1997 Play-by-Play
January
Jan. 4th, 45 tallied two on Harry Helmsley. It would have been 46, but the list of Lincoln's Brain was postmarked two days after Helmsley died, thus giving us a handsome subject for next year's Promptness Poster... Next day, Schrodinger's Cat ventured out on his own with a two-point solo on composer Burton Lane... Jan. 9th, Razor took the lead at 3 & 1 with a solo on actor Jesse White, but the next day, eight scored two on actor Sheldon Leonard and jumbled the standings. Taking the lead at 4 & 2 were Dead Ernest, Fire Ants, Gamesters of Triskelion and Nanny's Dream Team... Jan. 14th, Razor regained the lead at 6 & 2 as he led 44 in a three-pointer on Colts owner Robert Irsay... Next day, Fire Ants scored career solo #20 (!) on Hope Brock, the last of nation's oldest triplets. The ace moved her to 5 & 3... Jan. 17th, seven went into space for an ace on Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto (the planet, not the actor). Joining Razor in the lead at six were the ACME Undertakers.... Next day, Jan. 18th, 65 tallied five on good guy politican Paul Tsongas. Razor and the ACME Undertakers led the way, moving to 11, but the lads from ACME had four hits, and were now poised to set a stunning new Silver Bobcat land speed record IF they could bag a hit in the next eight days. Same day, a new threat arose as the Bury Pranksters and Frozen Stiff sang a four-point duet on the Lyric Opera of Chicago's Ardis Krainik. Frozen Stiff bagged the Tsongas/Krainik Daily Double for hits 3 & 4, and took the lead at 14 points!... Jan. 19th, the hit was there but not for the leaders as five gamesters scored three on poet James Dickey... Jan. 20th, The Sick Puppies, Dinner with Jack Klugman and Mr. Bastard scored five each on baseball's first free agent, Curt Flood. Same day, five tallied one on Edith Haisman, the oldest survivor of the Titanic. Joining the crowd at four hits were Fire Ants and Body Parts, now with just six days to go to set a new record... Jan. 21st, manager Col. Tom Parker was reunited with Elvis and booked two points for 11, but none with four hits... On Jan. 25th, Helena Handbasket, U. R. Dust, Mullen's Revenge and Necrophiliac Pimp correctly predicted the death of prediction queen Jeane Dixon for three points and lots of compliments... Jan. 27th, the day to tie the Dr. Doux's Silver Bobcat record arrived, but only Humorbid could summon a hit, a one-point solo on Gerald Marks, composer of "All of Me," who requested that he be cremated and the urn decorated with his song title.
February '97
February 1st, 44 lined up along the Golden Gate to lift Vitamin V martinis in farewell to Herb Caen, the Bard of Baghdad by the Bay. Two had hit #5 and grabbed the Silver Bobcat -- Frozen Stiff, Wild Carding for five points and moving to 19 & 5, and Body Parts, taking the deuce and moving to 12 & 5. Also hitting their Wild Cards were Razor, moving into second at 16 & 4, and Women with Spurs.
Feb. 3rd, Yule Iggy had a solo for two on Bohumil Hrabal, grand old man of Czech literature, who leaned out of a fifth floor window to feed birds and plunged to his death. A novel departure, and a feather in Iggy's cap... Feb. 5th, rookie Shovellin' Off scored a three-point solo on party girl Pamela Harriman, who died after a swim at the Ritz in Paris. What style for both... The next day, four scored three on voiceover legend Ernie Anderson -- Boneyard Dog, Clean Underwear, Daisy Pusher and Skulls Away... Feb. 12th, Dr. Doornail soloed for six on Gay Rights activist Tom Stoddard and moved into a tie for 7th place at 11 & 2... Next day, Tim Ormortis scored career solo #13 on physicist Robert Herman for two points... Feb. 18th, Tiananmen Square filled with 93 gamesters paying their respects to Deng Xiaoping, who was by Chinese calculations 93 years old. What a coincidence! Frozen Stiff advanced to 20 points and held the lead but the Sick Puppies made a big move into second at 18 by being one of 11 to Wild Card. Scoring career Wild Card #8 and taking the lead in that category was our paramount leader D. Perriman Jr. ... Feb. 22nd, four tallied four on teachers' union head Albert Shanker. Moving up were Club Dead, Dr. Tom(b), Schrodinger's Cat and Yo! Rick!... Feb. 24th, Sir Stiff received six for a solo on Noel Earley, advocate of assisted suicide, who died before he could take his own life... Feb. 26th, all heads swiveled to Sweeney Todd as he motored out of Club Nula with a solo deuce on Nuccio Bertone, designer of classic sports cars.
March '97
Mar. 3rd, Humorbid tabbed his second solo of 1997 with an ace on Peng Zhen, former leader of the Chinese People's Congress. (Or so it appeared at the moment; in a stunning development, Peng Zhen was reported to have died again later in the year.)... Same day, Perry Mason and L. Smith picked six on activist Judi Bari, leader of Earth First! who survived a 1990 car bombing she blamed on the FBI. The hit moved Mason into a tie for third with Razor at 16 , four off the lead... However, Frozen Stiff donned squeaky sneaks to join Pushing Up Prozac and Terminally Inconvenienced for a five-point play on Indiana Pacers star Roger Brown. The hit skyhooked Mr. Frostie up to 25 & 7, and bounced the Termites into the Top Ten at 15 & 4... Mar. 6th, Perry Mason, led seven in scoring a reggae three on former Jamaican PM Michael Manley. The hit moved the battling barrister into sole possession of second at 19... Same day, Johnny B. Dead donned knickers to play a solo round and tap in golf legend Ed Furgol for an eagle three, the first solo of his career... Mar. 7th, the Mellow Gnomas, Helena Handbasket and M. Hamilton lathered up with a two-pointer on Dr. Emanuel Bronner, creator of liquid peppermint soap... Mar. 9th, shades of Tupac! Two more tasted the street wine of success with eight HUGE points on 280-lb. rapper Biggie Smalls, aka Notorious B.I.G., boosted into the hereafter by a gunman. Signifying their foresight were the aptly named 2 Dead Crew, and P. & E. Hepner... Next day, D. Perriman Jr. and Sal Monella took the stage with La Vern Baker in a R&B trio for four points... Mar. 14th, Cassandra Bob, Clean Underwear, Mac and Tim Ormortis attended a wrap party with "From Here to Eternity" director Fred Zinneman and picked up the two-point door prize... Mar. 19th, 19 said, "Let's get a little crazy and abstract and change American art," and did with an ace on Willem De Kooning. Leading were D. Perriman Jr. and Silver Tapps, raising the ante for the Top Ten to 14. Lives in Jeopardy had the pick as well, tying them with Fire Ants at 7 & 5, and the next day both had essayist and short story writer V. S. Pritchett for one point, moving to 8 & 6 with a 1.33 QPA and the lead in the Clete's Cup race. Also scoring, Nanny's Dream Team and Syd Lexic... Mar. 24th, Club Dead sang an a cappella "If You Don't Know Me By Now" as he joined Razor in a tie for fourth at 16 with his five-point solo on Harold Melvin of the Blue Notes... Mar. 26th, Mac soloed for one on news publisher Nina Mason Pulliam.
April '97
April 1st, D. Perriman Jr. and Wilde & Shaw said "April Fools!" to one another's solo hopes as they scored one on Jolie Gabor, glamorous yet practical matriarch of the Gabor family... Apr. 4th, rookie Necro Wafers tallied one on their first solo, Lawrence Appley, management guru... Apr. 5th, nine led by Gratefully Dead scored three on poet Allen Ginsberg... Apr. 6th, Gratefully Dead was back as one of 26 who scored two on Jack Kent Cooke, but it was the Sick Puppies leading the way and moving into second at 20... Apr. 9th, the King of Pain raised a mournful solo for two on blues mandolin great Yank Rachel... Apr. 22nd in Peru, Nestor Cerpa and his Tupac Amaru team met for indoor soccer, unaware that referee Alberto Fujimori was on the sidelines with a stack of red cards. Scoring on Cerpa and leading nine in chants of "Six more points!" was Frozen Stiff, rising to 31 & 8, and holding the lead in every category. Also, Body Parts moved into a tie for third with Perry Mason at 19 and Worm Feast tied Gratefully Dead at 17... Apr. 24th, C. Stanley led four in honoring Presidential hopeful Pat Paulsen for four... Apr. 27th, news services again reported the death of Peng Zhen. Having already awarded the solo to Humorbid on Mar. 3rd, we did not award it again... Apr. 28th, the Gamesters of Triskelion scored career solo #7 on writer Ann Petry, for two.
May '97
On May 2nd, the Bury Pranksters scored the first solo of their career with a trey on Brazilian literacy pioneer Paulo Freire... On May 9th, Breathless jumped into the Top Ten at 16 and led six more Husker fans over the hash marks with a deuce on coach Bob Devaney... May 11th, Of Corpse soloed for two on art collector Marie Neuberger... On May 20th, Dr. Doornail and M. Hamilton had a duet for three on former Colombian president Virgilio Barco... On May 26th, the Bury Pranksters tallied year and career solo #2 with a four-pointer on the Rev. William Cunningham,whose efforts on behalf of the poor were a national model. The hit lofted them into the Top Ten at 16. Same day, Dee Ceased and Lives in Jeopardy tallied one on Ralph Horween, 100, oldest surviving NFL player. For Lives in Jeopardy the ace meant the lead in the Clete's Cup race, as they lowered their QPA to a 1.29, edging southwards of Fire Ants by .04.
June '97
June 2nd, seven played taps for horn man Doc Cheatham, including Fire Ants who used that one point to re-tie Lives in Jeopardy for the Clete's Cup lead at 1.29... Then the action was in Club Nula where Dante Inferno and Dead On packed up after scoring three on announcer Dennis James. Next day, six played air guitar for Ronnie Lane of the Small Faces. Scoring five were Perry Mason, moving to 24 and second, Worm Feast to 22 and third, Razor to 21 and fourth, and Dr. Tom(b) to 18 and seventh. Also in tune, Boneyard Dog and Mr. Goodvibes... June 6th, Chapter E soloed for three on NBC sports producer Ted Nathanson... June 7th, Breathless and Yo! Rick! scored three on psychologist Stanley Schachter; the trey moved Breathless up to 19 and a tie for sixth... June 10th, Sir Stiff tallied a four-point singleton on Son Sen, henchman of Pol Pot, snuffed with his entire family. The hit moved Sir Stiff to 14 & 5... June 14th, Mac tallied solo #2 on actor Richard Jaeckel and moved into the Perriman Pennant lead and the Top Ten at 18 & 9, tied with Dr. Tom(b) for seventh... June 16th, seven carded six on caddie Jeff "Squeeky" Medlen. The Sick Puppies swung back into second, now just five away from the lead at 26, with Breathless hot on their tails at 25, and Johnny B. Dead and Dinner with Jack Klugman checking into the Top Ten at 19... June 19th, Passing Fancy scored a great four-point solo on Bobby Helms, whose '57 "Jingle Bell Rock" is a ubiquitous holiday classic... June 21st, Tokyo's 9-Jack-9 snared his first ever WILD CARD SOLO, on Japanese movie actor Shintaro Katsu who played "Zatoichi," masseur, swordsman and gambler. Also, Better Late Than Never scored their first Wild Card ever on Mexican labor boss Fidel Velázquez. Joining the BLT's for the one-point version were Humorbid, Lives in Jeopardy and Tim Ormortis. In the Clete's Cup race, Lives in Jeopardy took the lead with a 1.25 QPA, Fire Ants fell to second at 1.29 and Humorbid closed at 1.33... June 24th, Iron Maiden scored a sudden three-point solo on actor Brian Keith. Same day, 35 donned wet suits and fathomed Jacques Cousteau for two. Rising from the depths of Club Nula were Cala Vera, Coffin Counter, rookies Pari Nirvana, and We "B" Gone. Closer to the surface, Deadnecks bubbled up into the Top Ten at 19 & 6 and dunked Mac and Dr. Tom(b) down to #11... June 26th, Frozen Stiff responded to the pitter patter of Pups' paws by leading 11 in a four-point hit on Archbishop Thomas Murphy. The hit moved him up to 35 & 9, and also lifted Nostradahmer into the Top Ten at 19 & 5. Same day, Mac returned to the Top Ten at 20 and the Perriman Pennant lead at 10 hits with a leaping two-point catch on NFL star receiver Don Hutson. Also there: U 2 Brutus.. (In March 1998, Moss sent an obit to verify a seven-point solo on Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, aka Bruddah Iz, award-winning recording artist. The hit took place on June 26, 1997, and qualified for Career Credit.)... June 29th, The Great Beyond, Ms. O'Ree and m. i. blue scored four on William Hickey, the raspy voiced don in "Prizzi's Honor."
July '97
July opened with: 1) Pushing Up Prozac tallying a solo deuce on Charles Werner, Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, and 2) 18 scoring three on Robert Mitchum (who would have dropped to two points in a few weeks). Leading, Perry Mason, himself a handsome tough guy, into second, and Mac with hit #11, followed closely by Deadnecks, the rising young stars from Arkansas... Next day, July 2nd, 122 gamesters -- a new mark eclipsing George Burns' 120 -- scored two on James Stewart. Perriman Pennant leader Mac led the way with hit #12 followed closely by Deadnecks, rising ever higher in the Top Ten. Going Wild: The Banshee, Coffin Counter, Cala Vera, Gamesters of Triskelion, Mr. Dit and OPEC. For Pontius, it was Career Hit #200 at long last. The Clete's Cup race flip-flopped; new leader Humorbid abstained to stand pat at 1.33, while Fire Ants picked up two on Stewart, rising to 1.38, and Lives in Jeopardy ballooned up to 1.50 with both Mitchum and Stewart.
Next day, July 3rd, Mr. Goodvibes and Toe Tag scored four each on blues guitarist Johnny Copeland. Toe Tag's hit was their third in three consecutive days, a feat wrought just once before, by D. Perriman Jr. on May 28, 29 & 30, 1994.
July 4th, 14 scored four on TV's Charles Kuralt. On the road, Mr. Goodvibes vaulted into the Top Ten in monster fashion at 23 & 6, followed by the ACME Undertakers moving up to 22 & 9... July 7th, rookie Morty Morte scored his debut solo with two on sportscaster Jerry Doggett.
And then, artistry: On July 15th, Skul scored a five-point, breathtaking, out-of-the-blue Front Page Solo on fashion king Gianni Versace, shot dead at his front door by spree killer Andrew Cunanan. We've had assassinations, mob hits, gangsta' tit-for-tats, drug shoot-outs and suicides, but never, ever a totally unexpected celebrity murder.
July 16th, M. Hamilton scored her Wild Card on Picasso muse Dora Maar, but saw her Wild Card Solo aspirations Sweenied by Alibi, who claimed the more pedestrian two points... July 17th, The Sick Puppies battled back with a four-point solo on Arthur Liman, lawyer who investigated the Iran Contra Affair. Back to second at 30, the Pups were just five off Frozen Stiff... July 24th, Supreme Court Justice William Brennan was called to a higher bench and 39 gamesters rapped their gavels. Up in the Top Ten were Breathless to 26, Deadnecks to 25 and Mr. Goodvibes to 24. In the Perriman Pennant race, Lives in Jeopardy notched hit #11 and moved to within one of Mac. And in the Clete's Cup race, all three leaders slimmed with the ace, Humorbid down to 1.29, Fire Ants to 1.33 and Lives in Jeopardy to 1.45... Next day, July 25th, 23 teed off with Ben Hogan for two points. Leading the way, Worm Feast, who rose to 24 points with Johnny B. Dead hot on his heels at 23, and Terminally Inconvenienced who moved to 22, raising the Top Ten ante and bumping out everyone who had been tied for the #10 spot at 21... July 31st, regal C. Stanley soloed on the last Emperor of Vietnam, hunter and playboy Bao Dai, for two points and a stack of tiger pelts.
August '97
August 2nd, Boneyard Dog led 24 in a deuce on author William S. Burroughs. The points moved Boneyard into the Top Ten and bumped out Terminally Inc. and ACME Undertakers... Two days later, Boneyard got bounced in the same way as 34 doffed their berets for Jeanne Calment, the oldest woman in the world, dead at 122. Frozen Stiff led, taking the ace to move one point higher in the lead at 36, but hot on his heels were Deadnecks, who Wild Carded to move to 30, tied with the Pups who did not need this added distraction. Three points back, Breathless used the ace to rise to 27 and a tie with Perry Mason, just ahead of Pushing Up Prozac who used their Wild Card to rise to 26. And Sir Stiff rose to 24 with his Wild Card. Plus, Lives in Jeopardy used the hit to tie Mac in the Perriman Pennant race at 12 hits. Plus, L. Smith became only the second to score an eighth Wild Card, joining D. Perriman Jr. And in the Clete's Cup race, non-starter Humorbid held at 1.29 but Fire Ants boogied down to 1.3 and Last Gasp leapt in at 1.4... Aug. 10th, Dead Ernest and Necro Wafers scored two on composer Conlon Nancarrow. It was hit #5 for the Wafers and popped them into the Clete's Cup race at 1.4... Aug. 26th, nine led by Frozen Stiff tallied three on right-to-die advocate Janet Good. Moving to 39 & 11, Mr. Frostie stretched his lead to nine over the tied-for-second Sick Puppies and Deadnecks, and drew within one hit of the Perriman Pennant lead as well. And wafting into the Top Ten at 24 & 10, The Merry Little Breezes caught her breath after her exhausting 1996 19-hit effort. In the Clete's Cup race, the three points ballooned Humorbid up to 1.5, handing the lead back to the Fire Ants at 1.3.
August closed in stunning fashion. On the 31st, Harris Tweed soloed on Diana, Princess of Wales, the Front Page Solo to eclipse all Front Page Solos. Skulls Away called it "the hit of the decade."
September '97
September 2nd, nine led by the Merry Little Breezes scored one on opera titan Rudolf Bing. The ace lifted the Breezes' hits to 11, just one off the Pennant pace. Same day, Women with Spurs soloed on Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl for one... Sept. 5th, Mother Teresa blessed 136 (yet another new Game record) led by Frozen Stiff, who rose to 41 & 12, and Deadnecks who took second at 32, dropping the defending champ Sick Puppies to third where they must have felt like they were being nibbled to death by ducks. 100 scored two, and Wild Cards were on tap for 36, including the ACME Undertakers who jumped into sixth at 28, Body Parts who entered the Top Ten at 26, and SLY who scored career Wild Card #8. Mac and Lives in Jeopardy both had the hit to hold the Perriman Pennant lead at 13 hits. Same day, Sir George Solti tapped nine with his baton; all scored two, and five had the Daily Double: Danse Macabre, Dead Ernest, M. Hamilton, Uncle Milton and Willie's Will... Sept. 7th, Zaire's Mobutu Sese Seko formed a presidential guard of 61 led by Frozen Stiff, moving to 45 with an 11-point lead over the Sick Puppies who also made the four-point call and returned to second as the Deadnecks whiffed. Mac and Lives in Jeopardy also passed, and allowed Frozen Stiff and the Merry Little Breezes to tie them for the Perriman Pennant lead at 13 hits... Sept. 9th, the Merry Little Breezes, hotter than a muffin in the oven, rose into a tie for third at 33 as she led 44 in a deuce on Burgess Meredith. Mac also tallied and the two shared the new Perriman Pennant lead at 14 hits. The hit also lifted two of the last four Club Nula members - Morituri te Salutamus with their "DC Comics List" (Meredith played Penguin in "Batman") and Men of Steel into the ranks of the scoring, leaving only Gentlynowtaps (with two picks in Critical Condition so far) and Canada Dry Bones in the running for the Buffalo Cup... On Sept. 17th, the ACME Undertakers led 28 in a farewell to comic Red Skelton. This moved the ACME team to 34 & 13, and a tie for second with the Sick Puppies, who wondered who next would tug at their ears... Sept. 19th, five scored five on media CEO Kathy Keeton, and the winners were: The Sick Puppies, moving back into sole control of second at 37, just six below Frozen Stiff; Deadnecks, the rising young stars from Arkansas, following at 37; Flatliners, entering the Top Ten at 29, in a precarious four-way tie for the #10 spot; Dr. Doornail with his fifth hit, striding onto the Game stage ripped, oiled and massive with a beefy 4.60 QPA; and the Legion of Doom. Same day, Ghostwriter and Pontius scored six each on Lloyd Healey, who built and drove the world's fastest electric car... Sept. 21st, The Sick Puppies soloed for four on Herbert X. Blyden, spokesman of the Attica revolt and long-time advocate of prison reform. The hit moved them to 43 & 10, within two of the leading Frozen Stiff. Same day, The Banshee hit her first solo ever, for three on William Pierce, silver-toned voice of the Boston Symphony and WGBH TV & radio... Sept. 22nd, The National Health hit his 42nd career solo, the new record, and this one was a WILD CARD SOLO, the second of his career, the first coming in 1982; it was a long wait for Viscount Tonypandy, former speaker of the House of Commons... Next day, The Bury Pranksters soloed on football great Abe Gibron for three, vaulting to 30 and a two-way tie for ninth, and bumping four out of the Top Ten, including the Flatliners who had only been there for four days. Ouch! The hit was the Pranksters' third solo, giving them the lead in that category in 1997... Whoa, Sept. 29th, the red hot Bury Pranksters had another hit to move into a four-way tie for fifth at 33. The subject was Pop Art icon Roy Lichtenstein. Also picking up three: white hot Sweeney Todd, who, on October 1st, soloed on America's foremost inventor, Jerome Lemelson, for three more. But not before Frank Merriwell, the Game's plucky boy hero, soloed for three on Sept. 30th on legendary D.J. Al "Jazzbo" Collins who broadcast from the imaginary Purple Grotto.
October '97
October 5th, Humorbid and Last Gasp sang a tasteful "Pennies from Heaven" for Arthur Tracey and one point... One week later, something else fell from the sky and it was John Denver. Scoring five points each on the plane crash were the Hexters, Mr. Dit and Yule Iggy. (If you'll recall, Yule Iggy soloed in February on a Czech author who fell from a fifth-story window. What a strange recurring motif!)... Oct. 15th, Rig R. Mortis and Wilde & Shaw scored two each on author Harold Robbins... Oct. 16th, The Merry Little Breezes led 31 gamesters in an ace on author James Michener. In the crowded Top Ten, that one point was enough to lift the Breezes into a tie for fourth with the ACME Undertakers at 34. Back at 30, Mac and Toe Tag moved into a tie for tenth, and in the Perriman Pennant race, the leading Merry Little Breezes and Mac remained tied, now at 15 hits... Oct. 18th, The Sick Puppies turned Frozen Stiff's former 11-point lead into a distant summer memory as they soloed on pioneering TV newswoman Nancy Dickerson for three and took the lead at 46, one ahead of the becalmed Mr. Frostie. It was the Pup's 28th career solo and their third of '97, for 11 solo points since July.
November '97
November 3rd, Frozen Stiff came roaring back into the lead with a solo on newsman Wally Bruner for four, rising to 49... Nov. 12th, Tim Ormortis and Mr. Dit tallied two each on publisher James Laughlin. The hit lofted Mr. Dit into the Top Ten at the very crowded #10 spot... Nov. 14th, Blunt Instrument, Chapter E, the great, great Morbo Chucks, Ms. O'Ree, Syd Lexic, We Killed McKinley and Willie's Will brought home Eddie Arcaro, two-time Triple Crown jockey, for two each. Same day, Humorbid soloed for one on photojournalism pioneer Stefan Lorant, his third singleton of the year... Nov. 16th, The Sick Puppies clawed their way back to tie it all up with Frozen Stiff at 49-49 thanks to three points on French Communist leader Georges Marchais. Also scoring three: Santiago's own El Chileno... Same day, the great, great Morbo Chucks stormed onto the Game diamond with a three-point solo on baseball's Russ "Mad Monk" Meyer, known as much for his temper as for his fastball... Nov. 21st, Helena Handbasket scored a two-point solo on former ITT chairman Harold Geneen... Nov. 25th, 10 gamesters aced Malawi's former President for Life, Kamuzu Hastings Banda. Humorbid moved to within one hit of the Perriman Pennant leaders at 14; Fire Ants tightened her grip on Clete's Cup at 1.33; but it was Gamester #11, England's The Virtual Sexton, who went Wild and picked up five big points and his first Wild Card ever... Nov. 26th, Body Parts, Lives in Jeopardy and the Mellow Gnomas scored one each on author Marguerite Henry. The ace moved Body Parts to 31 and sole possession of the #10 spot, bumping out Toe Tag, Mac and Mr. Dit at 30. And it was hit #14 for Lives in Jeopardy, threatening Perriman Pennant leaders Mac and the Merry Little Breezes at 15 hits... Nov. 29th, whoa, Frozen Stiff led the way on pioneering Mayor Coleman Young for three points, retaking sole possession of the lead. Just behind, the Merry Little Breezes and Mac raised the Perriman Pennant ante to 16 hits, and Mac moved back into the Top Ten at 33, bumping out Body Parts who had bumped him out three days earlier.
December '97
December 1st, Deadnecks led six fans of the jazz violin in a hit on Stephane Grapelli. The two points lifted Deadnecks back into sole possession of third place at 39 points. Wild Carding for five were the rookie Necro Wafers... Dec. 3rd, Lives in Jeopardy soloed for three on former Massachusetts governor Endicott Peabody. This was hit #15, and moved them within one of the Perriman Pennant pace-setters... December 18th, after a 15-day lull, Rig R. Mortis led 11 gamesters in a booming seven-point hit on comic actor Chris Farley. The lucky seven vaulted the Big Rigs into the Top Ten at 33 points, pushing out Pushing Up Prozac, and swelled Yule Iggy's QPA to a muscular 4.17... Dec. 19th, La Petite Morte and Penguin scored two each on SONY co-founder Masaru Ibuka... Whoa! Dec. 20th, Mouldering Playmate scores her first solo ever, an ace on consumer advocate Esther Peterson (unit pricing, nutritional labeling, et al) and then KABOOM four scored five on Hollywood studio head Dawn Steel. Rising to within one point of the Top Ten were the Depopulators moving to 32, plus Club Dead (in the #2 QPA spot behind Dr. Doornail), celebrity maven The Great Beyond and longshot-lover 2 Dead Crew... Dec. 25th, The Great Beyond soloed for three on character actor Denver Pyle. It is the second Stocking Stuffer of his distinguished career, and the Game's first-ever solo Stocking Stuffer... Dec. 27th, Doom Patrol and Persephone scored a sudden seven points each as Billy Wright, Protestant paramilitary leader, was slain inside Northern Ireland's top-security Maze prison by Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) members... Dec. 31st, at the wire, Vega Ring soloed for one on silent film star Billie Dove... and that was the end of the scoring.
Final Top Ten
Frozen Stiff 52 & 15 Sick Puppies 49 & 12 Deadnecks 39 & 13 Merry Little Breezes 37 & 16 ACME Undertakers 34 & 13 Breathless 33 & 12 Bury Pranksters 33 & 11 Mac 33 & 16 Perry Mason 33 & 9 Rig R. Mortis 33 & 13The Gran Prix - Frozen Stiff
The Sick Puppies staged a remarkable rally to tie Frozen Stiff at 49-49 late in the season, but Mr. & Ms. Frostie came back on November 29th with one more hit to rise to 52 points, and the exhausted Pups could do no more.
The Perriman Pennant -
Mac & The Merry Little Breezes
The Merry Little Breezes scored 19 hits in 1996, but was turned away from her first Perriman Pennant by The Sick Puppies. This year, however, she held on at 16 hits to take her first flag. Joining her was Mac. Both just bested Frozen Stiff and Lives in Jeopardy who finished with 15 hits.
Rookie of the Year - Schrodinger's Cat
This year's leading rookie, Schrodinger's Cat, finished with 26 points, 10 hits and a nice solo on composer Burton Lane. Honorable Mention goes to Our American Cousin at 23 & 9, making a game effort in their debut season.
Doc's Diploma for Class List - Yule Iggy
Yule Iggy began the year with a solo on author Bohumil Hrabal falling out of a window while trying to feed birds, complemented that hit with John Denver falling out of the sky over Monterey Bay, then capped his year with Chris Farley falling over. He sported a pumped-up 4.17 QPA and showed style all the way.
The Silver Bobcat - Body Parts & Frozen Stiff
Body Parts and Frozen Stiff got to five hits by varied paths but arrived the same day with Herb Caen's death, February 1st. Frozen Stiff's five included a Daily Double for #3 and #4, and a Wild Card for #5.
Reaper Ribbon for High QPA - Dr. Doornail
It was a no-nonsense year of power for Dr. Doornail, who pegged a 4.6 QPA with his fifth hit and then stood pat to take the Reaper Ribbon and cover himself in glory. It was his third High QPA, joining successful efforts in 1989 and 1992.
Clete's Cup for Low QPA - Fire Ants
The Fire Ants endured many challenges this year, saw the pendulum swing their way and away, but finally put it away with 12 hits (matching The Sick Puppies) but just 16 points for a low, low 1.33 QPA and the ninth Clete's Cup of their career.
The Buffalo Cup - Canada Dry Bones & Gentlynowtaps
You can figure Canada Dry Bones to go scoreless, because Canadians rarely die, and then only when they've spent time in the U.S. But rookie Gentlynowtaps had a list filled with picks on the edge, none of whom would drop. For a perfect season, they both share The Buffalo Cup.
Hit of the Year - Harris Tweed on Princess Diana
After Skul soloed on murder victim Gianni Versace, most people thought this prize was locked up. But Harris Tweed pulled out what Skulls Away referred to as "the hit of the decade," a sudden solo on Princess Diana, the most famous woman in the world. It was a hit Harris Tweed didn't want, but an extraordinary prediction nonetheless.
Let's look at the Top Ten for 1997.
Take me on to 1998.
Take me back to Play-by-Play.