Comments on: Gold Racquets; Sears Trophy; Media Watch II—Monitor, Harvard Mag and New Yorker http://blog.jameszug.com/gold-racquets-sears-trophy-media-watch-ii%e2%80%94monitor-harvard-mag-and-new-yorker/ Stories on Squash Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:48:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jim Domenick http://blog.jameszug.com/gold-racquets-sears-trophy-media-watch-ii%e2%80%94monitor-harvard-mag-and-new-yorker/#comment-15 Jim Domenick Fri, 09 Feb 2007 00:47:10 +0000 http://blog.jameszug.com/gold-racquets-sears-trophy-media-watch-ii%e2%80%94monitor-harvard-mag-and-new-yorker/#comment-15 I used to play "The Senator" from time to time (in the mid 80's) at Clark's Uptown in the old Franklin Plaza Hotel at 16th & Arch St. in Philadelphia. I was in my 20's at the time, and he shot almost every ball back then. The biggest problem I had with him was that his scheduling secretary would call my house at 10:30 PM and say the senator had a court scheduled for 7:00 AM the next morning. After declining those offers 2 or 3 times they stopped calling. I used to play “The Senator” from time to time (in the mid 80’s) at Clark’s Uptown in the old Franklin Plaza Hotel at 16th & Arch St. in Philadelphia. I was in my 20’s at the time, and he shot almost every ball back then. The biggest problem I had with him was that his scheduling secretary would call my house at 10:30 PM and say the senator had a court scheduled for 7:00 AM the next morning. After declining those offers 2 or 3 times they stopped calling.

]]> By: Mark Hinckley http://blog.jameszug.com/gold-racquets-sears-trophy-media-watch-ii%e2%80%94monitor-harvard-mag-and-new-yorker/#comment-13 Mark Hinckley Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:58:43 +0000 http://blog.jameszug.com/gold-racquets-sears-trophy-media-watch-ii%e2%80%94monitor-harvard-mag-and-new-yorker/#comment-13 Jim, Thanks for the Gold Racquet plug. The 75th running was a great weekend, marred only by the absence of Treddy Ketcham. FYI...here's the "new math". From the records we have at the club, the singles portion of the event began in 1928 and has been run continuously since then, with the exception of the 4 war years (1942-45). The doubles began 2 years later, in 1930. Again, according to the records we have at the club, it has been run continuously since then, with the exception of 2 war years (1943-44). I've never heard an explanation of why there was a doubles, but no singles, draw in 1942 and 1945. Technically, 2006 marked the 77th running of either a singles or doubles tournament at the RHC on the first weekend in December, and therefore we might have celebrated the 75th edition of this squash weekend in 2004 (so your reasoning was correct, but your math was still a bit off). However, the "Gold Racquet Invitational" is the name of the singles tournament, and the 2006 edition was the 75th running of it. When Ray Chauncey put together the weekend in 1928, he donated the Cartier gold racquet that remains on display at the RHC clubhouse. The plaque on it's base lists only the winners of the singles tournaments. For as long as I've belonged to the club, a tie clip-sized gold racquet has been given to the winner of the singles draw. According to Treddy's recollection, the doubles portion of the weekend began 2 years later in 1930, when 1st round singles losers were paired with the best club member doubles players. I am not certain as to when the doubles expanded to the larger, stand alone draw, but, in 1960, club member, Wm. C. MacMillen, Jr., donated a cup in Ray Chauncey's honor, and the doubles portion of the event has been called the Ray Chauncey Invitational ever since. To further complicate this entire issue, the club, in 1977, celebrated the 50th "anniversary" of the Gold Racquet Invitational, 49 years after the inaugural weekend in 1928. Go figure. As a sidebar to all of the above, I offer the following tidbit...this year we invited a number of past champions to return to the RHC for our celebration. In his letter back to me, accepting the invitation, Sam Howe (1964 Gold Racquet winner) noted that he'd played in the 50th, that he would be delighted to attend the 75th, but that he wasn't sure he'd be able to make it to the 100th! Best to you, and good luck with "The Direct". Mark Hinckley Jim,

Thanks for the Gold Racquet plug. The 75th running was a great weekend, marred only by the absence of Treddy Ketcham. FYI…here’s the “new math”. From the records we have at the club, the singles portion of the event began in 1928 and has been run continuously since then, with the exception of the 4 war years (1942-45). The doubles began 2 years later, in 1930. Again, according to the records we have at the club, it has been run continuously since then, with the exception of 2 war years (1943-44). I’ve never heard an explanation of why there was a doubles, but no singles, draw in 1942 and 1945. Technically, 2006 marked the 77th running of either a singles or doubles tournament at the RHC on the first weekend in December, and therefore we might have celebrated the 75th edition of this squash weekend in 2004 (so your reasoning was correct, but your math was still a bit off). However, the “Gold Racquet Invitational” is the name of the singles tournament, and the 2006 edition was the 75th running of it. When Ray Chauncey put together the weekend in 1928, he donated the Cartier gold racquet that remains on display at the RHC clubhouse. The plaque on it’s base lists only the winners of the singles tournaments. For as long as I’ve belonged to the club, a tie clip-sized gold racquet has been given to the winner of the singles draw. According to Treddy’s recollection, the doubles portion of the weekend began 2 years later in 1930, when 1st round singles losers were paired with the best club member doubles players. I am not certain as to when the doubles expanded to the larger, stand alone draw, but, in 1960, club member, Wm. C. MacMillen, Jr., donated a cup in Ray Chauncey’s honor, and the doubles portion of the event has been called the Ray Chauncey Invitational ever since. To further complicate this entire issue, the club, in 1977, celebrated the 50th “anniversary” of the Gold Racquet Invitational, 49 years after the inaugural weekend in 1928. Go figure. As a sidebar to all of the above, I offer the following tidbit…this year we invited a number of past champions to return to the RHC for our celebration. In his letter back to me, accepting the invitation, Sam Howe (1964 Gold Racquet winner) noted that he’d played in the 50th, that he would be delighted to attend the 75th, but that he wasn’t sure he’d be able to make it to the 100th! Best to you, and good luck with “The Direct”.

Mark Hinckley

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