In July 1967, only eight episodes of the long running, great television show “What’s My Line?” remained, when the following one aired.
The mystery guests were 4 hosts from other Mark Goodson (himself a panelist) and Bill Todman produced shows.
Those hosts were Ed McMahon, Alan Ludden, Budd Collyer and Gene Rayburn.
Joining Goodson on the panel were Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf and Sue Oakland.
John Charles Daly is the host.
The great announcer Johnny Olson is introduced. This is quite an episode. Enjoy.
Amidst the troubling scenes on “that tube,” yesterday (ode to Paddy Chayefsky writing it and Peter Finch delivering it, in the oh so prescient film, “Network,” roughly 45 years ago) was in my opinion, one reason it got this crazy.
CNN which begot others, even worse, made a point it was the 40th anniversary of their beginning.
I feel pretty strongly, that we do not need the 24 hour “news” presented on these networks.
Their presence is one reason, one of many, the country is so divided.
They boasted of fair and balanced reporting. All things in life are relative and where has Albert Einstein gone?
Alas, trotting out former reporter Bernard Shaw, he of the inflammatory question of a hypothetical double violent act vs Michael Dukakis’ wife Kitty, at an ’88 presidential race debate, that all but assured “Bush over Dukakis,” certainly is not a good “poster,” for fair and balanced reporting.
Give me the CBS Evening News with Douglas Edwards any time.
That said, we all do need, as “Bread” asked in “Make It With You,” to see “the other side,” and work from there. It is not easy, but few worthwhile things are.
I have opinions, even strong ones about the “rest of it,” (Paul Harvey perhaps) but they are beyond my scope.
However, knowing about what must be done to have 24 hour networks and what manifests from it, I feel fine expressing my negative opinion, about the concept.
As for Mr. Shaw, who certainly does not need me to cite his career achievements, I am not the first to “? his ?” to Mr. Dukakis.
Though he had been dead for 13 years (perhaps an unlucky #), 1961 was deemed a bad year for the Babe (Ruth).
Mr. Ruth, in my book, though flawed as we all are, is not only baseball’s greatest player, but this hemisphere’s greatest sports figure, had two records broken, a week apart in ’61.
He held the one season record with 59 home runs in 1921.
The “Babe” hit 60 home runs in 1927, the last on Sunday September 30th.
Thirty four years and one day later, also on a Sunday, Roger Maris hit his 61st home run.
One reason Ruth is in my book, the greatest, was that he was a tremendous pitcher, in addition to being the game’s preeminent slugger.
Ruth held the World Series record of 29 and two thirds innings of scoreless pitching (13 straight in a 14 inning win for Babe’s Red Sox in the 1916 World Series) until another great, Edward “Whitey” Ford broke that mark.
Ford set the record when he got Elio Chacon (the next year, an original New York Mets player) on a Bobby Richardson to Bill “Moose” Skowron groundout, to end the third inning on Sunday October 8th. (Don Larsen authored a perfect game for the Yankees five years earlier on that date).
The great pitcher Edward “Whitey” Ford, pictured above.
Bobby Joe Morrow, who won three gold medals in the 1956 Olympics, contested in Melbourne, Australia, died yesterday, at the age of 84.
He won the 100 meters, 200 and anchored the 4 X 100 relay sprints to achieve a status matched only by three better known Olympic greats, Jesse Owens in 1936, Carl Lewis in 1984 and Usain Bolt in both 2012 and 2016.
Mr. Morrow is shown winning the 100 meters race yielding a gold medal, in the ’56 Olympics. He also reflects on the priceless moment, a sentiment perhaps, so appropriate now.
The narrator is David Perry, whose real name was David Greenspan, the brother of Bud Greenspan, on whose Olympic documentaries, Mr. Perry/Greenspan often worked.
In the upcoming days, there will be more posts and notes on the great 1961 World Series winning, New York Yankees.
Today I cite former great Yankees pitcher, Waite Hoyt was on the first game (if not the entire Series broadcast) and he is a link between the great 1927 and 1961 Yankees.
Hoyt was a broadcaster for the ’61 National League Pennant winning, Cincinnati Reds.
Waite Hoyt, among other things a vaudevillian in his career, pictured above cited the fact he pitched in 6 World Series for the Yankees and that “it was good to be back.”
He did so, introducing game 1, before “turning things over,” to Bob Wolff.
Today a fantastic 500th episode of the iconic television show, “What’s My Line?” It aired originally, in February, 1960.
Julie Andrews is the mystery guest.
Panelists are Dorothy Kilgallen, Martyn Green (a great Gilbert & Sullivan player), Arlene Francis and Martin Gabel.
John Charles Daly is the show’s host.
Enjoy viewing this historic episode.
Pete (do I have to tell you (Rob) Manfred and his ilk will attempt a shortened season, further diminishing baseball’s greatest feature, that of development over a long, true, regular season, but still deny Pete Rose entry into baseball’s “hall”) had asked the name of the only player to pinch hit for him.
It is part of what made/makes Pete a “with flaws (we all have them) great,” that made him scoff at my answer of Mike Lum.
See, while Mike was a nice addition to the eventual title winning ’76 Reds, he was far from a big league great.
“Mike Lum,” Pete Rose repeated, as he sat, while I stood, saying I thought it was to be a tough question.
The player was a Hall of Fame player, Mr. Rose intoned and I knew immediately it was Frank Robinson.
All was “forgiven,” as Pete “slapped me five,” and an Albany writer wanted my story.
He wrote it, but never sent me a copy.
Alas, Pete Rose is still not in that place, where he belongs. On we go.
In 1997, outside, but near the baseball “hall,” Pete Rose and some other members of the great Cincinnati Reds’ (Big Red Machine) teams were sitting and likely signing materials.
I was effusive in my praise for the great team and Pete decided to ask me a trivia type question.
Who is the only player to pinch hit for me, he asked. Now, I will ask a question as well, who is the only player to pinch hit for the great player, Johnny Bench?
Know the answer? If not, guess by writing in the comments.
Later this week, more, on that day in 1997.
Cesar Geronomo, of those great “Cincy” teams, is pictured above. He is not the answer to either question.
I do not believe in shorter seasons, certainly not ones that would manifest, if games return in baseball, basketball or hockey.
That does not mean I do not appreciate or in some cases did appreciate, the meaning involved in those games/sports.
Seeking perspective and nice writing, I offer the post below written in September 2017, by a guest writer/friend named Anne, about hockey.
Guest Post by Anne “The Only Sport I Willingly Watch on Television is Hockey” on September 7, 2017
A great player, Bryan Trottier was an integral part of 4 consecutive New York Islanders’ title teams (1980-1983).
Andy B Sports 