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April 2, 2013 The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read

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Readers WeeklyNationwide!

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The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read

OVER 4 MILLION

Readers WeeklyNationwide! ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©2007

FREE

In honor of spring training, come along with Tidbits as we remember some unforgettable moments brought to you by memorable pitchers.

• In the 1940s, Bobo Newsom was batting for the Yankees against White Sox pitcher Joe Haynes. He swung and nicked the ball, which rolled back to the pitcher. Realizing it was useless to even try to run to first base, Bobo headed back to the dugout. But instead of throwing to first, Haynes just stood and watched Bobo walk away. When the crowd began to laugh, Bobo turned and saw the pitcher still had the ball. So he began to stroll towards first base. So did Haynes. He walked a little faster. Haynes did too. Suddenly he broke into a sprint. Haynes began to run, finally lobbing the ball to first base seconds ahead of Bobo.

• In 1934, Dodger manager Casey Stengel had pitcher Walter Beck replaced in the game. In a temper, Beck threw the ball and it hit the rightfield wall. The Dodger rightfielder had been “resting his eyes” while recovering from a hangover. He heard the ball hit the wall, scooped it up, threw it to second, and then discovered that no one had hit it.

• Luke Appling went to bat for the White Sox in a game against the Tigers in the 1930s. He hit 14 consecutive foul balls. On the 15th pitch, the disgusted pitcher threw his glove instead of the ball.

• In 1961, Cleveland Indian pitcher Herb Score was hit in the eye by a line drive hit by New York Yankee Gil McDougald. The ball bounced off Score’s head and rolled to first base, where the Cleveland first baseman nabbed it and put the batter out. Score was credited with an assist.

• William Kennedy was pitching for Brooklyn in 1897 when the umpire called a close decision against him. Kennedy lost his temper and hurled the baseball at the umpire, intending to smack him in the head. The ball narrowly missed the ump, who called the ball in play. A runner on base scored before the catcher could retrieve the ball. Brooklyn lost the game 2 - 1.

• Joe Engel, pitching in Washington, did not do a very good job. The question was not whether his pitches would go over the plate but whether they would stay in the ballpark. Manager Clark Griffith called him to his office one day and informed him he was being sent to Minneapolis.

Turn the page for more!

Vol 2 Issue 14of the River Region

TIDBITS® LOOKS AT

BASEBALL PITCHERSby Janet Spencer

Page 2 Tidbits® of the River Region

PITCHING SHENANIGANS (continued)“Who am I being traded for?” Engel asked. “No one,” replied Griffith. “It’s an even trade!”

• In 1918, Otis Crandall was pitching for Los Angeles against Salt Lake City. He had a perfect no-hitter going. There were two out in the ninth inning and not a single man had reached base. Then his brother Karl came to bat for Salt Lake. He made a base hit — the only known instance where a no-hitter was broken by the pitcher’s brother.

• Bob Fothergill was a big man. He was a good hitter, but he was sensitive about his weight. As Leo Durocher got ready to pitch against him, he called out, “Stop the game!” and approached the umpire. When the ump asked what was wrong, Durocher replied, “Don’t you know the rules?” he asked, pointing at Fothergill. “BOTH those guys can’t bat at the same time!” Fothergill was so angry he couldn’t bat well and struck out.

• Ty Cobb, playing for the Detroit Tigers in 1912, was suspended from play when he jumped into the stands and beat up an abusive heckler. His sympathetic teammates went on strike. So the manager advertised for new players to fill in the next day at a game in Philadelphia. This impromptu team went up against the world champion Oakland A’s. The pitcher allowed 25 hits and 7 walks in 8 innings, but did manage to get one strike-out. An infielder was hit in the mouth by a ground ball and lost two teeth. An outfielder was hit on the head by a fly ball. This pick-up team got 4 hits and made 10 errors and the final score was 24 - 2. The next day, the regular team members ended their strike, paid their fines, and went back to work, except for Cobb, who was suspended for 10 days.

• Charlie Grimm was managing the losing Chicago Cubs. One day he got an excited call from his scout saying that he found a pitcher who struck out 27 men in a row. Only one man had even managed to hit a foul. He asked if he should sign the pitcher. Grimm replied, “Sign up the guy who hit the foul. We’re looking for hitters!”

• In 1939, Bob Feller was the best known pitcher in the country, playing for Cleveland. On Mother’s Day, he brought his mother from her Iowa farm to

Chicago so she could see him play. A Chicago White Sox batter slugged a foul ball into the stands — where it hit Feller’s mother, knocking her unconscious.

• Germany Schaefer was batting against Nick Altrock. There was a man on first. Schaefer swung and missed a fast ball. Then the pitcher, pretending he was getting ready to throw to the batter, let loose with a fast ball to first base, where the runner was leading off.

• When he got the ball back, Altrock let fly another scorcher of a fastball. Schaefer got a second strike. He threw down his bat and walked back to the dugout. “Hey,” called the ump, “You’ve only got two strikes!” “No,” replied Schaefer, “It’s three strikes — I swung at that pitch he threw to first base!”

• In the early 1900s, Rube Waddell was such a great pitcher that all batters feared him. One day the pitcher on the opposing team got a great idea: if he could tire Waddell out before the game, his pitching would be off. So he challenged Waddell to a pitching contest. Whichever one of them could throw the farthest would win $5. They both showed up before the game and threw the ball as far as they could. Waddell’s throw went farthest. The opposing pitcher challenged him to throw that far again. He did. In fact, he threw the ball that far around 50 times. Convinced that Waddell’s arm would be worn out, the rival pitcher handed over the $5. That afternoon, Waddell struck out 14 batters and his team won handily. As he was walking to the clubhouse, he called out to the other pitcher, “Hey, thanks for the workout this morning. That was swell practice!”

• Texas University was up against the Yankees in an exhibition game when Lou Gehrig came up to bat. There were two runners on base and it was three and two for Gehrig. The catcher signaled the pitcher, the pitcher nodded — then threw a straight ball right to home plate. Gehrig sent it clear out of the park. The catcher marched up the pitcher, ranting at him for not paying attention to the signals. “Why did you throw him such a nice pitch?” he yelled. The pitcher was not sorry. “I got to thinking: I’ll never pitch a Big League game and maybe I’ll never get to see a game at the Yankee Stadium, and I sure did want to see Gehrig bust just one!”

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When most people think about planting a garden in the spring, they think about the fresh vegetables they will be eating all summer. While vegetables are packed with good nutrients, a garden provides many other benefits as well. This year, make planting and tending a garden a family affair, and everyone will harvest the benefits. “Digging in the dirt is just plain fun for little children. Why not give them some seeds to put in that dirt to see what they can produce?” said Tammy Roberts, nutrition and health edu-cation specialist with the University of Missouri Extension. “If a child has grown and harvested their own food, they are much more likely to eat it. Also, learning to use small garden tools can be good for the development of gross- and fine mo-tor skills for children.”When we think about planning and caring for the garden, we usually are thinking about the healthful benefits of the food. Make no mistake; while you are paying attention to the chore at hand, your body is benefitting from a good workout as well. “Did you know you are actually doing some strength-training exercises while you work in the garden? Next time you are carrying a watering bucket or large flowerpot, just think about how that can help your muscles,” said Roberts. Maintaining muscle mass is an important part of assuring good flexibility and balance. And when you are bone-tired from getting up and down, know that the slow movement of getting from a sitting to a standing position is good for maintaining your muscles and bones. Gardening also is very good for the mind. Children can learn many science lessons in the garden from the benefits of some bugs to how compost is made and helps the garden grow. Adults exercise their brain power in many ways, such as researching new plants they want to grow, finding the best

method to manage pests and learning how to irrigate the garden. Gardening is good for the mind in another way -- it can boost your mood. You can go to the garden in a rotten mood, but it’s pretty hard to leave the same way, especially if you are carrying your first ripe red tomato! Gardening also is the perfect way to introduce children to healthy eat-ing habits that they will continue for the rest of their lives.Once your beautiful herbs and vegetables are ready to eat, try preparing my simple recipe for Garden Fresh Pizza. It’s like a delicious, fresh salad on a piece of flatbread. It’s also the perfect recipe to get your children into the kitchen to help prepare their own meals and to eat more vegetables!

GARDEN FRESH PIZZA

This fresh, easy pizza is the perfect way to bring your children into the kitchen. Older children can slice the softer vegetables using a disposable serrated plastic knife. Young-er children can pick the herbs and tear them. Spreading the cheese and placing the vegetables on the pizza crust can be a fun, family affair. Best of all, your pizza is edible art!

1 package (12-inch) prebaked, thin Italian pizza crust, like Boboli Non-stick cooking oil spray1 cup chopped fresh spinach 1 large tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)3/4 cup shredded carrots 1/2 cup green onions, roots removed, white and green parts, chopped1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon pepper1 container (6.5 oz) 50 percent-less-fat garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese 1/2 cup sliced, fresh mushrooms 1/2 cup finely diced, seeded cucumber 1 tablespoon olive oil1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, optional?1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Lightly mist a 12-inch pizza pan or cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place the pizza crust on the pan. Bake about 8 to 10 minutes to crisp the pizza crust.2. Using a food processor or blender, puree 1/2 cup each of the spinach, the tomatoes, carrots, 1/4 cup of the green onions, and the basil, oregano, salt and pepper to make a chunky sauce. 3. Spread the cheese over the pizza crust and the vegetable sauce over the cheese. Place the remaining spinach, toma-toes, mushrooms and cucumber on the pizza. Sprinkle with remaining the carrots and green onions. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Cut pizza into 4 wedges to serve.

Grow a Pizza Garden

Tidbits® of the River Region Page 4

* On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes set out on horseback from Boston to warn leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching on Concord on a mission to confiscate the Massachusetts militia arsenal and capture Adams and Hancock.

* On April 19, 1876, a Wichita, Kan., commission votes not to rehire policeman Wyatt Earp after he beats up a candidate for county sheriff. Earp’s Rem-ington pistol made an effective club: Whenever pos-sible, he preferred to pistol-whip his opponents rather than shoot them.

* On April 16, 1897, Frederick Winterbotham, one of Britain’s top code breakers, is born. Winterbotham would play a decisive role in the World War II Ultra code-breaking project, enabling British intelligence to intercept top-secret messages (even from Hitler) transmitted to and between German armed forces.

* On April 21, 1930, a fire at an Ohio prison kills 320 inmates, some of whom burn to death when they are not unlocked from their cells. The prison, built to hold 1,500 people, housed 4,300 prisoners at the time of the fire.

* On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson, age 28, be-comes the first black player in Major League Baseball when he steps onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, N.Y., to compete for the Dodgers. Baseball had been segre-gated for more than 50 years.

* On April 17, 1964, the Ford Mustang is officially unveiled by Henry Ford II at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. That same day, the new car also debuted in Ford showrooms across America, and almost 22,000 Mustangs were immediately snapped up by buyers. Ford sold more than 400,000 Mustangs in its first year.

* On April 20, 1971, the Pentagon releases figures confirming that “fragging” is on the rise in Vietnam, with hundreds of reported incidents. Fragging was a slang term used to describe U.S. military personnel tossing a fragmentation hand grenade (hence the term “fragging”) to kill or wound or a fellow soldier, usu-ally a superior officer or NCO.

(c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.

Page 5“Be known before you’re needed” Advertise with Tidbits (334) 202-7285

Register to win at www.riverregiontidbits.com and click on “Tommy Tidbits” or click the QR-Code above. Fill out the registration information and tell us how many times Tommy appears in ads in the paper for this week. From the correct entries, a winner will be selected. You must be 18 years of age to qualify. The gift certificates will range in value from $25 to $50 each week. En-tries must be received at the website by midnight each Saturday evening or at PTK Corp, PO Box 264, Wetumpka, AL 36092.

This week’s winner receives 2 VIP Back-stage Passes to the Wetumpka Crater Festival

Last Week’s Ads where Tommy was hiding:

1. Freeman Elam, p. 72. Private Sitter, p. 8

Tommy Tidbits Winners Circle

James BushFree Oil Change

Anna ZavalaFree Family Pack

Tina Thornton 1 Months Tanning

Mimi Arnold$25 Gift Certificate

Tommy Count______

Tidbits® of the River Region Page 6

1. Is the book of Hosea in the Old or New Testament or nei-ther?2. From Luke 8:2, how many de-mons did Mary Magdalene have in her? 1, 3, 7, 143. Who wrote in Proverbs 13:24, “He that spareth his rod hatest his son”? David, Solomon, Job, Ruth4. From Judges 13-16, who was the strongest man on earth? Hercules, Samson, Obadiah, Thor5. During the great flood, how many humans were on the ark (Gen. 7:13)? 2, 4, 6, 86. In Psalms 68:5 who is “fa-ther to the fatherless”? Oneself, Heaven, Fool, God

1. Name the two players who have hit home runs in a Game Seven of the World Series three times each.2. In 2004, Andy Lopez became the third baseball coach to take three differ-ent teams to the College World Series. Name the first two.3. Who was the first 1,000-yard rusher in AFL history?4. The 2012 NCAA men’s basketball tournament saw the biggest comeback in its history, as BYU came from 25 points down to win. What had been the biggest rally? 5. Who was the last Buf-falo Sabres player before Thomas Vanek in 2013 to tally five points in a game?6. Carmelo Anthony set a USA Basketball record in 2012 for most points in an Olympic game (37). Who had held the record?7. Who was the oldest golfer to play in the Ryder Cup?

DO I EAT IN A TRANCE?I am sure you have seen or experienced eating a plate of chicken wings, and the next thing you know, it is just a pile of bones. It happens with popcorn, potatoe chips, or candy. It’s like we get triggered into a trance because we are focused on pleasant feelings or memo-ries. If we are watching a movie with popcorn, the eating speed is increased when something emotional occurs. Many people eat for companionship or when they feel lonely. If we eat when stressed, bored, sad or happy, the next time these feelings occur the appetite is triggered. Of course this can destroy a diet and re-lapse someone who had bypass surgery. The ultimate solution is behavior modifcation and hypnotherapy. FREE Consultations at hypnosisworksnow.com.

334-213-0054

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1. Bill “Moose” Skowron and Yogi Berra.2. Larry Cochell and Ron Polk.3. Cookie Gilchrist ran for 1,096 yards for Buffalo in 1962.4. Duke came back from 22 down against Maryland in 2001.5. Drew Stafford had five points in a game in 2008.6. Stephon Marbury tallied 31 points in 2004.7. Raymond Floyd was 51 years old when he played in the Ryder Cup in 1993.

BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS:

1) Old; 2) 7; 3) Solomon; 4) Samson; 5) 8; 6) God

Join your kids in creating art in 3-D with this easy and fun activity using household basics: corrugated cardboard from an empty box, scis-sors, paint and markers. That’s it.Watch your kids enjoy hours of fun with this clever construction technique. Once they get the hang of assembling the two interlocking pieces they’ve designed themselves, they’ll discover that a three-dimensional mobile will look just right hanging over their homework desk. It’s so much fun, preschoolers will want you to join in and help them make an entire town or country scene of buildings, trees and flowers. They can set up the miniature play world, then add their trucks and other toys from their toy box. Or, if there’s a birthday in the house, make a card to greet the recipient from all angles for a 3-D day.Let’s get started by making a 3-D potted cactus in three easy steps. Use the same steps to make other objects. 1. On a piece of cardboard approximately 7 inches by 10 inches, draw a simple cactus shape in a clay pot. For extra fun in making the cactus design, have your child wear a mitten and place her hand on the cardboard. Trace around the mitten to create the cactus shape. Add the clay pot freehand. Cut out the drawing. (An adult may need to help with this.)2. Trace the original potted cactus onto another piece of cardboard and cut out the second shape. Color or paint both sides of each cutout, making them look as similar as possible.3. Mark the center point on the top of each cut-out. On one piece, cut a slit starting at the top of the cactus and going down to that mark. On the other, cut a slit from the bottom of the flower-pot going up. The slits should be as wide as the thickness of the cardboard. 4. Slide one piece into the other.Extra idea: To hang a 3-D object, poke a hole at the top and string fishing line or lightweight wire through the hole. Hang from a hook in the ceiling or from a windowsill.***Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Don-na’s Day” is airing on public television nation-wide. To find more of her creative family reci-pes and activities, visit www.donnasday.com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.”

(c) 2013 Donna EricksonDistributed by King Features Synd.

Colorful 3-D Art Is Easy to Create

Tidbits® of the River Region Page 8