STARTING FIVE

1. Lost, All Is Lost, and MH 370

I’ve never really understood aviation. This giant steel bird defies gravity AND I can get a Scotch and Soda?!? So I’m not about to proffer theories on what happened to that Malaysia Airlines flight and let’s not forget that there’s a good chance 239 people lost their lives.

I’m not about to proffer a theory when this guy will and this site will add two more.

Still, bizarre that we have a television show that’s eerily similar and a film from last autumn about a man hopelessly adrift in the Indian Ocean. Now if we learn that there was a tiger on the flight…

2. Stone Cold Yesterday

That’s Sharon Stone on the cover of Self Shape, where inside she laments the fact that she’s aging (followed by millions of women sending emotional hate daggers in her direction). If you don’t know Sharon Stone, well, the Nineties were a great decade.

You know how Sports Illustrated has SI For Kids to appeal to a younger demo (Do they still have that? I don’t know). Well, if I were Self my youth-demo mag would be Selfie (too easy).

3. The Sick Sirs

Philly lost its 21st in a row last night to Indiana, though the Sick Sirs have given the East’s best team all it could handle twice in the past four nights. The Cadaverliers lost an NBA-record 26 in a row just three seasons ago, but Philly’s next five include two against the Bulls, one against the surging Knicks, at San Antonio then at Houston. Their best shot of avoiding infamy is either to catch the Knicks napping (not so implausible) or defeating Detroit six games from now, which would leave them tied with those Cadavs.

And yet, Philly (15-52) still has a better record than the Milwaukee Bucks.

Aaaaaand, Philadelphia may set an all-time NBA losing streak record while having the league’s Rookie of the Year. Michael Carter-Williams, out of Syracuse, leads all rookies in points, rebounds, assists and minutes.

4. Dink

Solid profile in Esquire on Peter Dinklage of “Game of Thrones.” He tells of an incident, not long after he first became a recognizable face (figure?) after The Station Agent was released. Dinklage was walking out of a diner in L.A. when a guy pulling out of the same diner on a motorcycle recognized him.

“And he looked at me,” says Dinklage. “He didn’t wave, but he looked at me, and then he pulled out into traffic and this car, like, boom–killed him instantly.”

5. Would You Go, Go To the Fogo?

This is the Fogo Island Inn, located on the northern coast of Newfoundland (even the southern coast of Newfoundland is too far north for most). Outside magazine just named it as the “Best New Hotel”, and says that among the activities for those staying in one of its 29 suites, “you can learn to plane a wooden ship hull.” So there’s that.

The Hall

Charter Inductees: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner

1937:  Tris Speaker, CF; Cy Young, P ; 1938: Grover Cleveland Alexander, P; Eddie Collins, 2B 1939:Nap Lajoie, 2B; Joe Jackson, LF; 1940: Billy Hamilton, OF; Cap Anson, 1B; 1941: Wee Wlie Keeler, RF; George Sisler, 1B; 1942: Rogers Hornsby, 2B; Pie Traynor, 3B; 1943: Mickey Cochrane, C; Frankie Frisch, 2B 1944: Ed Walsh, P; Old Hoss Radbourn, P 1945: Lou Gehrig, 1B; Kid Nichols, P 1946: Ed Delahanty, LF; Lefty O’Doul 1947: Pud Galvin, P; John McGraw, INF 1948: Carl Hubbell, P; Addie Joss, P 1949: Harry Heilman, OF/1B; Monte Ward, P/SS 1950: Cool Papa Bell, CF; Jimmie Foxx, 1B 1951: Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown, P; Josh Gibson, C 1952: Paul Waner, RF; Charlie Gehringer, 2B 1953: Mel Ott, RF; Hank Greenberg, 1B 1954: Eddie Plank, P; Dan Brouthers, 1B 1955: “Wahoo” Sam Crawford, OF; John Clarkson, P 1956: Chief Bender, P; Bill Dickey, C 1957: Sam Rice, RF; Joe DiMaggio, CF 1958: Bill Terry, 1B; Heinie Manush, LF 1959: Dizzy Dean, P; Tim Keefe, P 

1960: Gabby Hartnett, C; Mickey Welch, P1961: Bob Feller, P; Ducky Medwick, LF 1962: Luke Appling, SS; Jesse Burkett, LF 1963 Jackie Robinson, 2B; Zack Wheat, LF 1964: Jake Beckley, 1B; Rube Waddell, P 1965: Ralph Kiner, 1B; Lefty Grove, P 1966: Ted Williams, LF; Smoky Joe Wood, P/OF 1967: Roy Campanella, C; Max Carey, OF 1968: Goose Goslin, LF; Rabbit Maranville, SS 1969: Stan Musial, 1B/OF 1970: Ferris Fain, 1B; Earle Combs, CF 1971: Warren Spahn, P; Yogi Berra, C 1972 Satchel Paige, P; Sandy Koufax, P 1973: Robin Roberts, P; Whitey Ford, P 1974: Mickey Mantle, CF; Eddie Mathews, 3B 1975: Lefty Gomez, P; Hack Wilson, CF 1976: Jack Pfiester, P; Johnny Mize, 1B

1977

Ernie Banks, SS/1B; 1953-1971, Chicago Cubs

An All-Star in 11 of his 19 seasons, Mr. Cub was and remains as much a face of his franchise as any player ever has with any franchise. Banks finished with 512 career home runs, 407 doubles and 2,583 hits. His best seasons were between 1958-1960, when he twice led the National League in home runs, twice led it in RBI, and was twice named league MVP. Let’s play two.

Mickey Welch, P; 1880-1892, Troy Trojans, New York Giants

The third 300-game winner in MLB history, Welch compiled a 307-210 record with a career E.R.A. of 2.71. In 1885 his record was 44-11 and he had a 1.66 ERA for the Giants. On August 28, 1884, he struck out nine consecutive batters to start the game, which 130 years later, is still the MLB record. Welch is also believed to have been the first pinch-hitter in baseball history, striking out on September 10, 1889.