| | Home
The Daily Dose/July 5, 2011
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Notes from around The Human Experience...
CAPSULE BOOK REVIEW: Jocko, By Jocko Conlan and Robert Creamer: While mindful that you can't live in the past, we've always thought one of the very best parts of baseball is its history. Whether it's a trip through the record book or reading memoirs by those who played or managed or owned or umpired the game, a lot of the reason baseball has survived continuous - and continuing - attempts to shoot itself in the foot is because of its history.
Batter Up: And Jocko Conlan had a box seat to a lot of baseball history. He played minor league ball for 12 years before his contract was purchased by the Chicago White Sox in 1934, where he played for a couple of years. He returned to the big leagues as an umpire in the National League in 1940, and he umpired there until 1965 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974.
If, like us, you happen to umpire, you will love this book. But even baseball history buffs, even those with just a passing interest in umpiring, will find it nice to read about a bygone era of train travel, spring training in Cuba, the Dodgers in Brooklyn and Sunday doubleheaders.
Fate's Guiding Hand: In fact, it was a Sunday doubleheader where Jocko got his start umpiring. On July 28, 1935, Jocko and the White Sox were in St. Louis for a couple of not-too-important American League games. The Browns were already safely in last place, although a 7-27 finish by the Athletics would bump the Browns up to seventh by the end of the year.
Don't Go Printing White Sox World Series Tickets Just Yet: And though the White Sox were just five-and-a-half out, they would soon lose 13 out of 15, taking them nicely out of contention and into the second division.
The Sox won the first game 14-6, but plate umpire Red Ormsby passed out and couldn't go for game two, meaning his partner Harry Geisel needed a partner.
Jocko, who had hurt his hand farting around in the clubhouse with teammate Ted Lyon, couldn't play anyway and volunteered to work game two. Brown's shortstop Ollie Bejma - himself umpiring his only big league game, was thrown out there, too.
Disabled List: Ormsby couldn't go the next day, either (he would be out until August 1 and wouldn't work the plate again until August 8), so Conlan filled in then, too.
Oh, Jesus H: Ormsby was so overcome by heat stroke he wouldn't return to duty until August 1 and didn't work the plate again until August 8, his plate of the season, though this may have had something to do with and old War I injury than any lingering effects of heatstroke.
Back On Message: Conlan was from Chicago and in the off-season a White Sox official named Harry Grabiner - a name that will be recognized by most anyone familiar with the era - sat Jocko down and suggested he give umpiring full-time a shot.
Jocko wasn't Einstein but he was bright enough to realize his playing career had more or less peaked and he took Grabiner' advice. Harry made a phone call or two and Jocko was in the New York-Penn League the next season.
Standard Internet Disclaimer: Though Gaylon is rather well read he is not Einstein for Pete's sake and is not a professional book reviewer. Reviews are based on his own personal tastes, are completely subjective and not measured against established literary standards. He has a habit of re-reading selected favorites and books that were published as early as the 20th century.
We Interrupt This Program For A Word From The Ratings Department: Following Is The Official Writer's Shack Capsule Review Rating scale:
EX - Excellent; as good as the medium can produce in every respect.
VG - Very Good. Well worth your time.
GD - Good. More or less worth your time.
AR - All Right. Not completely without merit.
SP - Nothing of substance; a steaming pile, utterly without merit.
Final Rating: GD. Jocko will never be confused with Shakespeare, but he tells a good story and fans of the era will enjoy reading about Leo Durocher, Rogers Hornsby, Eddie Matthews, Bill Klem and others. The book, first published in 1967, is probably out of print, and we found our copy in the library.
GREAT MOMENTS IN WHATEVER IT WAS NEWTON DID: One of mankind's most significant books, Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy by Isaac Newton is published on this date in 1687.
Doing his brilliant work on a foundation laid by among others, Copernicus, Keppler, Galileo and Descartes, The Principia details, among other things, Newton's theory of universal gravitation and his three theories of motion.
Somebody Get Us A Drink: We just got through reviewing a book we read that was written by a baseball umpire so it shouldn't be too surprising that more detailed analysis of the The Principia conveniently falls beyond the scope of this column. But Newton was huge, one of the most influential humans ever. Trust us.
Try It Fried, With Cheese: Spam is introduced on this date in 1937. Spam consists of pork shoulder meat, with some ham and other stuff thrown in, too.
Get Your Official Writer's Shack Policy Right Here: We're not going to make it an Official Writer's Shack Fave or anything like that, and we haven't eaten it for ages, but we're pro-Spam here at the Writer's Shack.
Update: Spam still sells, too. Over 100 million cans are sold in the US every year, and Americans consume just under four cans of Spam every second.
Thought For The Day: You go out and work as hard and as honestly as you can on a ball field and you find yourself being abused by strangers for doing your job the you're supposed to do it, criticized by people who don't know the first thing about it. - John "Jocko" Conlan
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: 1889 was the year in the 1800's that saw the most states admitted to the Union, with North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington all admitted.
Today's Stumper: How many calories does a 12 ounce can of Spam have? - Answer next time!
Comments? Recipes? Complaints? Email the Writer's Shack here!
Home |
| |
