Stan Musial, so great for so long, that he held the record for holding baseball records, all the while doing so with great class, played his last game, all with the St. Louis Cardinals, on September 29, 1963.
Stan “The Man” Musial played from (1942-1963) and epitomized an era of much good he helped manifest with his great play and classy ways.
In that last Stan game, (Stan’s St. Louis Cardinals hosting the Cincinnati Reds), it has been fairly well publicized, that he got 2 hits, both close to, but beyond the range of second baseman, 1963 N.L. Rookie of the Year, Pete Rose, who 18 years later would pass Musial as the all-time National League hits leaders. (File much else to add!!).
Much in the way of emotions and memories manifest from just say, the Musial/Rose connection.
In 1981, not long after the baseball season resumed after a 51 day strike and the purchase of my first VCR and knowing but never acting on the fact everyone would eventually get one, Pete Rose, batting left handed, singled to left on a Monday Night Baseball telecast, his 3,631st hit, one more than Stan.
There will be more notes regarding Stan’s last game.
“Appetizers” include Pete got 3 hits in what was an eventual, (3-2), second place Cardinals’ 14 inning win, vs the Reds, who were in a “battle” for first division money, then so important to the far from rich ballplayers.
One more, other than Reds/Braves with Pete and the great Henry Aaron on opposing Reds and then had to be, Milwaukee Braves’ teams (’63-’65) was there ever a game with players that amassed as many as 4,000 hits, 3,500 hits and two with over 2,700 hits in their careers?
The first two categories ought to be obvious, heck (Stan probably would have said it, not “hell” and surely with any justice, and if anywhere, is in the other, better place) I named one above.
Would you name one or both of the other two, each a starting player in that September 29, 1963 game, and who had between 2,700 and 2,800 hits in their careers.
If so, please comment. I will add more notes and perhaps some oft repeated, relevant to that game/year opinions down the road.
The great player and man, Stan “The Man” Musial, pictured above.
68 years and a day or two had gone “rearview mirror,” since an epic episode of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” titled “And So Died Riabouchinska” originally aired on Mr. Lincoln’s birthday in 1956.
I saw said episode last week on MeTV and marveled at the incredible Claude Rains, so great in the role, as he was in so many others, including the “Hitch” directed “Notorious,” ten years earlier.
Notable from the fine cast, was a relative newcomer, born Charles Buchinsky named Charles Bronson, who certainly had a fine acting career.
Bronson/Buchinsky played a detective named Krovitch, whose investigation centers around an entity named “Riabouchinska,” and makes for fascinating viewing.
Additionally those names with say Bronson said last, make a nice “tongue twister,” if not a law firm.
Three of the four Kansas City and San Francisco major North American sports league football and baseball teams lost in their first current league final round entity.
Among the four (K.C. Chiefs and Royals, S.F. 49ers and Giants), only the 49ers, who again, as cited here a number of times, won their first five such entities and have now lost their last three, have a current final round loss streak.
The Chiefs in their first and the first Super Bowl/NFL/AFL Championship Game, lost decisively to the heavily favored Green Bay Packers.
However, the Chiefs have won 4 of the 5 Supes they have appeared in since that loss. (They beat Minne in ’69, the Niners in ’19 and ’23 and the Eagles in ’22–losing to the Buccaneers in ’20).
The baseball Royals lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1980 World Series, won vs the St. Louis Cardinals in ’85, lost to the San Francisco Giants in 2014 and 5’d the New York Mets in 2015.
San Francisco’s Giants, sans a crown with 2 World Series losses (to the Yankees in 7 games in ’62 when Bobby Richarson grabbed Willie McCovey’s line drive hit right at him with the Yankees ahead (1-0) but with S.F. runners, Mateo Alou and Willie Mays in scoring position and to the Oakland A’s in 4 games (’89), in which S.F. never had a lead. I “refuse” to call it “The Earthquake World Series,” but I guess I just did) in their first 51 completed seasons in S.F. (can not say 51, as related to the Giants, without citing the then New York Giants’ incredible 1951 N.L. Pennant), those from (1958-2009), with no completed season in 1994.
Subsequently, the Giants have won in their last three World Series appearances, all in even alternate years from (2010-2014), doing so with at best, players named Posey and Bumgarner, not true greats, such as Mays, McCovey, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda and Gaylord Perry, who largely due to the greatness of the “had to finish first,” National League of the major part of the 1960’s and the tough, aforementioned World Series loss to the Yankees, failed to title.
The Niners, oh the Niners, (think “My Darling Clementine,” I think with some relation to gold prospectors, certainly not sure) have now lost in their last 3 Supes, two by three point margins and the other, in which they dissipated a 10 point(s) fourth quarter lead.
Their 5 Supe victories, as cited here in previous posts, were by 5, 29, 4, 45 and 23 point(s) margins.
I was not exactly “swift,” in picturing, a third, other than Mahomes, current Chiefs’ great player, putting Trav Kelce, pictured above, after Chris Jones and Har Butker.
Today, some notes, surely tangental and hopefully of some interest and perspective.
Currently, after losing in the 58th Supe, Sunday past, the S.F. 49ers have lost three straight Super Bowls/final round entities, all in highly competitive, if not well played games, two essentially on the last play.
There is a perhaps, eery similarity to the Boston Red Sox history, certainly factually, as each team/franchise won its first 5 final round entities (cited here last week) and have lost at least the next three, all in both the Red Sox and Niners’ cases, in highly competitive entities.
Boston won titles in 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, and 1918, the last 3 with Babe Ruth, whose quantity of Yankees’ titles only exceeded his Boston crowns by one, another reason he would not have “cursed” the Red Sox.
They lost their next 4 final round entities/World Series, all in the maximum 7 games, three of those (’46,’75 and ’86) with multiple run(s) leads in the decisive tilt.
The Cardinals of St. Louis (early, rare prediction, usually I am “unrewarded” good on these, is watch them improve in this season, 60 years after their ’64 World Series win) never trailed and (7-2’d) Boston behind the great Bob Gibson in #7/’67 W.S. but it was a 7 game series.
The Niners, Supe champs without a defeat in such a game in ’81,’84, ’88, ’89 and ’94 with Col Kaepernick at the helm battled gallantly, only to lose to the Ravens in the ’12 season Supe.
At that time, it was John Harbaugh winning his lone crown, doing so vs brother Jim, who was in as Niners’ coach.
Jim Harbaugh finally won a crown, a college title with Michigan in 2023 (in ’24 he starts as Chargers coach, while brother John and his Ravens were one of three favorites denied by the Chiefs, in the just completed ’23 season ‘offs).
Four years ago the 49ers despite being up as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter lost to the Chiefs in that Supe and need I cite they lost the ’23 season Supe, in a game by most standards they ought to have won, after winning two ‘offs home games, they probably ought to have lost.
That’s all folks. (However, much else, just on final rounds in the future).
(Not so ?) arguably the greatest of all cartoon characters, Bugs Bunny, pictured above.
Of carrots, cheeseburgers, elusiveness and the Mahomes/Reid Chiefs certainly on a great run with 3 crowns in 5 seasons.
In what was their 60th anniversary/61st season in Kansas City, the Chiefs repeated as NFL champions, notching their third such crown in 5 seasons, 4th Supe and fifth “all the way” franchise title, as they also won the AFL “all the way” (today Eric Carmen/Raspberries video, I promise) crown in their last year as the Dallas Texans in 1962, also as was the case days back, with a long overtime, title clinching victory.
Speaking of Dallas, the current baseball champion is essentially a Dallas area team, the Texas Rangers, who copped their first crown in what was their 62nd completed season, the first 11 of which were as the second incarnation of the Washington Senators (1961-1971).
Both teams won four post-season round entities to claim their crowns, the first time in 11 non Covid affected, expanded round of 16, possibilities, that has occurred.
In 2020 with baseball’s ‘offs expanded to 16 entrants and a “must win 4 rounds to title,” both the T.B./T.B. (Tom Brady) Tampa Bay Buccaneers and L.A. Dodgers won 4 post-season rounds to “title.”(I consider the Dodgers’ Covid affected, minimal season, 2020 crown certainly a “<” (read it less than), not so the Tom Brady as Q.B. , Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 post-season wins title, that same year.
Another post, another day for some talk regarding two quarterback greats, Mr. Brady (Robert Reed had a prominent role on Mannix, Andy Reid is Mr. Mahomes coach) and Mr. Mahomes.
For now, noting: either Brady or Mahomes has been the NFL Champion/ “Supe” winning quarterback in what has to be an unprecedented 7 of the last 10 seasons. (Brady in ’14,’16,’18 and ’20, the last of those vs Mahomes while Patrick QB/titled in ’19,’22 and ’23. Brady, in arguably his greatest post-season performance, certainly one of them, never the less was on the short end of the ’17 season Supe, as the Philly Eagles prevailed vs New England).
Another current Chiefs’ great, kicker Harrison Butker is pictured above.
“B’s” not bees or wasps have been the two Chiefs nee Texans kickers in their 2 overtime title clinching wins.
In ’62 Tommy “B”rooker’s short field goal ended the second longest AFL or NFL ‘offs tilts, occurring in a second overtime period.
“B”utker has been brilliant, especially on clutch field goal attempts during this glorious post-season period for the Chiefs.
Another great K.C. kicker who was truly instrumental in the Chiefs ’69 season title, among other things, booting 3 Super Bowl field goals is Jan Stenerud.
However, it must? be noted that in pro football’s longest game a Dolphins’ Christmas Day win (more on Christmas Day Chiefs games et al in a future post) division round win at Kansas City, Stenerud missed a short field goal attempt that would have given K.C. the victory.
Click below to view Eric Carmen with “The Raspberries” perform “Go All The Way” in a presentation of Don Kirshner.
The Kansas City Chiefs prevailed (25-22) vs the San Francisco 49ers in just the third NFL Championship Game in the 91 game(s) history of such to go into overtime.
They did so driving 75 yards for a repeat Supe winning touchdown pass from the magical Pat Mahomes to (Carey) Mecole Hardman, the latter whose credentials include “magic show” type bits on television and who now has both won and lost, the latter in college when Alabama beat his Georgia team, championship games that ended on touchdown passes.
The Chiefs, three point(s) winners in both are the first team in 19 years (N.E. in ’03 and ’04 seasons) to repeat as NFL champions and have won three of the last five NFL crowns, making the AFC Title Game/NFL “semis” in six straight seasons.
Meanwhile the 49ers fell in the Supe, in a truly tough loss for a third straight time, this after being victorious in their first 5 such games.
Oy vey regarding S.F. coach Kyle Shanahan, who has now lost in all 3 of his Super Bowl appearances, one as an assistant coach, despite having 10 point(s) or more leads.
Apparently, he did not “school” his team regarding the overtime rule change for post-season tilts and I am not “resulting” his team’s choice to receive rather than defer to start overtime, in opining it was the wrong one!!
If the players did not know the rule, this combined with other, (mucho such),– it paints a bad, certainly lower portrait of the innovative, hard luck, however, “you made bad luck with poor decisions,” Kyle Shanahan.
Far from perfect, but Andy Reid with his third title is climbing higher and higher on any list of top coaches.
I cite three great K.C. players: Chris Jones for the defense (ode to Judd), Harrison Butker (kicker) and that Mr. Kelse (really Kels and not Mr. Kelso on Superman and Taylor will never be Mrs. Kels, but I doubt Travis will be either Elvis or Mr. Taylor Swift), a truly great tight end.
Chris Jones, pictured above is a brilliant defensive player, evoking memories of the many great K.C. defensive players on their long ago ’69 season title team.
That team deemed to be the “Team of the 70’s” certainly failed in that but remain a great “era” team, say from ’66-’71 and certainly such in ’69 and to a lesser extent but with post-season games in ’66, ’68, and ’71.
Any way you slice it and I had both hot and cold “sliced” food at the “Baba,” where the downstairs feed was way ahead of the upstairs one I was viewing, these Chiefs have already ascended to be one of the NFL’s great teams.
This day, one day before the 215th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, in Las Vegas, Nevada of all places, the 91st game (1933-2023), for the NFL crown will be contested between the 1950 NFL entry San Francisco 49ers and the 1960 AFL and 1970 NFL entry, Kansas City Chiefs.
5, 29, 4, 45, and 23 points were the margins of the 5 Niners’ Supe wins, the defeats by just 4 and a misleading 11 (that vs K,C, in a game they had a 10 point, 4th quarter lead and possession of the “pig”).
K.C. (Chiefs) won by 16, 11 and 3 (luckily last year), while losing by 25 and 22 point(s) margins in their 5 previous Super Bowl appearances.
Noting there were six “all the way” AFL title tilts from (1960-1965).
Three of the 4 title winners in those 6 seasons, have not won a crown in the (at least) 58 subsequent seasons, all of which ending or will end in an entity called the Super Bowl. (The Houston Oilers, now the Tennessee Titans ’60 and ’61, the Chargers as San Diego now again as in ’60 when they lost to the Oilers in the first AFL Title Game, in L.A. doing so in ’63 and the Buffalo Bills (’64 and ’65) are those teams/franchises.
The other pre Supe, AFL Title game winner, doing so in ’62 and then known as the Dallas Texans were/are the K.C. Chiefs, who today in a second such bid, hope to join the ’97 and ’98 Denver Broncos and ’03 and ’04 New England Patriots, as the only original AFL teams to win successive NFL/Super Bowl crowns.
Now, neither, after 24 seasons with that not the case, Bill Belichick or Tom Brady is with New England.
Today’s K.C. opponent, the S.F. 49ers are coached by the son of the ’97 and ’98 Broncos’ coach, Mike Shanahan and have a star running back, who is the son of Ed McCaffrey whose distinctions include titles with those ’97 and ’98 Broncos and also the last/most recent Niners’ Supe winner in ’94.
The sons Kyle and Christian, respectively have been part of teams that dissipated big Supe leads and is deemed a prohibitive favorite to, if “nada” else, score at least one touchdown in today’s game for the NFL crown.
Joe Montana, pictured above, won 4 crowns in as many Supe appearances with the Niners and was the ’93 Chiefs “QB,” in a season they lost at Buffalo, vs the Bills in the AFC Title/NFL “semis” game.
Sixty years have gone by (not “Let It Be,” but can it be?!!) since the legendary Beatles’ first United States appearance, that on the seminal Ed Sullivan Show, on this February 9th date in 1964.
I am pretty sure I did not see their performance, perhaps older female Leslie was there and ’twas Jack Rosenberg, he who subsequently warned me that Sandy Koufax would retire due to an arthritic elbow, that told me The Beatles would be on the Sullivan Show that February 9th.
The Beatles were incredible, on the Sullivan Show the next two weeks as well, and endure, resonating exponentially, all these years later.
Click below for brief glances at The Beatles performing and Mr. Sullivan’s historic introduction.
The San Francisco 49ers were victorious in their first five final round entities, all Super Bowls, three in routs and in two, certainly one (Montana to John Taylor for a last minute, game winning touchdown) truly close wins vs the Cincinnati Bengals (Cincy is (0-3) in Supes losing by 5, 4 and 3 points in chronological order), however, have lost their last two, each a very close tilt.
Some historical similarities emerge.
Two other franchises won their first 5 final round entities before “suffering” well known final round loss skeins and eventually more crowns.
Most famous are the Boston Red Sox, I guess also or just the Pilgrims (Mr. O’Connor, brilliant as “Archie” regarding the Pilgrims on an Archie Bunker’s Place, I viewed last night) for some of the 5 World Series wins, sans defeat, accomplished in 1903 (the first modern W.S.), 1912, 1915, 1916 and 1918.
They would endure 86 years and 84 completed seasons (1919-2003 with no completed season in ’94) without a crown, losing 4 hard fought, maximum 7 games World Series in ’46,’67,’75, and ’86–the last two of those with among other facts of closeness, with (3-0) mid innings/game 7 leads.
The Red Sox have won in their last 4 World Series appearances, doing so in 4 game sweeps in 2004 and 2007 and going (8-3) for two more titles in 2013 and 2018..
Playing in Minneapolis, the Lakers were victorious in their first 5 final rounds, winning titles in ’49,’50 and (’52-54).
However, 8 final round losses (7 to the Boston Celtics, the first while still a “Minne” team and the next 6 as L.A. and one to the New York Knicks) followed.
Since that point, L.A. has a (12-7), (11-7) “non bubble” final round record with two 3 final round win skeins , those (2000-2002) and a current one that includes 2009, 2010 and the fairly tainted 2020 “bubble” crown.
Eventually to You Tube (below) and a nice video recalling the Niners’ Supe winning drive to win the ’88 season crown.
At about “2:10” a confluence of three greats, as Joe Montana passed to Jerry Rice and Lon Simmons is the broadcaster!!
‘Twas a Sunday and I will list the nine starters (the designated hitter was 8 years away and in fact, it was in a Yankees at Red Sox tilt that Ron Blomberg of the Yankees became the first), none in the Baseball Hall, two that were/are, Mickey Mantle and Carl Yastrzemski, not in or at least starting that day, ditto regarding Roger Maris, who now even 38 plus years after his death, is denied entry.
The position players and pitchers, visiting Yankees then home, Red Sox: First base: Joe Pepitone and Tony Horton (think beyond baseball for these two fine players), second base: Bobby Richardson and Chuck Schilling, shortstop Tony Kubek (is he in as a broadcaster?) and Ed Bressoud (as Jerry Coleman “relayed” Bressoud’s length of remaining time as Boston SS depended on the development of one Americo “Rico” Petrocelli, who certainly did “develop,” third base an all time great fielder, Clete Boyer and Dalton Jones, who 2 plus years later was a platoon starter on the 1967 “Impossible Dream” A.L. Champion, Red Sox.
To the outfield and left to right for the Yankees, Tom Tresh (he of the many big World Series home runs), Roger Repoz and Hector Lopez, who caught a Vada Pinson fly ball for the clinching last out as the ’61 Yankees, among baseball’s greatest teams clinched the crown.
The Red Sox outfield left to right was Lee Thomas, who at least on first batter Kubek’s hit off the famed wall in left, was “Yaz like” and held Tony to a single, Felix Mantilla (Felix was days earlier voted the A.L. starting second baseman in the July 13th at Minnesota All Star Game) and just 20, already with impressive HR figures, Tony Conigliaro.
The batteries: Jim “Bulldog” Bouton and 2 years later a big help to the ’67 Red Sox, an under rated excellent catcher, Elston Howard while Bill Monbouquette and the “ever ready–forgive it, please) Bob Tillman behind the plate, completing the Bo Sox battery.
I have stories, I recall “what might have beens,” however choose a positive regarding Tony Conigliaro’s (pictured above) sad story (essentially, being hit by a pitch curtailed a potentially great career).
Al Davis, the late maverick Raiders’ owner, paid Tony C’s hospital bills and gave great time and effort to their friendship.
Andy B Sports 