2000 Play-by-Play

January

January 2nd, 11 gamesters scored three on Admiral Elmo Zumwalt. Taking their position in the Top Ten were Alibi, Dr. Tom(b), Frozen Stiff, Memento Mori, the Merry Little Breezes, Ms. O'Ree, Passing Fancy, Perry Mason, the Sick Puppies, Stonesdoug and Uncle Milton. Later that same day, Boneyard Dog, Club Dead and Sir Stiff took the lead with four points on Jazz Hall of Famer Nat Adderley. Same day, Sweeney Todd and rookie William Randolph Hearse scored two on sea story author Patrick O'Brian... Jan. 4th, Boneyard Dog soloed for three points on NFL Hall of Famer Tom Fears, who holds the record for receptions in one game (18). The trey propelled Boneyard Dog into the lead at 7 & 2... Jan. 8th, M. Hamilton soloed for three on conservative newspaper publisher Nackey Loeb... Jan. 11th, Bambi, Dinner with Jack Klugman and Isadora scored three on Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Lemon, and entered the Top Ten... Jan. 12th, Gashlycrumb Tinies soloed for two on Marc Davis, Disney animator who created Cinderella, Tinker Bell, Bambi, Thumper, Sleeping Beauty and Cruella De Vil... Jan. 18th, Manolete and Truck Savage each scored one on actor, singer and choral arranger Jester Hairston... Jan. 19th, El Chileno and Dr. Doornail scored four on Italy's exiled PM Bettino Craxi and moved into second place at four points. Same day, 17 led by the Gashlycrumb Tinies scored two on actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr. The hit also moved the Tinies into the five-way tie for second place. Same day, Humorbid soloed for one on energetic environmentalist Hazel Wolf who was born in the 19th century, fought for suffrage, and helped to establish 21 Audubon Society chapters in the Pacific Northwest. It was career solo #11 for Humorbid... Jan. 22nd, Dr. Tom(b) took the lead at 8 & 2 with a Wild Card on Jean MacArthur, winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, socialite, philanthropist and widow of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Was it a Wild Card Solo?? NO. Sweenied he was by D. Perriman Jr. who was there for one point. Ouch. Same day, the National Health soloed for one on E. W. Swanton, cricket commentator and author of 23 books. It was career solo #47 for the extraordinary Master of Singularity... Jan. 23rd, rookie L. Epstein, Japan's 9-Jack-9, Our American Cousin and Rolland Craps scored one point on Japan's famed Kin Narita, 107-year-old twin sister of Gin Kanie, Guinness Book favorite and household word (as "Kin-san") in Japan... Jan. 25th, rookie L. Epstein soloed for one on former Sen. Carl Curtis, for his second hit of the week and first career solo... Jan. 26th, L. Epstein (a rookie on fire) soloed on children's book author Kathleen Hale for his third tally of 2000 and second solo! Same day, 28 gamesters led by Dr. Tom(b) scored two on tennis legend Don Budge. Dr. Tom(b) held the lead at 10 & 3, followed by Boneyard Dog at 9 & 3, while 1999 Rookie of the Year Manolete and veteran Moss went absolutely Wild for five points... Jan. 26th, rookies Dark Carnival and Silk Shroud debuted in the Game with two points on sci-fi author A. E. Van Vogt.

February '00

February 1st, Ms. O'Ree soloed for three on Art Hoppe, whose San Francisco Chronicle column appeared in more than 100 newspapers. A writer of "tremendous civility and grace," Hoppe mirrored the qualities that have made Ms. O'Ree such a gift to the Game. This was her fourth career solo and lifted her into a tie for third place... Feb. 3rd, the Sick Puppies likewise soloed into third with a trey on former Attorney General Richard Kleindienst. It was career solo #32 for the amazing Pups... Feb. 4th, Isadora led 18 gamesters in an ace on Carl Albert, former Speaker of the House. The hit moved her to 6 & 3, and into contention for the Silver Bobcat... Feb. 6th, Frozen Stiff soloed for five on Jack Scott, writer and critic of the U.S. athletic experience who was swept into the Patty Hearst saga. The solo tied Mr. Frostie for the lead with Dr. Tom(b) at 10 points, and put him in contention for the Silver Bobcat, yet again... Feb. 7th, 2 Dead Crew shot into third place at 8 & 1 with his first solo ever, an eight-point punisher on gigantic rapper Big Pun aka Christopher Rios. Whoa! Same day, Canada Dry Bones soloed for five on magician Doug Henning and entered the Top Ten, an event as rare as a total eclipse... Feb. 9th, the Dada Sisters soloed for three on boxer Beau Jack, lightweight champ in the 1940s and holder of the record for most main event fights (21) at Madison Square Garden. The hit, their first of 2000, was career solo #8 for the elegant, erudite and eclectic Team Dada... Feb. 10th, Dr. Tom(b) led 10 gamesters in scoring five on "Ernest" actor Jim Varney. He held the lead, but was threatened by the Sick Puppies moving into second place at 11. It was hit #4 for Dr. Tom(b), with four gamesters at three hits, as he came within one hit of winning the Silver Bobcat... Feb. 12th, Dr. Tom(b) led 51 in scoring three on football coach Tom Landry and appeared to win the 2000 Silver Bobcat as the first gamester to score five hits and qualify for a QPA. Same day, Dr. Tom(b) led 102 in scoring three on "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz and rose to 21 & 6. For Boneyard Dog and Frozen Stiff it was hit #5 but they were four hours too late; the bar was closed; the hall was empty; the band had packed up and the trophy was gone! Forty-two (42) gamesters, the most ever in Game history, hit the Daily Double. For the Merry Little Breezes and the Morbo Chucks it was career Daily Double #5, just two off the record, and Body Parts went Wild for five points... Feb. 16th, the ACME Undertakers moved into a tie for third at 15 points with their fifth hit, a deuce on PING golf club inventor Karsten Solheim. Also scoring two: Cereal Killer and Hanuman... Feb. 18th, the New York Times reported the death of former Rep. Isidore Dollinger on Jan. 30th, a one-point solo for L. Epstein... Feb. 19th, Iron Maiden soloed for three on maverick artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser... Feb. 21st, Lives in Jeopardy and Silver Tapps scored five on bodyboarding legend Joe Wolfson, "Dr. 360," the first man to do a complete belly spin on a wave, (and he could do them sitting up). A cancer survivor who had found new reason to live, Wolfson died in an car crash... Feb. 29th, Dead Ernest hit the sixth solo of his career and his first of 2000 with an ace on composer George Duning, who wrote the scores for "From Here to Eternity" and "Let No Man Write My Epitaph."

March '00

March 7th, The Dada Sisters and Motel Styx scored two on country star Pee Wee King, co-composer of "The Tennessee Waltz." Same day, Bambi and The Beverlys scored five on radio talk show host and TV pundit Judy Jarvis. The hit lifted the Beverlys to 11 points and into the Top Ten at a very crowded #10 spot... Mar. 8th, Dr. Tom(b) rose to 24 & 7, stretched his lead to eight points, and brought along Mr. Goodvibes as they put one in from three-point land on Providence Friars coach Joe Mullaney... Mar. 12th, DDT went Wild and into the Top Ten at 11 & 3 with Ignatius Cardinal Kung (Gong) Pinmei, Roman Catholic Bishop of Shanghai who held fast to his faith during a 30-year imprisonment in Red China. Also scoring were rookie L. Epstein, at 5 & 5 with a 1.00 QPA, threatening to tie Fire Ants' record low (if his Wild Card can survive), plus Humorbid, Our American Cousin and Sir Stiff. Same day, the Bury Pranksters soloed for two on Matthew (Mack) Robinson, NCAA star, Olympic silver medalist and brother of Jackie Robinson... Mar. 13th, Our American Cousin just missed the Daily Double as they led three in scoring two on Malcolm Wilson, former governor of New York. Also scoring: Blunt Instrument and Stenchman... Mar. 14th, the Times of London announced the passing of Arthur Lehning, archivist of the anarchist movement. It was solo #4 for the phenomenal rookie L. Epstein, now at 6 & 6... Mar. 15th, Dr. Tom(b) led 18 in scoring four on SF 49ers coach Bobb McKittrick. Same day, OPEC and the Gamesters of Triskelion led seven in scoring two on Durward Kirby, affable sidekick of TV's Gary Moore, and a host of "Candid Camera." No one had the Daily Double... Mar. 16th, Tim Ormortis hit career solo #17, for two points, on Tom Ferebee, the ace bombardier who led the allies' first daylight raid on Europe and dropped the A-bomb on Hiroshima... Mar. 17th, Chapter E crossed the wire with a four-point solo on racing's Sonny Hine, trainer of Skip Away... Mar. 18th, Frozen Stiff went Wild for five on Herman Wells, long-time Chancellor of Indiana University and leading figure in U.S. education. Taking one point were death.com, Dead Ernest and Mac. The Wild Card, the fifth of Mr. Frostie's career, lifted him into second place at 21 & 6... Mar. 27th, Dr. Tom(b) led 35 in scoring five on rock poet Ian Dury, "Mr. Love Pants," and carried the lead to 33 & 9. Frozen Stiff missed the pick and dropped to fourth behind the onrushing ACME Undertakers and Dinner with Jack Klugman. The Top Ten swelled to 13, including five (5) newcomers... Mar. 28th, Deadnecks, Gamesters of Triskelion and Willie's Will scored one each on writer Anthony Powell, famed for his 12-volume novel "A Dance to the Music of Time."

April '00

April 4th, the Sick Puppies led nine in scoring five on psychedelic pioneer Terence McKenna. For the groovy Pups, the five points lifted them into second place alongside the ACME Undertakers, just nine points behind Dr. Tom(b). Also rising in and into the Top Ten: the Merry Little Breezes wafting to 21 and a tie for 5th with Frozen Stiff, and Freddy's Fallen Heroes at 18 in sole possession of 9th place... Apr. 5th, Motel Styx rumbled into pit row with a two-point solo on Lee Petty, first winner of the Daytona 500 and patriarch of four generations of Petty racers. The hit moved her into the Top Ten at 19 & 6... Apr. 6th, Deadnecks and Humorbid led five in scoring one on Habib Bourguiba, former leader of Tunisia... Apr. 8th, Dead Ernest and Necromancers scored one each on actress Claire Trevor, whose gems included "Stagecoach" and "Key Largo."... Apr. 10th, 26 gamesters led by Dr. Tom(b) scored four on actor Larry Linville, who played Maj. Frank Burns on TV's "M*A*S*H". Dr. Tom(b) rose to 37 & 10, and still led by nine points... Apr. 15th, the Merry Little Breezes soloed into second place (alongside the ACME Undertakers and the Sick Puppies at 28 points) with three points on Edward Gorey, whose bizarre stories and black-and-white illustrations reflected an elegantly morbid sense of humor in books (including his 1963 classic, "The Gashlycrumb Tinies"), on the stage and for television. It was career solo #10 for the Breezes, and showed a fine sense of style and timing... April 23rd, Death Wish Two soloed for one on bridge building patriarch Al Zampa, who inspired a play ("The Ace") and went into the text books by falling off the Golden Gate in 1936, and living. The hit was career solo #3 for Death Wish Two... Apr. 25th, Lives in Jeopardy led 15 theater-goers in scoring two on Broadway producer David Merrick... April 30th, Die-arrhea became the 245th gamester to solo since the Game began in 1970. Her one-point singleton on Raul Rettig, the Chilean lawyer who led the official investigation into the abuses of the Pinochet regime, was the first of her career.

May '00

May 1st, rookie wonder L. Epstein hit solo #5 with an ace on actress Nora Swinburne, moving to within one solo of the National Health's single season record of six, set in 1995... May 2nd, Frozen Stiff and Worm Feast scored four on Philadelphia Eagle Hall of Fame trainer Otho Davis. The four points vaulted Mr. Frostie into second place at 31, cutting Dr. Tom(b)'s lead to 8. Same day, Razor and Schrodinger's Cat scored four each on jazz singer Teri Thornton. The hit lifted Razor into the Top Ten and moved the Catman into sixth place at 29, just one point out of third and two points out of second... May 3rd, Lincoln's Brain set a new record for consecutive Wild Cards -- six in a row -- with his Wild Card on Cardinal John O'Connor. He did it by lining up Rose Kennedy, George Burns, Mother Teresa, Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio and O'Connor, none of them amazing picks by themselves but to get them in the right order was a feat only he could manage. The old mark of five in a row was set by SLY in 1978-82, and was unassailed until tied by four gamesters last year. In all, 59 scored on Cardinal O'Connor, most for two points, including the top six gamesters in the standings, and three more went Wild: Hendu, Mme Morte and Ms. O'Ree... May 5th, Moss soloed for five, doubling his score, on veteran college and NBA coach Bill Musselman... May 7th, 15 gamesters led by Ebola and Mortis the Cat scored one on actor and war hero Douglas Fairbanks Jr. ... May 10th, the Game's suave private eyes Mac and Manolete scored two each on Craig Stevens, TV's Peter Gunn, whose Henry Mancini theme song haunted many a mother who thought her son's piano lessons would take a more elegant turn. The hit lifted Manolete, our 1999 Rookie of the Year, into the Top Ten at 20 & 7... May 20th, archy and mehitabel and Pontius scored three each on shadowy cafe owner Loyd Jowers, who claimed to be a co-conspirator in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., but assured us he'd hired a different guy than James Earl Ray. The trey lifted archy out of Club Nula and boosted Pontius into seventh place at 24 & 7. Same day, Dinner with Jack Klugman scored their first-ever WILD CARD SOLO on Edward Bernds, Hollywood sound man, scriptwriter and long-time director of Three Stooges shorts. The punishing power move boosted their fortunes in the Top Ten... May 21st, 30 romantic gamesters donned pink chiffon in tribute to their heroine, Barbara Cartland. Leading the way was Motel Styx returning to the Top Ten at 20 & 7, and going Wild was rookie Silk Shroud, who scored five while the remaining 29 fans (several of whom own all 723 of Dame Barbara's classics) scored one. Same day, 43 dramatic gamesters scored one on Sir John Gielgud, who graced the stage and screen for nearly a century. Again leading the way was Motel Styx, up to 21 & 8. Ms. Styx led a gaggle of 16 gamesters who completed the English Antiquarian Daily Double... May 22nd, Fade to Black and Humorbid scored one on Erich Mielke, former head of East Germany's feared and hated Stasi secret police, who led a network of 85,000 domestic spies and 170,000 informers. The score was hit #10 for Humorbid... May 25th, Lives in Jeopardy hit career solo #5 with an ace on American artist Alfred Levitt... May 27th, Dr. Tom(b) led 19 in scoring three on hockey great Maurice "Rocket" Richard and rose to 42 & 12; Frozen Stiff and the ACME Undertakers were close behind, with Dinner with Jack Klugman, Pontius, Boneyard Dog and El Duce's Revenge also rising in the Top Ten... May 30th, Alibi and Dark Carnival sat in with the Glenn Miller Orchestra to score two on Tex Beneke, longtime band leader who had a hit with "Chattanooga Choo Choo" among others. Same day, Dr. Tom(b) led 24 in paying tribute to former Gov. Robert P. Casey of Pennsylvania. Six of the Top Ten (11) made the four-point call, as Dr. Tom(b) rose to 46 & 13... May 31st, Dark Carnival and Shovellin' Off took the stage with "Mambo King" and "Sultan of Salsa" Tito Puente, bandleader, percussionist and legend of Latin Jazz, for three shakin' points. It was the second hero and second hit in two days for Dark Carnival, and the second time in two days (and third time in 2000) he'd missed a solo by one gamester. Ouch!

June '00

June 2nd, Dr. Doux soloed for three on Svyatoslav Fyodorov, pioneer of radial keratotomy, a precursor to laser eye surgery, in a helicopter crash in Moscow. Whoa! It was career solo #12 for Dr. Doux... June 9th, SLY, the Queen of Arts, hit career solo #15 (!) on painter Jacob Lawrence for two points, moving up to 16 & 8... June 10th, Syria lost its beloved president Hafez al Assad and immediately amended its constitution to grant four points to the ACME Undertakers (up to third place), Schrodinger's Cat (up to sixth), Humorbid (gliding into the #10 spot) and 13 more grateful gamesters. Same day, P. & E. Hepner led eight in scoring six on Emmy-winning newsman Judd Rose, and moved into ninth place at 27. Close behind, Razor at 26, joining the Hepners in entering the Top Ten... June 14th, Isadora went Wild for five and Pontius inched upwards (to within one point of sixth place) as they led six in scoring one on Robert Trent Jones, who designed or redesigned more than 400 golf courses in his extraordinary career. It was career Wild Card #2 for Isadora, who previously went Wild on golf great Gene Sarazen in 1999. Same day, the ACME Undertakers soloed for five on Peter McWilliams, author of the "Life 101" self-help books and champion of medical marijuana. It was the first solo of the ACME career, and it blasted them by Frozen Stiff into second place, slashing Dr. Tom(b)'s lead to four points. Same day, Deadnecks hit a WILD CARD SOLO on Maria do Carmo Jeronimo, the world's oldest woman. The five points propelled him to 26 & 11 and into the Top Ten tied with Razor. Same day, The Sick Puppies howled a four-point solo on session great Paul Griffin; it was career solo #33 for the Pups. Same day, Memento Mori soloed for three on Uriah Jones, the first African-American to win a U.S. fencing championship and make the U.S. Olympic fencing team... June 15th, Die-arrhea soloed for the second time in '00, with a three-pointer on Gen. Humberto Gordon Rubio, former Chilean junta member and chief of Pinochet's secret police.... June 16th, L. Epstein, Our American Cousin and D. Perriman Jr. scored one each on Dowager Empress Nagako of Japan... June 18th, the ACME Undertakers drew to within one point of the lead as they led 24 in scoring three on Emmy-winning actress Nancy Marchand. They also tied Dr. Tom(b) for the Perriman Pennant lead at 13 hits. Moving up in the Top Ten: Dinner with Jack Klugman, Pontius (enjoying his best performance in years), the resurgent Sick Puppies and Motel Styx, back again, bumping Razor and Deadnecks into oblivion... June 21st, J. Eby, Dead Ernest and Gomez scored two each on composer Alan Hovhaness... June 27th, Dinner with Jack Klugman scored two on Yale's Larry Kelley, second winner of the Heisman Trophy and member of the Nat'l Football Hall of Fame. The Dinner Set moved to 40 & 11, still in third place but closing on the ACME Undertakers. Also scoring two: Boneyard Dog and Daisy Pusher... June 29th, Yo! Rick! hit the first solo of their career, a three-point beauty on gambler, tycoon and wild animal park owner John Aspinall who brought gorillas, tigers, lions, rhinos and elephants to Canterbury. The hit lifted Yo! Rick! into the magic #13 spot, within trumpeting distance of the Top Ten.

July '00

July 1st, the Sick Puppies and Pontius led 30 in scoring three on actor Walter Matthau and moved up on the leaders in the Top Ten... July 14th, the Sick Puppies led six in scoring five on actress Meredith MacRae. The hit brought them to within one point of Dr. Tom(b) and the lead. Also rising, Frozen Stiff. Same day, Deadnecks soloed for one point on physicist Mark Oliphant who split the atom, worked on the Manhattan Project, crusaded against nuclear weapons and developed the cavity magnetron, which made possible the microwave oven. The solo was his second in 2000 and the fourth of his career, and lifted him to 30 & 13, in a tie for the Perriman Pennant lead... July 15th, L. Epstein soloed for one on Argentine writer Juan Filloy, and moved to 12 & 12. It was the rookie wonder's sixth solo this season, tying the National Health's single season mark... July 21st, L. Epstein soloed for one on Sir John Hugo, Master of Protocol for the Queen; it was solo #7 in 2000 for the rookie wonder, and the new world single season record... July 27th, the Sick Puppies and Pontius scored three on wrestling announcer Gordon Solie. For the Pups, it meant the lead at 48, ousting Dr. Tom(b), and a tie in the Perriman Pennant race at 13 hits; Pontius also rose to 13 hits, and moved into fifth place, passing Dinner with Jack Klugman. Same day, Sweeney Todd hit a WILD CARD SOLO on Mr. Refrigeration, Milton Garland, who continued working until he was 104. It was Sweeney's 3rd Wild Card Solo, his 17th career solo and his 7th Wild Card. Same day, Alibi soloed for two on photographer Constance Stuart Larabee; it was the third solo of Alibi's sparkling career... July 31st, Memento Mori and SLY scored one each on author and New Yorker editor William Maxwell. Same day, Demento Morte soloed for one on Bertha Holt, an energetic and saintly woman who was co-founder of Holt International Adoption Services and the world record holder in the 400 meters for the over-90 age group. It was career solo #3 for Demento.

August '00

August 1st, The Moorebids soloed for three on legendary DJ Bill "Rosko" Mercer... Aug. 4th, seven gamesters crossed the wire with Fred Hooper, a giant of horse racing whose Hoop Jr. won the Kentucky Derby in 1945. Putting a nose into second were the ACME Undertakers, followed by Pontius moving up along the rail; both scored hit #14 and shared the Perriman Pennant lead. Going Wild and moving into the Top Ten was Humorbid, and adding one more ace to his hand was L. Epstein, at 14 & 14, also sharing the Perriman Pennant lead. Same day, Ghostwriter soloed for seven points on adult film starlet Leslie Glass... Aug. 5th, 17 gamesters led by Freddy's Fallen Heroes scored two on actor Sir Alec Guinness... Aug. 12th, nine gamesters led by the 7th Street Irregulars scored two on actress Loretta Young... Aug. 15th, Dead On and Dr. Doux uncorked one of the year's most stylish duets, a deuce each on Edward Craven Walker, inventor of the lava lamp (!) and a nudism enthusiast whose films "Eves on Skis" (1958) and "Traveling Light" (1960) are enshrined in the pantheon of cinema... Aug. 25th, 11 gamesters led by Humorbid scored one on Carl Barks, who drew Donald Duck in three decades of comics and created Scrooge McDuck. The ace was hit #15 for L. Epstein, giving him the lead in the Perriman Pennant race... Aug. 26th, Styx & Stones soloed for one on Henry "Bunny" Austin, who introduced shorts to tennis and teamed with Fred Perry for four consecutive Davis Cup victories. It was career solo #4 for Styx & Stones... Aug. 30th, Truck Savage soloed for one on film director Joseph Lewis.

September '00

September 3rd, Truck Savage led four in scoring one on baseball catcher and scout Clyde Sukeforth who helped bring Jackie Robinson, Don Newcombe and Roberto Clemente into major league ball. The ace enabled L. Epstein to stretch his Perriman Pennant count to 16... Sept. 13th, Freddy's Fallen Heroes soloed for three on college and pro football hero Thurman "Fum" McGraw. It was his first solo and he was the 249th gamester to go it alone... Sept. 14th, Women with Spurs soloed for three on Emmy winning actress Beah Richards. The solo was #4 in the Spurs' career... Sept. 17th, Mme Morte soloed for six on Paula Yates, TV presenter and tabloid target who bore the exotically named children of rock stars Bob Geldof and Michael Hutchence. It was the first solo of Mme Morte's career and it made her the 250th gamester to solo since the Game began... Sept. 23rd, the ACME Undertakers moved into the lead at 49 & 15 as they joined the Bury Pranksters and Dr. Doux in scoring three on journalist Carl Rowan. The hit put the golden AU team one point ahead of the Sick Puppies in the Gran Prix race, and one hit behind L. Epstein in the Perriman Pennant drive. Same day, Toe Tag soloed for four on Indy racer Bob Hurt... Sept. 25th, Tim Ormortis soloed with a deuce on R. S. Thomas, Welsh nationalist, priest and poet. It was his 2nd solo in 2000 and the 18th in his career... Sept. 26th, five gamesters led by Ms. Em Balm and Lives in Jeopardy scored one on war crimes suspect Aleksandras Lileikis. Same day, the great, great Morbo Chucks soloed for four on actor Richard Mulligan of "Soap," "Empty Nest," "S.O.B." and "Little Big Man" fame. It was the 15th solo smash of the Chuck's amazing career and a beauty at that. Same day, Breathless soloed for four on Bobby Lowell, member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame... Sept. 28th, rookie Silk Shroud led six in scoring two on former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau of Canada, who did not suffer fools gladly but did made it cool to be Canadian. Also notable among the mourners: Toronto's Fade to Black and the all-Canadian list of Canada Dry Bones.

October '00

October 5th, Alibi soloed for one on Rep. Sidney Yates, who last year retired as the oldest and longest serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives. It was solo #2 and hit #10 for Alibi in 2000... Oct. 6th, actor and Oscar-nominee Richard Farnsworth took his own life. Dead Ernest and Sweeney Todd made the call for two points... Oct. 10th, Deadnecks, Tim Ormortis and Truck Savage scored one each on theologian Charles Hartshorne... Oct. 13th, Dee Ceased and Helena Handbasket scored one on Gus Hall, leader of the American Communist Party... Oct. 14th, Isadora soloed on Hockey Hall of Famer Art Coulter; it was career solo #1 for Isadora... Oct. 15th, Death Wish Two soloed on Nobel Prize winner Konrad Bloch, their second solo of 2000 and #4 in their career... Oct. 17th, Teen Angel soloed for three points on two-time All American, six-time All-NFL (four times on defense, twice on offense) and Football Hall of Famer Leo Nomellini, who starred for the San Francisco 49ers from 1950 to 1963, and once faced Lou Thesz for the world pro wrestling championship. It was career solo #5 for Teen Angel. Same day, Deadbolts scored the first solo of his career with an ace on golf's Harry Cooper, first winner of the Varden Trophy for lowest average score and winner of 31 PGA tour events since turning pro in 1923... Oct. 18th, T. & J. James soloed on actress and singer Julie London for three; it was career solo #4 for the James Gang... Oct. 21st, Mr. Bastard went wild for five on 106-year-old historian of mathematics Dirk Struik but was cruelly Sweenied by L. Epstein, thus missing a Wild Card Solo. The points lifted Mr. B. to 21 & 5, while L. Epstein rose to 17 & 17, still in the lead for Clete's Cup and the Perriman Pennant... Oct. 23rd, Ghostwriter sprang from the turnbuckle, soared high over the canvas and landed hard with a seven-point solo on WWF champion Rodney "Yokozuna" Anoai. It was the 16th solo of Ghostie's career... Oct. 30th, the 7th St Irregulars led five in scoring three on Steve Allen, the first host of the Tonight Show, who wrote 4,000 songs, recorded 40 albums, broke new ground in comedy and appeared on radio and Broadway as well. Breaking out of Club Nula was Mr. Dit, with his first hit in more than 22 months... Oct. 31st, SLY led four in scoring two on screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr., who was jailed and blacklisted during the McCarthy era but managed to win two Oscars for Best Screenplay in spite of the witch hunters.

November '00

November 5th, Humorbid led 16 is scoring on 101-year-old Jimmie Davis, twice the governor of Louisiana, composer of "You Are My Sunshine" and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Humorbid remained in tenth place, but in lifting the Top Ten minimum to 30 points, he held off Freddy's Fallen Heroes, Motel Styx and Truck Savage, all of whom scored on Davis and rose to 29. Going Wild for five were Mr. Goodvibes, Pappy's Fallen Angels, and Toe Tag, and raising the Perriman Pennant bar was ace machine L. Epstein, now at 18 & 18. Same day, five gamesters scored two on environmental activist David Brower. One rarely sees the Sick Puppies scoring on a two-pointer, but when they do it is almost always an exquisitely tactical pick like this one, a pick that lifts them from one point behind the leader to one point ahead of the leader, into first place. Also rising in the Top Ten, Schrodinger's Cat slipping by the Merry Little Breezes into seventh place... Nov. 6th, Gashlycrumb Tinies soloed for one on sci-fi legend L. Sprague de Camp. It was the third solo of the Tinies' career and their second this year... Nov. 7th, Lives in Jeopardy soloed for one point on Queen Mother Ingrid of Denmark, their second solo of the season and the sixth of their career... Nov. 10th, archy and mehitabel soloed for two on former French PM Jacques Chaban-Delmas, who was a hero in the French Resistance before a devoting his life to politics. It was archy's second career solo... Nov. 14th, Penguin and Styx & Stones scored one each on radio news pioneer and NPR commentator Robert Trout, the last remaining link to the beginnings of broadcast journalism... Nov. 16th, Flatliners, Gratefully Dead and Necrophiliac Pimp scored three each on Civil Rights leader Hosea Williams. Same day, BOOM, Mortis the Cat took the stage with rapper Little Joe C and blew everyone's doors off with an 8-point solo, moving to within two points of the Top Ten at 28 points. This was the third solo of their career and a platinum beauty. Joe C. was best known as Kid Rock's diminutive sidekick and for his solo contribution to the soundtrack of "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut"... Nov. 17th, Deadnecks and Sir Stiff scored one each on Louis Neel, Nobel Prize winner in Physics. The ace moved Deadnecks from #9 to #9... Nov. 28th, Deadnecks led four in scoring two on former Rep. Henry Gonzalez. The deuce lifted the resurgent Deadnecks into a tie with the Merry Little Breezes for the #8 spot. Also scoring: Flatliners, Gratefully Dead and Legion of Doom. Same day, L. Epstein hit his 8th solo and 19th one-pointer with an ace on George C. Page who hitchhiked to Los Angeles as a teenager with $2.30 in his pocket, made a fortune with his Mission Pak holiday fruit gift boxes and land development and then donated millions to house the treasures of the La Brea Tar Pits. Nov. 30th, Uncle Milton soloed for five on General Ansumane Manu of Guinea Bissau, who led an unsucessful coup in November, fled and was finally shot four times by an inept supporter when surrounded by loyalist troops. It was career solo #3 for Uncle Milton, who has a genius for violent endings.

December '00

December 1st, Second Line soloed for three on outdoorsman and writer Jack Hemingway, also son of Ernest and father of Mariel and Margaux. It was career solo #2 for Second Line... Dec. 3rd, AbraCadavers!, Blunt Instrument and Cassandra Bob paid a two-point tribute to Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks... Dec. 6th, five led by Motel Styx scored two on actor Werner Klemperer who fled Nazi Germany as a child and won two Emmy's playing Col. Klink on TV's "Hogan's Heroes." For Motel Styx, the deuce meant a return to the Top Ten, bumping out Humorbid by raising the ante to 31 points... Dec. 7th, Tim Ormortis was given credit for solo #3 (and career solo #19), a deuce on Luke Wills, who died in October, last surviving Wills brother from Bob Wills' Texas Playboys, kings of Western Swing... Dec. 12th, Dr. Doornail, the Game's leading Internationalist, scored a WILD CARD SOLO on Ndabaningi Sithole, the leader of the Zimbabwean opposition. It was Dr. Doornail's 13th solo, 5th Wild Card and 2nd Wild Card Solo, and lifted him to 17 & 4, a new threat for the Reaper Ribbon High QPA award, an honor he had won three times previously. Same day, U 2 Brutus soloed for two on Western film star George Montgomery. It was solo #2 of Brutus' career... Dec. 18th, Mullen's Revenge and Willie's Will scored two each on Randolph Hearst, last son of William Randolph Hearst, father of Patty Hearst, and head of a publishing empire. Same day, Willie's Will made it a Daily Double with a one-point solo on actor Nick Stewart, who was Lightnin' on the "Amos 'n' Andy" TV show, the voice of Br'er Bear in the animated "Song of the South" and on Disney's Splash Mountain ride, and founder of the Ebony Showcase Theater in Los Angeles. It was Willie's third Daily Double of 2000, and the fifth of his career... Dec. 19th, Motel Styx joined Alibi in scoring two on "Pops" Staples, patriarch of the Staples Singers. Although at 33 & 13 she didn't move from the #10 spot, the deuce made it a little harder for Humorbid to return to the Top Ten and a little easier for the Merry Little Breezes and Deadnecks to get bumped out. Same day, 18 led by the Sick Puppies scored three on former mayor John V. Lindsay of New York City. The points stretched the Pups lead to 4 at 53 points, but also woke up Dr. Tom(b) who hadn't scored since June, moving him into a tie for second at 49 with the ACME Undertakers. Knock, knock, knocking on the Top Ten's door was Mortis the Cat, moving to 31. Same day, the Dada Sisters soloed for one on Louis "Crip" Polli, one of the oldest surviving major league baseball players. It was solo #2 this year and solo #9 in their career... Dec. 23rd, 29 led by The Beverlys scored one on Danish pianist and clown prince Victor Borge. Several qualified for a QPA; Leroy Estmort and the Necropolis Keepers doubled their score. Boom, same day, Ms. Em Balm led 13 in scoring three on actor and little people activist Billy Barty. Passed over last year for Rookie of the Year in favor of Manolete, Ms. Em Balm seized the sophomore lead in that rivalry at 25-23 with less than a week to go. And scoring a Borge/Barty Daily Double were Dead Ernest, Muerta Life, Penguin and Wilde & Shaw. It was the fourth Daily Double this year and the second in six days. Same day, the Virtual Sexton soloed for one on Jimmy Shand, the wizard of the Scottish accordian, and lifted his score to 3 & 3... Shortly before midnight on Dec. 25th, Necrophiliac Pimp and Worm Feast scored a Stocking Stuffer, six points on former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Joe Gilliam, just four days before his 50th birthday. The six points brought Worm Feast to within three points of the Top Ten with just six days to go!... Dec. 26th, the ACME Undertakers scored on actor Jason Robards... but so did the Sick Puppies, leading nine in three points and holding a four-point lead with five days to go. Also gaining three points, but no ground, was Frozen Stiff... At the wire, Dec. 31st, 26 led by the Merry Little Breezes scored two on former Senator Alan Cranston. The deuce blew the Breezes past Schrodinger's Cat and the Deadnecks, back up to the #7 spot, and brought Worm Feast to 32 points, within one point of the Top Ten! Waiting until the last day of the year to qualify for a QPA were Rig R. Mortis, T. & J. James, M. Hamilton, Dee Ceased and W. Dockum. Also at the wire, same day, Lives in Jeopardy soloed for two on Jose Greco, the legendary flamenco dancer. It was solo #7 in their career. And so it ended with the Sick Puppies victorious again, L. Epstein winning the Perriman Pennant with 19 hits and Clete's Cup with a 1.00 QPA, and Razor taking the Reaper Ribbon with a 4.33 QPA.

Let's look at the Top Ten for 2000.

Take me on to 2001.

Take me back to Play-by-Play.