Byron Bailey

Byron Ledare"By" Bailey (October 12, 1930 – January 18, 1998) born to Rollin Edward and Cora Helen (Bruner). Bailey, was a professional American and Canadian football player, primarily as a fullback and defensive back with the Canadian Football League BC Lions. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Bailey is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, the BC Sports Hall of Fame, the B.C. Lions Wall of Fame, and the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Bailey's #38 jersey is one of eight numbers retired by the B.C. Lions. In 2006, Bailey was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL's top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.
Bailey scored the first touchdown in the history of the B.C. Lions' franchise, on August 28, 1954, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
College career.
Bailey's family moved from Omaha, Nebraska in the early 1940s to Seattle, Washington, where Bailey played high school football at West Seattle High School. Following his high school graduation, Bailey played collegiately as a halfback at Washington State University, where he is 5th place all-time for the longest run from scrimmage, 84 yards, against UCLA in a 1949 contest. Bailey was inducted into the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986.
Professional career.
National Football League.
Bailey was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 25th Round of the 1952 NFL Draft. He played sparingly, but was with the team when they won the 1952 NFL Championship game, 17-7, over the Cleveland Browns. The following year, Bailey was traded to the then last place Green Bay Packers, where he finished the 1953 season with 29 yards on 13 rushing attempts, and 8 pass receptions for 119 yards.
CFL BC Lions.
Unhappy with his playing time in Green Bay, Bailey, recruited by CFL legend and the first head coach of the B.C. Lions Annis Stukus, joined the Lions for their inaugural, 1954 season. Bailey scored the first touchdown in B.C. Lions' history on August 28, 1954, during an 8-6 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Bailey also scored the first, winning touchdown in B.C. Lions' history on September 18, 1954, during a 9-4 victory over the Calgary Stampeders.
Bailey was the Lions' leading rusher and offensive captain from 1955 to 1960, and twice led the CFL Western Division in kick-off returns. In 1957, Bailey was named to the CFL Western Division All-Star Team as a running back. That same year, Bailey won the Bobby Bourne Memorial Trophy as the Lions' "Most Popular Player." Bailey was also honored with a "By Bailey Night" by the Lions during the 1960 season, the first player to receive such an honor.
Bailey began his career as a fullback in the Lions' double fullback offensive backfield. In 1962, when the Lions dropped the double fullback position, Bailey played outside linebacker and cornerback. He wore #88 as an offensive player and #38 when on defense.
Bailey retired following the B.C. Lions first Grey Cup Championship in 1964. Over his 11-year career with the Lions, which covered 158 games, Bailey rushed for 3,643 yards on 783 attempts, and caught 101 passes for 1,161 yards. He was the first B.C. Lion player inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1975, and was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame the same year. In November, 2006, Bailey was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL's top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.
Post football life and death.
Following his retirement from the B.C. Lions in 1964, Bailey worked as an executive with the Crown Zellerbach paper company. His wife of 36 years, Diana, died in 1986. After remarrying in 1989, Bailey moved north of Kelowna, British Columbia near where the Lions would hold their spring training camps.
Bailey died of cancer at age 67 on January 18, 1998, at his home in Winfield, British Columbia. His funeral was held in Vancouver.


Damon Allen

Damon Allen (born July 29, 1963) is a former professional quarterback who played in the Canadian Football League. He is currently fourth in all-time professional football passing yards and second in all-time CFL passing yards after he was surpassed for first place by the Montréal Alouettes' Anthony Calvillo on October 10, 2011. He is pro-football's combined passing & rushing leader with a total of 84,301 yards. Allen retired as professional football's all-time leading passer with 72,381 passing yards after he surpassed Warren Moon's total of 70,553 yards (in both the CFL and NFL combined) on September 4, 2006 in the annual Labour Day Classic. He also retired in third place in all-time CFL rushing yards with 11,920 yards, behind Mike Pringle and George Reed. The 2007 season marked Allen's twenty-third season in the CFL and he officially announced his retirement on May 28, 2008 at age 44. Allen is the younger brother of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.
Allen has been mentioned as one of the greatest CFL quarterbacks of all time after winning four Grey Cups with three different teams. He also was a three time Grey Cup MVP. In 2005, he was the CFL Most Outstanding Player at 42 years old, becoming the second oldest MVP of any North American sports franchise (oldest is Gordie Howe of the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association, MVP at age 46 in 1974). He was a formidable passer and rusher, as he retired only 323 rushing yards behind his brother Marcus. In 2012, he was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
In May 2010, Allen launched the Damon Allen Quarterback Academy, in which he personally teaches the skills and strategies of quarterbacking to students of all ages and skill levels.
Personal life.
Damon has three daughters and a son. They live in Oakville, Ontario. Damon is employed as special assistant to the General Manager of the Toronto Argonauts.
Early years.
Allen started playing football by the age of six for Valencia Park's Pop Warner in San Diego. Allen played safety on defense. In the Junior Peewee league, in his first year as a quarterback, Allen's team won the championships. This was followed by two undefeated seasons, and winning the Junior Peewee league title for three years in a row.
High school.
In high school, Damon Allen was a fine two sport athlete. In football he was the starting quarterback at Lincoln High School. He had a 22-2 record as starting quarterback at Lincoln High. Allen was a first team all-CIF player and Tribune Athlete of the Year. He led his team to consecutive 2A Division CIF Football Championships In baseball, Allen was a pitcher with a record of 14-2, and his Lincoln High baseball team was rated #1 in San Diego County with a record of 24-4. He was a First team All-CIF Utility Man which also made him Tribune Athlete of the Year in his senior year.
College career.
Damon went on to play college football for California State University, Fullerton. There, Allen led the Titans to two Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) championships. He also broke a 26-year-old NCAA record throwing only three passes that were intercepted, in over 300 attempts and broke seven school records. He was a first team PCAA quarterback, and was named the UPI All West Coast team quarterback along with UNLV's Randall Cunningham.
Allen was sixteenth in overall voting for the 1984 Heisman Trophy. He also played in the Senior Bowl college All-Star game (completing 6 for 8 passes for 50 yards, 1 touchdown, and rushing for 20 yards on 3 carries).
Allen was not only an outstanding football player, he was also a superior baseball player. He helped his Titans' baseball team win the 1984 College World Series, leading his team to a regular season record of 66-20 as a pitcher. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft in the seventh round, the same year the Tigers won the Major League Baseball World Series. Allen never signed a professional, major league baseball contract with the Tigers, but did sign one with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1993. Allen reported to the Pirates' spring training camp in 1994, but ultimately left their camp and decided to play in the Canadian Football League.
Professional career.
Edmonton Eskimos.
Allen joined the CFL as a free-agent in 1985, signed by the Edmonton Eskimos, and threw for 661 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie season as a back-up to Matt Dunigan. In the 1987 season, Allen played in the Grey Cup championship game, replacing the injured starter Dunigan, and led the Eskimos to a Grey Cup victory, defeating the Toronto Argonauts 38-36, at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium. His first Grey Cup win, Allen earned Grey Cup Most Valuable Player honours in the championship.
Ottawa Rough Riders.
In 1989, Allen signed with the Ottawa Rough Riders. In 1991, Allen was named an Eastern Division All-Star for the first time in his CFL career. During the 1991 season, Allen rushed for a career-high 1,036 yards and 8 touchdowns in 18 games, and passed for a then career-high 4,275 yards with 24 touchdowns.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
In 1992, Allen signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In 18 games, Allen threw for 3,858 and 19 touchdowns, and rushed for 850 yards and 7 touchdowns, in his only season in "Steeltown." After the 1992 season, Allen was traded to the Edmonton Eskimos.
Edmonton Eskimos.
In 1993, in his second time around with Edmonton, Allen helped the Eskimos to victory in the Grey Cup game, winning his second title, and was named Grey Cup Most Valuable Player in a 33-23 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In 1994, Allen led the Esks to the Western Division Semi-Finals, only to lose to the BC Lions.
Memphis Mad Dogs.
In 1995, Allen signed as a free-agent with the Memphis Mad Dogs. He appeared in 15 games with the CFL expansion team, and threw for 3,211 yards and 11 touchdowns on 228 of 390 passing. Allen also rushed for 427 yards in his only professional season in the United States.
BC Lions.
In 1996, Allen joined the BC Lions.
In 1999, Allen was voted to the CFL's West Division All-Star team. He threw for 4,219 yards on 315 of 521 passing with 22 touchdowns, ran the ball 136 times for 785 yards and 8 touchdowns, and threw for more than 300 yards on five occasions.
In 2000, Allen became the CFL's all-time leading passer on October 28 against Hamilton, throwing for 345 yards to surpass Ron Lancaster's previous record of 50,535 yards. Allen completed 324 of 525 passes (61.7%) to lead the CFL with a career-high 4,840 passing yards. Allen was nominated as the Lions' Most Outstanding Player at the CFL Player Awards. Allen captured his first Grey Cup with the Lions (third of his career) throwing for 234 yards in a win over the Montreal Alouettes.
Toronto Argonauts.
In 2003, after the acquisition of Dave Dickenson as their new quarterback, the 39-year-old Allen was traded from the BC Lions to the Toronto Argonauts for a second-round draft pick in the 2004 CFL Draft, and a third-round pick in the 2005 CFL Draft. Allen's Argonaut re-debut was a 20-18 season- opening loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders that also marked Allen's 300th regular season game of his CFL career. In Week 7, Allen became only the third quarterback in professional football history to pass for 60,000 yards against his former club, the BC Lions. In a Week 17 loss to the Ottawa Renegades, Allen completed 20 of 39 pass attempts for 203 yards, with 2 interceptions and 1 touchdown, giving Allen 334 career touchdown passes, and surpassing Ron Lancaster for the most career touchdown passes in CFL history. Allen would lead the Argos to the Eastern Division Final that year as well.
In Week 9 of the 2004 season versus Montreal, Allen exited the game in the third quarter with a fractured left tibia, and spent Weeks 10-16 on the injured reserve roster. There was considerable concern that Allen, at 41 years of age, would never come back from such a severe injury, but he did. In Week 17, Allen dressed as the third quarterback (behind Michael Bishop and Romaro Miller) for a game against the BC Lions. In Week 18, Allen dressed as the backup quarterback behind Michael Bishop and entered the game versus the Calgary Stampeders at the end of the second quarter. Allen completed his first thirteen pass attempts, making him the second quarterback in Argonaut history (Mike Rae, 17 of 17 versus Montreal, August 12, 1975) to complete more than 12 passes consecutively in a game. Allen finished the game with 18 of 23 pass completions, and his 82.6% completion percentage ranks fourth in Argo history for a single game.
In the 2004 Grey Cup Championship against the BC Lions, Allen was named Grey Cup Most Valuable Player for third time in his legendary career. Allen led the Argos to their fifteenth Grey Cup Championship and won his fourth championship. Allen finished the game with 23 of 34 pass completions for 299 yards (longest gain, 34 yards) and 1 touchdown pass, and rushed 5 times for 10 yards (longest gain, 5 yards) and 2 rushing touchdowns.
Allen continued his assault on the record books during the 2005 CFL season. On October 27, 2005, Damon reached the 5,000-yard passing plateau for the first time in his 21-year CFL career by posting a 34-11 victory against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The win guaranteed Toronto a first-place finish in the CFL East plus home field advantage in the playoffs. The game took place before 40,085 fans; the largest crowd for a CFL game in Toronto since 1992. However, the Argonauts were defeated 33-17 in the 2005 East Final by the Montreal Alouettes, thereby thwarting their hopes of repeating their 2004 Grey Cup win.
In 2005, Allen won his first CFL's Outstanding Player Award. In that year, he also hosted the inaugural "Damon Allen Quarterback Challenge" which featured top CFL quarterbacks participating in various skill competitions. In the Quarterback Challenge's second year, Allen won the event.
In 2006, Allen started the opening home game of the season against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and broke the middle finger on his right hand on Toronto's third play. Allen was injured trying to break his fall after taking a late hit from Hamilton safety Wayne Shaw, who was penalized on the play. Allen missed nearly a month and a half of action with a broken finger, returning on July 29 vs. the BC Lions.
On September 4, 2006, at the Labour Day Classic against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Allen broke Warren Moon's record (70,553 yards) to become professional football's all-time passing leader. The record-setting completion, a 29-yard shovel pass to wide receiver Arland Bruce III, took place at 5:02 of the third quarter. The game was suspended briefly for a presentation by CFL Commissioner Tom Wright. Allen's triumphant pose with the record-breaking football was captured by a photographer and later released by the Argos as a commemorative poster on their website.
In November, 2006 was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players (#14) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network The Sports Network/TSN.
On January 18, 2007 Damon underwent successful surgery to repair the middle finger of his (right) throwing hand and was back in the gym training, in less than 24 hours.
On February 28, 2007 Allen re-signed a contract with the Argonauts for one year plus an option .
Allen started the 2007 season as the Argos starting quarterback beating out Michael Bishop and former NFL starter Mike McMahon. However, he was replaced in the third quarter of the first game by Bishop despite having gone 14-18, 130 yards and a touchdown. Allen was then bumped down to third on the depth chart. However, after Bishop went down with a wrist injury and McMahon failed to impress, Allen stepped into the starting role once again. However, in his first game back as starter he injured his toe. Allen was placed on the nine-game injured list and Rocky Butler took over as the Argos starting quarterback
Allen announced that his retirement as a player on May 28, 2008, but will stay with the Argos as a special advisor to CEO Pinball Clemons.
Post-retirement.
In 2018, Allen was inducted into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.


Chris Doleman

Christopher John Doleman (October 16, 1961 – January 28, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He spent the majority of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, and also played for the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers. Doleman was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and a three-time first-team All-Pro, recording 150.5 career sacks. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2012.
Early life.
Doleman attended William Penn Senior High School in York, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1980. He spent a postgraduate year at Valley Forge Military Academy in 1981.
College career.
Doleman played football collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh. He was a star linebacker and defensive end for the Pitt Panthers from 1981 to 1984. He ended his career at Pitt with 25 sacks which was good for third all-time at the time of his departure. That total still ranks sixth in the Pitt annals.
Professional career.
Doleman was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round (4th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft. He began his NFL career as an outside linebacker (OLB) in the Vikings' 3–4 defense, but for the 1987 season (Doleman's third season) the team decided to switch to a 4–3 defense, which resulted in him being moved from his spot at OLB up to the defensive line to play as a defensive end. The move paid off for Doleman, who recorded 21 sacks in the 1989 season, the highest total recorded that season and the fourth-highest total ever. The 21 sacks in a single season was a Vikings record until Jared Allen recorded 22 sacks in 2011. Doleman later played for the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers before returning to the Vikings in 1999 for his final season.
He was a first-team All-Pro in 1987, 1989 and 1992. He garnered second-team All-Pro selections in 1990 and 1993.
In 2012, Doleman was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Personal life.
On January 25, 2018, Doleman had brain surgery for a condition which was later diagnosed as glioblastoma. On January 28, 2020, Doleman died from the disease at the age of 58. He was honored prior to kickoff at Super Bowl LIV five days later.


Neale Lavis

Neale John Lavis (11 June 1930 – 6 October 2019) was an Australian equestrian and Olympic champion. He won a team gold medal in eventing at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, and a silver medal in individual eventing. He also participated at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but did not win any medals there. He later became involved with a cattle and racehorse stud in Braidwood, which produced Just A Dash, the winner of the 1981 Melbourne Cup, and Strawberry Road, the 1982/83 Racehorse of the Year. After the Rome Olympics, he married Velma; they had four children.
Lavis was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1989, received a Medal of the Order of Australia in 1999, and received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.


Stan Watts

Stanley H. Watts (August 30, 1911 – April 6, 2000) was an American basketball coach. He served as the head basketball coach at Brigham Young University (BYU) from 1949 to 1972. The Murray, Utah native was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986.
Watts became the sixth coach in history to win 100 games in his first five years. Watts' BYU teams were disciplined and well-drilled units that favored an up-tempo style and relentless defensive pressure. In 23 seasons, Watts compiled a 371–254 (.594) record and established a strong basketball tradition and a national athletic identity for the school representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His Cougars teams won eight conference titles, appeared in 11 postseason tournaments, and captured the 1951 and 1966 National Invitation Tournament championships.
Watts began his coaching career in 1938 at Millard High, then coached Dixie Junior College from 1941 to 1945 and Jordan High School from 1945 to 1947. Watts was chosen as BYU's freshman coach in 1947 and inherited the varsity team in 1949. Watts' book, "Developing an Offensive Attack in Basketball" (1958), became a standard manual on the fast break offense. From 1965 to 1966, Watts' "Runnin' Cougars" scored more than 100 points 21 times and at least 95 points 32 times. Watts' teaching skills were in constant demand at coaching clinics across the nation and in Europe, the Far East and South Africa. Watts served his coaching organization, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), on numerous committees. He served on the Board of Directors from 1958 to 1968 and as president in 1970.


Jimmy Collins

James Joseph Collins (January 16, 1870 – March 6, 1943) was an American professional baseball player. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball. Collins was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.
Collins was especially regarded for his defense. He was best known for his ability to field a bunt—prior to his debut, it was the shortstop who fielded bunts down the third base line—and is regarded as a pioneer of the modern defensive play of a third baseman. As of 2012, he is second all-time in putouts by a third baseman behind Brooks Robinson. At the plate, Collins finished his career with 65 home runs, 1055 runs scored, 983 RBI and a .294 batting average.
Collins was also the first manager of the Boston Red Sox franchise, then known as the Boston Americans. He was the winning manager in the first-ever World Series, as Boston defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1903 World Series, five games to three.
Early life.
Jimmy Collins was born in Niagara Falls, New York. After graduating from St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, he went to work for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and played baseball in the Buffalo City League.
Playing career.
Minor leagues.
Collins began his professional baseball career with the minor league Buffalo Bisons of the Eastern League, the forerunner of the current International League, in 1893. That season, he was used primarily as a shortstop, batting .286 in 76 games.
In 1894, Collins was moved to the outfield by the Bisons. He batted .352 with nine home runs in 125 games, and after the season his contract was purchased by the Boston Beaneaters for $500.
Major league debut.
Collins began his major league career as a right fielder, playing ten games at the position with the Beaneaters in 1895. On May 19, he was loaned to the Louisville Colonels, again for $500. He was soon made the team's starting third baseman, batting .279 over the remainder of the season. However, his larger impact was on defense, where he played in on the grass rather than back to cut down on the number of bunt hits.
National League star.
Collins was returned to the Beaneaters after the 1895 season. Joe Harrington was the club's starting third baseman at the beginning of the season, but Collins soon asserted himself as the starter, and Harrington was released in July.
Collins asserted himself as a skilled player in 1897 when he held a .346 batting average and knocked in 132 runs. He led the league in both putouts and assists as well, a feat he would duplicate in 1900. He followed with an equally impressive 1898 season, in which he hit .328—seventh in the league—drove in 111 runs and belted a league-high 15 home runs.
Jumping to the American League.
Following the 1900 season, Collins, who was by now regarded as the best third baseman in the game, was offered the manager's job with the Boston Americans of the new American League. He accepted the job, which came with a salary of $5,500, a $3,500 signing bonus, and a cut of the team's profits, despite efforts by Beaneaters owner Arthur Soden to keep him. The two traded accusations in the press, and Collins went further, accusing National League owners of conspiring to hold down salaries, stating "I would not go back now if they offered me the whole outfit." Collins recruited other National League stars for the Americans' roster, including Cy Young, and in his first season as player-manager guided the team to a second-place finish, four games behind the Chicago White Sox.
First World Series.
In 1902, Collins was limited to 108 games by injury, and the Americans finished third. He did hit the team's first ever inside-the-park grand slam however. The next season, Collins led the Americans to their first American League pennant, winning the league by 14½ games over the Philadelphia Athletics.
With an agreement in place for the champions of the American and National Leagues to meet in a best-of-nine "World Series", Boston represented the Junior Circuit. After losing two out of three at home to start the series, then losing the first game in Pittsburgh, the Americans won the next three in Pittsburgh, then returned home to win Game Eight in Boston to become the first-ever World Series Champions. Collins himself batted .250 in the Series, with a pair of triples and five runs scored.
Remaining career.
The Americans won the pennant again in 1904, with Collins batting .271 and leading the league in putouts for the fifth time in eight seasons. However, the Americans would not get the opportunity to defend their title, as John McGraw and the New York Giants refused to play them in the postseason.
In 1905, the Americans slipped to fourth place, and Collins clashed with team president John I. Taylor, reportedly quitting on the team during the season. As a player, Collins batted .276, but again missed time due to injury. In 1906, Collins found himself in hot water, as not only were the Americans in last, but he himself was suspended twice, and was eventually was replaced as manager by Chick Stahl. He also missed the end of the season with a knee injury.
Collins began the 1907 season with Boston, but it was only a matter of time before he departed. For reasons that have never become clear, Stahl had committed suicide during spring training; instead of Collins, the Americans turned to Cy Young as manager, following by George Huff, and then Bob Unglaub, all within the first three months of the season. After playing 41 games with the Americans, Collins was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics in June for infielder John Knight. While he batted .278, he had a career-low (to that point) .330 slugging percentage, and failed to hit a home run for the first time in his career. In 1908, he slumped even further, batting just .217, and was let go.
After his major league career ended, Collins continued to play and manage in the minor leagues. He spent 1909 with the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association, then spent two seasons with the Providence Grays in the Eastern League before retiring.
Honors.
When Collins was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945, he was the first to be chosen primarily as a third baseman. In 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book "The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time". Collins became a charter member of the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.
In a 1976 "Esquire" magazine article, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter", consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Because of space limitations the Irish team, including Collins as third baseman, was omitted.
Personal life.
Jimmy Collins married Sarah Murphy in 1907, and the couple had two daughters. After his retirement from baseball, they moved back to Buffalo, where Collins worked for the Buffalo Parks Department. Collins died of pneumonia on March 6, 1943 at the age of 73.
In popular culture.
Boston-based Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys recorded the song "Jimmy Collins' Wake" on their 2013 album "Signed and Sealed in Blood". The song, originally written by Richard Johnson, recounts Collins' wake in Buffalo, New York, at what is currently K.O. Bar and Grill on Delaware Ave.


Gertrudes Lozada

Gertrudes "Tuding" Lozada (born 1943) is a Filipino former swimmer. She competed in two events at the 1956 Summer Olympics.


Kazuyoshi Tatsunami

 is a former Japanese professional baseball player for the Nippon Professional Baseball Chunichi Dragons, having played his professional career for them since his debut in . He was drafted in the first round in the NPB Draft.
Tatsunami holds the all-time NPB double record with 487, and is a member of the Meikyukai (Association of Great Players, or Golden Players Club).
After the 2009 season, Tatsunami retired, having seen his skills and playing time diminish for the last few seasons. He retired with a career .285 batting average, 171 home runs, 1,037 RBI, and 2,480 hits.
On 15 January 2019, Tatsunami was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame for his achievements as a player.


Jack Christiansen

John LeRoy Christiansen (December 20, 1928 – June 29, 1986) was an American professional football player who became a college and pro coach. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions as a defensive back and return specialist from 1951 to 1958. He helped lead the Lions to three NFL championships in 1952, 1953, and 1957 and was a first-team All-NFL player in six of his eight years in the league. He led the NFL in interceptions in 1953 and 1957 and in punt returns for touchdown in 1951, 1952, 1954, and 1956. His eight career punt returns for touchdowns was an NFL record until 1989 and remains the fourth best in league history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in .
After retiring as a player, Christiansen served as a football coach for 25 years from 1959 to 1983, including stints as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, compiling a 26–38–3 record from 1963 to 1967, and at Stanford, where he compiled a 30–22–3 record from 1972 to 1976. He concluded his career as an assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs (1977), Seattle Seahawks (1978–1982), and Atlanta Falcons (1983).
Early years.
Christiansen was born in Sublette, Kansas, in 1928, and was raised an orphan at the Odd Fellows Orphanage in Cañon City, Colorado. He attended Colorado A&M in Fort Collins, where he received eight varsity letters in football, track, and baseball, won three Skyline Conference championships in the quarter mile, and received all-conference honors in football twice. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1951.
Detroit Lions.
Christiansen was selected in the sixth round of the 1951 NFL Draft, 69th overall, by the Detroit Lions. As a rookie in 1951, he appeared in all 12 games as a defensive halfback for the Lions. In his third NFL game, playing in front of "the largest crowd ever to see a football game in Detroit" (52,907 in attendance), he returned two punts for touchdowns (returns of 69 and 47 yards) against the Los Angeles Rams. Six weeks later, Christiansen repeated the feat, returning two punts for touchdowns (returns of 71 and 89 yards) against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit. He returned 18 punts for a total of 343 yards (19.1 yards per return), as the 1951 Lions compiled a 7–4–1 record and finished in second place in the NFL's Western Division.
In 1952, he helped lead the Lions to an NFL championship, the second in franchise history. Christiansen returned 15 punts for 322 yards and two touchdowns, and his average of 21.5 yards per punt return during the 1952 season remains an NFL record. His longest return in 1952 was for 79 yards with two minutes remaining against the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field on November 23. Christiansen also played as a halfback on offense, rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown on nine carries against the Chicago Bears on December 7, and for 94 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown run, against the Dallas Texans on December 13. At the end of the season, Christiansen was selected by the Associated Press (AP) as a first-team All-NFL player.
In 1953, Christiansen helped lead the Lions to their second consecutive NFL championship. While his punt return numbers declined (eight returns for only 22 yards), he became a starter at left halfback and developed a reputation as one of the best pass defenders in the NFL. He led the NFL with 12 interceptions, 238 interception return yards, and a 93-yard interception return. Despite playing in only 11 games in 1953, his 12 interceptions remains tied for the fifth highest single-season tally in NFL history. At the end of the season, he was selected by the AP and United Press International (UPI) as a first-team All-NFL player and was invited to play in the Pro Bowl.
Christiansen became an integral part of the defensive backfield, a unit that would become known as "Chris's Crew," in tribute to his leadership. He continued this high standard of play, tying for the interception lead with 10 picks-six in 1957 to help the Lions win their third title in six years. His 46 career interceptions ranks fourth on the Lions' all-time list. As a punt returner, he had 85 returns for 1,084 yards, and his 12.8 average still stands as a Detroit record and is third all-time in NFL history.
He is tied with Lem Barney at 11 for the most return touchdowns in Detroit history. Christiansen still has the team record with eight punt return touchdowns. He was the first player in NFL history to record two punt return touchdowns in the same game.
After winning All-Pro six consecutive years from (1952–1957) and playing in five consecutive Pro Bowls beginning in 1954, Christiansen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970. He was an All-NFL defensive back for six-straight years, played in five Pro Bowls (opening the 1956 game with a 103-yard kickoff return) and led the league in interceptions twice.
Coaching career.
San Francisco 49ers.
In January 1959, Christiansen announced that he was retiring as a player to accept a position as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers under head coach Red Hickey. He served as a defensive backfield coach with the 49ers for four years, from 1959 to 1962. In late September 1963, with the 49ers in the midst of a 10-game losing streak, including all five pre-season games and the first three regular-season games of the 1963 season, Hickey resigned, and Christiansen, at age 34, took over as the 49ers' head coach. In that season's final 11 games, the 49ers won only twice, but held the distinction of being the only team to defeat the eventual NFL champion Chicago Bears.
Over the succeeding four years, San Francisco continued to struggle, with Christiansen's best season coming in 1965 when the team was 7–6–1. The 49ers began the 1967 season with five wins in their first six games, but won only two more games the remainder of the campaign, resulting in Christiansen's dismissal on December 20, ending his tenure with a record of 26–38–3.
Colorado State.
In January 1968, Christiansen was hired by his alma mater, Colorado State, as a consultant to review and make recommendations concerning the university's athletic program.
Stanford.
In April 1968, Christiansen was hired as an assistant coach under John Ralston at Stanford. During this period, Stanford pulled off consecutive Rose Bowl upsets of Ohio State and Michigan, both previously undefeated In January 1972, Ralston left to coach the NFL's Denver Broncos, and Christiansen was promoted to head coach.
Christiansen spent five years as Stanford's head coach, compiling a winning record each year and a 30–22–3 overall record. He was criticized for starting Mike Cordova rather than Guy Benjamin at quarterback during the 1975 season and for switching between quarterbacks during the 1976 season. One day prior to the final game of the 1976 season, Stanford announced that it was terminating Christiansen as its head coach.
Kansas City Chiefs.
In March 1977, Christiansen was hired as an assistant coach, responsible for running backs, under Paul Wiggin with the Kansas City Chiefs. Wiggin was fired in the middle of the season, as the Chiefs compiled a 2-12 record.
Seattle Seahawks.
In April 1978, Christiansen was hired by the Seattle Seahawks, replacing Bob Holloway as the team's defensive backfield coach. He spent five years as the Seahawks' defensive backfield coach, from 1978 to 1982.
Atlanta Falcons.
In February 1983, Christiansen was hired by the Atlanta Falcons as its secondary coach. In January 1984, Christiansen resigned his position with the Falcons after being diagnosed with cancer.
Honors, family, and later years.
After his playing career ended, he received numerous honors, including the following:
Christiansen and his wife, Doris, had four daughters. He retired from coaching in 1984 after being diagnosed with cancer. He died in June 1986 at age 57 after undergoing surgery at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, California.


Max Carey

Maximillian George Carnarius (January 11, 1890 – May 30, 1976), known as Max George Carey, was an American professional baseball center fielder and manager. Carey played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1910 through 1926 and for the Brooklyn Robins from 1926 through 1929. He managed the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932 and 1933.
Carey starred for the Pirates, helping them win the 1925 World Series. During his 20-year career, he led the league in stolen bases ten times and finished with 738 steals, a National League record until 1974 and still the 9th-highest total in major league history. Carey was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961.
Early life.
Maximillian George Carnarius was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, on January 11, 1890. His father was a Prussian soldier and swimming teacher. He had emigrated to the United States after the Franco-Prussian War and worked as a contractor.
Carey's parents wanted their son to become a Lutheran minister. He attended Concordia College in Fort Wayne, Indiana, studying in the pre-ministerial program. He also played baseball, and was a member of the swimming and track-and-field teams. After graduating in 1909, he went to Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.
Professional career.
Minor league baseball.
In the summer of 1909, Carey attended a game of minor league baseball's Central League between the Terre Haute Hottentots and the South Bend Greens. South Bend was without a starting shortstop, as they had sold theirs to another team. Carey found Aggie Grant, South Bend's manager, and convinced Grant to give him the opportunity to fill in for the remainder of the season, based on his track-and-field skills. He used the name "Max Carey" in order to retain his amateur status at Concordia College. He had a .158 batting average and committed 24 errors in 48 games.
Carey returned to play for South Bend in the 1910 season. The team had a new shortstop, Alex McCarthy, so Carey agreed to play as their left fielder. He had a .298 batting average with 86 stolen bases in 96 games. He also recorded 25 assists. Able to make a career in baseball, Carey decided to drop out of Concordia.
Major League Baseball.
The President of the Central League recommended Carey to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball's (MLB) National League at the end of the 1910 season. The Pirates bought Carey and McCarthy from South Bend on August 15, and Carey made his MLB debut with the Pirates, appearing in two games as a replacement for Fred Clarke.
In 1911, Carey played in 122 games as the Pirates' center fielder, replacing Tommy Leach. He had a .258 batting average on the season. The next year, he succeeded Clarke as the Pirates' left fielder on a permanent basis. In 1913, Carey led the National League in plate appearances (692), at bats (620), runs scored (99), and stolen bases (61). In 1914, he led the National League in games played (156), at bats (596), and triples (17). He led the National League in steals in 1915 (36), 1916 (63), 1917 (46), and 1918 (58), while also leading the league with 62 walks in 1918. After the 1915 season, Carey went on a barnstorming tour with Dave Bancroft.
Carey missed much of the 1919 season with an injury, but returned to form in the 1920 season. He again led the National League in steals in 1920, with 52, in the 1922 season with 51, in the 1923 season with 51, in the 1924 season with 49, and in the 1925 season with 46. In the 1922 season, he was only caught stealing twice.
In 1924, Carey altered his batting stance based on Ty Cobb's. He had a .343 batting average in the 1925 season, and the Pirates won the National League pennant that year. In the deciding game of the 1925 World Series, Carey had four hits, including three doubles, off of Walter Johnson. Carey's .458 batting average led all players in the series, and the Pirates defeated the American League's Washington Senators. He hit for a batting average over .300 three seasons in a row from 1921 to 1923. He led the league in stolen bases eight times, including each season between 1922 and 1924. He regularly stole 40 or more bases and maintained a favorable steal percentage; in 1922 he stole 51 bases and was caught only twice. He also stole home 33 times in his career, second best only to Ty Cobb's 50 on the all-time list.
In 1926, Clarke, now the team vice president, was also serving as an assistant to manager Bill McKechnie. Clarke would sit on the bench in full uniform and give advice to McKechnie. Carey ended up in a slump that summer and one day Clarke commented to McKechnie that they should replace Carey, even if they had to replace him with a pitcher. When Carey found out about the remark, he called a team meeting, along with Babe Adams and Carson Bigbee, who were also discontented with Clarke. The players voted on whether Clarke should remain on the bench during games. The players voted 18–6 in favor of Clarke remaining on the bench. Clarke found out about the meeting and ordered that the responsible players were to be disciplined. Adams and Bigbee were released, while Carey was suspended. The Pirates placed Carey on waivers and he was claimed by the Brooklyn Robins. Carey played his final three and a half years with the Robins, but he was aging and no longer the same player. Carey retired in 1929.
Later career.
Carey returned to the Pirates as a coach for the 1930 season. After sitting out the 1931 season, he became the manager of the Dodgers before the 1932 season, succeeding Wilbert Robinson. He traded for outfielder Hack Wilson, and traded Babe Herman, also an outfielder, for third baseman Joe Stripp. Behind Wilson, Brooklyn finished in third place in the National League in 1932. However, the team struggled in the 1933 season, leading to outrage when the club renewed his contract for 1934 in August. Receiving criticism by Brooklyn newspapers, he was replaced before the 1934 season by Casey Stengel, and remarked that he became "the first manager fired by the newspapers". The organization stated that they fired Carey due to his inability to get along with his players.
Carey worked as a scout for the Baltimore Orioles and served as a minor league manager. He was the manager and general manager of the Miami Wahoos of the Florida East Coast League in 1940 and 1941. In 1944, Carey became the manager of the Milwaukee Chicks in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). That year, Milwaukee won the AAGPBL pennant. Beginning in 1945, he spent several years as the league's president. He then spent three seasons managing the league's Fort Wayne Daisies.
Later life.
Carey moved to Florida, and became involved in real estate. Carey lost more than $100,000 ($ in current dollar terms) in the 1929 stock market crash. He became a writer in the 1950s. He self-published a book on baseball strategy and authored magazine articles for publications such as "Esquire". He also served on the Florida State Racing Commission.
In 1961, the Veterans Committee elected Carey and Billy Hamilton to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1968, Carey joined other athletes in supporting Richard Nixon's presidential campaign. The athletes created a committee called Athletes for Nixon.
Carey died on May 30, 1976, at age 86 in Miami, Florida. He was buried in Woodlawn Park Cemetery and Mausoleum (now Caballero Rivero Woodlawn North Park Cemetery and Mausoleum). He was survived by his wife, Aurelia, and a son, Max Jr.
Legacy.
Carey was nicknamed "Scoop" for his ability to catch fly balls in front of him. His mark of 738 stolen bases remained a National League record, until Lou Brock surpassed it in 1974.
When Carey was young, his mother sewed special pads into his uniform to protect his legs and hips while sliding. Carey went on to patent these sliding pads. He also shared a patent on a liniment called Minute-Rub.


Brian Laudrup

Brian Laudrup (, born 22 February 1969) is a Danish former footballer who played as a winger, forward or as a midfielder. He currently works as a football commentator, pundit and analyst on Kanal 5 and 6'eren. Along with former international goalkeeper Lars Høgh, Laudrup manages a football academy for marginalised youth.
During his playing career which eventually stalled due to injury, Laudrup represented a number of European clubs. He started with Danish club Brøndby, winning two Danish championships in the late 1980s. He then played for German and Italian clubs, winning the 1993–94 Serie A as well as the 1994 UEFA Champions League title with Milan. He was a vital part of the Rangers team which dominated the Scottish Premier Division in the 1990s, winning three championships, among others. He won the 1998 UEFA Super Cup in his brief stint with English club Chelsea, and had a brief spell with Copenhagen in Denmark, before ending his career with Ajax in 2000.
Laudrup also played 82 matches and scored 21 goals for the Denmark national team, and was a vital part of the Danish teams which won UEFA Euro 1992 and the 1995 Confederations Cup.
Laudrup won the Danish Football Player of the Year award a record four times. He was named by FIFA as the fifth-best player in the world in 1992 and was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers at the FIFA 100 ceremony in March 2004, alongside his older brother Michael Laudrup.
Early life.
Brian Laudrup was born into a football family – his father Finn Laudrup was a former Danish international, and his brother Michael Laudrup also became a Danish international. Brian Laudrup was born in Vienna when his father was playing for Wiener SC.
Club career.
Brøndby.
Laudrup began his senior career with Brøndby in Denmark. At Brøndby, he competed with later Danish internationals Claus Nielsen and Bent Christensen for a place in the starting line-up, and formed a great partnership with Nielsen. He won the 1987 and 1988 Danish First Division with the club. Halfway through the 1989 season, Laudrup's contract with Brøndby expired, and he agreed to join German club Bayer Uerdingen. The transfer fee was thought to be around DKK 8 million, the partition of which Brøndby and Brian's father and agent Finn Laudrup disagreed about. The Danish Football Union ruled in favor of Brøndby's claims of around DKK 3.9 million, but the Laudrups paid around DKK 3.3 million, and insisted on not paying the remainder. The case was eventually settled in March 1990.
Uerdingen.
Laudrup joined Uerdingen in order to play in a club with relative little pressure, and also looked to lean on fellow Dane Jan Bartram, who was already at the club. He scored 6 goals in 34 matches during the 1989–90 Bundesliga season, and impressed so much for both club and country that he was named Danish Player of the Year.
Laudrup's performances in the Bundesliga were widely praised. At "kicker"'s biannual ranking of Bundesliga players, Laudrup was rated the league's second-best forward in the second highest category, international class, after Werder Bremen's New Zealander, Wynton Rufer. German sports magazine "Sport Bild" hailed Laudrup as the 1989–90 season's best signing, ahead of high-profile names including Uwe Bein, Stefan Kuntz and Thomas Strunz.
As he felt the Uerdingen executives would not strengthen the Uerdingen team, Laudrup sought to leave the club in the summer of 1990.
Bayern Munich.
Laudrup's great performances in the Bundesliga and for Denmark attracted Bayern Munich for his signature, who purchased him for a DM6 million transfer fee in May 1990, making him the most expensive Bundesliga player at the time. In his first season, Laudrup scored 9 goals in 33 games as the club finished in second place. Laudrup was also part of the Bayern squad that reached the semi-final of the 1990–91 European Cup.
Laudrup was highly rated among the experts, but he was also very popular in large parts of the German population. In a vote that gave "kicker"-readers the opportunity to choose their favourite players at individual places and the most popular player, known as "das Idol '90", was won by Laudrup with four times as many votes as Klaus Allofs in second place. By a vote of "Sport Bild" that 156,000 readers participated in, he received 24,245 votes and was elected the fourth best performer out of 900 candidates among German legionnaires abroad and all players in the 1. and 2. Bundesliga. Only the popular world champions Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthäus and Rudi Völler received more votes. Laudrup finished ahead of high-profile stars like Thomas Häßler, Jürgen Klinsmann, Andreas Möller, Thomas Doll, Jürgen Kohler, Karl-Heinz Riedle and Matthias Sammer, and so entirely on Bundesliga players, Laudrup took first place.
Laudrup was a consistent performer in his first five matches of the 1991–92 season but suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his right knee in August 1991. Laudrup watched from the stands as the team collapsed in a disastrous season. In December 1991, Laudrup said new Bayern executives Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge were creating chaos in the team through their public criticism of the younger Bayern players. He returned to the team in February 1992 and played the last 15 matches of the season as Bayern finished in tenth position. Despite the injury-hit season, Laudrup still finished the 1991–92 season being named Danish Player of the Year again for the second time, and finished fifth in the FIFA World Player of the year poll.
Fiorentina.
Laudrup's reputation began to grow and he fulfilled his lifelong ambition when he moved to Serie A (at the time, arguably the top league in the world) to sign for Fiorentina. Fiorentina started the 1992–93 season brilliantly, playing open, flowing and attacking football in the first part of the season. However, a change of manager in the second half of the season was the beginning of the end for Fiorentina. The team as a whole produced mediocre performances, and despite the presence of such other stars as Stefan Effenberg and Gabriel Batistuta, the club was unexpectedly relegated after more than 50-straight years playing in Serie A. Despite the relegation, Laudrup himself had a fairly solid season, and was loaned to Milan for the 1993–94 season.
Loaned to Milan.
Laudrup was loaned to Milan for the 1993–94 season, which only saw him play a handful of matches throughout the season due to a squad rotation system at the club, and also because of the three foreigner rule at the time. The world class team of Milan at the time had seven foreigners, including Laudrup, Marcel Desailly, Jean-Pierre Papin, Dejan Savićević and Marco van Basten, which meant Laudrup was not always used. It was also manager Fabio Capello's very strict system where he preferred to play more defensive type players rather than the direct play preferred by Laudrup. However, Capello's defensive system proved to work at the end of the season, as Milan won the "Scudetto" only scoring 36 goals in 34 matches. Laudrup played seven European matches for the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League-winning Milan side. Despite being on contract with Fiorentina until the summer of 1996, Laudrup stated in December 1993 he did not want to return to the club.
Rangers.
In July 1994, Laudrup was offered an escape route from Italy when he was approached by Walter Smith of Rangers. Rangers at that time were an ambitious club and had money to spend to try to seek European glory. This attracted Laudrup, and he signed for a £2.3 million transfer fee.
He made an immediate impact at Rangers. On the opening league fixture of the season against Motherwell in August 1994, it was from his precise cross that Mark Hateley headed the opening goal. In the second half with only a few minutes remaining, he provided another assist with a long run from the half-way line before passing to Duncan Ferguson, who then scored Rangers' second goal to clinch a 2–1 win. He scored his first goal for the club later that same month, in a Scottish League Cup tie against Falkirk. Although Scottish football was more physical than what he was previously used to, he excelled in the free role given to him by manager Walter Smith. Laudrup turned down an offer from Barcelona five months after signing for Rangers. He finished the season with 10 goals in 33 League games, in addition to a number of assists, as Rangers won their seventh consecutive Championship. As recognition of his fine performances, Laudrup won both the Scottish Football Writers and Scottish PFA player of the year awards. His performances for Rangers and Denmark also resuted in his winning his third Danish Player of the Year award.
Laudrup missed a run of nine League games in the early part of season 1995–96 due to an injury sustained in international duty. He returned against Celtic in November 1995 and scored Rangers' first goal in a 3–3 draw at Ibrox. He was also now playing alongside Paul Gascoigne, and the pair were instrumental in Rangers winning their eighth league championship. Laudrup also made a big impact in the latter stages of the Scottish Cup that season. He scored the winning goal in the semi-final against Celtic, playing a one-two with Gordon Durie, before taking control of the ball on his chest and chipping it over the Celtic keeper. In the final against Hearts, Rangers won 5–1. Durie scored a hat-trick, the first-ever Rangers player to do so in the final, but it was Laudrup who won the Man of the Match award, having provided assists for all three of Durie's goals, and scoring the other two himself. The game has since become known as the "Laudrup Final".
His third season at Rangers, 1996–97, saw another cup final goal, this time in a 4–3 win over Hearts in the 1996 Scottish League Cup Final. The season's most notable concern was Rangers bid to equal Celtic's record of nine consecutive league titles. With Rangers hampered by a series of niggling injuries to their main strikers, a greater burden for goalscoring was placed on Laudrup. He responded by scoring 16 goals in 33 league games, including the only goal against Celtic in a win in November 1996, and a headed goal in a 1–0 win in May 1997 away at Dundee United which clinched the league title and the club's bid for nine-in-a-row. His performances saw him win the Scottish Football Writers' award once again. His great performances for Rangers and Denmark also made him win his fourth Danish player of the year.
Laudrup was linked with a £5 million move to Ajax Amsterdam in the summer of 1997, but was persuaded to stay with Rangers for one more season to help their bid for a tenth successive league title. However, despite a bright start, the season ended up an anti-climax, with Laudrup failing to match the form of previous seasons. Rangers finished runners-up in the league behind Celtic, and ended the season trophy-less after losing to Hearts in the 1998 Scottish Cup Final. Laudrup left the club shortly afterwards. He later described his time at Rangers as "the four best years of my career".
Chelsea.
Laudrup joined Chelsea in the summer of 1998. There was a possibility of Laudrup becoming a Manchester Utd player when Alex Ferguson phoned Brian about coming to Old Trafford. Laudrup said: "I had to tell him that he called a day late, because I had just signed with Chelsea".
However he very quickly had reservations, and tried to get out of his contract before he even kicked a ball for Chelsea, informing them about this prior to the 1998 World Cup. Chelsea were not accommodating and told Laudrup they would go to court or involve FIFA and UEFA if the contract was not honoured.
Laudrup relented and become a Chelsea player, but was very open that he was unhappy in London and with the squad rotation system policy. "I would have thought twice about signing for Chelsea if I had known," he said. He added, "When I first discussed terms with Chelsea in February, nobody told me about this system if I'd known about it I would have brought it up" and concluded "I don't like the system of rotation."
He made his debut as Chelsea won the 1998 UEFA Super Cup. He did not play many matches due to a combination of injury, the squad rotation system that Chelsea had where no player was guaranteed to be in the starting line up, and also because of his fall-out with the club. Laudrup provided an assist in the 4–3 victory against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park after coming off the substitutes' bench to equalize 3–3. Laudrup provided another assist in the 2–0 victory against Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge.
Laudrup's only Chelsea goal came in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup to give Chelsea a valuable 0–1 away win against Copenhagen to send Chelsea through to the quarter-finals. It was also his last match for the London club. Manager Gianluca Vialli had no hesitation about playing Laudrup against Copenhagen despite his unhappiness at the club, stating "I've always had faith in Brian. I knew before the game he was having a quite difficult time with all that was going on but he's been outstanding in training and previous matches and he responded very well. He's been professional and the goal was the right reward for him." After the tie, he ironically moved on to Copenhagen who had negotiated a deal during the time of their two games against Chelsea.
Although Laudrup's time at Chelsea was brief, his performances were praised, and he kept a professional attituted when called into action despite being personally unhappy in London.
Former Chelsea teammate Graham Le Saux later named Laudrup in his greatest ever XI.
Copenhagen.
Laudrup moved back to Denmark in the spring of 1999 for a brief spell with Copenhagen. Playing for the main rivals of former club Brøndby, he was unceremoniously booed by the home fans when he revisited Brøndby Stadium in March 1999, and was also harassed by fans from other Danish clubs.
Ajax.
Family problems resulted in Laudrup joining Ajax. Laudrup's registration had reverted to Chelsea after leaving Copenhagen, therefore Ajax and Chelsea had to negotiate a transfer fee. He said, "I had offers from 15 clubs and I have the feeling that Ajax is the right club for me. I didn't enjoy playing with FC Copenhagen. I had the same problems there that I had with Chelsea; I could not show more than 70% of my real self." Ajax head coach Jan Wouters, who spent a season with Laudrup at Bayern Munich, added, "I like Brian a lot because he can adapt and play several positions." After one individually successful season from 1999 to 2000, scoring 15 goals in 38 matches, Laudrup could not play another season due to injuries. He was forced to retire from top-level football at age 31 after one of the most successful careers in Danish football.
International career.
Laudrup made his international debut for the Denmark under-17 team in July 1984, and played six matches for the team until October that year. From October 1985 to August 1987, he played 12 matches and scored 6 goals for the under-19 team. He also represented the under-21s in five games from June 1987 to November 1988. He was called up for the senior Denmark national team by coach Sepp Piontek in April 1987 as a replacement for his brother Michael, but did not receive his debut.
Senior debut.
Laudrup was included in the senior Danish "Olympic national team" of under-21 coach Richard Møller Nielsen, and took part in three qualification matches for the 1988 Summer Olympics. He made his debut on 18 November 1987, at age 18, in a 0–1 defeat to West Germany, with Bjarne Goldbæk also debuting in that match. Laudrup scored his first national team goal in his third game, a 4–0 win against Greece on 20 April 1988. He was then included as a part of coach Piontek's selection ahead of the UEFA Euro 1988. He came on as a substitute in a friendly match against Austria in April 1988, but broke his collarbone just before the final Euro 1988 squad was named.
Laudrup was recalled to the senior national team in February 1989, and became a mainstay in the team under new national team coach Richard Møller Nielsen. He scored three goals in four matches as Denmark narrowly missed qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. During the dispute with Brøndby over his transfer fee, it was discussed whether the Danish Football Union should ban Laudrup from the national team. Following three matches in the qualification campaign for the Euro 1992, Laudrup opted to quit the national team in November 1990 alongside his brother Michael and Jan Bartram, as he lacked respect for coach Nielsen.
European champion at Euro 1992.
Laudrup returned to the national team under coach Nielsen in April 1992. In 1992, Laudrup travelled with the Danish national team to Euro 1992 in Sweden, and in a strictly defensive strategy, Laudrup was one of the few attacking players. Though he did not score a single goal in the competition, his skill and speed was an important part of the Danish team that went on to win the tournament, and Laudrup was voted a shared fifth in the 1992 FIFA World Player of the Year poll, with fellow Dane Peter Schmeichel, though he had the edge over Schmeichel in the domestic polls, where Laudrup won his second Danish "Player of the Year" award in 1992.
Laudrup scored 2 goals in 12 matches as Denmark were edged out of participation at the 1994 World Cup by Spain and the Republic of Ireland. During the World Cup qualification, Michael Laudrup had re-entered the team.
Confederations Cup 95 success.
Laudrup was a vital part of the Danish team that won the Confederations Cup in 1995. He scored a remarkable individual goal in the 2–0 win over Saudi Arabia which saw him beat three defenders before slotting it into the net from a wide angle. The goal is rated by FIFA as one of the greatest goals ever scored in the history of the competition. Denmark defeated Argentina in the final 2–0, with Laudrup providing an excellent dribble down the wing to assist in the second goal. Laudrup won the Golden Ball award naming him the best player of the tournament.
Euro 1996 participation.
Laudrup helped Denmark qualify for Euro 1996, though the tournament was a disappointment for the defending champions. Laudrup was a highlight for the Danes scoring three goals in as many matches, including two against Turkey, but the team was eliminated in the preliminary group stage.
World Cup 98 participation.
With four goals in seven matches, Laudrup was an important part of the Danish team that qualified for the 1998 World Cup, the only World Cup of his career. He shone at the tournament, scoring two goals and gathering three assists. He saw Denmark through to the quarter-finals with a goal in the 4–1 surprise thrashing of Nigeria in the first knock-out round. The quarter-final was his last match for Denmark, where they were defeated 2–3 by eventual runners-up Brazil, despite Laudrup setting-up the first goal to make it 1–0, and scoring to the top near corner of the goal to level the match at 2–2. Until the Brazil match, when Laudrup had scored for Denmark, they had never lost.
The quarter-final was the best ever Danish result at a World Cup, and Laudrup later ranked the 1998 Denmark team higher than the Euro 1992-winning side. He was named as one of the 16 players selected by FIFA as the "All Star Team" of the World Cup, alongside his brother Michael. After the tournament, Laudrup decided to end his national team career, having played in 82 matches, scoring 21 goals over the course of 11 years.
Player profile.
Style of play.
Laudrup was an elegant, technical and creative player who was gifted with incredible pace and ball control. He used this talent, offensive capabilities and acceleration to dribble at speed and beat players with relative ease to create openings for teammates. Although he was a powerful and accurate striker of the ball, who was capable of finishing well and scoring with either foot as well as with his head, Laudrup was also known to be a very unselfish player with excellent vision who would often take more pleasure in setting-up teammates rather than going for goal himself. Regarding Laudrup's unselfishness, John Greig commented: "Apart from applying the ammunition, Laudrup was also capable of scoring his share of goals, but I genuinely believe that he was embarrassed about scoring. He seemed to derive much more pleasure from making goals". A versatile player, Laudrup was capable of playing in several attacking and midfield positions; his preferred position was in a free role, as a winger on either flank, or in the centre, as an attacking midfielder behind the forwards, with licence to roam. He was also deployed as a midfielder, as a deep-lying forward, or even as a striker on occasion throughout his career. Despite his skill and ability, his consistency and mentality was occasionally brought into question throughout his career.
Reception.
Laudrup has been praised by several players, managers, pundits, and footballing figures for his footballing ability, including Charlie Nicholas, Roland Wohlfarth, Charlie Nicholas, Ally McCoist, and Andy Goram. Franz Beckenbauer described Laudrup as "a world class player," a view shared by Andreas Brehme, who described him as a "player of the highest quality class." Paul Gascoigne instead dubbed him an "amazing player." Laudrup's older brother, Michael, likened Brian's playing style to his own, and even believed his younger brother to be superior to himself. His former manager Horst Wohlers named him as the best player he had ever coached, and as the top footballer in the Bundesliga during their time together at Bayer Uerdingen. In December 2013, Graeme Le Saux named Luís Figo and Brian Laudrup as his toughest opponents ever. Walter Smith's view of Laudrup was more critical however, lauding his ability but also lamenting his mentality, which he believed limited him as a player, commenting: "Brian Laudrup is as good a player as I have ever worked with, but he frustrated me. He had the capability of being up there with the greatest players of all time. There was just that little bit in him mentally that stopped him from being right at the very top. Make no mistake, he was a fantastic player for us, but he could have elevated himself into a position where he was one of the best in the world."
Career after football.
Laudrup now works as a pundit and co-commentator for Discovery Networks Denmark, covering the Premier League and Denmark national team. He formerly covered the UEFA Champions League in the same role for Danish TV3+.
He is also involved with the so-called "Laudrup & Høgh ProCamp", a youth football camp, co–coached with former national team goalkeeper Lars Høgh.
In his spare time, he played for Lyngby BK's Old Boys side alongside Michael Laudrup.
Personal life.
Laudrup is married to Mette and has a son, Nicolai, and a daughter, Rasmine.
On 7 September 2010, he announced that he had lymphoma and was undergoing treatment. Three months after the start of the treatment, he was told there were no signs of the disease.


Frank Grant

Ulysses Franklin Grant (August 1, 1865 – May 27, 1937) was an American baseball player in the 19th century. Early in his career, he was a star player in the International League, shortly before race-based restrictions were imposed that banned African-American players from organized baseball. Grant then became a pioneer in the early Negro leagues, starring for several of the top African-American teams of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is widely considered to have been the greatest African-American player of the 19th century. In 2006, Grant was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Baseball career.
Grant was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He played semipro baseball in Pittsfield and in Plattsburgh, New York.
In 1886, Grant played for an Eastern League team based in Meriden, Connecticut. He signed with the Buffalo Bisons in the International League, one level below the major leagues, later that season. Though most sources indicate the official integration of organized baseball would not come for several more decades, Grant was one of five black players who played in baseball's otherwise white minor leagues at the time. When he debuted with the team, a Buffalo newspaper reporter referred to Grant as "a Spaniard". His batting average was .344 with Buffalo that season.
In 1887, the 22-year-old batted .353, paced the IL with 11 home runs and 49 extra-base hits, and led Buffalo with 40 stolen bases. In 1887, John Chapman, the Bisons' veteran manager, valued Grant's services at $5,000—a compliment when Chicago had recently sold superstar King Kelly to Boston for $10,000. During the 1887 season, Grant hit for the cycle in one game and stole home twice in another. Despite significant racial turmoil that year, Buffalo forced the IL to rescind a proposed color line to keep Grant in town.
By 1888, anti-black sentiment was all around the league, and it seemed only Buffalo argued against segregation (possibly because of Grant). When blacks were banned from organized, white-controlled baseball in 1889, Grant went on to become a successful Negro leaguer for the Cuban Giants, Cuban X-Giants, Big Gorhams and Philadelphia Giants into the 20th century. His career ended in 1903.
Author Jerry Malloy described Grant as "the greatest Negro baseball player of the 19th century." In the late 19th century, few black hitters matched up with Grant. He had substantial power at the plate, often hitting home runs and very often getting extra-base hits. Grant hit for extra bases every four times he got a hit. He achieved this even though he was quite small (5'7", 155 pounds).
A middle infielder, mostly a second baseman, Grant had fielding skills widely praised as the best in the league. He was known as "The Black Dunlap", a comparison drawn to the defensive skills of 19th-century white second baseman Fred Dunlap. Grant is also notable for becoming the first black player to play on the same team in organized baseball for three consecutive seasons.
Later life and legacy.
After his baseball career, Grant's name rarely appeared in the press. He lived a quiet life as a waiter for a catering company. Grant died at age 71 in New York City. His grave in East Ridgelawn Cemetery, Clifton, New Jersey, was unmarked until June 2011.
In 2006, Grant was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He is the earliest Negro league player to have received that honor.
External links.
[Category:Cuban Giants players]]


Wally Buono

Pasquale "Wally" Buono (born February 7, 1950) is the vice president of football operations, alternate governor and the former head coach of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and one of the most successful head coaches in league history. He has spent 22 years as head coach of the Calgary Stampeders and the Lions, which is tied for the most seasons coached all-time. On September 19, 2009, Buono became the CFL's all-time winningest coach when his Lions beat the Toronto Argonauts 23–17, giving him 232 regular-season victories, passing Don Matthews. He retired in 2011 with a CFL record 254 regular-season wins as head coach, to focus on duties as general manager for the Lions. In 2016, Buono came out of retirement to coach the Lions again through the 2018 season. In the final home game of the 2018 season, Buono was honored with the Bob Ackles Award as he was retiring from football with the most wins as a coach.
Buono's post-season coaching record is 23–17, with five Grey Cup victories in nine appearances. He won the Grey Cup championship in 1992, 1998 and 2001 as head coach of the Stampeders and in 2006 and 2011 as head coach of the Lions. He won the Annis Stukus Trophy as the CFL's Coach of the Year four times, in 1992, 1993, 2006, and 2011, second only to Don Matthews, who had five.
Early years and playing career.
Born in Potenza, Italy in 1950, Buono moved to Canada in 1953 with his family. He became interested in football after playing pick up games as a youth in Montréal-Nord, Quebec. Soon after, he began playing minor football in Montreal, Quebec.
Buono attended Idaho State University and was a linebacker for the ISU Bengals. He returned to Canada and played 10 seasons with the Montreal Alouettes as a linebacker and punter, appearing in 152 games. He appeared in five Grey Cups between 1972 and 1981, winning two in '74 and '77.
Coaching career.
Calgary Stampeders.
Shortly after his retirement, Buono landed an assistant coaching position with the Montreal Concordes (which the Alouettes had been renamed following a bankruptcy and an ownership change) in 1983. In 1987, he moved to Calgary and worked with the Calgary Stampeders under Larry Kuharich until 1990, when he was hired as head coach by Stampeders president Norman Kwong.
Buono served as head coach of the Stampeders for thirteen years (1990–2002), amassing a regular season record of 153–79–2, far and away the most wins in Stampeders history. He led the Stampeders to eight first-place finishes, including five straight from 1992 to 1996, and missing the playoffs only once, in 2002. The Stampeders went to six Grey Cup games under Buono, winning three in 1992, 1998, and 2001, and losing three in 1991, 1995, 1999. He left the franchise as its winningest coach in terms of victories and championships, allegedly only leaving because the Stampeders attempted to force him to play Kevin Feterik, the owner's son, as the starting quarterback, a charge both the Feteriks denied.
BC Lions.
Buono left the Stampeders in 2003 and was hired as head coach and general manager of the BC Lions prior to the 2003 season. In the first five seasons under Buono (2003–2007), the Lions went 62–27–1 in regular-season play, with five straight playoff appearances, four straight first-place finishes (2004–2007), and two Grey Cup appearances: a 27-19 loss to the Toronto Argonauts in 2004 and a 25-14 victory over the Montreal Alouettes in 2006. His teams went through a slight downturn for the following three seasons, including two that were under .500. His team returned to prominence in 2011 after they once again finished first in the west division and followed it with a 34-23 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 99th Grey Cup at home.
He announced his resignation as head coach of the Lions on December 5, 2011 to focus on his duties as general manager.
In 2014, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
From 2012 through the 2015 CFL season the Lions failed to win any playoff games, despite making the playoffs all four seasons. On December 2, 2015, the Lions announced that Buono would resume his position as head coach for the 2016 CFL season after head coach Jeff Tedford announced his resignation following a disappointing 7-11 season. On March 2, 2016, the Lions announced that they had extended Wally Buono's contract (as a head-coach/GM) through the 2017 CFL season.
Following the 2017 season, Buono announced he was relinquishing the General Manager position in order to focus on his head coaching duties. Ed Hervey was hired as the new GM of the Lions. Buono retains his position as the Vice President of Football Operations. Buono also stated that 2018 will be his final year as head coach. With 129 wins over two stints, he is the winningest coach in Lions history, and one of the few coaches to top the all-time wins list with two CFL teams.
Style.
Buono is often credited with developing some of the best CFL quarterbacks of his era, such as Doug Flutie, Jeff Garcia, Dave Dickenson, Travis Lulay and Jonathon Jennings. He is known as one of the best offensive minds in league history.
Wally Buono Award.
The Wally Buono Award was established in 2003 by The Saint Bernard Pass Charitable Foundation for the purpose of recognizing Canada's top junior football player. The award is a national award. Recipients must prove their athletic and leadership ability on the field as well as a high level of leadership within their community. The Saint Bernard Pass Charitable Foundation is the Swiss-based foundation of Christina Saint Marche. The winners of the award are as follows:


David Forbes (sailor)

David John Oliver Forbes OAM (born 26 January 1934) is an Australian sailor who competed for his country at three Olympics from 1968 to 1976.
Biography.
Forbes attended Newington College from 1943 to 1949. He was the helmsman of the Australian boat in the star class at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where it finished eighth, and at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where he won a gold medal with John Anderson OAM. In 1975, Forbes was part of the winning Soling team in the North American Championship and that same year, won the pre Olympic Regatta at Kingston. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, he helmed the Australian boat which finished eleventh in the soling class. Forbes was also the mainsheet hand on the 1970 America's Cup challenger "Gretel II".
Honours.
Forbes was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1988 and in 2000, he received an Australian Sports Medal. In the Australia Day Honours List of 2015, Forbes was made an OAM for service to yachting.
In 2018 Forbes and Anderson were inducted to the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame.


Sam Crawford

Samuel Earl Crawford (April 18, 1880 – June 15, 1968), nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Crawford batted and threw left-handed, stood tall and weighed . Born in Wahoo, Nebraska, he had a short minor league baseball career before rapidly rising to the majors with the Cincinnati Reds in 1899. He played for the Reds until 1902.
Taking advantage of the competition for players between the National League and the then-ascendant American League, Crawford then joined the Detroit Tigers and played for Detroit, primarily in right field, from 1903 to 1917.
He was one of the greatest sluggers of his era, leading his league in home runs twice and in runs batted in three times. He still holds the MLB record for most career triples, with 309.
While with the Tigers, Crawford played alongside superstar Ty Cobb, and the two had an intense rivalry while also helping Detroit win three American League championships from 1907 to 1909.
After his MLB career ended, Crawford moved to California, where he lived the rest of his life. He was a player and umpire in the Pacific Coast League and was a coach at the University of Southern California. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957.
Early life.
Crawford was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, in 1880, the son of Stephen O. Crawford (born 1842 in Vermont) and Nellie Crawford (born 1855 in Iowa). In 1901, he married Ada M. Lattin, born "circa" 1881 in Nebraska. He was listed as a ballplayer in 1910, and had one daughter, Virginia, born "circa" 1905 in Michigan. Various ship records confirm his birthdate and that of wife Ada. As of the 1920 U.S. census the family was living in Los Angeles, with other records establishing Samuel having arrived March 15, 1918.
According to a biography from the Nebraska Hall of Fame, Crawford was a star athlete at Wahoo High School, leading the team to two state football championships in 1896 and 1897 and was also noted for "foot racing" wherever he played. In 1898, he joined a traveling baseball team in Wahoo. They traveled on a lumber wagon from town to town for weeks at a time, challenging the locals to baseball games, and passing the hat to pay their expenses. Crawford was offered an opportunity in the spring of 1899 to play for the Chatham Reds of the Canadian League for $65 per month, plus board. Crawford seized the opportunity and left behind his job as a barber's apprentice. From Chatham, Crawford moved on to play for the Grand Rapids Prodigals in the Western League.
Major League Baseball career.
Cincinnati Reds.
In September 1899, Grand Rapids sold Crawford to the Cincinnati Reds. Crawford played in 31 games for the Reds at the end of the 1899 season. At age 19, and one year removed from his days playing for Wahoo's traveling team, Crawford was playing in the major leagues with future Hall of Famers Jake Beckley and Bid McPhee. Crawford hit .307 in 31 games with the Reds in 1899. In 1900, at age 20, he played in 101 games and was among the National League leaders in triples with 15 and home runs with seven.
Crawford was one of the best sluggers in baseball in 1901, batting .330 and hitting a major league leading 16 home runs. He was also third in the National League in triples (16), RBIs (104) and slugging percentage (.524). Crawford had another solid year in 1902, leading the National League in total bases (256) and triples (22), and placing second in batting average (.333), slugging percentage (.461) and extra base hits (43). He hit 12 inside-the-park home runs in 1901 – a major league record that has never been equaled.
Detroit Tigers.
At the end of 1902, a bidding war for players developed between the National League and American League. Crawford signed contracts with both the Reds and the Detroit Tigers. The competing contracts led to a publicized legal dispute, with a judge ultimately awarding Crawford to the Tigers but requiring $3,000 in compensation to the Reds.
Crawford joined the Tigers for the 1903 season and remained there until the end of his major league career in 1917. In 1903, he led the American League with 25 triples, and finished second in the batting race with a .335 batting average.
With the addition of Ty Cobb at the end of the 1905 season, the Tigers had two of the best hitters in baseball. Cobb and Crawford led Detroit to three straight American League pennants in 1907, 1908 and 1909, but both of them slumped in their World Series appearances, as the Tigers lost all three. Crawford hit for a .243 average in three World Series, and Cobb hit an uncharacteristic .200 in the 1907 World Series and .231 in the 1909 World Series.
Although Crawford never got to play in another World Series, he remained one of the most feared hitters in baseball through 1915. In 1911, he hit a career-high .378 with 115 RBIs and 57 extra base hits. From 1913 to 1915, Crawford played in 472 consecutive games for the Tigers. Crawford was among the American League leaders in hits, RBIs, extra base hits, slugging percentage and total bases every year from 1905 to 1915. He led the American League in triples five times, including an American League record 26 triples in 1914. Crawford remains the all-time major league leader with 309 triples in his career.
Though his defense suffered in his later years, Crawford was a good fielder in his prime. In 1900, his range factor was 2.68 – 55 points higher than the league average of 2.13. In 1905, he led all American League outfielders with a .988 fielding percentage – 35 points higher than the league average.
Despite Crawford leading the league in both RBI (112) and extra base hits (54) in 1915, the Tigers began transitioning the right field responsibilities from Crawford to their young hitting star, future Baseball Hall of Famer Harry Heilmann in 1916. That year, Crawford played 78 games in right field, and Heilmann played 66, with Crawford's plate appearances cut almost in half from 694 to 368.
In 1917, Crawford lost his spot in the lineup altogether and was relegated principally to a pinch-hitting role. In his new limited role, Crawford hit .173 in 104 at bats. At the end of the 1917 season, Crawford was released and did not play in Major League Baseball again.
Career accomplishments.
Crawford was one of the greatest sluggers of the dead-ball era. He still holds the major league records for triples in a career (309) and inside-the-park home runs in a season (12). He has the second most inside-the-park home runs in a career (51), and the remarkable distinction of hitting more "triples" than doubles four times in his career: 22 to 18 in 1902, 25 to 23 in 1903, 26 to 22 in 1914, and 13 to 11 in 1916, the last as at the ripe old age for a ballplayer of his era of 36.
Crawford became the first player to lead both the National League and American League in home runs (1901 and 1908). He was among the AL leaders in hits, RBI, extra base hits, slugging percentage and total bases for 11 consecutive years, from 1905 to 1915. Using Baseball-Reference.com's "Gray Ink Test", which awards points based on how often a player is among the league batting leaders, Crawford ranks as the ninth in baseball history. He finished his career with 2,961 hits and a .309 batting average. He ranks fifth on the Detroit Tigers all-time hits list with 2,466 hits as a Tiger.
Ed Barrow, who managed Crawford in his first two years with Detroit, and went on to convert Babe Ruth to an outfielder as general manager of the Yankees, once said that there never was a better hitter than Crawford. One of his contemporaries, Fielder Jones, said of Crawford: "None of them can hit quite as hard as Crawford. He stands up at the plate like a brick house and he hits all the pitchers, without playing favorites."
Rivalry with Ty Cobb.
Sam Crawford and Ty Cobb were teammates for parts of 13 seasons. They played beside each other in right and center field, and Crawford followed Cobb in the batting order year after year. Despite this, the two had a complicated relationship.
When Cobb entered the major leagues with the Tigers in 1905, Crawford was one of the Detroit veterans who bullied Cobb. Cobb, a volatile personality, took it personally. However, Cobb soon became established as the best hitter in the game and became more accepted on the Tigers team as they won AL championships in 1907, 1908, and 1909. During this time, Cobb and Crawford had a student-teacher relationship. In interviews late in life with Al Stump, Cobb told of studying Crawford's base-stealing technique and of how Crawford would teach him about pursuing fly balls and throwing out base runners. Cobb said that he would always remember Crawford's kindness.
The student-teacher relationship gradually changed to one of jealous rivals. Cobb was unpopular with his teammates, and as he became the biggest star in baseball, Crawford was unhappy with the preferential treatment given Cobb. Cobb was allowed to report late for spring training and given private quarters on the road – privileges not offered to Crawford. The competition between the two was intense. Crawford recalled that, if he went three for four on a day when Cobb went hitless, Cobb would turn red and sometimes walk out of the park with the game still on. When it was initially (and erroneously) reported that Nap Lajoie had won the batting title, Crawford was alleged to have been one of several Tigers who sent a telegram to Lajoie congratulating him on beating Cobb.
In retirement, Cobb wrote a letter to a writer for "The Sporting News" accusing Crawford of not helping in the outfield and of intentionally fouling off balls when Cobb was stealing a base. Crawford learned about the letter in 1946 and accused Cobb of being a "cheapskate" who never helped his teammates. He said that Cobb had not been a very good fielder, "so he blamed me." Crawford denied intentionally trying to deprive Cobb of stolen bases, saying that Cobb had "dreamed that up."
When asked about the feud, Cobb attributed it to jealousy. He felt that Crawford was "a hell of a good player", but he was "second best" on the Tigers and "hated to be an also ran." Cobb biographer Richard Bak noted that the two "only barely tolerated each other" and agreed with Cobb that Crawford's attitude was driven by Cobb's having stolen Crawford's thunder.
Although they may not have spoken to each other, Cobb and Crawford developed an uncanny ability to communicate non-verbally with looks and nods on the base paths. They became one of the most successful double steal pairings in baseball history.
After Cobb died, a reporter found hundreds of letters in his home responding to letters Cobb had written to influential people, lobbying for Crawford's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Crawford was reportedly unaware of Cobb's efforts until after Cobb died.
Later baseball career.
After being released by the Tigers Crawford joined the minor league Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League, helping them to win league championships in 1918 and 1921. In his first game he got two hits, stole a base and threw out two runners in his first game. Crawford played four seasons for the Angels (1918–1921). In 1918 he played in 96 games, got 104 hits, and batted .292.
In 1919 he hit .360 with 239 hits, 41 doubles, 18 triples, 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 173 games. (The PCL played an irregular schedule, with substantially more games than the then 154-game Major League season.) In 1920 he batted .332 and had 239 hits, 46 doubles and 21 triples in 187 games. His last year, at 41 years-old in 1921, he hit .316 with 199 hits and 44 doubles in 175 games.
Crawford decided to stay in Southern California, and in 1924 became the head coach of the University of Southern California (USC) baseball team, a position he held until 1929. He was instrumental in the development of the California Intercollegiate Baseball Association in 1927, and led USC to second-place finishes in his last two seasons. Crawford was 59–46–3 as the USC coach. He later worked as an umpire in the Pacific Coast League from 1935 to 1938, quitting after finding it a thankless job and lonely life.
In 1927, Crawford had a role as the baseball coach in Buster Keaton's comedy film "College".
Later life.
In retirement, Crawford became somewhat reclusive, staying away from official baseball functions. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1957. At the time, he was living in a small cabin on the edge of the Mojave Desert near Pearblossom, California. Reporters showed up there with the news, shocking the locals, who were unaware that their neighbor had even played Major League Baseball. After his election, Crawford told the curator in Cooperstown that he wanted his plaque to read "Wahoo Sam." He noted: "That's my hometown, and I'm proud of it."
Crawford spent much of his later years working in his garden and reading. In March 1964, in Baywood Park, California, he was interviewed by Lawrence Ritter for the 1966 book "The Glory of Their Times", a series of interviews with the players of the early 20th century. Crawford's tales of teammates such as Cobb and deaf player Dummy Hoy, and opponents such as Honus Wagner, helped to make the book one of the most admired ever written about baseball. During the Ritter interviews, Crawford quoted from the works of philosopher George Santayana and agnostic Robert Ingersoll, and discussed the works of one of his favorite writers, Honoré de Balzac. As for how he hoped to be remembered, he said: "When I kick off they'll say, 'Well, good old Sam, he wasn't such a bad guy after all. Everything considered, he was pretty fair and square. We'll miss him.'"
Crawford suffered a stroke on May 26, 1968, and died two weeks later at Hollywood Community Hospital in Los Angeles at age 88. He was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood. In 1999, Crawford was ranked number 84 on "The Sporting News"' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.


Cliff Morgan

Clifford Isaac Morgan, (7 April 1930 – 29 August 2013) was a Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff RFC and earned 29 caps for Wales between 1951 and 1958. After his playing career ended, Morgan made a successful career in broadcasting, both as a commentator and presenter and also as a programme-maker and BBC executive.
Rugby career.
Morgan, born in Trebanog in the Rhondda valley, was from a mining family and joined Cardiff Rugby Club straight from Tonyrefail Grammar School in 1949, playing at fly-half. Blessed with natural balance and strength, together with an astute line-kicking ability and searing acceleration, he quickly made an impact. He also played club rugby in Ireland for Bective Rangers in the 1955–56 season, with the club being dubbed the "Morgan Rangers" as a result.
He won his first cap for Wales against Ireland in 1951, playing opposite his own hero Jack Kyle. He was part of the Grand Slam-winning Welsh side of 1952. The following year he inspired both Cardiff and Wales to historic victories over the touring All Blacks. In 1956, following his success on the 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa, he was made captain of Wales. During that tour, in which the Test series was drawn 2–2, Morgan distinguished himself for his marshalling of a talented Lions backline that included Jeff Butterfield and Arthur Smith in the centre, with Cecil Pedlow and Tony O'Reilly on the wings. Morgan's try in the first Test at Ellis Park, in front of a then world-record crowd of 100,000, helped secure a sensational 23–22 victory at the end of a match that some still consider the most exciting ever played.
The Springboks levelled the series in the second Test. Then, with Lions skipper Robin Thompson injured ahead of the third Test in Pretoria, Morgan was made captain and duly inspired his team and controlled the game to ensure a 9–6 win that meant the series could not be lost. The South African newspapers dubbed him "Morgan the Magnificent" and the level to which his influence was thought key was reflected in the frenzy of coverage his injured ankle received as the fourth Test came around. Although he played, he was not fully fit and the Lions could not prevent the Springboks squaring the series. But his reputation was already made and the memory of that tour - still known in South Africa as "the Cliff Morgan tour" - proved long-lived. His last game of first-class rugby was for the Barbarians on 28 May 1958 at the RFUEA Ground, Nairobi, versus East Africa.
Broadcasting and television career.
Following his retirement from the game in 1958 he found a new career in broadcasting. Although he will forever be remembered for his celebrated commentary on the 1973 Barbarians rugby match against the touring All Blacks at Cardiff (particularly the commentary of "that try, that golden try") his broadcasting career was far more wide-ranging and influential than that single event would suggest. During his playing days he had already been spotted by the BBC in Wales as a natural talker and communicator, and in 1960, at the invitation of the BBC's Head of Welsh Programmes, Hywel Davies, he joined BBC Wales as Sports Organiser in Cardiff. His exceptional ability as a programme-maker and story-teller briefly took him outside the familiar world of BBC Sport in the mid-1960s, when he spent two years as editor of ITV's current affairs programme "This Week". Returning to the BBC he then produced and edited established TV sports programmes such as "Grandstand" and "Sportsnight With Coleman", and, from 1970, was himself one of the original team captains (opposite Henry Cooper) on the long-running TV quiz "A Question of Sport". In radio he found a natural outlet for his love of music, presenting for a time the BBC Radio 2 series "These You Have Loved". He also presented 'Singing Together' a radio for schools programme.
Off-air, his enduring influence in the world of sport and beyond helped him rise to join the ranks of leading BBC executives. In 1974 he became Head of BBC Radio Sport and Outside Broadcasts, and from 1976 to 1987 he was Head of BBC Television Sport and Outside Broadcasts, supervising coverage of major events including football World Cups, Commonwealth and Olympic Games, Royal weddings and other national ceremonial occasions, notably the funeral of Mountbatten in 1979 and the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981.
After his retirement from his executive post in BBC Television in 1987 he returned to radio, where his warm, mellifluous voice, together with his natural conversational style and his wide range of contacts in sport and entertainment, greatly benefited BBC Radio 4 series such as "Sport on Four" (1987–1998), "My Heroes" (1987–90) and "Down The River". In 1988 he was a subject of ITV's "This Is Your Life". He contributed to numerous publications about rugby and lent his voice to many popular rugby videos. Among his books, he edited "Rugby The Great Ones" (1970), wrote perceptive short profiles to accompany John Ireland's illustrations for the anthology "Rugby Characters" (1990), and in 1996 produced his autobiography, "Cliff Morgan: Beyond the Fields of Play" (with Geoffrey Nicholson).
Morgan survived a life-threatening stroke in 1972 at the age of 42. He had been commentating on a Rugby match for BFBS in Germany. He spent 3 weeks in RAF Hospital Wegberg and spoke very highly of his treatment there. He made a full recovery. In retirement, he was afflicted with cancer of the vocal chords and the removal of his larynx, resulting in limited ability to speak. Morgan died at his home in Bembridge, Isle of Wight, on 29 August 2013 at the age of 83.
Awards.
When the International Rugby Hall of Fame was created in 1997, Morgan was among the inaugural inductees, alongside his Lions contemporary Tony O'Reilly and Welsh rugby legends Gareth Edwards, Barry John and JPR Williams. In 2009, he was inducted along with O'Reilly into the IRB Hall of Fame, an honour Edwards had received two years earlier.
For his contributions to broadcasting, he was honoured with an OBE and a CVO.