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Lefty Grove

Lefty Grove

Robert Moses (Lefty) Grove (March 6, 1900 - May 22, 1975) was one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history. Born in Lonaconing, Maryland, Grove was a sandlot star in the Baltimore area during the 1910s. His performance naturally caught the eye of Jack Dunn, the owner of the minor league Baltimore Orioles, who also discovered Babe Ruth. Grove joined the Orioles in 1920 and embarked on a epic minor league career which saw him regarded by some as one of the best pitchers in the game before he ever threw a pitch in the majors. Breaking into the team's pitching rotation at midseason, he posted a 12-2 record. Over the next four seasons, he posted marks of 25-10, 18-8, 27-10 and 27-6, leading the International League in strikeouts every season. Grove remained in the minor leagues through 1924 because Dunn, who ran an independent operation with no major-league affiliation, refused several offers from the majors to acquire him. Finally, early in 1925, Dunn agreed to sell Grove's rights to the Philadelphia Athletics for $106,000, the highest amount ever paid for a player at the time. He battled injuries as a rookie and posted only a 10-13 record despite leading the league in strikeouts, then settled down in 1926 and won the first of a record nine earned run average (ERA) titles with a mark of 2.51. In 1927, he won 20 games for the first time, and a year later he led the league in wins, with 24. From 1929 to 1931, the Athletics won the pennant all three seasons, and the World Series for the first two, and Grove led the way as the league's top pitcher. He posted records of 20-6, 28-5 and 31-4 in those years, the last of which was his greatest season. He led the league in wins, ERA (2.06), strikeouts (175), winning percentage, complete games and shutouts. He was chosen as league MVP in 1931, making him one of the few pitchers to achieve this. His MVP Award is the only one not housed in Coopertown as it is housed at the Georges Creek Library in Lonaconing, Maryland. The Athletics continued to contend for the next two seasons, but finished second to the New York Yankees both years. Following the 1933 season, team owner Connie Mack suffered severe financial problems and was forced to sell Grove to the rival Boston Red Sox. At the time, the Red Sox were a bad team, and Grove didn't help much his first year, when an arm injury held him to an 8-8 record. But in 1935, he returned to form with a 20-12 record and a league-leading 2.70 ERA. He won his eighth ERA title a year later, and also led the league in that category and winning percentage in 1938. He didn't win as many games in Boston, as managers protected his arm as he aged, but he continued to post outstanding records, such as 14-4 in 1938 and 15-4 a year later. Grove retired in 1941 with a career record of 300-141. His .680 lifetime winning percentage is eighth all-time, but none of the seven men ahead of him won more than 218 games. His lifetime ERA of 3.06, when adjusted for the hitters' parks he played his entire career in and the era in which he played, is the best of any pitcher in history (except the still-active Pedro Martínez) at 48 percent above average. Grove was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947. He died in Norwalk, Ohio and was interred in the Frostburg Memorial Cemetery, in Frostburg, Maryland. In 1999, he ranked number 23 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the highest-ranking left-handed pitcher. That same year, he was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
Fact

- Grove is one of ten Red Sox pitchers with 100 or more wins (105). Cy Young (192), Roger Clemens (192), Tim Wakefield (130), Mel Parnell (123), Luis Tiant (122), Pedro Martínez (117), Smokey Joe Wood (116), Bob Stanley (115) and Joe Dobson (106), are the others.
See also

- Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
External links

- [http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/grove_lefty.htm Baseball Hall of Fame]
-
- [http://www.whilbr.org/Lefty/index.aspx Lefty Grove on Whilbr, Western Maryland History Online]
- [http://home.alleganycountylibrary.info/locations/georges.htm Georges Creek Public Library] Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Grove, Lefty Category:Allegany County, Maryland Category:Georges Creek Valley

March 6
March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). There are 300 days remaining.
Events

- 1447 - Nicholas V becomes Pope.
- 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of the Prussian Confederation pledged allegiance to Casimir IV of Poland, and the Polish king agreed to help in their struggle for independence from the Teutonic Knights.
- 1460 - Treaty of Alcaçovas - Portugal gives the Canary Islands to Castile in exchange for claims in West Africa.
- 1521 - Ferdinand Magellan discovers Guam.
- 1820 - The Missouri Compromise is signed into law by President James Monroe. The compromise allows Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, but makes the rest of the northern part of the Louisiana Purchase territory slavery-free.
- 1834 - York, Upper Canada is incorporated as Toronto.
- 1836 - Texas Revolution: Battle of the Alamo - After a 13-day siege by an army of 3,000 Mexican troops, the 189 Texas volunteers defending the Alamo are defeated and the fort taken.
- 1853 - The Giuseppe Verdi opera La Traviata premieres in Venice.
- 1857 - The Supreme Court of the United States rules in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case.
- 1869 - Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table to the Russian Chemical Society.
- 1899 - Bayer registers aspirin as a trademark.
- 1900 - A coal mine explosion in West Virginia traps 50 coal miners.
- 1901 - In Bremen an assassin attempts to kill Wilhelm II of Germany.
- 1925 - Pionerskaya Pravda, one of the oldest children's newspapers in Europe, is founded
- 1940 - Winter War: An armistice is signed by Finland and the Soviet Union.
- 1946 - Vietnam War: Ho Chi Minh signs an agreement with France which recognizes Vietnam as an autonomous state in the Indochinese Federation and the French Union.
- 1947 - USS Newport News, the first air-conditioned naval ship, is launched from Newport News, Virginia.
- 1951 - The trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg begins.
- 1953 - Georgy Maksimilianovich Malenkov succeeds Josef Stalin as Premier and First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
- 1957 - United Kingdom colonies Gold Coast and Togoland become the independent Republic of Ghana.
- 1957 - Israel withdraws its troops from the Sinai Peninsula
- 1964 - Constantine II becomes King of Greece.
- 1964 - Tom O'Hara sets a new world record for the indoor mile run by completing it in 3 minutes, 56.4 seconds.
- 1970 - Cult leader and suspected murderer Charles Manson releases an album titled Lies to help finance his defense.
- 1975 - Algiers Accord: Iran and Iraq announce a settlement over their border dispute.
- 1981 - After 19 years presenting the CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite signs off for the last time.
- 1983 - The United States Football League begins its first year of competition.
- 1984 - Twelve-month-long strike in British coal industry begins.
- 1987 - The British ferry M/S Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes in about 90 seconds after leaving the harbour of Zeebrugge, Belgium en route to Dover, England across the English Channel, killing 193.
- 1992 - The Michelangelo computer virus begins to affect computers.
- 1994 - Referendum in Moldova results in the electorate voting against possible reunification with Romania.
- 1997 - Picasso's painting Tete de Femme is stolen from a London gallery, and is recovered a week later.
Births

- 1405 - King John II of Castile (d. 1454)
- 1459 - Jacob Fugger, German banker (d. 1525)
- 1475 - Michelangelo Buonarroti, Italian painter (d. 1564)
- 1483 - Francesco Guicciardini, Italian statesman and historian (d. 1540)
- 1495 - Luigi Alamanni, Italian poet (d. 1556)
- 1619 - Cyrano de Bergerac, French soldier, poet (d. 1655)
- 1663 - Francis Atterbury, English man of letters (d. 1732)
- 1706 - George Pocock, British admiral (d. 1792)
- 1716 - Pehr Kalm, Finnish explorer and naturalist (d. 1779)
- 1779 - Antoine-Henri Jomini, French general (d. 1869)
- 1787 - Joseph von Fraunhofer, German physicist (d. 1826)
- 1806 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning, English poet (d. 1861)
- 1812 - Aaron Lufkin Dennison American watch manufacturer (d. 1895)
- 1885 - Ring Lardner, American writer (d. 1933)
- 1903 - Empress Nagako of Japan (d. 2000)
- 1904 - Joseph Schmidt, Austrian tenor (d. 1942)
- 1905 - Bob Wills, American singer (d. 1975)
- 1906 - Lou Costello, American actor comedian (d. 1959)
- 1914 - Kiril Kondrashin, Russian conductor (d. 1981)
- 1915 - Pete Gray, American baseball player (d. 2002)
- 1917 - Will Eisner, American illustrator and cartoonist (d. 2005)
- 1923 - Ed McMahon, American television personality
- 1923 - Wes Montgomery, American musician (d. 1968)
- 1926 - Alan Greenspan, American economist
- 1926 - Andrzej Wajda, Polish film director
- 1927 - Gordon Cooper, astronaut (d. 2004)
- 1928 - Gabriel García Márquez, Colombian writer, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1930 - Lorin Maazel, French-born American conductor
- 1931 - Hal Needham, American stunt man
- 1933 - Ted Abernathy, baseball player (d. 2004)
- 1934 - John Noakes, British television presenter
- 1935 - Ron Delany, Irish athlete
- 1936 - Marion Barry Jr., Mayor of Washington DC
- 1937 - Ivan Boesky, American stock trader
- 1937 - Valentina Tereshkova, cosmonaut
- 1939 - Adam Osborne, British author and computer designer (d. 2003)
- 1940 - Willie Stargell, baseball player
- 1942 - Ben Murphy, American actor
- 1944 - Kiri Te Kanawa, New Zealand soprano
- 1944 - Mary Wilson, American singer (Supremes)
- 1946 - David Gilmour, English musician (Pink Floyd)
- 1947 - Kiki Dee, English singer
- 1947 - Dick Fosbury, American athlete
- 1947 - Martin Kove, American actor
- 1947 - Rob Reiner, American actor, comedian, and film producer
- 1949 - Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister of Pakistan
- 1949 - Martin Buchan, Scottish footballer
- 1951 - Gerrie Knetemann, Dutch cyclist (d. 2004)
- 1953 - Jan Kjærstad, Norwegian author
- 1953 - Jacklyn Zeman, American actress
- 1955 - Alberta Watson, Canadian actress
- 1959 - Tom Arnold, American actor and comedian
- 1969 - Tari Phillips, American basketball player
- 1972 - Shaquille O'Neal, American basketball player
- 1976 - Ken Kennedy(Anderson), Professional wrestler
- 1979 - Tim Howard, American soccer player
Deaths

1252 to 1899

- 1252 - Saint Rose of Viterbo, Italian saint (b. 1235)
- 1490 - Ivan the Young, Ruler of Tver (b. 1458)
- 1531 - Pedrarias Dávila, Spanish conquistador
- 1627 - Krzysztof Zbaraski, Polish statesman (b. 1580)
- 1754 - Henry Pelham, Prime Minister of Great Britain (b. 1694)
- 1758 - Henry Vane, 1st Earl of Darlington, English politician
- 1764 - Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1690)
- 1796 - Guillaume Thomas François Raynal, French writer (b. 1713)
- 1836 - Davy Crockett, American frontiersman (b. 1786)
- 1854 - Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, British soldier and politician (b. 1778)
- 1888 - Louisa May Alcott, American novelist (b. 1832)
- 1895 - Camilla Collett, Norwegian writer and feminist (b. 1813)
- 1899 - Victoria Kaiulani, Hawaiian princess (b. 1875)
1900 to 1999

- 1905 - John Henninger Reagan, American Confederate politician (b. 1818)
- 1932 - John Philip Sousa, American band leader, conductor, and composer (b. 1854)
- 1933 - Anton Cermak, Mayor of Chicago (b. 1873)
- 1941 - Gutzon Borglum, Danish sculptor (b. 1867)
- 1948 - Ross Lockridge, Jr., American novelist (b. 1914)
- 1950 - Albert Lebrun, President of France (b. 1871)
- 1951 - Ivor Novello, Welsh actor, musician, and composer (b. 1893)
- 1961 - George Formby, British comedian and singer (b. 1904)
- 1964 - King Paul of Greece (b. 1901)
- 1965 - Margaret Dumont, American actress (b. 1889)
- 1967 - John Haden Badley, author and educator (b. 1865)
- 1967 - Nelson Eddy, American singer and actor (b. 1901)
- 1967 - Zoltán Kodály, Hungarian composer (b. 1882)
- 1969 - Nadya Rusheva, Russian painter (b. 1952)
- 1970 - William Hopper, American actor (b. 1915)
- 1971 - Thurston Dart, English harpsichordist and conductor (B. 1921)
- 1973 - Pearl S. Buck, American writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
- 1976 - Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom, American boxer and actor (b. 1903)
- 1981 - George Geary, English cricketer (b. 1893)
- 1982 - Ayn Rand, Russian-American author, (b. 1905)
- 1985 - Henry Wilcoxon, Dominican actor (b. 1905)
- 1986 - Georgia O'Keeffe, American artist, (b. 1887)
- 1993 - Douglas Marland, American writer (b. 1935)
- 1994 - Melina Mercouri, Greek actress, political activist, and politician (b. 1920)
- 1997 - Cheddi Jagan, President of Guyana (b. 1918)
- 1997 - Michael Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica (b. 1924)
2000 onwards

- 2000 - John Colicos, Canadian actor (b. 1928)
- 2001 - Kim Walker, American actress (b. 1968)
- 2003 - John Sanford, American author (b. 1904)
- 2004 - Frances Dee, American actress (b. 1909)
- 2005 - Hans Bethe, German-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
- 2005 - Tommy Vance, British radio disc jockey (b. 1943)
Holidays and observances

- In 2004, the Jewish holiday of Purim begins.
- In Ghana, March 6 is the national independence day
- Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom (2005)
- Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of the season of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar. (2005)
- Casimir Pulaski Day in Illinois (2006, first Monday of March)
External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/6 BBC: On This Day] ---- March 5 - March 7 - February 6 - April 6 -- listing of all days ko:3월 6일 ja:3月6日 simple:March 6 th:6 มีนาคม

May 22

May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). There are 223 days remaining.

Events

- 1176 - Murder attempt by the Hashshashin (Assassins) on Saladin near Aleppo.
- 1455 - Wars of the Roses: At the First Battle of St Albans, Richard, Duke of York, defeats and captures King Henry VI of England.
- 1762 - Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Hamburg.
- 1807 - A grand jury indicts former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr on a charge of treason.
- 1819 - The SS Savannah leaves port at Savannah, Georgia, United States, on a voyage to become the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The ship arrived at Liverpool, England on June 20.
- 1840 - The transporting of British convicts to the New South Wales colony is abolished.
- 1856 - Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina beats Senator Charles Sumner with a cane in the hall of the United States Senate for a speech Sumner had made attacking Southerners who sympathized with the pro-slavery violence in Kansas ("Bleeding Kansas").
- 1872 - Reconstruction: U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signs the Amnesty Act of 1872 into law restoring full civil rights to all but about 500 Confederate sympathizers.
- 1906 - The 1906 Summer Olympics, not now recognized as part of the official Olympic Games, opens in Athens.
- 1908 - The Wright Brothers patent their aircraft.
- 1939 - World War II: Germany and Italy sign the Pact of Steel.
- 1947 - Cold War: In an effort to fight the spread of Communism, U.S. President Harry S. Truman signs an act into law that will later be called the Truman Doctrine. The act grants $400 million in military and economic aid to Turkey and Greece.
- 1960 - An earthquake measuring 9.5 on the Richter scale, now known as the Great Chilean Earthquake, hits southern Chile. It is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded.
- 1962 - Continental Airlines Flight 11 crashes after bombs explode.
- 1964 - U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson announces the goals of his Great Society social reforms to bring an "end to poverty and racial injustice" in America.
- 1967 - The Innovation department store in the centre of Brussels, Belgium, burns down. It is the most devastating fire in Belgian history, which results in 323 dead and missing and 150 injured.
- 1967 - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, the longest-running children's series on U.S. television, airs its first episode.
- 1968 - The nuclear-powered submarine the USS Scorpion sinks with 99 men aboard 400 miles southwest of the Azores.
- 1969 - Apollo 10's lunar module flies within 8.4 nautical miles (16 km) of the moon's surface.
- 1972 - Ceylon adopts a new constitution, changes its name to Sri Lanka, and joins the British Commonwealth.
- 1990 - North and South Yemen are unified to create the Republic of Yemen.
- 1990 - The Windows 3.0 operating system is released by Microsoft.
- 1992 - After 30 years, 66-year-old Johnny Carson hosts The Tonight Show for the last time.
- 1997 - Kelly Flinn, US Air Force's first female bomber pilot certified for combat, accepts a general discharge in order to avoid a court martial.
- 1998 - Lewinsky scandal: A federal judge rules that United States Secret Service agents can be compelled to testify before a grand jury concerning the scandal, involving President Bill Clinton.
- 2002 - In Washington, DC, the remains of the missing Chandra Levy are found in Rock Creek Park.
- 2002 - American civil rights movement: A jury in Birmingham, Alabama, convicts former Ku Klux Klan member Bobby Frank Cherry of the 1963 murders of four girls in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church.
- 2003 - In Fort Worth, Texas, Annika Sörenstam becomes the first woman to play the PGA Tour in 58 years.
- 2004 - Felipe, Prince of Asturias, of the Spanish Royal Family marries Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano.
- 2004 - The U.S. town of Hallam, Nebraska, is wiped out by a powerful F4 tornado that broke a width record at an astounding 2.5 miles wide. It also killed one local resident.

Births

- 1622 - Louis de Buade de Frontenac, Governor of New France (d. 1698)
- 1688 - Alexander Pope, English poet (d. 1744)
- 1715 - François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis, French cardinal and statesman (d. 1794)
- 1772 - Ram Mohan Roy, Hindu reformer (d. 1833)
- 1808 - Gérard de Nerval, French writer (d. 1855)
- 1813 - Richard Wagner, German composer (d. 1883)
- 1841 - Catulle Mendès, French poet (d. 1909)
- 1844 - Mary Cassatt, American artist (d. 1926)
- 1849 - Louis Perrier, Swiss politician (d. 1913)
- 1859 - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, British physician and writer (d. 1930)
- 1874 - Daniel François Malan, Prime Minister of South Africa (d. 1959)
- 1879 - Warwick Armstrong, Australian cricketer (d. 1947)
- 1879 - Alla Nazimova, Ukrainian-born actress, scriptwriter, and producer (d. 1945)
- 1885 - Giacomo Matteotti, Italian politician (d. 1924)
- 1885 - Toyoda Soemu, Japanese admiral (d. 1957)
- 1891 - Eddie Edwards, American jazz trombonist (d. 1963)
- 1902 - Al Simmons, baseball player (d. 1956)
- 1907 - Hergé, Belgian comic book creator (d. 1983)
- 1907 - Sir Laurence Olivier, English actor and director (d. 1989)
- 1910 - Johnny Olson, American game show announcer (d. 1985)
- 1911 - Anatol Rapoport, Russian-born mathematical psychologist, and pianist
- 1912 - Herbert C. Brown, English-born chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
- 1914 - Vance Packard, American author (d. 1996)
- 1914 - Sun Ra, American musician (d. 1993)
- 1917 - Georg Tintner, Austrian-born conductor (d. 1999)
- 1920 - Thomas Gold, Austrian astrophysicist (d. 2004)
- 1922 - Quinn Martin, American television producer (d. 1987)
- 1924 - Charles Aznavour, French singer, actor, and composer
- 1925 - James King, American tenor (d. 2005)
- 1925 - Jean Tinguely, Swiss artist (d. 1991)
- 1927 - George Andrew Olah, Hungarian-born chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1930 - John Barth, American writer
- 1930 - Harvey Milk, American politician and civil rights activist (d. 1978)
- 1934 - Peter Nero, American musician
- 1936 - M. Scott Peck, American psychiatrist and writer (d. 2005)
- 1938 - Richard Benjamin, American actor
- 1938 - Susan Strasberg, American actress
- 1940 - Bernard Shaw, American television journalist
- 1941 - Paul Winfield, American actor (d. 2004)
- 1942 - Theodore Kaczynski, American bomber
- 1942 - Calvin Simon, American musician (P Funk)
- 1943 - Tommy John, baseball player
- 1943 - Betty Williams, Irish politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
- 1946 - George Best, Irish footballer (d. 2005)
- 1950 - Bernie Taupin, English songwriter
- 1957 - Gary Sweet, Australian actor
- 1959 - Morrissey, English singer
- 1960 - Hideaki Anno, Japanese director
- 1966 - Kenny Hickey, American guitarist (Type O Negative)
- 1970 - Naomi Campbell, English model and actress
- 1972 - Annabel Chong, Singapore actress
- 1978 - Jordan, English model and media personality

Deaths

- 337 - Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor (b. 272)
- 1068 - Emperor Go-Reizei of Japan (b. 1025)
- 1455 - Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, English politician (killed in battle)
- 1455 - Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, English commander (killed in battle) (b. 1406)
- 1457 - Saint Rita of Cascia, Italian saint (b. 1381)
- 1538 - John Forrest, English Franciscan friar (martyred) (b. 1471)
- 1540 - Francesco Guicciardini, Italian historian (b. 1483)
- 1667 - Pope Alexander VII (b. 1599)
- 1745 - François-Marie, 1st duc de Broglie, French military leader (b. 1671)
- 1746 - Thomas Southerne, Irish dramatist (b. 1660)
- 1760 - Israel ben Eliezer, Polish-born mystical rabbi (b. 1700)
- 1772 - Durastante Natalucci, Italian historian (b. 1687)
- 1795 - Ewald Friedrich, Count von Hertzberg, Prussian statesman (b. 1725)
- 1859 - King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies (b. 1810)
- 1868 - Julius Plücker, German mathematician and physicist (b. 1801)
- 1885 - Victor Hugo, French author (b. 1802)
- 1939 - Ernst Toller, German author (b. 1893)
- 1939 - Jiri Mahen, Czech author (b. 1882)
- 1949 - Klaus Mann, German writer (b. 1906)
- 1966 - Tom Goddard, English cricketer (b. 1900)
- 1967 - Langston Hughes, American writer (b. 1902)
- 1972 - Cecil Day-Lewis, Irish poet and writer (b. 1904)
- 1972 - Margaret Rutherford, English actress (b. 1892)
- 1983 - Albert Claude, Belgian biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1899)
- 1988 - Giorgio Almirante, Italian politician (b. 1914)
- 1990 - Rocky Graziano, American boxer (b. 1922)
- 1992 - Zellig Harris, American linguist (b. 1909)
- 1997 - Alfred Hershey, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1908)
- 2004 - Richard Biggs, American actor (b. 1960)
- 2004 - Mikhail Voronin, Russian gymnist (b. 1945)
- 2005 - Charilaos Florakis, Greek politician (b. 1914)
- 2005 - Julia Randall, American poet (b. 1924)
- 2005 - Thurl Ravenscroft, American voice actor and singer (b. 1914)

Holidays and observances

- Feast day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church:
- Saint Julia
- Saint Rita
- Saint Lupus
- Saint Atto
- Saint Fulk
- Humilita
- Saint Romanus
- World Biodiversity Day
- Republic of Yemen National Day
- Trinity Sunday in Catholicism (2005)
- National Heroes Day in Sri Lanka

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/22 BBC: On This Day] ---- May 21 - May 23 - April 22 - June 22 – listing of all days ko:5월 22일 ms:22 Mei ja:5月22日 simple:May 22 th:22 พฤษภาคม

Pitcher

:This article is about the sport of baseball. For other references with this word, see pitcher (disambiguation). ---- pitcher (disambiguation) In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter who attempts to either make contact with it or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. In most cases, the object of a pitch is to deliver the ball to the catcher without allowing the batter to hit the ball. The ball is delivered in such a way that the batter either can't hit a pitch through the strike zone or is compelled to swing at a pitch outside of the strike zone. If the batter elects not to swing at the pitch, it is called a strike if the ball passes through the strike zone and a ball otherwise. Nearly all action during a game is centered around the pitcher for the defensive team. A pitcher's particular style and skill heavily influences the dynamics of the game and will often determine the victor. The type and sequence of pitches chosen depends upon the particular situation in a game. Because pitchers and catchers must coordinate each pitch, a system of hand signals are used by the catcher to communicate choices to the pitcher, to which the pitcher either vetoes or accepts. Keeping a foot on the pitcher's rubber at the center of the pitcher's mound, which is 60 feet 6 inches from home plate, the pitcher throws the baseball to the catcher, who is positioned behind home plate and catches the ball. Meanwhile, a batter stands in the batter's box at one side of the plate, and attempts to bat the ball safely into fair play. Although the object and mechanics of pitching remain the same for all pitchers, pitchers may be classified according to their roles and effectiveness. The starting pitcher begins the game and he may be followed various relief pitchers, such as the long reliever, the left-handed specialist, the setup man, and/or the closer. Famous past Major League Baseball pitchers include Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton, and Nolan Ryan. Famous current pitchers (as of 2004) include Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Johan Santana, and Pedro Martinez.

Pitching in a game

Pedro Martinez Effective pitching is vitally important in baseball. In baseball statistics, for each game, one pitcher will be credited with winning the game, and one pitcher will be charged with losing it. However, pitching is also physically demanding, especially if the pitcher is throwing with maximum effort. A full game usually involves 120-170 pitches thrown by each team, and most pitchers begin to tire before they reach this point. As a result, the pitcher who starts a game often will not be the one who finishes it, and he may not be recovered enough to pitch again for a few days. The act of throwing a baseball at high speed is very unnatural to the body and somewhat damaging to human muscles, thus pitchers are very susceptible to injuries, soreness, and general pain. Teams have devised two strategies to address this problem: rotation and specialization. To accommodate playing nearly every day, a team will include a group of pitchers who start games and rotate between them, allowing each pitcher to rest for a few days between starts. Also, teams have additional pitchers reserved to replace that game's starting pitcher if he tires or proves ineffective. These players are called relief pitchers, relievers, or collectively the bullpen. The relief pitchers often have even more specialized roles, and the particular reliever used depends on the situation. Many teams designate one pitcher as the closer, a relief pitcher specifically reserved to pitch the final inning or innings of a game when his team has a narrow lead, in order to preserve the victory. Generally, relief pitchers pitch fewer innings and throw fewer pitches than starting pitchers, but may be able to pitch more frequently without needing multiple days to recover. A skilled pitcher often throws a variety of different pitches in order to prevent the batter from hitting the ball well. The most basic pitch is a fastball, where the pitcher throws the ball as hard as he can. Some pitchers are able to throw a fastball at a speed of over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Other common types of pitches are the curveball, slider, changeup, forkball, split-fingered fastball, and knuckleball. These generally are intended to have unusual movement or to deceive the batter as to the rotation or velocity of the ball, making it more difficult to hit. Very few pitchers throw all of these pitches, but most use a subset or blend of the basic types. Some pitchers also release pitches from different arm angles, making it harder for the batter to pick up the flight of the ball. (See List of baseball pitches.) A pitcher who is throwing well on a particular day is said to have brought his "good stuff".

After the ball is pitched

The pitcher's duty doesn't cease after he pitches the ball. He has several standard roles at that point. The pitcher must attempt to field any balls coming up the middle, and in fact a Gold Glove Award is reserved for the pitcher with the best fielding ability. He must also cover first base on balls hit to the right side, since the first baseman might be fielding them. On passed balls and wild pitches, he covers home-plate when there are runners on. Also, he generally backs up throws to home plate.

Significant pitchers

Baseball Hall of Fame members

* Negro Leagues

Other noteworthy pitchers

* Active ** Negro Leagues

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in the world. More specifically, Major League Baseball ("MLB") refers to the entity that operates North America's two top leagues, the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure which has existed between them since 1920. On an organizational level, MLB effectively operates as a single "league", and as such it constitutes one of the major professional sports leagues of North America. Major League Baseball is governed by the Major League Baseball Constitution, an agreement that has undergone several incarnations since 1876 then called the NL Constitution, with the most recent revisions being made in 2005. Major League Baseball, under the direction of its Commissioner, Bud Selig, hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts. As is the case for most North American sports leagues, the 'closed shop' aspect of MLB effectively prevents the yearly promotion and demotion of teams into the Major League by virtue of their performance. MLB also maintains a unique, controlling relationship over the sport, including most aspects of minor league baseball. This is due in large part to a 1922 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Federal Baseball Club v. National League which declared baseball is not considered interstate commerce (and therefore not subject to federal antitrust law), despite baseball's own references to itself as an "industry" rather than a "sport." The production/multimedia wing of MLB is New York-based MLB Advanced Media, which oversees MLB.com and all 30 of the individual teams' websites. Its charter states that MLB Advanced Media holds editorial independence from the League itself, but it is indeed under the same ownership group and revenue-sharing plan. MLB Productions is a similarly-structured wing of the league, focusing on video and traditional broadcast media.

Current Major Leagues

The Major League season runs from late March or early April to late September or early October. Players and teams prepare for the season in spring training, primarily in Florida and Arizona, during February and March. Three rounds of playoffs follow the season, culminating in the World Series in late October.

Teams and schedule

At the time of writing the Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig, has often floated the idea of international expansion and realignment of the major leagues. At the moment, however, the major leagues are each split into three divisions, and structured as listed in the table below. In all there are 30 teams in the two leagues: 16 in the older National League ("NL") and 14 in the American League ("AL"). Each has its teams split into three divisions grouped generally by geography. They are (number of teams in each division in parenthesis): NL East (5), NL Central (6), NL West (5), AL East (5), AL Central (5) and AL West (4). Each team's regular season consists of 162 games, a duration established in 1961. From 1904 to 1960, except for 1919, a 154-game schedule was played. Shortened seasons were played in 1918 due to the outbreak of World War I, and in 1972, 1981, 1994 and 1995 due to player strikes and lockouts. Games are played predominantly against teams within each league through an unbalanced schedule which heavily favors intra-divisional play. In 1997 Major League Baseball introduced interleague play, which was criticized by the sport's purists but has since proven very popular with most fans. Each year in June, Major League Baseball conducts a draft for first year players who have never signed a Major or Minor League contract. The MLB Draft is among the least followed of the professional sports drafts in the United States. For a detailed history of the length of the regular season, see Major League Baseball season.

All-Star game

Early July marks the midway point of the season, during which a three day break is taken when the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is staged. The All-Star game pits players from the NL, headed up by the manager of the previous NL World Series team, against players from the AL, similarly managed, in an exhibition game. The 2002 contest ended in an 11-inning tie because both teams were out of pitchers, a ridiculous result which proved highly unpopular with the fans. In 2003 and 2004, the league which won the game received the benefit of home-field advantage (four of the seven games of that year's World Series taking place at their home park). The 2005 contest, played in Detroit, followed this format, and it is expected that it will remain that way until the MLB says otherwise. Since the 1970s, the eight position players for each team who take the field initially have been voted into the game by fans. The remaining position players and all of the pitchers on each league's roster were, for a long number of years, solely at the discretion of that team's manager. In 2004, however, MLB instituted a system where some reserves and pitchers were selected by a vote of MLB players, and some were selected by the manager after consulting with the Commissioner's Office. By MLB regulation, every team in the majors must have at least one designated all-star player, regardless of voting. This rule exists so that fans of every team have a player to watch for in the All Star Game.

Post-season

When the regular season ends around October 1st, eight teams enter the post-season playoffs. The first six teams are each league's three division champions. The remaining two "wild-card" spots are filled by each league's team that has the best regular season record and is not a division champion. Three rounds of series of games are played to determine the champion: # American League Division Series and National League Division Series, each a best-of-five game series; # American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series, each a best-of-seven game series played between the surviving teams from the ALDS and NLDS; and # World Series, a best-of-seven game series played between the champions of each league. The team belonging to the league that won the mid-season All-Star game receives home-field advantage in that series.

MLB Steroid Policy

Over most of the course of Major League Baseball, steroid testing was never a major issue. However, after the BALCO steroid scandal, which involved allegations that top baseball players had used illegal performance enhancing drugs, Major League Baseball has finally decided to issue harsher penalties for steroid users. The new policy, which was accepted by Major League Baseball players and owners, was issued at the start of the 2005 season and goes as follows: The 1st positive test will result in a suspension of up to 10 days. The 2nd positive test will result in a suspension of 30 days. The 3rd positive test will result in a suspension of 60 days. The 4th positive test will result in a suspension of one full year. Finally, the 5th positive test will result in a penalty at the commissioner’s discretion. Players will be tested at least once per year, with the chance that several players can be tested a numerous amount of times per year. (See: List of Major League Baseball players suspended for steroids) This program would replaces the previous steroid testing program under which, for example, no player was even suspended in 2004. Under the old policy, which was established in 2002, a first time offense would only result in treatment for the player. The new agreement makes sure that first time offenders are rightfully suspended. In recent news, Bud Selig, the Commissioner of MLB, has proposed even tougher penalties for positive tests than the ones in place today. The new penalties that Bud Selig has proposed are a “three strikes and you’re out approach” and go as follows: The 1st positive test would result in a 50 game suspension. The 2nd positive test would result in a 100 game suspension. Finally, the 3rd positive test would result in a lifetime suspension from MLB. These new proposed penalties are much harsher, however they must be accepted by MLB players and owners before any changes can be made. MLB's reluctance to take a hard line on drugs (as many other sports feature far more strict testing and penalties) is widely seen as one of the main reasons why baseball has been dropped from the Olympics with effect from 2012.

References

- http://www.wnbc.com/mikedup/4077510/detail.html

Historical Major Leagues

In 1969, the centennial of professional baseball, a commission chartered by Major League Baseball identified the following leagues as "major leagues". The list is sometimes disputed by baseball researchers. The MLB list included the following:
- 1876-present: National League of Professional Baseball Clubs
- 1882-1891: American Association
- 1884: Union Association
- 1890: Players League
- 1901-present: American League
- 1914-1915: Federal League Some researchers contend that the following leagues deserve consideration as major leagues due to the caliber of player and the level of play exhibited:
- The National Association (1871-1875)
- The first year of the American League (1900)
- The Negro Leagues (primarily during the years from 1921-1946) In general, the official stance is that game and statistical records for these particular leagues were not kept in a consistent manner and/or those leagues did not have a significant direct impact on the major leagues. Specifically, the following can be said of these leagues:
- The NA is unquestionably recognized as the first professional league, and is the direct precursor to the NL, most of whose original eight teams came from the NA. The standard position is that the NA was a "transitional" league that was not quite up to major league standards. The NL was a wholly new entity that took the best remnants of the NA and imposed a discipline that was lacking in the failed NA.
- The AL itself asserted that it was a minor league in 1900, although it was already located in most of the cities it would be operating in the following year. However, in 1900 it operated independently and did not conduct raids on major league rosters. That changed in 1901.
- The Negro Leagues are the toughest call. Some historians have labeled their time the era of "shadow ball", a segregated parallel to the (all-white) major leagues. The fact that many young players were able to come into the majors in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and have immediate impact, possibly argues for major status. It could also be argued that the Negro Leagues were more properly equated to the highest levels of minor league ball, such as the Pacific Coast League. It is a debate that has no clear resolution, which is why most historians are content to simply regard them as a category unto themselves. Conversely, some historians question whether the Union Association really qualifies as "major", because it really only had one major-league calliber team (St. Louis) and its membership was a revolving door. The Union's chief claim to major status would rest on having had some direct impact on the other majors, due to roster-raiding. None of the three "non-major" groups listed above could make that claim.

External links

- [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp Official MLB website]
- [http://baseballhalloffame.org National Baseball Hall of Fame]
- [http://www.baseballreference.com Baseball-Reference.com]
- [http://www.baseballprospectus.com Baseball Prospectus]
- [http://www.baseballthinkfactory.com Baseball Think Factory]
- [http://www.all-baseball.com All-Baseball.com]
- [http://www.hardballtimes.com The Hardball Times]
- [http://www.ballparks.com Ballparks.com]
- [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/index ESPN.com - Baseball Index]
- [http://insidetheparks.com/ InsideTheParks.com]
- [http://www.gridmarks.com/mlb.html MLB Rankings] Category:Sports leagues of the United States
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Lonaconing, Maryland

Lonaconing is a town located in Allegany County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,205. The town is the birthplace of Baseball Hall of Famer Lefty Grove.

History

The first non-Native American settlers in the late 18th century were explorers, hunters and farmers. Names of some of the first settlers were Dye, Duckworth, Green, Fazenbaker, Grove, VanBuskirk, Knapp and Miller. The first stone house built in 1797 in Knapps Meadow just north of Lonaconing was owned by Samuel VanBuskirk. The house still stands as of 2005.

Geography

2005 Lonaconing is located at 39°33'54" North, 78°58'46" West (39.564884, -78.979312). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²). 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 1,205 people, 482 households, and 290 families residing in the town. The population density is 1,107.7/km² (2,875.8/mi²). There are 559 housing units at an average density of 513.9/km² (1,334.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.67% White, 0.66% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. 0.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 482 households out of which 28.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% are married couples living together, 10.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% are non-families. 36.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 21.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.37 and the average family size is 3.15. In the town the population is spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 75.0 males. The median income for a household in the town is $27,434, and the median income for a family is $37,083. Males have a median income of $27,315 versus $19,423 for females. The per capita income for the town is $13,890. 19.6% of the population and 12.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 30.3% of those under the age of 18 and 17.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

Category:Towns in Maryland Category:Allegany County, Maryland Category:Georges Creek Valley [http://www.whilbr.org/GeorgesCreek/index.aspx George's Creek Mine payroll, 1906] from Western Maryland Public Libraries

Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is an independent city located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of 2004, the population is 636,251, up from 628,670 in 2002 and the population of the Baltimore-Washington Metroplex as of 2000 is 7.6 million, up from 6.7 million in 1990. It is the largest city in Maryland, named after the founding proprietor of the Maryland Colony, Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. The city is a major part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area and a major U.S. seaport. Because there is also a Baltimore County surrounding (but not including) the city, it is sometimes referred to as Baltimore City when a clear distinction is desired.

History

During the 17th century, various towns called "Baltimore" were founded as commercial ports at various locations on the upper Chesapeake Bay. The present city dates from July 30, 1729 and is named after Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore who was the first Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland. Baltimore grew swiftly in the mid-late 18th century as the granary for sugar producing colonies in the Caribbean. The profit from sugar encouraged the maximum possible cultivation of cane and the importation of food. The relatively shorter distance between Baltimore and the Caribbean colonies allowed swift transport and minimized the spoilage of flour. flour One of Baltimore's greatest moments occurred during the War of 1812 when Fort McHenry came under attack by British forces near the harbor after the British had burned Washington, D.C.. Known today as the Battle of Baltimore, American forces won the decisive battles by repulsing a joint land and naval attack by the British forces. They fought to a stalemate at the Battle of North Point after killing the British commander General Ross. British reinforcements were not possible after the British Navy was repulsed by the defenders of the fort, and all forces then withdrew. It was the naval engagement that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," the lyrics to the United States national anthem. The battle was memorialized in the Battle Monument which is on the city seal. Battle Monument in the background North of the city]] Baltimore is also the site of the first architectural monument honoring George Washington, a 178 foot doric column erected in 1829 and designed by Robert Mills, who later designed the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. Baltimore became an independent city in 1851, being detached from Baltimore County at that time. During the Civil War, Maryland was officially part of the Union but kept slavery legal. Many, if not most, people in Baltimore at the time were sympathetic to the Confederacy. Pro-Southern sentiment led to the Baltimore riot of 1861 when Union soldiers marched through the city. After the riot, Union troops occupied Baltimore and Maryland came under direct federal administration — in part, to prevent the state from seceding — until the end of the war in April 1865. This was a necessary move by the Union to prevent Washington, DC from being completely surrounded by seceded Confederate territory. The case Ex parte Merryman, written by Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney, dealt with the habeus corpus rights of Marylanders jailed by the Abraham Lincoln Administration. The Great Baltimore Fire on February 7, 1904 destroyed over 1,500 buildings in 30 hours and forced most of the city to rebuild. Immediately afterward, Mayor Robert McLane was quoted in the Baltimore News as saying, "To suppose that the spirit of our people will not rise to the occasion is to suppose that our people are not genuine Americans. We shall make the fire of 1904 a landmark not of decline but of progress." He then refused assistance, stating "As head of this municipality, I cannot help but feel gratified by the sympathy and the offers of practical assistance which have been tendered to us. To them I have in general terms replied, 'Baltimore will take care of its own, thank you.'" (McLane committed suicide on May 30.) Two years later, on September 10, 1906, the Baltimore-American reported that the city had risen from the ashes and "One of the great disasters of modern time had been converted into a blessing." 1906, looking West from Pratt and Gay Streets]] Gay Streets Baltimore is the location of the Baltimore World Trade Center, the world's tallest equilateral five-sided building (the five-sided JPMorganChase Tower in Houston, Texas is taller, but has unequal sides). Baltimore is also the location of Pimlico Race Course, the home of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The Preakness has been run since 1873. Baltimore's population peaked at 949,708 in the 1950 Census, which ranked it as the sixth-largest city in the country, behind Detroit and ahead of Cleveland. For the next five decades, the city's population declined while its suburbs grew dramatically. In the 21st Century, the city's population has stabilized and is once again rising, mostly due to revitalization efforts in many city neighborhoods. In 1955 Flag House Courts, a public housing project made up of 3 12-story buildings, was built. The buildings were eventually demolished in 2001. Baltimore has become a prime city for filming movies and television. Many movies such as Hairspray, Ladder 49, Serial mom, Eraser, Enemy of the State, Cry-baby, scenes from 12 Monkeys, True Lies, and the film Hardball were filmed in Baltimore, in fact many scenes from the 1972 cult classic film Pink Flamingos were shot in the city's Waverly and Hampden neighborhoods (the film was made by John Waters, a Baltimore native). Additionally, television shows such as NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street" and HBO's "The Wire" have also been filmed in the city. In recent years, efforts to redevelop the downtown area have led to a revitalization of the Inner Harbor. In 1979 the Baltimore Convention Center was opened and was subsequently renovated and expanded in 1996. Harborplace, a modern urban retail and restaurant complex, was opened on the waterfront in 1980, followed by the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland's largest tourist destination, in 1981. In 1992, the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball moved from Memorial Stadium to Oriole Park at Camden Yards downtown, and six years later the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League moved next door into the newly renamed M&T Bank Stadium, formerly known as PSINet Stadium until PSINet went bankrupt. On October 2, 1996, Baltimore became the first city in the United States to adopt 311 as a non-emergency "hot line" telephone number, in order to reserve the use of 911 for genuine emergencies. The concept has been highly successful, and numerous other American municipalities have since implemented the practice. A 60-car train derailment occurred in a tunnel in Baltimore on July 18, 2001. The derailment sparked a chemical fire that raged for six days and virtually shut down the downtown area until the heat caused a water main to rupture, largely extinguishing the fire but also causing significant flooding in the streets above. Three weeks later, manhole covers flew into the air as underground explosions along West Pratt Street followed due to residual explosive chemicals from the fire left in the sewers. In 2003, the Baltimore Development Corporation announced that three hotel projects were being reviewed. As of 2005, the 752-room, $305 million Hilton hotel project has received a 9-6 approval vote from the Baltimore City Council on August 15th. A second approval vote is scheduled for sometime in September 2005. The hotel is expected to be built near the Baltimore Convention Center. The City of Baltimore hopes to have it finished and opened by Spring 2008. (See Baltimore Convention Center Hotel Project for more details regarding the convention center hotel.) Also in 2003, Baltimore was affected by Hurricane Isabel from flooding as a result of tidal surge, affecting primarily the Fells Point community and the Inner Harbor and surrounding low areas. Many places were flooded including the sports center ESPN Zone, the Baltimore World Trade Center (which remained closed for approximately a month during cleanup efforts) and most of the Inner Harbor. Water levels rose some 20 feet in areas, flooding underground parking garages and displacing thousands of cubic yards of trash and debris.

Law and government

Baltimore is an independent city; in other words, not part of any county. For most governmental purposes under Maryland law, Baltimore City is treated as a "county"-level entity. Furthermore the United States Census Bureau uses counties as the basic unit for presentation of statistical information in the United States, and treats Baltimore as a county equivalent for those purposes.

Mayor

The current Mayor of Baltimore is Mar

Lefty Grove

Fact

See also

External links

March 6

Events

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1252 to 1899

1900 to 1999

2000 onwards

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May 22

Events

Births

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Pitcher

Pitching in a game

After the ball is pitched

Significant pitchers

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Other noteworthy pitchers

See also

Major League Baseball

Current Major Leagues

Teams and schedule

All-Star game

Post-season

MLB Steroid Policy

References

Historical Major Leagues

See also

Players, ownership, ballparks and officials

Statistics, milestones and records

Post-season awards

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External links

Lonaconing, Maryland

History

Geography

Demographics

External links

Baltimore, Maryland

History

Law and government

Mayor