I read in “my” Boston Globe headlines/come on/ad that the great Minnesota Vikings’ center Mick Tingelhoff had died at age 81 and yesterday Fred Stanfield, a center on two Boston Bruins’ title teams (’70 and ’72) and eventually traded to Minnesota (North Stars) had died.
Stanfield was the center on a Bruins’ line with Johnny’s, “Pie” McKenzie and the great “Chief” Johnny Bucyk (The Bruins had a “Chief and two titles with Mr. Bucyk before the Celtics won 3 with Robert “The Chief” Parish on its starting five).
He came to the Bruins along with the great Phil Esposito (a 5th title, 3 as a commentator on Lightning tilts and the two with the Bruins but since brother Tony, great rival Rod Gilbert and teammate Stanfield have passed on) and Ken Hodge in a famed 6 player deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Mr. Tingelhoff was an all pro center on some excellent, memorable Minnesota Vikings’ teams that were so consistently in the playoffs, albeit without a crown or even a Supe lead.
It was great to watch that team and Tingelhoff leading them as they scored memorable Saturday afternoon, home playoffs wins vs the powerful Rams in ’69 and veteran George Allen coached Washington teams in ’73 and ’76.
In ’74, Brad and I brought my portable television to his and Alan’s father, Kenny in the hospital, and he and others watched the Vikings “slot 1” the St. Louis Cardinals.
Scotty Bowman, on the left had just coached his record breaking 9th Stanley Cup winning team with the ’02 Detroit Red Wings, passing his mentor Hector “Toe” Blake.
Fred Stanfield, whose Buffalo Sabres denied Scotty’s Canadiens in the ’75 semis, before losing in 6 to the second and to this point, last Philadelphia Flyers’ team, is on the right.
I have a vivid “radio only” memory of Fred scoring on a break away in #4 vs the eventual champion, Montreal Canadiens, fifty years ago.
Al McNeil coached that title team but was replaced by Bowman before the next season. Scotty coached 5 Canadiens’ title teams.
The great center, Mick Tingelhoff, who in 17 seasons, all with the Vikings, never missed a game, is pictured above.
After Emma Raducanu, (as stated here Saturday), in an “all under 20,” U.S. Open final match, defeated Leylah Fernandez in straight sets to complete a mind blowing (the VSiN host said “blowout” as I typed and speaking of VSiN, Gill Alexander on it was “all over it,” (the U.S. Open and the hardcourt tennis season, having a great percentage, numerous wins on Raducanu and a plus 575 “future” that also cashed) “Open” performance, in which she did NOT lose a set, yesterday Daniil Medvedev made Novak Djokovic’s calendar grand slam hopes, “so far away,” winning (6-4) in all 3 sets.
Thus only Don Budge in 1938 and Rod Laver in both ’62 and ’69 have won “calendar men’s grand slams” on the men’s circuit. (Noting that in those 3 years a New York team, the Yankees in ’38 and ’62 and the Mets in 100 win but “miracle” ’69, won the title. The teams clashed over the past weekend and each currently hovering just out of playoffs qualification, while a “dangerous” (who is not in baseball if it gets in the prostituted 10 teams ‘offs field?!) team if it gets in, but a long shot to “title” at this point.)
Emma Raducanu winning and holding a trophy. Leylah Fernandez, the “Open” second place finisher, also was/is a nice story.
Daniil Medvedev, pictured above.
There are a pair of very intriguing U.S. Open Tennis Final Round matches upcoming.
Today, beginning at 4 P.M. Eastern Time, a pair of unseeded women players, still in their teens, 17 year old Leylah Fernandez and 19 year old Emma Raducanu, will meet for the title.
Tomorrow, also beginning at 4 or so and “bucking” (for me sound off with the tennis (Fowler/McEnroe) and football with Buck, if it were into N.Y. which the “Emperor’s” GB/New Orleans in Jacksonville due to Hurricane Ida, is not. Sound off for Nantz and especially Romo, for “piped into N.Y. market,” K.C./Cleveland), NFL action in the ratings “prostitution game,” Novak Djokovic with the great Rod Laver in attendance, will seek to become the first men’s calendar “Grand Slam” winner since Mr. Laver did so in 1969, when he faces the formidable Daniil Medvedev, in the title match.
Mr. Laver, now 82 years old, also accomplished the feat in 1962. Don Budge, referenced in the 1982 film, “Annie,” with such as Albert Finney, Aileen Quinn and Carol Burnett in the stellar cast, is the only other man, to accomplish the ” Calendar Grand Slam” feat, having done so in 1938.
The legendary Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly (1953), Margaret Smith Court (1970) and Stef Graf in 1988 are the only women to do so. (Opinion: Mrs. Smith Court, (I will not “Ms” her), however, her truly backward, I believe homophobic views that she has aired publicly, do diminish her “full picture,” in my book.
Alas, per Archie Bunker’s Place, certainly paraphrasing, “maybe we will not be judged at all, so why judge now?!”).
On another Thursday, now incredibly, inexorably and on this day after Rosh Hashanah, it is 56 years since Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game vs the Chicago Cubs, on Thursday night September 9, 1965 at Dodger Stadium.
Cubs’ hurler Bob Hendley pitched a great game as well, yielding but one hit, that to eventual “#7 World Series “open the scoring,” home run hitting,” Lou Johnson, that did not figure in the game’s lone run being scored.
In a post from the day of this memorable game’s 50th anniversary, (below) there is more on the tilt and photos of Sandy and Bob Hendley (ADD moment–watching “The Graduate,” it from 1967 and with “more gas father?” when Dustin Hoffman’s “Benjamin pretended to be a Reverend, his character says Elaine Robinson, adding the last name, much as Mr. Hoffman, who narrated “Jews in Baseball,” which certainly highlighted Sandy and his perfect game, did in “Rain Man,” some 21 years later).
Essentially, as one who does not formally “observe” the Jewish High Holy Days, I do note or “observe,” that later in 1965, Sandy did not pitch the opener of the World Series vs the Harmon Killebrew led Minnesota Twins. He did not pitch in that game as it fell on Yom Kippur.
Minnesota beat both Sandy in #2 the next day and another great, Don Drysdale (one day, my interviews, Amy McQuillin recorded with Sandy, Don and another Don, (Sutton) will get “out there”) in the aforementioned Series opener.
However, L.A. rallied to win the World Series behind Sandy’s 3 hit shutout in game 7, evoking a great and classy line, from Twins’ manager Sam Mele.
Asked by reporters what the key to the World Series was, Sam replied “not enough Jewish holidays.”
50 Years Since Sandy Koufax Pitched a Perfect Game on September 9, 2015
It is said that former USC and then Pats running back, Sam “Bam” (last Bam) Cunningham, who died yesterday, too young at age 71, did more to integrate Alabama in 60 minutes than Martin Luther King did in 60 years. (Of course Dr. King died at age 39). Apparently the quote was “in 20 years.”
However, this no slight to Dr. King and a realization of what makes people tick, which is so sick, that when USC came to Legion Field in Alabama and doubled the home team (42-21) with Sam scoring 2 touchdowns and gaining significant rushing yardage, Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, NOT a racist, accelerated the long overdue process and brought in Black players.
In 1972 a year freshman became eligible to play (Archie Griffin was one such player) and perhaps the year a Black player was on the Alabama roster, Cunningham scored 4 touchdowns, surely most if not all in close, as USC pounded Ohio State in the Rose Bowl (no playoffs then) to complete one of the greatest title seasons ever.
In reality, the game meant little to the victorious Milwaukee Brewers, as they likely will be one eighth “div” winners and the N.L. “2” seed, however, I cite the “Crew’s” (same calendar as ’82, when “The Brew Crew” went to the World Series, losing in 7 to the Cards, the team they victimized yesterday. By the way, (so help me, literally as I typed it, Mitch Moss on ViSN, said “by the way,” it was a second straight Sunday, the Cards lost when the opposition home team scored 3 or more in the bottom of the ninth) 5 run in the 9th, (6-5) win OVER (a “slam” by pinch batter, Daniel Vogelbach, put it over) the Cardinals.
If the Labor Day/today’s “div” lead of the Braves (by 2 over the Phils and 3 plus over the back in it? Mets) holds, it will be another post-season clash between the cities of Milwaukee and Atlanta, however, a first between the second and third cities to “house” the Brewers and Braves. Before Milwaukee and their current Atlanta home, the Braves played in Boston.
Only the great Ed Mathews played for the Braves in all 3 cities. Henry Aaron, an all-time great started his big league career in 1954, the Braves’ first season in Milwaukee.
Perhaps it is inappropriate on levels, however, David Patten (not Patton, not glorification of war or even the military, which respectively make me very sick and a bit sick, the latter because it is jammed down our collective throats), who died tragically in a motorcycle accident, brings back sad 2001, in a good way, as he was a major contributor to the first of 6 Pats’ NFL crowns and now 7 for the young quarterback, not that great then, he helped so much with key catches, most notably on the Supe winning drive. (Note as I am in “rant” form, the “overblown parody of himself, highly over rated coach and especially commentator John Madden, called for the Pats to play for overtime. That was a ridiculous assertion, one “marked as evidence,” vs (Andy B vs Madden, alas he achieved and has mucho dinero, fame and a game that further deteriorates our crumbling football, video games, gambling society) Madden.
Alas this is supposed to be about Patten, a more than adequate receiver, who played on 3 Pats’ title teams as the franchise won 3 in 4 seasons (’01,’03 and ’04).
I believe it was Patten, who dove to the ground for a Brady pass that got N.E. closer for the eventual title winning field goal, kicked by Adam Vinatieri.
Certainly David gathered in touchdown passes from both Drew Bledsoe (remember he reversed what was and became so much more NFL history, by replacing Brady in the road, at Pittsburgh (Cowher is another over rated coaching “not so hot,” witness his HOME playoffs losses) AFC title game/”semis” N.E. win) and Mr. Brad, the latter’s first Supe touchdown pass.
In the movie, “Hard Times,” an excellent one with Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Jill Ireland heading the cast, I note Michael McGuire, still with us at age 87, is excellent as “Chick Gandil.”
This “Gandil” character and the real life player, a truly good one, are unsavory to say the least.
Chick Gandil, the player, was involved in the so called “Black Sox scandal.” I note that the superb player, Ed Roush went to his grave insisting his 1919 Cincinnati Reds team (that franchise was disgracefully called the Redlegs and NOT the Reds, during the anti- Communist frenzy in the 1950’s (cue “The Godfather” I am NOT a Communist, but the blacklist and such were horrible and face it anti-Semitic!!) would have won that Fall Classic, “dump” or no “dump.”
Now to “an only me” fact. Earlier this season (Paul Stone said “season” as I typed it), the Yankees’ Corey Kluber hurled the franchise’s 12th no hit game.
Eight of the previous “such” occurred in Yankees’ title seasons. The other three were in years the Chicago White Sox made post-season play, winning it all in 1917 (Sam Jones had the Yankees’ no hitter that year) and being one quarter “div” winners in ’83 (that was also under Tony La Russa, who is guiding them to a one eighth “div,” somewhat incredibly, these 38 years later. Dave Righetti had the Yankees’ no hitter that season), and ’93 (Jim Abbott/Yankees).
The note will be 12 of 12, either a Yankees title or a Chi Sox ‘offs appearance after a Yankees’ no hit game.
One was a Yankees’ crown, “claimed” 2 games later with a #7 ’56 W.S. win, after Don Larsen’s perfect game in #5 of that last Yankees/Brooklyn Dodgers World Series.
Edd Roush, pictured above, started his big league career with the White Sox, the team his Reds beat in 8 games in the best of 9, 1919 World Series.
Mary (Tyler Moore) as Mary Richards is being interviewed for a great job possibility and the superb actor, Ed Asner, who died days back at age 91, so memorably assesses the Richards character thusly: “You have spunk, (Mary brightens) I hate spunk!!”
It began a great relationship between Ed as “Lou Grant” (Mary’s often “Mister GRAAAANT) and Mary/Mary Richards on the seminal “Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which has lost stellar performers Gavin MacLeod, the great Cloris Leachman and now Asner all within a year.
Perhaps you know awards, especially “competitive” ones in acting are apples/oranges, however it is truly impressive that Mr. Asner racked up more such Emmys in television than any other male performer.
Asner was involved in so many worthy causes, so often speaking his mind, excoriating some who deserved it and minimum opened our minds with his advanced thinking.
He surprised and perhaps disappointed me (not really, as it is an indelible memory) the one time after his fine last show appearance in “Grace.”
First of all, I attempted with an at best mediocre German accent, his classic role as Axel Jordache in the great, great mini series, Rich Man Poor Man based on Irwin Shaw’s prescient, brilliant book.
I chose the “do not feel so sorry for yourself, you have food in your belly and a roof over your head,” and Mr. Asner liked it but chose “there are 2 saints in this bed, (he shared it with Dorothy McGuire as his wife, a religious woman) that is one too many for me.” Next Axel gets up and out of the bed.
Subsequently in Asner/Andy B. I am pretty positive regarding then U.S. President Barack H. Obama (I still am) but to my surprise, Mr. Asner does not feel that way. He walked away.
So what, as I think it is funny (we can always do better, but you know my politics is based on we can do so much worse, which sorry to some of you, was never better illustrated by the next president) and now Ed walks away to hopefully a better place. He deserves it for all he did as a performer, activist and family man.
He had the right (left) kind of spunk and so much more!!
The magnificent Ed Asner, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 