Sunday, August 18, 2013

The Vikings take Normandy (911)


Rollo joined his Viking brethren to lay siege to Paris. King Charles traded Normandy to Rollo in exchange for the Vikings fealty. Rollo honored his agreement with the King and even defended Charles against others.  The Norse presence gave the territory its name. A century later, his descendants conquered England. As a result, Rollo’s acquisition marked the beginning of the end for Anglo Saxon England.



Saturday, August 17, 2013

Sci-Fi History: The Jetsons (1962)


Hanna-Barbera followed up The Flintsones with a space age version of the prehistoric show. The original show ran from 1962-1987. It was set in 2062 and featured high-rise apartments, robots, flying cars, 20 hour work week, and an automated world. The theme song became a hit in the 60s and many people longed for the tech. Around 2000, many people wondered aloud where the flying cars were.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Stan Musial: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1969


Born: November 21, 1920

1936: Played semi-pro ball

1938: Signed by St Louis Cardinals as a pitcher

1938-41: Minor Leagues

Debut: September 17, 1941 (Cardinals)

1942: Cards win World Series

1943: Batting Champ (.357)

1943: MVP

1943: Cards lose World Series

1944: Cards win World Series

1945-6: World War II service

1946: Declined offer to play in Mexican League

1946: Earned his nickname “The Man” from Brooklyn fans

1946: Batting Champ (.365)

1946: MVP

1946: TSN Player of the Year

1946: Cards win World Series

1947: Played season with appendicitis

1948: Missed Triple Crown by one rained out home run

1948: Batting Champ (.376)

1948: MVP

1950: 30-game hit streak

1951: TSN Player of the Year

1952: Pitched in a game for only time in Major League Career

1950-52: Batting Champ (.346, .355 and .336)

1954: Hit five home runs in a double header

1955: Hit GW HR in All Star Game

1956: Set NL record for extra base hits

1957: Consecutive game streak ends at 895 with fractured shoulder bone

1957: Batting Champ (.351)

1957: Lou Gehrig Award

1958: 3000th hit

1959: First player with 400 HR and 3000 hits

1962: Oldest player ever (41) with a 3 HR game

1963: Retired as NL’s all-time hit leader (since broken)

1963-6: VP of Cardinals

1964-7: LBJ’s fitness advisor

1964: Cards win World Series

1967: Card’s GM (stepped down in less than a year rather than be desk bound)

1967: Cards win World Series

1968: Cards lose World Series

1969: Elected to HOF

1999: All Century Team

2007: Earned Navy Memorial’s Lone Sailor Award

2011: Presidential Medal of Freedom

2013: Died

Accomplishments:

3x World Champion

3x MVP

2x ML Player of the Year

24x All Star

1957 Lou Gehrig Award winner

7x Batting Champ

All Century Team

NL All Time Hit Leader at retirement

30 Game Hit Streak

895 consecutive game streak

.331

3630 Hits

475 HR

1951 RBI

1599 walks-696 Strikeouts

725 doubles

177 triples

1949 Runs

.417 OBP

.559 Slugging

.976 OPS

6134 TB

Led league in games: 5x

Led league in runs: 5x

100+ runs: 11x

Led league in hits: 6x

200+ hits: 6x

Led league in doubles: 8x

30+ doubles: 16x

40+ doubles: 9x

50+ doubles: 3x

Led league in triples: 5x

10+ triples: 8x

15+ triples: 3x

20+ triples: 2x

20+ HR: 10x

30+ HR: 6x

Led league in RBI: 2x

100+ RBI: 10x

Led league in walks (105): 1953

100+ walks: 3x

Hit .300+: 17x

Hit .350+: 5x

.400 OBP: 14x

Led league in OBP: 6x

Led league in slugging: 6x

.500 slugging: 16x

.600 slugging: 6x

.702 slugging (1948)

Led league in OPS: 7x

1.01OPS: 8x

Led league in TB: 6x

300 TB: 12x

429 TB (1948)

Led league in IBB: 2x

Postseason: .256, 1 HR, 8 RBI, .742 OPS (4 World Series)

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Waite Hoyt: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1969


Born: September 9, 1899

1914: Signed by New York Giants

Debut: July 24, 1918 (Giants)

1919: Traded to Red Sox

1920: Traded to Yankees

1920s-30s: Appeared on Vaudeville

1921-2: Yankees lose World Series

1923: Yankees win World Series

1926: Yankees lose World Series

1927-28: Yankees win World Series

1930: Traded to Tigers

1931: Purchased by A’s

1931: A’s lose World Series

1932: Signed by Dodgers

1932: Signed by Giants

1933: Signed by Pirates

1937: Purchased by Dodgers

1938: Retired winningest pitcher in World Series history

1939-65: Broadcaster

1941-65: Voice of the Cincinnati Reds

1965: Retired from broadcasting, but continued to do broadcast work on occasion

1969: Elected to Hall of Fame

1984: Died

2007: Honored along with Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall by Reds

Accomplishments:

3x World Champion

Winningest pitcher in World Series history (6 wins) at retirement (since broken)

Ace of 1927 Yankees

237-182

3.59 ERA

674 games-425 GS-226 CG

26 SHO

3762.1 IP

1206 Strikeouts

1.340 WHIP

Won 15+ games: 8x

Won 20+ games: 2x

Led league in wins (22): 1927

Led league in win % (.759): 1927

Sub 4 ERA (154+ IP): 10x

Sub 3.40 ERA: 8x

Sub 3 ERA: 2x

10+ CG: 12x

15+ CG: 6x

20+ CG: 2x

Led league in SHO (8): 1928

200+ IP: 10x

250+ IP: 4x

Led league in saves (8): 1928

Postseason: 6-4, 1.83 ERA, 12 games-6 CG-1 SHO, 83.2 IP, 1.231 WHIP (7 World Series)

Friday, August 9, 2013

Stan Coveleski: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1969


Born: July 13, 1889

1898: Oldest brother died in the Spanish-American War

1901: Worked as a “breaker boy” (72 hours a week-5 cents an hour)

1907: Began semi-pro ball

1909: Signed pro contract in the Tri-State League

1912: Purchased by Philadelphia A’s

Debut: September 10, 1912 (A’s)

1913-1915: Minor Leagues

1915: Traded to Cleveland Indians

1917: One-Hit the Yankees

1918: Pitched 19 innings against the Yankees (won 3-2)

1920: Spitball banned, but Coveleski was grandfathered in

1920: Won 3 games in World Series

1920: Indians win World Series

1923: Pitched 27 consecutive scoreless innings

1924: Traded to Washington Senators

1925: Senators lose World Series (Coveleski 0-2)

1927: Developed “sore arm”

1927: Signed by New York Yankees

1928: Released by Yankees and retired

1929: Moved to South Bend, Indiana and ran service station (closed in Great Depression)

1969: Elected to Hall of Fame

1984: Died

Accomplishments:

1920 World Champion

2x ERA Champ

1920 Strikeout Champ (133)

215-142

2.89 ERA

224 CG

38 SHO

3082 IP

981 strikeouts

1.251 WHIP

Won 20+ games: 5x

Led league (800 win %): 1925

Led league 40 game starts: 1921

10+ CG: 11x

15+ CG: 9x

20+ CG: 6x

25+ CG: 3x

Led league in SHO: 2x

200+ IP: 11x

250+ IP: 6x

300+ IP: 3x

Led league in WHIP (1.108): 1920

Postseason: 3-2, 1.74 ERA, 41.1 IP, 0.919 WHIP (2 World Series)

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Roy Campanella: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1969


Born: November 19, 1921

1937: Dropped out of High School to play baseball

1937-45: Played in Negro Leagues

1942-43: Played in Mexican League

1946: Signed by Brooklyn Dodgers

1947: Jackie Robinson desegregates baseball

Debut: April 20, 1948 (Dodgers)

1949: Dodgers lose World Series

1951: NL MVP

1952 and 1953: Dodgers lose World Series

1952: Caught Carl Erskine’s no-hitter

1953: Set Dodger RBI record (143)-since broken

1953: Set home run record for catcher (40)- since broken

1953: NL MVP

1955: NL MVP

1955: Dodgers win World Series

1956 Caught no-hitters for Carl Erskine and Sal Maglie

1956: Dodgers lose World Series

1957-8: Dodgers move to Los Angeles

1958: Car accident leaves Campy paralyzed

1959: Appeared on Lassie

1959: Roy Campanella Night at the Coliseum

1959: Wrote book, It’s Good to be Alive

1959-93: Worked for/with Dodgers

1969: Elected to Hall of Fame (79% of vote)

1972: Dodgers retired his #39

1993: Died (heart attack)

2006: Honored with a postage stamp

2006: Dodgers named an award after him

Accomplishments:

1955 World Champion

3x MVP

8x All Star

Highest caught stealing percentage in history (57%)
 
Caught Three No-Hitters

.276

242 HR

856 RBI

627 runs

1161 hits

.360 OBP

.500 Slugging

.860 OPS

103 Runs (1953)

33 Doubles (1951)

20+ HR: 7x

30+ HR: 4x

41 HR (1953)

100+ RBI: 3x

Led league in RBI (142): 1953

Hit .300: 3x

.500 slugging: 3x

.611 slugging (1953)

1.006 OPS (1953)

317 TB (1953)

Postseason: .237, 4 HR, 12 RBI, .696 OPS (5 World Series)

Sunday, August 4, 2013

History Shorts: Alfred the Great defeats the Vikings (9th century)


Alfred is the only English monarch to earn the title “great.” He came to power in 871 amid the Viking conquest. Alfred successfully developed a strategy to stop the invaders. He built defensive fortifications and allowed the Vikings to attack. The defensive lines proved too strong and the Scandinavians died in mass. Alfred also created the English Navy and codified English law.