Baseball's All-Time Hit (By Pitch) Leader

Major League Baseball's all-time leader in Hit By Pitches, Hughie Jennings. Photo from wikipedia.com

The HPOD is back after weak five day stretch that saw just three posts. But we'll remedy that this week.

This time of the year, it's clearly football, basketball and some hockey that takes center stage in the sports world. But, this is also the time of the year where baseball's "hot stove" talk is heating up. The rumors give hope to fans who are desperate for their team to obtain that last piece, or two or three to make them a contender. So, while reading some off-season rumors of my own today, the HPOD subject came to me. Hughie Freaking Jennings.

Hughie Jennings was a professional baseball player and manager during a career that spanned from 1891-1925. He played for a club called the Louisville Colonels, so clearly a different era. He was primarily a shortstop early on in his career, but he suffered an arm injury while playing for the Orioles of Baltimore in 1898, so he had to move to first base. Following that injury, his playing days were very sporadic. His crowing achievement as a pitcher? Being hit by more pitches over his career than anyone in MLB history (2nd is Craig Biggio). He also is the single-season record holder for HBPs with 51 in 1896. While a player, Jennings attended law school at Cornell. The Ivy Cornell. He coached their ball club, but unfortunately he never finished his law degree, though somehow, he passed Maryland's bar exam and was able to practice law in the off seasons.

He took over as manager of the Detroit Tigers in 1907, a post he would hole until 1920. Connie Mack, one of the greatest managers of all time, said that Jennings was one of the greatest managers of all time...although at that point, "off all-time" wasn't that much time, as baseball's history was rather short. He was a pretty active, crazy manager, which fit with the rest of his personality. He would often yell nonsensical syllables while coaching 3rd base. During a game in 1912, scrub players were filling in for the regular team who had up and went on protest (it was a different time), so guys off the street and even the coaches played (again, a different time). Manager Jennings went up to pinch hit, and when asked by the umpire who he was batting for, Jennings advised the ump it wasn't any of his business, prompting the umpire to write on his lineup card "Jennings: batting for exercise".

My favorite Hughie Jennings tale is one that probably helps to explain why he died so young (along with all those HBPs). It was during his days as a law student at Cornell. He decided he wanted to dive headlong into a pool, so he did. No problem. Except for that the pool was empty. No water. I mean, GEEEZ. It's like something out of a cartoon. Apparently, there were a multitude of other incidents in his life that caused damage to his noggin, so he definitely lived on the edge, or had nine lives, or something. He passed away at the age of 58, in 1928.

Jennings was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown for his playing achievements in 1945, with a lifetime average of .311. All in all, not too bad. I would encourage you to read more about the colorful life of Hughie Jennings, and for that matter many other of the early pro-basebal players. It's pretty wild stuff.

Black Elk: Warrior and Healer

The HPOD is back after a brief hiatus to catch up on non-leisure writing. Today, the HPOD introduces it's first, of what will probably be many, Native American subjects. This initial offer goes to Black Elk.

Black Elk is important for a number of reasons. He's one of the survivors of the Battle of the Little Bighorn (arguably the most famous battle of the Plains Indian Wars), he was a prominent and well respected member of his people, and was able to relate many stories and aspects of Lakota Sioux culture to John Neihardt, which he complied into the book Black Elk Speaks, which is a fascinating look at many things regarding plains culture and ideologies.

He was an Oglala Lakota. The Lakota Sioux are one of three groups of the Sioux nation, which are then further subdivided into specific tribes. The Lakota have seven such tribes, the Oglala being one. Black Elk was a medicine man, or a holy man. A man who had visions, and thus was well respected among his people. In the early 1900's, Black Elk converted to Catholicism but he was a firm believer in the similarities between Christianity and and Sioux rituals regarding the Great Spirit, so even after his conversion, he continued to serve his people as a healer.

There is a lot of talk and debate about whether or not John Neihardt falsified or embellished any of Black Elk's accounts in the book. Regardless, Black Elk still stands as a leader of his people, and a valuable part of preserving Lakota customs for future generations to learn about. He passed away at the age of 87 in 1950, leaving behind a legacy of leadership, and one future generations would come to admire. His spiritual stories would come to be a vital resource during the American Indian Movement, insuring that Black Elk's life work would have far reaching effects.

No Folly: A Brief Look at William Seward



William H. Seward- 24th US Secretary of State serving with Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. Photo from biography.com.



The administration of Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as one of the best in American history. Lincoln, of course, is regarded as among the best, if not THE best, president in our history. He was smart. He was the underdog choice of the new Republican Party when he won the nomination and subsequently the general election in 1860. Wisely, he surrounded himself with people, some of which were his rivals in the primary, and gave those people important roles in his cabinet (if you haven't read Doris Kearns Goodwin's "A Team of Rivals", I highly, HIGHLY recommend it). The man who became the anchor of Lincoln's cabinet is today's H-POD, William H. Seward.

Seward initially thought Lincoln highly unqualified for the job of President of the United States. Like a few others in the cabinet, he thought it should have been he that was sitting in the Oval Office. But it was Seward who would eventually become Lincoln's strongest supporter and probably his best friend and confidant in Washington. Seward too was smart, and more privy to the inner-workings of Washington politics and thus a very valuable assets to Lincoln who initially didn't have much experience in that realm (Lincoln, true to form, would quickly learn and become a savant in navigating DC's political circles). Prior to joining Lincoln's cabinet as Secretary of State, he had been a US senator from New York for twelve years. Prior to that, he had served as Governor of New York, so Seward did have quite a bit of experience that he brought to the table.

Another thing that Seward was always known for was his tenacity when it came to trying to end slavery in the South. He wrote and spoke much to that end, and even went so far as to say the unthinkable...that there is a "higher law" than the constitution which at the time still protected the institution of slavery. Beyond that, being anti-slavery was still a minority opinion among many people, north and south, so lots of credit goes to Seward for being proactive on the issue.

The evening that President Lincoln was tragically assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, the same group made an attempt on Seward's life, which he survived, but just barely. He wasn't aware until days later that Lincoln had been killed. Sadly for Seward, both his wife and daughter died within a year and a half of the attempt on Seward's life.

After a lengthy recovery, Seward stayed on as Secretary of State under Andrew Johnson. It was during this time that Seward was instrumental in purchasing Alaska from Russia in 1867, famously termed "Seward's Folly" as it was thought Alaska was a barren, wild country that didn't provide any real resources of merit. How wrong we were. It wasn't until after Seward's death that the value of Alaska began to be realized.

Seward moved back to New York and passed away just a couple of years after leaving office. He had been a force in national politics for nearly thirty years, and had fought slavery when so many weren't. He was a major part of America being able to navigate and survive the Civil War as he was a key player, perhaps Lincoln's best friend, during Lincoln's administration.

So that's a little about William Seward, one of the earlier champions of civil rights and crucial player and close friend of Abe Lincoln.

Papa.

Papa and my cousin Brenden. Papa is a Veteran of the Korean War, Brenden is currently in the Missouri National Guard.

Seeing as how it's Veterans Day, I wanted to use the H-POD to write about a well-known American war veteran. I thought about Audie Murphy, WWII vet and America's most decorated soldier, I thought about multiple people who helped save the Union during the Civil War, I thought about some of the Revolutionary War heroes, and some from other conflicts all along the way; from the War of 1812, to the Spanish-American. I couldn't make up my mind.

After work today, I met my family for dinner here in Columbia where we were taking my Grandfather out for dinner since it was Veterans Day and he is a Veteran. That's when it hit me. Use Grandpa as the H-POD!

My Grandpa, Chester Bowden, known to us grandkids as "Papa", is a vet of the Korean Conflict. He worked his way up the ranks after enlisting, eventually making corporal before mustering out. He did actually serve in Korea during the war, rarely seeing much action. For a long time, it was tough to get him to open up much about his time overseas, but over the last six or seven years, I've been able to string together some information from talking to him.

While he didn't see the front lines much, he was there. And even now, I still don't know a ton about what his experience was like or what he saw. The story that has stuck with me the most is a rather tragic story that took place a way from the front lines, and as tough as my Grandpa appears (and he really is), I know this stuck with him and hit him hard. I could tell when he told me.

He told me off-handed one day about riding in a jeep with a few other soldiers on their way back to base when a little Korean girl ran out of nowhere in front of the jeep. The driver couldn't stop in time and hit the little girl, and that was that. A civilian casualty of war, miles away from the front lines. Granted, it was an accident, but a tragic one none the less.

Grandpapa eventually returned home and mustered out, but not before buying a few pieces of nice China overseas, some of which is still in our kitchen, the only piece of history we have from Papa's time in the Army while in Korea. He was a hard working guy and tough prior to the war, and the Army only strengthened those qualities. He came from a family where the traits were valued. He had a couple of older brothers fight in WWII. Every since Korea, he spent his life working hard to provide a good life for my Grandma, and eventually my Mother and her sister and brother. He is definitely tough with that old school personality, but underneath that rough exterior, there has always been lots of love for his family. Heck, as a new grandchild would come along, he'd soften up a bit. And, he's always there with a joke. Fantastic sense of humor, my Grandpa.

So, that's just a tiny little bit of Papa's life. There are so many more stories to tell, but not nearly enough time to tell them all. So, on this Veterans Day, I'm thankful for his service and so many other men and women today and all through the years.

Lewis & Clark Expedition Profile: Patrick Gass

I'm sure you've all heard of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. You know of the main characters; Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Sacagawea. But, the lesser known figures of the expedition aren't as known or talked about. Today we talk about Patrick Gass, a member of the expedition who would out live all the others.

Gass, who came from Scots-Irish stock, was a vital, and popular member of the expedition. When Sgt. Charles Floyd passed away (stunningly, the only fatality on the entire expedition that lasted over two years and had near 40 members), it was Gass who was chosen to take over his post. Gass was carpenter whose work was invaluable. The parts of the trip that caused the expedition to travel overland, the various hauling devices to carry gear and supplies were constructed chiefly by Patrick Gass. The best known example was when the expedition had to portage around the Great Falls of the Missouri River. Following the expedition, it was actually Gass's journal that was the first to be published (all of the officers were required to keep a daily journal detailing the Expedition's events).

Gass kept up his military service following the expedition. He fought in the War of 1812, which lost him an eye. My favorite post-expedition story regarding Gass comes at the outbreak of the Civil War. Gass was ninetey-one years old and still volunteered to fight for the union. His desire to fight was apparently so strong, he had to be forcibly removed while trying to sign up. Gass would ultimately live until the age of ninety-eight, passing away in 1870 in West Virginia, the last surviving member of the Corps of Discovery.

A Man and His Toothpick

If you're from Texas, I know you heard from Jim Bowie. If you're from anywhere else, there's a decent chance you've heard of him, but you probably don't know much about him. But, most of you have probably heard of the Bowie Knife, sometimes called an Arkansas Toothpick, and it is for Jim Bowie that it's named. But, that is really just the tip of the iceberg for 'ol Jim.

I've always thought of Jim Bowie like a bit of a Han Solo figure. He was always the baddest dude in a fight, and was most likely one step ahead of everyone else. He moved around a lot; Tennessee, Louisiana, Mexican-owned Texas. Oh yeah, and he loved him some money and was always looking for ways to go make it. However, most of the ways he went about making money were rather unsavory. He was a land speculator. He was a slave smuggler. He even went so far as to partner up with a pirate in an effort to bring slaves into the US (after the slave trade had been barred). Bowie and his brother made a pretty penny off of this illegal venture and used it to fund their land dealings.

Now, as I mentioned, Bowie was pretty good with that knife that bears his name. He was involved in this scuffle called the "Sandbar Fight" and while he took his licks, he made sure he put a lot more on everyone else there. The funny thing about this deal, it started as a duel between two people. The two participants actually missed each other after firing, so they shook hands, and appeared to be moving on. Then, however, supporters of both participants began to fight each other, and eventually, people were turning the wrath on Bowie (most likely because, again, he was an unsavory land speculator that forged documents to obtain land he never actually owned). No matter, though, Bowie did his thing. Killed some guys and walked away. Seriously, go read about the Sandbar fight. His weapon of choice during this ordeal? His knife, the aforementioned Arkansas Toothpick.

Eventually, Bowie moved to Texas, did a little land speculation there, but ultimately married a woman and settled down. The woman he married was the daughter of a prominent local Mexican politician, which helped bolster his popularity among the Mexican population in Texas. Anyway, as Texas decided to fight Mexico for its independence, Bowie enlisted to help the cause, which is how he wound up at the Alamo at the wrong time. He was posted up there throughout the entire siege, but he ended up battling an illness which left him unable to leave his bad for days at a time. It was in his bed that he died when the Mexican Army, commanded by form H-POD subject, General Santa Anna, stormed and overtook the Alamo in March of 1836.

So, that's a little bit about Jim Bowie. The 2004 film "The Alamo" with Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Quaid did a pretty good job of portraying Bowie, (played by Jason Patric) if you're interested in that sort of thing. Anyway, all of this is just a small part of Bowie. He lived a pretty complicated but never dull life, too much to write in detail about on this blog. That's why they write books. So, I encourage, at least google Bowie and read a little more about him.

Go Green.

I have a friend at work who likes to keep me informed of various things. Most of the time it's sports or breaking news related, but a couple days ago, it was candy related. He was apparently eating a bag of skittles. The traditional kind. You know, the ones that come in the red bag. Anyway, he sent me a message and told me that the lime skittle was no more. It had been replaced, in favor of a new flavor: Green Apple.

This, by the way, apparently happened much earlier this year, so I'm a little late to the party, I realize. The lime flavored skittle had been apart of the original mix since 1974 when Skittles were released in Europe (they weren't released in America until 1979). What was the logic behind this decision? I have no idea. But I do know two things. The first is, the entire makeup and chemistry of the original skittles is now entirely gone. When you throw a mix of them in your mouth, it won't ever be the same. Secondly, the lime skittle is now history, making it a perfect choice for the first non-human H-POD in the brief but illustrious history of the H-Pod.

It's late, so that's all I have for tonight. Writing a paper for a class got in the way of a more thoughtful H-POD. Tomorrow's should have a little more substance.

Dan In Real Life

"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."

"The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history.… No, not our nation's, but in World War II. I mean, we all lived in this century. I didn't live in this century, but in this century's history."

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in the air and water that are doing it."

All of the above things were said by Dan Quayle. Former VICE PRESIDENT, Dan Quayle. The same Dan Quayle who, when spelling potato on a chalkboard on national TV wrote, P-O-T-A-T-O, then paused, and wrote -E. Potatoe. He had the good sense to tell America that space was still a high priority for NASA, among other life-altering statements.

He was Vice President of the United States under president George H.W. Bush (Jan. '89- Jan. '93). His time in office was relatively uneventful when it comes to things actually accomplished by Quayle himself, but in fairness, how many VP's can sit there and say, "Boy, I've really done a lot these last four years."? Perhaps the most famous moment associated with Quayle involves a debate with Lloyd Bentsen. To paraphrase, Quayle stated he had about as much experience on Capitol Hill as Jack Kennedy did when Kennedy ran for President. Bentsen cooly responded, "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

So that's Dan Quayle. If you really want to have a good sometime, just google and read some of the more outrageous quotes Quayle ever had. It's good stuff. He even trashed Murphy Brown once. The TV show character Murphy Brown. He thought about seeking some more public offices following his time as VP, but wisely never did. His son, however, did recently win a congressional seat as a US Representative from Arizona. So, at least his own political missteps didn't keep his own son from having some success. I would love to leave you with a David Lettermen-esque top ten list of Dan Quayle quotes, but again, I'll leave that comedic goodness up to you.

The Napoleon of the West

It can take up to two breaths to get through his full name. He served as President of Mexico eleven different times, and not consecutively either. He was the man who took out the Alamo, but would later be ahead of his time as a pioneer in the chewing gum industry. He loved cock fighting. He was exiled and allowed back into his home country multiple times before finally earning the everlasting scorn of his nation. He is Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón, better know in American history as simply, Santa Anna.

His place in Spanish and Mexican history is a little complicated. Anytime you serve as President eleven different times, and at one point upon election declare yourself "Most Serene Highness", that's bound to happen. In America, he's known as the Mexican general and dictator who took out those brave souls fighting for Texas independence at the Alamo. He would win that battle, but would ultimately lose the war, being routed at the Battle of San Jacinto and Texas would gain its independence. Under Santa Anna's rule, vast amounts of Mexican territory were lost, mostly to the US. Eventually the people of Mexico had enough of him, and he was exiled to Cuba and later lived in the US, but more on that to come. If you want to know more about Santa Ann's complicated time as a big-time player in Mexican politics, I encourage you to do some self research. Trust me, you won't not be disappointed. He was an eccentric fellow, and his life never wanted for drama.

I have two personal favorite anecdotes that are just so classically Santa Anna. One comes from this thing called the "Pastry War" (yeah)which was this little squabble Mexico had with France. Anyway, Santa Anna, fresh off his defeat and return of the US was given command of the Mexican Army and was wounded during a retreat by shrapnel to the leg. The damage was bad enough that it caused the amputation of the limb. Being Santa Anna, he decided and subsequently ordered the leg to be buried....with full military honors. A leg. I don't know how one would've kept a straight face at that ceremony. I imagine it was a bit like Susie's funeral in Seinfeld (Susie you may remember was a non-existent employee at J. Peterman). After that he used a prosthetic leg which US troops captured in the Mexican American War and that particular leg is actually on display still today in a museum in Illinois.

The final story comes from the end of Santa Anna's life. He was living in Staten Island, NY, where most former dictators retire to, and was trying to raise the funds to raise an army and retake Mexico City. At the time, he was seventy-four. His master plan? He brought a bunch of chicle to the US, which is the base for chewing gum. He tried to use it as rubber for carriage tires and thus sell it to various vendors for the same use. In short, that was a massive failure. But, his secretary at the time was a guy named Thomas Adams. He recognized chicle for a broader purpose, and invented Chiclets...chewing gum. Adams would letter join up with some guy named Wrigley to mass market the product. So, maybe Santa Anna wasn't exactly a pioneer in the chewing gum business, but his failure inspired his secretary to found the industry. So, credit the man for that.

So that is a brief overview of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (that's the version of his name he used as his full name). Again, his time as President, General, ruler, dictator of Mexico was vastly more complex than the small portion I hit on here. I just wanted to point out some examples of his more hilarious eccentricities. Any guy who admired Napoleon and tried to collect Napoleonic memorabilia with such passion that he garnered the nickname "The Napoleon of the West" is bound to have a few strange qualities, and a giant ego.

The Heart and Soul of Jeff City Football

Tonight, I'm heading down to my high school Alma mater, Jefferson City High School, to watch the Jays football team compete in the district playoffs. It should be a fun game as Columbia Rock Bridge comes to town and the two teams are hooking up for the 2nd time this season. When someone thinks of Jeff City football, arguably the most successful high school program in the long history of the state, one immediately thinks of legendary coach, Pete Adkins.

Coach Adkins is among the most successful high school coaches, not just in Missouri's history, but in the nation's history. He made the Jays an absolute juggernaut on the high school football stage for an incredible, dominating, thirty-seven seasons. Earlier this year, Adkins was named a Missouri Sports Legend by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, of which Adkins has been a member for twenty-seven years. The other figures who hold that distinction? Former Mizzou hoops coach Norm Stewart, the greatest Cardinal and Royal of them all in Stan Musial and George Brett, and former Super Bowl winning quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Len Dawson. That's some pretty outstanding company.

Adkins won nine state championships and 354 games at the helm of the Jays (overall 354-48-2!), and at one point won an incredible 71 consecutive football games from 1959-1965. In his first 79 games at JC, Adkins complied a 76-1-2 overall record, which is just absolutely ridiculous. He had twenty unbeaten seasons. When Adkins stepped down as the head coach of the Jays following the '94-'95 school year, he stood tied for 2nd nationally in high school head coaching wins. Between Centralia, his first job, and the Jays, his record was 405-60-4, good for an .868 winning percentage. Again, ridiculous. It's because of Coach Adkins that Jefferson City Jays football became the standard bearer for high school football in Missouri, and why, even still today, many outlets consider the program to be the best in the state's history. Around the same time JC reached the 600-win club, which at the time was a select group of high school programs, and the first to reach it in Missouri, pop star Melissa Etheridge featured Adkins in one of her music videos. So that was pretty neat.

Coach Adkins will probably be in attendance tonight, as even though he's in his upper eighties, he still makes it out to most home games. Heck, I even saw him at Faurot Field prior to the Mizzou-Florida tilt a couple weeks ago. He was and is the embodiment of the phrase, "Jay Pride". He set a standard that was probably impossible for future coaches to live up to, and in the years since Adkins left, the Jays have only claimed one state title. Part of this regression is due to other programs catching up to Jeff City. But, I think also it goes to show just how great of a coach Pete Adkins was. The stadium in Jeff bears his name, and has for a long while now. I didn't play for Coach Adkins, or even play football in high school. Adkins had been retired for a while by the time I was a freshmen, but it's impossible to live in and go to school in Jefferson City and not feel and realize the impact he had. Even still today, Pete Adkins is the heart and soul of Jeff City football.