FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

William Richard Mueller (/ˈmɪlər/ MIL-ler; born March 17, 1971) is an American retired professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Mueller’s MLB playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants (1996–2000, 2002), Chicago Cubs (2001–2002), Boston Red Sox (2003–2005), and Los Angeles Dodgers (2006). He is currently the hitting coach at Arizona State.

Many of Mueller’s accolades came during the 2003 season, when he won the American League batting title and a Silver Slugger Award. A switch hitter, he became the only player in major league history to hit one grand slam from both sides of the plate in the same game on July 29, 2003. Mueller was the starting third baseman for the Red Sox’ 2004 World Series championship team that beat the St. Louis Cardinals. Since his playing career, he has served in MLB as a front office assistant and hitting coach.

PLAYING HIGHLIGHTS

• Was the American League batting champion in 2003 with a batting average of .326, mostly batting eighth.
• Won the American League Silver Slugger Award for third basemen in 2003.
• On July 29, 2003, visiting the Texas Rangers, he hit three home runs in one game, two of which were grand slams. Mueller became the twelfth player in major league history to hit two grand slams in a single game, but the first ever to hit one from each side of the plate, which has never been repeated. The grand slams also came in consecutive at-bats.
• Hit a dramatic game-winning walk-off home run on July 24, 2004, against the New York Yankees. The game had been a seesaw battle featuring a bench-clearing brawl in which Boston catcher Jason Varitek and Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez famously clashed after Bronson Arroyo hit Rodríguez with a curveball. The game appeared to be another devastating loss for the then stagnant Red Sox, but in the bottom of the ninth, with the Red Sox down a run and Yankees closer Mariano Rivera on the mound, Mueller hit a 3–1 pitch into the Red Sox bullpen in right field, winning the game for the Red Sox. Many baseball analysts considered this game to be the turning point in the Red Sox 2004 season, in which they went on to win the World Series.
• Made a significant number of contributions to the Red Sox’s World Series win in 2004. The most notable was his critical RBI single in the ninth inning of Game 4 against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Down 4–3 in the ninth inning and facing elimination, Kevin Millar drew a walk from closer Mariano Rivera. Dave Roberts came in to pinch run for Millar and stole second base. Mueller singled him home and the Red Sox went on to win in 12 innings, beginning their run of eight straight wins, culminating in the title.
• With his former team, the Boston Red Sox, down three games to two in the 2007 American League Championship Series, Bill Mueller was brought in to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of game six to bring back a little of the magic that his hit against the Yankees in 2004 had brought. The Red Sox went on to win the game 12–2, the ALCS 4–3, and the World Series.
• Held a .455 career batting average against Mariano Rivera. Was nicknamed “The Rivera Slayer”.

TODAY’S ALMANAC

First of Muharram (at sundown)

“The Islamic New Year, or the First of Muharram, begins at sundown. This marks the beginning of the Islamic lunar calendar each year. For many Muslims, it begins at the first sighting of the lunar crescent after the new Moon in the month of Muharram. The crescent Moon may be visible a day or so after the new Moon, but weather and other factors may delay the sighting. Other Muslims use different criteria to determine the start of the calendar, such as the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), which calculates the date according to the following: The Moon must be born (become new) before sunset in Makkah, and the Moon must set after sunset. The following dates are calculated according to the FCNA, and may be a day or so earlier than a visible sighting.”

Question of the Day

How much water should I give my shrubs and trees?

Your trees and shrubs need watering, just like everything else growing in your yard, especially in periods of little rain. Watering cools them off in hot weather and helps the plants absorb nutrients from the soil, as well as make their own food. Don’t get overzealous, however. Wait for signs of water stress, including wilting and loss of leaves. Here’s a rule of thumb for watering: Give your trees an inch of water every two weeks if you’ve had less than an inch of rain. Try to saturate the soil all at once, so the water goes deep. To monitor your watering, use a sprinkler and place an empty tuna can nearby. When the can is full of water, empty it and then fill again. Two fills will ensure adequate soil saturation. Water in the early morning or late evening to avoid quick evaporation.

Advice of the Day

At sea, with low and falling glass, Soundly sleeps the careless ass.

Home Hint of the Day

Clean wooden bowls with warm, soapy water, then rinse and wipe dry. If the inside of a bowl is worn, apply a coat of vegetable or mineral oil.

Word of the Day

Filibuster

A lawless military adventurer, especially one in quest of plunder; a freebooter; — originally applied to buccaneers infesting the Spanish American coasts, but introduced into common English to designate the followers of Lopez in his expedition to Cuba in 1851, and those of Walker in his expedition to Nicaragua, in 1855. A tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches

Puzzle of the Day

With his (Blank), he killed three (Blank). (The two 5-letter words to fill the blanks share the same letters.)

1) saber 2) bears

Born

• John Sargent Pillsbury (manufacturer) – 1828
• Booth Tarkington (author) – 1869
• William Powell (actor) – 1892
• Edwin O’Connor (novelist) – 1918
• Norma Lyon (fourth butter cow sculptor of the Iowa State Fair) – 1929
• Paul Taylor (dancer) – 1930
• Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker (politician) – 1932
• Elizabeth Dole (government official) – 1936
• Peter Jennings (journalist) – 1938
• Ken Burns (filmmaker) – 1953
• Martina McBride (singer) – 1966
• Wil Wheaton (actor) – 1972
• Stephen Dorff (actor) – 1973
• Josh Radnor (actor) – 1974
• Allison Mack (actress) – 1982

Died

• Vincent van Gogh (artist) – 1890
• Mama Cass Elliot (singer) – 1974
• David Niven (actor) – 1983
• Jerome Robbins (choreographer) – 1998
• Tom Snyder (talk show host) – 2007

Events

• The Spanish Armada was defeated by an English naval force off the coast of Gravelines, France– 1588
• The Pittsburgh Gazette became the first newspaper published west of the Allegheny Mountains– 1786
• Annibale de Gasparis discovered asteroid 15 Eunomia– 1851
• First successful transcontinental telephone call– 1914
• Lightning caused a deadly fire in Cochrane and Matheson, Ontario– 1916
• President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)– 1958
• Schooner Bluenose II was donated to Nova Scotia– 1971
• First Chicken Wing Day, Buffalo, New York– 1977
• Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer married at St. Paul’s in London, England– 1981
• Bill Mueller of the Boston Red Sox became the first baseball player in major league history to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in one game– 2003
• 184-pound wahoo caught, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico– 2005
• A 5.4-magnitude earthquake shook Los Angeles, California– 2008
• A pair of Winston Churchill’s wartime dentures sold at auction for approximately $23,750– 2010
• Rare panda triplets born at the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, China– 2014

Weather

• Four inches of rain fell on Tucson, Arizona, causing thousands of dollars in damage– 1959
• Barnet, Vermont, reported a morning low of 33 degrees F, with frost appearing on vegetation– 1987
• St. Johnsbury, Vermont, had a low temperature of 42 degrees F– 1987
• Greeley, Colorado, received 6 to 7.5 inches of rain in eight hours– 1989
• Thermometers in Oymyakon, Eastern Siberia (considered one of the coldest places on Earth) recorded 90 degrees F in the evening– 2010
• Moscow had a record temperature of 100 degrees F– 2010

COURTESY www.almanac.com