09.06.07 -- It's a Hit!

Shards II (1982), Frank Stella

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Thursday, September 6, 2007

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Puzzle by Daniel C. Bryant, edited by Will Shortz

An tidy little puzzle with one great crossing: MARIS (15A Wearer of the Yankees' retired #9) sharing the R of AROD (8D Nickname among major-league sluggers), who hit his 47th and 48th home runs last night to pass Hall of Famer Mel Ott on the career home run list, and tying Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews in the process. Alex Rodriguez now has 512 in his career. Next to catch on the home run list are Ted Williams and Willie McCovey, with 521 -- which Rodriguez will do if he matches his season high of 57 -- but hey, I'll lay bets he hits 61!

Across: 1. Burns’s tongue; 6. Popular desktops since 1998; 11. Camel’s end?; 14. Cul-de-sac; 15. Wearer of the Yankees’ retired #9; 16. 3.1 million-member org. with a pi in its logo; 17. Wardrobe malfunction?; 19. Atlantic City hotel, informally, with “the”; 20. “Blah blah blah blah blah”; 21. Start of a musical scale; 22. Arias, usually; 23. “ANY Time” (1952 million-selling Eddie Fisher hit); 24. Unit of punishment; 26. Result of punishment; 28. Mood after a military victory?; 32. Polling results, e.g.; 35. Tries; 36. Beastly; 39. Ranges; 40. Akin; 42. Estuaries; 43. Where porcine pilots arrive?; 46. Narc’s discovery, maybe; 47. Believed; 48. Grand Canyon area; 51. Early English actress Nell GWYN; 53. Not just threaten; 55. Threats to World War shipping; 57. Certain southeast Asian; 58. Hint to 17-, 28- and 43-Across; 60. Hospital dept.; 61. You Tube feature; 62. Hardly futuristic; 63. A.L. city, on scoreboards; 64. A lot; 65. Beaker.

Down: 1. Kind of tank; 2. First name in late-night; 3. Over near; 4. Old New York paper, for short; 5. Artists Frank STELLA, pioneer in Minimalism; 6. Org. that lends to countries; 7. Arrive with authority; 8. Nickname among major-league sluggers; 9. It has many pictures; 10. Boomer, once; 11. Director Michelangelo; 12. Warranty feature; 13. Muslim honorific; 18. “DEAR me”; 22. Emmy-winning Phil; 25. Trial position, for short; 27. Like ABAT out of hell; 28. Late editorial cartoonist Bill; 29. Carol starter; 30. Abbr. On an envelope to Mexico; 31. Flat sound; 32. Radio feature; 33. Eleanor Roosevelt’s first name; 34. Certain notes; 37. Work hard; 38. Doubter; 41. Like wedding attendees, often; 44. “ILUV U”; 45. Tennis great Stefan; 48. Dreadlocks wearer; 49. Anatomical passages; 50. Old PC standard; 51. Smooth; 52. “Cross the Brazos at WACO” (1964 country hit); 54. USDA-approved; 56. Turgenev’s home in Russia; 58. Emergency rm. Sights; 59. Sister of Helios.

Nothing more or less.

The New York Times Crossword Puzzle solution above is by the author of this blog and does not guarantee accuracy. If you find errors or omissions, you are more than welcome to make note of same in the Comments section of this post -- any corrections found necessary will be executed promptly upon verification.

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