Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/28-29/2010

4/28/1953:
Living up to his nickname, "Scrap Iron," St. Louis catcher Clint Courtney is the cynosure of a 10th-inning brawl at Sportsman's Park as the Yankees edge the Browns, 7-6. The Yanks score the winning run in the top of the 10th when Gil McDougald crashes into Courtney and dislodges the ball from his grasp. Seeking payback in the home 10th, Courtney barrels into Phil Rizzuto at second base as he tries to stretch a single into a double. His ploy doesn't work-the Scooter holds the ball but gets badly spiked for his trouble. Both benches quickly empty, Courtney is tackled by combative infielder Billy Martin and several other skirmishes ensure. The fans start tossing pop bottles, and a forfeit is very nearly declared by the umpires before tempers subside long enough to finish the game.

Birthdays:
Tom Browning b. 1960
Mark Bavaro b. 1963
Barry Larkin b. 1964
John Daly b. 1966
Nicklas Lidstrom b. 1970

Packers Fact:
Billy Howton is the only Packers' player to post a 1,000-yard receiving season as a rookie (1,231 yards in 1952).

4/291/955:
Bernard "the Executioner" Hopkins claims the vacant IBF middleweight title with a seventh-round TKO over Segundo Mercado of Ecuador at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Hopkins' punching power, especially with his lethal right-hand leads, stops Segundo tonight and sends his career into freefall-he'll lose 8 of his last 10 bouts, all by knockout, before retiring. He and Hopkins had battled to a draw last December in Quito, Ecuador, but many attributed the American's lackluster effort there to his failure to train for the high altitude-9,350 feet above sea level.

Birthdays:
George Allen b. 1922
Luis Aparicio b. 1934
Jim Ryun b. 1947
Dale Earnhardt Sr. b. 1952
Andre Agassi b. 1970

Packers Fact:
For the first time since 1986, the Packers did not make a pick in the first round of the draft in 2008. They sent the choice (No. 30 overall) to the Jets in exchange for picks in the second and fourth rounds.


http://www.spaceagepop.com/
Suave Sounds
You've bought the modern furniture and the leopard skin rug. Now all your bachelor pad needs is the right music to set the mood. This site will introduce you to the musicians and classics of space-age poop, cocktail music, and exotica, such as tiki music that flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. With a selection of hard-to-find pop hits by Dick Hyman, Sammy Kaye, and others.

http://www.tomgiesler.com/myanatomy.html
His Anatomy
Tom Giesler is not the first contemporary pop artist to paint pictures of humans or animals with their inner anatomy showing. But he might be the first to create a whimsical human anatomy atlas portraying himself doing ordinary stuff while peeling back his own skin for educational display.


MASTER OF THE MASTERSIt’s that time of year again, and to commemorate it, let us bring to your attention Ron Green Sr., who has been writing about the Masters tournament for more than 50 years. His popular Shouting at Amen Corner: Dispatches from the World’s Greatest Golf Tournament is a collection of his pieces on the subject going back to 1955. In The Masters he gives us a picturesque overview with lots of heart and detail, from the peach cobbler they serve in the clubhouse to some of golf’s greatest moments that played out on Augusta National’s course.

THE MASTERS: 101 REASONS TO LOVE GOLF’S GREATEST TOURNAMENT, by Ron Green Sr. (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008)

NOBEL WINNERS

What do J. M. Coetzee, José Saramago, Imre Kertész, and Orhan Pamuk (all reviewed in this calendar) have in common? They’re winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature. These essays from the last 20 years of the prize make for some pretty heady reading, and they cover a wide range of subjects and points of view, some controversial, all beautifully written and crystallized. The lectures in physics make a wonderful companion volume.

NOBEL LECTURES: FROM THE LITERATURE LAUREATES, 1986 TO 2006, (New Press, 2007)

NOBEL LECTURES: PHYSICS, 2001 TO 2005; edited by Gosta Ekspong (World Scientific, 2008)

CLOVIS

Brasserie Dubuisson Frères, Pipaix, Belgium

Made by Dubuisson, makers of Scaldis, Clovis is the name for this American export. In Belgium, it is called “Bush 7%,” which presumably might be confused with “Busch.” But seriously, one whiff, and you’d never make that mistake! It has a rather sweet aroma, slightly fruity, mainly of apples. The palate is light and refreshingly crisp. There’s some very subtle coriander hiding behind malt fruitiness, with a slight “round” alcohol character in the finish and a lingering sweetness. Doesn’t have the chewy, cereal flavor, aromatic spiciness or finishing tartness of a witbier, but that’s the style it comes closest to.

RED HORSE ALE

Sacramento Brewing Co., Sacramento, California

This Bronze medal–winning red (2008 World Beer Cup, American-style Amber/Red Ale) is a deep copper-brown, with a dense and attractive head of foam. A malty aroma is followed by a medium to full-bodied, malt-accented flavor with an initially shy hop personality. As enjoyment continues, hop characters become more clearly stated—and celebrated. A slight acidic tang from darker-roast malted grains contributes complexity, leaving behind a very smooth aftertaste with a wee bit of a hop bite.

BREWING TIP:

Wheat malt or wheat malt extract can add haze to a beer, but when used sparingly, it can add body as well as foam retention.