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

8/8/2000:
Oakland A's closer Jason Isringhausen takes the mound at Yankee Stadium to protect a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning. Two fastballs later, he trudges to the clubhouse in defeat as Bernie Williams and David Justice hit consecutive pitches into the right-field seats to give the Yankees a stunning 4-3 victory. Justice's game-winning wallop is just part of an amazing second-half-of-the-season he puts together after joining the Yankees from Cleveland in mid-June. In 78 games, he'll hit .305 with 20 homers and 60 RBIs, helping New York win its third straight world title.

Birthdays:
Togo Palazzi b. 1932
Frank Howard b. 1936
Ken Dryden b. 1947
Nigel Mansell b. 1953
Roger Federer b. 1981


A guilty pleasure just in time for that long, boring flight or day at the beach. Look, we know Sidney Sheldon isn’t challenging, but he sure is entertaining. And reliable: Just as the sun will rise each day, so will Sheldon crank out another steamy potboiler. In this one, the sexy widows of two murdered scientists run for their lives. It’s another glittering international escapade from the master. Resistance is futile.

ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, by Sidney Sheldon (Warner, 2005)