Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 8/12/2007

8/12/1948:
The Cleveland Indians score nine runs in the first inning en route to a 26-3 annihilation of the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park. The Indians bang out 29 base hits, four by pitcher Gene Bearden, against a succession of ineffectual St. Louis hurlers. Larry Doby, Jim Hegan, Walt Judnich and Bearden all hit home runs, befitting the Tribe's power-laden lineup. Cleveland will lead the majors in team batting average (.282), lead the AL in homers (155) and win its first world title since 1920 by beating the Boston Braves in a six-game World Series.

Birthdays:
Fred Hutchinson b. 1919
George McGinnis b. 1950
Pete Sampras b. 1971
Antoine Walker b. 1976
Piaxico Burress b. 1977

YOU’VE NEVER READ GEORGES SIMENON?

“The best mystery writer today is...Georges Simenon.”—Dashiell Hammett

“A truly wonderful writer...marvelously readable, lucid, simple.”—Muriel Spark

“Simenon is in a class by himself.”—The New Yorker

Inspector Maigret is up there with the greats. Think Marple, Poirot, and Dalgliesh. And his creator, Georges Simenon, was one of the most talented and prolific mystery writers in history. If you have never read a Maigret, you are in for a top-notch investigation—this one about a murdered wine merchant.

MAIGRET AND THE WINE MERCHANT, by Georges Simenon (1970; Harcourt, 2003)