The Rooster Crows . .
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The Rooster Crows . A Monthly Newsletter of SIR BRANCH 179 March 2016 MARCH MEETING Wednesday, March 9, 2016 12 Noon Pardini’s 2257 W. Shaw Avenue in Fresno Our March Speaker will be Jim Maloney, Former Major League Pitcher and, Former Director of City of Fresno Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Council. Jim Will Speak on the Topic of Alcoholism and he has been known to spin a few tales of his life in the Big Leagues. Board Meeting Preceding the Regular meeting at 10:15 a.m. MORE ABOUT OUR SPEAKER FOR MARCH Arranged by SIR Dick Nordstrom Continuing with our 2016 mission of outstanding lunch speakers, our March speaker is ex- major league pitcher Jim Maloney. In today’s world, major league pitchers are expected to go six innings before the relievers take over. Any more than 6 innings is considered a bonus. But back in the day, when men were men, major league pitchers were Supermen. When they started a ball game, they were expected to pitch the entire nine innings, and sometimes pitched into extra innings. Such was the case when Jim Maloney pitched. In the 1960’s, the National League boasted some of the hardest-throwing and most intimidating pitchers in the history of baseball. From Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale to Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal and Jim Bunning. A threat to no-hit the opposition every time he went to the mound, Maloney tossed a 9-inning no-hitter, a 10-inning no-hitter, lost a no-hitter in the 11th inning, and was forced to leave two no-hitters in the 7th inning due to injuries. “That fellow could throw as hard as anybody,” said Roberto Clemente about Maloney. James William Maloney was born on June 2, 1940, in Fresno, California, to Earl and Marjorie Maloney, both of Irish descent. Though he starred on his high school basketball and football teams, Jim’s passion was baseball. As a shortstop, he led his high school team to three consecutive undefeated seasons and Northern Yosemite League Championships from 1956 to 1958. That team boasted at least five players who signed professional baseball contracts, including Dick Ellsworth, Lynn Rube, Mike Urrizola and Pat Corrales. Jim was scouted as a shortstop by all 16 major league clubs in 1958. Immediately after signing, Jim joined the Cincinnati Reds for a week at their spring training site in Florida before being assigned to the Topeka Hawks in the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (Three-I) League. Jim made his major league debut against the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched 7 innings of one-run ball and was tagged for the loss, but he impressed Dodger skipper Walter Alston. While pitching 8 1/3 innings of 2-hit ball against Milwaukee , he tied a modern major league record by striking out eight consecutive Braves on his way to a Reds record 16 strikeouts in one game. “Maloney’s fastball was really jumping,” said Hank Aaron. “He was faster then anyone I’ve seen this season.” In 1965 Jim had one of his most dominating performances against the Mets. He had a no-hitter through 10 full innings; however he gave up an 11th inning home run to Johnny Lewis and lost 2 – 0. But he finished that game with 18 strikeouts, tying a National League record for most strike outs in an extra-inning game. Jim was credited with a no-hitter according to the official scoring at that time but Major League Baseball’s Committee for Statistical Accuracy amended its definition of a no-hitter in 1991, and Jim no longer was given credit for the gem. That same year, Jim had a true 10-inning no-hitter against the Cubs. He faced 40 batters and threw 187 pitches while tossing the first extra-inning no-hitter in the major leagues since 1917. Jim looked forward to life after baseball and moved back to Fresno with his wife Carolyn, whom he met when he pitched for Topeka and married in 1961, along with their three children. For a while he sold cars at his father’s business. However, the transition back into mundane suburban obscurity did not go easily for Jim. “I had a hard time sliding into the real world,” Jim revealed. “By 1985, I was out of my house and my wife was filing for divorce.” But, ever the competitor, Jim pulled his life back together and married his second wife Lyn. Jim still lives in Fresno and in addition to being retired from baseball, he is now retired as the former Director of the City of Fresno Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council. A MESSAGE FROM BIG SIR STEVE SMITH Hello gentlemen. We are still in need at a couple positions, most notably, a Little Sir. We also need somebody to take over the guardianship and distribution of the badges at the meetings. What a great way this would be for one of you to get involved with your fellow SIR’s at minimal time commitment to you while serving in a vital function for your Branch. If you have any such inclination, please contact me or any officer. We had another good turnout in February with a total of 60 present to hear a very interesting speaker. In addition, it’s not too early to start thinking about Ladies’ Day in May. It will be here before you know it. Our Guest Speaker for Ladies’ Day will be Sheriff Margaret Mims. The Chapter also has some great activities. Be sure to check out the list in the Newsletter and contact the appropriate chairman for the activity that appeals to you. Also, let’s try to bring a guest to a meeting and let’s welcome the new Sirs by inviting them to activities and making them feel welcome. Thanks guys and see you in March. DAN FITZPATRICK COVERS THE INS & OUTS OF URBAN MALLS Dan Fitzpatrick, our February Speaker, spoke about urban malls in general and the Fulton Mall in Fresno in particular. Dan is a real estate investor and the former Director of the Redevelopment Agency for the City of Fresno. He explained that Fresno’s Fulton Mall was ill-conceived and never succeeded as planned. A large part of the problem with the Fulton Mall and other redevelopment projects in general is that they are typically planned and/or controlled by government agencies. Government officials typically base their plans on wishful thinking, instead of on the market. In other words, a governmental body gets wrapped up in the idea that if they build what they consider an attractive project, people will come, without giving any regard to investigating the market for such a project. Nationwide, only 20% of the pedestrian malls that were built in the 1960’s and 1970’s are still in existence today. Those that have been successful have a strong base to rely on such as a steady stream of tourists or are a destination, such as Las Vegas, which has both aspects. The Fulton Mall has several inherent shortcomings that have contributed to its failure. For one thing, it is too long to walk. Secondly, you cannot see enough of it from the intersecting streets. People use their cars to scout out destinations before venturing out on foot. You can’t do that on the Fulton Mall. Dan feels that opening up the mall to auto traffic is a good idea because it allows the stores to be seen from your car and if you see something you like, you might actually park and take a stroll on the mall. It thereby gives impetus for attracting stores. But the fact remains that any successful venture must be market driven. Downtown housing is crucial for its success, which is currently underway on a limited scale. To be successful, there must be a mixture of commercial, offices and residential. THIS MONTH’S FEATURED SIR This month’s featured SIR is the old warhorse, Cliff Hawkins. Cliff has been a member of SIR Chapter 179 for 20 years. During that time, he has been a Board Member, Secretary, Little Sir and Big Sir and is currently serving as a committee chairman. Cliff has been married to his wife Gladys for 62 years. He has 3 grown children and 7 grand children, all of whom he is extremely proud of. Like many of us, his children and grand children are now scattered around the state. Cliff’s other interests are racquetball, golf and travel. He has enjoyed his 20 years of SIR membership and has made many friends. He made special note however, that over his 20 years of membership, he has never won a bottle of wine. Although Cliff didn’t mention this, it is known to several of his friends that he and his wife Gladys have won the 50/50 drawing several times. Cliff is involved in the full gamut of Branch activities, including Golf, Poker, Pool and Date Nite. Like “Old Blue Eyes,” (and every bit as feisty) he is generally regarded as the Leader of the Pack. Those of us who have become his friends enjoy his congeniality and joke telling ability, although we have gotten to know some of his jokes so well that we are thinking about giving them numbers. Cliff was born in Albany, Oregon but moved at a relatively young age and his family’s wanderings took him to many places. Some of the places Cliff has lived include Lafayette, Oregon; Driggs, Idaho; Eureka, California; Sacramento, California; and the San Francisco Bay Area including Santa Clara, before finally settling in Fresno.