Pipp Pipp Hooray

He was a very good baseball player. He played first base for the New York Yankees and
led the American League in home runs twice in his career (12 in 1916, 9 in 1917). On June 2,
1925, during his eleventh year in the majors, he told his manager he had a headache and would
not be able to play that day’s game. Another player took his place at first base. The other player
played the next 2,130 games at the first base position. The other player was one of the greatest
ballplayers of all time – Lou Gehrig. The player who lost his starting position was Wally Pipp.
Before the 1926 season he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, where he played for three more
years. He finished his career with 1,941 hits, 997 runs batted in (RBI), and a lifetime batting
average of .281 – very impressive statistics for a player who is all but forgotten and wrongly
remembered only for the fact that he was the player replaced by the great Lou Gehrig. (Note:
Wally Pipp, years after his playing career ended, was one of the first writers for Sports
Illustrated.)

There have been, and will continue to be, many Wally Pipps in this world – those over-
shadowed, their accomplishments all but obliterated, by others who achieved greatness. There
has never been a movie titled “Good-bye, Mr. Pipp(s),” nor a cheer, as glasses are raised, in
which everyone shouts, “Pipp, Pipp, Hooray.” There’s “Where’s Waldo?” but not “Where’s
Wally?”

To the Wally Pipps, the ones you know, the ones your neighbors know, the one you see
in the mirror every morning, I say “a job well done.”

Here are just a few of the many, the recognition of whose accomplishments are long
overdue:

Tyler Pattiwillow – has the most lifetime hits of any player in the history of the senior softball
league (men 55+) of Los Angeles. Tyler played in the league for 46 years. He kept playing even
though, after all of his teammates had passed away, he was the only one left on his team. He
died at the age of 101 while running from first base to second....for no apparent reason. After his
death he never played another game.

Shawn (Sean) Shaughnessy –Johnny Vander Meer pitched two consecutive no-hitters. Shawn
(Sean) Shaughnessy pitched three consecutive no-hitters – against teams that didn’t show up
because of rain.

Don Majkowski – quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. In 1989 he led the NFL with 4,318
passing yards. That same year he threw 27 touchdown passes. On September 20, 1992 he tore a
ligament in his ankle. He was replaced by Brett Favre. In 2005 Don (The Majik Man) Majkowski
was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame – as was his torn ankle ligament.

Maureen LeFond – early woman sports pioneer and winner of the Tour de France. Stripped of
her medal for riding a tricycle.

Potsy Gibson – never lost a 100-meter race in his life. Never ran a 100-meter race in his life.

Identical twins Quentin and Quincy Jarvis – in the late 1800s were undefeated in doubles play
over a ten year span on the tennis circuit. Despite their stellar play and impeccable conduct on
and off the court, their record was expunged when it was discovered that Quincy was Quentin
and Quentin was Quincy.

Harky Tomlinson – broke more shuffleboard records than any man before or since. He also,
never able to control his emotions, broke more shuffleboard sticks than any man before or since.
“Nobody could hold a candle to Harky,” says his fifth wife, Twalya. “Especially when he
wanted to wax poetic…if you know what I mean.”

Ira Plotz – before Hall Of Fame Jewish athletes Hank Greenberg (baseball), Sid Luckman
(football), Dolph Schayes (basketball), and Sandy Koufax (baseball), there was Ira Plotz. Many
say that Plotz was the first great Jewish American athlete. Others continue to point out that
during Plotz’s peak years, 1674 to 1687, there were few sports to play. Some people are simply
hard to please.

Millicent Larabee – despite a stellar fencing career, Millicent Larabee is rarely mentioned as
having been one of the greats in her sport. Much of the lack of recognition is due to the fact that
during her career she accidentally killed eleven opponents, and was therefore quite unpopular in
the locker room.

Thomas “Tips” Goslin – gained the nickname “Tips” because of the number of times he would
just tip the pitcher’s pitch. He led the league in fouling off pitches for seven years until the
arrival of Jimmy “FB” Tarkanian. (The FB stands for “Foul Ball.”) After his big league career
ended “Tips” Goslin ran a youth baseball camp, teaching kids how to “tip” (foul off) a pitch. Not
one of his campers ever made the majors.

Bobbob Norton – Hall of Famer Lou Brock holds the major league record with 130 stolen
bases in a season. Bobbob Norton stole 129 bases in a season. Unfortunately Bobbob was not a
professional ballplayer; he was simply someone who liked to steal square shaped items, bases
being his preference. He is still hiding somewhere in Minnesota.

Coco Crisp – Coco Chanel – Coco Cox Arquette – Cocoa Puffs. Pick one.

Mo Columbus – rarely spoken about half-brother of older sibling Christopher. Mo Columbus left
Spain the day before his brother, but pulled over for a sandwich. The rest, as they say, is history.

Larry Doby – the second African American to play in the major leagues, he joined the Cleveland
Indians months after Jackie Robinson began to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers (the year was
1947). Larry Doby was a terrific hitter and outfielder and a quiet man whose career and
achievements have long been overshadowed by Jackie Robinson. (Note: According to his wife
Rachel, Jackie Robinson preferred to be called Jack. It was the media that always referred to him
as Jackie.)

John Francis “Phenomenal” Smith – Pitched in the major leagues from 1884 to 1891. In 1887 he
won 25 games….and lost 30. There is no record as to how he got his nickname, but there is little
question that as far as nicknames go, his is Phenomenal.

Phidippides – the Greek warrior who, after the Greeks beat the Persians at the Battle of
Marathon, ran 26 miles to the city of Athens to announce the Greek victory. Upon finishing his
run, he collapsed and died. If not for Phidippides the 26 mile marathon run (now officially 26.2
miles) might today be called Lester.

Carroll Hardy – member of the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. A terrific three sport athlete
– baseball, football, track - he played in the NFL and caught four touchdown passes thrown by
Y.A. Tittle. In a Red Sox game on September 20, 1960 Ted Williams fouled a pitch off his instep
and left the game. Carroll Hardy went into the game to pinch hit for Williams….the only player
ever to pinch hit for The Splendid Splinter. (Note: During his major league career Carroll Hardy
also pinch hit for Carl Yaztrzemski and Roger Maris.)

Jasmine Prawn – talked about as the next in line to Peggy Fleming-Dorothy Hamill-Michelle
Kwan, Jasmine gave up her promising career when, after looking everywhere in her house, she
couldn’t find her skates.

Walter Alston- Tommy LaSorda ---Walter Alston had one at bat in the major leagues. He struck
out. Tommy Lasorda, a left-handed pitcher, finished his three year career in the majors with a
record of 0-4. Alston went on to win four World Championships as manager of the Dodgers.
Lasorda followed with two World championships as Dodgers manager. Both are in the Hall of
Fame – as managers. As a Little League player Titus Finnerman had three hits and struck out 127
times. Finnerman went on to manage the Independent League Zanesville (Ohio) Zanies to nine
championships. Six of those championships were won when the league only had one team – the
Zanies.

Pia Zambrowski – though she never won a tournament – or a game – as a tennis pro, crowds
loved to see her jump over the net (and back again). A stunning beauty, she is overlooked as one
of the people who brought personality (and, yes, sexuality) to the game. She is married to her
fifth husband, Lord Nigel Costwold of Cambridge. In their backyard he loves to watch her jump
over the net – and back again.

Paul Figgen – a diehard Detroit Red Wings hockey fan, unfortunately best remembered for
asking Gordie Howe for an autograph during a game (in 1959). Doctors say Mr. Figgen’s
wounds are healing nicely.

The Laslow Clan – though there are a number of people who have attended every Super Bowl, it
is the extended Laslow family (clan), numbering 43, who have never altered their “stay at home”
Super Bowl menu….egg salad sandwiches and freshly cut celery stalks. Plus a beverage.

Oliver (Ollie) (Ole) Oliphant – on his way to the big leagues as a shortstop, Oliver (Ollie) (Ole)

Oliphant sat out one game to rest on his laurels. He was replaced by Ozzie (the Wizard of Oz)
Smith. Ozzie Smith became a Hall of Fame shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals. Today Oliver
(Ollie) (Ole) goes by the name of Herbie.

Wilt Chamberlain – Frank Selvy - Bevo Francis – On March 2, 1962, in a game played in
Hershey, Pennsylvania, Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scored 100 points against
the New York Knicks. Rarely remembered is the fact that in 1954 Frank Selvy of Furman
University scored 100 points against Newberry College. Remembered even less than Frank
Selvy, who played in the NBA, is Bevo Francis who, playing for Rio Grande College, scored
over 100 points TWICE – 116 in a game in 1953, and 113 in a game in 1954. He never played
pro ball, choosing instead, after barnstorming with an amateur team, to return home to his wife
and family. (NOTE: In1982 Cheryl Miller of Riverside Poly High School in California scored
105 points. In 1990 Lisa Leslie scored 101 points for Inglewood (California) Morningside High
School in the first half. The opposing team forfeited the game during half-time.)

Pops Morganfrey (pronounced Morganfry) – there’s John Wooden, Bob Knight, Dean Smith,
Coach K and, no less deserving of accolades, Pops Morganfrey, who coached high school
basketball for 73 years. His team won a championship in 1949 when the opponent team’s bus
broke down just outside of town. The incident is still under investigation. (Pops is his real first
name. His middle name is Illinois.)

In 1958 the song “Tequila” was a Number One hit by The Champs. The song was written by
Champs saxophone player Chuck Rio. What is not remembered is that Rio also wrote the song’s
lyric – the clever and haunting word “tequila” - sung three times throughout the song. Rio was
quoted, when “Tequila” went Gold, as saying “I’ve always loved words.”

And, lest we forget…..it was alphabet soup factory employee, Jim Boree, who, when asked to
pass some letters, said to the worker next to him, “I only have ‘I’s’ for you.”

So, from this day forward, let us recognize and salute the Wally Pipps of the world with a
hearty “Pipp, Pipp, Hooray!”

Go get ‘em, Wally.