A tribute to Brooklyn Dodger Hall of Fame great Duke Snider

I was unaware that one of my childhood heros passed away recently. The legendary Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Fame great Duke Snider died February 27th at the age of 84. Snider played center fielder for the charmed "Boys of Summer" and helped the Dodgers bring their elusive and only World Series crown to Brooklyn in 1955.

In 1955, I was in the sixth grade. I was fortunate that my teacher, Mr. Hall, was a big baseball fan. He allowed our class (and himself) to listen to the World Series on the radio every day that it was aired. It was the Brooklyn Dodgers versus The New York Yankees and our classroom was divided into two camps, Dodger fans and Yankee fans. What memorable times! The seventh and deciding game was played on Tuesday, October 4th which the Dodgers won 2-0, clinching the World series title.

Baseball was a more simple game back in the day. Imagine the seventh and final game of the World Series being played on a Tuesday afternoon. The owners and television networks today make sure that any chance of a seventh game falls on a prime time weekend. I guess overall, it's for the better.

Snider died at the Valle Vista Convalescent Hospital in Escondido, Calif., according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which announced the death on behalf of the family. "The Duke of Flatbush" had .295 average with 407 career home runs, played in the World Series six times and won two titles. But the eight-time All-Star was defined by much more than his stats — he was, after all, part of the love affair between the borough of Brooklyn and "Dem Bums" who lived in the local neighborhoods. Thanks for the memories and Rest in Peace Mr. Snyder.

The News As I See It: Texas Governor Rick Perry referred to the Mexican city of Juarez as the most dangerous city in America. In his defense, he probably just thought it was an American city because there were so many Mexicans there.

Men and women who drink are less likely to be obese than men and women who do not drink. All this time, you’ve been on Jenny Craig while you should have been on Johnny Walker Black.

Mexican president Felipe Calderon was in town and said he wants more American tourists to visit his country. Which explains their new tourism slogan: "Mexico. Come to us or we’ll come to you."

A new survey found that women spend eight years of their lives going shopping. Which means men spend eight years of their lives on a bench outside Anne Taylor at the mall.

Lindsay Lohan’s brother is dropping his last name because he feels like it has beome an albatross around his neck — which means Lindsay’s going to steal it.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sold his 1977 Peugeot 504 for 2.5 million at an auction. It even came with the phone books he has to sit on to drive it.

A man in West Virginia was arrested for planting explosives in his yard to scare away cats. He was charged with three counts of being from West Virginia.

This Date In History: 1850; Daniel Webster gave a three-hour speech endorsing the Compromise of 1850. 1876; Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for the telephone. 1936; Adolf Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pact when he ordered troops to march into the Rhineland.

1945; During World War II, U.S. troops crossed the bridge at Remagen, the first incursion into Germany by Allied forces. 1965; Peaceful civil rights demonstrators marching from Selma, Ala., are brutally attacked with billy clubs and tear gas by police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The event is later called "Bloody Sunday."

2004; V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire was invested as the first openly gay Episcopal Church bishop. 2005; John R. Bolton was nominated by President Bush to be U.S. ambassador to the UN.

Picture Of The Day: My favorite baseball team back in the day was the Brooklyn Dodgers. Players like Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Gil Hodges, Jackie Robinson, Carl Furillo, Jim Gilliam and the mighty center fielder and my childhood hero, Duke Snider were the tops. With pitchers like Sandy Kofax, Don Newcombe, Johnny Podres and Carl Erskine, "Dem Bums" were unbeatable and won the 1955 world series.

Printable Things I Never Told You: 1) My grandfather was hard of hearing and he needed to read lips. I didn’t mind him reading lips, but he used one of those yellow highlighters. 2) Two cows were grazing on the side of a hill and one turned to the other and said, "Mooo." The other cow replied, "Damn, I was just going to say that." 3) If a man stands in the middle of the forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong? 4) I never knew what happiness was until I got married...and then it was too late. 5) My girlfriend asked me, "Do You believe in love at first sight?" I said, "At the first sight of what?"......and that's five !

Today's Birthday Horoscope: Pisces - March 7th: Install that software, make it a priority! (Don't blame us if your computer takes a dump). Beware of people offering free screensavers. Your mind is filled with thoughts of sexual inadequacy and hey, maybe you're right. If there's one thing you can take for granted this week, it's that things cannot be taken for granted. The next person to offer you advice will have a secret agenda that you ought to be wary of. Don't trust naked bus drivers!

All of your aims are achievable, although many of them would involve bionic implants and a lot of theft. Raisins are a lovely dried up fruit, as is the old man who runs the hairdressers salon down the road. Thinking and doing are two separate things. However, thinking about what you're doing is always a good idea. Try to remember this today when you're trying to tie your shoelace and stare at a lady friend's crotch.

A romantic hotel break may be just the thing to spark up your love life this weekend. Some suggestions are: cover the bed in rose petals, place some chocolates on your loved-one's pillow, bring some beautiful and fragrant flowers. Oh, and for god's sake, please flush the toilet before your lover arrives! Floaters are not good for love.

Birthdays: My pal, Jennifer. Happy Birthday Baby! 19XX, Sir John Herschel, mathematician 1792, Luther Burbank, American Horticulturist 1840, Piet Mondrian, artist 1872, Maurice Ravel, composer 1875, Janet Guthrie, auto racer 1938, Michael Eisner, businessman 1942, Ivan Lendl, tennis player 1960.

The AREA 51 Retirement Home Bar and Grill: A man has six children and is very proud of his achievement. He is so proud of himself that he starts calling his wife "Mother of Six" in spite of her objections. One night they go to a party. The man decides that it's time to go home, and wants to find out if his wife is ready to leave as well. He shouts at the top of his voice, "Shall we go home Mother of Six?" His wife, irritated by her husbands lack of discretion shouts back, "Anytime you're ready, Father of Four!"

A husband and his wife had a bitter quarrel on the day of their wedding anniversary. The husband gave his wife a gift - a tombstone, with the inscription: "Here LIies My Wife - Cold As Ever." Later, the furious wife bought a return present - also a tombstone, on which the inscription read: "Here Lies My Husband - Stiff At Last."

Walking into the bar, Mike said to Charlie the bartender, "Pour me a stiff one, I just had another fight with the little woman." Charlie said, "Oh yeah? And how did this one end?" Mike answered, "When it was over, she came to me on her hands and knees." Mike said, "Really? Now that's a switch! What did she say?" Mike replied, "She said, 'Come out from under the bed, you little chicken-shit.'"

The Hits Just Keep On Coming: My thanks to my pal Joann for her contribution to today's stories.

A doctor was examining a woman who had just been rushed to the Emergency Room at a local hospital. During the exam, he took the husband aside and said, "I don't like the looks of your wife at all." Her husband replied, "Me neither Doc, but she's a great cook and really good with the kids."

While shopping for vacation clothes, an old man and his wife passed a display of bathing suits. It had been at least ten years and twenty pounds since she had even considered buying a bathing suit, so she sought her husband's advice. She asked, "What do you think? Should I get a bikini or an all-in-one?" The old man replied, "Better get a bikini. You'd never get it all in one." (The old man is still in intensive care).

An old man's wife had passed away and the graveside service just barely finished when there was a massive clap of thunder, followed by a tremendous bolt of lightning. Then there was even more thunder rumbling in the distance.
The little old man looked at the preacher and calmly said, "Well....she's there."

That's it for today my little tiddly winks. Remember, computers are the perfect thing for women who don't feel that men provide them with enough frustration. More on Wednesday.

Stay Tuned !