Both the 2025 baseball season (in minutes and in Tokyo, Japan) and the 68 team NCAA College Basketball Tournament begin today.
In baseball the defending champion Dodgers with a perceived 104 wins (I went “under”) play the Chicago Cubs twice in Japan this morning and again same time, same something (was/is “Batman” on in Japan?) tomorrow morning.
El tournament has 4 so called “play in” games today and tomorrow before “sending out” 32 games in 2 days, Thursday and Friday, whittle (more quantity than “whittle”), the field to 32 teams before 16 games Saturday and Sunday reduce it to 16.
Richard Wood, known as “Batman” achieved individual and team honors on a national level while playing for Southern California.
The St. Louis Cardinals, for the first time perceived to be the worst team in their 1/8 division, have won 11 titles, second only to the New York Yankees, who have 27 such crowns.
In both 1964 and 1967 the Cards won huge road games on the actual Columbus Day, October 12th.
It was game 5 in 1964 when the Cards behind Bob Gibson led (2-0) going to the bottom of the ninth at Yankee Stadium.
However, Tom Tresh who had homered off Sandy Koufax in the Dodgers (5-2) win in the ’63 World Series opener, hit a far more important, somewhat incredible game tying 2RHR off Gibson.
St. Loo by another (5-2) score won the game and eventually the title in 7 games.
In ’67, the game “for all the marbles” (#7 World Series) was on October 12th. Gibson who won with a complete game, (7-5) in #7/’64, won (7-2) at venerable Fenway Park to gain their second crown in 4 seasons.
Julian Javier, pictured above, had the more or less “wrap up” home run in game 7 of the 1967 World Series.
Nineteen years have passed since Al “Grampa” Lewis died in February, 2006
Mr. Lewis was “something else” in a very positive way.
He was gracious enough to be a full show guest on my cable television show, at least 4 times, most memorably, in a tribute show to the great broadcaster, Marty Glickman.
Below his words in an interview conducted for the superb TelevisionAcademy.com/interviews is resounding and truly meaningful. Enjoy and heed his advice.
The Dodgers, either when in Brooklyn or their current Los Angeles location have never repeated as world’s champions.
An even number has been the result of six of their “years between titles,” thrice four (’55 and’59, ’59 and’63 and 2020 and 2024), once 2 (’63 and ’65), once 16 (’65 and ’81), the lone “odd #,” (seven ’81 until ’88) followed by 22 from ’88 until 2020.
L.A. opens the 2025 baseball season vs the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan.
There will be 2 games there, with each team acting as the home team batting second once, with games March 18th and 19th.
Why ? it, as I can think of other billionaires more suited to leave the earth than a good one, former basketball player and a very good one, Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, who became another example of “all the money in the world …… , when he died suddenly, days back, too young at age 71.
He was one of my favorite players, though his teams, first Louisville in a famed national semi now almost exactly 50 years ago, and later some fine Milwaukee Bucks’ teams (as a mogul, Ulysses became part owner of, speaking of 50, has 2 titles, (1971 and 2021), failed in games/’offs series I really wanted them to win for rooting or anti-rooting and NOT financial reasons.
That aspect of win/lose in sports is far less important than $$, which sadly, is so important (think or forget being ripped off just to keep a car, an old, small one going) but again, “not another day will it buy?!!”
“Junior” deserves to defy the “heaven/needle” maxim and make heaven, as a self made man, who earned great sums and still seemed to avoid the so often “musky” pitfalls, great wealth and power so often generate!
Speaking of money (there it is again!) the above first edition of James Joyce’s seminal “Ulysses” is worth a great deal of it, which again is an “it,” however, not “THE IT!”
Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, pictured above. A rare, self-made billionaire, who deserves “above.”
In a seminal fifth episode of the great television show, “All In The Family” (“Judging Books by Covers”), future huge soap opera stars Tony Geary (“Luke” on General Hospital) and Philip Carey (Asa Buchanan on “One Life To Live”) have key roles.
The episode aired on Tuesday February 9, 1971, as “All In The Family,” eventually the biggest and best of the great CBS Saturday night program lineup, had not yet gained “Saturday night status.”
This was ten years before Geary, as “Luke Spencer” on “General Hospital,” married “Laura Webber,” played by Genie Francis, in a wedding that rivaled the real life one that same year, in which England’s Prince Charles, now King Charles, wed Diana Spencer.
As life goes on these many years later, a finally nice, reasonably warm Monday (not a rainy one–ode to Karen (Carpenter) awaits, it is good to ponder the episode in which appearances, specifically about sexual orientation, way ahead of its time, are deceiving, the sadness inherent in the Spencers link and the realization one goes on.
Meanwhile, in doing so, it was nice to see the episode last night on MeTV and be advised the channel’s showing 4 “All In The Family” episodes (8-10)P.M. each Sunday is back in that so memorable first season.
I had predicted the show’s greatness, something for which my mom credited me.
On both definitions “rare praise indeed.”
Pictured left to right, Rob Reiner, Tony Geary and Jean Stapleton in the episode “Judging Books By Covers” the fifth from the first season of the seminal television show, still more than “holding up,” “All In The Family.”
Today marks the 54 year anniversary of the epic first boxing bout, between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, which “Smokin Joe” (Frazier) won in a 15 round decision.
It was a great bout, between a magnificent pugilist and transcendent figure Ali and his best opponent, the “always at you,” hard working, tremendous Frazier.
Electricity was in the air at a great venue, Madison Square Garden that Monday night March 8, 1971. Frank Sinatra was taking photographs and the NBA Knicks who played there, had won the most recent and first of their two NBA titles, another Frazier (Walt) scoring 36 points in the ultimate game, but being denied MVP honors as it went to another great player, Willis Reed, who scored 4 points in that #7/NBA final in 1970.
So many years have passed, each man also as I recall what must have been a hilarious but also serious topic “ride” when Joe drove Muhammad from I believe Philadelphia to New York about a year before their first clash.
Maybe in a better place there are no impoverished, however if there are, Ali and Frazier would repeat “on earth” visits to bring some cheer.
The great performer, Frank Sinatra, there 3 years and about 7 month later, in another “Main Event,” is pictured,while taking photos of the bout for Life Magazine, 54 years ago tonight.
Although the famed league semi-final clashes between teams from the cities of Boston and Philadelphia are better known (the Boston Celtics winning most (ode to Johnny), vs either the Philadelphia Warriors or 76ers), the cities have met in the sport final in the other three major possibilities.
Once both Boston and Philadelphia had 2 baseball teams, the Red Sox and Braves in “Beantown,” and the Phillies and Athletics in “The City of Brotherly Love.”
Nearly 110 years have “rear viewed” since the Red Sox, with a great left-hand pitcher named George “Babe” Ruth, defeated the Phillies 4 games to 1 in the 1915 World Series.
Boston won the last 4 tilts in that final round entity, after another great pitcher, righthander Grover Cleveland Alexander won game 1 for the Phillies.
I thought of this (final round stuff) last night, recalling that local New York PBS station, Channel 13 televised the aberration game 5 Boston Bruins home victory vs the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1974 NHL final round.
Before game 6, the Flyers brought out “good luck charm,” Kate Smith in person (“Espo”/Phil Esposito tried to stop the charm, giving Ms. Smith flowers) and behind Bernie Parent’s brilliant goaltending and with a goal by Rick MacLeish–’twas Philly (1-0) to win the title in just their 7th NHL season.
Finally, in pro football, the Boston team/the New England Patriots and current league champion Philadelphia Eagles split in their 2 Supe clashes.
The Patriots “no covered” Philly in ’04 while 13 years later, the Eagles under Doug Pederson (fired this Eagles title season, by “Jax”) won vs New England.
An excellent player, gone too soon at age 66, Rick MacLeish is pictured above.
Something made me think about former basketball player, Ira Harge.
In doing research on Harge, a fine player at the University of New Mexico (5 time NBA champion and now with his Lakers’ #21 retired, Michael Cooper’s college), I saw that Ira Harge played on the first two ABA championship teams.
More noteworthy is that they were different teams and I doubt but wonder if that has ever happened at any other time.
Harge played on the first ABA champions, the 1967-1968 Pittsburgh Pipers, a team led by Connie Hawkins. That season after playing in all 82 regular season games, Harge did not play in the playoffs
The next year Harge was with the Oakland Oaks, the team that won the second ABA crown in 1968-1969.
That team was led by Rick Barry and coached by Alex Hannum.
Ira Harge pictured above.
Ira was something else!
The above is so difficult to do as the depth of Gene Hackman’s incredible work is truly certainly among the greatest of relatively recent times.
Certainly one must cite Mr. Hackman’s death, still a mystery at age 95 was announced days back and to avoid procrastination and honor Mr. Hackman and not “mainline” the end, let’s get started with “The Euer’s” (He was born Eugene Allen Hackman), as “Buck Barrow,” in the 1967 “ahead of its time,” “Bonnie and Clyde.”
I recall fondly being enthralled in formative years by Gene, with another great, Al Pacino in “Scarecrow.” I believe that was Gene’s favorite.
You really want to see a performance and overall great film, try “The Conversation.”
Even I dug the really popular ones, such as “Hoosiers” and “Superman,” however, as usual, less acclaimed “I Never Sang For My Father” and a so underrated turn in “The Firm,” the latter one I have seen myriad times, the former at a status of really wanting to see and observe Mr. Hackman’s incredible performance again.
Now perhaps unfairly not cited until now, Hackman’s wife, pianist, Betsy Arakawa and a dog were also found “no longer,” days back.
Looking for something to do, you can not go wrong checking Hackman’s films, (I add “Mississippi Burning,” “The Royal Tennenbaums” and of course “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven” the latter two yielding Best Actor Academy Awards for Mr. Hackman–( The great Buffalo Sabres line of Perreault, Martin and Robert was nicknamed “The French Connection Line) many others and enjoy most, as excellent, encompassing the greatness of Gene Hackman, consummate actor.
Left to right, Andy B and Gene Hackman some years back, however, in this century.
Gene as “Lex Luthor” with the great and so classy, Christopher Reeve in Superman.
Andy B Sports 