[buddyjh]

51st day of 2010 - 314 remaining

Saturday, February 20, 2010
FATHER OF LITTLE LEAGUE DAY


Millions of kids throughout the world have spent their summer days playing baseball thanks to a man named Carl E. Stotz. Stotz was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on this day in 1910. Twenty-nine years later, Carl Stotz found a way for little boys to play at the man’s game of baseball. He founded the Little League Baseball Organization, which consisted of three teams. (Today, each local league may have from four to ten teams.)

Boys, ages 8 to 12, formed the baseball teams that played on a diamond two-thirds the size of a regulation diamond; and played for six innings. Wearing rubber cleats and using bats no longer than 33 inches, boys were able to participate in America’s favorite pastime. Girls have been included in Little League since 1974 and championship tournaments are played at the end of the regular season of at least 15 games. The tournaments are held to select eight regional winners from around the world.

In honor of Carl Stotz, each August, the regional winners from the U.S. compete in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.


Events
February 20
1725 - The first known Indian scalping by white men was reported on this day in the New Hampshire colony.

1792 - President George Washington signed the Postal Service Act. Letters delivered up to 30 miles cost six cents to mail. For letters up to 150 miles, postage was 12-1/2 cents. And, just like today, letters over 150 miles were not guaranteed to be delivered at all.

1872 - Luther Crowell received a patent for a machine for manufacturing paper bags. Patent #123,811 allowed for the bags to have two longitudinal inward folds. Check out your bags and see if you have one like that!

1872 - The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened in New York City.

1872 - Silas Noble and J.P. Cooley of Granville, MA patented the toothpick manufacturing machine. Not very environmental ... but popular.

1921 - Rudolph Valentino starred in the motion picture, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which was released this day.

1940 - Larry Clinton and his orchestra recorded Limehouse Blues on Victor Records.

1952 - One of the game’s most popular figures, Emmett L. Ashford, became the first black umpire in organized baseball. Ashford was authorized to be a substitute in the Southwestern International League.

1952 - A true American classic, The African Queen, opened at the Capitol Theatre in New York City. The film starred Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, under the direction of John Huston. Critics accused Huston of larking when he adapted the famous book to film. And he laughed all the way to the bank.

1958 - Racing jockey Eddie Arcaro got win number 4,000, as he rode the winner at Santa Anita race track in Southern California.

1962 - America’s first space hero, John Glenn, made space history. Glenn orbited the world three times in 4 hours, 55 minutes. “Godspeed, John Glenn. You’re cleared for orbit.”

1963 - Baseball great Willie (‘Say Hey’) Mays signed with the San Francisco Giants as baseball’s highest-paid player. He earned $100,000 a year. Times have changed, haven’t they? Bat boys make that much now, it seems...

1973 - Bob Seagren won The Superstars competition held in Rotonda, FL. The track and field star got $39,700 in prize money for winning four of seven scheduled events.

1974 - After a decade of marriage, Cher filed for separation from husband Sonny Bono. Not long afterwards, she filed for divorce and the accompanying alimony. This time she sang, I Got You Babe, for real ... before becoming a successful solo singer and movie actress in films such as Moonstruck (Best Actress Oscar in 1987).

1982 - Singer Pat Benatar married musician-producer Neil Geraldo in Hawaii.

1987 - After 11 years on the job, David Hartman exited ABC’s Good Morning America. He introduced new co-host, Charles Gibson who, with Joan Lunden, would co-host the morning television program into 1998.

1992 - Texas billionaire Ross Perot, appearing on CNN’s Larry King Live, said he would run for president of the U.S. if his name was placed on the ballot in all 50 states.

1997 - The National Transportation Safety Board called for a speedup in the redesign of the rudder controls on Boeing 737s. The NTSB cited rudder problems suspected in deadly crashes near Colorado Springs, CO and Pittsburgh, PA.

1998 - These films opened in theatres across the U.S.: Dangerous Beauty, starring Catherine Mccormack, Rufus Sewell and Oliver Platt; Palmetto, with Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue and Gina Gershon; and Senseless, featuring Marlon Wayans Matthew Lillard David Spade Rip Torn.

2000 - Defending Winston Cup champ Dale Jarrett won his third Daytona 500 in eight years, passing surprise contender Johnny Benson for the lead four laps from the end. Jarrett’s $1,277,975 share of the purse, coupled with a million-dollar bonus from series sponsor Winston, gave him the largest single-day payoff in the history of the sport.

Birthdays
February 20
1726 - William Prescott
soldier: American Revolutionary War: “Don’t fire until you see the white’s of their eyes.”; died Oct 13, 1795

1829 - Joseph Jefferson
actor: Rip Van Winkle; died Apr 23, 1905

1904 - Aleksei (Nikolevich) Kosygin
Soviet premier [1964-1980]; died in Dec 1980

1910 - Carl Stotz
‘Father of Little League Baseball’; died June 4, 1992; see Father of Little League Day [above]

1914 - John Daly
Emmy Award-winning reporter [1955]; TV host: What’s My Line; died Feb 24, 1991

1915 - Chick (Melvin) Harbert
golfer: PGA Champion [1954]; died Sep 1, 1992

1924 - Gloria Vanderbilt
fashion designer; subject of famous Vanderbilt child-custody case

1925 - Robert Altman
director: M*A*S*H, Nashville, Brewster McCloud; died Nov 20, 2006

1926 - Bob Richards
'Vaulting Vicar': Olympic pole-vaulter: only man to win 2 golds [1952, 1956] and a total of 3 medals [bronze, 1948] in this event

1927 - Sidney Poitier
Academy Award-winning actor: Lilies of the Field [1963]; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, To Sir With Love, Sneakers

1928 - Roy (Elroy Leon) Face
baseball: pitcher: Pittsburgh Pirates [all-star: 1959-1961/World Series: 1960], Detroit Tigers, Montreal Expos

1929 - Amanda Blake (Beverly Louise Neill)
actress: Gunsmoke: Miss Kitty; Betrayal, The Glass Slipper, Sabre Jet, Stars in My Crown; died Aug 16, 1989

1930 - Patricia Smith
actress: Spirit of St. Louis, Save the Tiger

1934 - Bobby Unser
race car driver: Indianapolis 500 winner [1968, 1975, 1981]

1937 - Roger Penske
race car driver, team owner: CART; speedway owner, operator of Cleveland Grand Prix for Indy cars

1937 - Nancy Wilson
singer: (You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am, Face It Girl, It’s Over, What Are You Doing New Years?, Yesterday’s Love Songs, Today’s Blues

1938 - Richard Beymer
actor: The Diary of Anne Frank, West Side Story, Twin Peaks, The Longest Day

1941 - Buffy (Beverly) Sainte-Marie
singer: I’m Gonna Be a Country Girl Again, Mister Can’t You See, Up Where We Belong, He’s an Indian Cowboy in the Rodeo; songwriter: Universal Soldier, Until It’s Time for You to Go; Married to Jack Nitzsche

1941 - Clyde Wright
baseball: pitcher: California Angels [all-star: 1970], Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers

1942 - Phil Esposito
hockey: NHL: Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins [NHL MVP: 1969, 1974], NY Rangers

1946 - Sandy Duncan
dancer, actress: Peter Pan, Pinnochio, Roots, The Hogan Family

1946 - J. (Jerome) Geils
guitarist: group: The J. Geils Band: Looking for a Love, Give It to Me, Freeze-Frame, Centerfold

1947 - Peter Strauss
actor: Peter Gunn, Rich Man Poor Man, Soldier Blue, The Yearling

1948 - Pierre Bouchard
hockey: NHL: Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals

1948 - Jennifer O’Neill
actress: The Summer of ’42, Cover-Up, Rio Lobo

1950 - Walter Becker
musician: bass, guitar: group: Steely Dan

1951 - Edward Albert
actor: Mind Games, Butterflies are Free, The Heist, Terminal Entry, Guarding Tess; died Sep 22, 2006

1951 - Randy California (Wolfe)
singer, musician: guitar: group: Spirit: I Got a Line on You, Nature’s Way; solo: LPs: Kaptain Kopter and the Fabulous Twirlybirds, Shattered Dreams, Spirit of ’84; died Jan 2, 1997 in swimming accident off Molokai HI

1954 - Patty Hearst (Shaw)
publishing heiress; kidnapee; actress: Cry-Baby

1958 - James Wilby
actor: Howard’s End, A Tale of Two Cities Conspiracy, A Summer Story, A Handful of Dust, Maurice, Dreamchild

1963 - Charles Barkley
basketball: Phoenix Suns; shortest player [6’6"] to lead NBA in rebounds

1963 - Ian Brown
singer: group: Stone Roses

1966 - Cindy Crawford
supermodel, actress: Fair Game, Sex with Cindy Crawford, The Simian Line

1967 - Kurt Cobain
musician, singer: group: Nirvana: LP: Nevermind; creator of grunge rock; died [apparent suicide] April 5, 1994

1967 - Andrew Shue
actor: Melrose Place

1975 - Brian (Thomas) Littrell
singer: group: Backstreet Boys: LPs: Backstreet Boys, Star Profile, Millennium

ABA Birthdays Today

sweetsunset01 , tradewinds40 (67) , dutch (63) , gov (53) , fendary (51) , jaciel (51) , regio (50) , javili (50) , mrv22661 (49) , satfrick (47) , abaj06 (44) , will305 (43) , dream team (43) , kenny1234 , kapo (40) , blueknight (39) , krolla (33) , storyteller2k3 (33) , thile (27) , camer (26) , tee-hc (25) , yeneyme2 (25)

Chart Toppers
February 20
1947For Sentimental Reasons - Nat King Cole
A Gal in Calico - Johnny Mercer
Oh, But I Do - Margaret Whiting
So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed - Merle Travis

1955Sincerely - McGuire Sisters
Melody of Love - Billy Vaughn
Tweedle Dee - Georgia Gibbs
Let Me Go, Lover! - Hank Snow

1963Hey Paula - Paul & Paula
Walk like a Man - The 4 Seasons
Ruby Baby - Dion
The Ballad of Jed Clampett - Flatt & Scruggs

1971One Bad Apple - The Osmonds
If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot
Mama’s Pearl - The Jackson 5
Help Me Make It Through the Night - Sammi Smith

1979Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? - Rod Stewart
Y.M.C.A. - Village People
A Little More Love - Olivia Newton-John
Every Which Way But Loose - Eddie Rabbitt

1987Livin’ on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
Change of Heart - Cyndi Lauper
Touch Me (I Want Your Body) - Samantha Fox
How Do I Turn You On - Ronnie Milsap

Chart Topper February 20th, 1963...Walk like a Man - The 4 Seasons

[steven charles]

thanks for all this great info,buddy and thanks for sharing this piece of history my friend...

[Victor Hugo]

thanks Buddy for an Excellent Job.

[unclepaul]

Thanks buddy,party on

[yipitsme]

Thanks Buddy, another very interesting post. Have a great weekend my friend.

[snakebite]

thanks again buddy for the great info.

[dt8350]

Happy Birthday Miss Kitty!
Great Post Buddy!

[peggy13]

Love all the different info...thanks Buddy, good job!

Have a great Saturday!!

[just4ufolks]

ABA
Birthdays Today
CONGRATS
ppl
c/p

sweetsunset01 , tradewinds40 (67) , dutch (63) , gov (53) , fendary (51) , jaciel (51) , regio (50) , javili (50) , mrv22661 (49) , satfrick (47) , abaj06 (44) , will305 (43) , dream team (43) , kenny1234 , kapo (40) , blueknight (39) , krolla (33) , storyteller2k3 (33) , thile (27) , camer (26) , tee-hc (25) , yeneyme2 (25)


MY
FRIEND

for all you do and for your untiring
effort
to bring this thread on daily basis
keep going

UR
appreciated & admired

Thx again

[Crystal Dragon]

Great post like always!!!

Thanks Buddy !!

[lilherc]

Thanx, buddy. I always look forward to reading your posts.