Many of you are too young to remember life before the high five. The days were less exciting. There wasn’t such a thing as a low five. Back then people would say “gimme five” or “give me some skin”. Holding out both palms meant you gave your friend “ten”. After giving someone five (or ten), the proper response was to hold out your palms so the other person can give you five back. It was a sin to leave your friend hanging. Most of the time you’d give ten, with both hands. Then the cross over became popular, and pre-planned hip bumps and such.
Those were the salad days. Life was more innocent then. Saturday Night Live's "Wild & Crazy Guys" Dan Ackroyd and Steve Martin popularized the phrase "Slappa my hand, soul man!" while giving five to neighbor Cliff, played by Garrett Morris.
The first high five was performed on this day 45 years ago, by Dodger teammates Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke, in 1977. Baker hit a home run. Burke was the on deck hitter. He wasn’t waiting for Dusty at the plate like an on deck hitter does does today. When Baker jogged back to the dugout, as he passed, Burke raised his hand high in the air. Instinctively, Baker raised his hand and slapped it. The high five was born.
The crazy, mysterious history of sports' most enduring gesture -- the high five (espn.com)
The world has never been the same. For some reason Magic Johnson tried to claim HE invented the high five at Michigan State. Magic entered State in the fall of 1977. Basketball season didn't begin until after the Dodgers had completed their season.
The high five continued to grow in popularity. In 1983 President Reagan signed a bill designating April 20 as National High Five Day, honoring the anniversary of Baker & Burke's landmark achievement.
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High fiving quickly turned into a group activity. The Washington Redskin’ receiver core dubbed themselves “The Fun Bunch”, gathering together in the end zone after a touchdown, leaping into the air for a group high five. From there other teams orchestrated elaborate touchdown celebrations. The Eagles would “Roll Six” – several players would take a knee members of the offense kneeling down while watching the TD scorer rolling the ball like dice. But in keeping with it’s “No Fun League” reputation, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue outlawed the high five touchdown celebration. In recent years current commissioner Roger Goodell relaxed these restrictions, and the high five returned to use.
Over the years the holiday sadly became overcommercialized. Friends and families started to gather on High Five Eve, if at all. In 2021 protesters toppled Dusty & Burke's high five statue outside Dodger Stadium. High fivers were persecuted and cancelled, and rarely high five’d in public any more.
Today even the handshake has been replaced by the fist bump. Probably a more sanitary gesture in this new age of covid.
Most large corporations no longer shut down on high five day (wipes tear). But thanks to our own HR department, we can high five with pride today. Enjoy!
Hawks down 0-2. People are wondering what’s happened to Trae Young. Did the league figure out how to defend him? Isn’t looking good for the Hawks. For some reason Dan Patrick has become a huge Lakers fan. Besides that, you should listen to Dan instead of Skip Bayless.
Monday I left at 4:45 to get to the post office before five. Stopped by Taco Bell drive thru. Got my bag and drove away. They got my order wrong. Small group was good. Got home just before nine.
Normally I would’ve run at the gym this past Tuesday morning, since I didn’t run on Monday. But my legs were still sore from walking the 16 holes (really 17 – over 4 miles / 10000 steps up and down hills). So instead I lifted weights. Man then as I drove to work all the lights were on green, and when I was turning right on red no traffic was slowing me down, so I made good time.
Busy Tuesday at work. New stuff just keeps coming in. I tried to monitor emails after being out on Friday. When I arrived at work yesterday morning I had 72 unread emails, after leaving work last Thursday with 8 emails in my box. Currently have 19, all with stuff for me to do.
Worked past 6:30 pm. Got one project put to bed. Plenty more to do. Headed to Steak & Shake but traffic was gridlocked on Peachtree Parkway, so I made a U turn and took a different route. Was after 7:30 before I made it home. Jeopardy. Later I had a little more to do before bed. A hockey game was ending and Dodgers/Mets coming on, so I watched that. C couldn’t believe I was watching hockey. The score was 4-1 with 3 minutes left, so I figured there wouldn’t be many timeouts or commercials. Then two goals were scored in less than 60 seconds. Never seen that before.
Finally baseball came on, with announcers Costas and Francoeur. Kershaw was going after win 200. I went to bed after the top of the first. Mookie Betts wasn’t playing, and former gold glove winner Jason Heyward couldn’t make a tough play in right field, turning it into a three base error.
Ran three miles this morning at the gym. I needed to work late, but I had to cut the grass. A 13000 step day.
RUBE WADDELL [SABR Bio] was the first American League pitcher to strike out more than 300 batters in a single season, with 302 in 1903 for PHA. His strikeout total the next year still stands as the season AL record by a southpaw. He K’ed 349 in 1904; Sam McDowell came closest with 325 in 1965. Waddell threw the first recorded Immaculate Inning in the Modern Era on 01-Jul-1902. Waddell struck out 3 batters throwing exactly 9 pitches.
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