NOVEMBER 10 UPDATE
COMMITMENTS
Lachen Hartz, C, PA Thunderbirds, signed Kutztown University
Cya Neal.....2B.....So Cal Athletics.....signed with University of Washington
Jessica Spigner, 08, 3rd Base SoCal Choppers committed to the University of Tennessee
Kim Jones P, KC Pride, committed to Arkansas Razorbacks 2007
Kasey Martin, KC Pride, committed to Illinois State 2007
LSU SIGNINGS
Ashley Applegate of Modesto, Calif., Starla Guffey of Prairieville and Jessica Mouse of Tampa, Fla.
Oklahoma signings
Dani Dobbs (Moore, Okla.), Krystle Huey (Garland, Texas), Chana’e Jones (San Jose, Calif.), Katelyn Rouppet (Stockton, Calif.) and Wendy Trott (Fountain Valley, Calif.).
FAITH HILL
Not the first to be caught by the camera in bad form after being upstaged by events. State Department veterans never tire of telling about a political appointee who was an Assistant Secretary of State. Disembarking from an EgyptAir flight in Cairo, he spotted a real red carpet and welcoming hosts with band – and assumed it was for him, motioning me and others to wait three minutes while he was honored. He had bounded down the stairs before he perceived the stunned looks by the Egyptians, then turned to see a Saudi prince at the head of the stairs, just as the greeters burst into applause. Burning with fury, he ordered all the Americans to swear to silence; the word spread throughout the Embassy before he made it to the Ambassador’s office. Richly deserved rebuke.
REMEMBRANCES
Jack Palance, the craggy-faced
menace in "Shane," "Sudden Fear" and other films who turned to comedy at 70 with
his Oscar-winning self-parody in "City Slickers," died Friday. His film debut
came in 1950, playing a murderer named Blackie in "Panic in the Streets." He
was born Volodymyr Palanyuk on February 18, 1919, in Hazle Township, PA. After
a war picture, "Halls of Montezuma," he portrayed the ardent lover who stalks
the terrified
Joan Crawford in 1952's "Sudden Fear."
The role earned him his first Academy Award nomination for supporting actor. The
following year brought his second nomination when he portrayed Jack Wilson, the
swaggering gunslinger who bullies peace-loving Alan Ladd into a barroom duel in
the Western classic "Shane."
That role cemented Palance's reputation as Hollywood's favorite menace, and he
went on to appear in such films as "Arrowhead" (as a renegade Apache), "Man in
the Attic" (as Jack the Ripper), "Sign of the Pagan" (as Attila the Hun) and
"The Silver Chalice" (as a fictional challenger to Jesus).
Markus Wolf was a legendary spymaster who headed East Germany’s feared Stasi. His penetration of West Germany brought down Willy Brandt’s government. His agents were spectacularly successful in using sex traps to ensnare Western officials.
Johnny Sain, the reknowned pitching coach, earned his stripes as a pitcher. He was the last pitcher faced by Babe Ruth and the first pitcher faced by Jackie Robinson. Sain led the Braves to the 1948 NL championship. He belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Joe Niekro was the younger brother of Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, and the father of first baseman Lance Niekro. A native of Martins Ferry, Ohio, Niekro batted and threw right-handed. He debuted on April 16, 1967. Much more traveled than his brother Phil, Niekro pitched for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers with only occasional success before joining Phil with the Atlanta Braves in 1973. Joe used a fastball and a slider early in his career, with mixed results. He spent two seasons in Atlanta with Phil and got re-acquainted with the knuckleball that their father taught them. The knuckleball became an essential part of his arsenal though never his sole pitch. Joe threw harder than Phil and could set up batters nearly as effectively with his fastball in combination with his excellent change-up. The Houston Astros purchased Niekro's contract from the Braves for $35,000 in 1975. He blossomed into a dominant pitcher as he perfected his knuckleball in Houston, going 21-11 in 1979 and 20-12 in 1980, to became the first Astros pitcher to win 20 games in consecutive seasons. He also made the National League All-Star team in 1979, a season in which he led the league with his 21 wins and five shutouts, won the TSN Pitcher of the Year Award, and ended second in voting for the Cy Young Award behind Bruce Sutter.
WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?
In the same week the basketball luminaries paid tribute to Red Auerbach, the Commissioner has to plead with today’s players to leave their guns at home. In winning 16 NBA championships as coach and then manager of the Celtics, Auerbach created role models – on and off the court. Today, we have players who at heart are thugs. Where are the Michaels, Magics and Birds of this generation?
rfh