Vero Beach, FL – (l-r) Bill Haas, Dick Nen, Ron Fairly, Bill “Moose” Skowron and Lee Walls compete for the Los Angeles Dodgers first base position at spring training. photo: The Sporting News 1963
Of the five players shown above, 24-year-old Ron Fairly Continue reading
Tampa, FL – Pitcher Bob Purkey of the Cincinnati Reds has another claim to fame besides the 17-11 won lost record he had with the club last year. Here he holds ten baseballs, five in each hand as the team opened spring training with batterymen reporting. photo: UPI Telephoto 2/22/1961
Holding ten baseballs is some sort of accomplishment, but Bob Purkey’s 1961 season would culminate in the Reds reaching the World Series. For the year, the six foot two righty posted 16 wins against 12 losses with a 3.73 ERA. Continue reading
Mr. Ed, featuring a talking horse, was a sit-com success from 1961-1966 primarily airing on CBS.
The premise Continue reading
You never know what you’ll find at a flea market. Someone at the Stormville, NY Yard Sale in September had Marches Of The Israel Defense Forces. I took a picture of the LP but somehow deleted it. The photo below is from eBay.
Whatever possessed Columbia Records to release this?
Did this album sell even 100 copies?
So the only other thing to contemplate is what does the music sound like? Continue reading
Season Greetings
Hollywood, Calif: “Gott Nytt Arr” – Well that’s what lovely Ann-Margret would say at this time of year in her native Sweden. In Hollywood where she stars in Columbia’s holiday release, “Murderers’ Row” the actress wishes everyone a “Happy New Year” in this manner. photo: UPI 12/27/1966
Ann-Margret Olsson known professionally by her hyphenated first name is still active in show business. She turns 82 on April 28.
Ann-Margret was discovered singing and dancing in a nightclub Continue reading
Pittsburgh’s Maury Wills is caught stealing third in the eighth inning as Giants third baseman Jim Ray Hart applies the tag, umpire Augie Donatelli signals Wills out. June 13, 1968 photo: Russ Reed
The new rule changes scheduled to go into effect in 2023 might result in more stolen bases. The bases will be physically larger increasing Continue reading
Pirates pitcher Clem Labine pours champagne into coach Frank Oceak’s mouth after the Pirates game seven victory.
One of the most dramatic World Series victories occurred 62 years ago today when Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski Continue reading
While recently visiting my 14-year-old nephew who lives in Orange County, CA, I asked him when he travels what airport does he fly out of?
He replied,” John Wayne Airport.”
It then occurred to me, “do you know who John Wayne is?” I queried him.
The answer should not have surprised me. The answer of course was no. “A politician,” he guessed.
I mean fame is fleeting but for goodness sake, John Wayne? Continue reading
The lesson in big league ball after hitting a home run used to be- get ready to hit the deck.
Pitchers would routinely throw at hitters on their next at bat after homering. And not for showboating like players do today by standing in the batters box admiring their blast or flipping the bat.
No, all you had to do in the old days was hit a home run and certain pitchers would make sure that you would end up on your keister during your next trip to the plate. A pitcher who does that today risks ejection, suspension and the batter charging the mound to pummel the pitcher.
The news slug says:
St. Paul – Minneapolis, June 9, 1969. A NEW TWIST. Boston Red Sox Carl Yastrzemski (8) twists away from home plate on brush-back pitch from Minnesota Twins pitcher Tom Hall in the 5th inning of American League game Monday in the Twin Cities. Yastrzemski lead off in first inning with a home run. Minnesota catcher John Roseboro gloves ball. photo: AP
While today it might be considered very creepy, “Old Blue Eyes,” Frank Sinatra did marry Mia Farrow on July 19, 1966. Frank was 50-years-old and Mia was 21. Continue reading
