In Fresno, there’s hope for a Chance
The last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series was in 1908 when the legendary Hall of Famer Frank Chance (remember Tinker to Evers to Chance?) was the player-manager.
And now, 100 years later, Chance is in the news again, at least in Fresno. Could that be an omen for the Cubs?
Chance was born in Salida in Stanislaus County and raised in Fresno, where a baseball field was built in his honor in 1935. Frank Chance Field was on the southwest corner of Ventura and Cedar, but lost long ago to a housing development.
That hasn’t stopped Eldon Morris and Jack Krog from looking for it. Boyhood friends in Fresno nearly six decades ago, they are looking at old photographs and trying to match roof lines and trees to find it.
They think there should be a plaque or something, according to the Fresno Bee. Maybe there’s a Chance of that.
Trivia time
When the Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers in the 1908 World Series, what was the attendance for the fifth and final game, played at Detroit’s Bennett Park?
Selling out
Here’s one major league record that’s going down -- consecutive sellouts. The Red Sox had No. 455 in a row Wednesday night at Fenway Park against the Orioles to tie the Cleveland Indians’ mark set between 1995-2001. The Red Sox will break the record Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Mazel tov
According to Martin Abramowitz of Jewish Major Leaguers Inc., Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers is responsible for the 2,500th home run by a Jewish major leaguer.
emo derby
This news is sort of depressing, but the $27-million Yankee Stadium demolition project has a timeline.
The Yankees have until Feb. 28 to vacate the stadium, the parts of it that can be sold as memorabilia will be removed by June and the complete demolition will be finished by the spring of 2010.
Four Kings
Dustin Brown, Derek Armstrong, Kyle Calder and Denis Gauthier -- all wearing their Kings uniforms-- will tape an episode Tuesday of the “Price Is Right.”
It’s part of a hockey-themed showcase showdown that will air Nov. 5.
Trivia answer
6,210.
And finally
When Tatum Bell was cut by the Detroit Lions (who signed Rudi Johnson to replace him), he took two Gucci bags from the training facility belonging to Johnson, removed the contents ($200, identification, credit cards, clothes), had someone return the empty bags, and later received a phone call from Johnson, who said: “He knows how I feel about it, and it isn’t anything positive.”
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