Shoeless Joe Jackson: Timeline

Born: July 16, 1887

1900: Began playing baseball

1905: Began playing semi-pro ball

1905-1907 : Sometime during this period, he earned his nickname because he took his shoes off before an at bat. His cleats gave him blisters.

Debut: August 25, 1908 (Philadelphia A’s)

1910: Traded to Cleveland

1911: Hit .408 (second in the league to Ty Cobb’s .420)

1915: Traded to White Sox

1917: White Sox win World Series (Jackson hit .304 in the series)

1918: Served in World War I

1919: White Sox win pennant, but throw World Series (Jackson hit .375 with a home run and 6 RBI). Jackson admitted to taking $20,000.

1920: Jackson’s final season

1921: The “Black” Sox are acquitted by a jury. Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis bans Jackson and seven other Sox for conspiring to throw the World Series. They never played in the majors again. Jackson continued to play semi-pro ball.

1922: Jackson opened a dry cleaners

1933: Jackson opened a restaurant and then a general store. Ty Cobb wandered in one day and asked Jackson if he knew him. Jackson responded that he did not think Cobb wanted to know him.

Death: December 5, 1951

1963: Eliot Asinof’s Eight Men Out released.

1988: The movie Eight Men Out is released.

1989: Field of Dreams is released with Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe.

1999: The House of Representatives voted to honor his baseball achievements and support his candidacy for the Hall of Fame.

2009: New evidence calls into question Eight Men Out and Jackson’s guilt.

Accomplishments:

.356 Career Hitter

1917 World Champion

168 Career Triples

100+ Runs: 4x

200+ hits: 4x

Led league in hits: 2x

40+ doubles: 3x

Led league in doubles (39) in 1913

20+ triples: 3x

Led league in triples: 3x

121 RBI in 1920

30+ steals: 2x (41 in 1911)

Hit .300 or better: 11x

Hit .350 or better: 5x

Hit .408 in 1911

.400+ OBP: 5x

Led league in OBP (.468) in 1911

.500+ Slugging: 5x

Led league in slugging (.551) in 1913

1.000+ OPS: 4x

Led league in OPS (1.011) in 1913

300+ Total Bases:2x

Led league in TB: 2x

Postseason: .345, 1 HR, 8 RBI, .823 OPS

Sci Fi History: A Trip to the Moon (1902)

A Trip to the Moon is the first important sci-fi film. The silent is based on Jules Verne’s From Earth to the Moon and runs 14 minutes. It employs state of the art (for 1902) special effects and is one of the most technically innovative films ever made. Despite the antiquated film making techniques, the film stands up over a century later.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYRemE9Oeso&ob=av1n

Top 10 Left Handed Pitchers of all time

Lefty Grove is #1. Here is the full list...not in any order...

Steve Carlton

Randy Johnson

Warren Spahn

Whitey Ford

Lefty Grove

Tom Glavine

Sandy Koufax

Hal Newhouser

Carl Hubbell

Eddie Plank

History Shorts: Teutoburg Forest (9 A.D.)

The Battle of Teutoburg Forest, also known as the Varian disaster, took place when a group of unified Germanic tribes ambushed and massacred three Roman legions. Former Roman ally Arminius set up the ambush and stabbed his former friends in the back. Up to 20,000 Romans, under the command of Varius, died. Afterward, the Germans removed Roman forces, forts, and cities east of the Rhine River. The defeat symbolically ended Roman expansion. After the defeat, Augustus wandered his palace wailing, “Quintilius Varus, give me back my legions!” Campaigns against the Germans began anew upon Augustus’ death. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwPvAWMGYsk

Top 10 I Love Lucy Episodes

The following is my list of the best I Love Lucy episodes. They are not in any order.

Job Switching (1952): Lucy and Ethel work on a conveyer belt at a chocolate factory. All they have to do is wrap candy in paper and place it on the belt. The conveyer is sped up and the pair can’t keep up. This episode remains relevant today. Who hasn’t been on a job that has been too difficult to keep up?

http://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?p=job+switching+i+love+lucy

Lucy Does a TV Commercial (1952):
Lucy gets drunk. ‘nuf said.

http://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?p=lucy+does+a+commercial+i+love+lucy

Lucy Meets Harpo Marx (1955):
Lucy dresses up as Harpo and then meets the real thing. The two do the classic mirror skit brilliantly.

Lucy Goes to the Hospital (1953): The gang plan to take Lucy to the hospital for the baby’s birth. Everything goes well until the real moment arrives and then it’s absolute panic. One of the funniest episodes I have ever seen. While waiting for the baby, Ricky gets ready for his nightclub gig by dressing up in a voodoo outfit. When the baby arrives, Ricky races to see the baby dressed like a voodoo doctor.

Lucy and Superman (1957):
Lucy dresses up as Superman and ends up on a ledge. In the end George Reeves (TV’s Superman) comes to save her.

http://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?p=lucy+and+superman

Lucy is Enceinte (1952):
Lucy tells Ricky she’s pregnant. The show had to be careful in how to handle this because it was a taboo subject in the 1950s. In fact, the word “Enciente” is French for pregnant. She makes several attempts to notify Ricky, but he’s always too busy. In the end, she tells him at the club and he’s thrilled.

LA at Last (1955):
The gang go to LA and Lucy decides to visit the Brown Derby. She meets William Holden at the restaurant and accidently pies him in the face.
http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=la%20at%20last%20i%20love%20lucy&tnr=21&vid=1068114510268&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts1.mm.bing.net%2Fvideos%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D1068114510268%26id%3D7a2376f7cdca814f5777568e12b2217e%26bid%3DNcaLXJCSAyxI7g%26bn%3DThumb%26url%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fvids.myspace.com%252findex.cfm%253ffuseaction%253dvids.individual%2526videoid%253d26407726&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvids.myspace.com%2Findex.cfm%3Ffuseaction%3Dvids.individual%26amp%3Bvideoid%3D26407726&sigr=12hp5in6a&newfp=1&tit=i+love+lucy+LA+at+last+part-2

The Freezer (1952):
Lucy turns into a human popsicle.

Lucy’s Italian Movie (1956):
Another road trip! This time to Rome where Lucy gets to smash grapes.

Lucy Does the Tango (1957):
Lucy hides some eggs on her person only to get roped into tangoing with Ricky.



http://www.examiner.com/american-history-in-national/desi-arnaz-forgotten-pioneer

Amazing Spiderman #6-10

Continuing the look into Spiderman's past...

Amazing Spiderman #6: Peter and Jameson go on a roadtrip to Florida to find the Lizard. Spiderman defeats the Lizard before it/he can create a reptile army.

#7: The Vulture escapes prison and wrecks some havoc inside the Daily Bugle. Spidey webs Jameson's mouth shut and Peter and Betty Brandt get cozy.

#8: Two stories in Issue #8. In the first part, Spidey battles 1960s Articial Intelligence while Pete KO's Flash Thompson in a fight. Thompson had been picking on Pete to no end and paid for it. Interestingly, the school faculty set up the fight in the gym. Nowdays, they'd go to prison for doing such a thing.

In the second story, Spidey crashes the Human Torch's party. It's Marvel's answer to Elvis' Clambake!

#9: Electro debuts, Aunt May has an operation, and Betty Brandt holds a secret!

#10: The Enforcers appear on the scene looking to squash Spiderman and assume control of all of New York's rackets. Meanwhile, Peter is weakened after volunteering some blood to help Aunt May. She recovers and goes on vacation while a weakened Spiderman beats the enforcers. At the end, we find out the J. Jonah Jameson despises Spiderman out of jealousy and envy. 

Old Hoss Radbourn: Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Class of 1939

Real Name: George Radbourn

Born: December 11, 1854

1878: Joined a barnstorming team

1879: Signed pro contract

Debut: May 5, 1881 (Providence Grays)

1883: Won 48 games

1884: Won Triple Crown (59 wins, 1.38 ERA, 441 strikeouts)

1884: He is credited with 59-62 wins depending on the source

1884: Providence won the “World Series” of the time

1886: Traded to Boston Beaneaters

1890: Jumped to the Boston Reds

1891: Ended up with the Cincinnati Reds

1891: Won 300^th game

1891: Retired

1890s: Opened a pool hall and suffered a serious hunting accident.

Died: February 5, 1897 from Syphillis

1939: Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame on second ballot

2010: Edward Achorn’s book Fifty-nine in ‘84 released about Old Hoss

Accomplishments:
309-194 record

59 wins in 1884

1884 Triple Crown

1884 World Champion

.614 win percentage

488 complete games

1.149 career WHIP

1830 strikeouts

2.68 ERA

Led league in wins: 2x

20+ wins: 9x

30+ wins: 3x

40+wins: 2x

50+ wins: 1884 (59)

Led league in win percentage: 2x

Led league in ERA: 1884 (1.38)

Led league in games: 2x

Led league in complete games and starts: 1884 (73)

Led league in shutouts: 1882 (6)

11 shutouts in 1884

Led league in saves: 1884 (2)

Led league in innings: 1884 (678 2/3)

200+ innings: 11x

300+ innings: 8x

400+ innings: 6x

500+ innings: 3x

600+ innings: 2x

Led league in strikeouts: 2x

200+ strikeouts: 4x

300+ strikeouts: 2x

400+ strikeouts: 1884 (441)

Led league in walks: 1887 (133)

Led league in WHIP: 1883 (0.979)

WHIP of 1.00 or less: 3x

Postseason record: 3-0, 0.00 ERA in 22 innings (3 games)