Jaybird's Jottings

New Biography on Bill Veeck

1.  Time, at least one generation, if not two.

2.  A thorough biographer with a good sense of balance.

For famous figures who were dogged by controversy during their careers, the above pair of items are what’s needed for a better understanding of the subject’s life and work.   Bill Veeck, the late (1914-1986) Major League Baseball owner (Browns, Indians, White Sox) must be happy to see both of those things finally coming to him.   A quarter century after his passing, acclaimed author Paul Dickson has written the definitive history of a man whose life was rich with content and colorful character.

“Veeck As In Wreck.”   That’s the title of his 1962 autobiography, and if you’re like me, that’s about all you remember about him.   Between that, and the confidence I had in Dickson as a stickler for accuracy, I was motivated to read his new book, “Bill Veeck, Baseball’s Greatest Maverick.”    In fact, I nodded my head in agreement upon reading the very first sentence of the Prologue – “The tendency today is to remember Bill Veeck as the guy who would do anything for a laugh or publicity – an irascible showman.”

Dickson covers all the bases of a life that included service in WWII with the Marines.   It’s an enjoyable read and fully researched effort.   Bonuses are glossy photos and the author’s research into a subject that has turned into a controversy itself.    Did Veeck attempt to buy the 1943 Phillies in order to assemble an all-black, or nearly all-black team?  

Three prominent baseball researchers believe Veeck made up the story.    Dickson lays out 10 points to the contrary and notes, “During the three years that I researched this biography, I came to the conclusion that Bill Veeck was telling the truth – not only on the Phillies story but also on other matters of substance.”

I enjoyed two aspects of Veeck’s story the most.    The first covers the 1948 season.   I knew the basics, a great pennant race between Veeck’s Indians, the Yankees, and the Ted Williams-led Red Sox.   This one was a newspaper’s dream, with more than just the day-to-day drama on the field to report on.

Needing to bolster his bullpen, Veeck, who had signed Larry Doby the year before (the first black player in the American League), inked Satchel Paige to a contract in July.   The reaction was quite predictable.   While black fans in Cleveland and beyond were thrilled, the magnates and some baseball publishers called it classic Veeck.  In other words, another publicity stunt and exploitation of an older star.

The results speak for themselves.    In 72 innings, most of them as a starter, Paige gave up just 20 earned runs.   On August 20, the “Oldest Rookie” tossed a three-hit shutout in front of 78,382.   Overflow and record crowds (remember the days of such big crowds?) filled Municipal Stadium to see the former Negro League superstar and the Indians, who set the single season attendance mark.   Cleveland lost on the final day of the regular season, but beat the Red Sox in a one-game playoff.  

The Tribe then dispatched the Boston Braves in five games to win the World Series.    Veeck also tasted pennant champagne in 1959 with the Chicago White Sox.  

Veeck earned the respect of his countrymen with service as a Marine in World War II.   As an ammo passer and gunner with the “Third Defense Battalion,” he hauled and loaded 23-pound shells.   The Leathernecks were fighting on the island of Bougainville (“a tropical hellhole”) and endured harsh conditions and constant shelling from the enemy.    Veeck injured his right foot in combat.   Three years later, he required an amputation.   Doctors had to also take away part of his leg.   In true Veeck fashion, he often made light of his medical challenges.

Dickson also covers the role Veeck played in helping to integrate the game. Of this he writes:

The Bill Veeck portrayed in the leading black newspapers of the time was different from the one-dimensional showman who appeared in the mainstream press.   "To my estimation, Bill Veeck of the Cleveland Indians did more for the Negro than any other man last year,”wrote Jesse Butler in February 1949 in the Cleveland Call and Post.  His liberalism and giving Negroes a chance to show their real ability as major leaguers helped spearhead the attack on racial discriminations and segregation in the country.

The 2012 Major League Baseball season opened a few days ago in Japan.   The game also made headlines earlier this month by adding two additional wildcards.   Polls reflect the grumbling among some fans and writers, who don’t like the messing with the traditions of our great summer pastime. 

Veeck? 

You can just see him, sitting somewhere in the bleachers, cold beer in one hand, a box of Cracker Jack in the other, new friends beside him, and he’s smiling.

 

Note:  Dickson’s book is due out April 24.  The author will be making three area appearances.

Tuesday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Zenger Room at the National Press Club.   Reservations are required at  opus@press.org free for NPC members and $5 for non-members.  

Tuesday, May 1, at noon at the Library of Congress.

Sunday, May 6 at Politics and Prose.

Copies of his book will be available for purchase and signing at each of these events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Ballpark for Richmond: Update

A long wait at a restaurant is annoying, but if the food is good, all is forgiven.  Baseball fans in Richmond have certainly been waiting a long time for a new ballpark, one that would replace the “The Diamond.”   The stadium is not that old (1985), but with every passing season, it looks more and more like a relic of the 60s.

There’s nothing like a rendering to heat up the process, and the Flying Squirrels (Giants AA) released conceptual ones earlier this week.  Kevin Reichard of "Ballpark Digest" notes the new park would be patterned after "Coca-Cola Park" in Allentown, Pennsylvania, one he puts in his top five in the minors.

The ballpark would  be built beside The Diamond, would seat 6,000 with room for 3,000 on the outfield berm.    Other features include a brick façade, a circular bar that would bump up against the right field wall, wraparound concourse and dugout suites.   The Diamond will be torn down and parking put in its place.  

A report from WTVR indicates a 2015 opening.  But the city wants the entire region to help with the funding.

“So who gets the bill?”

 

 

Titanic Centennial

100 years ago, the New York Giants, the defending National League champs, were getting ready for the start of the season.   On April 11, Opening Day, they beat the Dodgers 18 to 3.  Three games later, McGraw’s men started a nine-game winning streak.

On April 15, everything took a backseat.   For the next few days and beyond, all eyes were on the headlines, such as this one from the New York Times:

Biggest Liner Plunges to the Bottom at 2:20 a.m. 

We are, of course, talking about the SS Titanic.  On her maiden voyage from England to New York City, she hit an iceberg off the coast of Greenland.   Almost 1,500 souls were lost.   The disaster was one of the worse at the time, and is without a doubt, the most famous maritime disaster of all time.

Events and exhibits are taking place, as well as books.  What looks like one of the best, if not the best, in terms of understanding exactly what happened, is “Report into the Loss of the SS Titanic: A Centennial Reappraisal.”

Samuel Halpern, a Titanic expert, and one of contributors to the book, spoke on the book yesterday at National Archives.   Some of his presentation got bogged down in technical detail, but plain facts were also discussed.  

Halpern said the book took what the British and American investigations found, and the used modern technology to determine what happened.   He said the group of writers is particularly proud of the chapter which gives a timeline of events.  No previous book listed footnotes for each reference.

Turnout was the most I have seen at the McGowan Theater, maybe 100.   C-SPAN recorded.

The book packs in a lot of info, including all the names on board, and those who perished.   Various charts break down information, such as passengers lost/survived by class and gender.   Of the 891 crew members, 679 went to a watery grave.   The total number of those who died, 1,496, and were resecued, 712, is different from some other sources.  

National Archives has an exhibit on the Titanic, as well as Nat Geo downtown.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baseball's Opening Morning

What say ye’ about the A’s and M’s opening the season in Japan?

Some are calling for a halt to such things, and want to see the return of the traditional lid lifter here in the States and in the afternoon.   

I’m really fighting the curmudgeon thoughts, trying to be progressive.   MLB showed it on tape delay, 9 am, but I missed it.   I have to admit it is kind of like a soft opening.   

Bottom line, baseball is back.    Well, sort of…

 

Beyond the Beltway: Day Trips From Washington

Thought it would be fun to make a list of the day trips we’ve taken in the last several years, with a quick thought or two on the good and bad.  

No certain order, but our favorites are in the first half.   A great time can be had at any of these, so last is certainly not least.   

By no means is this an exhaustive list, but there’s a baker’s dozen here, and we endeavor to make more trips.    And of course, the usual disclaimers apply.

 

Frederick, MD

Good

Frederick has really blossomed in the past five years.   They have a new Visitor’s Center, great place to start.   Be sure and take a walk along the water, and see the painted bridge, which uses a “trompe l’oeil” effect.   Nice arts center, shopping along Market Street, historic district marked, excellent restaurants including Gladchuk Brothers.

Bad

Traffic on I-270.

Middleburg, VA         

Good

Lovely drive in from the south, the Middleburg mystique, center of horse and hunt country, good restaurants and shops, and stop and see the mill in Aldie.

Bad

Not far away, so you might not get the complete sense of escaping.   

Annapolis, MD

State cap sign

Good

The Naval Academy, the lovely historic homes and buildings, the bay breezes on a hot summer day, smell of crab cakes, boats in the harbor, the state capitol, charming little roundabout, lots of history.

Bad

Parking is scarce in the summer.   Bridge traffic can back up.

Front Royal, VA

Good

Gateway to Skyline Drive, fall foliage,  foot of the mountains beauty, country feel, good eats at Apartment 2-G and The Element, and Overall Run is a great place for hiking.

Bad

I-66 traffic, especially during the peak fall weekends.

 

Harper’s Ferry, WVA

 Good

Surrounding mountain beauty unmatched anywhere in the region, John Brown’s rebellion, historic buildings.

Bad

Traffic on I-270.

 

Thurmont, MD

Good

Good eats and a small museum for Camp David at The Cozy.   Lovely drive through the Catoctin Mountains and you can brag you know where Camp David is.

Bad

You don’t actually get to see Camp David. 

Crowded during the Catoctin Colorfest Arts and Crafts Show.

 

Waterford, VA

Good   

Time stands still in this bedroom community, a quiet walk through the past, steeped in local history.

Bad:  No restaurants or shops, one public restroom.

 

Leesburg, VA

Good

High end boutique shops, good restaurants, civil war history.

Bad

Traffic on Route 7, also not far away.

 

Fredericksburg, VA

Good

A ton of Civil War history, excellent historic district, Washington boyhood home.

Bad

Traffic on I-95.

 

 

Chestertown, MD

Good:  Waterfront walk, lovely historic homes, and the commemorative makers all in one place.

Bad

The Tea Party may not have happened, crossing the Bay Bridge.

 

Warrenton, VA

Good

Claire’s at the Depot, Jail Museum, Great Harvest Bread Company.

Bad

Not necessarily the place if you’re not a Moseby fan.  

 

Solomon’s Island, MD

Good

Calvert County Museum, fun to watch the boats go by, water on the horizon, good eats.

Bad:  Stoplights on Route 4.

 

Dumfries, VA

Good:  Weems-Botts Museum, street names same as Old Town Alexandria.   

Bad

Traffic on I-95 and Route 1.

 

New Ball Field in Alexandria

For some baseball lovers, there’s nothing more romantic than a ballpark built into the existing urban fabric, a la Fenway Park.

Fans in Alexandria will soon be able to tap into those ideals at a finger-shaped property in the southern part of the city.   Sandwiched in between the metro tracks and Duke Street, and bordered by Telegraph Road, a new ball field is being built.  

A new minor league park for the Aces?

Unfortunately, no, they’re still playing at their ancient and inadequate facility.  

We’re talking the “Witter Fields Project” on Witter Avenue behind the Pet Hospital.   Avon Corporation broke ground last March and hopes to have everything ready for June.   

The new facility will include:

• Two lighted synthetic turf rectangular fields
• One lighted natural turf softball field with scoreboard
• 141 Parking Spaces
• Pedestrian/exercise path
• Interpretive Area for Inactive 18th Century Cemetery
• 2 Park Pavilions/Shade structures
• 1 Restroom Building that uses Solar Panels to offset its electrical load.

 

Sorry to mislead you about the baseball field.  It’s built for softball but I couldn’t help but be taken back to my younger years when we used city facilities in Greensboro to play pick up baseball.    We took care of the shorter dimensions by hitting left-handed.

Note:  Couldn’t get a decent shot of the field, and besides, it’s just being carved out by the bulldozers.   A foreman did tell me they are on schedule for June.    

 

Finding Francis Scott Key: Frederick, Second Visit

A couple of days after penning what would become our National Anthem, (the first printing in the Baltimore American titled his song, “Defence of Fort M’Henry” and did not include a by-line), Francis Scott Key took the mail coach to Frederick.   In his biography, Weybright notes the sleep-deprived poet and patriot then hurried over to the brick house where Taney and his wife lived.  

 In 1856, Taney recalled the visit:

 “He then told me that under the excitement of the time, he had written a song, and handed me a printed copy of the Star-Spangled.”

I assumed the house Key went to that afternoon was the Taney house located at 121 S. Bentz Street, and now the Taney Museum.   A research assistant at the Frederick County Historical Society in Frederick informed me my assumption is wrong.   She said the Taney House on Bentz was his rental.   In 1815, they lived on N. Market Street.   Research has not been able to pinpoint exactly where they lived, but they believe it was on the east side of N. Market between Patrick and Church.   Currently the restaurant Cacique is located there (Taney house torn down).   

One source I read said that house was on S. Market.    The docent explained the city changed the North-South street designator.

I drove up to Frederick yesterday for a second visit.   I started with a fuel-up at Frederick Coffee and Company, who pleased this visior with some excellent Kenya Bold and a pert near fair BLT on Rye.    Chatted up one of the locals who was relaxing in one of the comfy chairs.  He said new ownership made the place right after years of neglect.   

 

Next stop was downtown to pay a visit to the Frederick County Historical Society.    Looking through the vertical files, one thing that caught my eye was documentation on an attempt to get Key inducted into the Hall of Fame for Great Americans (New York University).   This was around 1965.

Looking on-line, I see where this Hall was the first Hall of Fame in the United States.    Founded in 1900, they have inducted over 100 Americans, whose busts are on display in the Bronx.   No elections have been held since 1976.   Key was not selected.

Walking upstairs to the museum, I spotted an oil painting, a portrait of Key hanging in the east side room.    The placard said the artist was William Grinage.  

Turns out there’s quite a story behind this particular portrait of Key.   Nancy Hernandez of the Frederick-News Post wrote a piece about Grinage in 2006.    An African-American who lived in the city (1866-1925), he was commissioned in 1924 by the Kiwanis Club.   A self-taught artist, he finished the painting in 1925.   Sadly, Grinage passed away a few days after.    

The painting could be seen at the Francis Scott Key Hotel, just a few blocks away from the Historical Society.    The tour guide told me of the sad irony.   The hotel was segregated so, Grinage could not go inside to see his work.

According to this brochure, the house Grinage lived in is still standing at 22 W. All Saints Street.

I then proceeded to the Taney House (closed until April 1) to get a photo.   A commemorative marker is on the house, but none at the site of where the Taney’s lived.

Two more stops to go.   A few blocks to the east lies McCutcheon’s Apple Company and Store.   After purchasing a jar of their famous Apple Butter, I walked to the back of the plant and their west wall to see “The Pillars of Frederick.”   Frederick artist Yemi painted the mural, which contains 40 portraits of deceased citizens from the area who distinguished themselves.   See it sooner than later, the mural will be removed after five years.

I then made the short drive to Mt Olivet Cemetery where Key is buried.   My visit before focused on his grave site and memorial.   In one of the books I read, it said some of Key’s personal items were located at the Taney House.   But they told me to check with the Francis Scott Key Foundation, who might best be found at the Key Memorial Chapel at the cemetery.    No luck so I need to follow up with them.   By the way, if anyone knows how to get a hold of them, please drop me a note.

With Frederick completed, we are now down to visiting Terra Rubra and his two homes in D.C.   

 

 

 

 

Cherry Trees: Final

With the blooms past peak, and clouds and rain moving in this morning, it’s time to wrap up our pink and white coverage.   

So, when did they peak?    How well the predictions? What were the best days?

On March 2, DeFoe predicted March 24-31.    Last week, he moved it up to the 24-28.   Jason Samenow of the Capital Weather Gang pushed it to the 18 to 22.

Day before yesterday the National Park Service said the peak day was Tuesday, March 20.   That was the official start of the Festival so it certainly worked out that way.

Weather-wise, we got thrown a meteorological curve ball in the form of a marine layer. I would say stubborn marine layer, but they always seem to be that way.    Viewing on Monday to Thursday was affected with afternoons better than mornings, but not always.   Yesterday was past peak but with the weather warm from the start of the morning, Friday the 23rd was probably the best overall day.   

 

 

 

Hillwood

To be Marjorie Merriweather Post was to be the best and to do the best for others, but that conviction was never spoken aloud.   Instead it was expressed through the philanthropist’s perfectionist’s zeal, her persistent efforts to create a flawless and flower-filled world where all the ills of humanity – want, evil, sickness, and death – could be at least temporarily forgotten.   With that sense of personal mission, Marjorie played fairy godmother, queen, and empress to the world.  -  “American Empress, The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post,” by Nancy Rubin

 

If you google, “decorative arts museum,” places like Paris, New York, London and Buenos Aires are suggested.   DC doesn’t appear, but Washingtonians should not worry about the slight.   I’m not sure where it would rank among those places, but Hillwood, the estate, museum, gardens and former residence of the late Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973) is a tour de force in its own right.

And that’s because Post put all her knowledge and passion to make it that way.   She wasn’t too good with wedding vows (four husbands), but Post had an extraordinary career as a businesswoman, diplomat, philanthropist and collector (pretty good square dancer too).    

Hillwood and its 25 wooded acres, nestled in between Rock Creek Park and the eastern side of Cleveland Park, was her final residence.  She transformed the 36-room, Georgian style house into a palace of arts, gardens, and regal beauty.  The collection includes House of Romanov pieces, Faberge eggs, 18^th and 19^th century French art and an exquisite selection of orchids.    The grounds feature a circular rose garden; a French parterre, a crescent-shaped lawn; a Japanese-style garden, and a greenhouse for the orchids.

Currently on special exhibit is, “The Style That Ruled The Empires:  Russia, Napoleon and 1812” (through June 2).   The exhibit commemorates the bicentennial of “The Patriotic War of 1812.”   The collection is the largest of Russian imperial art outside Russia.

In addition to the exhibit, lectures and film will be shown in March and April.    Dominic Lieven will discuss his book, “Russia Against Napoleon: The True Story of the Campaigns of War and Peace.”

If “War and Peace’s” 1,200 pages were too much for you, Hillwood offers Post’s extraordinary collection of orchids.   Lecture, workshops and tours are available.

Before we visited, I wanted to get a feel for Post’s life.   Nancy Rubin’s “American Empress” provided the ticket, as well as Kenneth Lisenbee’s bio.   I also watched her A&E biography and used information from the Hillwood website.    Additionally, I took a tour of the mansion and gardens.   

William Wright also wrote a biography of Post in the 70’s, "Heiress: The Rich Life of Marjorie Merriweather Post."    Someone told me it’s more critical than Rubin's.

 

Overcoming bad health, C. W. Post, Marjorie Merriweather Post’s father, invented “Postum,” a roasted grain beverage his company successfully marketed as a healthy alternative to coffee.   Postum Cereal Company was the forerunner to General Foods.

Life threw a tough test for Post when she was a young adult.    Her mother passed away in 1912, followed two years later by her father, who took his own life.   Marjorie, 27 and their only child, inherited the company.    Initially, the rules of engagement did not allow her to sit at the executive tables.   Nevertheless, Post gradually asserted herself into the man’s world of leadership.   

Six years later, she married E.F. Hutton.  Smart, wealthy and attractive described both of them.       

Post was no fluffy figurehead.    She foresaw the growth of frozen foods and revamped upper management, a move that increased sales and grew the company.   A series of acquisitions later, and the General Foods Company was born.    Lisenbee’s biography describes Post as a “shrewd businesswoman,” who became one of the first women to sit on the board on a major corporation.    All the while, she honed her artistic tastes and hosting skills.

In 1935, Post married Joseph E. Davies, a Washington lawyer and her third husband (Hutton had been unfaithful).   A year later, FDR tabbed Davies as Ambassador to the Soviet Union.   The diplomatic couple spent two years in Moscow and another in Brussels.   In both places she developed a greater appreciation for decorative arts and hosted high-ranking diplomats and state officials.   

After returning to Washington in 1939, Davies and Post moved into the Parmelee Estate in NW Washington (originally known as “The Causeway.”)     Their move marked a return of sorts for Post.  When she was 14, and the family lived in Texas, her father sent her to Mount Vernon Seminary, a young ladies school then located at 11^th and M NW.   In her later years, she donated a new building for the campus that had moved to Foxhall Road in Georgetown.

The couple renovated and renamed the mansion “Tregaron.”   It was there reporters on the social beat began to see what wealth and elegance could bring to the stuffy city.   They praised her “legendary garden parties,” where she entertained the upper crest of Washington’s social and political elites.    

As a grand hostess, she had made a name for herself in Palm Beach, New York and Moscow, but Washington found her reaching new heights.   Rubin notes she improved the cultural life in the capital city and delved into philanthropic projects such as assisting the National Symphony Orchestra and creating “Music for Young Americans.”  She supported many causes in Washington, including funding for the Washington National Ballet Foundation.

After her divorce from Davies in the 50s, Post moved into a Georgian mansion, about a mile north and east of Tregaron.   The estate, nestled in between Rock Creek Park and Linnean Avenue, was known as “Arbremont.”   She renamed it “Hillwood,” after her Long Island estate.   The improvements and additions took two years to complete.   Post spared no details, and even had doors moved to allow for a view of the Washington Monument.     Rubin notes Post’s friends quipped she had the monument moved instead. 

Post put all her worldly knowledge to work and transformed the mansion into a palace.    The press fell in love again, and published headlines such as “Marjorie the Magnificent.”   They called her the most fabulous hostess in America, and Hillwood was considered one of Washington’s most magnificent estates.    Post even arranged for a ballet to be performed in the back yard.

There’s no doubt Post lived in the lap of luxury, rich beyond compare, but she cared about others.  As Rubin notes, “Foremost in her mind was the thought that the estate would be not only a home but a museum in which her art collection could be enjoyed by the public after her death.”    

To that end, Post considered the Smithsonian to be the proper caretakers of Hillwood.    But during negotiations, their leadership gave her pause.    They wanted to be able to entertain VIPs in her kitchen.   Determined to keep the home from any such use, Post arranged a back up plan.  Should her desires by compromised, the Marjorie Merriweather Post Foundation would retain control.    And that is exactly what happened after the Smithsonian balked.

Post passed away at Hillwood on September 12, 1973.  A year later, her ashes were placed in a urn and ceremoniously layed on a pedestal in the rose garden.   Three years later, the Smithsonian returned the estate to the Foundation.     In 1977, Hillwood opened to the public.  

We sometimes take the wealthy for granted, believing they should be generous with their donations and financial assistance.    I’m no expert on who among the rich give the most, but surely, the living descendents of Marjorie Merriweather Post are proud of her philanthropy.   As the Hillwood website notes:

Marjorie twice funded a field hospital in France during World War I and was awarded the French government's highest civilian award, the Cross of a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, on behalf of her "long demonstrated friendship towards France." She donated her yacht, the Sea Cloud, to the U.S. Navy in World War II, and she entertained Vietnam veterans at her Hillwood estate in Washington in the 1960s. Over the years, she donated millions of dollars to charities. She quietly gave $100,000 to build the Kennedy Center and bequeathed endowments of $100,000 each to her alma mater Mount Vernon College, the National Symphony Orchestra, C.W. Post College and the American Red Cross.

 

On my tour of Hillwood, I felt the kindness, caring and generosity that marked Post’s life.   Washington, the United States and the world were lucky to have known her.   

 

 

 

Cherry Trees Update

A quick note, went to Tidal Basin around noon.   Blooms beautiful but a few starting to fall.

That's actually a lovely site, except when you realize it marks the beginning of the end.

Thursday and Friday look good, but with the forecast of clouds and rain for this weekend, well, get thee down there before that.