Rounders

A game of rounders on Christmas Day at Baroona, Glamorgan Vale, Australia in 1913.
Highest governing body	Rounders England Gaelic Athletic Association
First played	England, 1884
Characteristics
Team members	2 teams of 5–15

Rounders (Irish: cluiche corr) is a game played between two teams of either gender. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a round wooden, plastic or metal bat. The players score by running around the four bases on the field.^[1][2] The game is popular among British and Irish school children.^[3][4]

Gameplay centres around a number of innings, in which teams alternate at batting and fielding. A maximum of nine players are allowed to field at any time. Points (known as 'rounders') are scored by the batting team when one of their players completes a circuit past four bases without being put 'out'.

History[link]

The game of rounders has been played in England since Tudor times,^[1] with the earliest reference^[1][5] being in 1744 in A Little Pretty Pocket-Book where it was called "base-ball".^[6] by John Newbery In 1828, William Clarke in London published the second edition of The Boy's Own Book, which included the rules of rounders and which contained the first printed description in English of a bat and ball base-running game played on a diamond.^[7] The following year, the book was published in Boston, Massachusetts.^[8]

The first nationally formalised rules were drawn up by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland in 1884. The game is still regulated by the GAA in Ireland. In Great Britain it is regulated by the National Rounders Association (NRA), which was formed in 1943. While the two associations are distinct, they share similar elements of gameplay and culture. Competitions are held between teams from both traditions, with games alternating between codes and one version being played in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

After the rules of rounders were formalised in Ireland, associations were established in Liverpool and Scotland in 1889. Both the 'New York game' and the now-defunct 'Massachusetts game' versions of baseball, as well as softball, share the same historical roots as rounders and bear a resemblance to the GAA version of the game. Rounders is linked to British baseball, which is still played in Liverpool, Cardiff and Newport. Although rounders is assumed to be older than baseball, literary references to early forms of 'base-ball' in England pre-date use of the term rounders. The game is now played up to international level.

Rules[link]

While the NRA^[9] and GAA^[10] codes differ, they share much in common.

The bowler, or 'feeder', bowls the ball with an underarm pendulum action to the batter. According to NRA rules, the ball is deemed a 'good' ball if it passes within reach on the striking side between the batter's knees and the top of the head. Otherwise, it is called a 'no-ball' or 'bad' ball. The ball is also regarded as bad if it is thrown into the batter's body or wide of the batting box. A batter may try to hit a bad ball but is not required to do so. A player is not out if a no-ball is caught and can't be called out on first base.

When a batter leaves the post, each runner on a post may run to the next and succeeding posts. A post runner cannot be declared out when standing at a post. The batter must keep in contact with the post to prevent them from being declared out. A rounder is scored if one of the batting team completes a circuit without being out. The NRA rules state that a half rounder is scored if half a circuit is completed by a player without being put out, or if the batter has not hit the ball but makes it all the way to the fourth base. A batter is out if a fielder catches the ball cleanly; the batter reaches a base that had been 'stumped' by a fielder; the bat is dropped whilst the batter is running; the batter leaves the base before the bowler has bowled the ball; the batter is 'run out' by the next batter.

NRA-specific rules[link]

A game of Rounders being played in Indonesia.

In Great Britain, the rules of rounders are regulated by the UK National Rounders Association.^[11] Games played under these rules use smaller bats and balls and are played on a smaller pitch compared to GAA games. The bases are marked with long poles, which batters must keep in contact with and fielders must 'stump', and only one 'good' ball need normally be thrown before a batter must run. 'Half-rounders' are also counted in scoring.

The fielding team must field a minimum of six players. The total number of players on a team is limited to nine.

The ball circumference must be 190 millimetres (7.5 in) and the bat no more than 460 millimetres (18 in) in length and 170 millimetres (6.7 in) in diameter. The NRA places a weight-limit of 370 grams (13 oz) on the bat. The bases are laid out in a manner similar to a baseball diamond, except that home base is a separate base, at right-angles to third base and the batsman's base.^[12] Each base is marked with poles, which must be able to support themselves and stand at a minimum of 1 metre (3 ft 3 in).

If a ball is delivered well, batters must try to hit the ball and must run regardless of whether the ball is hit. If the ball is hit into the backward area, the batter may not pass first post until the ball is returned to the forward area. A batter that hits a no-ball may not be caught out or stumped at the first post. Batters may run on 'no-balls' but do not have to. Each batter, except the last in each inning, is entitled to receive one good ball: the last batter is entitled to receive three good balls unless he or she is caught out.

One rounder is gained if the player reaches the fourth post and touches it before the next ball is bowled and is not caught out and hit by the ball. A half rounder is gained if: the player reaches the fourth post having missed the ball; the player reaches the second post having hit the ball; if a batter is obstructed by a fielder whilst running; or if the same batter has two consecutive no balls.

A batter is out if a fielder catches the ball after it has been hit and before it touches the ground, a fielder touches the post of the base halfway up (or higher) whilst running to it, or another batter runs to the same base or overtakes a batter, in which case both batters are out.

Two innings constitute a game. Each batting team's innings continues until nine outs are made or the numbered innings is over.

GAA-specific rules[link]

A batter is attempting to give a good hit

In Ireland, the rules of rounders (Irish: cluiche corr) are laid-down by the Gaelic Athletic Association.^[13] The GAA rules are the earliest nationally organised rules of play, being formalised in 1884. This version of rounders is most like baseball. It is played on a larger pitch compared to the NRA game and consequently uses larger bats and slightly larger balls. A GAA rounders pitch is a 70 metres (77 yd) square field and bases are 25 metres (27 yd) apart, compared to 12 metres (13 yd) for the NRA game. Foul ground runs along two adjacent sides of the pitch with home base at the intersection of these sides.

Three substitutes may be made to the list of field players during play. A maximum of nine players are allowed to field at one time. There is no limit for the number of batters a team may list.

The ball (or sliotar) circumference is 22.7–25.5 centimetres (8.9–10.0 in) and bats may be 70–110 centimetres (28–43 in) long and up to 22 centimetres (8.7 in) in diameter. There is no limit on bat weight. Bases are normally marked with temporary square mats 64 cm (28") wide for home-base and the pitchers stand and 46 centimetres (18 in) wide for all others.

Each batter is entitled to three good balls. A batter must try to hit any good balls that are bowled, but need not run hitting the ball. If a ball is struck that would otherwise be considered 'bad', the ball is then considered to be 'good'. If, on the first or second good ball, a ball is hit into the foul ground, or the ball is hit but no running occurs, it is considered a 'dead' ball and the batter or runners may not advance. If a batter receives three bad balls then a 'walk-on' is called and all runners advance one base. The batter may run on any ball except a dead ball. The batter is not allowed to drop the bat whilst running or that person is out and no rounders are scored.

A batter is out if:

• on a third good ball, the batter fails to strike the ball and the catcher holds the ball before it touches the ground;
• the bat is thrown or tossed in a dangerous way;
• on a third good ball, the batter strikes the ball in to the foul area;
• the bowler or catcher's view is obstructed for a second time, after a warning given on the first instance;
• deliberate contact is made with a fielder carrying the ball;
• the batter touches a base that has been 'tagged' by another fielder carrying the ball, in which case the batter must return to the previous base if it is still unoccupied;
• the batter attempts to occupy a base occupied by someone else (with the exception of first base, which must be vacated to make way for the approaching batter.

Batters must run in straight lines between bases and fielders must not obstruct their way or stand on bases. Disobeying this rule is considered unsporting behaviour and may result in up to two bases being awarded to the batting team or a batter being sent out. Normally, one batter may not overtake another while running between bases, although there are exceptions to this rule.

Five innings constitute a game, depending on the level of the match. Each batting team's inning continues until three outs are made.

Comparison with softball and baseball[link]

The GAA version of rounders is very similar to softball, the main difference being that the game is played with baseball-sized bats, balls and field. However, baseball-style gloves are not allowed. The main differences between baseball and the NRA version of the game are that the bat is much shorter and is usually swung one-handed; misses or strikes are not called, so there are no walks or strike-outs; each batter receives only one good ball and must run whether he or she hits it or not. Other differences include the posts for marking the bases, which should be wooden, and are preferably encased in plastic sheaths, the lay-out of the pitch, especially the location of home base and the bowler's pitch, which is an underarm pendulum action, as in softball.

See also[link]

• Oina
• Brännboll
• Safe haven games
• Stoolball

References[link]

External links[link]

• National Rounders Association
• Rounders Council of Ireland
• Rounders Association of India
• Rounders Contacts in Cambridge
• Schools Rounders
• Rounders at the Open Directory Project
• Welsh Baseball Union
• Rules for Playing Rounders GAA
• Simplified Rules NRA (and information on purchasing official rule books)

John Malkovich
John Malkovich, August 2009
Born	John Gavin Malkovich (1953-12-09) December 9, 1953 (age 58) Christopher, Illinois, US
Residence	Cambridge, Massachusetts
Nationality	American
Education	Benton Consolidated High School
Alma mater	Illinois State University
Occupation	Actor, film producer/director, fashion designer
Years active	1984–present
Home town	Benton, Illinois
Spouse	Glenne Headly (1982–88) Nicoletta Peyran (1989–present)
Children	2
Parents	Daniel Leon Malkovich, Joe Anne (née Choisser)
Awards	National Board of Review Award, Emmy Award, Drama Desk Award

John Gavin Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor, producer, director and fashion designer with his label Technobohemian. Over the last 25 years of his career, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures. For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award nominations. He has also appeared in critically acclaimed films such as Empire of the Sun, The Killing Fields, Dangerous Liaisons, Of Mice and Men, Con Air, Being John Malkovich, and Red. He will produce the film version of the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Early life[link]

Malkovich was born in Christopher, Illinois. His paternal grandparents were Croats, natives of Ozalj in Croatia.^[1][2][3][4] His mother was of Scottish and German ancestry.^[5] He grew up in Benton, Illinois, in a large house on South Main Street. His father, Daniel Leon Malkovich, was a state conservation director and publisher of Outdoor Illinois, a conservation magazine. His mother, Joe Anne (née Choisser), owned the Benton Evening News (a local newspaper in Benton, Il.), as well as Outdoor Illinois.^[6][7][8] Malkovich attended Logan Grade School,^{[citation needed]} Webster Junior High, and Benton Consolidated High School, in Benton, Illinois. During his high school years, he appeared in various plays and the musical, Carousel. He was also a member of a folk/rock musical trio, and was a member of a local summer theater/comedy project in Benton in 1972, where he co-starred in Jean-Claude van Itallie's America Hurrah. Upon graduation from high school, he entered Eastern Illinois University, and then transferred to Illinois State University, where he majored in theatre.^[9]

Career[link]

In 1976, Malkovich, along with Joan Allen, Gary Sinise, and Glenne Headly, became a charter member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago.^[6] He moved to New York City in 1980 to appear in a Steppenwolf production of the Sam Shepard play True West, for which he won an Obie Award.^[10][11] Malkovich then directed a Steppenwolf co-production, the 1984 revival of Lanford Wilson's Balm in Gilead, for which he received a second Obie Award and a Drama Desk Award.^[10] His Broadway debut that year was as Biff in Death of a Salesman, alongside Dustin Hoffman as Willy. Malkovich won an Emmy Award^[12] for this role when the play was adapted for television by CBS in 1985.

One of the actor's first forays into film was as an extra alongside Allen, Terry Kinney, George Wendt, and Laurie Metcalf in Robert Altman's 1978 film A Wedding. He made his feature film debut in 1984, as Sally Field's blind boarder Mr. Will in Places in the Heart; for his portrayal of Mr. Will, Malkovich received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He also portrayed Al Rockoff in The Killing Fields. He continued to have steady work in films such as Empire of the Sun, directed by Steven Spielberg, and the 1987 film adaptation of Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie, with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. A few years later, Malkovich became a star when he portrayed the sinister and sensual Valmont in the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons. He later reprised this role for the music video of "Walking on Broken Glass" by Annie Lennox.

In 1990 he recited, in Croatian, verses of Croatian national anthem Lijepa naša domovino (Our Beautiful Homeland) in Nenad Bach's song "Can We Go Higher?".^[13]

Malkovich starred in the 1992 film adaptation of John Steinbeck's award-winning novella Of Mice and Men as Lennie alongside Gary Sinise as George. In 1994, he was nominated for another Oscar, in the same category, for In the Line of Fire. Though he played the title role in the Charlie Kaufman-penned Being John Malkovich, he played a slight variation of himself, as indicated by the character's middle name of "Horatio". Malkovich has a cameo in the movie Adaptation.—also written by Kaufman—appearing as himself during the filming of Being John Malkovich. The Dancer Upstairs, Malkovich's directorial film debut, was released in 2002. Recent film roles include The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Beowulf, Burn After Reading, Changeling, Red and Secretariat.

Malkovich has hosted three episodes of the NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live. The first occasion was in January 1989 with musical guest Anita Baker; the second in October 1993 with musical guest Billy Joel (and special appearance by former cast member Jan Hooks); and the third was in December 2008 with musical guest T.I. with Swizz Beatz (and special appearances by Justin Timberlake, Molly Sims, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler).

In keeping with his renaissance-man image, he created his own fashion company, Mrs. Mudd, in 2002 in a partnership with Italian businessman Francesco Rulli. The company released its John Malkovich menswear collection, "Uncle Kimono," in 2003^[14] and its second clothing line, "Technobohemian," in 2010.^[15] Malkovich designed the outfits himself.^[16]

In a 2008 interview on College Hour, Malkovich revealed that he has been discussing making a motion picture adaptation of the Arnon Grünberg novel The History of My Baldness.^[17]

In November 2009, Malkovich appeared in an advertisement for Nespresso with fellow actor George Clooney. He portrayed Quentin Turnbull in the film adaption of Jonah Hex.^[18]

In 2011, Malkovich directed Julian Sands in A Celebration of Harold Pinter in the Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.^[19][20]

In 2008, Malkovich portrayed the story of Jack Unterweger in a performance for one actor, two sopranos, and period orchestra entitled Seduction and Despair, which premiered at Barnum Hall in Santa Monica, CA.^[21] A fully staged version of the production, entitled The Infernal Comedy premiered in Vienna in July 2009. The show has since been performed in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 throughout Europe, North America and South America^[22].

Malkovich is known for his distinctive voice, which The Guardian describes as "a reedy, faintly orgasmic drawl".^[23]

Personal life and political views[link]

Interview at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

Malkovich was married to actress Glenne Headly from 1982 to 1988. They divorced after Malkovich became involved with Michelle Pfeiffer, his co-star in Dangerous Liaisons.^[11] He later met his long-term partner Nicoletta Peyran on the set of The Sheltering Sky where she was the second assistant director, in 1989. They have two children; Amandine (born 1990) and Loewy (born 1992).

Malkovich is fluent in French, and for nearly 10 years lived and worked in a theater in Southern France. He and his family left France in a dispute over taxes in 2003,^[11][24] and since then he has lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[25] In a 2008 interview on The Late Show with David Letterman, Malkovich said he had just spent five weeks that summer living in France.

Malkovich lost millions^[26] to Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme when it collapsed in 2008.^[27]

Malkovich stated in a 2011 interview that "I’m not a political person actually, and I don’t have an ideology." He also said that he hadn't voted since George McGovern lost his presidential run in 1972.^[28] According to actor William Hootkins, who worked with Malkovich in BBC Television's Rocket to the Moon, Malkovich is "so right-wing you have to wonder if he's kidding."^[11]

When asked in an interview by the Toronto Star whether it was necessary to have spiritual beliefs to portray a spiritual character, he said "No, I'd say not...I'm an atheist. I wouldn't say I'm without spiritual belief particularly, or rather, specifically. Maybe I'm agnostic, but I'm not quite sure there's some great creator somehow controlling everything and giving us free will. I don't know; it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me."^[29]

In a 2002 appearance at the Cambridge Union Society, when asked whom he would most like to "fight to the death", Malkovich replied that he would "rather just shoot" journalist Robert Fisk and British MP George Galloway.^[30] Both Fisk and Galloway reacted with outrage.^[31][32]

Filmography[link]

Actor[link]

Director[link]

• Johnny Loves Bobby (1989)
• Strap-Hanging (1999)
• The Dancer Upstairs (2002)
• Hideous Man (2002)
• Blazing Satchels (2008)
• Lady Behave

Writer[link]

• Hideous Man (2002)

Producer[link]

• The Accidental Tourist (1988) (executive producer)
• Ghost World (2001)
• The Dancer Upstairs (2002)
• The Libertine (2004)
• Kill the Poor (2006)
• Art School Confidential (2006)
• Juno (2007)
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Malkovich

• John Malkovich at the Internet Movie Database
• John Malkovich at the Internet Broadway Database
• John Malkovich at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• John Malkovich on Charlie Rose
• "John Malkovich" in conversation with Jim Sharman at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sydney Festival, January 2011
• Works by or about John Malkovich in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• John Malkovich collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• How We Met: John Malkovich & Bella Freud – brief 2008 interview in The Independent
• John Malkovich in Mexico
• John Malkovich at Emmys.com

Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan at the 2006 World Series of Poker
Nickname(s)	Orient(al) Express
Residence	Las Vegas, Nevada
Born	1957 (age 54–55) Guangzhou, China
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)	10
Final table(s)	27
Money finish(es)	44
Highest ITM Main Event finish	Winner, 1987, 1988
World Poker Tour
Title(s)	None
Final table(s)	None
Money finish(es)	5
Information accurate as of 28 February 2012.

Johnny Chan (Chinese: 陳金海;^{[Note 1]} born in Guangzhou, China in 1957) is a Chinese American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively.