Boalsburg, Pa. and Charleston, SC, among others, have also made claims.  NY became the first state to recognize MD as an official holiday in 1873.  In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, NY to be the official birthplace of MD.

The basis of Waterloo’s claim is that in 1865 a group of locals, including a pharmacist, Henry Welles, General John Murray, a CW hero, and a group of other veterans, simply marched to the local cemeteries and decorated the soldiers’ graves with flowers.  What gave Waterloo an edge in the birthplace battle was that Murray was an acquaintance of General John Logan, the general who issued “Logan’s Order, ” the proclamation that declared “Decoration Day” should be celebrated annually nationwide.

At first, MD was celebrated on May 30.  The date seems somewhat arbitrary as it was not the anniversary of any famous battle or military event.  Perhaps, it was chosen simply because flowers with which the graves are decorated are in bloom and plentiful at that particular time of the year.  The name, “Decoration Day” was gradually replaced by MD beginning in 1882, and in 1887 MD became the official name.  In 1968 the Congress moved the holiday to the last Monday in May.  This annoyed many traditionalists, but the lure of a three-day weekend overcame any objections, and the Monday date has prevailed.

There are some MD traditions worth noting:

1.  Flying the flag at half-staff.

Most of the time one will see the flag flown at half-staff all day; however, technically, this is not proper.  The flag should be raised to the top and then lowered to half-staff.  This is intended to honor those who have died for their country.  At noon, the flag is to be raised again to full staff, where it remains for the rest of the day.  This is to recognize that the deceased veterans’ sacrifices were not in vain.

2.  Poppies.

Poppies have become the official flower of remembrance, declared as such by the American Legion in 1920.  This is derived from WWI and the Battle of Ypres (English pronunciation is “Wipers.”).  Apparently, a proliferation of poppies grew on that battlefield around soldiers’ graves.  These poppies were featured in a famous poem by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae called “In Flanders Fields.”  This poem caught people’s imagination and popularized the custom.

3.  Sporting Events.

No American holiday celebration would be complete without a sports connection.  MD has the Indianapolis 500 and the Memorial golf tournament, among others.  Also, until recently there was the traditional Memorial Day baseball doubleheader.

CONCLUSION

I hope the foregoing has increased your understanding and appreciation of MD.  So, whatever you do this weekend, however you celebrate, try to pause for a moment in honor of the many veterans who have given their lives so that the rest of us could enjoy the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

The annual NBA Draft Lottery is tonight.   The purpose of the draft is to enable the teams with the worst records the previous season to select the best players available in order to even the playing field, prospectively.  All the teams who missed the playoffs are eligible to win the rights to the top pick.  The draft order for the top picks is set by weighted lottery with the worst teams having the best chance.  In order to discourage the worst teams from losing games intentionally, the team with the worst record only has a 25% chance of picking first.

All the so-called experts predict that there are at least two “sure-fire, can’t miss” players available – Jahlil Okafor of Duke and Karl-Anthony Towns of Kentucky – who will likely be drafted #s 1 and 2.   But, history tells that there is no such thing as a “sure thing” when drafting collegians.  History tells us that the draft is basically “caveat emptor,” or “buyer beware.”

Okafor and Towns may, indeed, become superstars, but past drafts are filled with very high picks that were busts.   For example, does anyone remember Greg Oden, La Rue Martin, or Sam Bowie?  Oden and Martin were first overall picks, Oden by the Trail Blazers in 2007 and Martin by the Blazers in 1972, who, due to injury and/or lack of talent, never “made it.”  Drafting a bust in the first round is bad enough, but when it’s the very first pick, it’s time to run and hide from the fans.

Then, there was Sam Bowie, whom the Blazers drafted #2 in 1984 ahead of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton, among others.  (I’m really not intending to pick on the Blazers here, but facts are facts.  As Casey Stengel used to say, “you could look it up.”).  You may have heard of those guys.  Jordan led the Bulls to six championships and is considered by many to be the best player ever.  Barkley and Stockton were perennial all-stars, were voted into the Hall of Fame and selected to the NBA’s “50 Greatest Players in NBA History List.”   Bowie had a brief, injury-checkered career, and, today, is the answer to a trivia question.

CONCLUSION

Tonight, when you watch the draft remember that, as the saying goes, the only sure thing is that there is no sure thing.  Be tolerant of your team’s decision makers.  History says you won’t know how successful they were for at least a couple of years.  Consider, that when the Knicks drafted Patrick Ewing in 1985, everyone assumed he would lead the Knicks to multiple championships.  Ewing was an outstanding player – perennial all-star, Hall of Famer and Top 50 player, but he never did win any championships.  You never know.

For most major league baseball players the pinnacle individual achievement of their profession is to gain enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.   Championships are more of a team achievement.   Wealth and notoriety are very nice.  But, players that are enshrined in the HOF are recognized as being among the best of the best that have ever played the game and are ensured of an enduring legacy.  Through 2014, out of the tens of thousands who have played, managed, or been otherwise associated with the Major Leagues, the HOF consisted of only 306 members, including 211 former players, 28 executives, 35 former Negro League players, 22 managers, and ten umpires.   Do the math.  That is quite an exclusive group.

The HOF is located in Cooperstown, NY.  Why Cooperstown, which is in the middle of nowhere in upstate NY?  Why not in a major city like NY or Chicago?   The answer is that in 1905 a special commission, called the Mills Commission that had been formed to investigate the origins of baseball, concluded that baseball had been “invented” by Abner Doubleday, a Civil War hero, in Cooperstown, NY.   As a former president of the National League, Mills had some standing in the baseball community, so the fabrication was accepted as fact, although it has since been debunked beyond any doubt.   Then, in the 1930s a local businessman, Stephen Clark, promoted the idea of a HOF in Cooperstown to boost the local economy, which had been devastated by the Great Depression.   Thus, the HOF was built and dedicated in June, 1939.

The inaugural membership vote took place in 1935 and was announced in 1936.   All current and former players were eligible.  There was no five-year waiting period after retirement.   Only five players, the very best of the best, received the requisite number of votes to gain election.  The so-called “Five Immortals” included Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, and Christy Mathewson.   The voters considered them the best ever up to that time, and it is hard to argue with that some 80 years later.   I will profile each of them briefly.

Ty Cobb

Tyrus Raymond (Ty) Cobb was born in 1905 in Georgia.   Tragically, when he was a youngster his mother shot and killed his father, mistaking him for a burglar.  Although the shooting was somewhat suspicious, she was acquitted of murder.  Nevertheless the incident undoubtedly left some scars on his psyche and influenced his playing style.

Cobb spent 22 years in the majors, all with the Detroit Tigers, 16 as a player and six as manager of the team.  He was primarily a center fielder, but he was versatile enough to play the infield occasionally, and he even pitched a few games.   In what would be a surprise to modern fans, Cobb actually received the most votes of any of the Immortals, 222 out of a possible 226.

Cobb was generally considered the best all-around ballplayer of his time, perhaps, of all-time. His career spanned the dead ball and the live ball eras.  He set 90 Major League records, some of which still stand.  For example, he still has the highest lifetime batting average – .367.

He was known for his surly temper, aggressive style of play and his racist attitude.  He would do anything to win.  He frequently got into fights with opposing players, fans and even teammates.  He was known for sliding into bases with his spikes high, which would cause injury and fights, and once he went into the stands to attack a heckler only to find out that the fan was severely handicapped.   In addition, one time he attacked a black groundskeeper for merely attempting to shake his hand, and, then, when the man’s wife attempted to defend her husband, he commenced to choke her.   Not to excuse him, but I should denote that, to some extent, his racist attitude during his playing days was a product of the times.  Overt racism was rampant throughout the US during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.  In his later years, his attitude mellowed, and he became a proponent of integration in the Major Leagues and a supporter of Jackie Robinson’s.

Cobb was a shrewd businessman and investor.  He was a spokesman for and a major stockholder in Coca Cola.  Supposedly, when he checked into the hospital for the final time he brought $1 million in negotiable bonds in a paper bag (and a pistol) with him.  Upon his death he left an estate worth $12 million ($93 million in today’s money).

George Herman (“Babe”) Ruth

Ruth was born in 1885 in Baltimore.  Known as “The Bambino” or “The Sultan of Swat,” the Babe is generally recognized as the greatest baseball player of all time.  In addition to being a tremendous hitter he was also an accomplished pitcher.   He began his career as a pitcher with the Red Sox.  In what was certainly the most one-sided transaction in baseball history, they sold him to the Yankees, who switched him to the outfield, because he was too good a hitter to keep on the bench on his off-days.

Quite simply, Ruth changed the way the game was played.  Prior to his arrival in what became known as the “Dead Ball Era,” players hit few home runs.   Ruth became the game’s first power hitter.  His home runs made the game more exciting, and so, ushered in the “Live Ball Era.”  There were years in which he personally hit more homers than some teams!

He became the most popular and influential figure in the game.  He not only commanded the game’s highest salary, but also earned significantly more “barnstorming” after the season.  One time, a sportswriter, noting that he earned more than President Herbert Hoover, asked him if that was appropriate.  Ruth supposedly retorted: “Why not?  I had a better year than him.”

He was largely responsible for the Yankees building “Yankee Stadium,” which appropriately, became known as “The House That Ruth Built.”  His Yankees teams won seven pennants and four World Series.

He even had a candy bar named after him, “Baby Ruth,” which debuted in 1921.  The Curtiss Candy Company insisted that it was named instead for former President Cleveland’s daughter, Ruth, but few believe that farfetched story.

In 1921 Ruth had what I consider to be the best season ever.  He hit .378, with 59 homers, 171 RBI and scored 177 runs.   If you can find a better one, let me know.

Ruth died in 1948 of throat cancer.

Honus Wagner

Johannes Peter (Honus) Wagner, aka ”The flying Dutchman,” was born in 1897.  He played for 21 seasons, mostly for the Pittsburg Pirates.  He is generally considered to be the best player of the “Dead Ball Era” and the best shortstop ever.

In addition, he is famous for having the most valuable baseball card, his 1906 model.  In an era of mass-produced baseball cards, only 200 were ever printed, and it is estimated that only 50 or so exist today.  The reason is very simple.  The cards were distributed by a tobacco company, and Wagner, a non-smoker, objected to them marketing his likeness in connection with cigarettes.  He made them halt production.  A few years ago, one of them was sold for $2.8 million.

Wagner died in 1955.

Walter Johnson (“The Big Train”)

Johnson was born in 1887.  He pitched for the Washington Senators for 21 years.  He was known for three things:  his gentle disposition (He was loath to pitch inside for fear of seriously injuring batters.), his sportsmanship, and his prodigious fastball.  He was the premier power pitcher of his time and, possibly, of all-time.  He won 417 games in his career despite having pitched mostly for losing teams.

In retirement, Johnson, who was a personal friend of President Calvin Coolidge, ran for Congress, albeit unsuccessfully.

Johnson died in 1946.

Christy Mathewson (“The Big Six”)

Mathewson was born in 1880.   He attended Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., for which he played football as well as baseball.  In his time, there were few college students in the majors.  He pitched 17 seasons with the New York Giants.  He won 373 games, third highest ever and most in the National League.  He was devoutly religious and refused to pitch on Sundays.  (The impact on his team was mitigated by the fact that in his time most states prohibited games on Sundays anyway.)

While training with the Army during WWI he was accidentally exposed to chemical weapons, which impaired his respiratory system.  Ultimately, it caused his premature death in 1925 at age 45.  He is buried in Lewisburg near his alma mater.

CONCLUSION

Well, there you have them, the “Five Immortals.”  I encourage you to visit them, and the other 300 enshrinees in Cooperstown.  Bring the whole family.  It is well worth the trek.