It is Wednesday night August 17, 1966 and earlier in the day, Willie Mays cracked the 535th home run of his career, moving past Jimmy Foxx, into second place on the all time home run list, trailing only Babe Ruth, but by a wide, 179 home run margin.
Another great home run hitting Willie (there was also McCovey, in what was a great National League), the pennant contending and at the time league leading Pittsburgh Pirates’ Stargell, hits a two run, first inning home run at Shea Stadium, vs the Mets.
“On the scoreboard,” the Cubs and Phillies are clashing, the pitchers are Ken Holtzman for the Chicago Cubs and Jim Bunning for the Philadelphia Phillies.
In their careers, each pitched 2 no hit games, one of Bunning’s being a perfect game, that on Father’s Day at Shea Stadium, vs the Mets in 1964.
The great Jimmie Foxx, pictured above.
It was a great experience watching the 1975 version of the film, “Farewell My Lovely,” starring the indomitable Robert Mitchum on TCM, this past Friday night.
Mitchum is great as “Phillip Marlowe,” from the Raymond Chandler novels.
There are numerous references to Joe DiMaggio’s famed hitting streak, as the story unfolds across the year it manifested,1941.
The cast is great with Sylvia Miles, turning in an Academy Award nominated performance.
Another nice night with TCM.
The Chiefs’ appearance in next week’s 54th Super Bowl will be the seventh final round/game appearance by a Kansas City team, in a major North American Sports league.
K.C. teams are (3-3) in the six previous such entities.
Football’s Chiefs are (1-1), losing to the Green Bay Packers in the first Super Bowl (called the NFL/AFL Championship Game, in those, better in my opinion, pre hype days) and winning vs the Minnesota Vikings, 50 years ago, in the 4th Supe and last one matching the AFL and NFL.
The baseball Royals are (2-2), winning World Series 30 years apart in 1985 and 2015, while losing in 1980 and 2014.
In 2014, the only previous San Francisco vs Kansas City post-season action took place, with the Madison Bumgarner led San Francisco Giants, winning the final round/World Series in 7 games, vs the Royals.
After 5 more seasons with the Giants, Bumgarner is now with Arizona (Diamondbacks) and it is S.F. vs K.C. for the ’19 football crown next week.
Madison Bumgarner started and won 2 games and then pitched brilliantly in relief, in the decisive 7th game, leading the Giants to the ’14 title vs the Royals.
Last night, I enjoyed attending Friday night/Shabbat services, with the great added dimension of performances by members of the cast of “Fiddler On The Roof in Yiddish,” at Temple Emanu-El 1 East 65th Street.
It was a full house in the sprawling edifice and I thought back to when I did attend services and also to the great show, “Fiddler On The Roof.” That experience was truly moving.
Among the songs performed in Yiddish (I do not speak or even understand it, however I learned some matching the words, as I knew the songs) were “Sunrise, Sunset” and “Do You Love Me?” It was quite a treat, part of a great night.
On Friday February 7th, another fantastic event at Temple Emanu-El:
“Blessings From Broadway” with Broadway star, Laurie Akers and Temple Emanu-El Cantor, Mo Glazman.
Of course, memories abounded concerning the great Zero Mostel, pictured above, as he starred in the original “Fiddler On The Roof.”
It is early in the 1966 season and the Cincinnati Reds are at Shea Stadium playing the New York Mets.
Each long shot team would eventually fade, however, the fifth year Houston Astros and woebegone Cleveland Indians are in early season contention in 10 team leagues, with no wild card presence.
Three years away, three eventual world title winning 1969 Mets (Jerry Grote, Cleon Jones and Ed Kranepool) are in their ’66 starting lineup, while a fourth future ’69 Mets player, Art Shamsky, is the Cincy right fielder.
Oh was there Hall of Fame voting this week?! Alas with one out top 1st, Reds’ second baseman, Pete Rose walked on a (3-2) pitch, threw his helmet off and ran to first base. Need I say more?!
I will, however, in reference to Reds/Mets in 1966 and the baseball of the day in a near future post, as some baseball shines in, along with Super Bowl notes.
Deron Johnson, pictured above as a Boston Red Sox player, was in left for the Reds.
He led the National League with 130 runs batted in (1965) while 10 years later, the Reds and Red Sox helped propel baseball, engaging in a classic World Series.
As cited before, the San Francisco 49ers will be seeking their first Super Bowl win in 25 years. They also won the Super Bowl 30 years ago in 1989 and 35 years ago in 1984.
Their opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, are in their first Super Bowl since winning their lone such game to date, 50 years ago.
San Francisco was without a major sports title until the 49ers won the first of 5 Super Bowl crowns to date, in their 32nd NFL season, (1981).
Kansas City is without either an NBA or NHL team. There will be plenty of facts ahead, some obscure, such as the following.
In the lone playoff appearance by the Kansas City/Omaha Kings now the Sacramento Kings and then led by Nate “Tiny” Archibald, they were beaten in the quarterfinals by the Chicago Bulls.
If the Kings had won (they lost in 6 games) they would have met the Golden State Warriors, already Oakland and not S.F. based, in the semi-final round. The Warriors beat the Bulls and then the Washington Bullets to win their first NBA title.
A great player, Nate “Tiny” Archibald, pictured above.
Among many great players, I can make a case for Kareem Abdul Jabbar, half pictured in the background, as the greatest of all.
Last night I tuned in and watched another fine episode of the television show, “Perry Mason,” on MeTV.
The episode was “The Case Of The Ominous Outcast” and I would like to cite fine performances by guest stars, Jeremy Slate and Denver Pyle.
Each man had a fine career, appearing in so many television shows both as regular performers and guest stars.
Mr. Pyle has the distinction of having a prominent role in the last regular “Perry Mason” episode, which aired in 1966.
Raymond Burr, pictured above, in the title role, “Perry Mason.”
In less than three weeks, the 56th anniversary of The Beatles famed first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, will be marked on Sunday February 9th.
Today an episode of the great television show, “What’s My Line?” that aired live, as of course were The Beatles (we no longer have that), from that night.
There were two great mystery guests, Johnny Mercer and Jane Fonda.
The panelists were Arlene Francis, Bobby Darin, Dorothy Kilgallen and Bennett Cerf. John Charles Daly is the show’s host.
There are references to the Beatles appearance on the Sullivan Show earlier in the evening, two interesting guests not of the “mystery” variety and commercials from the time are included.
This one is great! Enjoy.
Both the Kansas City Chiefs and especially the San Francisco 49ers, won easily in yesterday’s title tilts, and will meet in the 54th Super Bowl game, 2 weeks from yesterday, in Miami, Florida.
The Chiefs, (1-1) in previous Supes, winning in ’69 after losing in ’66), are in the game for the first time in 50 years and opened as slight favorites, vs the 49ers.
San Francisco is (5-1) in such games, however, are sans a crown for 25 years.
Patrick Mahomes threw 3 touchdown passes, two to Tyreek Hill (Hill also gathered in the big set up pass on the Chiefs’ 4th touchdown drive) and scored on a brilliant 27 yard run with :11 remaining in the first half, as the Chiefs repeated a 1962 AFL Title Game win over the Tennessee Titans, nee Houston Oilers.
In the later game, Raheem Mostert ran for 220 yards and four touchdowns as the 49ers built a (27-0) halftime lead and cruised (37-20) over the Green Bay Packers.
Patrick Mahomes, pictured above.
Last year was the sixth time in 59 seasons with both AFL or AFC and NFL or NFC Title games that both road teams prevailed in those games.
The previous 5 times (1962 AFL and NFL, 1966 with the first Super Bowl bids on the line, 1992, 1997 and 2012), home teams came back the next year to go (9-1) as only the Falcons won a road game.
Home teams won both title tilts in 1963, 1967, 1993, and 2013.
The great Bart Starr, pictured above, threw 4 touchdown passes leading the Green Bay Packers to a (34-27) win at Dallas and a berth in the first Super Bowl after the 1966 season.
Andy B Sports 