Bill Virdon’s Smash Hit Tony Kubek In The Throat
1960 World Series Game 7 Notes
Pirates 10 Yankees 9
The epic, not so arguably greatest baseball game ever when one considers importance and excitement, game 7 of the 1960 World Series was won by the Pittsburgh Pirates by a (10-9) score vs the New York Yankees.
In a period from (1923-1962), the Yankees won an incredible 20/half of the forty contested World Series. In periods from (1927-1962) and (1936-1962) they won more than half, (19 of 36 and 16 of 27) the World Series played.
Meanwhile the Pirates, who had rallied from a (7-4) deficit to lead (9-7) going to the ninth inning, as they had in a Thursday home 7th game at Forbes Field, 2 days shy of 35 years earlier, won the game and their first title since that one in 1925 by a (10-9) score.
In 1925 they held on to win (9-7).
Bill Mazeroski hit into a double play to end the 7th inning and after Pittsburgh sent 8 men to the plate, scoring 5 runs, capped by the always ought to be mentioned, but so often is not, Hal Smith 3RHR, “Maz” was the first batter in the bottom of the 9th.
Two Pirates batters, the aforementioned Smith and then Don Hoak (as was the case with Dick Groat of the ’60 Pirates, Hoak was on two teams that 7’d the mighty Yankees in World Series play. Groat, as noted by the classy Bobby Richardson, on a show replaying this classic game, later played on the ’64 Cardinals while Hoak was a defensive replacement and either first or second to embrace John Podres, after his brilliant game 7 pitching finally brought a title to the Brooklyn Dodgers), to end the 8th, flying out to Yogi Berra in left before Mazeroski was a third straight Pirates’ player to hit a ball toward Yogi in left and the second to clear the wall a long way out in Forbes Field.
Faye Emerson in for Ms. Kilgallen, each was injured
The first episode of “What’s My Line” in 1961 was extraordinary.
The great Lucille Ball (movies, iconic in her television show “I Love Lucy,” and then so glad to be on Broadway in “Wildcat”) was the mystery guest.
Panelists were Arlene Francis, then rising and eventual great comedian Shelley Berman, Bennett Cerf and movies and television star, Faye Emerson (Mr. Cerf announced Dorothy Kilgallen had a shoulder injury thus Faye Emerson, who “only had a broken leg?” was substituting.
John Charles Daly, an iconic one, is the show’s host.
Enjoy!
That is the beautiful Faye Emerson, pictured above, while appearing in the 1961 first of the season, “What’s My Line” television show.
The Dolphins were dominant in their requisite three post-season wins
One of the greatest teams in NFL history, the 1973 Miami Dolphins, many, including me, believing they were even better than their undefeated team the season before.
Miami under Don Shula had a (12-2) record, one loss in a meaningless game vs the Baltimore Colts in the penultimate regular season game, the other before an incredible Oakland Raiders’ crowd not at the Oakland Coliseum, but in Berkeley, California.
Certainly Miami won much easier in the 1973 post-season than in 1972, but some of that manifested from the fact in the days before the better record gained home advantage, the arbitrary method of ascertaining home advantage, forced an undefeated ‘Phins” team to sojourn to Pittsburgh, for the 1972 AFC title game.
However the incredible domination by the run first, short pass Miami team, most evident in a methodical win vs a very good Minnesota Vikings’ team in the 8th Super Bowl, puts that 1973 team just about at the top of the list for any one NFL season.
Running greats Larry Csonka (number 39) toting “the pigskin” with #22 “Mercury” Morris blocking, teamed with Jim Kiick to form arguably the greatest one team trio of running backs in NFL history.
Sadly, recently at a gathering of some Toronto Blue Jays players from one or both of their repeat title teams of ’92 and ’93, Duane Ward died unexpectedly.
Ward’s highlights via Wikipedia in the two title seasons: [5][1] He recorded a career-best 1.95 ERA in 79 appearances in 1992, and in that year’s World Series against the Braves he won two of the four games in which he appeared without allowing a run, as the Blue Jays captured the first championship in franchise history.
Then in ’93 and operative “again” from Wikipedia: In the American League Championship Series against the Chicago White Sox, Ward appeared in four games and recorded two saves, including one in the clinching Game 6.[1] In the 1993 World Series, Ward earned two saves over the Philadelphia Phillies, in Game 1 (8–5, in Toronto) and in the 15–14 victory in Game 4 in Philadelphia, when Ward got the last four outs after Toronto scored the final six runs of the game. Ward was the winning pitcher in the decisive Game 6, in which Joe Carter —–now my words, hit a World Series clinching home run, one of two in the 121 played thus far (Bill Mazeroski, who died within the last year hit the other in 1960).
I was fortunate to not only attend that (15-14) tilt, having driven to Philadelphia with then HBO’er Brien A. McDonald, but to see it become a great game, not the case when we arrived in the middle innings, with the Phils holding a big lead. It is a 2 hour drive.
Ward stemmed the tide of runs, as stated above, retiring the four batters he faced. Somewhere exists my play by play.
Note: Bette as “Margo Channing” in “All About Eve,” another great Lauren “Betty” Bacall played the character on stage in “Applause.”
Today, a great treat as a March 1964 episode of the seminal television program, “What’s My Line” appears below.
The mystery guest is the great actress, Bette Davis.
Panelists are Dorothy Kilgallen, Tony Randall, Arlene Francis and Bennett Cerf.
A most distinguished John Charles Daly is the host, while legendary announcer Johnny Olson provides the open narration.
Ms. Davis cites and has great praise for a relative newcomer, Barbra Streisand. Tongue firmly in cheek, I wonder, whatever became of her?!!
Spain, which allowed but one goal (vs Belgium in the “quarters”) in their eight World Cup matches was dominant vs defending champion, Argentina, but “nature of the sport,” needed Ferran Torres extra time goal to win (1-0) and claim their second World Cup crown. (they won the 2010 event and are (2-0) in final round matches while Argentina fell to (4-3).
The goal by Torres (Ferran only on his jersey) came on Spain’s 20th shot on goal while Argentina had nary a one at that point, the 106th minute.
Williams, who had a disallowed goal late in the second half of “reg” had what can be called the primary assist on the tally. Pedro Porro whose play in the match was excellent, got the ball to Williams.
Known as “Rodri,” Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante of Spain won the “Golden Ball” as the event’s top player while France’s Kylian Mbappe, “barking” at 6 to 1 and due to 2 goals in a (6-4) loss to England in an exponentially less intense third place tilt, won the “Golden Boot” with 10 goals in the event, playing in that many matches.
That was two more than the great player Lionel Messi, who likely played in his last World Cup.
Emiliano Martinez was brilliant in goal for Argentina.
Ferran Torres, who joined Andres Iniesta (2010 vs The Netherlands) as a Spain player with an extra time World Cup winning goal in a (1-0) triumph, is pictured above.
From July 19, 2016
Yesterday, I saw the last half of a “Leave It To Beaver” episode in which Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver’s bicycle was stolen.
Seemingly never wrong wrong, “Ward Cleaver,” played by Hugh Beaumont, who also directed the episode, was a bit humbled as having forgotten to register and insure the bicycle.
Wife June, played by Barbara Billingsley, who famously talked “jive,” in one of many hilarious scenes in the 1980 movie “Airplane,” had to comfort him.
Tangental department: The great Muhammad Ali, whom we lost 6 weeks ago and in a large sense 3 decades ago from boxing’s brutality, started boxing after his bicycle was stolen from him.
A policeman named Joe Martin began the process. I do not care about, nor usually note a person’s skin color, but in this case a white officer (Martin) helped a young black male (Ali, bless his soul would joke “who are you calling boy?!” if I inserted that word instead of male) and that turned out well (maybe boxing and I detest it, largely due to what happened to Ali and others, caused heartbreak but it did “key” Ali’s road to being a world figure).
If only police and black males, for that matter, all people could start helping each other again! Minimum, stop hurting, and tragically in far too many cases, killing each other.
My green Raleigh bicycle was not as fancy as the one above, but would not it be great to be riding it again? “Look Ma, no hands!”
Tomorrow’s World Cup final match in New Jersey will be contested between defending champion Argentina and slight favorite, Spain.
Argentina, trailing (1-0) late (< 5 minutes left in “reg”), rallied to (2-1) England, getting the winning tally from substitute player, Lauturo Martinez in extra time.
Meanwhile Spain, as was Argentina a match underdog, won (2-0) vs France.
Spain has allowed but one goal in its 7 matches thus far.
It will commence at 3 P.M. Eastern Time.
Enzo Fernandez, pictured above, scored the so important tying tally for Argentina in its semi win vs England.
It was Jannik Sinner on the men’s side and Linda Naskova on the women’s, who captured the 2026 Wimbledon tennis crowns.
Sinner won his fifth major tournament, first this year, after failing to do so in either the French or Australian events.
Carlos Alcaraz (Australian) and Alexander Zverev, who Sinner (3-1’d) in the Wimbledon final and still has not beaten a top player in a major tournament final, won his first ever “major” in the French Open.
Meanwhile Naskova won her first major tournament title, needing three sets after failing in five match points situations in set 2, vs Karolina Muchova.
Left to right, Jannik Sinner and Linda Noskova.
Oh how nice (ode to Gallery’s 1972 hit “It’s So Nice To Be With You”), to recall via that great medium, radio, a Mets at Reds June 24, 1968 tilt.
Noteworthy is the Reds superb starting lineup with non “Machine” (i.e. Big Red, and I do not mean the gum), players Vada Pinson, Alex Johnson and that year’s N.L. All-Star second sacker (already having been determined for the game over two weeks later), Tommy Helms.
Add “The Bopper,” (reserving Big for the three, father, son and holy ghost if you will) a part of a (70-30) ’70 start when most tilts were at hitter friendly, Crosley Field.
The Mets had that year’s starting catcher, Jerry Grote and surely Jerry Koosman, that night’s starter and (11-2) going in, made the squad.
It is noteworthy that on that Monday night, Dennis McLain (12-2) pitched for eventual ’68 title winning, Detroit (Tigers).
He would finish (31-6) in the last completely pure “reg” (the 25 years of “had to finish first in the division” were fine) and (1-2) in the World Series.
The next season Jerry Koosman was (2-0) in the World series, including the clinching World Series win in a Thursday afternoon game 5.
A year earlier, the great Mickey Lolich, who just might be discussing a certain game with John Costas, in hopefully a better place, won a #7 Thursday afternoon game, his third win of the ’68 World Series, yielding the “Tigs,” a first crown in 23 “Willie Horton” years.
Willie Horton is pictured above.
Andy B Sports 