I have to “swallow,” concerning (it is a big concern as Trump remains) that now, the last two U.S. Olympic gold medal winning hockey teams have backed the once USFL team owner (if only he got football, perhaps if only Hitler sold some art), who “State of the Union’d” longer than any before.
The Dodgers, who may or may not visit him (I refuse to believe it is Him, however…the nightmares micro especially and macro continue) have repeated as pennant winners 6 times and are only slight underdogs and by far plurality “faves,” to make it 7 and if so win a third straight for the first time.
They won 2 straight “flags,” (’52-’53,’55-’56,’65-’66,’77-’78, 2017-2018 and 2024-2025). Only in the last 2 seasons and so luckily last year, did they win both W.S.–losing both thrice and winning then losing ten years apart in ’55-’56 and ’65-’66.
Of course, the Yankees lead with 9 repeat pennant streaks, incredibly all part of at least three straight “flags.” Those account for 34 of the team’s forty A.L. pennants, with those won in ’32, ’47, ’81, 2003 (famously they were denied a second straight when the Red Sox on their way to ending an 86 year title drought won 4 straight tilts, down (3-0) in the ALCS), 2009 and 2024 not followed by a second straight.
Those above are not the most “hard to find” notes, however, note my interest and passion and likely if I had succeeded regarding my passion, I would not care all that much about Trump’s inherent evil.
That is U.S. 1960 Olympic gold medal winning goaltender, Jack McCartan, pictured below.
In posting about the ’67 All-Star tilt, I cited that Bill Mazeroski, who died a day or days back at age 89, was one of 8 N.L. All-Star starters who eventually made the “Hall.” (ode to Dick, Jimmy and Huntz, among others, not that shrine).
Research revealed many comments regarding “Maz” over the years in this space.
I have posted links to two, the deaths keep coming as does the cold, snow, emptiness and lack of fulfillment.
However, remembering Bill Mazeroski, called Billy, in citing the W.S. winning home run by the great broadcaster, Jack Quinlan, he who died tragically young, brings something warm and nice.
Only, it seems, Bob Skinner, a title winner also with St.Loo in aforementioned ’67 and a Pirates coach when they last titled in ’79 remains on earth from that historic 1960 title team.
Bill Mazeroski Homer Wins The 1960 World Series
Bill Mazeroski and the 1960 World Series
Admittedly down and critical, let’s try humor. It did not happen in a real game but for the great Neil Simon’s script and Gene Saks direction, they filmed Bill hitting into a triple play, vs the Mets. Click below to view a great scene with Walter Matthau, Jack Lemon and Heywood Hale Broun.
Then see Bill Mazeroski, born 20 years to the date before the likely other most dramatic baseball home run, that of Bobby Thomson on October 3, 1951, pictured below the video.
Maz drama after Hal Smith’s the inning before, (I always cite Hal, so many in the media do not), was on October 13, 1960 with the first debate, a classy, issues oriented one, sans name calling between R.M. Nixon and J.F. Kennedy, that night.
It is say B12, third sackers Brooks (Robinson) and Rich Allen have exchanged “solos” and the ’67 All-Star tilt, at the second year Anaheim Stadium is knotted at 1.
Brooks (yesterday I viewed my interview with this great, classy, friendly player), is batting vs Mike Cuellar (Blattner accented the second syllable of Mike’s surname, eventually ’twas the first that was accented–ode to my mother who used Accent seasoning).
Ok to the point(s)–3 plus years later, Brooks and Cuellar would hug as the O’s won a second title, Brooks dominating the ’70 series, fielding and throwing out Pat Corrales to end it.
Cuellar’s catcher (the great Joe Torre started), was Tim McCarver, as good a player, likely better than he was annoying and non stop talking, as a commentator and he produced sizable portions in both, goes out to remind Mike to keep the ball down.
In later innings Bill Freehan and McCarver, who often joked/been serious about the great, great Cards’ pitcher, Bob Gibson telling him not to come to the mound, but later in ’67 as was the case in ’64 in another #7, he and McCarver celebrated a title as Cuellar and Brooks did after another 3 year interval, would make consecutive outs.
The interval was only one year, McCarver popped out to Freehan–’twas Detroit and Lolich/Freehan clearly hugging, as the Tigs 7’d the Redbirds.
There is more, but I am in a veritable desert, alone empty and maybe this is boring or meaningless but it is (strangely?) factual.
The great Dick Allen, pictured below. Regarding astroturf, not one of my big objections as baseball has eroded exponentially, if a horse can’t eat it I am not playing on it.
If that deteriorated, largely phony shrine (Alexander Cartwright anyone?) will not allow Pete (a ’67 N.L. reserve as was Willie Mays), I want no part of it.
In it, as a way of marking those great, at least better times, (after all so what if you can hit a baseball), eight of the nine N.L. ’67 All-Star Game starters (I was up late, watching with N.L. rooter, Dad seeing “Doggy” (Tony Perez) hit the decisive 15th inning “solo,” and rookie George Thomas Seaver save it–bottom), are in that shrine. Only Gene Alley, that year’s leading vote getter and a superb shortstop is not.
Greats Orlando Cepeda, Bill Mazeroski, Rich Allen, Lou Brock, Henry Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Joe Torre and pitching great, Juan Marichal are in.
Let’s say Robert Duvall, a superb actor with unforgettable roles, plays off his “Tom Hagen” in “The Godfather” and gets to argue not in front of the Supreme Court, (by the way stop with its B.S. abbreviation and most others that demean), but some heavenly discussion group, it is my opinion, they will rank him among the greatest.
He was in “One” and “Two,” not 3. Surely, though “3” was actually better than most perceive, Godfather and The Godfather Part Two are classics and Mr. Duvall, who died yesterday at age 95, is a big reason for it getting such acclaim.
Check him out not speaking, but as the so meaningful to the story, “Boo Radley,” in “To Kill A Mockingbird.” I remember my realization it was he (him?), some years after he had reached stardom.
Many cite “Apocalypse Now,” I prefer “The Great Santini” and “Network” in his bombastic type roles.
Now a must see is Duvall in “Tender Mercies” and “The Lonesome Dove.”
In a “Hitch,” (Alfred Hitchcock Presents) Robert Duvall soars in an episode called “Bad Actor,” of all things.
So many others, so sorry to omit. Most of The Godfather highest billed cast (so many lesser knowns were superb under Mr. Coppola’s direction and Mr. Puzo’s screenplay(s) are gone, Al Pacino and Talia Shire remain), as also is Pat Bartolone, (news coming yesterday that he died September past) a complex, highly intelligent man of insight, whose dining room table resembled that in the seminal film, Mr. Duvall and others made so great.
The great Robert Duvall, pictured below.
So many great scenes for Duvall, click below to him with another great in acting and teaching it, Michael V. Gazzo near the end of Godfather Part Two.
Robert Reed best known as “Mr. Brady,” was superb as “Teddy Boylan” in the seminal miniseries, “Rich Man Poor Man.”
Friday night/Saturday morning in a “Mannix” episode on MeTV, titled “Eagles Sometimes Can Not Fly,” Reed is a police department head named Adam, in a recurring role.
In the episode, a character/perpetrator “Teddy Reed” is killed while robbing a liquor store. (Often it is a liquor store).
Police show “Adam-12” and the fact Kent McCord’s character in it was named Reed, I think, finalizes the tangent.
Got out, congratulated C.C. on the birth of his daughter that morning, then a year to the day later, it was dinner with Dr. Ike and his excellent tennis player wife and more important a devoted nurse, Deb.
Good health, recovery and hopefully (ode to Mr. Jackson) “starting something.”
The Yankees/Packers combination has by far, the most same year titles (5)– (’36,’39, ’61,’62 and ’96).
Four of the Yankees’ W.S. crowns, one less than the Athletics then in Philadelphia and twice producing an era of greatness, and Red Sox also a team of greatness certainly from 1912-1918 when they won the World Series four times, thrice with a pitcher named Babe Ruth, occurred in seasons/years before the first NFL title game was played in 1933.
As cited, 15 different teams won NFL crowns after the Yankees won the W.S. in that year. Four NFL teams have won the title twice after the Yankees won it all that season. (the same town Giants in ’38 and ’56, Bears in ’41 and ’43, Lions in ’52 and ’53 and Rams in ’51 and ’99).
Twenty of the NFL’s 32 franchises have won its title, add the Patriots who did it twice (’04 and ’18) and Seahawks in ’13 with NFL titles after the Red Sox won the World Series.
Remember the Niners of S.F. twice (’81 and ’88) and Buccaneers in Covid affected 2020 followed Dodgers’ crowns with a Supe win.
Finally the only two Dolphins’ titles came in ’72 and ’73 after the Oakland Athletics won the first two of three consecutive World Series titles. Both teams rank among the all-time greats in their leagues/sports.
Since I separate the old, glorious and most times, great old Cleveland Browns from the current expansion team, a 21st team/franchise, the Jets won their lone title in ’68 following the recently deceased, great, shamefully not in the so diminished “Hall,” Mickey Lolich led Tigers World Series title.
The great Reggie Jackson, pictured below, played in 6 World Series–his teams won 5 and twice each, the Steelers, still tied with the Patriots with 6 Supe wins and note they are/were (6-2) in such games while N.E. has fallen to (6-6), —-and Dolphins won that year’s Supe. The other, Dallas which has 5 Supe wins but nary even a semis appearance since ’95, won the other time a Jackson team “titled.”
No matter who won the 60th Supe, the Dodgers, in the beyond esoteric category of different teams that won NFL crowns in years they won the World Series, were to have an eighth such a high percentage considering they have 9 W.S. titles.
They are second in the again beyond esoteric category to of course the Yankees whose 27 titles, all but the 4 in the Babe Ruth time, occurring in years with an NFL title game.
The Dodgers’ ’81 and ’88 crowns were followed in the sports calendar by S.F. 49ers titles. The other 7 Dodgers titles were followed by 7 different NFL champions (in chronological order the Browns, Colts, Bears, Packers, Buccaneers, Eagles and Seahawks).
Now for the as we will follow NFL protocol, if that is the word and call the Ravens and old Browns different franchises which I do not quite buy and likely never will, 15 different teams won NFL titles following a Yankees W.S. such.
In chronological order–(Packers, Wash, Giants, Bears, Cardinals then in Chicago and that franchise’s lone title, Eagles, Browns of “Automatic” Otto Graham, Rams, Lions, Colts, Cowboys, Steelers, Broncos, Ravens, Saints).
The great Sid Luckman, pictured below, played on the ’41 and ’43 Bears’ title teams that followed Yankees’ World Series wins.
What a season for the Seattle Seahawks under Mike Macdonald (too bad individual awards are not based on post-season as though the individual award winner, Mike Vrabel is a fine motivator even overall as coach–might I suggest math lessons or at least specific instructions as whether to go for 2 points after touchdown scores. Worse, Tirico, the biggest reason I suffered but endured not watching any for the first time in 60 such, though Collinsworth is worse, “bent over backwards” not ripping Vrabel’s math) as after a (10-7) season last year, which makes one wonder why their odds were so high, “Sea” went (14-3) and then (3-0) to win a second crown.
Their defense was superb, I will eventually cite some individuals on that excellent unit. Alas one has the same pronounced name (slightly different spelling) as the late great player, Kobe Bryant.
A Walker both ways for “Sea,” (who but me–rhyme) as Dolphins’ return man, Fulton Walker’s fumble (plural?) helped Sea upset Miami and rookie Marino, who as with excellent QB’s, who recently died, John Brodie and Sonny Jurgensen, never won a Supe (only Marino with 1 even appeared in one), in slot 1 in ’83 and now Supe MVP Kenneth Walker ‘el’ 3rd starred in the franchise’s second title.
Finally, again who but me?! I think this is the sixth time in 57 possibilities that a city’s baseball team lost in the LCS/league “semi” won the football title. (Pittsburgh in ’74 and ’75, L.A. in ’83 (the Raiders were L.A. then) and 2021 plus Boston in ’03 and “Sea” here in 2025).
Devon Witherspoon, pictured below, one of Sea’s outstanding defensive performers especially in these ‘offs.
It was pretty much all Seattle (Seahawks) avenging the heartbreaking, same calendar 2014 season Supe loss vs New England Patriots, doing so in pretty much, a “snooze fest,” with 4 Jason Myers field goals, accounting for a Sea (12-0) 3rd quarter lead in an eventual (29-13) win.
I am proud to say that I watched none, for the first time, after watching significant parts of the previous 59 such games.
“Sea” is champion along with the Oklahoma City Thunder nee Seattle SuperSonics. (Did that happen before this? You do the research and write in).
Congrats to “Deli Larry” and the Seahawks, who went (17-3)— (New England was (17-4)—- and won their second title (2-2) in Supes).
Kenneth Walker, pictured below, ran for 135 yards, Sam Darnold silenced many critics and is a Supe champion, hitting A.J. Barner with the game’s first TD on a 16 yard pass.
Andy B Sports 