NOVEMBER 22 UPDATE
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
I am thankful for my children, for my health with gratitude to the many doctors who keep me off the edge of the envelope; for the men and women of our Armed Forces who serve so gallantly and die so bravely in wars created by politicians; for a quality education at a great university; for three rewarding careers; for great friends who make SPY possible; for being an American; and thankful to the God of us all because without faith we are nothing. RFH
NOVEMBER 22, 1963
President John F Kennedy died on this day in Dallas in 1963. I was privileged to meet him; thankful for the political education received covering his campaign and his 1000 days in the White House; humbled to report his assassination and funeral – all of which had a lasting, profound effect on my generation.
WESTERNS, WAR AND THE LOVE OF THE IRISH
Those themes dominated the life of the great film director John Ford. Watching the tribute to Ford, made a few years after his death in 1973, but shown again last night, the moments with John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Maureen O’Hara and others who starred in his films, brought back many memories. Learned that the fictional name given to O’Hara in The Quiet Man – Mary Kate Danaher – was a composite of the names of Ford’s great loves – Mary McBryde and Katherine Hepburn. He married Mary McBryde Smith. Ford never divorced his wife, but had a five-year affair with Katharine Hepburn after they met during the filming of Mary of Scotland (1936). Over 35 years John Wayne appeared in more than twenty of Ford's films, including Stagecoach (1939), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), The Quiet Man (1952), The Searchers (1956), The Wings of Eagles (1957), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) as well as Fort Apache and They Were Expendable. Ford's favorite location for his films was Utah's Monument Valley. Ford defined images of the American West with some of the most beautiful and powerful cinematography ever shot, in such films as Stagecoach, The Searchers, Fort Apache, and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. Also detected an error. There is a scene in My Darling Clementine where Henry Fonda, playing Wyatt Earp, kneels at the marker on the grave of brother James. The date: 1882. As every lover of Western lore knows, the gunfight at the OK Corral occurred in Tombstone in 1881. In fact, James (who was also depicted as a murdered teenager in the Lancaster-Douglas film) was the oldest of the Earp brothers and outlived Wyatt by about four years.
MORE BATBUSTER SCORES
A score may have been reported incorrectly to SPY. We are told OC Impact defeated Lady Magic 7-5, not vice versa.
Cal Blasters Gold finish 6-0-1 at Lancaster
Cal Blasters 2 So Cal Crunch 0 - Heather Schwartzburg (08) struck out the first 8 batters finishing with 9 K's in 4 innings. Kristen Schlegel (CS Bakersfield) pitched 3 innings of shutout relief in picking up the save.
Cal Blasters 8 Kuhl Whip 0 - Bea Meneses (08) stuck out the first 11 batters finishing with 13 K's while pitching a 5 inning no-hitter in a game shortened by the run rule.
Cal Blasters 3 Salinas Wildcats 1 - Heather Schwartzburg struck out 15 batters in a 6 inning game while giving up just 1 hit and 1 unearned run in picking up the win.
Cal Blasters 1 Grapettes 1 - Bea Meneses pitched 6 innings in a hard fought game called in the bottom of the 6th due to the time limit. Celena Vasquez (2010) hit a long home run in the bottom of the 6th to tie the game.
Cal Blasters 3 RR Gold (Bob) 0 - Kristen Schlegel pitched a 4 hit seven inning shut-out in picking the complete game win against a tough RR Gold team.
Cal Blasters 10 Stars 0 - Heather Schwartburg pitched a no-hitter and struck out 10 batters in a 5 inning game shortened by the run rule.
Cal Blasters 1 Spirits 0 - Katerina Yale (UC San Diego) hit a home run for the only run of a hard fought game. Bea Meneses (3 innings) and Heather Schwartzburg (4 innings) combined for the shutout.
TNT Results
TNT - There's No Tomorrow 6 - Cal Aces 0
TNT - There's No Tomorrow 5 - Lil Saints Cano AZ 1
TNT - There's No Tomorrow 10 - Aztecs 4
TNT - There's No Tomorrow 3 - OC Dynasty 2
TNT - There's No Tomorrow 11 - AV Crush 0
Cal Thunder Vargas – CORRECTED SCORES
Friday (HB Sports Complex)
Beat Cal Crossfire 11-0 (Winning Pitcher Christina Banuelos (unsigned 2007))
Beat SJ Ladyhawks 5-1 (Winning Pitcher Talia Ferrari (2008))
(HR - Michelle Mounts (2008))
Saturday (HB Sports Complex)
Beat Quicksilver FL 10-1 (Winning Pitcher Christina Banuelos (unsigned 2007))
(HR - Christina Banuelos (2007))
Beat Val Stompers 9-1 (Winning Pitcher Talia Ferrari (2008))
(HR - Talia Ferrari (2008) and Brandie Gandara (2008)
Sunday (Worthy Park)
Beat ASA Xtreme 3-1 (Winning Pitcher Christina Banuelos (unsigned 2007))
(HR - Molly Yriarte (2007))
Beat Cal Haze 3-1 (Winning Pitcher Talia Ferrari (2008))
Tied Sliderz 3-3
(HR - Michelle Mounts (2008))
COMMITMENTS
Katy Laban, P, So Cal Athletics, 2008, verballed to CS Fullerton
Twin Outfielders Jamia and Elia Reid , 2008 , Worth Firecracker Gold Verballed to U C Berkeley
Adelphi University Commitments
Caitlyn
Seamster
Catcher
Inferno Red
Danielle Lyons
Outfielder
Ct. Mirage
Marissa Romeo
Pitcher
North Jersey Bandits
Leighann Bell
Pitcher
Long Island Chargers
Deirdre White
Pitcher/1B
Long Island Chargers
Stephanie Byster
1B/DP
Indian Mills Mystics-White
LANCASTER SHOWCASE
Davie Power-Black-0 Runin Rebels-Bob Gold -3
Davie Power-Black-9 Cal. Stars -1
Davie Power-Black-5 Cal Crunch-7
Davie Power-Black-11 NB Renegades-1
Davie Power-Black-8 Lady Wolfpack- 0
Davie Power-Black-14 Cal. Breeze-1
Davie Power-Black-2 Runin Rebels Gina Gold-1
Homeruns: Krista Rodgers, Kristen Froelich, Lauren Quevedo(2), Kelsey Hensel, Keima Davis.
ANOTHER ISSUE WHICH SHOULD GO AWAY
The business pages disclose that CBS and the FCC are still fighting in court over Janet Jackson’s boob baring performance at the Super Bowl. Of course, CBS can’t let the FCC fault and fine them; sets a bad precedent. But, you know the attorneys fees will exceed the FCC fine of $500,000.
OUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK
The Department of Agriculture’s annual report on hunger in America does not in fact use the term hunger – people at the low end of the food chain are now described as having “very low food security.” A USDA sociologist said “hunger” is not a scientifically quantifiable term. Whatever, the sad fact is that 35 million Americans are reported as having trouble keeping food on the table, including 11 million who can’t afford to feed themselves. Rep. McGovern, who chairs a caucus on hunger, said the USA produces more food than it consumes, describing hunger as a “political condition.” Scandalous. Bless all the people who will devote their Thanksgiving Day to feeding the needy.