As the baseball season continues I will have more detailed coverage of the playoff races. Additionally there will be an overview of the teams that are very likely to enter what is now a 10 team baseball post season tournament.
Right now the Washington Nationals have the best record in baseball (72-44) and lead the Atlanta Braves by 5 and a half games in the NL East. They are 9 games ahead to make the playoffs. The Nationals, who were the Montreal Expos until the 2005 season, have quite a 1-2 pitching duo in Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez. The latter is (15-6), the former is (13-5). The Washington D.C. team is managed by Davey Johnson, a fine player and big league manager, who managed the ’86 Mets to a World title and made the last out when they won their other title in 1969.
No Washington D.C. baseball team has made the post season since 1933 and there have been at best a handful of seasons when one contended for such a spot. As the Expos, this franchise made only one post season appearance and that was in the strike marred 1981 season. In 1994, the Expos appeared headed for post season but a strike wiped out the rest of the season. That year the Expos and New York Yankees had the best records in their respective leagues the National and American when the strike took place. Beginning play on August 14th, those two franchises again have the best records in their respective leagues. This time there will be no strike and the Expos are the Washington Nationals and quite a story.
Another hot day and I “popped in” an audio tape of Bob Costas interviewing Harry Caray at some point during the 1989 baseball season. The tape I listened to was a repeat that aired on Christmas Eve, 1989. Costas is tremendous at any time but especially concerning his favorite sport, baseball. Surely I prefer listening to Caray and Costas talking about Stan Musial than watching the 21 point favorite United States basketball team win by 7 points vs Spain’s team. That is my choice, as NBC is getting great ratings and some criticism for its Olympics coverage.
Few broadcasters had the impact of Harry Caray. Costas states this in reference to how long Caray was denied entrance to Baseball’s Hall of Fame. His style, that of a fan and an unabashed “homer,” would merit some detractors but one could not write the history of baseball broadcasting without including Harry Caray.
On the show, Harry led the crowd at a St.Louis restaurant in “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Praise for Stan Musial and Bill Veeck “grows as time goes by” were the essence of Caray’s words.
I realized that this show aired and was recorded by me the night before Billy Martin died. Costas says “What a quinella that is” when hearing of Caray and Martin having a drink together. A (drink) is surely an understatement. When the show aired originally, Martin was to be on the next show and surely was. When that was stated in the rerun, Martin was living his last full day on earth.
Likely, Caray and Martin did live full lives. While nostalgic to hear Harry Caray, I also must look forward and try to live life fully. Sadly, that is a difficult task. The task is made more difficult because my passion for sports has been drastically tempered by among other things, the paucity of good radio broadcasters. I wish Harry Caray and for that matter, Bob Costas could “take me out to the ballgame” by being my eyes through their radio broadcast of the game.
This year the Pittsburgh Pirates have been a pleasant surprise as they battle to make post season baseball for the first time in 20 years. Coincidentally, the Baltimore Orioles are also a pleasant surprise as they do the same in a bid to make the post season for the first time in 15 years.
The Pirates defeated the Orioles in two excellent 7 game World Series in 1971 and 1979. A pair of baseball greats were World Series MVP’s for Pittsburgh. In 1971, the great Roberto Clemente had one of the greatest “Fall Classics” ever in leading the Pirates to the title. Sadly, he died a little over a year later on the last day of 1972.
In 1979, another great, Willie Stargell lead the Pirates 7 game win vs Baltimore. Both World Series ended in Baltimore with Clemente (1971) and Stargell (in 1979) each hitting big home runs in the decisive game. Stargell was also on the 1971 team and while he did not have a good World Series, did score what proved to be the World Series winning run in an eventual (2-1) win in game 7 behind the brilliant pitching of Steve Blass.
The Orioles are honoring their 6 Hall of Famers with statues this year. The six are Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer, Ed Murray, Cal Ripken Jr. and manager Earl Weaver. All but Ripken participated in at least one of the World Series vs the Pirates. Additionally, all six were on at least one World Series winning Orioles team. Jim Palmer was on all 3 Orioles title teams, sticking around long enough to win Game 3 of the 1983 World Series. Both Frank and Brooks Robinson played with Palmer on both the 1966 and 1970 Orioles’ World title teams.
Earl Weaver managed the 1970 team, the lone World Series winner that he managed as his teams lost World Series in 1969 to the Mets and as cited above to the Pirates in both 1971 and 1979. Eddie Murray hit two home runs in the 1983 World Series clincher after having a bad World Series in 1979. Ripken playing in what proved to be his only World Series, caught the final out of the 1983 World Series.
The season finale of the new “Dallas” series certainly did not match the intensity of “Who shot J.R.” or other season finales of the original “Dallas.” That said, it was still a nice final episode of the first season of the new “Dallas.” The season consisted of 10 episodes all of which aired during a “Dallas” marathon that aired on TNT concluding with the much publicized season finale.
Dallas has at times defied the Thomas Wolfe saying “You can’t go home again” (after all, the multi millionaire offspring J.R. and Bobby lived home with their parents, albeit on the sprawling Southfork ranch) and perhaps does this time. The characters are great ones and even after 22 years (I believe there were 2 sequels) it is good to see how they are doing. Larry Hagman’s “J.R.” is an all time great. His intense clashes, mixed with “deep down” love for brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and two time wife and former wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) still resonate with audiences.
Overall, for me personally, it is tough to go “home again” and see “Dallas” and all it entails. Yet while it is not the “must watch” show of the past, I still find myself very interested in the characters and the overall storyline. Cynthia Cidre and the production staff have done a good job. I look forward to the new season which begins in January and airs on TNT.
On Friday August 3, 2012 an amazing feat/coincidence took place in baseball as the Upton brothers “B.J.” of the Tampa Bay Rays and Justin of the Arizona Diamondbacks each hit their 100th career home run. On July 20th, the 43 year anniversary of humans walking on the moon, both Uptons sent balls “in flight” that eventually landed as their 99th career home run.
They are the 6th pair of brothers to each reach the 100 home run mark. The other 5 pairs all had some affiliation with the New York Yankees.
The other brother pairs are “Irish” and Bob Meusel, the latter with the Yankees (see our Credits, characters and coincidences July 23rd post). “Irish” Meusel and the New York Giants won 2 of 3 World Series vs the Yankees from (1921-1923.)
Another pair of 100 plus homers, brothers faced each other in the 1964 World Series. Ken Boyer’s Cardinals beating Clete Boyer’s Yankees in 7 games. Both Boyer brothers hit home runs in the 7th game.
The Boone brothers, Brett and Aaron are on the list. Aaron Boone “made like” Hank Aaron and hit an ALCS winning home run in 2003. Hank Aaron also hit a pennant clinching home run. Aaron’s homer clinched the 1957 National League Pennant for the Milwaukee Braves, who went on to beat the Yankees in 7 games in the World Series. After clinching the pennant on Aaron Boone’s homer in 2003, the Yankees lost in 6 games to the Florida Marlins.
Joe and Vince DiMaggio are on the list but another brother Dom DiMaggio, who was a truly fine player, hit only 87 homers. Finally we are stretching the Yankees’ connection a bit with the Alomar brothers, Hall of Famer, Roberto and Sandy Alomar Jr. Their father Sandy Sr. played for the Yankees in the 1970’s.
It was a hot night so I stayed close to home. People are out at the theater but not me. That process will begin again during the week.
Meanwhile I watched “The Godfather Part II” which was in many ways every bit the equal of “The Godfather.” Each ranks among the all time great films of any genre and certainly those about organized crime.
Based on the book, “The Godfather” by Mario Puzo, both the original “The Godfather” and its amazing sequel, “The Godfather Part II,” after over 40 years, still entertain. I believe there is a consensus that ranks “The Godfather Part II” as the best sequel to a movie that was ever made. Watching it, yet again, as I hope to do for a long time, it is hard to argue with that consensus.
Speaking of organized crime, the late, great Richard Pryor recalled being liked and kidded by his employers. A young, unaware Pryor was surprised that there was no bill for an evening out including dinner and drinks. It was explained to him “we are crime, and crime does not pay.”
A recent performance of “The Lover” by the great playwright Harold Pinter was moving in both its performance, and later with the thoughts of the two stars.
Both Brandon Walker and Erin Cronican excelled in performing the tricky Pinter tale of a married couple trying to “spice up” their marriage in 1964 Windsor, England. Walker, who is the founding artistic director for the Seeing Place, a new creative theater group, shows his versatility and excellent voice quality in playing the roles of Richard and Danny. Playing opposite Walker, Ms. Cronican, also the managing director of The Seeing Place, gives a fine performance as the stay home wife, who has a lover. The story is both more complicated and intriguing than that.
Walker is very committed to “The Seeing Place” and talks about theories suggesting we as a society are becoming desensitized. Such theories talk of us not being able to appreciate art. In both his performance and in his commitment, Brandon Walker is helping us appreciate the great art. In bringing us work such as Pinter’s “The Lover,” Walker and company are steering us back in the right direction.
Both “The Lover” and “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” by another fine playwright, John Patrick Shanley are being performed at The Seeing Place at ATA’s Sargent Theater. The location is 314 West 54th Street.
It is noteworthy that 3 anniversaries all of sad events in the next month or so will be “exact” anniversaries. That is to say on the same day of the week as they occurred.
It was exactly 33 years ago that one of the great clutch hitters of modern times, Thurman Munson died in a plane crash. It was Thursday August 2, 1979 and now August 2nd some 33 years later falls on a Thursday.
Speaking of plane crashes, the events of Tuesday September 11th, 2001 will come into sharper focus this year, perhaps, as September 11th falls on a Tuesday for the 2nd time since 2001.
Finally in our trio of “exact” and sad anniversaries this Sunday August 5th is the 50th anniversary of the death of screen icon Marilyn Monroe. Ms. Monroe died in the early hours of Sunday August 5, 1962.
A year before Marilyn Monroe’s death, a pair of Yankees known as the M and M boys, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris combined to hit 115 home runs. A year later, “M.M.” was dead and now exact anniversaries of the passing of two M’s, Marilyn Monroe and Mr. Munson, (both died in their 30’s) is noted. The world is not what it should be and who knows what will happen next? Yet thinking of these 2 people and those lost on September 11, 2001, one needs to appreciate time on this angst ridden planet and also try to help and care for others. More doing, helping, and appreciation of what one has and that will yield less angst.
In their 51st and last season in the National League, the Houston Astros, (they are moving to the American League starting in 2013) after a decent start went into a horrible free fall. They lost an incredible 25 of 27 games at one point, in what has to be one of the worst records ever for that span of games.
Thus it is safe to say that in 51 years of National League play, the Astros, nee the Colt .45’s, will have but one pennant and no World Series wins. That is not to say they were completely without success. They were involved in 4 NLCS, going (1-3) and losing in two of the best LCS ever played. The other loss was in 7 games. Their 1980 NLCS vs the Philadelphia Phillies was not so arguably the best LCS ever contested. It was a best of 5 series which the Phils took with an (8-7) 10 inning win in the decisive 5th game. Games (2-5) of that epic LCS went into extra innings. The Phillies, having a surprising awful 2012 season, and with just 2 World Series wins in their far longer history, went on to win their first World Series after surviving vs the Astros in 1980.
The other epic LCS involving the Astros resulted in the New York Mets (the Mets, the Astros/Colt 45’s fellow 1962 expansion team, recently lost 14 of 16 games and very likely are out of contention for post season play after a very good first half of the season) winning a series clinching 16 inning, 6th game which is considered one of baseball’s all time great games.
So on to the American League in 2013 and here is remembering Jimmy “The Toy Cannon” Wynn, Rusty Staub, Mike Scott, Jose Cruz and others. Some great National League memories regarding the Astros from Mike Scott’s division clinching no hitter in 1986 to Nolan Ryan’s record breaking 5th no hitter in 1981. Right now “Houston we have a problem” but new league, new hope in a new year but alas that is next year regarding the Astros.
A tremendous interview of Ernest Borgnine, conducted by Robert Osborne a few years back served as a great remembrance of Mr. Borgnine, who passed away recently at the age of 95. The interview was part of the Turner Classic Movies series, “Private Screenings.”
Over the course of the interview, I learned about Borgnine and his classy ways. He said almost all good things about his fellow actors and gave us insight into his dinner scene with Esther Minciotti, who played his mother in Marty. Mr. Borgnine won the Academy Award for Marty in 1955. Ten years later, Lee Marvin, talked about fondly by Borgnine in “Private Screenings” as one who often played around during Borgnine scenes, won the Best actor award for Cat Ballou. It is noteworthy that in an early scene in the classic film, “The Dirty Dozen,” Academy Award winners Borgnine, Marvin and George Kennedy (who won as supporting actor for “Cool Hand Luke”) are together sitting at a table.
Only regarding Ethel Merman, a great singer and the third of Borgnine’s 5 wives, was anything remotely negative stated by Mr.Borgnine. Even that was a feeling that Ms.Merman was jealous of Borgnine’s fame. Their marriage lasted 38 days.
Ernie was truly himself by trying to help others by giving them some happiness. He learned that from his mother and perspective from a man selling chestnuts on 10th Avenue in Manhattan when Borgnine could only smell but not afford to taste the chestnuts. However, getting close to the cart to take in the smell, he noticed writing affixed to the cart. It read “I am not trying to set the world on fire, I am just trying to keep my nuts warm.” Keeping that perspective, Borgnine gave us many warm memories and great performances in what was a marvelous career and life.
