Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2013 July 16

= July 16 =

Happy Days theme performers
Who performed the theme "Happy Days", which was written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, in seasons 3-10? I heard Pratt and McClain's version and it doesn't sound like any version used in the series. I know the closing theme in seasons 1 and 2 was performed by Jim Haas with a group of backup singers. It sounds like the seasons 3-10 version is by Jim Haas as well, but with different lyrics. The season 11 theme is by Bobby Arvon. Does anyone know who recorded it for seasons 3-10? 108.0.244.168 (talk) 05:18, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Happy Days (TV theme) seems to indicate it was Pratt and McClain. -- Jayron  32  01:14, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Listen at these links. Here is the seasons 1-2 version by Jim Haas. Here is the seasons 3-10 version.  Here is the version by Pratt and McClain on their record.  Here is the season 11 version by Bobby Arvon.  The season 3-10 version actualy doesn't sound like Jim Haas, Pratt and McClain on their record, or Bobby Arvon.  Is the seasons 3-10 by Pratt and McClain or someone else?  108.0.244.168 (talk) 02:06, 17 July 2013 (UTC)

Changes in baseball uniform numbers
What is the reason that uniform numbers change more often in baseball than other sports? Players' numbers have changed in other sports, but it seems to happen in baseball more often. In 2012, Stephen Fife originally wore 56 for the Dodgers, but wore 59 later that season. Dylan Axelrod first wore 39 for the White Sox, but changed to 33. In 2011, Francisco Rodriguez changed from 75 to 57. No. 57 was previously Mitch Stetter's number, who was still on the Major League roster when the Brewers acquired Rodriguez. Can anyone explain this? 108.0.244.168 (talk) 07:08, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure that numbers do change more often in baseball than other sports. What is clear is that there is a lot of movement at the back-end of baseball rosters these days (players shuttling between the minor leagues and major leagues) because rosters are still limited to 25 players, while the typical pitching staff has grown from 10 to 13 men, forcing teams to play around with the last few slots a lot more than they used to. Numbers typically change for two reasons: a player comes back after a stint in the minor leagues, or a player want a more "in-demand" number. In the cases you cited, 33 is a lot more popular than the anonymous 39 so Axelrod likely requested it because he's now considered a regular member of the Sox pitching staff. Francisco Rodriguez wore number 57 (not normally popular) for his entire career with the Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels; 75 is just a reshuffled 57, something players will do when their preferred number is unavailable (most famously, Carlton Fisk wore 27 in Boston and 72 in Chicago; both numbers have since been retired in his honor by those teams). Rodriguez likely persuaded Stetter to give up number 57 in return for something. Typically, when a player first comes up, he gets assigned a high number (40 and above) with little say in the matter, and will often want to change it for a lower number once he's "made the grade", although he may become attached to his original high number if he finds success right off the bat wearing it (which was Francisco's case). Similarly, if a player has a poor debut that gets him sent back to the minors, he will often want a different number in his second try; players are a superstitious lot. But once a player has established an identity with a particular number, he will stick with it, even when he changes teams. --Xuxl (talk) 08:44, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Can a player on the active roster take the number of another player who is optioned (sent to the minors but still on the Major League roster), or a player who is on the disabled list? 108.0.244.168 (talk) 22:36, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * That would likely depend on the prestige of the player on the DL. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 22:45, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I don't know what the MLB rules are about this. Do MLB rules consider numbers of players on the DL or 40 man roster but not active "available" or "taken"?  108.0.244.168 (talk) 23:38, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * If you're talking about the Official Baseball Rules, I don't think uniform numbers are even mentioned, as numbers are traditional but not required as far as I know. There may be rules prohibiting certain things on the uniform, such as frayed sleeves, baseball-like objects and such, but I don't think it says anything about numbers. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 00:01, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Rule 1.11 talks about the standards for uniforms, and indicates that numbers on the back are required and must be at least 6 inches high. There's a bunch of other stuff about uniforms, but nothing about how numbers are assigned. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 00:08, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * One important thing to remember about numbers in baseball compared to, say, American football, is that the culture is very different with regard to uniform numbers. In baseball, players are very identifiable by their face and body; numbers are almost secondary.  Honestly, I have a very hard time remembering most baseball players numbers, with a few exceptions of players who famously played for the same team their whole career and thus usually kept the same number.  In American football, players are fairly anonymous with regards to their faces (because of the helmets and facemasks) and so are very protective of their numbers, and are much closer identified with them.  I could name maybe a few dozen baseball players by number.  I can probably name 1000 football players by their number.  -- Jayron  32  01:12, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Isn't it still the case in football that numbers are actually meaningful, i.e. that eligible receivers wear a different range of numbers than inner linemen, for example? As regards baseball, in the early days numbers tended to be assigned to regulars based on their normal position in the batting order, which is why Ruth and Gehrig's numbers (since retired, of course) were 3 and 4. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 01:45, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Yes, football numbers have been assigned by position since the 1950s or so (and before, in some leagues). The NFL has a strict range-to-specific-position rules, while NCAA and NFHS rules merely ask that offensive linemen wear numbers 50-79 and that eligible ball carriers on offense wear numbers outside that range.  See Uniform number (American football) for more info on that.  -- Jayron  32  02:18, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I recall that in the NFL it is or was the case that a player with a "wrong" number could come in and declare to an official that he's to be an eligible receiver on a given play. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 03:04, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * At all levels, on any individual play, a player can "declare" and play out of position (that is, someone at #70 could play as an eligible ball carrier in the NFL, NCAA, and NFHS rules for any individual play in which they declare the intent to do so). This involves the player with the bad number going to the referee and telling them; the referee then communicates the bad number to the opposing team so they are aware of it.  However, at all levels, there is an expectation that a player is assigned a proper number based on their expected regular position, and that no bad-faith attempts are made to circumvent the numbering rules.  There was some discussion when he came into the league (especially among sports talk shows who speculate on these things) the New Orleans Saints would name Reggie Bush's primary position as "Punter" to allow him to play with #5 (his college number, but not an eligible running back number in the NFL).  The NFL would not allow the Saints to do so, since he was obviously not going to be a punter.  -- Jayron  32  03:18, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * And, just for reference, when a player changes position on a permanent basis, they sometimes aren't required to change numbers. Some recent examples include Devin Hester who was expected to play cornerback, and was assigned a regular cornerback number in the 20s.  By his second season, the Bears had moved him to wide receiver, but he kept his number 23.  In the other direction, Matthew Slater was drafted originally as a wideout and given the number 18 (currently an allowed WR number), though he developed into a talented special teams Gunner, and has played more at safety when not in special teams.  He's been allowed to keep #18.  Other such historical players who changed positions, but kept the number assigned to their old positions, include Paul Hornung (drafted as QB and given #5, moved to RB later), Paul Warfield (drafted as a RB and given #42, later moved to WR), Lenny Moore (nominally a RB and wore #24, but played more at Flanker (WR) opposite Raymond Berry).  Of course, there are many players who were "Grandfathered" from leagues with different numbering rules, which is why Otto Graham got to play in the NFL with the number 60 for several years (in the AAFC, this was a legal QB number) and why old AFL players like Fred Biletnikoff (WR #25), John Hadl (QB #21) and Jim Otto (C, #00) had odd numbers, or when the NFL changed its numbering rules it allowed players with the wrong numbers to keep them; explaining how Ken Burrough got to keep #00 as a WR, or Julius Adams and Ted Hendricks wore 85 and 83 respectively despite being defensive players, well into the 1980s when the modern system was well established.  -- Jayron  32  03:36, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Does anyone know if a number automatically becomes available when a player goes on the DL or is optioned; or if these players voluntarily changed their numbers, possibly being persuaded for something in return? 108.0.244.168 (talk) 01:23, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * The article Uniform number (Major League Baseball) doesn't address your specific question, but it's pretty clear that it's a matter of negotiation on an individual club. The only exception would be 42, which the Commissioner ordere retired throughout the major leagues. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 01:44, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I don't think that there is a formal rule, but when a player is on the disabled list, he is still considered a member of the major league roster and he keeps his number. It's not as clear for a player who is optioned to the minors, as his return to the big leagues may not come for a long time. A top prospect would get to keep his number, but a "AAAA player" who continually shuffles between the big leagues and the minors could well lose his if a more established player requested to wear his number. --Xuxl (talk) 11:24, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Which is somewhat unlikely, given that if the top prospect wanted a particular high number, he probably could've grabbed it when he was first signed. In broad terms, the higher numbers are seen as less desirable, so if you have a particular interest in #94 because that's the year you were born or something, you can pretty much grab it at will. It hasn't been stated above outright, but the reason high numbers are less desirable in general is that the numbers grew out of numbering the starting lineup. Wearing #7 was a marker of you having made the "starting nine". Rookies and late trades and so on (even coaches and managers have numbers too) were given the leftovers, so wearing #51 was a sign of not really being part of the team. Given how long numbering has been in place and the quantity of great players who had larger numbers, I'm surprised there's still a push to get a single digit. Matt Deres (talk) 16:26, 17 July 2013 (UTC)


 * 42 was ordered retired except for players who were wearing that number at the time of retirement. The only active player still wearing 42 is Mariano Rivera, and after he retires, at the end of this season, the number will no longer be worn (except for commemorative occasions when every player wears 42).  RNealK (talk) 04:24, 18 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I was trying to find some example so that I could put it in the article, but it appears I came up empty and that there is no formal policy. Remember that I said optioned players, not outrighted; still being on the 40 man roster.  108.0.244.168 (talk) 04:49, 18 July 2013 (UTC)

Monty Python fans - what was the name of this sketch?
On one of the episodes, there's a sketch - or possibly just a link - that features Michael Palin (I believe) walking through town, completely oblivious as people keep dying around him in increasingly silly ways. Google hasn't been much help on this. I know it's not the World's Funniest Joke sketch.

Any help with either the name of the sketch or the episode from which it derived would be greatly appreciated! 96.231.145.26 (talk) 15:21, 16 July 2013 (UTC)


 * I don't recall exactly that, but if they died laughing it could be the first bit of "The Man Who Makes People Laugh Uncontrollably" (which I believe was Palin).--Shantavira|feed me 16:05, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * That's a possible candidate for the OP's sketch, but the man who made people laugh uncontrollably was Idle - Palin played his boss (who fired him while laughing uncontrollably). Tevildo (talk) 18:14, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Actually, it's Terry Jones in this one. The mood from this is very similar though - thanks! 96.231.145.26 (talk) 19:07, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * It could also be "The Dull Life of a City Stockbroker" (Series 1, Episode 6). Tevildo (talk) 18:07, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * That'll be it with Cleese as Frankenstein killing the queued-up bus passengers--it's available on youtube. μηδείς (talk) 18:59, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Thanks, this was definitely the one I was thinking of. 96.231.145.26 (talk) 19:07, 16 July 2013 (UTC)