TRIVIA time....Name a famous American author who may have been a great BB player ?

[tedzan]

Think pre-WWII.


TED Z

T206 Reference
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[Dewey]

Hemingway and baseball spring to mind.

[Bigdaddy]

That was my guess. He was certainly a man of many talents.

[ksfarmboy]

Zane Grey

[JollyElm]

Too bad it wasn't a famous pre-war Greek author...then the answer would've been Homer. (I'll be here all week.)

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Too bad it wasn't a famous pre-war Greek author...then the answer would've been Homer. (I'll be here all week.)

Winner! haha

[RCMcKenzie]

Ted, I think I found the answer. I had to look it up.

Did he play for Syracuse?

As an aside, I happened to read the other day that Rockport artist, Aldro Hibbard played for a town team that later joined the Cape Cod League.

[Peter_Spaeth]

You Can't Go Home Again has a scene with a baseball player so I'll guess Thomas Wolfe.

[frankbmd]

The Rifleman

[Fballguy]

Since Hemingway is taken, I'll go with J.D. Salinger and pretend he was was pre-WWII.

[tedzan]

The correct answer is Zane Grey.....Clint (ksfarmboy) is the TRIVIA King this evening.

I'm an avid Western Movies (and Books) fan. My wife and I were surprised to find out that Zane was an excellent BB player in his youth. He went to the Univ. of Pennsylvania
on a Baseball scholarship, and could have had a promising career in Baseball. Zane was a solid hitter and an excellent pitcher who relied on a sharply dropping curveball.

Zane in his University of Pennsylvania uniform. And, his home (and Museum) in Lackawaxen, PA.


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TED Z

T206 Reference
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[RCMcKenzie]

Fun question. My guess was Stephen Crane, "The Red Badge of Courage"

He played for Syracuse in 1891, supposedly pictured here, center, front.

[tedzan]

I just received an email from a Net54 reader (I hate the term "lurker") asking me for directions to Zane Grey's Museum. If you are in NJ or NY, it's very easy.
You take Rte. 206 to High Point (NJ), and drive over to Port Jervis (NY). Drive North to the Roebling Bridge (built prior to Roebling's famous Brooklyn Bridge).
This bridge spans the Delaware River into the town of Lackawaxen, PA.


Roebling's first suspension Bridge (1849).





TED Z

T206 Reference
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[RCMcKenzie]

I read Riders of the Purple Sage a long time ago. I think they made at least 5 movies about it. The Ed Harris and Amy Madigan one is a good one.

Following up, on an earlier point, here is Hibbard with Van der Meer (photo from ebay).

Some of y'all's other guesses were interesting, also, Salinger, Wolfe, etc.

[molenick]

Well, I just learned something. I never noticed the similarity in names of Johannes Vermeer and Johnny Vander Meer before, let alone realized Vermeer was Vander Meer's ancestor.

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by molenick

Well, I just learned something. I never noticed the similarity in names of Johannes Vermeer and Johnny Vander Meer before, let alone realized Vermeer was Vander Meer's ancestor.

Holy crap, that's good knowledge. I own a Vander Meer but doubt I'll ever own a Verneer.

[Yoda]

I was thinking of Mark Twain due to the baseball exposure he received during his many travels.

[Klrdds]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

Holy crap, that's good knowledge. I own a Vander Meer but doubt I'll ever own a Verneer.

I doubt Johnny owned a Vermeer too.
I went to his house many times in Tampa and he was always a gentleman and had a great memorabilia collection. The only amazing piece of artwork I ever saw when I visited him was a full wall sized picture ( literally the whole wall was the picture with the color TV on a stand in front of it ) in his den of the field when he threw his 2nd no - hitter . It was huge ! The Vermeer may have been beneath that though .

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by Yoda

I was thinking of Mark Twain due to the baseball exposure he received during his many travels.

Hey John....ole buddy....hope to see you at the National in July..

Mark Twain is a good guess....however, he was more into "Steamboating" at his young age (rather than sports). He was a Captain piloting a steamboat on the Mississippi River.


TED Z

T206 Reference
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[frankbmd]

Ted, that looks like you on the porch in the museum photo.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I seem to recall that he played under the alias of Pearl Zane.

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

Ted, that looks like you on the porch in the museum photo.

Hey Frank

Is it me ?

I will never tell

Seriously, if you are on a trip here on the East coast, it's worth the trip to visit Zane Grey's Museum.


TED Z

T206 Reference
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[ksfarmboy]

Semi lucky guess. He was the only author I can remember playing a little ball.

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by BillyCox3

I seem to recall that he played under the alias of Pearl Zane.

Zane's full name is Pearl Zane Grey. He was born January 31, 1872.


TED Z

T206 Reference
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