A number of years back, the great player and Mets’ broadcaster, (the original three Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy and Kiner were so good) Ralph Kiner, came into the press room at Citi Field and sat at the same table as me.
This was a great honor and pleasure, as I came up with the name of the St. Louis Cardinals’ pitcher John Beazley, against whom Ralph got his first big league hit.
I reminded Ralph of his most meaningful “call” when reliever Nolan Ryan of the Mets got the Atlanta Braves’ Tony Gonzalez to ground out third to first, Wayne Garrett to Ed Kranepool, clinching the 1969 National League pennant for the Mets.
In listening to a good chunk of that clinching game the other night, I note that Ralph came in to broadcast the third inning, and as in the first, with Murphy behind the microphone, Gonzalez got a hit followed by a Hank Aaron extra base hit.
The great Aaron homered in all 3 games of that best of 5 1969 NLCS, the great home run hitter, Kiner’s first and last calls were with Tony Gonzalez batting.
NLCS Gm3: Aaron crushes two-run homer to center
Click above to view Mr. Aaron’s home run in game 3 of the 1969 NLCS as called by Curt Gowdy on NBC television.
It is very likely that only I could “link” Kiner and Johnny Beazley, the following way: 27 years apart in 1942 and 1969, the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets lost the first game of the World Series but won the next four, clinching the title in New York.
Kiner was a Mets’ broadcaster and Beazley, as was the case regarding Jerry Koosman of the Mets 27 years later, won games two and five of the World Series.
I am truly looking forward to MeTV’s celebration of the seminal show, Gunsmoke (Mrs. William Paley’s favorite) as it reaches age 70.
On August 30th one of the TV movies, “Return to Dodge will air.
Also on that day, “Matt’s Love Story” (Matt Dillon played by James Arness did not get to kiss Amanda Blake’s “Miss Kitty” on the show, however, he does get romance and kissing with Miss Michael Learned, who later starred as Olivia Walton on another MeTV show, “The Waltons,” in the episode “Matt’s Love Story.”
The beautiful, talented Miss Michael Learned is pictured above.
He was known as “The Walking Man,” and certainly recalled as the third base coach for the 100 wins/likely 100 or more to 1, so called title winning, 1969 New York Mets.
His name: Eddie Yost.
It is a July 1960 Sunday doubleheader Tigers/Yankees (remember those along with say Horn and Hardart) and Walter Lanier “Red” Barber is marveling that Yost, at bat and then with the Detroit Tigers, certainly not a slugger, as were the three greats with more walks drawn than he, (Mr. Barber cites Babe Ruth with 2,056, Ted Williams, and Mel Ott, adding Lou Gehrig was 5th at that point, in the career walks category) because he is not a slugger/home run hitter.
Two pitches later, Yost homers off 1958 World Series star and one award/Major League Cy Young winner, (the former to me, more important), Bob Turley.
Eddie Yost, pictured above, did crack 139 big league home runs including the one “Red” called that July 1961 day.
Yesterday Scottie Scheffler, who already was bidding for top sports figure of 2025 won his fifth golf tournament of the year, prevailing by 2 strokes over Robert McIntyre in the BMW Classic.
He previously grabbed two of golf’s 4 major tournaments, the P.G.A. and The Open, formerly known as The British Open.
One of sport’s dominant figures and it was time to cite him here.
Scottie Scheffler is pictured above.
There are two World Series rematches this weekend. Some notes follow.
One is Atlanta (Braves) at Cleveland (Guardians nee Indians). The other matches the Yankees in St. Louis vs the Cardinals.
In ’95 Atlanta won the city’s first pro crown (one more was added in 2021, this season despite 7 wins in their last 8 tilts including at “Cleve,” last night, the Braves are a woeful 14 games under .500) defeating the then Indians, in 6 games.
The Cardinals of St. Louis are (3-2) in W.S. play vs the Yankees. The vaunted Yankees went an incredible (15-1) in World Series play from 1927-1953.
Only the ’42 Cards who 5’d them, got a win. The Yankees reversed that in ’43 as they had the 1926 loss in 1928.
I recall Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and yes, Tim McCarver, as big factors in the Cards’ 7 game triumph in 1964, giving them a (3-2) World Series edge vs the Yankees. Only St. Louis among the 8 original N.L. teams has that edge in World Series play.
Carl Warwick, pictured above set a record, reaching base in his first 4 at bats, all as a pinch batter, (3 hits one walk) in the ’64 World Series for the Cards.
Down the road, which almost certainly will include an appearance, even an at this point, top ranking in the baseball tournament, who knows the luck or lack thereof, the thus far so impressive, 2025 Milwaukee Brewers will have.
A 12th straight win on August’s such day, evokes a 13 game “Mil” win skein (reached in comeback fashion 2 nights later), to open the 1987 season, one in which the Brewers were nowhere near, however, included the great Paul Molitor’s 39 game hit streak as a highlight.
Surely three of the remaining 6 teams that have never won a World Series, the Brewers (Milwaukee’s Braves won one title, that in 1957), the Seattle Mariners (the Brewers began as the Seattle Pilots, playing one season in “Sea,” that in ’69 before becoming the A.L. now N.L. Brewers of Milwaukee and fellow ’69 expansion team San Diego (Padres, awakening today one game up on the top heavy favorite, so disappointing but current World champions, the Dodgers who host the “great weather/no titles save the AFL ’63 Chargers, now again in L.A. –San Diego for a “big” series) have legitimate title chances this season.
Rgarding L.A. at S.D. up next, is it big? See Brewers “big”wig Bud Selig allowed the wild card, he also denied Pete, thus the series with wild card as the safety net AIN’T that big I can not get too enamored with the Brewers, but hail their tremendous “thus far,” which remember is a “thus far.”
Let’s just say Mr. Selig’s chain smoking that day, would not have been as intense, if there was a wild card presence!
Vital To “The Machine”
I remember being outraged as to how long it took for Tony Perez, the great baseball player, to be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Now that he has been enshrined for a while, I reflect on this summer’s day about his greatness as a clutch hitter.
Of course “Doggy” as he was known, was part of a great Cincinnati Reds’ team. Ask the players on that team and they will testify that Perez was indispensable.
When Cincinnati did lose Perez to free agency, their fortunes turned for the worse.
It was a “pick your poison” situation for Yankees’ manager Billy Martin in game 2 of the 1976 World Series, an eventual Reds’ sweep.
This was the lone competitive game of that World Series and with Ken Griffey at second base, and two outs of a (3-3) game in the bottom of the ninth inning, Martin could have Jim “Catfish” Hunter face either Perez or the great Joe Morgan.
He chose to face Perez, who singled home Griffey, with the winning run, surely a highlight in Perez’ great career.
Includes My Review Of “Heart of a Tiger”
T.R. Cobb “Hits” Home
Today, another iconic show, “I’ve got a Secret” and a segment of that show, with the legendary, baseball great Ty Cobb, that aired in September 1955.
Gary Moore is the show’s host while the panelists on this show were Henry Morgan, Bill Cullen, Kitty Carlisle and Jayne Meadows.
Cobb is most personable, in sharp contrast to his image.
I have included my review of Ty’s grandson’s Herschel’s book, “Heart of a Tiger,” depicting a loving grandfather.
Enjoy the segment.
Book Review: Heart of a Tiger on June 30, 2013
Ty Cobb on the TV show “I’ve got a Secret.” Sep. 28, 1955 – YouTube
The immortal Ty Cobb, pictured above.
Some bit of trivia and much entertainment was derived, watching some early morning programming on MeTV.
A superb “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” “Man With a Problem” aired originally in 1958, starred Gary Merrill, Marc Richman and the beautiful Elizabeth Montgomery.
The episode was directed by Robert Stevens and (of course) Ms. Montgomery went on to star in a famed television show, “Bewitched,” roughly a decade later playing Mrs. Samantha Stephens, a witch married to a mortal.
Next Mannix with another beautiful woman, Joanna Pettet (some kissing with Mike Connors’ “Joe Mannix,” a relative rarity for the impressive private detective) and as a reach, an “enforcer” named Krebs (ode to Steve Kanaly on the seminal television show, “Dallas” —can it be that upcoming November will mark 45 years since the beyond famed, “Who Shot J.R.” episode aired) with another big Texas city, Houston a part of the plot.
Gary Merrill, Bette Davis’ romantic interest in “All About Eve,” and also her “real life” husband when the movie premiered in 1950 and Elizabeth Montgomery are pictured above, in the “Hitch” Presents–“Man With A Problem.”
Burt Mustin Recalling The First Modern World Series On The Tonight Show 71 Years Later In 1974
“The Tessie Song”
Today, I recall Antenna TV showed a John Carson Tonight Show from Friday night October 18, 1974, the day after the Oakland Athletics clinched their third straight World Series title “5’ing” the Dodgers, who were eliminated in W.S. play on Oct 17th twice (in ’74 and ’78) and Oct 18th once (1977), in losing 3 of their 4 st. W.S. losses, from ’66-’78.
Mr. Carson talked of the plane his parents were on the night before, being diverted because of fog, but the highlight to me, was the then 90 year old actor, Burt Mustin, talking about the very first World Series in 1903.
In that first W.S. Boston defeated Pittsburgh 5 games to 3 and Mr. Mustin recalled the “Tessie song” or just “Tessie” being sung by the Boston fans, even in his hometown of Pittsburgh.
By the way, Bill Dinneen (over a year later, I checked and Dinneen is the correct spelling with Dineen cited as an alternate one) (3) and “True” Young better known as Cy Young, yes that Cy Young, combined for all 5 Boston pitching victories. Deacon Phillippe, a distant ancestor of actor Ryan Phillippe, notched all 3 Pittsburgh victories.
Burt Mustin on the right (you would have thought “Archie Bunker”) with the great Carroll O’Connor, on the seminal show, “All In The Family,” pictured above.
Andy B Sports 