Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 12/02/2007

12/2/1971:
For the third straight season, talented but tempestuous slugger Dick Allen is sent packing by an exasperated general manager. Today he's dealt from the Dodgers to the White Sox for pitcher Tommy John and utilityman Steve Huntz. It will prove to be a fortuitous transaction for Allen and the Pale Hose because always-upbeat Chicago manager Chuck Tanner looks the other way regarding many of Allen's peccadilloes and gets an MVP season in return (37 HRs, 113 RBIs and .308 BA). Despite his prodigious talent and 351 lifetime homers, Allen's career will end much too soon and suffer from too many distractions along the way.

Birthdays:
Ron Sutter b. 1963
Darryl Kile b. 1968
O.J. McDuffie b. 1969
Monica Seles b. 1973
Mark Kotsay b. 1975

HISTORIES

You know China is the world’s largest, most populous country. You know it has become a major force in world economics. But what do you know of the history and culture? Most of us know little and want to know more, and Wild Swans is a ravishing, unforgettable way to become familiar with both. It’s the tale of three generations of the author’s family in China. Newsweek called it “a mad adventure story, a fairy tale of courage,” and Time said “mesmerizing.”

WILD SWANS: THREE DAUGHTERS OF CHINA, by Jung Chang (1991; Touchstone, 2003)