Sparky the dog in Wes Westrum’s catching gear March 12, 1956 photo; United Press
Baseball catchers wear the so-called tools of ignorance. They get hit by wild pitches, foul balls and errant bats, constantly taking a beating behind the plate. So who wants to be a catcher? Continue reading
Jack Benny and his wife Mary, enjoy an evening at Ciro’s in Hollywood. Benny started his career in the entertainment world as a doorman at a theater in Waukegan, Illinois, his birthplace. The Benny’s have been married 28 years. photo: Inside Hollywood by Nat Dallinger for King Features Syndicate week of August 12, 1955
Cone of Silence for pitching mound visits part of the 2021 MLB rule changes
We see a steady eroding of baseball’s popularity. The players, rules and the game itself have been changing for the worse. Continue reading
Groucho Marx in 1931 photo Eugene Robert Richee for Paramount
There are at least five comedians I wish were alive now to comment on the state of the world. If interviewed they could put current events into perspective. They are George Carlin, Sam Kinison, Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor and Groucho Marx.
Each humorist was intelligent, sardonic and biting in their outlooks on life.
My all-time favorite was Groucho Marx.
Julius Henry “Groucho” Marx was born on October 2, 1890.
There are literally thousands of stories about Groucho and the Marx clan. Rather than rehash his life I’ll throw out one little known fact about Groucho from brother Harpo’s autobiography, Harpo Speaks! (1961, Bernard Gies Associates). Continue reading
The classic American film, Double Indemnity has a scene in which Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) is meeting with his boss, Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) in Neff’s office. Continue reading
You’ve heard the expression let sleeping dos lie. But what about cats? Well this daring dove is determined to wake up this cat. And the cat will have no part of it. This is not Sylvester and Tweety.
Apparently this dove regularly comes around to annoy this cat. Does the cat even attempt to slaughter it?
This is either the bravest bird or the most laid back cat.
At one minute in, the bird is laughing, at the cat, right?
The questions I have are as follows:
1) Who lets a dove into their house in the first place? Continue reading
Take away the cap and Joe Torre is not a ballplayer. He looks like a tough Brooklyn badass who you wouldn’t want to mess with.
The 1964 Topps baseball card set could be known as the mug shot set. Boring head shots predominate with few players pictured in full body or action poses. Continue reading
The French have a different way of doing things. Especially with their signage.
Here are three signs that caught my attention.
This one was on a train going from Paris to southern France. It says:
Forgot Your Luggage? Worries Guaranteed!
Now I’m not quite sure if they literally meant it. That if you lost or left your baggage on the train that you would be worried. Well of course you would! Or is this the French way of saying, “You are screwed if you lose your luggage. So don’t lose it!”
Something definitely got lost in translation. Maybe hire a proofreader who understands English when the next version of this sign is created.
The next one doesn’t need any words, even though it had them only in French. This was near the beach. Continue reading
Incredibly, around 60 years ago, well before the age of cell phones, it was known that in the future people would be attached to their phones.
So, here is the proof
No, It’s not Donald Trump. Trump did play baseball in college. But behind home plate is a career politician who later became President.
Maybe a closer look will help.
When catching a ball it usually helps to have your eyes open. We’ll pardon you if you didn’t recognize Chevy Chase’s favorite comedic target when starring on Saturday Night Live, President Gerald Ford.
The 1949 photograph comes from the UPI archive. We see Michigan Congressman Gerald Ford crouching behind home plate. In the batters box Representative Glenn R. Davis of Wisconsin demonstrates how to execute a bunt improperly by gripping and exposing his right fingers around the bat directly into the path of the ball so he can break his fingers.
Contrary to popular belief, Gerald Ford was very athletic and was not clumsy or simpleminded. In 1934 Ford was named the Most Valuable Player of the University of Michigan’s football team.
Why and when did people begin thinking Ford was awkward?
Probably when President Ford fell down a few steps disembarking Airforce One in Vienna on June 1, 1975. He also stumbled a few more times on the trip. Unfortunately for Ford, network TV was there to capture the airplane moment and show it nationally.
Then, Chevy Chase capitalized on the event and began portraying Gerald Ford in comedic sketches on SNL, as absent-minded, uncoordinated, constantly falling down and being prone to accidents. Though Chase neither looked or sounded like Ford, people began to believe that Chase’s characterization was how Ford was in real life!
For a year, week after week, Chase satirized President Ford on late night TV.
Finally, Ford and Chase met each other at the Radio and Television Correspondents Association dinner on March 25, 1976.
At the dinner in front of 1000 people at the Washington Hilton Hotel, Chase performed his Gerald Ford routine as President Ford sat at the dais and laughed at his impersonator.
Afterwards, Ford got up to speak and said Continue reading
