The 27th president of the United States had just finished trying to placate a passel of angry suffragettes at the White House. With an empty afternoon stretching ahead, William Howard Taft turned to an aide and said, "Let's go to the ballgame."
Some Americans may pine for "The Star-Spangled Banner" to be sung at public events without showbiz flourishes and in a manner perhaps familiar to its creator, Francis Scott Key. The dazzling factor should be prominent, however, at Super Bowl XLV, when chanteuse Christina Aguilera delivers the national anthem.
Sparky who? Reds fans were taken aback when Sparky Anderson showed up for his first day as a big league manager, an unknown taking over baseball's first professional team. Most had never heard of him.
Sparky who? Reds fans were taken aback when Sparky Anderson showed up for his first day as a big league manager, an unknown taking over baseball's first professional team. Most had never heard of him.
Tim Hudson and the Atlanta Braves extended retiring manager Bobby Cox's season for at least one game, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 8-7 on Sunday.
Jonathan Sanchez pitched the San Francisco Giants back into the playoffs after a six-year absence and also provided a clutch hit, beating the San Diego Padres 3-0 Sunday to win the NL West title.
On his final day managing the Los Angeles Dodgers, Joe Torre went old school.
Bobby Cox is still waiting for the one retirement gift he wants most of all _ one last trip to the postseason.
How about Manny Acta as manager of the year, or at least of the late spring? OK, so it's only mid-June, but this 38-year-old rookie skipper has the Nationals playing better than anybody thought they would or could.
