DCS: rick camp
Rick Camp pitched for the Atlanta Braves for nine seasons. Except for one game in 1985 — a game that came to be known as “The Rick Camp Game” — he had a pretty unremarkable career.
On July 4, 1985, Rick came in to pitch the last three innings in a game against the New York Mets. Those innings were the 17th, 18th and 19th. The game, which began at 7:05 on July 4th lasted until five minutes before four in the morning on July 5. The game had run so long that the Braves were forced to let Rick bat, as they had run out of position players to pinch-hit. Up to this point, Rick had posted a season batting average of a miserable .060. In the 18th inning, with an 0-2 count, Rick hit a home run off of Mets pitcher Tom Gorman to tie the game up. He stayed in the game to pitch, giving up five runs in the 19th inning. In the bottom of the 19th, the Braves could only manage two more runs and they lost 16-13. Rick was saddled with the loss. At 3.55 AM, the grounds crew at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium set off the holiday fireworks display, as promised. Unaware of the festivities at the stadium, local residents in the surrounding neighborhood flooded 911 Emergency Services with phone calls of panic and complaint. Rick Camp retired from baseball at the end of the ’85 season having hit just one home run in his career — but it was a memorable one.
Twenty years after his retirement, Rick was involved in a plot to steal more than two million dollars from the Community Mental Health Center in Augusta, Georgia. The conspirators, including a Georgia State Representative, all received federal prison sentences. Rick served three years for his part in the crime.
Rick passed away in 2013 at the age of 59.
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inktober52: airplane
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DCS: cid ricketts sumner
Bertha Ricketts was born in Mississippi, where her mother and grandmother provided a homeschooled education. They also provided a nickname — “Cid” — based on her calm and “placid” nature. She furthered her education at Columbia University, where she earned a Masters Degree. Cid enrolled in nursing school, but dropped out after a year when she married one of her professors. She had four children and after they had grown, she embarked on a new career as an author.
Her first novel was not well received. But her second, “Quality” published in 1946, was very popular. It took on racial segregation and address themes that were controversial at the time. The novel provided the basis for the 1949 film Pinky starring Jeanne Crain.
Her next novel, “Tammy Out of Time,” became her most well know. It was filmed as Tammy and the Bachelor starring Debbie Reynolds. It spawned several more books in a series, as well as more movies and a television series.
Cid published more novels and short story collections, as well as non-fiction accounts of her adventures on the Colorado River as the only woman in the 1955 Eggert-Hatch river expedition.
Later in her life, Cid moved to Massachusetts to be closer to her extended family. On October 15, 1970, Cid, in a robe and slippers, answered a knock at her front door. It was her sixteen-year old grandson. The boy bludgeoned Cid to death with a hammer. Cid was 80 years-old. Her grandson took his own life while incarcerated.
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inktober52: greasy
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DCS: violette morris
Violette Morris excelled at sports — all sports. She was an avid and fierce boxer, often defeating men. She was selected for the French national water polo team even though there was no women’s team at the time. She won gold medals in football at the 1921 and 1922 Women’s Olympiads. She was also successful in airplane racing, horseback riding, tennis, archery, diving, swimming, weightlifting. She expressed an interest in auto racing and underwent a voluntary mastectomy so she could fit in the cars more easily. She competed in and won a number of automobile events throughout the 1920s.
Violette was invited to participate in the 1936 Summer Olympics by Adolf Hitler. She happily obliged. Post-Olympics, Violette began collaborating with the Nazis, securing black market gasoline, spying and even torturing prisoners. Several reports claim that Violette enjoyed inflicting torture, often smiling and laughing during lengthy interrogations. She earned herself the nickname “The Hyena of the Gestapo.”
In April 1944, Violette’s car was sabotaged by members of the French Resistance. A few minutes into a journey from Lieurey, Violette’s car sputtered to a halt. She was driving members of the Nazi-sympathizing Bailleul family to Normandy. The car was ambushed by the French Resistance and all occupants were killed. Violette’s bullet-ridden body was taken to a morgue where it lay unclaimed for months. She was eventually buried in an unmarked communal grave. Violette was 51.
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inktober52: critter
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DCS: kendall mccomas
After performing in various stage productions in his native Kansas, Kendall McComas and his family relocated to Southern California to help Kendall in his pursuit of a movie career.
In 1927, 11-year. old Kendall landed a small part in Mickey’s Eleven, a two-reel short subject that was part of the “Mickey McGuire” film series. This series provided actors Mickey Rooney and Billy Barty with the starts of their respective careers. Kendall was cast as a member of Mickey’s gang. He would go on to appear in eleven “Mickey McGuire” shorts, playing several different characters, including “Stinky Davis” in his final three appearances.
Kendall appeared in several feature films before being signed to Hal Roach’s “Little Rascals” troupe. Despite being a teenager, Kendall was cast as sniveling grade-school student “Breezy Brisbane.” Kendall worked with the “Little Rascals” for a little over a year. In 1934, he played his last screen role as an uncredited “Boy” in the forgotten comedy I’ll Fix It starring Jack Holt. At 18, he said goodbye to show business.
In the 1960s, Kendall worked as an electrical engineer at the U.S. Naval Weapons Center in China Lake, California. Later, he settled into a job as an institutional mortgage-backed bond salesman, using the name John Mandy.
Two weeks before turning 65, and facing mandatory retirement, Kendall took his own life.
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inktober52: hoop
Ross Bagdasarian was a pretty ambitious guy. In 1939, 20-year old Ross co-wrote the song “Come On-a My House” with his cousin, author William Saroyan. After shopping the song around , it became a million-selling hit for ingenue Rosemary Clooney. It reach number one on the Billboard charts and launched Clooney’s career.
Ross also was a budding actor, appearing on Broadway in in films like Viva Zapata!, Rear Window and Stalag 17. He released a novelty song called “The Trouble with Harry,” in 1955, inspired by the popular Alfred Hitchcock film. The record was credited to Alfi & Harry, although it was just Ross.
After signing a contract with fledgling record label Liberty Records, Ross was encouraged to change his name, as executives deemed his Armenian surname unpronounceable. He chose “Dave Seville,” taking the name from a Spanish city when he was stationed while serving in the US Army. With a new name, he released the novelty tune “Witch Doctor” in 1958. He created the unusual vocals by playing around with the speed controls on a tape recorder which he purchased for $200. The song reached number one and established Ross (as Dave) as a celebrity.
Later in 1958, he created the Chipmunks, using the same accelerated vocals he used on “Witch Doctor.” He released “The Chipmunk Christmas Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” just in time for the 1958 holiday season. It, too, hit number one and sold over four million copies. He took home three awards at the first ever Grammy Awards presentation. An article in Life magazine noted Ross as the first person in popular music to serve as writer, composer, publisher, conductor and multiple vocalist of a hit record. In the following years, the Chipmunk’s popularity increased with records and a network cartoon show. They even poked fun at the British Invasion on a 1964 album The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits.
In his personal life, Ross owned a grape vineyard and supplied product to Ernest and Julio Gallo Wineries.
Ross passed away from a heart attack in 1972 at the age of 52. He passed his lucrative empire on to his children. His son, Los Angeles attorney Ross Bagdasarian Jr, continues to run the company and hold a tight leash on creativity and licensing of the beloved Chipmunk characters.
But, Alvin still wants a hula hoop.
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DCS: kenyatta jones
Kenyatta Jones was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 2001 NFL Draft. He was chosen in the fourth round based on his on-field performance at the University South Florida.
Kenyatta started in eleven games for the Pats, until he was placed on the “Physically Unable to Perform” list at the beginning of the 2003 season. While inactive, he was arrested and charged with allegedly throwing hot tea on his cousin as the result of a disagreement. Kenyatta was released by the Patriots five days later.
In 2008, he was recruited by Arena Football team Tampa Bay Storm. Just after his signing, Kenyatta was arrested outside a Tampa nightclub after attempting to urinate on the dance floor and then shoving the off-duty police officer who threw Jones out of the club. Jones was arrested for battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.
Kenyatta disappeared from the spotlight for nearly ten years, resurfacing in the headlines only after his mother announced that Kenyatta passed away from cardiac arrest at the age of 39.