Today, a few details on the 1964 and 1967 NHL and NBA playoffs conclusion.
For the record in 1964 after the Maple Leafs’ Bob Baun, playing on a broken ankle, scored in overtime keeping Toronto alive with a game 6 win at Detroit (Red Wings), their goaltender, Johnny Bower shutout Detroit in game 7 at Toronto to win the title.
The next day, the Celtics won their 6th straight title 5’ing Wilt Chamberlain and the Warriors, one of two Celts’ final round wins vs a Wilt team. In fairness, the Celts had a way better team in ’64, the other ’69, a different story and for another but continual “day.”
In 1967, the last time the Leafs won the title, Wilt and his 76ers won the NBA crown the next night. Each team won its final series in 6 games, the Leafs at home vs Montreal (Canadiens) (the LONE final round loss for the Habs in 17 final rounds from ’56-’86, which is incredible!) and the Philly Sixers at San Francisco, vs the Warriors.
All these years later the Warriors will again play in San Francisco.
Maurice Richard, pictured above, led the Montreal Canadiens to a still record, 5 straight titles from (1956-1960).
Here’s one regarding St. Louis and Toronto titles and years the NHL and NBA crowns were clinched on successive nights/days, each manifesting this year.
This was the third straight year the NHL (first) and NBA titles were clinched on consecutive days.
Of course St. Louis (Blues) and Toronto (Raptors) won those titles. It is the fourth time St. Louis and Toronto won sports titles in the same calendar year.
The other times it was the baseball Cardinals and NHL Maple Leafs for St. Louis and Toronto respectively.
Those years were 1942, 1964 and 1967.
In 1942 there was no NBA. In both ’64 and ’67 the NHL (first) and NBA titles were clinched on consecutive days. Thus 3 possibilities, 3 St. Louis/Toronto titles in years the NHL and NBA crowns were clinched on consecutive days.
A magnificent player and a vital member of 4 Toronto Maple Leafs’ Stanley Cup winners, the 4 most recent in ’62,’63,’64 and ’67, Dave Keon is pictured above.
I really enjoy watching “Noir Alley,” hosted by Eddie Muller, on Turner Classic Movies.
Mr. Muller supplies great information both before and after the movie, that is shown.
There are two broadcasts, the first at the “noir appropriate” time of midnight Saturday and again at 10 A.M. on Sunday morning.
Yesterday “Shadow On The Wall” with Ann Sothern, Gigi Perreau and Nancy Davis (later Nancy Reagan, a United States First Lady), among the cast, was aired.
Ms. Perreau was 8 years old at the time of this 1950 movie and she was a truly great child actress.
In later years, I recall Barry Williams’ “Greg Brady” has a crush on his teacher played by Ms. Perreau. The heartbreak of unrequited and unrealistic love is alleviated, as “Greg” meets Wes Parker, then a Dodgers’ first baseman and a very good one by the way, playing himself as the teacher/Gigi Perreau’s boyfriend.
Gigi Perreau, pictured above.
The Great Director James Burrows And Baseball, Specifically, The A.L. East Leading, New York Yankees
Days back, I met the great director James Burrows after he was interviewed for an episode of “Inside The Actor’s Studio,” which will air Sunday October 13th on Ovation (A fine, innovative television channel, which will be the new “home” for “Inside The Actor’s Studio).
Burrows’s body of work is incredible (television shows such as “Cheers,” “Will and Grace” and “Taxi,” to name just three) and he also “cheered” me up (pun intended, I guess) by chatting with me after the taping, in an engaging manner.
Mr. Burrows’ beautiful wife, Debbie also was friendly and helpful.
The Inside The Actor’s Studio interview was great and I will not spoil it, save to say Burrows shared many great anecdotes, including touching remembrances of his brilliant father, humorist/writer and much more, Abe Burrows.
Additionally, James Burrows loves sports, roots for the Yankees and talked of seeing Hank Bauer play.
Without knowing the in progress Tuesday score of Yankees/Tampa Bay Rays, I told Mr. Burrows the Rays were good, but not good enough and Boston (Red Sox) though really good, does not have the intangibles, this regular season.
Hence, I said/predicted the Yankees, recently only 3 to 2 favorites to win their first “one eighth” division title since 2012, would do so this season.
They began Tuesday, again the day I talked with the great director, good man and Yankees’ fan, James Burrows, with a 3 game win skein.
That night the Yankees made it two straight vs T.B. then won vs 2018 American League Cy Young Award winner, Blake Snell, the next afternoon.
Add 3 wins vs the A.L. West leading Houston Astros, who have now lost 7 straight games, and the Yankees enter play today, Old Timer’s Day at Yankee Stadium, with 8 straight wins and a nice five and a half game lead, in the A.L. East.
I hope and think Mr. Burrows is enjoying it and I hope he remembers my prediction.
Left to right, the great James Burrows and Andy B.
Yesterday, I cited the fact that the simultaneous St. Louis (Blues) and Toronto (Raptors) titles achieved last week, mark the fourth time those two cities won titles, in the same calendar year.
The previous three were won by the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Maple Leafs, within the same year (1942, 1964 and 1967), but certainly spread out more than the titles won on consecutive nights in 2019. (This is the third straight year the NHL and NBA crowns were dispensed on consecutive nights).
In 1942 both the Leafs and Cards won 4 straight games within a series, however, neither was in a four game sweep.
St. Louis took the defending world champion Yankees in 5 games, winning the last four. The great writer, Philip Roth, whom we lost last year (his books and work remain and are highly recommended), referenced the Cards’ Whitey Kurowski’s home run that broke a tie, Top 9, in the clinching game at Yankee Stadium, in his “warning” book “The Plot Against America.”
That World Series ended on October 5, 1942.
In the only final series in major North American sports league history in which a team won the last 4 games, after trailing 3 games to none, the Maple Leafs 7’d the Detroit Red Wings to win the 1942 Stanley Cup title.
Toronto trailed (1-0) entering the third period of #7 in Toronto on April 18, 1942, but got two third period goals from Sweeney Schriner and the go ahead to stay/Stanley Cup winning goal from Pete Langelle to win the game and title.
The Leafs’ Syl Apps Sr. with the Stanley Cup in 1942.
In winning their first franchise title, and its city’s fourteenth, the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Raptors, respectively denied the Boston Bruins and Golden State Warriors, in their bids for a seventh crown.
Of course, both the Blues and Raptors were underdogs in both the final round and the semi-final round.
There are other links between the teams and cities that won the 20th hockey and basketball league titles of this century, at least beginning with the year 2000.
It is the fourth time the cities of St. Louis and Toronto have won major North American sports league crowns in the same year.
One of those years was 1942 (1964, 1967 and 2019 are the others).
The previous three “same year Toronto/St. Louis titles,” involved the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs and the baseball St. Louis Cardinals.
Tomorrow a look at the 1942 titles for the Leafs and Cards.
Yesterday, in what was perhaps a meaningful game in the long, wild card presence baseball season, the (34-38), Cincinnati Reds rallied for two, two out runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, to (3-2), the almost certain A.L. West winning, (48-27) Houston Astros and complete and a 3 game sweep.
The game evoked some Reds/Astros history, as these were the first clashes between the teams, who from (1962-2012) were in the same entity (National League (1962-1968), National League West (1969-1993) and N.L. Central (1994-2012), since the American League Astros, won their first title in 2017.
One memory is following the game (no television, radio, internet etc.) of July 4th, nearly 40 years ago, when the Astros held on for a (3-2) win at “Cincy,” and moved 10 and a half games ahead of the Reds in the one quarter/you had to finish first, N.L. West.
Cincinnati eventually won the division.
That day, I sojourned to a kosher delicatessen “over the bridge.” (Maybe “somewhere over a rainbow,” Mr. (Harold) Arlen and Mr. (E.Y.) Yarburg can get a pastrami sandwich into the song).
NBA official, Manny Sokol was there. I asked him, those forty years ago, who was the best player he had seen. Without looking up, on a napkin, he wrote Havlicek and Oscar (John Havlicek and Oscar Robertson).
The Astros likely will at least, win the A.L. West
“Over the bridge” yields “Over the rainbow,” Click below as Judy Garland’s Dorothy sings and Toto, the dog is so well behaved, now 80 years ago.
The city of Toronto, of course, now has a current title with the NBA Raptors, who achieved it, in their 24th season.
Additionally, Toronto has 7 straight victories in final round play. Although the NHL Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967, they have not lost a final series since 1960, winning 3 straight crowns (’62-’64), the baseball Blue Jays won in both of their World Series appearances (’92 and ’93), while the Raptors just won in their first NBA final series).
Somewhat incredibly, not only were the last 4 Toronto major North American sports league crowns (’67 Leafs, ’92 and ’93 Jays and ’19 Raptors) clinched with a game 6 victory, that year’s Toronto semi-final victory, was also achieved in 6 games.
In fact, after the first 5 Toronto titles which had both a semi-final and final round (the ’32 Leafs won the title with total goals determining and giving them a final round berth, a best of 3 series, Toronto won in the maximum 3 games) were accomplished in a different number of games in the semi and the final, the last 8 were achieved in the same number.
Bill Barilko, who tragically died in a plane crash not long after, won the 1951 Stanley Cup for the Maple Leafs, with an overtime goal in game 5. The Leafs had won their semi that year in 5 games as well. One game of the final was called a tie, but 5 counted, 4 went to the Leafs, hence Toronto in 5.
In winning 3 straight crowns (’62-’64), Toronto won its semi and final in the same number of games, 6 in ’62, 5 in ’63 and 7 in ’64.
Bill Barilko, pictured above.
Today another episode of the great television show “What’s My Line” that aired on November 13, 1960, the first such episode after the presidential election of the past Tuesday into Wednesday morning, on November 8th.
When panelist Bennett Cerf cited that host John Charles Daly had been on the air for over eleven hours the past Tuesday, at first, I did not connect the election with that long night for Mr. Daly. Soon after, I did so.
The mystery guest that subsequent Sunday night was John Wayne.
Other panelists were Arlene Francis, Joey Bishop and Dorothy Kilgallen.
Click below to view and enjoy the show.
“Moose” Moryn of the Chicago Cubs made as good a catch, as I can recall, to save a no hit game thrown by Don Cardwell. Enjoy the videos shown below.
Now watch Moryn’s great catch to end the game, preserving Cardwell’s no hit game. The great Jack Brickhouse makes the call on WGN Television in Chicago.
Andy B Sports 