The Assassination Attempt on Theodore Roosevelt

Just over a century ago, on October 14, 1912, an assassination attempt was made on Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States.  The incident took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It happened during during one of the most contentious presidential election campaigns in American history.

The 1912 contest was a rare four-candidate race. Woodrow Wilson was the Democratic Party's nominee while union leader Eugene V. Debs was the candidate of the Socialist Party of America. The Republican Party found itself split between William Howard Taft, the incumbent president, who represented its conservative wing, and former president Roosevelt who led the more the progressive faction . Teddy Roosevelt and his supporters eventually launched a new party, the Progressive Party (nicknamed the Bull Moose Party) and Roosevelt was nominated as its presidential candidate.

During his 1912 campaign for the presidency, Roosevelt was shot at close range by 36-year-old John Flammang Schrank, a psychotic New York saloon-keeper.  An alert bystander, Adam Bittner, noticed the gun, (a 38 caliber pistol) as it was aimed at Roosevelt's head.  Bittner interfered with Schrank's arm.just as he pulled the trigger. The gun went off and hit Roosevelt in the chest, knocking him down.  The crowd tackled Schrank and beat him severely.  Roosevelt managed to rise up and exhort the mob to cease its attack.  Police officers ran into the crowd, apprehended Schrank, arrested him and brought him to the central police station, Milwaukee.  His bail was set at $15,000.

On that cool evening in Milwaukee, Teddy Roosevelt came within a whisker of losing his life.  He survived because he had a manuscript of a lengthy 50-page speech in his coat pocket, folded in two, which slowed the bullet.  The myopic Roosevelt also carried a steel spectacle case in his pocket, and the bullet traversed this too. It entered his chest near the right nipple and lodged in the chest wall.

Roosevelt's bullet-damaged speech and eyglass case

Theodore Roosevelt did not consider himself seriously enough injured to warrant immediate medical attention because his breathing had remained normal..  He insisted on giving his prepared speech although he was clearly bleeding.  In fact, he even worked the shooting into the speech by displaying his blood-soaked shirt and the bullet-hole in his manuscript to the audience. He joked that it would take "more than that to kill a Bull Moose."

After his 90-minute speech, Roosevelt was taken to a Milwaukee hospital where he was examined and  his wounds were dressed. He reluctantly permitted surgeons to inject him with tetanus anti-toxin. The ex-president was then taken on a special train to Mercy Hospital in Chicago where he remained for eight days of observation.

Theodore Roosevelt was discharged from the Chicago hospital on October 23, 1912, shortly before the November 5th election.  He finished second to Woodrow Wilson, but received more votes than the serving president, Republican William Howard Taft.  The bullet was never removed from Roosevelt's body and caused no problems after the wound healed.

As for John Schrank, he never went on trial for the attempted murder of Theodore Roosevelt.  A panel of doctors determined that he was insane.  In 1914, he was sentenced to the Central State Mental Hospital in Waupun, Wisconsin where he spent the remaining 29 years of his life.

John Schrank

Let's delve deeper into the troubled life of John Schrank, Theodore Roosevelt's would-be assassin. Schrank was born in Erding, Bavaria, (now Germany) on March 5, 1876 and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1889 when he was 12 years old.  The family settled in New York's Lower East Side.  Schramk's father soon died of consumption at the age of 38 and the boy was left in the care of his aunt and his uncle, a New York tavern owner and landlord.  John eventually supported himself by working in his uncle's tavern.

Schrank was heartbroken when his girlfriend, Emily Ziegler, died in the General Slocum disaster on June 15, 1904.  The PS General Slocum was a passenger steamboat that operated in the New York City area.  The steamer caught fire and sank in the East River while on a chartered run carrying members of St. Mark's Evangelical Church - German Americans from Manhattan- on their way to a church picnic.  It is estimated that over 1,000 of the 1,342 passenger aboard lost their lives.  Schrank was supposed to have accompanied Emily on that doomed excursion but had been unable to get anyone to take his shift at the family tavern.  Instead, he found himself identifying the charred remains of his girlfriend's body at the morgue.

For John Schrank, there was still more heartache to come.  Beginning in 1910, his beloved aunt and uncle died within a year of each other and he greatly mourned their deaths. They had raised him and he considered himself to be their adopted son.  The distraught young man quickly sold off the lucrative properties he had inherited and just drifted aimlessly, ending up in a dilapidated hotel above a saloon at 156 Canal Street in New York.  During those years, Schrank wrote poetry and became well-versed in his knowledge of the Bible.

In his hotel room, John Schrank displayed the portraits of four American presidents - Abraham Lincoln. Ulysses S. Grant, James A. Garfield and Theodore Roosevelt - and he reportedly gazed at the them for long periods of time while drinking beer.  He apparently told acquaintances that he admired all four men.  He had been aware of Theodore Roosevelt since the ex-president had served as  New York's police commissioner in 1895.and he was an admirer of Roosevelt's presidency.

Despite his high regard for Teddy Roosevelt, John Schrank could not countenance the idea of Roosevelt starting a third party and seeking a third term as president.  In Schrank's twisted mind, Roosevelt's actions were a threat to America and he feared that they could lead to civil war. According to the Smithsonian, he told police that "I looked upon his plan to start a third party as a danger to the country, my knowledge of history, gained through much reading, convinced me that Colonel Roosevelt was engaged in a dangerous undertaking."

The mentally unbalanced Schrank also claimed that the ghost of former president William McKinley (who was assassinated in Buffalo in 1901 by an anarchist named Leon Czolgosz) had appeared to him in a dream accusing Teddy Roosevelt of being his real murderer.  McKinley's ghost, according to Schrank, had strongly urged him to avenge his death.

Determined to kill Theodore Roosevelt, Schrank purchased a revolver and packed up some belongings.  He began waiting stalking the former president, waiting  for the opportune moment to kill him.  On September 21st, he left New York City by train and made several trips through the south.  He followed Roosevelt from city to city before heading north to the midwest.  Roosevelt kept changing his travel plans during the campaign, making it difficult for Schrank to carry out his mission. Schrank, however, hesitated to perform the deed when he was in close range of  Roosevelt in Chattanooga, Tennessee and at the Hotel La Salle in Chicago.

Travelling under the assumed name "Walter Ross,"  John Schrank reached Milwaukee on October 13th and checked into the Argyle Lodging House on Third Street.   While awaiting Theodore Roosevelt's arrival, the would-be assassin perused he newspapers in order to determine the presidential candidate's precise itinerary.

Roosevelt arrived in Milwaukee by train at about 6:00 p.m. the next day.  John Schrank went to the Hotel Gilpatrick where the ex-president was dining with his campaign strategists. Teddy was scheduled to deliver a speech at the Milwaukee Auditorium later that evening..  He had just finished his supper and was leaving his hotel to go to his car when Schrank shot him as he stood waving to cheering onlookers.

Interestingly enough, when Teddy Roosevelt passed away in 1919, John Schrank remarked that Roosevelt was a great American and that he was sorry to learn of his death.  Schrank himself died of bronchial pneumonia on September 16, 1943.  He was 67 years old.


-  Joanne

Mitt Romney would not be moderate!

"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it -- that that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. ... These are people who pay no income tax. ... [M]y job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."

- Mitt Romney


Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate for President of the United States, said those words and he meant them.  He can't pretend otherwise.  He can't just shrug them off and say that everybody says the wrong thing sometimes.  Those words reveal the true mindset of the Republican Party. They should not be forgotten by the American electorate.  Romney and the Republican Party should be called into account for their dismissal of 47 percent of the American populace.  Since the population of the United States is about 311.6 million people, they have written off a lot of their fellow Americans.

Don't be fooled, my American friends, by Mitt Romney's professed moderation during the first presidential debate.  He has flip-flopped on so many issues that it is difficult to gauge where he really stands, but as governor of Massachusetts, Romney introduced a health care plan similar to President Obama's Affordable Health Care Plan.  He seems more moderate than his libertarian running mate, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, but that's not saying much.  It's an indication of how far to the right Republicans have veered.  Even if Romney wanted to be more moderate, his hands are tied.  The Republican Party has effectively been hijacked  by  extreme right-wingers.  The Tea Party is in control and Romney must do their bidding.  He is beholden to them and to the wealthy corporate interests that fund his party.  If he becomes president, he will do their bidding.  He will continue to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, thus increasing the deficit.

Paul Ryan

Mitt Romney chose Congressman Ryan, an avowed admirer of the Ayn Rand's school of thought, as his vice-presidential running mate in order to appease the Tea Party, the dominant faction of his party.  The choice of Ryan simply confirmed what was already obvious: the Tea Party is in control of the Republican Party.  Its goal is to completely redesign America in its own fashion.  The rich will get richer.  The middle class will collapse and the poor will suffer even more.  Trickle down economics does not work in difficult economic times. How many companies are prepared to hire new employees if they fear that consumers will not buy their product?

My American friends, before you cast your vote on November 6th, remember that the Paul Ryan budget that he supported in Congress is the same budget that was adopted by the Romney-Ryan campaign.  Do not forget that the Ryan budget would destroy Medicare as you know it for seniors and transform it into a voucher program.  Seniors of America, I ask you, do you want Medicare or do you want Voucher Care?

By the way, I have just finished reading an Associated Press story revealing that VP candidate Paul Ryan sought federal funding for his Wisconsin constituents, the same government handouts that he is so quick to criticize.  According to newly released documents (8,900 pages of correspondence between Congressman Ryan's congressional office and 70 executive branch agencies), Ryan sought food stamps stimulus money, federally guaranteed business loans , grants to invest in green technology and money under Obama's heath care reform law.  The Associated Press obtained the documents under the Freedom of Information Act.

As a Canadian, I don't have a vote on November 6th.  For you, America, the choice is abundantly clear.


- Joanne

Joanne's Journal: October 12, 2012

JOANNE'S JOURNAL
Edition No. 10


QUOTE OF THE DAY

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run

- John Keats (1795-1821), English poet
From To Autumn [1820}

If I lived in a warm or tropical climate, I would really miss autumn and the changing of the leaves. Some would say that's a small price to pay to live in Hawaii or the Caribbean.  I have met people from Uganda who had never seen a maple tree or autumn colours.  I guess it all evens out, though.  I have only seen a banana tree once in my life, in Mexico.  I first set eyes on an olive tree in Italy in 1996 even though I have always had an affinity for olives (It must be my Sicilian ancestry).


ON THIS DAY

THE FIRST OKTOBERFEST

Beginning on October 12, 1810, the first Oktoberfest took place in Bavaria and the occasion was a royal wedding.  The good citizens of Munich were invited to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (later King Ludwig I) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.  Five days after the October 12 nuptials, an estimated 40,000 Bavarians gathered in a field outside the gates of Munich to watch a horse race and join in festivities.  The horse race proved so popular that the royal family held it again the next year.  In 1819, responsibility for the festivities was transferred from the royal family to the city of Munich.

The horse race continued until 1950.  The meadow where Oktoberfest is held now is known as Theresnwise or Wiesn in honour of Princess Therese.



ON THE CANADIAN POLITICAL SCENE

ENTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU

Whatever you think of him, Justin Trudeau's entry into the Liberal leadership contest has given Canadian politics a much-need jolt of energy.  Where Justin's concerned, Canadians have seen plenty of sizzle - now he has to show us the steak.  It's not a matter of age.  Trudeau is 40 years old.  He will turn 41 on Christmas Day.  In 1979,  when Joe Clark, became Canada's 16th prime minister, he was one day shy of his 40th birthday.  To be eligible for the office of president of the United States, an American must attain the age of 35. So Justin is not too young at all to lead his party or to become prime minister. It's just that with his wavy, tussled hair, the boyish Trudeau appears younger than his age. Joe Clark, on the other hand, did not have a boyish appearance when he was in politics.

Is it a matter of experience?  Well, Justin Trudeau has been a Member of Parliament for the Montreal riding of Papineau for four years, since October of 2008.  He worked diligently to oust that riding from its Bloc Quebecois incumbent, Vivian Barbot, by less than 1,200 votes.  In the 2011 election, Trudeau won re-election by a greater margin.

The Conservatives have been in office since 2006, so Justin has always been an opposition MP.  He has never had the opportunity to serve a s a cabinet minister as did his father, Pierre, who held the post of Justice Minister before becoming Leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister of Canada.  The younger Trudeau would have benefited greatly by having cabinet experience.  Remember, however, that Brian Mulroney had never held public office when he was chosen leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1983.

What about his oratorical skills?  Justin is, of course, fluently bilingual.  His voice is clear but his presentation is somewhat theatrical.  He needs to tone it down a bit.

Justin's last name has been both a help and a hindrance to him.  It has brought him recognition and attention that he would otherwise not have received.  Yet he must greater scrutiny because of his name and he must endure  constant comparisons to his father or accusations that he has risen on his father's coattails.  Some have been tougher on him because they don't want him to have a free ride.  Others have been easier on him because of their admiration for his father.

Conservative critics such as Michael Coren have delighted in describing Justin Trudeau as a former "substitute drama teacher."  The fact is that he worked as a social studies and French teacher at West Point Grey Academy and Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in Vancouver.  Yes, he did teach some drama. Is there something wrong with that. or do far-right conservatives not regard teaching as an honourable profession?  Even though Trudeau has considerably more political experience than Brian Mulroney did when he became Tory leader, Mulroney had a business background and not a background in education.

After six years of Stephen Harper and his brand of neo-conservatism, Canadians are more than ready for a fresh approach and different policies.  If this were a contest based on charisma alone, Justin Trudeau would win hands down.  It's not.  He has great potential and may develop into a wonderful leader.  His future is in his own hands and he's really going to have to demonstrate his worthiness, perhaps because of his name and his fathers' political history.  It's quite a challenge for Justin to be his own man while being the scion of an iconic political figure.  How does one separate oneself from one's DNA without disowning his entire legacy?

Justin Trudeau should not be given a coronation and I hope that someone such as Marc Garneau gives him a tough battle.  On the other hand, he should not be underestimated and cavalierly dismissed as a lightweight. Canadians will know more once he really spells out his ideas and his polices.


ON THE U.S POLITICAL SCENE

U.S. President Barack Obama's performance in the first televised debate was indeed a disappoint.  Obama himself is quite aware of that.  For some reason, he was really off his game that night.  He seemed distracted and nervous, as if he really didn't want to be there,  As a result, he did not challenge Mitt Romney's distortions of the facts.  Nor did he hold him to account for his infamous 47 percent speech.  Thankfully, Joe Biden was much stronger in his debate with Paul Ryan.  I'm expecting Obama to be much more effective in his second debate with Romney on Tuesday, October 16th.


RIDDLE ME THIS

How much was the pirate charged to get his ears pierced?


ANSWER

A buck an ear.



SPORTS

HOCKEY

Americans are too busy watching the World Series and NFL football to care about hockey.  Apart from some fans in the northern states, the absence of NHL hockey bas been barely noticed in the United States. Hockey has certainly not been missed a great deal south of the border. If NHL players are still locked out after the Super Bowl has been played, Americans may take notice, but they won't be terribly upset.  Even here in hockey-crazy Canada, I sense that people don't care as much about the NHL as they used to.  Gary Bettman and his cohorts have seen to that.

Bettman has been commissioner of the National Hockey league since February 1, 1993, almost 20 years.  The owners are quite pleased with him because he promotes and defends their interests vigorously. If that were the one major task of an NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman would be an overwhelming success.   It's too bad he isn't as vigorous about upholding the best interests of the game of hockey.


BASEBALL

I don't have a strong allegiance to any team remaining in World Series competition;  If I had to make a choice, I would like to see the Detroit Tigers win it all.  I don't want to see the Yankees win it.  They have won too many times.

The Toronto Blue Jays are once again looking to next year after a disastrous 2012 season.  After watching the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals, as a Blue Jay fans long for a season like those two teams had.  I'm pleased that GM Alex Anthopolous has finally realized that his team's starting rotation is far from satisfactory and that the Blue Jays will not contend until it improves.  I don's pretend to be an expert (not by a long shot), but it was painfully obvious during the 2011 off season that the Jays' starting rotation would not cut the mustard.  Nobody could have predicted Ricky Romero's meltdown.  Yet even if Romero had performed well, it would not have been enough for the Blue Jays to contend.  The Jays finished the season with a mere 73 wins, their lowest single-season total since 2004.  Even if the team had had fewer injuries and Brandon Morrow had remained healthy, they probably would have won between 80 and 85 games.  That's not enough to contend in the AL East.

As for the John Farrell situation, going to be difficult to demonstrate confidence in him without extending his contract.  Yet he has really not merited a contract extension.

- Joanne

Baseball and World Series Quiz

The 2012 baseball season is drawing to a close and post-season play is about to begin.  As we head toward the World Series, Number 16 presents a challenging baseball quiz.  How well do you know trivia about the Grand Old Game?  Find out by completing the quiz below.


BASEBALL AND WORLD SERIES QUIZ


1.  How many Cy Young Awards has Roger Clemens won?

A.  Five

B.  Seven

C.  Four

D.  Six

E.  Eight



2. Clemens is one of five pitchers  to have won the Cy Young Award in both the American League and the National League to date.  Who are the others?

A.  Greg Maddux, Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson

B.  David Cone, Steve Carlton,.Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez

C.  Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay

D.  Steve Carlton, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay

E.  Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay



3.  The Texas Rangers have been based in Arlington Texas since 1972.  Where was the team located before moving to the Lone Star State.?

A.  Kansas City, Missouri

B.  Minneapolis, Minnesota

C.  St. Paul, Minnesota

D.  Washington, D.C.

E.  San Jose, California



4.  The first World Series was played in 1903.  What team won the first World Series?

A.  The Boston Americans

B.  The New York Americans

C.  The Boston Braves

D.  The New York Giants

E.  The Chicago White Sox



5.  The World Series was cancelled in 1994 due to a Major League Baseball strike.  The only other time the Series was cancelled was 1904.  Why was it cancelled in 1904?

A.  It was cancelled due to a serious virus that had spread among the players.

B.  There was a railway strike and the trains were not running to New York.

C.  No agreement could be reached on the format of the Series.

D.  The American League champion New York Highlanders refused to play the National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates.

E.  The National League champion New York Giants refused to play the American League champion Boston Americans.



6.  This pitcher started his Major League career as a 17-year-old in 1936.  He spent his entire career with the Cleveland Indians. In 1946, he struck out 348 batters.  In 1948, he won his first World Series. Name him.

A.  Stan Koveleski

B.  Mel Harder

C.  Bob Feller

D.  Addie Joss

E.  Bob Lemon



7.  Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers is about to win Major League Baseball's Triple Crown in batting.  Who was the last player to earn the Triple Crown (highest batting average, the most home runs and the most runs batted in (RBI)) in the American League or the National League?

A,  Carl Yastrzemski in 1967

B.  Mickey Mantle in 1962

C.  Frank Robinson in 1966

D.  Ted Williams in 1947

E.  Willie Mays in 1954



8.  Did the Brooklyn Dodgers, known as "dem bums," ever win a World Series?

A.  No, they never won a World Series.

B.  They won the World Series in 1954.

C.  They won in 1955.

D.  They won in 1953.

E.  They won in 1952.



9.  Nolan Ryan is currently the all-time leader in no-hitters with seven no-hitters in his illustrious career.  Against which team did he throw his seventh no-hitter?

A.  The Oakland Athletics

B.  The Toronto Blue Jays

C.  The New York Yankees

D.  The Boston Red Sox

E.  The Detroit Tigers



10.  In which baseball stadium did The Beatles perform their last commercial concert?

A.  Shea Stadium, New York

B.  Candlestick Park, San Francisco

C.  Yankee Stadium, New York

D.  Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

E.  Wrigley Field, Chicago



11.  Name the last major league team for which Babe Ruth played.

A.  The New York Yankees

B.  The Boston Red Sox

C.  The New York Giants

D.  The Brooklyn Dodgers

E.  Tbe Boston Braves



12.  Who is sometimes referred to as the "father of modern baseball?"  Hint: He is thought to be the first person to draw a diagram of a diamond-shaped baseball field.

A. Abner Doubleday

B. Joseph Strutt

C. Albert Spalding

D.  Alexander Cartwright

E.  John Montgomery Ward



13.  What is the official name of the trophy awarded to the winners of the World Series championship?

A.  The Commissioner's Trophy

B.  The World Series Trophy

C.  The Kenesaw Landis Trrophy

D.  The A. Bartlett Giamatti Memorial Award

E.  The Bowie Kuhn Trophy



ANSWERS

1. B.

Roger Clemens has won seven Cy Young Awards.  He won the Cy in 1986, 1988 and 1990 with the Boston Red Sox; 1997 and 1998 with the Toronto Blue Jays ; 2001 with the New York Yankees and 2004 with the Houston Astros.


2. C

Along with Roger Clemens, Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez Randy Johnson and Roy Halliday have all won Cy Young Awards in both the American and National Leagues.  After 6 American League Cys, Roger won a National League Cy in 2004 with the Houston Astros.  Gaylord Perry won the American League Cy Young Award in 1972 with the Cleveland Indians and the National League Cy in 1978 with the San Diego Padres.  Pedro Martinez won the National League Cy in 1997 with the Montreal Expos and the American League Cy in 1999 and 2000 with the Boston Red Sox.  Roy Halliday won the American League Cy in 2003 with the Toronto Blue Jays and the National League Cy with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010.


3.  D

The Texas Rangers were originally based in Washington, D.C. from 1961 until 1971.  In 1961, the franchise was established as the Washington Senators, an expansion club, after the previous Washington Senators (1901-1960) had become the Minnesota Twins.  At the end of the 1971 season, the new Washington Senators relocated to Arlington, Texas.


4.  A

 Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Americans - First World Series (October 1903)

The Boston Americans of the American League won the first World Series in 1903.  They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League in eight games.  Note:  The best-of-seven format has been used in all World Series except 1903, 1919, 1920 and 1921.  In those years, the winner was decided by a best-of-nine playoff.


5.  E.

The 1904 World Series was cancelled because the National League champion New York Giants declined to play the American League champion Boston Americans. At the time, there was no governing body for the World Series and no requirement that a Series had to take place.  The owner of the New York Giants, John T. Brush, refused to allow his team to participate because of the "inferiority" of the American League.  John McGraw, the manager of the Giants, concurred with Brush.  According to McGraw, the Giants were the champions of "the only real major league."


6.  C.

Pitching great Bob Feller, known as Rapid Robert, started his career in the majors at 17.  He played 18 seasons, from 1936 to 1956 (did not play due to military service n 1942, 1943 and 1944) with the Cleveland Indians. Feller won a World Series with Cleveland in 1948.  He died on December 15, 2010 at the age of 92.


7.  A

Carl Yastrzemski

Carl Yastrzemski won the Triple Crown in 1967 with the Boston Red Sox.  Yaz hit 44 home runs, 121 RBI and his batting average was .326.  (EDITOR'S NOTE: On October 3, 2012, Mguel Cabrera became the first player to win the Triple Crown in 45 years with 44 home runs, 139 RBI and a batting average of 330.


8.  C.

Yes, the Brooklyn Dodgers finally won a World Series in 1955.  They defeated the New York Yankees in seven games.  Sadly, for Brooklyn fans, it would be their first and only championship.  The team relocated to Los Angeles after the 1957 season.


9.  B

Nolan Ryan threw his seventh no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 1, 1991 as a member of the Texas Rangers.  The game took place at Arlington Stadium in Texas before a crowd of 33, 439.  The Rangers defeated the Blue Jays by a score of 3-0.  Bobby Valentine was the manager of the Texas Rangers and Cito Gaston was Toronto's manager.  Lefty Jimmy Key was the losing pitcher for the Jays against the right-hander Ryan.

Nolan Ryan's first four no-hitters occurred on May 15, 1973, July 15, 1973, September 28, 1974 and June 1, 1975 when he was a member of the California Angels and on.  His fifth  no-hitter occurred on September 26, 1981 when he was a member of the Houston Astros.  He threw his sixth no-hitter on June 11, 1990 as a Texas Ranger.


10.  B

The Beatles performed their last public concert in San Francisco's Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966.


11.  E

Babe Ruth's last Major :League team was the Boston Braves of the National League.  He signed as a free agent with the Braves on February 26, 1935 in the hope of eventually becoming manager of the team.  Ruth played for the Braves during a miserable 1935 season.and he was only a shadow of his former self.  The Babe's final game was May 30, 1935 in Philadelphia at the Baker Bowl.  He injured his knee in the first inning and left the game.  His Braves lost 11-6 to the Phillies.  Two days later, he called reporters to his locker and announced his retirement.  Babe Ruth never realized his dream of becoming a manager.


12.  D

Alexander Cartwright

Alexander Cartwright is referred to as the "father of modern baseball."  Cartwright was the founding member of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York City, baseball's first organized team.  The rules of the modern game are founded on the Knickerbocker Rules set out by Cartwright and a committee from the Knickerbocker club.  Alexander Cartwright  was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1938.  On June 3, 1953, the United States Congress officially declared him to be the inventor of the modern game of baseball.


13.  A

Commissioner's Trophy 2004

A trophy was first presented to the World Series champions in 1967 and it was named the Commissioner's Trophy in 1985.  A new Commissioner's Trophy is created each year.  The trophy was redesigned in 1999 for the 2000 World Series by Tiffany & Co.  It stands 61 cm (24 inches), excluding the base,.and weighs about 14 kg. (30 pounds),  It is made of sterling silver and features a gold-plated flag for each team in Major League Baseball.


- Joanne