Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/8/2012

Dick Allen, who played in the majors from 1963 through 1977, explained during a 1972 spring training interview why he rarely took batting practice: "Your body is like a bar of soap. It gradually wears down from repeated use." Allen went on to win the AL MVP award that season as a member of the White Sox.

Birthdays:
Turk Farrell b. 1934
John Havlicek b. 1940
Jim "Catfish" Hunter b. 1946
Gary Carter b. 1954
Ricky Bell b. 1955