Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 1/25-27/2012

1/25/1972:
A brawl between players from Ohio State and Minnesota breaks out in one of the ugliest incidents in college basketball history near the end of a 50-44 Ohio State victory at the Williams Arena in Minneapolis. With 36 seconds remaining, seven-foot-tall center Luke Witte of the Buckeyes drives for a lay-up and is fouled hard, sending him to the floor. Immediately following the foul, Corky Taylor of the Golden Gophers extends a hand to Witte, then knees him in the groin. While on the floor, Witte is also stomped on the head by Minnesota player Ron Behagen and knocked unconscious. The incident escalates into a full-scale brawl involving fans, during which future baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, a Minnesota player, lands five punches. Witte spends several days in the hospital, including 24 hours in intensive care, with injuries requiring 29 stitches to his face. The NCAA suspends Taylor and Behagen for the rest of the season.

Birthdays:
Lou Groza b. 1924
Don Maynard b. 1937
Steve Prefontaine b. 1951
Mark Duper b. 1959
Chris Chelios b. 1962

1/26/1952:
Wichita University's basketball team loses to Drake because of some overzealous fans. Wichita's (now Wichita State) home games take place in a cramped and rowdy gym with a balcony that hangs over the court. The score is tied 63-63 with eight seconds to go. As the ball is launched toward the goal, a Wichita fan throws his overcoat over the basket to keep the ball from going through the net. The officials rule the basket good and call Drake the winners, 65-63. They then make a dash for the locker room and bolt themselves in to escape the wrath of the fans.

Birthdays:
Bob Uecker b. 1935
Jack Youngblood b. 1950
Brian Doyle b. 1955
Wayne Gretzky b. 1961
Vince Carter b. 1977

1/27/1982:
In one of the greatest heists in baseball history, the Cubs trade Ivan DeJesus to the Phillies for Larry Bowa and Ryne Sandberg. The deal is essentially a swap of starting shortstops with Sandberg added as a throw-in to even the deal. The club includes him in the trade because Julio Franco and Juan Samuel are considered better prospects. Prior to his arrival in Chicago, Sandberg played in 13 major league games, mainly as a defensive replacement at short and as a pinch runner, and had just six at bats. At the start of the 1982 season, he's the Cubs' starting third baseman. He then moves to second near season's end. He'll capture the MVP award in 1984 and play in 10 consecutive All-Star Games through 1993, earning him election to the Hall of Fame in 2005.

Birthdays:
Franke Albert b. 1920
John Lowenstein b. 1947
Billy "White Shoes" Johnson b. 1952
Cris Collinsworth b. 195
Marat Safin b. 1980

WHODUNIT

Miss Heyer’s characters and dialogue are an abiding delight to me,” wrote Dorothy Sayers, and lovers of Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh will be inclined to agree. Best known for her regency romances, Georgette Heyer also wrote mysteries prized for their crackling dialogue, humor, and style. Set in the world of competitive bridge, Duplicate Death features a polite card game turned to a double murder. What could be better?

DUPLICATE DEATH, by Georgette Heyer (1951; Sourcebooks Landmark, 2010)

BON VOYAGE!

Songlines are pathways via which Australian Aborigines celebrate their important life passages. As nomads, they use the songlines to mark time, space, and their histories. The extraordinary travel writer Bruce Chatwin traveled his own pathways Down Under, musing on Aborigines and his need to wander; filled with quotes and material from his notebooks, The Songlines was one of his last books. As The New York Times Book Review says, “No one will put it down unmoved.”

THE SONGLINES, by Bruce Chatwin (Penguin, 1988)

LITERARY THRILLS

Dan Chaon’s fourth novel opens with a race to the hospital, setting the pace for a taut, gripping ride. The writing is literary but the page-turning cliff-hangers are pure thriller. The book interweaves the stories of three characters, all of whom have walked away from their lives and from the secrets that keep them running. If you need an adrenaline rush, try Chaon.

AWAIT YOUR REPLY, by Dan Chaon (Ballantine, 2010)