The Prize Surprise 
By John McClaughry

On Friday five liberal Norwegian airheads decided that Barack Obama ought to get the Nobel Peace Prize for his nine months of eloquent speechmaking about peace and other stuff.

Many were surprised.

I thought back to when pitcher Bobo Holloman won baseball’s coveted Cy Young award.

Bobo came up from Syracuse to the fabled St. Louis Browns in 1953. He accumulated a 0-1 record in three relief appearances, with an earned run average of about 9.

Bobo persuaded Manager Marty Marion that he was a starting pitcher, and Marion sent him to the mound on May 6, 1953. Bobo proceeded to throw his only complete game in the majors. The Philadelphia Athletics hit line drives all over the field, but the Browns fielders made dazzling plays to catch every one.

Bobo gave up three walks in the ninth, but a double play and a fly out gave him the first no-hitter in modern baseball history pitched by a pitcher in his first major league start.

And they gave him the Cy Young award!

No, of course, I made that up. Bobo was knocked out of the box in his next two starts and never played major league baseball again.

Obama was nominated for the prize after twelve days in office. Now let’s see how he advances the cause of peace in the world, in anticipation of which the loony Norwegians gave him their coveted Not Bush Award.

John McClaughry is vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute (www.ethanallen.org)