It is fairly (ode to Ron (Fairly), who we lost recently and was a member of 3 L.A. Dodgers’ title teams) well known, that Sandy Koufax did not pitch in game 1 of the 1965 World Series because of his observance of the Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur.
In reviewing Sandy’s World Series starts and for that matter, his appearances (he pitched 2 scoreless innings in relief in game 1 of the ’59 World Series) it manifests that Sandy did not pitch in any Friday or Saturday/The Jewish Sabbath World Series games.
He would have, but as it turned out, he never did.
Sandy started seven World Series games, pitching on all days but Friday and Saturday. Three of those starts were on a Thursday.
Bob Shaw, from Garden City, New York pictured above, in Sandy’s words to me, “pitched a good game,” to win (1-0) vs Sandy and the Dodgers in game 5 of the 1959 World Series. Sandy was still living in Brooklyn, New York, where he was born.
Dick Donavan was brilliant in relief and I will have some notes on that game and series, in posts this week.
Buddy Parker was a part of three of the four Detroit Lions’ teams, that won the NFL Championship. He also has a bit of a link to the other one.
He was a player on the 1935 title team and coached the Bobby Layne led Detroit teams that beat the Cleveland Browns to win the 1952 and 1953 crowns.
In their third clash, the Browns won vs the Lions in the 1954 title game.
Before beating the Browns to win the 1957 title (teams called the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, have won but one title since, that by the Browns in 1964, this after the Lions and Browns combined to win 6 of the 8 contested from (’50-’57), each team winning it all three times.
Before beating the Browns to win the 1957 NFL crown, the Lions beat the 49ers on the road, at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco to win a Western Conference playoff game and qualify for the subsequent title game in Detroit.
As noted in a recent post, research showed Buddy Parker’s Steelers played a “meaningless” game at Comiskey Park that same day as the Western Conference playoff (December 22nd) defeating the then Chicago Cardinals (27-2).
Click above to view the ad, narrated by Chris Schenkel. It was Jim Doran, who gathered in Layne’s winning touchdown pass in the 1953 title game, a play remembered and shown in the ad.
Today a fantastic episode of “What’s My Line?” which aired in October, 1965.
There were two great mystery guests, first Sean Connery and then Henry Fonda.
Panelists were Dorothy Kilgallen, Ralph Meeker, Arlene Francis and Martin Gabel.
John Charles Daly is the show’s host.
Enjoy the show.
This week SNY is showing games from the 1986 World Series, which was contested between the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox.
Games will be shown each night beginning at 7:30.
I add this note, which includes two subsequent World Series appearances by the Mets.
In 2015, incredibly, after the Mets’ second batter in game 3, David Wright hit a two run home run, the Mets have now hit a home run before making an out in four of their 5 games three, of a World Series.
Tom Agee (1969), Wayne Garrett (1973) and Len Dykstra (1986) all hit lead off home runs in game three, Dykstra’s homer leading off the game on the road.
Wayne Garrett, pictured above.
Among the many interesting facts I discovered after realizing the (31-27) scores in key 49ers vs Lions’ games, fourteen years apart in 1957 and 1971, is that the Pittsburgh Steelers and then Chicago, Cardinals, played a “meaningless” game on December 22, 1957, the same day Detroit’s Lions (31-27)’d the S.F. 49ers, to take the Western Conference crown, en route to their last NFL title, or even final game appearance.
For some reason, the Steelers and Cardinals did not play on November 17th of that year and the NFL deemed it necessary for them to play on December 22nd.
The Lions overcame a (27-7) deficit to beat the 49ers (31-27) in the ’57 Western Conference playoff that day, while “27” was the winning point total, as the Steelers won (27-2) at Comiskey Park in Chicago, vs the Cardinals.
I will have more notes on related NFL— including the 49ers turning the (31-27) score into their favor, to clinch the “one eighth,” not one half, as was the case in ’57, regular season entity vs the Lions in the 1971 finale, also played at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco.
The ticket above did not allow access, as the title game was held in Detroit, matching the hometown Lions and Cleveland Browns.
Today, a very special video from a special hosted by Tom Jones, in which Mary Hopkin sings her huge hit and meaningful song, “Those Were The Days.”
I “dared” to ask Janis to dance with me, as that song started, some years back. That and the song is so meaningful to me.
Mary’s rendition on the show is great and Tom Jones is classy both before and after the song.
Mr. Jones was very gracious to me, years later, when I met him at a “Songwriters Hall of Fame” event.
Enjoy Mary Hopkin singing “Those Were The Days,” by clicking below.
There is so much to the movie, “Joker” especially the award winning performance of Joaquin Phoenix.
Among other things, it is a prequel to the “Batman” story, as the reasons behind “arch criminal,” “Joker’s” emergence are explored.
Robert De Nero, in an almost opposite role as that of his in “The King of Comedy,” when his character “Rupert Pupkin” wreaks havoc on talk show host “Jerry Langford,” played by Jerry Lewis, is talk show host “Murray Franklin” in “Joker”
Frances Conroy, so fondly remembered from the television show, “Six Feet Under,” gives a memorable performance as “Joker/Arthur Fleck’s” mother.
The entire cast is very good with star, Joaquin Phoenix giving a performance of a man’s “descent with reasons,” that truly resonates and warns.
Joaquin Phoenix, pictured above and on Shakespeare Avenue/Anderson Avenue along 167th Street, in the Bronx, “steps,” gave a riveting performance in “Joker.”
A tremendous hitter and eventually a title winning general manager, Bob Watson, who died days back, made me look very good, one June night at Shea Stadium in 1977.
Bob, in my book, was one of the best hitters of his time, a time that preceded today’s “watered down pitching.”
The lone woman in Bob Wolff’s broadcasting class asked about keeping score that June night when Bob brought the class to Shea Stadium for Astros (then of course a National League team) vs Mets.
Bob Watson was up with the bases loaded and 2 out, T5 when I told the classy, beautiful Adrienne, mark down 2 rbi single (2r1b) for Mr. Watson, as he was about to take his turn at bat.
As if Mr. Watson could “hear me,” he delivered a 2 run single.
Art Howe followed with an rbi hit and now I hope the right entity “hears me,” as I hope Mr. Howe and so many others, recover from complications due to the coronavirus.
Bob Watson, pictured above
Forty years have passed since rookie Earvin “Magic” Johnson scored 42 points and Jamaal Wilkes had 37, to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their second L.A. crown, winning a delayed tape telecast, game 6, in Philadelphia vs the 76ers.
The Lakers were without their great center, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, but led by Johnson, who became an NBA great that night and eventually an all-time player, went to Philadelphia and won the crown.
Among the many Lakers’ contributors that night was reserve guard and rarely used, Brad Holland, who hit some big shots.
I was in room 302 of a Howard Johnson’s hotel, watching the game live as it was shown live in Los Angeles and Philadelphia and recall listening to the great Lakers’ broadcaster, Chick Hearn.
Hearn in calling the game with ex-Lakers player, Keith Erickson, intoned “the layup” properly raising his voice, as Mr. Wilkes shot. It was more than once and shots from twenty plus feet, but Chick called it, “the layup” and each time he did, Wilkes made the shot.
It looks like the great Jamaal Wilkes #52 is about to shoot. Greg Ballard, a member of the ’78 Bullets title team, is defending.
Yesterday I “battled” through the many commercial breaks to watch a fine 1955 film, “Illegal,” starring the immortal Edward G. Robinson, on Movies channel.
I was very impressed with the entire cast, especially two female performers, Nina Foch and an up and coming Jayne Mansfield.
The day before “The Diary of Anne Frank,” a superb movie about the extraordinary courage of Anne Frank and others, aired on TCM.
Research revealed that Nina Foch, so good in so many films, including the seminal, “An American In Paris,” was an assistant to director George Stevens on “The Diary Of Anne Frank.”
Foch born in Netherlands, part of the film that told Anne Frank’s story in that country was so much more.
Most notable, was Ms. Foch’s work, teaching, in a tremendous and inspiring life.
The inspiring, Nina Foch, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 