Blow Out the Candles -- November 11

 Walter James Vincent "Rabbit" Maranville was born on this date in 1891.

At only 5'5", Rabbit  hold the career record for putouts by a shortstop with 5, 139 in 23 seasons.  He was elected to the HOF in 1954.

Another HOFer, Harold Joseph "Pie" Traynor was born on this date in 1898.

 A lifetime .320 hitter in 17 seasons, all for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pie is considered by many to be the greatest third baseman of the first half of the 20th century.

Pie plate

Russian writer, philosopher and  novelist, Fyodor Dostoyevsky was born in Moscow on this date in 1821.  His best known works are Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, and The Idiot.

"I am called a psychologist, it's not true, I am only a realist in the highest sense, i.e, I depict all the depths of the human soul."

French painter Paul Signac was born in Paris on this date in 1863.

Watercolor  Notre Dame 1910

The Papal Palace  1900

Hoosier writer Kurt Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis on this date in 1922.

Vonnegut's best known works are Slaughterhouse Five, Cats Cradle and Breakfast of Champions.  I've read most his work and am happy to own this kitchy retitled edition of Player Piano released in 1954, two years after the original:

Vonnegut had a cameo in Rodney Dangerfield's 1986 comedy Back to School:

Actor/Comedian Jonathan Winters turns 86 funny years old today.