1990 Play-by-Play
January
January 2nd, Binky Brown and Mr. Dit dueted on actor Alan Hale, Jr., and shared the lead at four points each... Jan. 7th, Mortis the Cat soloed for two points on legendary fullback Bronco Nagurski... Next day, British comic actor Terry Thomas gathered an admiring group of Game greats and treated them to three guffaws; they included '89 top rookies Morituri te Salutamus, plus Perrimans Jr. & Sr., the Penguin, Scorpio, Winterkill and G. Reaper... Jan. 10th, Pontius soloed for two on Lyle Wheeler, the dean of Hollywood art directors and a five-time Oscar winner... Jan. 18th, kaboom, Binky Brown soloed for two on public servant Arthur J. Goldberg and took sole possession of the lead at six points!... Jan. 19th, D. Beach and Perry Mason entered the fray at five with their duet on sleazy guru Baghwan Shree Rajneesh. Same day, Demento Morte and the Penguin accessorized with two points each on Aldo Gucci. The Gucci hit lifted the Penguin into a tie for second at five with the Baghwan's disciples... Jan. 20th, G. Reaper led an audience of seven in scoring two on actress Barbara Stanwyck, and he too moved to five points... Jan. 22nd, Fire Ants scored a one-point solo on photographer and biologist Roman Vishniac... Jan. 25th, starlet Ava Gardner flickered out and five gamesters moved into the seats still warm from the Stanwyck retrospective; claiming her four and moving into a tie for first with Binky Brown at six points was Demento Morte!... Jan. 26th, social philosopher Lewis Mumford lavished one point each on Fire Ants, Deus ex Machina, the Moorebids, OPEC and Pontius... Jan. 28th, the Sick Puppies finally entered the scoring with a four-point solo ride on nine-time national rodeo champ Casey Tibbs.
February '90
February 16th, Deus ex Machina and G. Reaper took the lead at 12 points with a seven-pointer on artist Keith Haring; the leaders were closely followed by the Sick Puppies (11), Moorebids (10), OPEC (8), and entering the standings at seven points were Cala Vera, Razor, L. Smith, and -- scoring his first points in 453 days -- Ghostwriter... And then, the Game's Wild Weekend.
On Friday, Feb. 23rd, a death squad of 26 gamesters fired a four-gun salute of Jose Napoleon Duarte, former president of El Salvador. Rookies Those Madcap Borgias and El Chileno hit their Wild Cards, but calling the squad to 'Attention' was G. Reaper moving into sole possession of the lead at 16 points, followed closely by the Sick Puppies (15) and the Moorebids (14). Pontius scored on Duarte as well and soloed on the second hit of the day, WWII-hero Gen. James Gavin, for a Daily Double. Saturday, the action intensified. Three gamesters did wheelies from Club Nula on biker, publisher, party-giver Malcolm Forbes; raking in three points each were Silino & Co., E.C. Spiritutuo and Canadian rookie Fade to Black. Then Dr. Doux cried all the way up the scoring column with his solo on crooner Johnny Ray, the Prince of Wails, for four points. Next, baseball's Tony Conigliaro tripled in six runs for Mr. Goodvibes, T. & J. James and Razor, the latter moving into the lead at 17 points! Making it hit #4, the Fire Ants soloed on Italy's former president Sandro Pertini for one point. Rounding out the day, the weekend and the month with hit #5 were Razor, Legion of Doom, C. Stanley, Sal Monella and Vega Ring scoring three points each on "refusenik" geneticist David Goldfarb. When the dust cleared, Razor held the lead at 20 points, had scored three hits in two days, and hit the Conigliaro/Goldfarb Daily Double.
March '90
(March 6th was notable for what didn't happen. In his palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, despotic ruler Najibullah sat at a conference table when what to his wondering eyes should appear but a 1,200 lb. bomb coming through the ceiling, dropped by a mutinous jet pilot. Yes, it broke up the meeting and probably left a few dings on the table that even Lemon Pledge couldn't help. But Najibullah escaped from the room with his life. The Sick Puppies, winners of the Gran Prix for five straight years coming into 1990 but trailing now, saw six precious points slip through their trembling fingers.) .... Mar. 12th, Mr. Goodvibes and L. Smith scored four on Gene Klein, who sold the San Diego Chargers and went into thoroughbred racing where players don't talk back... Mar. 13th, M. Hamilton, SLY, and E.C. Spiritutuo scored two each on psychoanalyst Bruno Bettelheim... Mar. 15th, Morituri te Salutamus soloed for one on federal judge Harold Medina, who bore an uncanny resemblance to S. J. Perelman and Adolph Menju... Mar. 20th, the National Health booted a four-point solo past Soviet goalie Lev Yashin... Mar. 23rd, the Sick Puppies' data bank barked out An Wang, computer inventor and manufacturer, for a three-point solo, moving them to 18 and within two points of Razor... Mar. 26th, famed designer Halston dressed G. Reaper and Lincoln's Brain in shimmering black, and swept G. Reaper back into the lead at 21 points!... Mar. 30th, a salty D. Perriman Jr. soloed for two on Harry Bridges, founder of the longshoreman's union.
April '90
April 3rd, one jazzed Game statistician, the King of Pain, scored a sassy front-page, career first solo on 'The Divine One,' singer Sarah Vaughn, for four points. Of this milestone, he commented, "It feels great to get a solo. I don't care if it did take a generation of gamesters to do it."... Apr. 9th, Deus ex Machina soloed for three on humorist John Henry Faulk... Apr. 11th, Canadian rookie Fade to Black scored a two-point, career-first solo on a paragon of charm, Toronto Maple Leaf owner Harold Ballard, who took Queen Elizabeth's portrait out of Maple Leaf Gardens saying, "She never gave me anything." Ballard also called the head of the NHL a "know-nothing shrimp" and his own daughter "a reptile."... Apr. 15th, 21 gamesters were not alone in picking Gretta Garbo for two points each. It was the Game's first hit ever for Arkansas, as rookie Tim Ormortis left Club Nula with the sultry screen legend on his arm. Same day, the Legion of Doom soloed for three on U.S. Sen. Spark Matsunaga of Hawaii... Apr. 17th, seven gamesters received a four-point benediction from the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, and G. Reaper moved out to 25 points, with Deus ex Machina in hot pursuit at 21. Rookies Nick & Nora scored their first points ever on their #1 pick, obviously intent on taking them in alphabetical order... Apr. 21st, six gamesters led by Mr. Dit scored an elegant ace on designer Erté... Apr. 23rd, it was the first solo ever for rookie Dr. Tom(b), a trey on actress Paulette Goddard... Then shaboom, Apr. 25th, Mr. Goodvibes took a scorching solo on saxman Dexter Gordon for four points, responding to the telephoned news with the now immortal phrase, "Wow! Wow!"
May '90
May 1st, the Sick Puppies and the Morbo Chucks sang "O Duo Mio" with Sergio Franchi, scoring five points which propelled the Pups into second place at 23... May 6th, M. Hamilton said "Cheese" and scored a one-point solo on photographer Lotte Jacobi. Same day, D. Perriman Sr. and OPEC enjoyed a two-point rerun with "My Little Margie" actor Charles Farrell... May 7th, POW, the Legion of Doom soloed for six on Iran-Contra moneyman Carl "Spitz" Channell who died after playing the bonus pedestrian for a hit & run driver in Washington, DC... May 9th, the National Health soloed on British journalist Geoffrey Green for three points... May 12th, Soviet scholar Dr. Doornail said "Da!" to a two-point solo on Brezhnev ally Andrei Kirilenko... May 16th, after a media death watch that made us look restrained and tasteful, Sammy Davis Jr. took his last encore and 40 gamesters scored four points. G. Reaper moved to 29, followed closely by the Sick Puppies, Deus ex Machina, Razor and the oncoming Legion of Doom... May 18th, two days later, 37 gamesters scored five on actress Jill Ireland. G. Reaper moved to 34, followed by the same determined pack of gamesters. Scoring his Wild Card, for style reasons only apparently since the pick was already worth five, was Danse Macabre... May 22nd, the Sick Puppies soloed on boxer Rocky Graziano and planted the four points squarely on G. Reaper's kisser, stepping over his prone body on the canvas to move into first place at 36 points... May 25th, Dr. Doux soloed for four points on actor Vic Tayback, who looked like he'd been hit by Rocky Graziano.
June '90
June 2nd, J. Eby, Gomez, Perry Mason, The Penguin and SLY scored two each on actor Rex Harrison... June 21st, D. Perriman Jr. correctly predicted an earthquake in Iran with more than 5,000 deaths, and was awarded 10 points, leaping from 22 to 32.
July '90
July 4th, a patriotic Pontius lit the fuse under a four-point solo flare on Olive Ann Burns, author of Cold Sassy Tree... July 8th, Hollywood's favorite death detectives, Nick & Nora, dialed S for solo, their first, a trey on actor Howard Duff who played Sam Spade on the radio and went on to a fine film and TV career, often appearing with wife Ida Lupino... July 18th, D. Perriman Jr. led OPEC, Pontius and Fire Ants in an analytical ace on psychiatrist Karl Menninger.
August '90
August 9th, the National Health soloed on English football great Joe Mercer for three points... Aug. 17th, we heard the magical words, "This just in..." on CNN Headline News, and G. Reaper retook the lead with three points on singer Pearl Bailey, moving to 37, one point ahead of the Sick Puppies. Also scoring on Ms. Bailey were the King of Pain, the Penguin, Sweeny Todd, and Tim Ormortis... Aug. 18th, six gamesters scored two on behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner.
September '90
September 4th, seven gamesters led by D. Perriman Jr. scored two on actress Irene Dunne; Perriman Jr. pulled to within one point of the second place Sick Puppies and within two on the leading G. Reaper... Sept. 7th, style queen e. mcgrath soloed for two on British historian A.J.P. Taylor... Sept. 9th, Dr. Doornail, the National Health and Pontius scored seven each on Liberian dictator Samuel K. Doe who shouldn't have ventured outside his bunker... Sept. 13th, OPEC and Winterkill scored three on U.S. Rep. Samuel Stratton... Sept. 27th, Fire Ants soloed for one point on international patron of the arts, Seymour Knox.
October '90
October 1st, the Morbo Chucks and C. Stanley scored two each on Gen. Curtis LeMay, USAF commander and running mate of George Wallace... Oct. 11th, the Merry Little Breezes soloed for three on writer and critic Anatole Broyard... Oct. 14th, D. Perriman Jr. led a group of ten music lovers in a salute to Leonard Bernstein, took three points and the lead at 38, one point ahead of G. Reaper and two ahead of the Sick Puppies!... Oct. 20th, Deus ex Machina, Gomez, Ms. O'Ree and D. Perriman Sr., what a quartet, scored two on Joel McCrae, amiable leading man in Hollywood comedies and westerns... Next day, C. Stanley ordered the Wild Card Whip from gravel-voiced ice cream magnate Tom Carvel for five points, but was it a Wild Card Solo?! NO, as SLY stepped in for two points in toppings to Sweeney the dejected Stanley man.... Oct. 26th, CBS founder William S. Paley stopped broadcasting and 13 gamesters saw their sets go black for two. Within hours, Paley was joined in the departure lounge by band leader Xavier Cugat. Eighteen gamesters scored one on the fun-loving Latin, and five revelers broke into the Black Rock Rhumba with both hits. Leading the conga line was G. Reaper, back into the lead at 40 points! Paley pushed the Sick Puppies into a tie with Perriman Jr. at 38, but Perriman Jr. scored on Cugat to moved away again into second at 39... Oct. 31st, it was Style Time again for Dr. Doux, with a solo trey on Roger Price, zany host of some of TV's daffiest quiz shows.
November '90
November 2nd, Fire Ants scored a solo deuce on photographer Eliot Porter... Nov. 3rd, Razor led six in scoring three on musical star Mary Martin... Nov. 12th, Morituri te Salutamus soloed for three on Eve Arden of TV's "Our Miss Brooks"... Nov. 14th, G. Reaper and the National Health scored two on British journalist and social critic Malcolm Muggeridge; the deuce moved G. Reaper to 42 points, stretching his lead to three while challengers bellowed like Visagoths at his back... Leading the charge was Pontius astride Northern Dancer, the '64 Derby and Preakness winner and one of racing's top sires. Playing "Call to Post" and "Taps" on Nov. 16th, Pontius scored his 23rd career solo and 4th in '90, moving one point closer to the leaders who ever at their backs could hear Ponty's winged chariot drawing near... Nov. 24th, Razor strapped on his skates and flew across the black ice to solo on Fred Shero who led the Phillie Flyers to two Stanley Cups. The four points slid Razor into fourth place at 36, just two behind the Pups... Nov. 27th, Morituri te Salutamus scored their second TV solo of the month, this one for three on David White, who played Larry Tate, white-haired ad exec, on TV's "Bewitched"... Nov. 30th, P. & E. Hepner, Ms. O'Ree and the Penguin scored three on author Norman Cousins.
December '90
December 2nd, scoring opened with a fanfare for an uncommon man, composer Aaron Copland. At the top, G. Reaper (43), D. Perriman Jr. (40) and Deus ex Machina (33) scored the ace to advance, while J. Eby and Sal Monella went Wild for five... Same day, four lists chorused "Love That Bob" as affable TV photog Bob Cummings went into the Big Darkroom. Developing two points were the Sick Puppies, tying Perriman Jr. at 40, along with T. & J. James, the Moorebids, and Scorpio going for a Copeland/Cummings Daily Double... Dec. 6th, Morituri te Salutamus, the Moorebids and OPEC scored three each on judge Hortense Gabel... Dec. 7th, Fire Ants scored a one-point solo on football coach Ralph "Mac" McKinzie, the 16th solo of their career and their 5th in '90... Dec. 10th, 30 gamesters led by G. Reaper scored one on billionaire Armand Hammer; the Reaper moved to 44 points, inching away from Perriman and the Pups. Going Wild for five points: Tim Ormortis... Dec. 31st, Mr. Goodvibes saved his best for last, a three-point, through-the-uprights solo on football coach George Allen, at the wire. His 1991 list had already been turned in, without Allen. What confidence!
And so it ended, with G. Reaper winning the Gran Prix (44 points) and the Perriman Pennant (14 hits) -- finally breaking the Sick Puppies' hold in the Gran Prix which they had won for five years in a row -- L. Smith the Reaper Ribbon for High QPA (4.80), Fire Ants Clete's Cup (1.27) for the fifth year in a row, Cala Vera Rookie of the Year, and The National Health Doc's Diploma for Class List in spite of strong style showings by Dr. Doux, the Sick Puppies, Mr. Goodvibes, Dr. Doornail, C. Stanley, Morituri te Salutamus, Razor and the King of Pain. Wow, what a year!
Let's look at the Top Ten for 1990.
Take me on to 1991.
Take me back to Play-by-Play.