Better Know a Beard

http://www.daveJennings.net and dvj4.blogspot.com

Better know a few…..

Hello Folks,

My post yesterday about facial hair reminds me of a few people who I hold in regard. In this special “Better know a_______” I give you some of my favorite facial haired people of all time.

Better Know a Former Milwaukee Brewer
Rollie Fingers

Regarded as one of the best relief pitchers in Major League Baseball, he was also one of the first to be groomed for that position from his minor league days. Rollie is known for his mustache, a genuine Handlebar, roughly 100 years out of style. Rollie has had the beard since he played for the Athletics. In a true moment of steadfast, he grew the mustache to get a bonus, as did many of his teammates as a publicity stunt. He was the only one not to shave it off when traded, and it became his trademark. Now, over 30 years later no one can imagine a clean faced Rollie.

Highlights from his career: (This is right from Wikipedia!)
Fingers won both the American League MVP and Cy Young Award in 1981 while with Milwaukee. In 1974 he was given the World Series MVP Award while with Oakland, earning two saves and one win. Fingers won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award in 1977, 1978, and 1980 with the Padres and in 1981 with the Brewers. He saved 29 games for the 1982 Brewers, but he pitched most of the season in pain and was forced to miss the Brewers' first trip to the World Series — where they were beaten in seven games by the Cardinals — and any prospect of a showdown or two with Bruce Sutter, who proved vital to the Cardinals' winning effort.

In 1992 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Wilhelm to become only the second reliever inducted (Eckersley, Sutter, and Gossage have since followed). In 1999, he ranked Number 96 on The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Fingers later pitched a season in the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball League.

Better Know A President
Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford B Hayes is an interesting one. He grew his beard when serving in the Civil War. Hayes formed a military company with some of his literary club friends from Cincinnati. He became a major in the army, and rose up the ranks to a brevetted major general by the end of the war. Under his command was another future president, William McKinley.

The 1876 election was as controversial as any other election in modern history. Hayes was a quiet guy, nice enough, and he lost the popular vote, but won the electoral vote by one vote after a special congressional commission awarded him the presidency. He was sworn in in secrecy one day before the public inauguration for fear of something bad happening.

Better Know a Weather Man….
Jimmy “Dutch” Gaines
http://www.secretsofthecity.com/magazine/blogs/dude-weather

I have no idea why Jimmy has those sideburns. He has had them for most of the time I have known him over the past 5 years. They are a part of this Weather Man (I divide it into two words because he is just that, a Man who does the weather…. Or as he also claims, a Dude who does the weather.

Jimmy is a true New Yorker, even though his stint in NYC was short, he has some great stories about his time there, and moreover he headed back to the Midwest where his NYC feel gives him an edge the Minnesota Nice is fearful of.

Please check out his video blog whether you weather in the Twin Cities, Chicago, Milwaukee, LA, SFO or NYC.
http://www.secretsofthecity.com/magazine/blogs/dude-weather

Facial Hair

1-9-09 davejennings.net and dvj4.blogspot.com

Hello Folks,

Welcome back again.

After that long novel, I think I shall delve into something thoroughly deep and thought provocative: beards.

I just shaved off my 6th or 7th beard of my life. I am cold, I miss it, and even though numerous people have said I look younger and more handsome without it, I still want it on my face.

This beard was the victim of a beard trimmer mishap. Many beards go this way. Many beards, sideburns, mustaches, and purposeful 5 o’clock shadows have fallen victim to the misplaced guard or the poorly connected trimmer guard.

To have a clean beard can be much more work than fresh and clean skin. The trimming and the maintenance, the balance and the mirror on each cheek are difficult to maintain. It takes talent, and when missed cannot be judged poorly upon--- instead you should congratulate a proper beardsmith on an attempt to do a good job.

In this beard’s demise, he hell victim to the #1 setting on my trimmer, as opposed to the normal #3. With one swipe, a divot was entered into my facial hair that could not be concealed. I spared my mustache for a full evening in the public…. In other words, I had a #1 length beard with a #5 length mustache… if you know what this means you can picture it. If you cannot, then take this description that my roommate gave me, “You look like a douche.”

A Douche perhaps, but a damaged douche that misses his beard.

A day later in preps for a job interview, I am clean shaven for the first time since Halloween, and I miss my warm and fuzzy windbreaker, my mustache with coffee icicles, my cheek warmer, my all purpose back of my hand scratcher, and my solution for activity whenever my hands needed something to play with…. Yes, I miss you.

I hope I get a job that allows me to re-grow my little friend.

That is all....
davejennings.net