Category: Uncategorized
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Gavvy Cravath – Home Run King
Baseball lore is pretty clear on who are the home run kings of the major leagues…
Babe Ruth
Roger Maris
Hank Aaron
Willie Mays
Mark McGuire
Barry Bonds… just to name a few.
But back when the league was young, in fact before Babe Ruth, in the dead ball era there were some others…
Home Run Baker, Frank Shulte, Napoleon Lajoie.. but amazingly, they didn’t hold a candle to Gavvy Cravath.
Gavvy “Cactus” Cravath, born Clifford in 1881 earned his nickname in the early 1900s when he reportedly hit a ball so hard that it killed a seagull in flight. Mexican fans shouted “Gaviota.” The English nickname “Gavvy” thereafter took hold.
From 1913 to 1920 he led the national league in home runs six times, finishing with 119 in his major league career. He also hit 114 dingers in the minors.
But this star is not in the hall of fame, probably due to the home run friendly parks he played in, such as the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. 92 of his 119 homers were hit there.
It’s a good thing he hit so many home runs because he was slow. So slow, if fact, that “his head sure was full of larceny, but his feet were honest”, wrote sportswriter Bugs Baer.
He was also known as “wooden shoes” and “Piano Legs” by his teammates.
Before his home run reign of terror on the majors, Cravath played in Minneapols for the Millers at Nicollet Park. There, the right field line was 279 feet, which Cravath took advantage of, learning to hit to the opposite field.
In 1913 while playing for Philadelphia he placed second in voting for the Chalmers Award (Most Valuable Player) behind Jake Daubert, largely for the same reason he’s not in the Hall of Fame (playing in the Baker Bowl).
His best season was in 1915 when he hit 24 home runs (19 of which were hit at home) and lead the Phillies to their first pennant.
Gavvy’s last season was in 1920, when he was the player-manager for the Phillies. But in 1921 he became the player-manager for the Salt Lake City Bees and played his final professional games in 1922, returning to the Minneapolis Millers.
For a career, Gavvy batted .287, hit 119 home runs and batted in 719 runners. His 6 home run title record was eventually tied by Mel Ott and broken by Ralph Kiner in 1952.
Of course, Babe Ruth broke his 20th century record of 119 homers in 1921.
After baseball, Cravath returned to California and became a magistrate judge in 1927 and died in 1963. He was post-humously inducted into the San Diego Hall of Champions in 1985
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Daily Harvesting Tips for Fresh Vegetables
I continue to harvest my romaine lettuce every other day. It’s growing like a weed! Actually, even better!
Tomorrow I will fertilize all of my vegetables again, as it’s been about a month. It’s kinda funny that I get all excited to feed them. 🙂
More photos coming soon!
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A Rainy Day in February
I woke up this morning, feeling fresh and revitalized, and excited to tour my garden to see any new growth from overnight. I like to do that before I go into work while saying my morning prayers as it gives me hope that the day will be a good one.
But alas! It’s raining cats and dogs out there! This is great though, because while I love to water my garden, I know right well that the water is coming from the city and is laced with chemicals. Of course, so is the rainwater, but it’s at least somewhat natural. Even with the substances in the rain my garden seems to like it much better than from the hose.
Some of my grape tomatoes are beginning to change their color. These plants I started from seed about 4 months ago, but frankly, I neglected them (and everything else for that matter) from November to January. It’s a miracle anything survived that period – apparently the will to survive is strong with these plants! I’ve tried many types of fertilizer, but this one seems to work the best – it’s called Jobe’s Organics Vegetable and Tomato Granular Plant Food.
I admit, however, that they don’t exactly look healthy and have only a few fruits, but that’s only because I started to care for them a couple of weeks ago. They’re getting stronger by the day.
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Early Spring: Enjoying Fresh Romaine and Tomatoes
I’m so happy we’re on the waning side of winter. The sun wakes up a little sooner each day, which allows me to spend time in my garden earlier! Today I brewed a pot of coffee, sat outside for a while and harvested a little from my garden. Not a lot, but something.
- About 10 leaves of romaine lettuce
- A handful of my little teeny weenie tomatoes!
Not enough to survive on, but definitely a great start to spring!
I’ve never grown romaine lettuce before, and I’m figuring out quickly that I need to harvest it regularly, say every other day. Just the outer leaves of course. I have about ten of these plants and hope they continue to produce, though I have my doubts on their survival when the summer heat kicks in. We shall see!
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The Need For Connection
As a middle-aged dad I’ve found myself pulled in many different directions for too long. Eventually, I need to get out into the wilderness (or my small garden) and connect with God and nature. Even if it’s just walking around my garden and smelling the flowers or monitoring the growth of the plants.
I think it’s important that we maintain our connection to the natural world. I see that many people in this world are lost in the concrete jungle of the city and weighed down by careers and activities. In my opinion getting outside and just being silent, listening to the wind and birds would go a long way in reducing stress.
Anyways, that’s all I really wanted to say. Take care and God bless you.
Adventures With Seraphim 