Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 6/2/2007

Claire turned 3 today! Yay!
6/2/2002:
Pitcher Robert Person drives in seven runs with a grand slam and a three-run homer, leading the Phillies to an 18-3 romp over Montreal at the Vet. The Phils blow it open with a 10-run first inning, highlighted by Person's slam. According to data compiled by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), Peterson becomes only the fourth pitcher ever to hit a grand slam in the first inning, joining Camilo Pascual, Dave McNally and Tony Cloninger in that select group.

Birthdays:
Tex Schramm b. 1920
Charlie Sifford b. 1922
Larry Robinson b. 1951
Gary Bettman b. 1952
Craig Stadler b. 1953

FOR ARGUMENT’S SAKE

“Brisk, witty...Indispensable.”—Time

“Iconoclastic and captivating.”—The Boston Globe

“A brilliant speculation...”—Mother Jones

Few books come with more provocative and seductive titles than Johnson’s latest. A technology reporter, Johnson seeks to save pop culture’s shoddy reputation. He reports, among other things, that certain video games have proven to raise IQ scores and reveals how television shows have had to become more sophisticated to meet viewers’ expectations. It’s a clever premise, artfully argued.

EVERYTHING BAD IS GOOD FOR YOU: HOW TODAY’S POPULAR CULTURE IS ACTUALLY MAKING US SMARTER, by Steven Johnson (Riverhead, 2005)