"TheOldBarbershop" - created along the lines 
of the old barbershops where folks would gather to visit with friends - share life experiences - tall tales - or maybe discuss politics, religion, sports, news, weather, current affairs or just about anything interesting or imaginable - "the free right to unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion" - characters with character preferred ...
"TheSouthernJackAss' Stall!" ... constructed just for me ...
Unbelievable! ... this is my personal space, my stall ... this is the place where I can rant and rave about anything and everything ... I can hammer out, talk shop, thrash out or kick around any topic that sours my oats, even if I know absolutely nothing about it, all without disrupting others at TheOldBarbershop ...
Now don't be alarmed, I have no intentions of rude nor crude behavior, neither will profanity or bad manners be brandished ... however, I am an extremely opinionated jackass with an abundance of unassailable notions and beliefs which are emphatically set in stone, consequently, my aim is to impart various and sundry examples of those notions and beliefs, intermingled with a bit of humor and sarcasm along the way, all with the clear realization that some discourse may not be well received by the masses, nonetheless, I am no stranger to either dissonance or controversy ... so ignorance and stupidity will be addressed in a colorful and entertaining fashion on a regular basis - without bit, bridle or blinders! ...
The ultimate goal is to compel folks to pause and reflect on my expositions as it relates to their own life experiences, thus inducing intelligent, productive and positive dialogue ... so visit often ... never can tell when I'll get stirred and perturbed --sja
cy, just like that stuff you took Alex.
Well, for us baseball fans, winter is for daydreaming about what might have been and what might yet be ... early spring hails the annual rebirth of the Phoenix when the boys of summer head south or west for Spring Training ... followed by april showers and opening day.
The summer is filled with game after game ... our'n agin' their'n ... and may the better team win, unless they're better than us! Then comes the fall and the cream of the crop face off against each other in order to determine the World Champions, just as another winter set in!
And so it goes, the grand old game!
I saw neither "Babe", the "Georgia Peach", 
nor the "The Big Train" play ... but, my money is on them as being the best ... they didn't know about "the cream" and "the clear" ... some boys are just better than others.
All but forgotten are the events leading to establishment of the Office of the Commissioner ... it all started with the National Agreement of 1903 that made peace between the National and American leagues and evolved from there ... we got our first "Commissioner" ... Kenesaw Mountain Landis, following the 1919 Black Sox Scandal and public perception that the sport was crooked ... a lot has changed, but the more things change ...
It's true that the Judge played judge and jury ... and perhaps "Shoeless Joe" told 'em it wasn't so ... but, the fate of the game was at stake ... as it may well be today.
We had the breaking of the BALCO investigation and scandal back in 2003, the "Senate Steroids in Baseball Hearings" in 2005 ... the Mitchell Report in December, 2007 ... then there's been the ongoing "Roger Clemens - Brian McNamee" drama, the indictment of Barry Bonds ... and all those unguided missiles 
a disease shared by many who frequent the Shop ... so keeping us informed on what's up with Atlanta's tomahawk tribe is sure to be a priority!
For Matt, Walter, and Abbie ... 
Me, back in my earlier days ... actually, it’s of old Abner himself, ... one I took while we were trying to decide what to call this new game we had done invented. Abner wanted to call it “Cricket” but I didn’t think it would be, since the British were already using that name ... and “Grasshopper” just sounded too Chinese; though the pasture was full of ‘em.
The truth is, we really didn’t have anything good upon which to base the ball game’s name ... which I told some fool reporter. He was new, didn’t take any notes, but I did give him that picture. By the time he got back and wrote the story, he had plum forgot everything I had told him ‘cept the part 'bout “base ball game’s name” ... well, that’s how the game got called baseball and why Abner got all the credit, as I had written his name on the back of that picture ... and why I became a journalist in self defense.
Baseball has certainly changed since we first thunk it up … from cow pastures to gigantic entertainment complexes ... 
we don’t see anything like HOF Charley Radbourn’s magical 60 win season with 73 games started, 73 complete games, 441 strikeouts, 679 innings, and a 1.38 ERA ... Old Hoss liked to finish what he started!
Today it’s an international business with little leagues and big leagues ... with unions, agents and multimillionaire players. The game is ever changing ... why there’s even some talk of pitchers being excused from hitting and players taking drugs to help them perform better. Why the next thing we know, there’ll be interleague play, home run exhibitions, and night games at Wrigley!
I'm just a funnin' ... but them things could happen!
One thing that hasn’t and will likely never change … all baseball fans have their favorite stories, their memories ... their magic moments. When I think the game's magic moments, I always think of ...
I would climb the wall along Ponce de leon Ave, then shimmy up the bridge trust to watch the game. Sometimes sat on a boxcar, or one of the bulding. I was also one of those kids that hung around the front entrance during the game to catch foul balls that came over the roof of the stadium.
Like you, I thought the world of the “Atlanta Crackers” and had baseballs with autographs, especially the one with Ralph County Brown on it. I was in the Military for 20 years and moved a lot, sadly they become lost over the years. I was in Viet Nam when the Atlanta Braves came to Atlanta. I have always pulled for the Braves, for they represent my hometown.
Prompting me again ... Thanks Jere
You do bring back the memories! I used to walk those tracks from the lumberyard at the end of old Carmel Avenue to that same right field area beyond Sears ... did it hundreds of times, got down inside behind the right centerfield fences a couple of times, but not during the games ... Mama would have killed me, had she known.
I too chased foul balls from outside the front entrance and sometimes down the left field side during the game, at least until the late innings when they opened the gates.
Don’t be a stranger!!
Our resident preacher and Braves' fanatic Matthew, Dad to Walter ... back before he was Dad to Abigail ... wrote
Hey Bob. Great blog ... I have only been around since 1981, so these stories are new to me. As a Braves fan and a history buff, your recollections make for great reading.
My favorite moments were with Grandaddy (my dad’s dad) who introduced me to the Braves in the late ’80s in NE Ark, probably because the Cardinals weren’t on TV (St. Louis fans dominate our area). Anyway, from 1990 till his death in 1997, I spent almost every Friday night at their house, watching the Braves and anything else that was on TV. He worked on TVs, radios, etc. for years, and always had at least two TVs on (muted) and the Razorbacks on the radio. I’ll never forget those times.
Now my son (Walter, named after Grandaddy) is 15 months old, and I have already been teaching him to chop and sing. I’ll show him Sid’s slide, Tommy’s masterpiece in ‘95, and the great ones like Smoltzy, Mad Dog, and even some lesser known heroes like Fransisco Cabrera and Alejandro Pena. Who knows what memories he’ll post in years to come, of the Great Heap or Frenchy.
I warned you ... magical, each and every one!
They've shown you how ... now it's your turn ...
I recently learned of something that helps explain a fact of WW II that most people, including myself, have been unaware.
Why did President Roosevelt intern Japanese-Americans during the first months of WWII? Was it revenge for Pearl Harbor or just racism?
Actually, there was an incident (well known at the time) that now is omitted from most discussions of the internment of Japanese-Americans ... The Incident at Niihau.
Niihau is the smallest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands, located southwest of Kauai and privately owned. It is also called the Forbidden Isle since there is limited access for tourists only through special tourist programs. For many years the island operated as a ranch with local inhabitants working for the Robinson family who bought the island in 1864.
Prior to the beginning of World War II and based on a recommendation by an army officer, the Robinson's deeply plowed the land and had placed rock piles strategically so as to prevent aircraft from being safely landed.
However, the Japanese believed Niihau to be uninhabited and had designated the island as an emergency landing area for any stricken aircraft in its preparations for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. 
Since Niihau was so isolated, word of Pearl Harbor had not yet reached them.
Kaleohano took the pilot's side arm and official looking papers from him and invited him to breakfast. The pilot spoke almost no English so Kaleohano brought in Japanese-born Ishimatsu Shintani, one of the three adults of Japanese heritage living on the island.
Shintani spoke to the pilot in Japanese but didn't relay any useful information to Kaleohano. While not a US citizen himself, he did have children born in Hawaii who were, by virtue of their birth, US citizens.
Kaleohano then called in the Haradas, a husband and wife. Mr. Harada had been born in Hawaii and was, therefore, a US citizen. They spoke with the pilot and learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Nishikaichi demanded the return of his side arm and the papers taken from him. The Haradas chose not to inform Kaleohano of what they had just learned.
The goodhearted Hawaiians treated Nishikaichi to a luau. However, later that evening, upon hearing what had happened at Pearl Harbor on an old battery powered radio, they took the pilot into custody and questioned him again. Mr. Harada now accurately reported what the pilot had told him.
It's important to realize that at this time, no member of the Robinson family was living on the island. The current head family member, Aylmer Robinson, lived on Kauai ... coming over by boat every Monday to check on the islanders.
The next morning, the Hawaiians took the pilot by tractor to Kii Landing, near the northern tip of the island. This is where Mr. Robinson's boat would dock when he came over from Kauai. However, Mr. Robinson was prevented from leaving Kauai by new wartime restrictions. There was no way to directly contact the islanders.
While they waited, the pilot began to work on Mr. Harada's loyalties, using Japan's easy victory at Pearl Harbor to convince him that they were bound to win the war.
By December 11, 1941, Mr. Harada had decided to take action to help Nishikaichi. He stole some weapons stored on the island and managed to lure the Hawaiian guard away from the pilot and lock the guard up.
Then Harada and Nishikaichi went to Kaleohano's house. Unable to locate him there, they then went to the crashed plane where the pilot tried to operate the smashed radio. Kaleohano had been hiding in his outhouse. As he was fleeing, Harada and the pilot returned to the house, ... Harada shot at Kaleohano but missed.
Kaleohano went to the village to warn the residents and then, after hiding the papers that he had taken from the pilot, hurried to the northern tip of the island to light an emergency signal fire. The guard, who had been locked up by Harada, had by then managed to free himself and he too rushed to the village to warn the islanders, most of who then fled to remote parts of the island.
By the time Kaleohano got to the northern tip of the island, a signal fire had already been set by other islanders. Deciding that they needed to take stronger action, Kaleohano and five other men decided to row for Kauai across the treacherous crossing between the islands. Upon reaching Kauai, they were able to contact Robinson who had been desperately trying to reach the island. Based on the information relayed, the military commanders agreed to launch a rescue mission to Niihau.
Back on the island, Harada and Nishikaichi had managed to recapture the guard and one other villager. They also returned to the plane and took the machine gun and ammunition; unsuccessfully attempting to burn the plane as well. They marched though the village firing their weapons and calling on Kaleohano to come out, unaware that he had left the island.
Ben Kanahele and his wife were taken prisoner when they returned to the village for food. Kanahele, 49, was a 6-foot native Hawaiian known for his strength. Harada and Nishikaichi demanded that Ben search for Kaleohano. Kanahele knew that Kaleohano had left for Kauai, but pretended to look for him.
A well armed Nishikaichi was now holding the shotgun, with the pistol stuck in his boot, and threatened to shoot Kanahele and all the other islanders if he did not produce Kaleohano. Ben Kanahele, speaking in Hawaiian to Harada, demanded that he take away the pilot's pistol. Harada refused, but he requested the shotgun from the pilot.
As the pilot handed over the shotgun to Harada, Kanahele and his wife lunged at him. However, Nishikaichi was too quick for them, shooting Kanahele three times! Kanahele still managed to grab the pilot and with his great strength threw him into a stone wall. Mrs. Kanahele grabbed a rock and began to bash the pilot's head. Kanehele was able to draw a knife and slit the pilot's throat ... Harada then used the shotgun on himself.
All was over by the time the military rescue party arrived the next morning ... or was it?
Ben Kanahele fortunately recovered from his wounds and was awarded the Medal of Merit and the Purple Heart.
Although not an active participant in the worst of the incident, Shintani was taken into custody and interned on the U.S. mainland ... becoming a naturalized American citizen in 1960.
Mrs. Harada, labeled as a Japanese spy, was jailed on Kauai on December 15, 1941. Later she was transferred to a military prison on Oahu ... released in late 1944, she then returned to Niihau where she lived for the rest of her life.
A January 1942 Navy report used the actions of Shintani and the Haradas as indications of the 'likelihood' that Japanese residents previously believed loyal to the United States may aid Japan. 
This incident along with the war hysteria did influence Franklin Roosevelt to remove more than 100,000 persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast and intern them in the U.S. interior.
While, there are a number of programs and books relating to the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, rarely is there now mention of the Niihau incident.
In today's environment, our government's actions and resultant internment of Japanese Americans would have been labeled as racist by civil rights advocates and declared unconstitutional by our highest court. I'm not sure that the government should have taken the Niihau incident as far as they did ... nor am I sure ...
Was it fair to take away the homes, businesses and lives of so many people just because they were of Japanese ancestry? No, it wasn't.
Well, almost 70 years after the fact and knowing what happened, it may appear that the President overreacted ...
However, remember, you are living in December 1941 and there are only 4 aircraft carriers standing between you and a Japanese landing along the West Coast.
You don't know if there is another surprise task force steaming toward San Francisco as you try to make the best decisions you can make.
No, you're not FDR, and maybe you would have made a different decision ... decisions had to be made ... FDR made his ... Niihau played an important role ... Eleanor didn't agree with the decision that he reached concerning Japanese Internment ... Do you?
So said Brigadier General William “Billy” Mitchell in his report to the War Department, dated July, 1924.
The Robinson family certainly seemed omniscient to have so deeply plowed their land and strategically placed rocks for years just in case their land was used in a military attack in the Pacific. 
Who was the military officer who got them to take the action they took?
He has been recently identified as Colonel Gerald C. Brant ... advising them in 1933 that the Japanese would use Niihau as a forward air base to launch a full-scale invasion of the Territory of Hawaii.
An ex-cavalry officer turned aviator, Brant was an associate of Billy Mitchell and had testified on his behalf in the famous 1925 court marshal that found Mitchell guilty of insubordination, ... Douglas MacArthur's being the lone dissenting vote.
Makes one wonder if Billy Mitchell was somehow involved, but the surviving Robinsons believe that it was Brant who convinced their ancestors to dig up the island, first by mule and plow and later by tractor, for nearly eight years ... completing the task in the summer of 1941, a few months before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
Brant eventually rose to the rank of major general, retiring in 1948 ... Mitchell did not live to see his prediction realized, dying in 1936. Well, almost realized ... the attack came at 7:10 AM!
On December 7, 2006, 65 years after the Day of Infamy, the 
Why "Ask Miss Know It All"? Well, we owe it all to someone known to me only as "Tired of others yapping ..." who recently emailed:
Hey Miss Carol, not pontificating as much these days??? You like holding forth on anything and everything so what about pontificating on this, Miss know-it-all ... Who's your Daddy???
I don't consider it pontificating when I just explain things, tell the truth, and set people straight. I suppose I've been privileged to hear the expression "truth is truth" more than most, and sometimes more than I'd like, but it is true ... and I think it's about time folks knew the truth and told it!
I blame this mess we're in on one thing ... "COLOR" ... before Color, everything was black or white ... life was good. In the movies, the heroes wore white ... the bad wore black ... except for for Hoppy and Darango, who thought it fun to try to confuse us. Ted Turner tried to go back and colorize everything, and everybody knows the mess that was! He should have stayed with the Braves!
The news was the news, until they started adding color ... now it's mostly personality painted pontifications ... or tinted gray so as to influence us. It's little wonder we're in a mess ... I'll think for myself, thank you.
I can tell you about history, art, government, archeology, classical music, opera and other silly things like that. The Shop's salon is the best place in town to get stupid stuff off our minds so we can sleep at night ... but, I can also tell you about important people like Mary Poppins, Miss Marple, Sherlock, Harry Potter, Pip, Jane Eyre, and Huck Finn!
In fact, I can tell you about most anything. I know it all and I'll be telling it ... so if you want to know the truth about something, you've come to the right place. 
Fresh young tender field corn that's loaded with milk is the key ... mash a kernel and if it don't squirt, get some different corn! If the corn isn't as milky as desired, shame on somebody, but you can add some ... whole milk and maybe a little corn starch, that is.
Varieties like "Trucker's Favorite White" are where it's at, methinks ... but I suppose that "Silver Queen" works for those who like it sweet. Actually, Mama always said the corn they got out of Mr. Whittaker's field was the best!
How many ears does it take? It all depends on the ears and who's doing the eating, but two ears per person has most always worked for us.
Shuck the corn, removing the silks and cutting away any areas damaged by worms ... always save the worms for fishing, or for added flavor and then ... slice away the very top of the kernels with a sharp knife; just enough to give access to the good stuff ... and a second time, a bit deeper. 
Scrape the cob well, removing all the juice and milk ... placing those ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix well!
That accomplished, it's a walk in the park ... or to the store if you don't have a well seasoned cast iron skillet.
Heat your grease in the skillet ... how much is a matter of taste, as is your choice of bacon, fatback or streak-o-lean, but about one tablespoon per three ears works well for me. If you freshly fry bacon to get your grease, I suggest saving it for some wilted lettuce ...
Add in the corn, water, and a pinch of salt ... bring to a boil, simmer, stirring often, if not constantly, and adding water as needed to maintain the desired consistency. It should cook down and thicken in roughly 20-30 minutes.
What you're after is ... thick, and on the pasty, creamy side. Not to worry, it'll happen, ... the starch from the corn's milk will do that for you ... that's just to let you know when it's ready. The fresher the corn, the less water you'll need ... try just covering the corn with water or using 1/2 cup at the start, and adjust as necessary.
Season with salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper, and maybe a little butter ... it's really a matter of taste.
It's good as is ... but, spicing it up at the dinner table with green hot peppers makes it even better! 
And if you fry up the hog pieces to get your grease, serve them too!
Fried corn, cornbread, buttermilk, wilted lettuce and maybe some blackberry cobbler ... 
Wilted Lettuce
Fry 1/4 lb of bacon so that it is evenly brown; crisp ... remove from skillet, crumble and save. In these days of hogs being bred for producing "the other white meat", the amount of drippings you'll get is anybody's guess ... some hogs are just greasier than others so you may find you need a little more ... or less, depending.
I worked for the same company as my father, during the summers while in college and then before entering the service. He was the company's chief marketing officer and I, its "Assistant to the Actuary" ... he, the actuary, liked cream in his coffee ... but no, it wasn't my job to get him coffee.
One day, I was unexpectedly called to Daddy's office ... the first time I'd ever been to the sixth floor, 
as memory serves ... biggest desk in the biggest office I'd ever seen, marble floor, mahogany waste can and private restroom.
He and his staff, the company's marketing vice presidents, were having a meeting ... they had all known me for years, but never in a business setting ... and here I was, center stage! Daddy asked his secretary to close the door and gave instructions that we were not to be disturbed. What did they want with me, what had I done?
To my great surprise and greater relief, he moved some stuff from one edge of his desk and indicated that as my seat ... definitely not Daddy!
At his behest, the Actuary had recently revised the way an agent's weekly paycheck was determined so as to reduce fluctuations. I was familiar with the problem and with the new system ... is was a simple 13 week rolling average that replaced the existing system where the agent's pay changed quarterly. I had seen the explanatory materials and thought that it had been well presented ... and well received.
Daddy explained that the agents hated the system because it was too complex for them to understand ... that even the five of them were having some trouble. Simply put, they didn't understand it and he wanted me to explain it to them ... I was sworn to secrecy ... truly was a magic moment!
They gathered 'round ... and I explained, best I could. Expecting kudos, I closed with "I told you it was easy ... is everything clear? ... any questions?" ...
Indeed it was a magic moment ... being asked to Daddy's office and asked to do something important. However, that bubble was burst when the only response was ... "Yes Bobby, it's clear as mud! "My reputation for being difficult to understand is well established; here in the Shop, and on other blogs, but I doubt that any suspected that it was a disease of such long duration.
The new system was short lived, but they were wrong ... the agents did understand ... we got a call, memo or letter every time they thought a mistake had been made ... almost always a few pennies due to rounding.
Daddy goodnaturedly tried to place the fault at my door ... Mama would have none of it ... she said the problem was that the marketing department felt they were left out of the developmental process by the actuary ... Mama was a smart lady. Well, regardless, I honored my oath to remain silent ... until long after all were retired.
Like many of you, the first person with whom I played games was my mother ... she taught me to pray too "Now I lay me down to sleep (my only memorized prayer other the "Lord's"); ... my first song, 
For over 40 years, we played Scrabble ... Mama and me ... sometimes with family but usually the cutthroat, two player variety ... a quarter, half dollar, dollar a game. Her style was different from mine. 
We both were defense oriented but she attempted to maximize the utility of each play, while I went for words she didn't know, hoping for a challenge ... and the big play; double and triple word scores, and seven letter word bonuses.
While I averaged over one bonus qualifying word of seven or more letters per game, I honestly can't remember her ever so doing ... it wasn't her style and she didn't have the patience.
Over the years, I won about two times out of three ... from a combination of what she called "bonuses, cheating and luck" ... but luck had nothing to do with it!
We held the 1st Annual McBrayer World Scrabble Grand Championship in Mama's hometown; Bell Buckle, Tennessee ... under a shade tree on its main street, following a great country ham, eggs and biscuits breakfast. Breakfast was free, courtsey of the waitress and a triple or nothing bet that she couldn't guess Mama's age within 10 years ... she hit it on the nose ... MY age, that is. Truly a magic moment!!
Four players ... One Trophy (memento from the Opryland Hotel, site of an earlier match) ... it was fun ... and another magic moment for I led for the entire game while poor Mama had a bad day and brought up the rear.
Well, until a seven letter word ... on a triple word score ... on the last play of the game ... Mama finally had her bonus word ... eternal!
She passed away the next year, before we could hold the 2nd Annual World Championship. We thought about it, long and hard ... decided against ... no good reason to hold another tournament ... we already had our Grand Champion ... undefeated, eternal, and magical!
My favorite magic moment? It's one of them, that's for sure! Tied, methinks with Miss Carol saying YES; seeing Robbie just seconds after he was born; meeting Country Brown and my favorite Crackers; that visit to Daddy's office; my first 300 game, my only hole in one ... a sailboat ride, Superbowl XV, Estes Park and a few more that are reserved for another day ... all still bring goosebumps, chills, and smiles!
Another anecdote involving Mama started when, as a Georgia Tech freshman I wrote a paper covering some fundamental theorems of matricies ... and ended 15 months later. Good paper, maybe my best work ever ... it received an "A" ... two magic moments ... one for Sam Nunn's roommate ... he got the "A", passed the course with a "B" and I got $25!!
Mama never let me live it down ... maybe the maddest I've ever seen her ... insisted I give that money back!
I took the same course a year later ... had the same test too, only this time it was an in class, midterm examination. Qne theorem was on back of the last page of the test, which I unfortunately overlooked. Payback I guess, the test was graded on the curve and I received a "D" ... I too got a "B" in the course ... another magic moment, this time for Mama! Well, "always mind your mamma" is a good rule but there are exceptions to every rule.
My father's father's mother was a great lady ... quiet and reserved but when she talked, you listened. She reserved the money for his higher education but Daddy elected to join his uncle and work in Atlanta, for it was 1930.
Growing up, I didn't really know her that well ... we would visit my uncles, grandparents at Christmas and on weekends, a few times each year but we would only see her on those ocassions when she was visiting my grandparents. On those trips, Georgia red clay took on a special meaning for us ... deep ruts in the dirt roads of rural northwest Georgia. Oldest grandchildren and great-grandchildren get special treatment when they're young ... homemade teacakes were my favorite ... times were good!
One Sunday during a Sunday School prayer, a strange feeling came over me ... like a chill ... thought I was sick, but it was just this very strong feeling that something was wrong ... someone had died. Before Church, I told Mama ... and again, going home ... but, "Why would you think that? Nobody you know is ill ... neither family nor friends" ... not a quote, but close.
Yes, my great-grandmother had unexpectedly died at age 92, methinks ... at 9:30 that morning, yes the very same time of that chilly feeling ... we got the call about an hour after arriving home. Coincidence? Perhaps, but I remember having that feeling but once in my lifetime ... some things we can't explain.
At the Cooperstown induction ceremony, Kell said that he found it incredible that he and Robinson had both came out of Arkansas, and "traveled the same path to this place" ... he died in his sleep on March 24, 2009, at his home in Swifton Arkansas.
During George Kell's stellar baseball career, he played a total of 1,795 games - had 6,702 at-bats - scored 881 runs - had 78 homeruns - 870 RBI - 51 stolen bases - .414 SLG - .367 OBP - .781 OPS - 110.4 OPS+ ... was an All-Star 10 times ... had a career batting average of .306 with 2,054 hits ... hit at least .300 in 9 seasons, and led the league's third basemen in fielding percentage 7 times ... in the book entitled "We Played The Game" Kell said, "I took as much pride in fielding as hitting. I became a complete player. I knew when to take the extra base. I knew about the outfielder hitting the cutoff man. I knew when and how to bunt. I knew when to hit-and-run" ... a magic moment came for Kell in 1949 when he edged out Ted Williams for the batting title by less than two ten-thousandths of a point - .34291 to .34276 - thus denying Williams a third Triple Crown ... Kell was an excellent third baseman, the best in the American League, until Brooks Robinson replaced him with the Baltimore Orioles in 1958.
In 1958, George Kell began his career in broadcasting by filling in for Dizzy Dean behind the microphone on CBS's "Game of the Week" ... in the book "For the Love of the Game" Kell said, "I'd never done any bro
Not long ago, just a little over 200 years, our country was born and with it came a novel idea ... a democratic republican form of government, if you'll pardon the expression.
Democracies can work well in small communities where the people have similar, vested interests and the time to be actively involved in deciding the issues confronting the community. History shows that they fail miserably and collapse when the community becomes too large and complex.
occasion, surprised most everybody and gave 'em Hell when he unexpectedly found himself in a difficult situation ... we can too!
Let's start by forgetting political correctness and develop a list of things that shouldn't be political but are ... or so seem. We'll do that, discuss them and see where it takes us ... Ronald Reagan got real upset when he heard that a judge had dismissed the charges against a man charged with DUI because he was too drunk to understand his rights being read to him ... and look where it took him!
Reagan, not the drunk ...
Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh provide tutors.
The foundation also provides motivational training to show the children of the area that there is a larger world full of opportunities for them. Community leaders work with the students to show them that they have options for their futures, and that they have career options. They are encouraged to pursue their education to improve themselves.
Gone is the "House That Ruth Built" ... it's been replaced by a home run haven that makes a mockery of the Babe's fantastic feats. They say that nobody ever hit one out of Yankee Stadium ... well, save one ...
Josh Gibson is credited with having hit a home run in a Negro League game at Yankee Stadium that struck two feet from the top of the wall circling the center field bleachers, about 580 feet from home plate. That was close ... certainly cigar worthy! Chicago American Giants infielder Jack Marshall is among those having said that Gibson slugged one over the third deck next to the left field bullpen in 1934 for the only fair ball hit out of Ruth's old house.
Belting home runs of more than 500 feet was not unusual for Gibson ... another, in Monessen, Pa., reportedly was measured at 575 feet.
Teammate Satchel Paige said, "He was the greatest hitter who ever lived" ...
while Walter "Big Train" Johnson said, "He hits the ball a mile!" He was so good that some referred to Babe Ruth as"the white Josh Gibson".In various publications, Gibson has been credited with as many as 84 homers in one season. Reports vary regarding the number of home runs Josh Gibson hit, with some estimates as high as 962 ... his Hall of Fame plaque says he hit "almost 800" homers and a lifetime batting average of .359 during his 17-year career. Other sources indicate higher numbers with one putting his average at .384, best in Negro League history.
The records indicate that he won nine home-run titles and four batting championships playing for the Crawfords and the Homestead Grays. In two seasons during the late 1930s, it was written that not only did he hit higher than .400, but his slugging percentage was above 1.000.
Officially, Josh Gibson was a catcher in the baseball's Negro Leagues. He was born Dec. 21, 1911 in Buena Vista, Ga. and died in 1947. He played from 1930 to 1946 and elected to the baseball hall of fame in 1972.A bronze statue of Gibson was erected this year in Nationals Park in Washington D.C.
In the 1998 Sporting News' 100 Greatest Players rankings, Josh Gibson is number 18 ... just behind The Mick ... not too bad to have never played in the Majors!
Perhaps Josh Gibson's best and most lasting contribution will be The Josh Gibson Foundation ... the house that Josh Built still stands!
Since 1994, Josh Gibson's Great Grandson, Sean, has dedicated himself to increasing the awareness of his famous Great Grandfather and the other great Negro League Players who lead the way for the great Jackie Robinson. Had there been no Satchel Paige, no Cool Papa Bell, no Josh Gibson ...
In 2004, at a chance meeting at a wedding in Scottsdale, AZ, Sean Gibson and Brent Stevens (great grandson of The Babe) met and got to talking about their famous great-grandfathers. They didn't believe that The Babe and Josh Gibson had ever met in real life but what if the baseball playing field had been a level one back then?
That's when they decided to jointly commission this painting theorizing a relationship between the black Babe Ruth and the white Josh Gibson.
