TEAM TIME: Our recent column on Bradford’s days in minor league
baseball brought responses from several RTS readers.

Ted Viola writes: “I remember Frank Baldanza of the Bradford
Phillies as being a very good all-around baseball player. I was a
kid about 11 in 1953. My recollection of him was he was an
outfielder. I believe his normal position was right field.

“The guy had a cannon for an arm. He could throw guys out from
deep in the outfield. I think the other two outfielders were Johnny
Maggio and ‘Yogi’ Karasek.”

Jim Pringle emailed us additional information about Johnny Wise
of the Bradford Phillies:

“I have an autographed Philadelphia Phillies baseball that I
obtained through the graces of Johnny Wise. His signature is on it,
and at the time he was traveling secretary.

“I don’t know if he ever became general manager. After he left
the Phillies, he owned a bowling alley with former Phillie All-Star
Del Ennis.”

WEATHER VANE: Hal Harmon called to suggest a possible connection
between a donkey and a rope tail that one reader was trying to put
together.

He claims it might just be from a saying on a souvenir item.

Hal said several souvenir shops sell an item consisting of a
square piece of wood on which is painted a horse or donkey that
sports a real rope for a tail.

“It’s supposed to be a joke, just a funny weather predictor,”
Hal said. “The saying on it reads something like, ‘If the tail is
wet, it’s raining, or it the tail is swinging, it’ll be windy.’
“

This explanation, however, leaves out the Catholic religion,
which the reader claimed was a part of her memory.

As for our list of weather sayings in general, Barney Snyder of
Tucson writes, “I believe the Farmer’s Almanac may have been
created because of the weather long before the weathermen got it
right very often. ‘Red sky at night, sailors’ delight’ meant easy
sailing.”

An Internet site explains why: The sun is low in the sky during
a sunset, so it transmits light through the thickest part of the
atmosphere. A red sky indicates a dust- and moisture-filled
atmosphere. We see the red because red wavelengths are breaking
through the atmosphere. The shorter wavelengths, such as blue, are
scattered and broken up.

So, a red sky at night usually indicates high pressure and
stable air coming in from the west. Good weather usually
follows.