This on a day I remember my Mom, gone 19 years, and among the memories, she “enduring” the ball games, my Dad and I sought.
So here’s one, maybe we heard and a juxtaposition with one we watched and heard.
On September 24, 1969, Joe Torre playing in his first season as a St. Louis Cardinal, hit into a shortstop Bud Harrelson started 6-4-3 (to Al Weis, then Donn Clendenon) double play, that clinched the N.L. East crown for the (Miracle) New York Mets.
Two years and two plus months earlier on July 9, 1967, 9 days before (was with the Atlanta Braves) Torre, that year’s National League All Star starting catcher turned 27, he and Harrelson were a combined 7 for 7, in an eventual (5-4) Mets’ win, 2 days before that year’s All Star Game, in the new Anaheim Stadium.
Tomorrow more notes in and around Mets/Braves, Torre and Bud Harrelson.
Joe Torre, who turns 80 years old, two weeks from yesterday, pictured above.
Today, there really is that confluence imagined/perceived, in the great “Chicago” song, “Saturday in the Park.”
In its opening lines it is Saturday, “I think it is the Fourth of July.”
At age 244, the U.S. may tell two versions of a not so hot, .244 hitter in its clear great gift to the rest, baseball.
It is not a good average, but with the disproportionate money boom, roughly and appropriately 44 years old, players hitting such or below, make huge money.
Alas, enjoy the video of Chicago performing “Saturday in the Park” in 1973 and perhaps reflect on these lyrics– if we want it, really want it.”
That applies to so much, one such is the perpetual good of reflection and subsequent improvement.
“If we want it, really want it,” indeed!
I was in Inwood, New York yesterday and a nice day was made better, when I saw there is a street (Matty Alou Way, located at Isham and Seaman) at least partially named for the fine baseball player, Matty Alou.
He won the 1966 National League batting title, playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, with a .342 batting average and played on pennant winners with the western “Bay Area” teams, the (S.F.) Giants and (Oakland) A’s ten years apart in 1962 and 1972 respectively.
Matty started all 12 (1972) A’s post-season tilts in right field, as they won the requisite 7 games and the title. The ’62 Giants were denied the title, losing to the Yankees incredible 20th crown in 40 seasons, in game 7 of that year’s World Series.
A big part of THE ERA, that of LIVE Television, but also spanning the eras with his comedic greatness, Carl Reiner, who died this week at age 98, is an iconic figure, whose work and contributions are timeless.
There were so many great efforts by Mr. Reiner. Those include his play and memoir, “Enter Laughing,” his role in “Call Me Mister” (Buddy Hackett was a cast member) and as cited yesterday, directing “Oh God.”
That title (Oh God, as in look at this incredible body of work)) applies, as one recalls so much else.
Start with his role as head writer and performer on the amazing ” Your Show of Shows,” which starred Sid Caesar.
Reiner was an integral part of “The Murderer’s Row” (think ’27 Yankees, a great lineup!) of great writers, that roamed the NBC corridors, yielding some of comedy’s all time classics.
Carl created “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” a compelling, humorous, yet compassionate show, that has held up as well as any, in television history. (CBS will air two great episodes of the show, with Mr. Reiner in a prominent role, tomorrow night beginning at 8 P.M. Eastern Time).
He was “Alan Brady” an ode/reminder of Sid Caesar and subliminally that name, entered my world of created names for a personal sports league. Such was the influence.
Among the other great writers on “Your Show of Shows,” was Mel Brooks. He and Carl became lifelong best friends. Their “The Two Thousand Year Old Man” is another top of the list, all-time comedy masterpiece.
Reiner excelled, directing Steve Martin (“The Jerk” was one movie with Martin), playing an old con man in the “Oceans 11,12 and 13” movies and in various television roles.
It was his class and knowledge, the willingness to talk about his beloved work that resonated so much with me.
Thankfully, so much of his work can be seen, be sure to check talk shows, as he was a deadpan funny, and most informative guest.
Hopefully, next for this kind and caring man, is time with his wife Estelle, with whom he can in a large sense “have what she is having” and vice versa, all the while “sending” some help for us on the planet earth.
Carl Reiner, pictured above.
Among so much classic work, click below to view an incredible one, with Mr. Reiner as the show’s host. Howard Morris, another comedic great is “Uncle Goofy.” Sid Caesar is “Al,” as was the case with Carl Reiner, born in 1922.
Likely they will play (I fervently hope they do not or at least let them acknowledge, it is just an exhibition with no real title) and a bogus champion will be a result.
This one will/would make the split season ’81 Dodgers, seem like the ’27 Yankees, or close to it, by comparison.
Sorry, current commissioners and far too many fans, their heads so deep into fantasy/not the real team competition, but your attitude is disgraceful to me.
They will some day attempt “all teams into the playoffs,” I hope not, but it is not all that far fetched, a 60 game season a compelling example.
In “Oh, God,” (written by Avery Corman, starring George Burns and directed by Carl Reiner–tomorrow this bitterness goes and I look back in tribute to Mr. Reiner) Burns/”God” cites the ’69 Mets winning it all, as his last miracle.
I feel confident God loved baseball, helped inspire it and would oppose the wild card presence and a 60 game season.
Today a really special episode of “What’s My Line?” that first aired in 1954.
The mystery guest is the fabulous Doris Day. The episode below is shown with its original commercials.
In a variation, the panelists were introduced from right to left and I do the same. Bennett Cerf, Arlene Francis, Steve Allen and Dorothy Kilgallen.
Ms. Kilgallen, in turn, introduced host John Charles Daly.
Enjoy.
I love “Baseball Reference” (baseball-reference.com) and am enthralled by the work they have done to preserve baseball history.
Now maybe, some new type statistics caused a two run home run by the eventual losing team, that put said team up by a run to be placed ahead of a similar two run home run in importance, with the big difference being it put the eventual winning team ahead to stay.
Their order of game’s important plays below:
r Pitcher wWPA wWE Play Description
t5 2-3 2 1– RR ATL Orlando Cepeda Nolan Ryan -29% 39% Home Run; Carty Scores
b5 3-4 1 1– RR NYM Wayne Garrett Pat Jarvis 29% 70% Home Run; Ryan Scores
b4 1-2 0 1– RR NYM Ken Boswell Pat Jarvis 23% 69% Home Run; Shamsky Scores
t1 0-0 1 1– RR ATL Hank Aaron Gary Gentry -18% 32% Home Run; Gonzalez Scores
b3 0-2 1 — R NYM Tommie Agee Pat Jarvis 11% 40% Home Run
Same 5th inning “Cha Cha’s” (Cepeda) blast put Atlanta (Braves) down (2-0) in that ’69 NLCS, ahead by 1 (4-3), while Wayne Garrett’s homer put the Mets ahead (5-4) in an eventual (7-4) pennant clinching win, en route to the title.
Clearly Garrett’s 2RHR was more important than Cepeda’s. Far more clear, Baseball Reference (baseball-reference.com) did a superb job and I, for one, though citing the above, am very grateful.
Wayne Garrett, pictured above, homered to put the Mets ahead to stay in their pennant clinching game 3 win vs the Atlanta Braves in the 1969 NLCS.
Yesterday, I watched a very good episode of “The Big Valley,” on MeTV.
The episode’s title is “Winner Lose All,” and featured a guest appearance by Katharine Ross, this in 1965, 2 years before her turn in “The Graduate.” (praise to Charles Webb, the author of “The Graduate,” who died this month at age 81).
In the IMDB list of cast members, incredibly, Olivia de Havilland, today 3 days from her 104th birthday, is cited in the uncredited role of Ms. Hadley.
Paraphrasing the great singer and song, (Dion and “Abraham, Martin And John” written by Dick Holler) regarding seeing Robert Kennedy, “I thought I saw” Olivia, near a fence with two kids in a key scene.
Series regular,Lee Majors (“Heath”) with Katharine Ross in the 1965 “Big Valley” episode, “Winner Lose All.”
In the game the day before he hit two grand slam home runs, Frank Robinson was slightly injured making a game saving catch at Fenway Park, on a drive hit by Reggie Smith of the Boston Red Sox.
That occurred in the bottom of the 13th inning with the score tied at 7.
He then contributed an rbi bunt single, “tuning” the second of 6 Orioles’ runs in the top of the 14th inning, in an eventual (13-8) win.
The next night pitcher Dave McNally, lead off man Don Buford and second place hitter, Mark Belanger were on base for both of Frank’s grand slam home runs, again in the 5th and 6th innings of a (13-2) win at Washington, vs the Senators on June 26, 1970.
Andy Etchebarren, pictured above, who we sadly lost last October (another from the great Orioles’ teams is gone), had a game tying 2 out, ninth inning home run and the go ahead, 14th inning rbi hit in the O’s (13-8) win, cited above.
On a lighter note, I do remember that card of Andy, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 