Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 8/2/2007

8/2/1970:
Tony Taylor cracks an "ultimate" grand-slam homer into the upper deck at Connie Mack Stadium, giving the Phillies a 7-6 win over the San Francisco Giants. It's only the 11th time in baseball history that a grand slam has erased a three-run deficit in the home team's last at bat. Just nine days from now, Carl Taylor (no relation) of St. Louis will author an identical wallop against San Diego.

Birthdays:
Leo Boivin b. 1932
Matt Hazeltine b. 1933
Billy Cannon b. 1937
Tim Wakefield b. 1966
Tony Amonte b. 1970


Titillating mysteries keep the pages of Alexander’s stunning debut novel of the Romanov family turning until the last. He sets his tale in the Siberian house where the erstwhile royal family was held captive attended by a small household staff, including a kitchen boy. Mikhail, a Russian immigrant to America, narrates the story that eventually offers intriguing answers to the question of his own identity, the location of the family jewels, and the kitchen boy’s fate. USA Today raves, “Ingenious...keeps readers guessing through the final pages.”

THE KITCHEN BOY, by Robert Alexander (Penguin, 2004)

Don’t miss the author’s impressive interactive Web site: www.thekitchenboy.com.