Stan Hack: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1979

Born: December 6, 1909

1931: Signed with Cubs

Debut: April 12, 1932 (Cubs)

1932: Cubs win Pennant

1935: Cubs win Pennant

1938: Cubs win Pennant (.471 in World Series)

1940: Suffered concussion

1945: Cubs win Pennant

1947: Retired

1948-53: Minor League Manager

1954-56: Cubs Manager (196-265)

1957-58: Cardinals coach

1958: Cardinals Manager (3-7)

1959-66: Minor League Manager

1979: Elected to Hall of Fame

Died: December 15, 1979


Accomplishments:
5x All Star

.301

57 HR

642 RBI

2,193 Hits

1,239 Runs

1,092 walks-466 strikeouts

.394 OBP

.791 OPS

2,889 TB

100+ Runs: 7x

30+ doubles: 4x

11 Triples (1938)

21 SB (1940)

.300: 6x

.400 OBP: 5x

Led league in games (152): 1938

Led league in hits: 2x

Led league in SB: 2x

Postseason: .348, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .857 (4 World Series)

As a manager: 199-272 (.423)

Willie Mays: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1979

Born: May 6, 1931

1947-50: Negro Leagues

1950: Signed by the New York Giants

1950-1: Minor Leagues

Debut: May 25, 1951 (Giants)

1951: Started 0-for-23 then homered off Warren Spahn

1951: Rookie of the Year

1951: Giants start first all black OF in history

1951: Giants win Pennant

1952-3: Korean War service

1954: NL MVP

1954: .345, 41, 110, 119 runs, 195 hits, 1.078 OPS, .667 Slugging, .411 OBP, 377 TB

1954: Won Batting Title (.345)

1954: Made most famous catch in baseball history in World Series

1954: Giants win World Series

1955: 51 Home Runs

1956: 30-30 club (36 HR/40 SB)

1957: 20-20-20-20 club (26 doubles, 20 Triples, 35 HR, 38 SB)

1957: Giants move to San Francisco at season's end

1961: 4 HR game vs. Milwaukee

1962: Giants win Pennant

1963: Homered to end a 16 inning duel between Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn (1-0 final)

1963: All Star Game MVP

1965: NL MVP

1965: .317, 52, 112, .398 OBP, .645 slugging, 1.043 OPS, 360 TB, 118 runs

1965: Hit 500th home run

1968: All Star Game MVP

1969: Hit 600th home run

1970: Voted Player of the Decade for the 1960s by TSN

1971: Roberto Clemente Award

1972: Traded to the New York Mets

1972: Giants retire #24

1973: Mets win Pennant

1973: Retired

1979: Elected to Hall of Fame (94.7%)

1980: Mays took a job at a casino, Commissioner Kuhn later banned him from the game for the association.

1985: Reinstated to baseball by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth

1986-present: Special Asst to the President of the SF Giants

1999: All Century Team


Accomplishments:
1954 World Champion

24x All Star

2x MVP

3,000 Hit Club

600 HR Club

1954 Batting Champ

4x HR Champ

1951 Rookie of the Year

1971 Roberto Clemente Award

12x Gold Glove

2x ASG MVP

4x Player of the Month

Player of the Decade-1960s

All Century Team

Only player with a 3 triple game and a 4 HR game

4 HR Game (4-30-61)

"The Catch"

.302 Average

2,062 Runs

3,283 Hits

523 Doubles

140 Triples

660 Home Runs

1,906 RBI

338 SB

.384 OBP

.557 Slugging

.941 OPS

6,066 TB

100+ Runs: 12x

208 hits (1958)

40+ doubles: 6x

30+ doubles: 5x

10+ triples: 5x

20 Triples (1957)

50+ HR: 2x

40+ HR: 6x

30+ HR: 11x

20+ HR: 17x

100+ RBI: 10x

20+ SB: 7x

30+ SB: 3x

40 SB (1956)

112 walks (1971)

.300 average: 10x

.400 OBP: 5x

.500 slugging: 14x

.600 slugging: 5x

1.000 OPS: 5x

300 TB: 13x

Led league in runs: 2x

Led league in hits (190): 1960

Led League in triples: 3x

Led league in HR: 4x

Led league in SB: 4x

Led league in walks (112): 1971

Led league in OBP: 2x

Led league in slugging: 5x

Led league in TB: 3x

Postseason: .247, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 3 SB, .660 OPS

Warren Giles: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1979

Born: May 28, 1896

1917-18: World War I service

1919: Baseball career began as President of the Moline, Ill Plowboys

1926-36: St Louis Cardinals organization

1937-51: GM Cincinnati Reds

1938: Executive of the Year

1939: Reds win Pennant

1940: Red win World Series

1951-69: President National League

1958: Dodgers and Giants move west

1962: NL Expansion (Mets and Astros)

1966: Braves move to Atlanta

1969: NL Expansion (Expos)

1969: LCS play began

1969: Retired

1969: Reds Hall of Fame

1979: Elected to Hall of Fame

Died: February 7, 1979


Accomplishments:
1938 Executive of the Year

Oversaw baseball's move to California

Expansion in 1962 and 1969

NLCS trophy named for Giles

History Shorts: The Battle of Stirling (1297)

William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeated a large English force at Stirling Bridge on September 11, 1297. The English outnumbered the Scots at least 4-to-1. However, Wallace managed to funnel the English soldiers onto a bridge and cut them to pieces. The victory led to Wallace's punitive expeditions into England itself. Wallace would eventually be captured and executed by the English. Robert Bruce led the Scots to independence in 1314. The battle was immortalized in Mel Gibson's Braveheart. However, his version did not come close to accuracy as the film's budget limited his ability to convey the battle.

Braveheart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2XXXIf97sg



However, it did include one of film's greatest speeches:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEOOZDbMrgE

Sci Fi History: The Night Gwen Stacy Died (1973)

 
Norman Osborn suffers a mental breakdown when his son has to detox due to a drug addiction. He relapses as the Green Goblin, kidnaps Peter Parker's girlfriend Gwen Stacy, and obscons with her to a bridge. Spiderman and the Goblin brawl and Osborn tosses Stacy off the bridge. Spiderman uses his webshooters to break her fall, but snaps her neck. An enraged Spidey chases the Goblin to a warehouse where the Goblin tries to impale the hero with his glider. Spiderman dodges the glider, which kills Osborn. The story arc shocked comic fans and changed the game. Major characters could now die. No doubt this is the #1 moment in comic history. The Amazing Spiderman #121 and #122 are considered classics.

As seen in Amazing Spiderman 2 (2014):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaU9-QWslVI


As seen in Spiderman (2002):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DMkC6qMgWQ  

Roman Empire timeline (337-476 A.D.)

360-363: Julian the Apostate

350: Huns invade east/push Goths west

376: Huns arrive/Goths pushed into Empire

377-82: Gothic War

378: Battle of Adrianople

382: Goths settled, but not tamed

395-7: Alaric's Revolt

405: Huns push barbarians west again

410: Rome sacked

429: Vandals invade Africa

439: Vandals take Carthage

441-53: Attila the Hun

442: Constantinople pays off Attila

452: Attila in Italy

453: Attila dies

453: Aetius dies setting off final crisis

453-69: Hunnic Empire collapses/Barbarians splinter

455: Rome sacked

455: Barbarian proclaimed emperor

461: Majoran's fleet destroyed in Spain ending invasion of North Africa

468: Eastern invasion fleet defeated-bankruptcy-ends of any chance of restoring Roman Empire in west

474: Constantinople negotiates treaty with the Vandals

476: Western Emperor deposed

476: Odacer becomes king of Italy

Roman Empire timeline (217-337 A.D.)

217-284: Crisis of the Third Century

260: Valerian murdered by Persians

268-9: Goths defeated

284: Diocletian restores order

284-305: Diocletian's reign (Tetrarchy)

301: Edict of Maximum Prices

303-11: The Great Persecution

305-337: Reign of Constantine

312: Battle of Mivian Bridge

313: Edict of Toleration

325: Council of Nicea

324-330: Constantinople founded

337: Constantine dies

Roman Empire timeline (31 B.C.-217 A.D.)

31 B.C.: Battle of Actium

30 B.C.: Cleopatra and Anthony commit suicide

27 B.C.: Octavian becomes Augustus

c. 4 B.C.: Christ is born

9 A.D.: Battle of Teutoburg Forrest

14: Augustus dies/Tiberius becomes emperor

c. 30: Christ is crucified

37: Tiberius dies/Caligula becomes emperor

41: Caligula assassinated/Claudius becomes emperor

43: Invasion of Britain

54: Claudius dies/Nero becomes emperor

61: Boudicca's rebellion

64: Great Fire of Rome

66-70: Jewish Revolt

68: Nero commits suicide

68-69: Year of Four Emperors

79: Mount Vesuvius Erupts

122: Hadrian's Wall

132-35: Second Jewish Revolt

117-180: The Good Emperors

192: Commodus murdered/Throne auctioned off

193: The Year of Five Emperors

217: Caracalla assassinated

1906 World Series Game 6

White Sox: 8 Cubs: 3 (Sox win World Series 4-3)

WP: White (1-1)

LP: Brown (1-2)
The White Sox were considered the "hitless wonders" after they finished last in the American League in batting. They batted .230 as a team and faced the 116-win Chicago Cubs juggernaut in the World Series. The Sox outscored the Cubs in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead. The White Sox looked to close out their cross town rivals in Game 6. They started Doc White who saved Game 5 and took a loss in Game 2. The Cubs countered with Mordecai Three Finger Brown who split his two decisions. Brown shutout the White Sox in Game 4 and took the 2-1 loss in Game 1. The Hall of Famer Brown did not survive the second inning.

The Cubs scored first on a double by Wildfire Schulte. In the bottom of the first, the Sox scored three times. George Davis doubled in a run and then Jiggs Donahue knocked in two more on a double. The White Sox blew the game wide open in the bottom of the second. They scored four times to take a 7-1 lead. The Cubs never sniffed victory in Game 6. They scored another run for an 8-1 lead. The Cubs scored a single run in the fifth and a slop run in the ninth for an 8-3 final. Doc White went the distance for the win. Ed Hahn had four hits for the Sox. Frank Isabel slapped three hits. Three other players totalled two hits for the Sox. George Davis and Jiggs Donahue each drove in three runs apiece.

The 1906 World Series was the last time two teams that had never appeared in the Fall Classic faced off. The road team won the first five games. That would not happen again until 1996. Games 1 and 2 were played in the snow. That did not happen again until 1997. Patsy Dougherty became the first man to play on two World Series champions. He was also on the 1903 Boston Americans (Red Sox).

Despite the offensive explosions in Games 5 and 6, the White Sox batted .198 as a team. George Rohe led the Series in offense. He batted .333 with 3 extra base hits, 4 RBI, and 1.011 OPS. George Davis batted .308 with 6 RBI and .846 OPS. Frank Isbel also hit .308 with 4 RBI.

The Cubs fared slightly worse than the White Sox offensively. They hit .196 as a team. Solly Hoffman hit .304. Wildfire Schulte had the next highest average at .269. Neither club homered in the series.

Pitching provided the main difference in the series. The Sox team ERA was a miniscule 1.33 compared to the Cubs 3.40. Each team used only four pitchers. Doc White finished 1-1 for the Sox with a save and 1.80 ERA. Nick Altrock went 1-1 with a 1.00 ERA. Hall of Famer Ed Walsh probably would have been series MVP. He posted a 2-0 record, 0.60 ERA, 15 IP, and 0.867 WHIP.

The Cubs went on to win the 1907 and 1908 World Series. The White Sox did not return to the Fall Classic until 1917.

1906 World Series Game 5

White Sox: 8 Cubs: 6 (Sox lead 3-2)

WP: Walsh (2-0)

LP: Pfeister (0-2)

SV: White (1)
Game 5 was one of the wildest games in World Series history. Ed Walsh was not as sharp as his previous start, but hung around long enough for the win. His teammates battered Ed Reulbach and Jack Pfeister for seven runs in 3.1 innings. Orval Overall finished the game for the Cubs. Although no home runs were hit, the teams combined for 18 hits, 10 walks, and three wild pitches. There was also a steal of home, two hit batsmen, and six Sox errors.

The Sox scored first on Frank Isbel's double. The Cubs rallied for three in the bottom of the first for a 3-1 lead. The Sox committed two errors and hit Frank Chance to help the Cubs. George Davis tied the game in the third with a RBI double and steal of home. Pfeister replaced Reulbach after the double.

The Sox knocked Pfeister out of the game in the fourth. Walsh walked, but was forced at second. Fielder Jones singled to put two on. Frank Isbel and Davis doubled in runs to give the Sox the lead. Overall replaced Pfeister and surrendered a run scoring double to Jiggs Donahue. The Sox led 7-3.

The two teams traded single runs over the next couple innings. Joe Tinker scored on a wild pitch and Isbel scored on George Rohe's sixth inning single. The Cubs scored a pair of unearned runs in the sixth and knocked Walsh out of the game in the seventh. Walsh surrendered 6 runs, but only one earned. Doc White finished the game for a save.

Frank Isbel led the Sox with 4 hits, 3 runs, and 2 RBI. Rohe had two hits and George Davis delivered the big hits. Davis went 2-for-5 with 2 runs and 3 RBI. Ed Hahn scored twice for the Sox. Wildfire Schulte had 3 hits and 2 RBI for the Cubs and Solly Hoffman scored twice for the Cubs. The Sox were one win away from a monumental upset.

1906 World Series Game 4

Cubs: 1 White Sox: 0 (Series tied 2-2)

WP: Brown (1-1)

LP: Altrock (1-1)
Three Finger Brown demonstrated why he made the Hall of Fame in Game 4 of the 1906 World Series. He tossed a 2-hit shutout evening the series at 2 games a piece. Game 1 winner Nick Altrock was the tough luck loser for the White Sox. He allowed 7 hits and only a single run.

The game was scoreless until the seventh. Frank Chance singled and was sacrificed to second and third. With two out, Johnny Evers singled to give the Cubs the lead. Solly Hofman and Chance each had two hits for the victors. Put together, they doubled the Sox offensive output. Brown held the crosstown rivals hitless until the sixth. The game ended with the tying run on second.

1906 World Series Game 3

White Sox: 3 Cubs: 0 (Sox lead 2-1)

WP: Walsh (1-0)

LP: Pfiester (0-1)
The Cubs unleashed their offense on the White Sox in Game 2. The Sox hoped Big Ed Walsh could turn the tide in Game 3. The third year player went 17-13 during the season. In 1908, he won 40 games in his Hall of Fame career. Jack Pfeister opposed Walsh. Pfeister won 20 games in 1906. He won 20, 14, 12, and 17 from 1906-1909 and 8 games the other four years of his career. At the time, the Cubs seemed to hold the advantage.

Neither team could dent the scoreboard until the sixth. Lee Tannehill singled for the Sox. Pfeister inexplicably walked Walsh and then hit Ed Hahn to load the basis with none out. The pitcher settled down to get the next two outs, but then surrendered a three-run triple to Greg Rohe. That proved to be the ballgame. Sox won 3-0 to take a 2-1 series lead.

Both pitchers tossed complete games. Pfeister allowed 4 hits, 3 earned runs, walked 2, and struckout 9. The leadoff walk followed by the hit batter proved his undoing. Walsh 2-hit the Cubs and struck out a World Series record 12 batters. Bill Dinneen held the record with 11 K's in 1903.

Quotes of the Month: August 2014

Quote of the Month:"Don't ever second guess me again on Hamas."

-Benjamin Netanyahu to John Kerry and Barack Obama

 Stupid Quotes of the Month: 'First of all, let me tell my friends from Africa, I do not whip people!'

-Steny Hoyer
"One problem that I've had today is keeping my Wongs straight."

-Harry Reid at the Asian Chamber of Commerce

and

"We don't have a strategy."

-Barack Obama on ISIS
Chilling Quote of the Month: "It's best not to mess with us."

-Vladimir Putin

and the rest...
"They just lied to people."

-Barney Frank on The Obama Administration and health care.
"Don't do stupid stuff is not an organizing principle."


-Hillary Clinton on Barack Obama's foreign policy
"Drug addicts and alcoholics are always, 'The world is a harsh place.' My mother was in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. I don't want to hear f**k all about "the world as a harsh place." She gets up every day, smells the roses and loves life. And for a putz, 20-year-old kid to say, 'I'm depressed, I live in Seattle.' F**k you, then kill yourself."


-Gene Simmons
"I am you, I will protect your right to protest."


-Ron Johnson
"Michael Brown's blood is crying from the ground, crying for vengeance, crying for justice."


-Rev Charles Ewing
"I'm sorry for being such an idiot."


-Mark David Chapman

1906 World Series Game 2

Cubs: 7 White Sox: 1 ( Series tied 1-1)

WP: Reulbach (1-0)

LP: White (0-1)
The Cubs team everyone expected appeared in Game 2. Sox starter Doc White lasted only three innings. Cubs hurler Ed Reulbach allowed only a solitary hit, a single to Jiggs Donahue in the seventh, and one unearned run in dominating the Sox. He was effectively wild walking 6.The Sox only run scored on an error by shortstop Joe Tinker. At the time, it cut the Cubs lead to 4-1.

The 116 win juggernaught scored three in the second off White. In the third, Steinfeldt singled in the fourth Cub run. They added another run in the sixth and then two in the eighth for a 7-1 victory. Harry Steinfeldt went 3-for-3 with a run and RBI. Joe Tinker added 2 hits, 3 runs, and a RBI. The mighty Cubs had evened the series