Baseball – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Babe Ruth and The Beatles

This very well could be one of those posts that sounded good in thought but not as good in action.

Strange title, huh? Two of my biggest interests growing up were Babe Ruth and The Beatles. An unlikely pair, but they caught my attention and started me down the path of researching and, most importantly, reading. I can be very obsessive about subjects. I probably would be diagnosed with something. When I find out about someone or some event, it’s not enough to know the event, but I want to know why, where, and how. Maybe that is the reason I started to blog. On the blogs, if Dave mentions a music festival that has been long forgotten, I want to know. If Lisa shows a painting on her site, I want to know who did it and what inspired them. When Halffastcyclingclub mentions a little-known artist or song, I want to know more about them.

I always pay attention to the comment section. That is why I blog. When all of you start commenting, I look up the bands you mention. CB, obbverse, M.Y., Warren, Jim, Randy, Matt, Christian, Clive, Phil, Nancy, and Colin (apologies to everyone I left off!) have supplied me with artists that I listen to on a normal basis. Just because I don’t post on them doesn’t mean I don’t listen to that band or artist. It might be months, but they will usually always pop up. Anyway, enough of this boring stuff…on to this other boring stuff. I guess I felt I had to set this up.

When I was a kid, George Herman Ruth was one of my heroes. I’m not a Yankee fan (always have been a Dodger fan); in fact, I usually root against them (especially last November). Those Red Sox and Yankee teams he was on are great to look back on from 1914 through 1935. His stats are unbelievable, and his personality was as big as his home runs. The man would not leave a kid behind waiting for an autograph. He did have bad habits; you could ask any brothel about him if they were still alive.

I parallel my interest in Babe Ruth with my interest in the Beatles. It’s not just the stats of Babe’s career or the popularity of the Beatles. It was never about popularity. No, because I didn’t know how great they were until I started to read about them. It’s an incredible story they both have. To start with little hope of making it in life, hardly at all…much less gaining popularity worldwide… and end up owning the world. Babe came from a poorer background, but the Beatles’ meeting at the right place and time defied the odds. So many things could have happened, but both worked out.

Both were bigger than life. People would travel from miles around to see The Babe hit one out or strike out, and the Beatles drew their share of people as well. They both defined a generation and are still talked about decades and in Babe’s case, a century later. Both are known around the world. You could go almost anywhere in the 20s – 50s and mention Babe Ruth, and they would know exactly who you were talking about. Even now, his name is alive, and the average person has heard of him, and it’s the same with The Beatles.

Maybe that is the reason I’m drawn to Big Star, The Replacements, and other lesser-known artists, and I like to spotlight them. Why did some get so big and others with a lot of talent didn’t? There are similarities between sports and music. Yes, you can be a one-hit wonder in both. The Kingsmen with Louie Louie and Mark Fidrych with one huge season. Both professions can make you a star or a goat. You could get on Bubblegum cards with both as well.

There is one difference between music and baseball/sports. In baseball, if you produce, you WILL get noticed or remembered. You might not be a Hall of Fame player, but you will get remembered by people. In music, you can produce the greatest album or song, but if the record company doesn’t promote you…it doesn’t matter because people won’t hear you. You are judged by the charts, and as we have all seen, sometimes the charts are not always the best. Want proof of that? Look up Chuck Berry’s only number 1 song.

If I had a time machine…I would go back to 1922 and watch Babe Ruth play, and 1961 to see The Beatles play. I would have loved to have sat in the smoky Hamburg club and to go to the Polo Grounds to grab a beer and a dog and watch the Babe.

Field Of Dreams

If you build it they will come

I was reminded of this movie while reading John’s blog on Saturday. This movie appeals to more than baseball fans. It’s sci-fi, fantasy, and drama with a little baseball. It would probably be in my top twenty movies of all time. I’ve always thought that baseball is the perfect sport to film a movie around. More than any other sport it lends itself to drama and comedy. You do not have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this movie.

It has a little bit of everything. Historical figures, time travel, baseball, and a great soundtrack. Some don’t know but Moonlight Graham was a real ball player. His name was Archibald Wright “Moonlight” Graham and he played one game in 1905 without getting an at bat for the New York Giants. John McGraw was his manager. He retired from baseball after that and became a doctor.

The movie makes me think of my father who passed away in 2005. He got me interested in baseball. While growing up he was a Brooklyn Dodger fan while his brothers liked The Yankees. My dad’s favorite player was Jackie Robinson. He loved the way he could disrupt a game with his baserunning. He passed that along to me and I’ve passed it to Bailey my son. I think at times…he could have been a Yankees fan like his brothers. That would have been different. I would have actually liked Reggie Jackson.

As far as baseball movies go…this one tops the list for me. I also would recommend The Natural, The Sandlot, Bull Durham, A League of Their Own, Pride of The Yankees, Eight Men Out, The Bad News Bears (Only the original), and Major League…in no order.

Kevin Costner has experience in baseball movies…Bull Durham, For The Love Of The Game, and this one. Like John said…he had his best reviews in them. What a cast this movie has. Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, Amy Madigan, Burt Lancaster, and more.

The two actors that made a big impression on me were James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster. They dissolved into their characters and became Terrance Mann and Moonlight Graham respectively. I will also add that Amy Magidan plays the most understanding wife on the planet.

My only problem with the movie…this would not affect anyone else sane from enjoying it but…Shoeless Joe Jackson was LEFT-HANDED for goodness sake. Why couldn’t they have turned Ray Liotta around when he hit in the movie. Ok…I know that is being picky…but come on.

The field built for the film is still there in Dubuque County, Iowa. There was a MLB game played there in 2021. MLB plans to return there.

Here is a summary from IMDB.

“If you build it, he will come,” is what thirty-six-year-old novice farmer Ray Kinsella hears several times over the course of days from a bodiless voice emanating from somewhere in the cornfield on his Iowa farm. Later, he has a vision that the “it” is a baseball field, the “he” is Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was infamous for his association in the Chicago 8, the eight players of the 1919 White Series who were banned for life from the sport for throwing games in exchange for money from gamblers. Although it was proved that Jackson did take money, it was never proved that he participated in throwing any of the games. Ray grew up with baseball, his long-deceased father, John, who played in the minor leagues, lived in Chicago during that infamous year, and told stories to Ray about it and Jackson when he was growing up.

He was estranged from his father at the time of his death, something that he now regrets. With the moral support of his wife, Annie, he tears up part of their cornfield to build that baseball field. He eventually hears the voice telling him other things, always without a clear understanding on his part of what it all means. One he believes it has to do with is famed ’60s writer Terence Mann, now a recluse who stopped writing because he, renowned as the voice of his generation, didn’t always want to be the answer to his generation’s problems. Another he believes has to do with it is Archie “Moonlight” Graham, who played only one half of one inning of one major league game in 1922 and died in 1972.

Ray’s voice-led path may be difficult to achieve since cynical Mann may not have the same direction of the voice as him and Graham is dead. He will have to work through these puzzles to understand the full meaning of what the voice wants for him, which may not happen if he and Annie lose the farm and thus the baseball field, a real possibility due to the latter taking away from earning income from the farm, especially as Annie’s cutthroat brother, Mark, who says he is looking out for her best interest, will do whatever needed to get Ray back to what he considers reality of earning a living from the farm.

Blog Recommendation

I discovered a new blog site and I wanted to share it with everyone. I hardly ever do this…but this one I do recommend. I have a baseball blog site and there I met a young lady who is 18 years old and wants to be a Baseball Writer. That is not the most common goal of a teenager and she introduced herself and her blog to me a few weeks back. Sophia is a fantastic writer. Baseball needs more female writers and she IS a really good one.

I realize not many of you are baseball fans but if you know any…please send them her way. I only post on my baseball site every now and then but she handles her site professionally. I just post on mine when something happens.

Her site is: https://sophiakd4.wordpress.com/ and her name is Sophia.

Sophia is mentioned in this article at the bottom…not by name but the author talked to her. You can click the link at the bottom for the full article.

Anything else you’d like to share?

“A few months ago, a young woman and her job coach reached out to me and a handful of other writers who cover the Phillies, including Allie Foster, Alex Coffey, and Todd Zolecki. This young woman writes her own Phillies’ blog with the goal of someday covering the Phillies for a major publication.

I had the privilege of chatting with her for about an hour about writing. She faces neurologic challenges, but she’s a determined young lady and I’m honored to be able to help someone on their writing journey. The opportunity to meet and help people like her would not be possible if not for Ethan giving me the chance to write for TGP.

I love researching players and the history of this franchise, and it’s incredible to work alongside and learn from the incredibly intelligent and welcoming staff at TGP, but by far the best part is the opportunity to interact with so many more fans of Philadelphia baseball.“

https://www.thegoodphight.com/2023/12/23/24012575/tgp-writer-interview-brian-mcquilkin?fbclid=IwAR0jYc3N1W6K_MtPWj4swHYgAq7JOgTTxOdneFxwQpa15o7ek0KEd2PrkOQ

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Elvis Presley – I Forgot To Remember To Forget

It’s been too long since I posted about the big E. How could someone, not like a song with a title like that?

Elvis didn’t want to record this song because he thought it was too Country, so drummer Johnny Bernero from Memphis was added to the mix. Up until this time, there was only Scotty Moore on guitar, Bill Bass on bass, and Elvis on rhythm guitar. This added an up-tempo beat…Elvis liked it and recorded the song, which became a Country hit. I know Elvis is Elvis, but his backing band was just as special to me. Scotty Moore was one of a kind.

This song was released twice. The Sun Records release first charted the following week (September 17, 1955) at #14 on Billboard’s Country Charts. On November 21, 1955, it was released yet again. On that day RCA Victor purchased Elvis’s contract from Sam Phillips. As part of the deal, RCA obtained the rights to all of Presley’s Sun recordings. Soon after, RCA pressed and distributed a single of “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” and “Mystery Train” on its own label.

This was Elvis’ first #1 on any chart. It peaked at #1 in the Country Charts and #2 in Canada in 1955.

The Beatles never recorded this song in the studio, but they did it for the BBC with George singing lead.

The song was written by Charlie Feathers and Stan Kesler. Kesler had already written Presley’s “I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone” when he had the idea for this song.

Stan Kesler: “At that time, I was on the kick of catchy titles,” Kesler recalled. “When I began to think about that phrase, it just expanded into ‘I forgot to remember to forget her.’ From there, I started working on it, and it all fell together.”

The Beatles version… live in the BBC studios.

I Forgot To Remember To Forget

I forgot to remember to forget her
I can’t seem to get her off my mind
I thought I’d never miss her
But I found out somehow
I think about her almost all the time
The day she went away
I made myself a promise
That I’d soon forget we ever met
But something sure is wrong
‘Cause I’m so blue and lonely
I forgot to remember to forget

The day she went away
I made myself a promise
That I’d soon forget we ever met
Well, but something sure is wrong
‘Cause I’m so blue and lonely
I forgot to remember to forget

The Bad News Bears (1976)

Hanspostcard is hosting a movie draft from 12 different genres…this is my Sports entry.

The Bad News Bears fulfills my Sports portion of the draft.

A small personal story to show how true this movie was of the time and why I can relate to it so much.

Our coach would be hitting grounders to each of the fielders from home plate and I was the catcher that day. The infielders would throw to first and then throw back to home…normal right? Not so fast… Our coach would have a beer in one hand and would hand it to me when hitting the ball. I would hand it back while the first baseman was throwing it back to me. This would happen in each practice on the city field. We didn’t think anything about it. The catcher was also the official beer passer and holder…none of us blinked an eye.

This movie was a surprise hit in 1976. It’s about an inept baseball team that is coached by an alcoholic named Morris Buttermaker. He is recruited by an attorney who filed a lawsuit against a competitive Southern California Little League, which excluded the least athletically skilled children (including his son) from playing. To settle the lawsuit, the league agrees to add an additional team…the Bears which is composed of the worst players.

The kids are foul-mouthed and the coach could care less… for a while anyway. When I watch this movie I’m in little league again. There was a remake in 2005 but I’ve always stuck to this one.

The script is smartly written and the comedy is good. Sometimes this movie gets overlooked but it is a great baseball movie. The cast includes Walter Matthau, Tatum O’Neal, Vic Morrow, Jackie Earle Haley, and a cast of unknown kids.

Walter Matthau plays the drunk Morris Buttermaker, perfectly… he does the minimum for a while. He has the kids cleaning pools in one scene while drinking beer and driving them down the road in the next. While hunting around for a business to sponsor uniforms. Other teams have Pizza Hut and Dennys but Buttermaker gets a …”Chico Bail Bonds” and that is fitting for this team.

The first game the Bears were beat 26-0 and Buttermaker recruited 12 year old girl name Amanda (Tatum O’Neal) who was the daughter of one of his old girlfriends. Amanda could pitch and pitch well. He taught her at a younger age. He talks her into pitching for the team.

The team starts coming together. Now comes the rebel. Jackie Earle Haley plays Kelly the cool neighborhood punk who rides his motorcycle at the ballpark interrupting games. He is the best athlete around but he refuses to play. He starts liking Amanda and after a bet begins playing with the team.

With the Kelly and Amanda, the team starts winning. They are moving up in the rankings and play for the championship. The last game is when the tone of the movie changes dramatically. Winning comes before everything and Buttermaker becomes serious… and the kids help produce a showdown.

What makes the movie special is despite the huge ensemble you get to know these kids and the quirks they all show. It also sums up little league quite well.

One thing I remember when this movie was released was the absolute shock of parents everywhere because of these kids swearing. What the parents in 1976 didn’t understand was this is how many kids talked when adults weren’t around…mostly picked it up from their parents.

The movie is so 1970s and it pulls the veil back on youth sports then and now. They really nail down what the adults are like in little league… I coached little league a few years ago and I had a parent actually call me about his son at 10pm because he thought he should be hitting 3rd instead of 5th…this was a team of 4 and 5 year olds. I have seen a coach and parent have a fist fight in the back of the stands…

If you have never seen this film you are missing a baseball classic. But since we do live in 2021…if bad language stresses you out…don’t watch it.

There are two sequels. Bad News Bears Breaking Training and The Bad News Bears Go To Japan. Breaking Training is ok…Avoid the Japan movie at all costs.

Cast

Walter Matthau – Coach Morris Buttermaker
Tatum O’Neal – Amanda Whurlitzer
Vic Morrow – Roy Turner
Joyce Van Patten – Cleveland
Ben Piazza – Bob Whitewood
Jackie Earle Haley – Kelly Leak
Alfred Lutter III – Ogilvie (as Alfred W. Lutter)
Chris Barnes – Tanner Boyle
Erin Blunt – Ahmad Abdul Rahim
Gary Lee Cavagnaro – Engelberg
Jaime Escobedo – Jose Agilar
Scott Firestone – Regi Tower
George Gonzales – Miguel Agilar
Brett Marx – Jimmy Feldman
David Pollock – Rudi Stein
Quinn Smith – Timmy Lupus
David Stambaugh – Toby Whitewood
Brandon Cruz – Joey Turner
Timothy Blake – Mrs. Lupus
Bill Sorrells – Mr. Tower
Shari Summers – Mrs. Turner
Joe Brooks – Umpire
George Wyner – White Sox Manager
David Lazarus – Yankee
Charles Matthau – Athletic
Maurice Marks – Announcer

New Baseball Blog

I’m starting a baseball-only blog because there are some things that most of the readers here could care less about…like which baseball prospects I like the best, or how I don’t like interleague play as much as some and why I don’t think the National League should adopt the DH role.

I won’t be posting much on that one…only once in a while but anything baseball goes…past, present, and future. I’ll try to keep all the posts to the point like they are here. So if you are a baseball fan come and visit…if not I’ll talk to you here.

If you are interested the link is www.talkingaboutbaseball.com

Sorry for the interruption now we will return you to our eclectic song and pop culture selections.

Thank You All.

The Big Fella by Jane Leavy

This is one of the many books on Babe Ruth. He was one of the most written about person in the 20th century. Jane Leavy took a different approach to write the book. She jumps around in time periods but it’s not distracting. I found out things I never knew about the Babe and that is the reason I wanted to read it. Thanks to Hanspostcard again for another great recommendation.

When I was growing up I read everything I could about Babe Ruth. I never was a Yankee fan and never will be but I do love this period of the Yankees. Unfortunately, some people think of Ruth as this huge obese baseball player because of movies like the terrible “The Babe” in 1992. When Babe came up he was a great athlete and didn’t start getting out of shape until his last years. One thing that I would love to see about the Babe is a well-made movie…we have yet to see it.

The man’s popularity was only rivaled by Charlie Chaplin. If anyone was made for a time period it was this man. He could be crude, brash, stubborn, and generous and was the idol of millions of kids during the 20s and 30s. He was so much better than anyone of his peers that it seemed unfair. The man could rise to the occasion when needed. He did everything big, whether it was hitting a home run, striking out, or living his unfettered life.

Sometimes an athlete is just so much better than his peers and they would be a generational talent. Tiger Woods and Michael Jordon would be in this select group.

When Babe retired in 1935 with 714 home runs the closest player to that mark at the time was his old Yankee teammate Lou Gehrig with 378 home runs (after the 1935 season)…that is a difference of 336 home runs. That is domination.

Ruth had an agent by the name of Christy Walsh. Walsh was basically the first sports agent of his day. He created a highly successful syndicate of ghostwriters for baseball’s biggest stars, coining the term “ghost writer” in the process. Walsh, in many ways, was a pioneer in the public relations field. The relationship between the two was interesting to read about.

The Babe made 70 grand a season playing for the Yankees and at least the same on advertising and barnstorming across the nation in small towns bringing baseball to towns that never would have seen Major League Baseball in the offseason. He was still grossly underpaid for the money he brought into the Yankees. When he would play, the crowds would increase dramatically.

Although black players were stupidly not allowed to play in the Major Leagues at that time, Babe and Lou Gerhig’s teams played black teams in towns all around in the offseason.

If you have interest in Babe Ruth I would recommend this book and Robert Creamer’s book Babe Ruth: The Legend Comes to Life.

“I swing big, with everything I’ve got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can.” – Babe Ruth

May 25, 1935: Ruth hits the last 3 home runs of his career

84 years ago today on May 25, 1935, Babe Ruth was a Boston Brave in his last season in the Major Leagues. He was showing his age at 40 years old and the Yankees let him go and he signed with the Braves.

The Braves traveled to Forbes Field to play the Pirates and were 8-19 going into the game. Babe was hurting and out of shape. He rose to the occasion one more time in his long career. He ended up going 4-4 with 6 RBI’s and most importantly 3 home runs. His 712, 713, and 714th of his career.

The last home run he hit on this day would be his last in his career. Pirates pitcher Guy Bush pitched to him in the seventh inning and Ruth not only homered (his second off Bush for the day and third altogether of the day) but the ball went out of the park. Not just over the fence but clearing Forbes Field’s right field roof—for the first time in the ballpark’s 26-year history.

That is called going out in style. Babe Ruth had a dramatic touch about him and would rise to the occasion time and time again.

Babe would not get another hit in his career but he would retire five days later on May 30, 1935. His wife and agent wanted him to retire after this game but he wanted to honor his commitment to the owner of the Braves to play through Memorial Day Weekend.

My 5 Favorite Baseball Announcers of All Time

This list will be different for every baseball fan. Many times it’s your team’s announcer and other times it’s a network announcer you grew up with. I tend to like announcers who are not complete homers although some I like… like Harry Caray. He made it fun even though he openly rooted for the Cubs…and Budweiser.

There are many more that could be on this list.

5: Harry Caray – He injected fun into the game. It was like a fan announcing the game. He wasn’t technically the best baseball announcer but he was enjoyable.

4: Mel Allen – I remember Mel when I was a kid on “This Week in Baseball.” That voice was a part of my childhood.

3: Bob Uecker – “Just a bit outside” the more I listen to him the more I appreciate him.

2: Jack Buck – NOT Joe… You could hear his excitement for the game in his voice. For me, the best is between Jack and…

1: Vin Scully – Being a Dodgers fan I was spoiled by Vin Scully… my number 1 favorite. If you tuned into a Dodger game you would not know who employed Mr. Scully. He would not root for the Dodgers and he knew when not to say anything and let the action speak for itself.

Vin

Jack

Babe Ruth’s last surviving daughter dies at 102

Julia Ruth Stevens, the adopted daughter of Babe Ruth, died on Saturday in an assisted living facility in Henderson, Nev.

Babe Ruth married Claire Hodgson on the opening day of the 1929 baseball season. He adopted Julia, and Claire adopted Dorothy (Babe Ruth’s biological daughter) in 1930, and they all lived together, with Claire’s extended family, in an apartment on West 88th Street.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26218325/babe-ruth-last-surviving-daughter-dies-102

Thurman Munson

On August 2, 1979, I remember the news that afternoon at 6 saying that a plane crash happened in Canton Ohio and Thurman Munson was dead. It was shocking because he was only 32 years old and catcher for the Yankees.

While I was watching the 77 and 78 World Series there was one player I dreaded seeing at-bat with men on…, not Reggie Jackson…it was Thurman Munson. He is the only then Yankee player that I liked and respected.

Thurman is more remembered today for how his life ended than being a very good baseball player. He didn’t look like a prototypical Yankee. He was short and squatty with a sometimes difficult personality. He never did hit with a lot of power, the most home runs he ever hit in a season was 20. He ended up with a career batting average of .292 and an OBP of .346…very good for a catcher in that time period or now.

He was born in Canton Ohio in 1947 and grew up in a dysfunctional family. He kept progressing at baseball and attended Kent State. He was drafted with the 4th pick of the draft by the Yankees in 1968. He played with the Yankees from 1969 – 1979. Munson won Rookie of the Year in 1970. He was a 7-time All-Star and an MVP in 1976. Thurman hurt his shoulder in the mid-seventies and had problems throwing the ball to second but he played through it all.

He had a rivalry with Carlton Fisk with the Red Sox and was fun to watch play. He was grumpy with reporters but good with kids and teammates. Former GM Gabe Paul said, “Thurman Munson is a nice guy who doesn’t want anyone to know it.”

He missed his family and wanted to be at home. He learned to fly and bought a prop plane so he could go home every night after a game. He kept progressing from plane to plane until he bought a Cessna $1.4 million twin-engine jet. He was practicing takeoffs and landings that day and came in and clipped some trees. He had three passengers, David Hall, and Jerry Anderson.

The plane caught fire as soon as it landed. Munson was conscious but had suffered serious spinal damage and couldn’t move. Anderson and Hall tried to pull Thurman to safety but the main door was jammed. Munson’s legs were trapped inside the crushed fuselage and wouldn’t budge. By the time the two men burst through the emergency exit, the smoke had consumed the entire plane. Hall and Anderson jumped out of the jet barely surviving. Thurman was dead at 32.

At the time I thought Thurman would be in the Hall of Fame. His numbers at the time of his death were comparable to Carlton Fisk. Munson appeared on the ballot in 1981, two years after a plane crash ended his life, and never got more than 15.5% of the vote.

Here is a list of his accomplishments from Wiki…but remember he was passed in many categories after he died.

1st all time – Singles in World Series, 9
10th all time – Batting average by catcher, .292
11th all time – Postseason batting average, .357
11th all time – Caught stealing percentage
16th all time – On base percentage by catcher
20th all time – OPS by catcher
24th all time – Slugging by catcher
26th all time – Hits by catcher
26th all time – Runs by catcher
AL Rookie of the Year (1970)
AL MVP (1976)
3× Gold Glove Award
3 AL Pennants
2 World Series titles
7× All Star

Baseball in the 1970s

Growing up in Tennessee I was and still am a huge baseball fan. My father grew up liking the underdog Dodgers with Jackie Robinson when they played in Brooklyn while his brothers were Yankee fans. In 1977 I started to watch baseball and through my father connected with the Dodgers. He was more of a college football fan (Tennesse loves football) but I never got his passion for that. I watched some baseball before 77 but I was totally lost in it from then on.

Watching the 70s baseball was a special event. The hair, mustaches, and every color of uniform were interesting. For some reason, the Oakland A’s uniforms were my favorite.

I’ve always liked the individualism of baseball. No rigid measurements in baseball parks like football or other sports. Every park is a unique home. There were cookie cutter (multi-purpose) parks with astroturf like Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The 8th wonder of the world Astrodome in Houston. A very old Tiger Stadium in Detroit. The pavilion and palm tree Dodger Stadium. The ivy-walled Wrigley field in Chicago and the oh so green Fenway Park.

Baseball wasn’t as accessible then as it is now. You had to wait for the Saturday game of the week and Monday night baseball. That made it more special. There were certain teams they showed more than others. I was lucky, the Dodgers were one of the teams. I remember a lot of Pirates, Reds, Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodger games because they all were very good.

I remember the players of that time so well. Thurman Munson (the only then Yankee I liked), Al Hrabosky (The Mad Hungarian), Dave Parker (He looked like the biggest man ever), Luis Tiant, Oscar Gamble (the cool hair), Bill Lee, Willie Stargell, Greg Luzinski, Gary Maddox, Mike Schmidt, George Foster (who I met a few years ago), Joe Morgan (who I liked better as a player than announcer), Catfish Hunter.

I could probably still mimic most of the players batting stances now.

Some of the managers were just as popular as the players for different reasons. Earl Weaver (one of the pioneers of sabermetrics), Billy Martin (could make about any team win…for a short time), and Sparky Anderson.

Some events I remember are Disco Demolition Night in Chicago (exploding disco records) and 10 cent beer night (that turned into a riot in Cleveland…who would have guessed that?).

My favorite player… Hands down Ron Cey. Steve Garvey was the marquee name of the Dodgers but Ron Cey would come through in the clutch and had a better batting eye than Garvey. I played 3rd base in little league and on up because of Cey. His nickname was “The Penguin” because he ran like one. I tried running like that until the coach asked me what was wrong with me…he thought I was hurt.

When the Dodgers traded Cey to Chicago it broke my heart. He went on to do good with the Cubs but to this day I don’t understand that trade.

I still watch baseball and don’t miss a box score and it is still a game full of characters…maybe not as colorful now.

Don Newcomb

Don Newcomb passed away yesterday February 19, 2019. I don’t remember him playing because I’m too young. Being a Dodger fan all of my life I have read about his playing days and him talking to and mentoring the younger players with today’s Dodgers.

He was born on June 14, 1926, and played in the Negro Leagues finally making it to the Major Leagues in 1949 with the Brooklyn Dodgers winning Rookie of the Year. He won a World Series (the only one Brooklyn won) in 1955. He won the Cy Young Award in 1956. He battled alcoholism in the 50s and 60s. He mentored everyone from Maury Wills, Steve Garvey, Orel Hershiser, Mike Piazza, to current players Kenley Jansen, Clayton Kershaw and manager Dave Roberts.

At 92 he would still come to the ballpark and talk to the Dodgers and opposing players.

Here is a link. http://m.thecourierexpress.com/sports/national/bc-bbn–obit-newcombe-nd-ld-writethru/article_cad2236f-faad-5d8f-ad10-bc430854b7e9.html

The Dodgers released this today.

So you need to choose between baseball and football

https://www.sbnation.com/2019/1/15/18183785/kyler-murray-nfl-draft-choice-baseball-football

I found this article by Grant Brisbee about Kyler Murray who is going to choose between baseball and football. It’s a great article that relates to any athlete choosing between the two sports. He writes in the article if you want fame quickly choose football… if you want a long career and more money in the long run…pick baseball…but it’s not that easy on either.

He touches on quality of life also a little in this…For me, this is the key thing to think about. In years after retirement being able to…think and function would be a nice benefit.

Jeff Samardzija is a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants.

Right now, Jeff Samardzija is somewhere either smoking a cigarette or rehabbing his shoulder, unless he’s doing both at the same time because he’s an absolute legend. But his brain is still good. In 10 years, his brain will probably still be good, and he’ll have made more money over his career than Joe Thomas, who was one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history.

It’s a good article.

Dodgers vs. Red Sox

It’s been 102 years since these organizations met in the World Series. Back then it was the Red Sox…with Babe Ruth against the Robins. In my lifetime they came close to meeting in 1978.

I’ve waited a long time for this, 40 years to witness the Dodgers play the Red Sox in the World Series. As a kid, I always loved to see Fenway Park on television with its vision of green and know that Babe Ruth once played there along with other greats. The team I love, The Dodgers, were winning their division in 1978 and I thought instead of playing the Yankees I could see the Dodgers play in Fenway. This was before Interleague entered the picture.

In 1978 The Red Sox had a commanding lead in the American League East division. They led the Yankees by 14 games in July I thought for sure the Sox had it. The teams ended up tied on the last day and it came down to a playoff game between the Sox and Yankees. The Yankees ended up winning the game and the American League pennant with the help of the famous Bucky Dent homer.

Now I’ll finally get to see it 40 years later in the World Series. Win or lose I’m looking forward to this World Series. Instead of Cey, Garvey, Lopes vs Lynn, Rice, and Yaz it will be Bellinger, Puig, Turner, and Kershaw against Betts, Bradley Jr., Martinez, and Sale.

Should be a good series.