A testimony to the greatness of a DVD of the last New York Giants’ game at the Polo Grounds that was played on September 29,1957, recorded and produced by baseball historian Moe Resner is the many times my mind opened new and old “doors” concerning the people who come to life via the DVD, on the hallowed green of the Polo Grounds that day.
Mr. Resner recorded it and it is a treasure. I once heard esteemed hockey announcer Mike Emrick talk of how God (I add, or at least some force) creates memories, but one great thing us humans did was create ways to preserve those memories.
In this case Moe Resner hit the jackpot having taken a five cent subway ride from the Bronx to the Polo Grounds that September 29, 1957 and brought with him a camera.
He recorded it and now it is available to be watched over and over, a true treasure which includes pregame/last game ceremonies that brought back so many Giants’ greats.
Among other things, the festivities enabled great Giants’ lefthanded pitchers of different eras, Rube Marquard and Carl Hubbell, to meet for the first time.
Mrs. John Mc Graw, the widow of the legendary Giants manager, is shown and in the game won by the Pittsburgh Pirates (9-1) over the Giants, two of the greatest players I ever saw and anyone ever saw play, the Pirates’ Roberto Clemente (3) and the Giants’ Willie Mays, (2) combined for 5 hits.
“Everything that dies someday comes back,” Bruce Springsteen sings in the song “Atlantic City.”
Maybe that is so as the winning pitcher for the Pirates in the last game at the Polo Grounds was Bob Friend. Less than 7 years later, the New York Mets, whose birth in 1962 brought National League baseball back to New York, opened their new Shea Stadium in a (4-3) loss to the Pirates. The winning pitcher was Bob Friend, Roberto Clemente had 3 hits.
Mo Resner’s great DVD which includes music from Perry Lee Barber, who once was an opening act for Mr. Springsteen, opened my heart and mind to all of the above and much more. It is a priceless item. The DVD is available for purchase contact Mr. Resner at mrresner@aol.com
102 years after the John T. Brush Stairway, a treasure from the glorious Polo Grounds which honors former New York Giants team owner John T. Brush was originally dedicated on July 9, 1913, there was a re-dedication ceremony yesterday at the site coordinated by the New York City Parks and Recreation Department.
Department Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver hosted and emceed the event, which included a ribbon cutting ceremony and some fine speeches.
Words that resonated with me came from New York State Assembly member (he told me to call him Denny) Herman D. Farrell Jr., who waxed poetic about the lush green grass and the colorful uniforms he saw upon entering the Polo Grounds from his home at the top of Coogan’s Bluff on 157th Street.
Traveling 3,000 miles yet again, as a symbol and great example of the San Francisco Giants’ recognition of their New York roots, Staci Slaughter, the Executive Vice President of Communications and Senior Advisor to the CEO of the organization, Larry Baer, talked of “good coming to the patient people,” waiting for the renovation of the historic Brush Stairway.
All in all, a great ceremony and kudos to Parks and Recreation Chief of Staff Steve Simon and to New York Daily News editorial writer Michael Aronson for their great efforts toward the completion of the project.
The 5 New York or once New York teams, the Yankees, Mets, now S.F. (once NY Giants), football Giants and Jets (as the Titans), who played at the Polo Grounds donated funds that brought the project to fruition.
Somewhere, great baseball Giants of the past such as Carl Hubbell, Mel Ott and Bill Terry are applauding, as the historic Brush Stairway still stands in reality as well as in our hearts and minds.
1936 photo of the Brush Stairway (circled in red)
The team with the best record in major league baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals, got a split of their 4 game series at Wrigley Field vs the Cubs, with a victory last night.
“St. Loo” was down to their last out but Jhonny Peralta’s two run home run transformed a (5-4) deficit into a (6-5) lead and eventual victory.
Both Cards’ victories in the 4 game series were in games televised by ESPN, Monday and last night.
The Cards’ losses were in a Tuesday day/night doubleheader, not “tv’d” by the all powerful ones from Bristol, Connecticut, namely ESPN.
ESPN also televised 2 Cards wins vs the Cubs in their Sunday night package. The Cards are (4-0) on ESPN vs the Cubs this season.
I think of Bristol, Connecticut as a veritable “Transylvania” where the monster for people like me (those who loved sports and thought an all day sports channel would be good) was hatched.
Perhaps the Cubs are beginning to feel the same way, at least when ESPN cameras televise their games against their biggest rivals, the Cardinals.
My first foray into NFL 2015 predictions and overview concerns the NFC North.
The Green Bay Packers, who came so close to a Super Bowl appearance last season will of course be top heavy favorites to win the divisional title.
My early guess/prediction/seat of the pants feeling is that the Detroit Lions, a hard luck wild card round loser last season, will fall back a bit this season.
I think the Chicago Bears will improve and contend for the playoffs.
There is no feeling good or bad, regarding the Minnesota Vikings’ improvement or decline. They do not figure to be playoff contenders.
The Bears will improve and contend for the Playoffs
Both Wimbledon tennis favorites, Novak Djokovic on the men’s side, and Serena Williams among the women, struggled, but won matches in the maximum number of sets today.
Each had to win the remaining sets to advance and did so.
On Monday and into today, as the match was suspended due to darkness, Djokovic got by Kevin Anderson, after losing the first two sets. The decisive fifth set was played today/Tuesday.
Then after dropping the first set to Victoria Azerenka, Ms. Williams rallied to win the next two sets and the match.
The next opponent for Djokovic is Marin Cilic, with Djokovic a prohibitive favorite. The next opponent for Williams is Maria Sharapova, whom Ms. Williams has defeated in 16 straight matches.
I predicted neither Djokovic nor Williams would win the Wimbledon title this year and that may still happen, certainly one may fail to “title.”
However, each of these great champions may have faced their “moment” in the above referenced matches, survived it and could ease from here on. One reason they play is to see what manifests.
The United States women’s soccer team won their first World Cup title since 1999 with a (5-2) victory vs the team from Japan in the final game held in Vancouver, British Columbia last night.
Throughout the tournament, the U.S. team’s defense with Hope Solo in goal was dominant. They allowed but three goals in the whole tournament.
Last night the offense exploded led by Carli Lloyd’s 3 goal performance. Ms. Lloyd, praised effusively by the classy coach of the team from Japan, Norio Sasaki, was named the outstanding player of this World Cup.
Carli LLoyd
Sadly, Charlie Sanders, the great tight end for the Detroit Lions, died this week at age 68. I have many nice memories of watching him play.
The Lions made the playoffs as the first NFC wild card team in 1970, thanks in large part to Sander’s excellence.
Sanders had great games all year, two on national television.
On the Lions’ traditional Thanksgiving home game, that year vs the high powered Oakland Raiders, Sanders made two Touchdown receptions.
Later that season on a Monday night game–the first season of that TV series–at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum vs the L.A. Rams, Sanders also played great. The Lions’ won that night and it helped them make the playoffs and also was a crucial loss for the Rams who would subsequently fail to make the playoffs.
The Lions would eventually lose the first NFC Divisional round game by the odd score of (5-0) to the Dallas Cowboys. But they wouldn’t have gotten there if not for the great play of Charlie Sanders.
Last night, both the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals won home games in their last at bat. This evokes memories of one of the more famous home last at bat victories in baseball annals.
It was the decisive 5th game of the 1976 ALCS when Chris Chambliss of the Yankees led off the bottom of the 9th inning with a home run that gave the Yankees a (7-6) victory vs the Royals, to win their 30th American League Pennant and first in 12 years.
On this traditional day to look at who leads the races, once 1 of 2 pennant races, and now 1 of 8 mini division races, both the Yankees and Royals are in first place in their entities. Maybe their once great rivalry will be rekindled with a post season clash.
Click here to see the Chambliss home run
Celebrating 1976 ALCS Game Five Victory: Yogi Berra, George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin
A few days back, the great actress Olivia de Havilland turned 99 years old.
She is a true treasure and it is great she is still with us. Another treasure, Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne, speaks with her each week. The conversations are private.
Ms. de Havilland sparkled in “The Adventures of Robin Hood” and was mesmerizing in “The Snakepit,” a movie about mental illness and treatment thereof, which was ahead of its time.
There were so many other roles but it is as “Melanie” in the classic 1939 film “Gone With The Wind,” that we remember Ms. de Havilland best.
Of the four most important characters, Scarlett, Rhett (just noticed the “ett” in each), Ashley and Melanie–I believe only “Melanie” dies in the film.
In real, not “reel” life, the other actors in those roles Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and Leslie Howard have all been dead at least 44 years. Ms de Havilland’s sister, the also superb actress, Joan Fontaine, died two years ago.
Of course Olivia de Havilland will endure in celluloid, but it is also nice to know she is still here. Happy birthday, hopefully, a day or two toward number 100 next year.
as Melanie in “Gone With the Wind”
Nobody knows whether the Houston Astros will hang on and win the A.L. West, an occurrence considered about 25 to 1 odds NOT to happen when the 2015 baseball season commenced.
The Astros, who just swept the A.L. Central leading Kansas City Royals, have reached the halfway point in their 162 game schedule with a (47-34) record.
That record puts Houston 5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and 6 games ahead of the Texas Rangers.
Last night’s rerun of “Seinfeld,” which probably should be “David” as in comic genius Larry David, was from 1995. The “George” character works for the New York Yankees and in the episode he meets with members of the Houston Astros front office to discuss inter-league play. At that time the Astros were in the National League and it would have been possible when inter-league play began in 1997. Today, of course, the Astros are an American League team.
The Astros’ play thus far this season is surprising, although if you recall, I said they would be improved and almost picked them to win the A.L. West.
Andy B Sports 