A night back, last night ostensibly I slept through (separate, but adjacent elevators in the “Silly/Einhorn “would have” dream), I watched two Big Valley cast members shine in episodes of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and then “Mannix” on MeTV.
First Richard Long, a superb actor, (early on see him with “Edward G” (Robinson) and vs Orson’s (Welles) character in “The Stranger,” who so sadly died young, plays an at best, a morally bankrupt man in an “ep” (Sheriff’s name on another MeTV staple, “The Waltons”) titled “The Opportunity,” from 1962.
Next with some nice kissing scenes with Mike Connors’ “Mannix” character, the beautiful Linda Evans shows more (no not that!!), but acting chops than before, arguably after, in an episode called “The Ragged Edge.” Being clear: Ms. Evans is a fine performer, beautiful and talented. This episode as a manipulative character, again really shows her “chops,” which is acting talk for skill.
That is Linda Evans in “Mannix,” apparently on what was also “The Brady Bunch Kitchen”
6 in el morning, it is all a story, I have one, you do as well!!
A day later, other than the Joe Davis overt rooting plus end and near game end comments, it is not only objectively, but subjectively, much easier to praise and note the Dodgers’ first ever repeat title.
First off, among the many Dodgers’ heroes, (W.S. winning homer hitter, Will Smith and series MVP Yoshinobo Yamamoto surely), it is Miguel Rojas, who delivered, I will say, along with Hal Smith in 1960 (his 3RHR, B8, the Pirates trailing (7-6) only to need Mazeroski’s Series winning “solo” to (10-9) a great Yankees team) the most incredible, meaningful HR in W.S. annals, when he homered off Hoffman (see Trevor’s “fail” ahead, vs another great Yankees’ team in #3/’98 W.S.) with one out and the Jays up (4-3) T9 in #7.
Next Rojas, who tagged out Barger to complete what was the first of two straight game ending DP’s for L.A. to win #’s 6 and 7, at Toronto, to “repeat title,” handled Varsho’s ball hit to him “bases loaded 1 out/B9 tied (4-4) and threw to Smith, to force Kiner/Falefa (might he have been safe?!) who was running for Bichette (it was Bachert, Yiddish for destiny and the fact they are a superb team, that enabled L.A. to beat a “Tor” team, that outplayed them in the series, as cited yesterday– ’twas “Tor” with by far the three toughest, if not all 4 in the series) at home.
Up came Clement, and his drive to deep left center was run down and caught on an incredibly clutch and great play by Andy Pages, who had been inserted into CF that inning, evoking great memories for Brooklyn Dodgers fans, of manager, Walter Alston inserting Sandy Amoros into LF that very inning, when his superb reaching catch on a ball hit, the rare “other way,” by the great Yogi Berra, was a key, as Brooklyn behind John Podres pitching and 2 Gil Hodges RBIS (2-0)’d yet another excellent Yankees team in another #7.
Though they failed to score “loaded” 1 out in their 10th, as the Jays also did, as noted, B9, plus the fact Yamamoto yielded a “lead” 2B to Guerrero B11, it was a Will Smith “solo” T11, Schneider again “sac’ing” and Kirk hitting into a 6-4-3 DP that gave L.A. their 9th crown, 70 years after their first and 60 after #4 behind Sandy with Lou Johnson and Wes Parker RBI’s, also (2-0).
That is Miguel Rojas, just after his incredible 1 out “solo” T9.
The 1912 Red Sox trailed B10 in #7, really game 8–one tie but it was the decisive game, and they rallied for 2 runs and their second title, denying such for the New York Giants. More notes this week.
From Wikipedia:
In the postseason, Rojas had three hits in five at-bats in the Wild Card Series[38] and was hitless in three at-bats in the NLDS.[4] After spending the first five games of the 2025 World Series on the bench, Rojas was inserted into the starting lineup for Game 6 and 7.[39] In Game 6 he made a tough catch at second base to help turn the game ending double play.[40] In the winner-take-all Game 7, with the Dodgers down one run with one out in the top of the ninth, Rojas, who hadn’t hit a home run in over a month, hit a game-tying home run to keep the Dodgers’ title defense alive.[41] In the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded, he made a defensive stop at second base on a ground ball, throwing it to home plate and preventing a series-winning run from crossing the plate. This play kept the Dodgers’ hopes alive as they eventually won the deciding game in 11 innings.
The Dodgers, a truly tremendous team, won by far, the three most competitive games of the 2025 W.S. including the “beyond the beyond” 7th last night, and repeated as title winners, denying the Toronto Blue Jays. L.A. (5-4) in 11 innings-Of Smith and even more so, Rojas “solos.” plus (actually a highly – situation) all one can say (when you say Kirk, you “brew” and it ain’t beer) regarding at least three “Kirks” and it more than “irks.”
6 years in a row— a Will Smith titles, with the L.A. catcher by that name, the far, far (ode to Messers Dickens and Colman) big contributor, no better “ejemplo,” than his 2 out, 2-0 pitch “solo,” that gave the Dodgers a (5-4) lead, they held to win their ninth crown, tying them with the A’s and Red Sox for third most (the Cardinals who have never won a repeat title, have 11 and the still vaunted Yankees have 27, their second won in 1927– and please do not confuse these lesser, lucky Dodgers with that team).
More incredible is the Rojas story, my incredible memory, recalling “never Cookie” and tragic involving Minervino, but this one, (Miguel) hit a 1 out, surely unprecedented in so many ways, “solo,” T9 to tie the tilt (4-4).
Enough, it hurts and for the record $$$ was won with the once loved, Dodgers. Notes, maybe opinions in the days to follow.
No longer, but once loved, were the Lakers and yes, the Dodgers.
I like “Mr. Roberts” (I did interview the great Jack Lemmon, who was in Mr. Roberts, Henry Fonda was Mr. Roberts both in the film and I believe on stage) and I love those/my great Lakers. (#21 is “Coop,” Michael Cooper and one day I will display a great interview he and I did).
Now L.A. has the Dodgers along with the Lakers (thrice, only once as my team) plus great, great college hoop U.C.L.A. under John Wooden as repeat champions.
The L.A. Dodgers, seeking their first repeat crown in their long, storied history in both Brooklyn, New York and Los Angeles, California, scored all 3 of their runs T3, when the Jays manager (name later), (I said it before) foolishly intentionally walked Ohtani, allowing first Will Smith (1R2B) and after a walk to Freeman, Mookie Betts (2R1B), to deliver big 2 out hits and then held a (3-1) lead to force Smoltz’ 4th 7th game in his 10 years on FOX W.S. coverage.
Perhaps it was to be a Jays rally to “title,” a la ’93, when down 1, they got a World Series ending, 3RHR from Carter, Joe however, down 2 runs a ball “lodged” and a “bid” by Gimenez 2nd and 3rd/1 out manifested in a 7-4 D.P. yielding #7 tonight in “Tor.”
Only I, not even Sarah Langs, though she is very good and below her facts going into #7 tonight, which unlike her/she I did not want, can give you these notes:
The Blue Jays were hoping for a third 6th game W.S. triumph sans a defeat, but instead fell to another bad Friday defeat (in neither title season ’92 or ’93 did they win a Friday tilt, losing #3 at home to the Chi Sox in the lone such game in ’93).
However, both “Tor” title clinchers were on Saturday nights, the under rated exciting win in #6 at Atlanta in ’92 and the aforementioned Carter heroics, yielding the repeat crown in ’93.
The following I researched slowly, the latter years from my brain: The Saturday game winner in the previous 21 Dodgers World Series (this is their 22nd, ode to Sarah as I put in (8-14), with no Saturday tilt in ’59–remember there was a Dodgers/Braves games 153 and 154 to decide N.L. World Series qualification–now they have tiebreakers–UGH–) is (18-3).
The Dodgers won the Saturday game 2 last week (I have not given enough, barely any credit to Mr. Yamamoto but will now, as he won that game and hurled 6 innings, yielding but 1 run in last night’s #6). Technically, a team with at least one Saturday win, if Tor prevails tonight or if L.A. makes it (2-0) in such games will make the Saturday winner in Dodgers W.S. games (19-3).
For the record, only in ’53 (Brooklyn Dodgers game, Yankees in 6), 2017 (again Dodgers game but Astros with current Jays player, George Springer the #7 top star and W.S. MVP, series) and in the so cheap (ode to Casablanca and who said life is very cheap there?) 2020 season ’twas the still no title Rays and now money/money lack thereof has destroyed their realistic hopes, in the Sat. #4 but L.A. in 6 when speaking of $$, someone named Cash, foolishly lifted current L.A. pitcher Snell (To drive you esoteric and nuts, ode to Matt) did the Saturday game winner in a Dodgers W.S. lose said series.
Once I witnessed someone named Suzyn Waldman, call Mookie Betts, pictured above, a “young Willie Mays.”
Nowhere near as good/great, but few are even close to Willie and Mookie is a tremendous player, already having garnered 3 titles (the ’20 such, cheap, but it counts) which is one more than greater players Mays and Henry Aaron combined.
If L.A. wins tonight, Betts will have as many titles as Mays, Aaron and the so great Roberto Clemente combined.
Thus with 2 titles, (5 either Will Smith crowns in a row (’20-’24) with ’25 looming), “ringer” Smith, Freeman and Mookie next and in the 3rd inning, one asks how could “twice, a foolish sacrificing” John Schneider, intentionally walk Ohtani, runner 2nd (Edman had the under rated 2B), 2 out, no score T3?!
Far more succinct, the usual excellent “info” from Sarah Langs below.
https://www.mlb.com/news/facts-and-figures-from-2025-world-series-game-6
Hoops Cabaret and Sports Bar in New York City, popular with pro athletes and sports fans, will celebrate its ninth anniversary all through November with dozens of sexy exotic dancers performing nightly, and drink and bottle specials.
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Mix Lia Romeo’s superb, meaningful writing with a trio of excellent performers and it manifests in a truly moving and very humorous play, “The Lucky Ones,” now playing at Theater Lab (357 West 36th Street).
The complexities and vicissitudes of relationships between friends is revealed, again in both moving and humorous fashion.
Now that wonderful trio in the cast!
Danielle Skraastad (she was a “voice” in the fine film, “Michael Clayton”) and these years later, proves her evolution, with a wonderful performance.
The same goes for both Purva Bedi and the so versatile David Carl, each showing their considerable “chops” in the performance.
Katie Birenboim directs with Boomerang Theatre producing in association with Project Y Theatre/Women in Theater Festival.
Click below for more information about this excellent play, including how to purchase tickets.
The Toronto Blue Jays will seek a third title in as many World Series appearances, on Friday/Halloween night, at home, after “six was easily enough,” in (6-2) and then (6-1) victories in #’s 4 and 5, after a seemingly devastating 18 innings loss, in game 3.
In last night’s game 5, Trey Yesavage pitched a very strong game, fanning 12 and allowing just 3 hits in 7 innings of work.
Meanwhile for a second straight game, Vlad Guerrero Jr. homered to give “Tor” 2 runs, this a solo, the night before a 2RHR vs #3, losing pitcher, Ohtani that gave the Blue Jays a (2-1) lead.
Toronto won each of its titles in 6 game(s) World Series and hope for a third such on Halloween night. If anyone is the “6-6-6” negative, it is not Toronto, Canada.
Trey Yesavage, pictured above.
The defending world champion Los Angeles Dodgers rode Fred Freeman’s leadoff, game ending (see #1 in last year’s W.S. — no recordings pain–) 18th inning home run to a (6-5) win over the Toronto Blue Jays to take a (2-1) W.S. lead.
In the tilt, Shohei Ohtani, obviously a great player, but a bit “little girl con curl,” hit two home runs, had 4 extra base hits and reached base in all 9 plate appearances, his tying “solo,” B7, producing the last runs in the game, (I actually watched from B11 on), until Freeman’s homer off Little, (he was the LP when “Tor” fell down (3-2) with #6 and potential #7 at home vs Seattle (Mariners) and they overcame that, this at the same point a little less likely but win the so often #4 indicator and we will see.
Another big time contributor to the L.A. win was until last night obscure relief hurler Will Klein, who hurled 4 scoreless innings (15th-18th) and notched the win.
Shohei Ohtani, pictured above.
The 2025 World Series is tied at one game apiece, as favored L.A. (Dodgers) got the minimum “keep them big faves,” split in Toronto, winning (5-1) in #2 after being routed (11-4) in the series opening game.
I did not see anyone note the #1 loss dropped the Dodgers record to (1-12) in road World Series opening games.
I admitted my mistake working “on the fly” not knowing I would be doing interviews, 36 years ago, not adding Lew Burdette’s shutouts in #’s 5 and 7 of the World Series to that of Sandy Koufax, the only two to do so, 8 years later.
First off, again “slow it down” though Mr. Yamamoto is obviously pitching tremendous baseball.
Next Alden Gonzalez, getting paid you forgot Mr. Burdette (Winston would not have, that great reporter did his homework, but when it comes to this and much else it is 1984) also. His omission follows below:
“And yet the list of those who have done what Yamamoto just pulled off — register back-to-back postseason complete games while allowing no more than a run in each of them — harkens to another era.
It’s Sherry Smith in 1920, Sandy Koufax in 1965 and Orel Hershiser in 1988.
Now, it’s Yamamoto in 2025.
“To be honest, I’m not sure about the history,” he said through an interpreter. “But I’m very happy about what I did today.”
Is it a “slap?” to realize a player named Will Smith has played on the title team the last 5 seasons.
Catcher, Will Smith of L.A. pictured above, was on the ’20 and ’24 title winning Dodgers, while pitcher Will Smith, somewhat incredibly and contributing, but not as much as catcher Smith, ended up on 3 different teams that won it all. (’21 Braves, ’22 Astros and ’23 Rangers–not the non existent named Toronto team referenced days back by the F.B.I.).
Andy B Sports 