It is Saturday night July 6th, twenty weeks “before,” and the Pittsburgh Pirates are visiting the second year, New York Mets, at the Polo Grounds. It is that historic venue’s last season.
Bob Murphy is behind the microphone telling Ralph Kiner that Mets’ 6th place hitter, Frank Thomas (an impressive 34 home runs the year before), was hit by his dinner bell, causing minor injury.
He finishes the story just as Thomas, with one out and Jesse Gonder on first (a walk in his first Mets’ at bat), hits a drive toward the right field line.
The great Pittsburgh right fielder, Roberto Clemente is after it and makes a great diving catch, his second great play in as many days, vs the Mets.
Murphy, a superb broadcaster, made a great call of the play.
That was a day! Those were the days!
It is “ringing,” but not for dinner.
I noticed some great and familiar people in uncredited roles,
in the great Alfred Hitchcock directed film, “North By Northwest.”
One of course, is Mr. Hitchcock himself, as a man trying to get on a bus.
Robert Shayne, best known as “Inspector Henderson,” on “The Adventures of Superman” is another.
Thanks to the fabulous IMDB, Shayne’s “Superman stats”follow.
He is credited in 90 episodes and appeared in 49, one as “Detective Launay,” in a 1957 episode, called “Peril in Paris.”
Robert Shayne, pictured above.
There is much really personal “stuff” involved, when I recall my cousin Neil, who died 5 years ago.
Today some less personal and brighter thoughts, as he had total recall about the cars that the neighborhood adults owned.
He “piled” my plate with food when I turned for just a bit, making me look like a “glutton,” at a couple of Passover Seders.
He was not into sports and there is still one precious piece of old film somewhere, in which Neil, age say 8, is walking through our little football game. It was as though a spectator came on the field and was walking through the action.
Our fathers “dressed” us on one occasion at “Freedom Land,” with interesting “headgear.” You ought to see Neil’s smile and that I do, somehow, through all the misses and memories.
Neil once had a white Corvette and collected vintage cars.
Here’s one: I cited Neil’s lack of interest in sports, yet somehow for some reason he attended game 6 of the 1977 World Series.
In that game, “fellow vintage car collector,” Reggie Jackson smacked 3 home runs, leading the Yankees to their 21st title and first in 15 years.
I highly recommend “The Plot Thickens,” podcasts on TCM, hosted by Ben Mankiewicz.
In this its first season, the superb director Peter Bogdanovich, is the compelling subject (“I’m Still Peter Bogdanovich”).
His life with its acute “ups and downs” is remarkable and he and Mr. Mankiewicz are very candid, in discussing some incredible events.
Among other things in a remarkable life, the exceptionally talented Bogdanovich wrote about and was friends with another great director, Orson Welles and talked warmly with me, about his admiration of the seminal television show, “The Sopranos,” on which he had a recurring acting role.
Hearing the podcasts (“I’m Still Peter Bogdanovich”) will reveal so much more.
Peter Bogdanovich, pictured above, directed the great film, “The Last Picture Show,” which among other good things, netted Academy Awards for Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson.
The non Dodgers player among the five Mets starters that May night in 1962, as cited, was Felix Mantilla.
Mantilla had a fine career and was a member of three excellent Milwaukee Braves’ teams that all played past the regular season from (1957-1959).
Today is about two almost seminal plays, involving Mantilla in the 1959 season.
First on May 26th, it was Felix Mantilla, who reached on an error and scored what was ruled to have been the game’s only run, in the bottom of the 13th inning, after Harvey Haddix, had, incredibly, retired the first 36 batters he faced.
Then Mantilla was on the “other side” of an error, as his throwing error on a Carl Furillo single, enabled the pennant winning run to score for the Dodgers, as they won the unscheduled playoff vs Milwaukee in 2 straight games.
A 1959 Felix Mantilla card.
Today, another great episode of “What’s My Line?” this one from December, 1953.
The mystery guest is Kirk Douglas.
Panelists are Dorothy Kilgallen, Peter Lind Hayes, Arlene Francis and Bennett Cerf.
John Charles Daly is the show’s host.
The Mets infield and pitching starter(s) that May night in 1962 at Connie Mack Stadium were Gil Hodges at first base, Charlie Neal at second and Don Zimmer at third. Roger Craig was the starting pitcher.
Those four players were members of the World Series winning Los Angeles Dodgers, less than three years before.
As stated yesterday, Sammy Johnson, the Mets’ starting catcher that night had no big link to the ’59 season outcome.
However, Felix Mantilla did and in a post later this week more on a truly good player and 1959 game events.
Gil Hodges, pictured above won titles as a player with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955 and Los Angeles Dodgers in 1959.
Ten years after the L.A. title in ’59, Gil managed the so called “Miracle Mets” to the 1969 baseball crown.
It is May 4, 1962 and on this (Friday) night, the New York Mets are playing the home team Phillies, in the former’s first game ever, at venerable Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia.
“If you don’t know me by now,” I do have a tendency to “link” things.
In this case, the Mets’ starting infield and pitching battery (save catcher Sammy Taylor) with the 1959 season, specifically, the eventual champion, L.A. Dodgers.
The lone non Dodger in the quintet, is shortstop Felix Mantilla. However ’59 elicits “Mantilla memories,” after Felix was on Milwaukee Braves’ pennant winners in ’57 and ’58 (the title going to Milwaukee in ’57).
In a post this week, I will provide the notes linking the Mets’ quintet (pitcher, first, second, third baseman and Mantilla) with the ’59 Dodgers and that season.
A view of Connie Mack Stadium, once Shibe Park, pictured above.
Last night I awoke around midnight, eventually ignoring the “right back to sleep” maxim and chose to watch “The Invaders” on MeTV.
I was rewarded with a good episode (‘Moonshot”) of a show, I have cited in a past post, as one that I enjoyed years back.
The presence of Peter Graves made me think of his brother, also an actor.
I could not think of the actor.
My mind recalled Dana Andrews and Steve Forrest as brothers.
I had to take Casey Stengel’s advice or that of my mother regarding words, and “look it up,” by the way, in a method that neither “advisor” lived to see.
It is James Arness, “Matt Dillon” on the iconic show “Gunsmoke.” Mr. Graves would soon after this “Invaders” episode of April 1967, become a regular on “Mission Impossible.”
Left to right, James Arness and Peter Graves are pictured above. Arness is the original name for those two brothers.
I know what the 1976 University of Pittsburgh title won under coach Johnny Majors, who died days back, at age 85, meant to my friend Beano Cook.
After the great Marshall Goldberg led teams and frankly after the Majors coached and Tony Dorsett led ’76 title team, the “title cupboard” has been bare at “Pitt.”
However, they do have that 1976 title, 20 years after Johnny Majors, a great Tennessee player and later coach (he also coached at Iowa State) finished second to Paul Hornung, in the Heisman Trophy race.
Tony Dorsett’s tribute to his coach resonates and follows:
“He was more than just an integral part of my college football career; he was a dear friend who continued his relationship with me far beyond my playing days,” Dorsett said in a statement. “He took a young high school kid and showed him how to be a leader and a man. My prayers are with his family, the Pitt community and all the players and coaches who have been a part of his life. Rest in heaven, Coach.”
Johnny Majors, pictured above.
Coach Majors moved Tony Dorsett in the backfield and that sparked Pittsburgh to a (24-7) win vs Penn State, to complete an undefeated regular season in 1976.
The video above offers perspective on that game.
Andy B Sports 