A baseball curmudgeon might say “Business as usual” at Wrigley Field yesterday when the Cubs took a 7-1 lead into the top of eighth only to emerge down 11-7. Ouch. A ten spot. But they came back to score six runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth and won 13-11. (Check my math.) And that’s not even the story.
The story is the sixteen total runs scored by Chicago and ‘Zona in that inning set the all-time record for most runs scored in Wrigley in an inning. Since W opened way back in 1914 (and became the Cubbies’ home in 1916), that’s saying something. The previous high was fifteen (duh) set in the fourth inning on 8/25/1922 when the Phillies scored a run in the top half and Chicago answered with fourteen.
Remember Bo Derek? She was sort of, not really, in the puzzle today via adjacent answers: DEREK (clued via Derek and the Dominoes) and BOO (surprising outburst).
She was the hottest hottie when she first emerged in the mid-1970s. According to Wikipedia: Her breakthrough performance came in the romantic comedy film “10” (1979), which cemented her status as a sex icon and mainstream celebrity. The role earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for New Star of the Year – Actress.
Her acting career did not exactly take off after that. She “won” the Worst Actress of the Year award in 1982, 1985, and 1991, and the Worst Actress of the Decade award in 1990. She was nominated for Worst Actress of the Century in 2000, but lost out to Madonna. It’s not as awful as it seems — some pretty good actresses got nominations here and there for individual dogs, including Helen Mirren for her role as Hespera in Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), and Anne Hathaway for roles in two films in 2020: The Witches, and The Last Thing He Wanted.
Look — if it were so easy to be an actress, everyone would want to be one.
Wait, what?
Bo is 68 now and married to actor John Corbett. They’ve been seeing each other since 2002 and finally got married in 2020. Many would say JC is also a “10.” Bo never had kids.
At 57A, “Unwritten reminder” was MENTAL NOTE. Commenter Nancy took credit for this quip: “A mental note isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.” It reminded me of a New Yorker cartoon by Ziegler I loved from years ago (when they were funny).
At 17A, a “Post meeting to-do” is an ACTION ITEM. Turn it up!!
By 1935, Mae West was said to be the second-highest-paid person in the U.S., after William Randolph Hearst. After writing and starring in “Diamond Lil” on Broadway in 1928, she went to Hollywood, got a part in “Night After Night,” and was allowed to rewrite her scenes. In one, a hat-check girl says to her: “Goodness, what beautiful diamonds!” and West replies, “Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.”
But we mention MW because on this date in 1927 she was sentenced to ten days in jail for starring in the play “Sex,” which she also wrote and directed. It had been playing for 41 weeks before the cops arrested the cast and crew for “producing an immoral show and maintaining a public nuisance.” West described it as being “about a girl who lost her reputation and never missed it.” West was the only arrestee sent to prison.
In jail, West was forced to turn over her silk stockings (gasp!), but allowed to keep her silk underwear (whew). She had a private cell, and charmed the warden and his wife so much that they invited her to eat dinner with them in their home each night. She was released two days early for good behavior.
The woman could wear a hat. We’ll give her that.
At 26D, “Meanders” was ROVES. It crossed 38A where “Mourns” was GRIEVES.
The Gnats, in need of a laugher, seemed to have one in hand, going into the bottom of the 7th in Colorado up 12-2. But the Rockies rocked and rolled and before you knew it, the lead was down to 12-10. Gulp. Cut to the bottom of the ninth. It’s still 12-10. Gnats manager Davey Martinez calls for closer Kyle Finnegan. At the same time, I call for Linda to get me my heart pills. We like Kyle. He’s a Detroit boy, an All-Star last year, and he gets the save more often than not, but not before sending us all to the cardiologist.
He walks the first batter. D’oh! But then he strikes out the next two. Yay! Just as we’re apologizing for doubting him, the next batter slashes a triple to right. It’s 12-11 now, and the tying run is on third. I start slamming my head into the wall in a show of support. It worked! — strike three called — game over. Never in doubt!
See you tomorrow Chatterheads!
The Wellington Files 