Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"What one man calls God, another calls the law of physics." - Nikola Tesla

"Physics is the law, everything else is a recommendation." - Elon Musk

"I create my own luck. I'm a successful gambler because I never bet on an event I'm not sure of in advance." - Arnold Rothstein

"I learn by going where I need to go." - John le Carre

Flotam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I blame myself for yesterday's Patriots loss to the Jets. Everything was going great for New England until just before halftime I Tweeted, "8 days from now Rex Ryan's record as head coach will be 11-11. Just a .500 coach - that's all he'll ever be". Bam! The jinx was on. I apologize... 24 Cool College Landmarks... Scary thing about Michigan's close call vs UMass is not only is UMass 1-AA but they were also picked to finish just 5th in their conference... I am not on Facebook and probably never will be. Here's an article that helps explain why... Jose Bautista's explosion of power this year is prompting Joe Posnanski (along with Bill James) to examine the greatest jumps in HR numbers by a player in baseball history. In my mind that has to be Wade Boggs who in 1987 hit 24 HR. Boggs had never hit more than 8 in a season. The next year he hits just 5 in 52 MORE plate appearances. Boggs never approached 24 again... I still think Rex Ryan is nothing but a .500 coach. I don't apologize for that... I'll be watching Boardwalk Empire religiously. A good book if you want to know more about this period of time and the rise of gangsters due to prohibition is The Big Bankroll: The Life And Times Of Arnold Rothstein... Jose Bautista had hit 16 HR in a season so his output this season is just over 3 times his past performance. The reason Boggs should be the number 1 in HR frauds is Boggs tried not to hit HR. He said he hit the 24 just to prove he could do it. Can you think of any player in baseball history who tried not to hit home runs?... Interesting - why the head of a beer, no matter the kind, is always white...

Arnold Rothstein

I was reminded that on this day in 1928, Arnold Rothstein was shot. The gunshot was fatal.

Most people only know Rothstein as the man accused as being the brains behind the 1919 Black Sox scandal. That part of his life is in question. What is not in question is that he was to organized crime what JP Morgan was to our banking system. His was a fascinating life. That life was documented in the book The Big Bankroll: The Life And Times Of Arnold Rothsteinby Leo Katcher. If you like history and gambling then this is a book for you. I picked it up today for a second read.

Pool Hustlers

A couple of things to mention today regarding pool hustlers. First is this very interesting look at modern pool hustlers at the Derby City Classic from SI. The article is basically an except of the book Running the Table by L. Jon Wertheim.

Today also happens to be the anniversary of the death of Arnold Rothstein who died from being shot in the gut (many speculate that he was shot because he welshed on a large poker debt). Rothstein is mainly remembered as a gangster and as the man who may have been behind the 1919 World Series fix. It should also be remembered that Rothstein got his start as a pool hustler and is the centerpiece of one of the most memorable matches in history.

The group brought Jack Conway, a Philadelphia sportsman and accomplished jockey, who happened to be an expert pool player, to town. One night at Jack’s, a popular Manhattan hangout, Rothstein walked in and was invited to sit down with the group as they discussed baseball and prizefights. During this talk it came out that Conway was “probably” the best amateur pool player in the country. Rothstein, unaware of Conway’s background or that he was being set up, sensed a challenge and jumped at it.

The two men agreed to play to 100 points for $500 at John McGraw’s Billiard Parlor. The game began on a Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. By the time it ended, at 4:00 a.m. Saturday morning, some 36 hours later, Rothstein was rumored to have won over $10,000. The match received so much publicity that it was reported on in two of the New York City newspapers. In one account Rothstein was referred to as “a well-known sportsman.”

The above is from the Crime Library's mini biography of Arnold Rothstein. Well worth the read if you are interested in that sort of thing. Below I've put a link to perhaps the best biography of Rothstein if you want to read more.