It’s the end of the line for the 2025 Yankees: bridesmaids again, no brideship since 2009. A crippling error by the very likable Jazz Chisholm Jr. coupled with the inability of bullpenner Devin Williams to get a key out gave the Pinstripers too steep a hill to climb in the waning innings. Toronto was the better team: to a man, they rose to the grand occasion. This was no fluke; it was a drubbing.
Joan Kennedy (nee Bennett) passed away yesterday at the age of 89. It was not an easy life, marked by severe alcoholism and a bad marriage to you-know-whom (Ted). I didn’t know she was a brilliant pianist and gave a recital with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1970 that was very well reviewed. She taught classical music to children.
She deserved better than Ted’s flagrant infidelities and they eventually divorced. She was considered the best-looking of the Kennedy wives by the family, not that we are shallow enough to even mention that. Here she is, first as a bride, and then famously appearing at a formal dinner at the Nixon White House in a minidress. Gasp.
She is survived by her sons Patrick and Ted, Jr., nine grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and her sister. Joan’s daughter Kara passed away in 2011 at the age of 51 from a heart attack. Rest in peace.
The puzzle stuck its foot right into our Dirty Old Man Dept today. At 35D the clue was “Annual breast cancer awareness observance,” for NO BRA DAY. Toss in Dolly Parton at 12D (“Dolly Parton and others”) for BLONDES, and you’ve got me running for my heart pills. (NBD is Monday, btw.)
Classing up the joint further was the sculptor Auguste RODIN, clued via his work “The Burghers of Calais.” (Not to be confused with “The Burgers of McDonalds.”)
The monument commemorates the heroism of six leading citizens of the French city of Calais. In the fourteenth century, at the beginning of the Hundred Years’ War, they offered their lives to the English king in exchange for the lifting of his siege of the city.
Yesterday’s puzzle, you may recall, was a love note from the constructor to his wife Ruby. It reminded Rex of a puzzle he constructed years ago for his grandmother’s 90th birthday. The theme answers all had the letter combination XC in them, e.g., BOXCARS, roman numerals for 90, of course. His earliest memories of crossword puzzles were of his grandma working on them. He gave his tribute puzzle out at the big family party for the occasion and soon regretted not making it easier as the entire family started working on it and cursing him (in good spirit).
The party was held in St. Maries, Idaho, where she lived. He said the first thing you see as you drive into the town center is “a jolly, two-story-tall axe murderer.”
Here’s a nice shot of him with Grandma and the dictionary he found on her fridge. Since Rex is a guiding spirit of Owl Chatter in a way, you might as well see what he looks like.
We love minor league baseball. For years we made an effort to take in games all over the place: Buffalo, Rochester, Columbus, Richmond, Trenton, Hagerstown (MD), Frederick (MD), Norwich (CT), Pawtucket (RI), Burlington (VT), Waterbury (CT), Newark (NJ), Wilmington (DE), Syracuse, Madison (WI), South Bend (IN), Somerset (NJ), Staten Island, Pittsfield (MA), Williamsport, Aberdeen, Bowie (MD), Holyoke (just this year!), Portland (ME) and Portland (OR), New Britain (CT), Traverse City (MI), Vancouver (Canada!), Indianapolis, Toledo, Lansing, Albany, Reading (PA), Sussex County (NJ), Altoona, Harrisburg, and who the hell can remember where else?
In Burlington VT we saw Ken Griffey Jr lace a double to right field on his way up to Seattle and, eventually, the Hall of Fame, and a nice player handed little Caity in my arms a ball. In Altoona, I grabbed a foul ball that landed near me. In Vancouver, for a few minutes, half the stadium shouted “Tastes Great,” with the other half responding “Less Filling.” The Traverse City Beach Bums game was Lianna’s first ever ballgame and they pulled off a triple play. (They have since changed their name to the Pitspitters, in recognition of the vast cherry production in the region.) In Pittsfield, Mookie Wilson signed a ball for Caity.
So it shouldn’t surprise you to learn I subscribe to a newsletter on minor league ball put out by Benjamin Hill called Baseball Traveler. He likes to find the crazy stuff, of which there is rarely a shortage. Here are a couple of awards he gave out at the end of the season (in categories he made up).
Most Purr-fectly Named Concession Item: The Litter Box Sundae (Omaha Storm Chasers)
Hill says: It only resembles the contents of a litter box and fortunately doesn’t taste like one (not that I would know). This feline-omenal dessert — featuring vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup atop a bed of graham cracker dust and rainbow sprinkles — comes with its own scoop. It’s featured on cat night — when cat owners are encouraged to bring their cats to the ballpark.
Most creative use of a common household item: Toilet Paper Night (Charleston RiverDogs)
This promotion was originally staged in 2021 as a response to the previous year’s COVID-era toilet paper shortage.
As you know, Portland Oregon has turned into a war zone requiring military intervention. Here’s a report from the front:
Get this: My observation on Rex’s blog that the puzzle’s inclusion of Dolly Parton and No Bra Day has sent us dirty old men scurrying for our heart pills, elicited the following response from Anony Mouse: So unnecessary. And juvenile. And offensive.
Ouch! Guilty as charged!
See you tomorrow! Thanks for stopping in.
The Wellington Files 