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The Hottest Ticket in Town? Derek Jeter's Farewell Tour

 

Right under a brilliant blue sky, a stun gun was recently discharged into a sea of shocked baseball fans from coast-to-coast.

New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter, ``Captain Clutch’’ or ``Mr. November’’ if you prefer, stunned the baseball world on Wednesday afternoon in announcing that the 2014 baseball season, his 20th season in pinstripes, will be his last.

The five-time Gold Glove winner dropped the bombshell, not in a stuffy press room packed with sharp-elbowed reporters or cameras whirring and hot lights beaming down on him, but through his Facebook Page http://is.gd/j2M64x . 

After explaining how difficult last season was during his injury-plagued season and thanking fans for their unwavering support over the last two decades, the All-Star shortstop went on to write: ``It is time for the next chapter. I have new dreams and aspirations, and I want new challenges. There are many things I want to do in business and philanthropic work, in addition to focusing more on my personal life and starting a family of my own. And I want the ability to move at my own pace, see the world and finally have a summer vacation.’’

According to a Facebook spokesperson, the online social networking service wasn’t at liberty to disclose the total number of page views Jeter’s announcement received, but as of this writing, his posting was liked by 72,758 online users, shared by another 55,994 and received 12,449 comments. All-Star numbers, to be sure.

Now, let the bidding begin.

As soon as the stunning announcement reached baseball fans ears Wednesday afternoon, a great many of those fans undoubtedly punched in the regular season schedule on an Internet search in order to find out when the Yankees, and their exceptionally gifted captain, would blow through town for the final time.

As you might imagine, tickets for the aging matinee idols final curtain call will come at a steep price. At Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, in particular, tickets for Jeter’s final games at either of those baseball rich stadiums are in a league of their own compared with other ballparks around the country.

Forbes Magazine http://is.gd/nQHPPj  reported that Jeter’s final regular season game at Yankees Stadium on September 25th has registered an average ticket price of $1,153, up 279 percent since the news broke around 2:00 p.m. eastern time.

According to Connor Gregoire, Communications Analyst at SeatGeek http://is.gd/F7ZyKj ,  a website that provides search and price forecasting for consumers purchasing sports, concert, and theater tickets on the secondary ticket market, the cheapest tickets available for Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park are hovering around $310-$330 at this point with standing room only tickets for game 162 in Boston available for $300.

The $1,000 or more ticket prices that are being reported by different news organizations and online sites is really just the asking price, the average amount buyers are actually spending on tickets since Jeter's announcement yesterday, is closer to $500 per ticket for each game-still a hefty amount; and according to Gregoire, ``far and away the highest average we've seen for a regular season game since we started monitoring the secondary market in 2009.’’

Within the last 24 hours, other cities listing the most dramatic fluctuation for the all-star’s final tour have been Detroit (Aug. 26-28), St. Louis (May 26-28) and Baltimore (Sept. 12-14), but Gregoire is quick to stress ``there's been an uptick in the number of sales and the price of tickets for almost all of his last stops. ''

Jeter's last games in Queens (Mets) and at Wrigley Field (Cubs) are clearly the most expensive (outside of Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park), while the cheapest are in markets like Cleveland, Tampa Bay and Toronto that historically have some of the lowest ticket resale prices in baseball, Gregoire informs me.

The difference of ticket prices between the North and the South Sides of Chicago is striking: A ticket for Jeter’s last game at U.S. Cellular Field for a White Sox game can be scooped up for an economical $22, a third of what a ticket for Jeter’s final game at Wrigley on the North Side is going for: $62.

While tickets for the future Hall of Famer’s final hurrah are likely to be pricey, it’s worth pointing out; just like the best laid plans of mice and men can often go awry, so too can they go awry for the boys of summer.

The ticket price for Jeter's final games will be determined by a number of factors, the most prominent being his health, that is, if he doesn't land on the DL before the end of the season; the other determining factor is tied to the Yankees playoff chances.

According to Gregoire, ``if Jeter lands on the DL in the lead up to any of these games, prices will fall. If the Yankees are running away with the AL East in mid-to-late September, the same thing will happen for the regular season finale in the Bronx.’’ ``On the other hand’’, Gregoire says, ``if they're eliminated or likely to miss the playoffs at that point, prices for that game could go even higher.’’

What follows is a brief breakdown of the current average ticket price and minimum asking price for Jeter's farewell games outside of the Bronx and Boston.

9/17...Tampa Bay: $76 / $39
9/17...Tampa Bay: $76 / $39
9/14...Baltimore: $97 / $42
8/31...Toronto: $82 / $22
8/28...Detroit: $81 / $42
7/30...Texas: $83 / $34
7/10...Cleveland: $74 / $30
7/6...Minnesota: $90 / $39
6/15...Oakland: $118 / $33
6/12...Seattle: $98 / $29
6/9...Kansas City: $96 / $36
5/28...St. Louis: $118 / $44
5/25...Chicago (AL): $90 / $22
5/21...Chicago (NL): $141 / $62
5/15...New York (NL): $144 / $72
5/11...Milwaukee: $78 / $34
5/17...LA/Anaheim: $125 / $38
4/3...Houston: $129 / $46

Source: SeatGeek Inc.

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-Bill Lucey

[email protected]

February 13, 2014

Sochi Preview: Assessing the Newspaper Culture in Russia

Have you ever wondered what the newspaper culture is like in Russia compared with western countries, such as in the U.S. and the U.K.?

With approximately 13,000 journalists approved with press credentials for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games beginning on Friday in Sochi, a city located on the shore of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Western Caucasus mountain region, the environment should be ripe for a blistering amount of newspapers, tabloids, and broadsheets being absorbed by tourists and local inhabitants at restaurants, cafes, and the lobby’s of plush hotel rooms.

But when discussing the newspaper culture in Russia, you need to keep two things in mind: The first is that the vast majority of Russians rely on state-controlled television rather than print newspapers for their information. The other is that we’re well into the 21st century and living in the age of the Internet, smartphones, and other mobile devices; so print news publications, much like the U.S. and U.K., are becoming less relevant.

If you were to pop your head into a café or bakery in any major city in Russia, you’ll likely find most customers not flipping through a newspaper, but more likely combing the Internet on their ipads , smartphones, or parked in front of an Internet bank.

According to the global market and research firm TNS; the number of Internet users in Russia has leaped to 70 million, representing 50 percent of the population. In April, 2012, Russia’s largest browser Yandex, moreover, reported 19 million visitors a day, more than the popular state-controlled Channel One with an audience of nearly 18 million.

This is not to suggest that Russia is without worthwhile print news publications.

William Pomeranz, Deputy Director of the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies of the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., tells me, ``at the very top, there are some very strong quality newspapers that have strong economics and foreign affairs sections and discuss Russian politics and foreign affairs without getting to close to specifically discussing [Russian president] Vladimir Putin. ‘’

And though many of these newspapers have limited circulation, Pomeranz admits, ``they allow the engaged middle class to follow these debates in an informed manner. The quality newspapers have a lot of good information.’’

The problem of plummeting circulation, prevalent with so many metro dailies in the United States, Pomeranz informs me, isn’t much different in Russia; only that it’s much worse in the Russian regions, where there is markedly less money to support newspapers.

And many newspapers, some might be surprised to learn; don’t shy away from some of the more contentious issues gripping the Russian Federation. When the feminist protest band, Pussy Riot, were locked up for staging a blasphemous performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior in February, 2012, a number of newspapers in Russia editorialized about the world wide outcry and were surprisingly highly critical of the jailing, not so much of the strong arm tactics of Putin specifically, but of the process and how the law was interpreted, according to Pomeranz. 

By and large, however, despite freedom of expression and of the press guaranteed in the Russian constitution, at least on paper, in practice, accessing information, whether through the judiciary or other government institutions is a mighty tall order, if not impossible, for a great many journalists. Russia's powerful and corrupt court system, many argue, are used to silence those journalists bold enough to report widespread governmental abuses.

More troublingly, according to Freedom House, an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world, ``journalists in 2012 faced the threat of intimidation or physical attack when covering sensitive topics such as the situation in the restive North Caucasus, government corruption, organized crime, police torture, electoral violations, and opposition activities and protests.''

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), two journalists were killed in Russia in 2013, Akhmednabi Akhmednabiyev, a deputy editor of the independent news outlet Novoye Delo who was gunned down outside his home; the other was Mikhail Beketov, former editor of the independent newspaper Khimkinskaya Pravda in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, who died in the hospital after a choking incident.

Buck Ryan, an associate professor of journalism at the University of Kentucky and director of the Citizen Kentucky Project of the Scripps Howard First Amendment Center, who in September 2013 spent 10 days in Moscow speaking with journalism faculty and students at Russia's premier journalism school at Lomonosov Moscow State University, says freedom of expression in Russia is a ``negotiated dance.’’

``I've done newspaper workshops on four continents’’, Ryan told me, `` but Russia was the only place where opening remarks were provided by the government official/news media handler for the district.’’

Despite the restrictive press freedom, Ryan emphasizes that the most open forms of expression in the country can be found online, most prominently through social media, either affiliated with the few independent newspapers or through the 42 million blogs, such as drugoi [photojournalistic online magazine]; or ibigdan [news aggregator].

Another way to better appreciate the dissemination of news in Russia is to understand that newspapers are not nearly as influential as The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal are in the United States. Rather, newspapers in Russia not only have much less circulation, but more importantly, they’re largely balkanized with different segments of the Russian population gravitating toward the publication consistent with their particular viewpoint. So, for example, Rossiskaya Gazeta, a Russian government daily newspaper of record, which publishes the official decrees, statements and documents of state bodies, is predominantly read by officials and bureaucrats and those wanting to understand the official viewpoint, while Kommersant a nationally distributed daily newspaper devoted to politics and business, is for the most part consumed by the business elite. 

Greg Simons, a senior researcher at the Department of Eurasian Studies at Uppsala University and a lecturer at the Department of Communication Science at Turiba University in Riga, Latvia, remarked that newspapers in Russia, periodically, are bought by business elites for a variety of reasons: to gain political capital by promoting the owner’s interest, damaging the reputation of a chief rival, or other times merely to advance their own agenda through unabashed self-promotion. Such scenarios, Simon says, ``was especially obvious during the so-called Information wars of the mid-1990s when there was an all out and very bitter and open struggle between rival businessmen.’’ ``Hard news’’ Simons argues, ``is becoming more problematic to work in due to it becoming very politicized.’’

An additional reason for the sinking newspaper circulation in Russia, Simons stresses, has to do with disposable income. The price for many news publications have increased (they were subsidized during the Soviet regime); and with money being so scare-most Russians opt for the free medium in acquiring news, which is television, even though most viewers know they may not be getting the full story of a particular issue, since the Kremlin, beginning in the 2000’s, secured control over the most popular channels.

So as we inch closer to the official start of the Winter Games in Sochi; let's hope the biggest stories splashed across a good number newspapers around the world involves the herculean efforts of the athletes from 88 countries valiantly competing for medals; and not about the repressive climate for information gatherers and that full media freedom will be extended to the estimated 13,000 journalists with press credentials.

-Bill Lucey
[email protected]
February 4, 2014

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Brief Historic Overview of Newspapers in Russia

• Vedomosti was the first printed newspaper in Russia, issued by the decree of Emperor Peter the Great on December 16, 1702.

• Russia's first privately daily newspaper was the Severnaya Pchela (Northern Bee) which started publishing daily in 1838, a publication chiefly charged with echoing the imperial prerogatives of Emperor Nicholas I.

• Nicholas I appointed a special committee to censor the press, forcing writers such as I.G. Golovin and Alexander Herzen to publish their journals and books in other major cities outside of Russia, such as Paris and London.

• In an effort to improve education and increase literacy, Russian Emperor Alexander II, beginning in 1855, encouraged the creation of privately owned newspapers through the relaxing of censorship restrictions, permitting street sales, and extending freedoms to commercial advertising.

• The first independent commercial newspaper was Golos (The Voice), a reformist daily founded by Andrei A. Kraevsky in Moscow in 1863.

• By 1870, there were 79 Russian-language newspapers in operation, nearly five times as many as a decade earlier.

• In 1881, Alexander II was assassinated by nihilists of "Will of the People" only to be succeeded by Alexander III, who enacted a series of anti-terrorism laws, restricting civil rights and freedom of the press.

• After the 1905 revolution, the press for a brief period, was freed from prepublication controls, resulting in increased newspaper circulation.

• Once Bolshevik publications such as Iskra and Pravda founded by V.I. Lenin in 1900 and 1910 respectively, increased their hostile attacks on the imperial regime, a fresh crackdown on independent newspapers ensued.

• When Lenin assumed power in 1917, he closed over 300 opposition papers and established a system of tight controls, including the banning of the conservative American press from Russia.

• During the Leninist period (1917-1925), an official newspaper for the Soviet state (Izvestia) was founded to go along with the Communist Party paper Pravda.

• A formal censorship office, referred to as Glavlit was established in 1922.

• A state information system run by the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) was created in 1925.

• 1990: 28th Party Congress; Supreme Soviet passes a law to lift censorship from the press.

• 2006: Two Russian newspapers closed after publishing the Danish cartoons of the prophet Muhammad that ignited worldwide demonstrations with one of the editors being charged with inciting hatred.

• Most recent figures suggest that there are 8,978 newspapers in Russia, with a total annual circulation of 8.2 billion copies.

Source: ``A Historical Dictionary of Journalism’’ By Ross Eaman; ``The Media In Russia’’ By Arutunyan, Anna

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About Sochi

• Sochi is a southern Russian city located in the Krasnodar Region, stretching approximately 90 miles along the eastern coast of the Black Sea.

• Founded in 1837 as a military fortification.

• In 1898, the Special State Commission designated the region as an ideal setting for a health resort.

• In 1909, the first real estate complex, Caucasian Riviera, consisting of four hotels, a restaurant, a theatre, a hydropathic and an electric power station was introduced.

• Helped by generous state subsidies, the region experienced rapid growth beginning in the 1930's, transforming the city into a flourishing health-resort, receiving 4,000,000 tourists annually, including 200,000 from abroad.

• During World War II, given its large supply of hotels and sanatoria, one of the largest military hospitals was established in Sochi.

• In the early 1960's, the coastal strip encompassing several towns, some tens of villages, including the city of Sochi were incorporated into a new administrative unit-of Greater Sochi.

• Greater Sochi is some 93 miles long, making it the world's second-largest metropolis after Los Angeles.

• Most of Sochi's territory consists of mountains and foothills of the Western Caucasus, covered with forests.

• Sochi is reportedly the warmest place in Russia. The climate is subtropical and the city records about 200 sunny days a year. Temperatures average 24 ˚ C (75 F) during the day in the summer and 5 ˚ C (41 F) in the winter. Tourists typically take to the sea for swimming from April until October with skiing taking place from October through May.

• Sochi has a population of more than 400,000, comprised of more than 90 nationalities, including Russian, Armenia, Ukrainian, Georgian, and Greek.

• Over two million tourists visit Sochi annually with its spa facilities numbering over 250.

***
Key Facts about the Winter Games

• 88 countries will participate in the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

• 98 sets of medals will be awarded in 7 Olympic sports.

• 6,000 Olympic athletes and team members are expected in Sochi for the Olympic Winter Games.

• An estimated 3 billion television viewers throughout the world will be watching the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

• There will be 17 days of competition.

• Seats at the opening ceremony on February 7 are priced at between $793 and $1,838.

• About 213,000 visitors are expected to come to Sochi, which borders Russia's tumultuous North Caucasus republics. Two suicide bombings killed 34 people in Volgograd on December 29, 2013, roughly 434 miles north of Sochi.

• The North Caucasus, approximately 62 miles east of Sochi, is considered the most dangerous place in Russia, ranking it among the top five most dangerous places in the world involving terrorism.

• The Washington Post recently reported that from January to September of 2013, 375 people were killed and 343 wounded in the North Caucasus region, including 68 civilians, 100 police officers and 200 terrorists. Between October and December, three suicide bombers-trained in Dagestan (300 miles east of Sochi)-killed more than 40 people.

• President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly indicated security will be guaranteed in Sochi, with about 40,000 personnel firmly entrenched in the area.

• According to The Wall Street Journal, the price tag of holding the Olympics in Sochi has reached $50 billion, making it the most expensive Olympic Games in history, more than the approximately $40 billion spent by China on the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, by contrast, cost more than $7 billion.

Source: The Embassy of the Russian Federation http://is.gd/6sqjOs ; Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Press Service http://is.gd/IN1R3K

Baseball Writers React to MLB's Latest Challenge: Expanded Replays

Tiger skipper Jim Leyland expressing himself in 2011. Photo Credit: AP

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The winds of change are blowing across the American landscape.

Never more so than with our national pastime.

Just last Thursday; all 30 teams approved expanded instant replay for the upcoming season at Major League Baseball’s quarterly owners meetings in Paradise Valley, Ariz.

Prior to this historic change, replays were limited to boundary calls involving home-runs, when the umpire-in-chief, at his sole discretion, would gather with his crew to review a questionable call.

With this new and approved replay system, 90 percent of calls are now subject to review, including ground-rule doubles, fan interference, boundary calls, bang-bang plays at first base, force plays, tag plays, fair-foul and trap plays in the outfield, hit by pitch, touching the base, passing runners and any dispute involving ball-strike counts, outs, score or substitutions.

Based roughly on the NFL model, each manager will have one challenge a game. If his challenge is upheld, he keeps the challenge; otherwise he’ll lose the option of challenging a call for the rest of the game, even if a clearly botched call occurs. A manager will never have more than two challenges per game.

Beginning in the 7th inning, the crew chief has the ability to initiate a review.

Unlike previous seasons when umpires would review disputed home run calls themselves, under the system recently approved, all reviews will be conducted at the Replay Command Center at MLBAM headquarters in New York.

Another significant change approved by the league that will unquestionably be a big hit with fans is the provision that allows stadiums to show replays, including controversial or disputed plays, on their in-park video boards.

Clearly, expanded replay was long overdue; its execution was just a matter of time. Umpires, after all, aren’t as ubiquitous as we would like them to be; they are, at times, out of position to make the correct call, at times their eyes play tricks on them, other times, they fall prey to human error and simply blow the call.

The only question is if expanded replays means fans can expect to stay in the yard for up to 4 ½ and 5 hours, especially during the early days of this new system, when managers will be experimenting with their new privileges, egged on in many cases by fans, who after seeing a replay that went against the home team splashed on the scoreboard, will undoubtedly voice their displeasure with an earsplitting chorus of boos.

And with replays being reviewed not by the umpires at the game, but from MLB headquarters in New York, you wonder if this is setting the stage for a painful, time-consuming process that will stretch the game to an uncomfortable length.

With this in mind, I put these very questions to a number of seasoned baseball beat writers and sports columnists in order to get their take on this momentous change with our national pastime.

Here, then, are some responses:

``My guess is that a very high percentage of challenges will be upheld. (You'd think 50-50 or 60-40, my guess 90-10. But just a guess.) So, there will be very few time-wasting (rejected) challenges. As a result, fans will probably accept the slight added time because, in most cases, there will be a change of a "bad call" into a correct call. Also, you'll save the "argument time." Nobody will argue. (Too bad.) A lost challenge may be considered a fairly major screw up. Ironically, it's possible baseball will be the only sport where one challenge (before the late innings) will be enough.

There's little/no chance that it adds a lot of time in my opinion. Unless it turns out that umps are awful and miss a ton of calls which really need to be challenge/changed. I doubt that's the case. But we'll see. I'm really looking forward to it. You can (in theory) always go back to the "old system." At worst, maybe some damage/delay. At best, and I think it's a possibility, baseball turns out to be the best-suited game to replay. What's fun is that it's easy to anticipate the impact but hard to actually know it.’’

-Thomas Boswell, sports columnist, The Washington Post.

***
``I'm sure most people -- fans, writers, baseball people -- like the replay idea, but I say if pitchers, hitters and fielders can make mistakes, why not umpires? Players cost their teams far more games than umpires do. Everyone makes mistakes. If everyone were perfect, games would become boring.

The best thing to come out of this is eight more umpires get major league jobs and don't have to languish in the minors. It'll actually be more than eight because those eight will get in-season vacations just like the others.’’

-Murray Chass, former sportswriter for The New York Times; who continues to write on baseball at his personal website: http://www.murraychass.com . Mr. Chass recently devoted a column to the expanded replays in which he was decidedly critical of the new system. His column can be read at the following link:  http://is.gd/GKWvfu  

***

``I think the expanded replay generally will work well, although I do expect some hiccups at the start. I do not think delays will be a major issue. Many games won’t have any reviewable calls, and I think only rarely will there be more than one in the same game-although the ones with multiple reviews invariably will be the most high-profile games.’’ Given that, I think it will add significantly to time in only a small amount of games. The way the rules have been explained, I can envision arguments over whether plays at second base should be reviewable because of drops, or not reviewable because of the `neighborhood play’ exclusion.’’

-Ron Blum, AP sportswriter.

***
``Concerns are significant and legitimate, and they go all the way to the top of baseball. The greatest concern from those at the league instituting replay wasn't the technology. It was the pace of game and what replay would do. Most of the time, I think, the home office is going to do a lot better than the on-field umpires would. And ultimately, if the technology is there to get the call right, it's incumbent on the league to do as much.

Hopefully, over the next few years, not only will the league streamline replay to make it as efficient as possible but enforce simple rules like staying in the batter's box that could knock time off the game. Will it be enough? Much of it depends on the effectiveness of MLB's system. I'm OK with it for now, but then I'm someone who can sit and watch a four-hour game without pause. The greatest litmus test will be the average fan, and once a reply takes too long or doesn't overturn a wrong call, the howls will come and the complaints will flow. Over time, as long as the league recognizes and acknowledges them, they will abate.''

-Jeff Passan, lead baseball columnist at Yahoo! Sports

***

``I agree it could extend the time of games.

Imagine a Red Sox-Yankee game which regularly drags on to 3 1/2 hours or more? Add several challenges and the required reviews and you'd have to take a nap to get through. Baseball already suffers from games that are too long for the modern society to cope with. We have become an ADD world, unfortunately. Add several replays a game and TV sets will be shut off across America.

Lastly, when did human error in a sporting event become actionable? The history of sport is filled with - and better for - the occasional human error. That should not only apply to the players. Umpires are proven right most of the time. Not all because they are not in fallible. Human error makes the whole exercise more, well, human!’’

-Ron Borges, sportswriter for The Boston Herald

****

``I cover the Yankees. Four-hour games were already a possibility every time I went to work. I'd rather see them get the plays right. If it takes a few minutes longer, so be it.’’

-Mark Feinsand, Yankees beat writer for the N.Y. Daily News

***

``Before the technologies in replays, particular digitally, were common, everyone was concerned about the length of games. Umps were encouraged to do all they could to speed up play. Length of games no longer became a topic of conversation. But now that mistakes are blown up on screens the size of moving vans, the mistakes are more obvious. That, apparently, has trumped everyone's list of grievances, including length of games. I could see this adding five to 10 minutes to games, but I don't think it will be a big problem. The important thing is to get it right, even if it takes a little longer.’’

-Kevin Sherrington, sports columnist, Dallas Morning News

****
``My first impulse is, too much too soon. But I think what would've been better would've been a limited intro so we could see for a full year just how much time we're talking about game to game, and how quickly disputes will be resolved.’’

-Mike Vaccaro, lead sports columnist for The New York Post

 

***
``There will be hiccups. But I talked with Tony La Russa about it, and he's confident that the delays will be minimal. They need to make sure on challenge plays that no argument allowed. ‘’

-Troy Renck, Colorado Rockies beat writer for The Denver Post

 

***
``I don't think the time of game issue is terribly significant. There really aren't that many plays in the average baseball game that will require review (probably an average of two or fewer) and the time taken to review them should be offset by the time not taken for the manage.''

-Peter Schmuck, sports columnist and blogger for The Baltimore Sun

*** 

``I haven't studied the new rules to the point of making a full judgment. But I'm against challenges in any sport. Once you've run out of challenges (before the 7th inning, in MLB's case), you can't use the technology. And I fear the games will run long with managers deciding whether to challenge. Apparently, they or their coaches will be able to check replays before making that decision. I also think the umpiring review crew should be on-site, and that they should make all decisions on whether to watch replays.’’

-Bruce Jenkins, national sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle.

****

-Bill Lucey
[email protected]
January 23, 2014

The Day the Camera Blinked at the Rose Bowl

Woody Hayes.  Photo Credit: ART RODGERS / LOS ANGELES TIMES

Times photographer Art Rogers shows Pasadena police officer Jay D’Angelo how he was holding his camera when shoved by Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes before Rose Bowl football game.  Rogers filed a complaint with the Pasadena Police Dept. (Credit: Steve Fontanini/Los Angeles Times).

****

They say the camera never blinks.

Well, it might have flinched, just a bit on January 1, 1973 during the Rose Bowl, when Ohio State Buckeyes celebrated coach Woody Hayes preparing for battle against USC, shoved L.A. Times photographer Art Rogers’ camera into his face. It was reportedly no minor shove, since Rogers required medical treatment.

According to Rogers, he was one of a half dozen persons photographing the coach huddling with his team during warmup drills, just minutes before the start of the game. As the huddle broke, Rogers positioned himself low, using a long lens before Hayes charged out and jammed the camera into his forehead.

“That ought to take care of you, you son of a bitch,” Hayes growled.

Hayes told an AP reporter: ``This photographer kept pushing in and trying to get a picture of me at close range…I turned my back on him and he went around on the other side and stuck the camera in my face again.

“This time I pushed the camera away and made some remark, but I did not hit him. I just made a shoving motion to get the camera out of my face.”

During a post-game interview, when asked to give his version of events, Hayes exploded into a tirade: “Oh, for Jesus Christ’s sake, forget it,” he snapped and threw the microphone he was holding onto the floor. “That’s the end of this interview. Those are really big stories.” Before storming past reporters, the OSU coach, howled: “He (Rogers) wasn’t hurt.”

A misdemeanor battery charge filed against Hayes with the Pasadena Police Department was subsequently dropped by Rogers because he reportedly “had received an ‘appropriate communication’ from Hayes.”

The L.A. Times provides a detailed report of the whole twisted affair of ``Shovegate’’ in their photography blog, Framework.  http://is.gd/vVD08W

But the biggest blow suffered during the day, as it turned out, wasn’t the L.A. Times photographer, but the Ohio State Buckeyes who were trounced by the Trojans, especially by USC running back Sam "Bam" Cunningham (who scored four touchdowns), 42-17 in Pasadena.

Bill Lucey
[email protected]
January 1, 2014

Paul Dickson and His Collection of Rules to Live By

 

Where would we be without rules?

There are rules of grammar, essential rules of etiquette, rules governing mandatory health insurance, after the housing collapse-there are now new rules of real estate; Baseball, our National Pastime, will likely approve new rules for the 2014 season; even our favorite social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter have their own set of rules.

So if you are one of those individuals who live by the rules and die by the rules-you’ll probably want to dip into Paul Dickson’s new book: ``The Official Rules: 5,427 Laws, Principles, and Axioms to Help You Cope with Crisis, Deadlines, Bad Luck, Rude Behavior, Red Tape, and Attacks by Inanimate Objects.’’

Beginning in 1976, for reasons known only to himself, Mr. Dickson inserted dividers into a shoebox and started gathering rules that govern our twisted universe, from the ridiculous to the sublime on small sheets of paper. This new enterprise of collecting rules on everything and anything imaginable under the sun was given the flamboyant title: ``The Murphy Center for the Codification of Human and Organizational Law,’’a spin-off, of course, on Murphy’s Law (``Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" ). Dickson took the liberty of appointing himself its first director; and beginning in 1989, he was promoted to ``Director for Life.’’

Over the decades, this Yonkers, New York native began collecting contributions from journalists, self-proclaimed prophets and philosophers, along with everyday observers of life’s little foibles from sea to shining sea. Of particular help to him have been writer Fred Dryer, Wall Street Journal columnist, Alan Otten, Jack Womeldorf of the Library of Congress; Robert Specht of the RAND Corp; the John Erhman file at Stanford University, and the University of Arizona Computing Center.

Armed with two dozen shoeboxes and two file drawers, in 1978, the Center published its first book: ``The Official Rules’’ alphabetically arranged with special sections. The book took off like a Boeing jumbo jet.

Within just a few months of its release, thousands of letters from readers, listing their personal maxims, rules, principles etc., numbering about 5,000, came pouring in.  With so much new material, Dickson turned out a number of magazine articles, including 10 for the Washingtonian magazine between 1978 and 1996. And in 1989, another edition hit the bookstores: ``The New Official Rules.’’

At the dawn of the 21^st century, the responses Dickson was receiving continued to be overwhelming, especially in the computer age-when swarms of letters turned into a mountain of emails.

So as we cope with the many trials and tribulations of a new millineuium with its fresh set of challenges and new obstacles and with an eye toward reminding ourselves, now and again, that not everyone’s perfect (even Betty Crocker burned a few cakes) , Dickson has published yet another updated edition of ``The Official Rules.’’

Paul Dickson should be no stranger to readers, especially if you’re a baseball fan. ``The Dickson Baseball Dictionary,’’ which has been published in three editions (1989, 1999, 2009) was described by the Wall Street Journal in 2010 as one of the six best baseball books ever published. In addition to publishing scores of books on baseball and 20th century history, Dickson has authored more than 45 nonfiction books, including: `` Drunk: The Definitive Drinker's Dictionary'', ``Journalese: A Dictionary for Deciphering the News'', ``Slang: A Topical Dictionary of Americanisms’ ‘and ``Toasts: Over 1,500 of the Best Toasts, Sentiments, Blessings, and Graces.''

In 2012 Dickson was awarded the Henry Chadwick Award from the Society for Baseball Research (SABR) for his lifetime achievements as a baseball researcher and scholar; and in 2011, he was the recipient of the Tony Salin Award from the Baseball Reliquary for his contributions to the preservation of the history of the game.

A founding member and former president of Washington Independent Writers and a member of the National Press Club, Dickson lives in Garrett Park, Maryland with his wife Nancy who works as his first line editor, and financial manager.

So to give you a sense of some of the many gems tucked between the covers of  Dickson’s ``Official Rules’’, I listed some which caught my eye:

 

• Adam’s Political Discovery: ``Practical politics consist of ignoring facts.’’

-Historian Henry Adams.

 

• Armor’s Axiom of Morality: ``Virtue is the failure to achieve vice.’’

-John C. Armor, Baltimore, Maryland.

 

• Berra’s Law: ``You can observe a lot by watching.’’

–Yogi Berra.

 

• The City News Motto: ``If your mother says she loves you, check it out.’’

-Long established motto of Chicago’s City News Bureau, organized a century ago by several newspaper publishers and closed in 2005. It was known for its demanding training of young reporters, including Mike Royko and Seymour Hersh.

 

• Cook’s Rule: ``All politics is local, except when it isn’t.’’

-Charlie Cook, Editor and Publisher of the ``Cook Political Report.’’

 

• Crisp’s Creed: ``Don’t keep up with the Joneses; drag them down, it’s cheaper.’’

-Quentin Crisp: from Richard Isaac, M.D., Toronto, Canada.

 

• Dickens Discovery on Justice: ``If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers.’’

-Charles Dickens

 

• Dirksen’s Three Laws of Politics: 1.) ``Get elected.’’ 2.) ``Get re-elected.’’ 3.) ``Get even.’’

-Senator Everett Dirksen, U.S. Senator from Illinois.

 

• Gill’s Law of Life’s Highway: ``The road to success is always under construction.’’

- (Heard by Tom Gill).

 

• Sally’s First Law: ``10 minutes of eating equals one week of dieting.’’

-(From the Sally Forth comic strip of January 9, 1993).

 

• Tom Jones’s Law: ``Friends may come and go but enemies accumulate.’’

-Dr. Thomas Jones, president of the University of South Carolina.

 

• Truman’ s Law: ``If you can’t convince them, confuse them.’’

-President Harry S. Truman

 

• Twain’s Warning: ``Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.’’

-Samuel Clemens quoted in Richard Lederer’s column, Concord Monitor, November 18, 1985.

 

*Bonus Round

Bill Lucey's Proverbial Bill of Rights: 1.) ``'Tis impossible to be sure of any thing, but Death, Taxes, and a new Reality Show.'' 2.) ``He who hesitates is last.'' 3.) ``A journey of a thousand miles begins at Terminal 1, Boarding Area B, Gate 20 of United Airlines.'' 4.) ``A fool and his money are soon partying to the wee hours of the morning.'' 5.) ``If at first you don’t succeed-pack up your tent and quit.’’ 6.) ``No news is either good news or a  sure sign your local newspaper just folded.’’

 

-Bill Lucey

[email protected]

December 8, 2013

 

 

Tim McCarver Preparing For One Last Hurrah!

 

Photo Credit:  Paige Calamari/Getty Images

***

In the midst of calling his 24^th World Series as a baseball analyst and having served as a baseball commentator at a number of networks for 33 years, Tim McCarver, who just turned 72 this month, will call it quits at the conclusion of the 109^th Fall Classic between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.

McCarver was a member of the Cardinals during the 1967 World Series, when they beat the Red Sox in the decisive 7^th game at Fenway Park, so it seems only fitting that this will be his last.

Though he may be shutting down his analysis for Fox Sports, the former Cardinal and Phillies catcher isn’t calling it a retirement. He hates the word. Rather, as he told Charlie Rose earlier in the year, ``it`s time to cut back and do some of the things that I`ve always thought about doing.’’ He also told reporters during a conference call in March, 2013, “I wanted to step down while I know I can still do the job and be proud of the job I’ve done.”

Whatever opinion there may be about McCarver’s distinctive broadcasting style, and there are many-to be sure-his sharp wit, folksy humor, and uncanny knowledge of the intricacies and nuances of the game will be missed and not easily replaced.

Two examples come immediately to mind. One time during a World Series game, Mariano Rivera fielded a sacrifice bunt and rifled the ball to 2^nd base, throwing too high for Derek Jeter to handle. McCarver, who knows pitchers better than anyone, immediately weighed in, saying: ``pitchers have a hard time throwing to bases because they can’t throw anything straight.’’ And just last season during a Fox broadcast, a Red Sox runner on 1<sup>st</sup> was doubled up, after a sharply hit ball to the shortstop. Again, McCarver presented viewers with another indispensible rule of thumb: A runner should never allow himself to be doubled-up on a ball hit to the left side of the infield. ``Why?’’, McCarver said as if he were at the blackboard in a college classroom drilling his students, ``because even if the ball gets through, the runner on 1st won’t make it any further than 2^nd base.’’

Even the most casual observer of McCarver over the last two decades knows that this Emmy-Award winning color commentator is blessed with a mystifying ability to size up a situation during the course of the game, and almost like a fortune-teller peering into his crystal ball, predict its outcome, particularly if he detects pitfalls in the strategy.

In Game 5 of the 1990 NLCS, with the Cincinnati Reds trailing the Pittsburgh Pirates by a run, for example, Reds manager Lou Piniella employed a double-switch  in the bottom of the 8^th inning (sending in reliever Scott Scudder and back-up catcher Jeff Reed), but the Reds’ manager failed to put the weak-hitting Reed in the pitcher’s spot. Calling the game with Jack Buck on CBS, McCarver immediately pointed out a major oversight.  By not ``flip-flopping the lineup’’ (putting the pitcher in the 7^th spot and his reserve catcher in the 9^th spot), McCarver emphasized, Piniella risked having one of his worst offensive players at the plate with the game on the line in the ninth.

And just like he predicted, the Reds 9^th rally crumbled when Reed (a left-handed batter forced to face a left-handed pitcher) was induced into a 9^th inning game ending double-play.

But McCarver was at his prognosticating best in the 7^th game of the 2001 World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees.  With the score tied at 2 in the bottom of the 9^th, with only one out and the bases loaded, Luis Gonzalez of the D-Backs stepped to the plate.  With the winning run just 90 feet away, Yankee manager Joe Torre instructed the infield to come in. After Gonzalez fouled off Rivera’s first offering, McCarver voiced the following observation: `` The one problem,’’ McCarver told viewers, ``is Rivera throws inside to left-handers. Left-handers get a lot of broken bat hits into the shallow part of the outfield. That’s the danger of bringing the infield in with a guy like Rivera on the mound.’’

No sooner had those sage words of concern rolled off his tongue, than Gonzalez rapped a floater just over Jeter’s outstretched arm, landing softly on the edge of the outfield grass, just like McCarver cautioned. Game over! The Diamondbacks stunned the Yankees against the usually reliable, lights out Mariano Rivera.  It’s a tossup what was more memorable, Gonzalez’s Series winning bloop single or McCarver’s remarkable prescience.

Of course, even with all his amazing insight, McCarver has committed a few unforced errors during his distinguished broadcasting career, as a few of his detractors are all too eager to point out.  During the 2011 World Series, he said ``s-t-r-i-k-e is a five letter word.’’  In the in Game 5 of the ALCS between the Red Sox and Yankees after David Ortiz smashed a home run to right field, McCarver observed: ``Mount Everest erupts again.!’’ And occasionally McCarver states the obvious, like when he told his audience in 1993 that Darren Daulton of the Phillies uses his ``glove like a mitt.’’; or  the``one thing about ground balls, they don’t go out of the park.’’  Another McCarver pitch he probably wished he never delivered: ``Yankee pitchers have great success against [Miguel] Cabrera when they get him out.’’

And just like the best of them, McCarver has mangled a few names over the years as well. During the 1992 NLCS between the Pirates and Braves, he kept referring to Pirate rookie pitcher, Tim Wakefield, as ``Bill Wakefield.’’  An understandable miscue since McCarver was roommates with a Bill Wakefield during spring training in 1960. During the 2009 World Series, he referred to Derek Jeter as "Jerek Deter"; and once confused Albert Pujols with the retired Luis Pujols.

Clearly, the most stinging indictment against McCarver over the years is that he has a tendency to engage in philosophical rambling and has been much too critical, unnerving a number of players and managers.

Bob Ryan, retired Boston Globe columnist and still a Globe contributor, said of McCarver, ``All color men overdo it on occasion, but the criticisms of Tim McCarver are ludicrous. If he occasionally uses a word or historic reference some people don't understand, that would be their problem, not his. He will be missed.''

While covering the Mets during the 1980’s, McCarver criticized Darryl Strawberry for staying in the same place in the outfield, no matter who the hitter is, suggesting he would be able to handle more fly balls if he would only make some adjustments. Such a critique, seemingly benign, sparked the ire of Mets skipper Davey Johnson.  Never afraid to speak his mind, ended up costing McCarver his job with the Mets who fired him two months before the 1999 season. Rumors were rampant that his axing came at the urging of manager Bobby Valentine.

His confrontation with two-sport athlete Deion Sanders is infamous. During the 1992 NLCS, he called ``Prime Time’’ out for planning to play in the NFL and the NLCS on the same day.  ``How can he leave in the playoffs and go play in a football game?" McCarver intoned. "The way I look at it, that's just flat wrong and I guess could be construed as a breach of contract." McCarver’s biting comments resulted in him getting drenched with a bucket of ice water, three times in fact, by Deion in front of a national television audience when the Braves clinched the pennant.  Furious, McCarver shouted back: "You are a real man, Deion. I'll say that."

In 2008, just prior to the NLCS, McCarver called Manny Ramirez "despicable" criticizing him for his slothful, slipshod effort in Boston and how he suddenly, miraculously, turned it around in Los Angeles with the Dodgers.

But for all the criticisms heaped on McCarver over the years, his deep passion for the game and his predilection of never being afraid to tell the truth, when ``tough love’’ is needed, has earned him legions of fans and admirers along with mountains of respect among his contemporaries.

Dan Caesar, who covers sports media for the St Louis Post-Dispatch  says: ``McCarver is an icon, and the fact he sometimes has been a lightening rod on and off the air only enhances his aura''...``McCarver knew who he was working for — the person on the other end of the broadcast, not on the diamond or in the dugout. That is a key element that often gets lost on many former players who trek to the booth.''

George Vecsey (who now has a personal website at www.georgevecsey.com ) still a contributing sports columnist at The New York Times, even after his retirement, echoed similar thoughts. ``McCarver is professional and fearless. He never hesitated to criticize strategy, not in a personal way, but because he saw himself as a broadcaster, not a house man. He was a jock, but not enough to hinder him from making judgments on the spot’’ ``He can be overbearing with his puns and use of two-dollar words’’, Vecsey continues, ``but McCarver always loves and respects the game, and his craft.''

One of the most endearing attributes of McCarver is the way he remains firm in his ``old school’’ beliefs, even at the risk of seeming out of touch with American popular culture. Never is that more true than when it comes to social media, during an age when everyone these days seems to be twittering and plastering their smart phone pictures on Facebook.  ``There is nothing in my view more disturbing than social networking – nothing!’’ McCarver said just last year.

Of course, someone as cultured and tethered to refined literary expression as McCarver is, probably isn’t too concerned with being out of step with pop culture. From time to time, he likes to sprinkle his commentary with dashes of Shakespeare, like he did in 1997 when the Chicago Cubs were mired in a losing streak and he cited a line from  ``Love's Labour Lost.’’  ``Mirth cannot move a soul in agony'' McCarver expressed softly with his signature southern drawl.

When showering McCarver with accolades over his celebrated broadcasting career, there is a tendency to overlook the significant contributions he made on the field, other than he was a catcher to and a teammate of Hall of Famer Bob Gibson while with the Cardinals.

Beginning in 1959 at age 17, McCarver spent 10 seasons in St. Louis before joining the Phillies in 1970, where he remained until he was dealt to the Montreal Expos for catcher John Bateman on June 14, 1972. He finished the 1972 season in Montreal before being traded back to St. Louis during the offseason. 74 games into the 1974 season, the Boston Red Sox purchased his contract, but he was subsequently released on June 23, 1975. A little over a week later, he signed, once again, with the Phillies, playing in the outfield and at 1st. After only two games in 1980, he officially retired.

During his 21-year playing career, only one of 29 players to have appeared in four decades, McCarver distinguished himself as a two-time All-Star (1966 and 1967), played in three World Series (1964, 1967, 1968) caught two no-hitters (1971 and 1972) and smacked a dramatic three-run, 10th inning home run off New York's Pete Mikkelsen at Yankee Stadium in Game 5 of the 1964 World Series. McCarver was voted the Series MVP that year, batting .478 and leading his team to a spectacular seven game win over the New York Yankees. In the 1968 World Series in which St. Louis was pitted against the Detroit Tigers, (a Series the Cardinals lost in seven games) McCarver hit an impressive .333, with a home run and four RBIs.

McCarver would probably prefer not to be reminded about his Fourth of July blunder (July 4, 1976), when he belted a grand slam on the nation’s Bicentennial of all days at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh; only he got so excited he passed Phillies teammate Garry Maddox on the base paths, nullifying the slam. He was instead credited with a three-run single.

After his retirement in 1980, it didn’t take long for McCarver to jump into the broadcasting booth.  The Phillies hired him at WPHL-TV (Channel 17) from 1980 to 1982, to work alongside Harry Kalas, Rich Ashburn, Andy Musser and Chris Wheeler.  In 1980, he also worked as a backup ``Game of the Week’’ commentator for NBC.

In 1984, he was hired as a roving reporter for ABC Sports, talking with fans in the stands. When Howard Cosell got fired the following year (after his controversial autobiography was released) just days before the World Series, ABC paired McCarver with Al Michaels. He stayed with ABC through 1989. Beginning in 1990, he landed at CBS, working with Jack Buck in 1990 and 1991 and Sean McDonough in 1992 and 1993. In 1996, he was hired by Fox Sports, where he was paired with play-by-play announcer, Joe Buck.

Along the way, he had broadcasting stints with the New York Mets (1983-1998), their cross-town rivals New York Yankees (1999-2001), and the San Francisco Giants (2002). Taken together, spanning three decades, McCarver has worked at all four major networks: NBC, CBS, ABC and, currently, Fox.

Although ending his playing career with 1,501 hits, a .271 lifetime batting average, 97 dingers and 645 runs batted in, wasn't quite stellar enough to get him to Cooperstown as a player, he was the recipient of the 2012 Ford C. Frick award for broadcasting excellence and enshrined in the broadcasters' and sports writers' wing of the Hall of Fame, alongside his former colleague and friend, legendary Jack Buck, the father of his current Fox colleague, Joe Buck.

So for James Timothy "Tim" McCarver, the son of a police officer (fourth of five children), married to former Anne McDaniel since 1964 with two grown daughters, Kathy and Kelly, it has indeed been a road well traveled from his humble beginnings, coming as he did, from a working class Irish neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee to major league baseball star to national treasure and Hall of Fame recipient for his broadcasting excellence.

When it comes to encapsulating McCarver's illustrious broadcasting career and how much he'll be missed, no one sums it up better than George Vecsey of The New York Times, when he tells me: `` I will miss Tim on the broadcasts -- partially because we came along together, so to speak. But more to the point, he is sui generis, a former player who transcended that label.'' ``Essentially'', Vecsey underscores, ``he is a true believer, a smart, warm, honest guy. I hope he stays in the public ear.''

 

-Bill Lucey

[email protected]

October 30, 2013

 

 

Cardinals vs. Red Sox Epic 7-Game Clashes: 1946 and 1967

The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals will meet in the Fall Classic for the fourth time on Wednesday evening. They first met in 1946, then again in 1967, both times the Cardinals won the decisive 7^th game to win the World Series. Not until 2004, when both teams met for a third time, did the Red Sox beat the Redbirds in a four game sweep to claim their six World Series title.

In 2004, the phenomenal pitching of Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez silenced the Cardinals most potent hitter, Albert Pujols, who went without a home run or even an RBI over four games.  And with the gargantuan thunder of Manny Ramirez (the Series MVP) and David Ortiz (``Big Papi’’) the Cardinals found themselves outmuscled in practically every phase of the game. Terry Francona, moreover, became the third manager in four years to win a World Series in his first year as manager.

Most noteworthy about the Red Sox 2004 world championship was their success in finally, at long last, exorcising  the ``Curse of the Bambino’’, the mother of all curses, which was supposed to have been inflicted on the team when Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees in 1919. The Bambino was a pitcher for the Red Sox in 1918, the last time they won a World Series prior to 2004.

The Sox struck gold again in 2007, again in a four game sweep, this time over the Colorado Rockies.

So while memories of the Sox latest clash with the Cardinals are still fresh in most people’s minds, memories are a little foggy of the epic battles between the Cardinals and Red Sox in 1946 and 1967.

So to refresh your memories, I put together individual game summaries of all seven games between the Cards and Sox from the 1946 and 1967 World Series’. My summaries are based on game stories and columns from the Boston Globe and The New York Times in those years. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to gain access to the St. Louis Dispatch archives.

 

Starting lineups for the St Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox on Game One of the 1946 World Series

Lineup for the Cardinals

Red Schoendienst-2b

Terry Moore, cf

Stan Musial, 1b

Enos Slaughter, rf

Whitey Kurowski, 3b

Joe Garagiola, c

Harry Walker, lf

Marty Marion, ss

 

Lineup for Red Sox

Tom McBride, rf

Johnny Pesky, ss

Dom Dimaggio, cf

Ted Williams, lf

Rudy York, 1b

Bobby Doerr, 2b

Pinky Higgins, 3b

Hal Wagner, c

 

Game One

October 6, 1946

Sportsman’s Park

Boston-3

St. Louis-2

Weatherman predicted it would rain all day, but it turned out to be a warm sunny day at Sportsman Park in St. Louis with 36,218 euphoric fans in attendance.

It took 28 years, but the Red Sox finally made to another World Series. In Game 1, Boston was held to four scattered hits in the first eight innings. In the 9th, they strung together three hits, including Tommy McBride's hit that tied the game. In the 10th, Rudy York deposited one in the last row of the bleachers to put the Sox up, 3-2.

In the bottom of the 10th, Earl Johnson, the 27-year-old war veteran, twice-decorated on the battlefield of Europe and cited for his valor in World War II, took to the mound to preserve the Red Sox lead.  Boston skipper Joe Cronin reportedly strolled to the mound to speak with his relief pitcher. He asked him, ``What was that battle you were in on the other side?”  ``The Battle of the Bulge’’ answered Johnson.  ``This isn’t that tough’’ Cronin assured his reliever as walked back to the dugout.

Thanks to a defensive blunder by shortstop Johnny Pesky on Red Schoendienst’s grounder; and a sacrifice by Moore, the Cards had a runner on second with only one out. But Johnson induced Stan Musial into a grounder to his second baseman, Bobby Doerr; and then Enos Slaughter lifted a fly ball to right center before Wally Moses pulled it down for the final out.

It was the first extra-inning World Series since 1924.

In the second inning, the Cardinals put in motion the celebrated ``Williams Shift’’, with third baseman Whitey Kurowski moving to normal second base position and second baseman Red Schoendienst shifting toward first. It worked like a charm. Ted Williams grounded to Red Schoendienst.

 

Game Two

October 7, 1946

Sportsman’s Park

St. Louis-3

Boston-0

The weather in Game 2 was an unseasonably warm 80 degrees with 35, 815 fans in attendance at St. Louis

The Cardinals took Game 2, 3-0, getting the best of Boston’s southpaw, Mickey Harris, to even the Series at a game apiece.

Ted Williams, ``Thumping Theodore’’ as the paper’s described him, went hitless in four trips to the plate. Boston manager Joe Cronin lost the services of his catcher Roy Partee with a bruised thumb.

Southpaw Harry Brecheen, from Broken Bow, Okla., a 15-game winner during the regular season was the hero of the day.  In Game 2, he tossed a four hit shutout, throwing the Sox a steady diet of screwballs they couldn’t handle.

According to newspaper reports, the game was finished inside of two hours.

Former Cardinals slugger Rogers Hornsby doing some analysis of the Series, reportedly said of Ted Williams: ``Williams is gonna be a great hitter, but he'll never be great until he learns to hit to every field.''

In the 3^rd, Brecheen slapped a single to right, scoring Rice to the put the Cards up 1-0. St Louis added two more runs in the 5th, when Terry Moore shot a ball in the hole that deflected off the second baseman's glove and rolled into right-center field. The second run of the inning was added with runners on corners and the Boston infield unable to turn a double play, allowing Brecheen to cross the plate from third.

 

Game Three

October 9, 1946

Fenway Park

Boston-4

St. Louis-0

Rudy York of the Red Sox smashed a three run home run in the 1^st off Murry Dickson, his second game winning dinger of the Series.  York, the 33-year old veteran was traded by the Tigers last winter on the assumption his playing days were all but over. The Sox added another run in the 8^th.  David Ferriss was superb on the mound in keeping the Cards off the scoreboard and limiting them to six hits with one walk as the Sox cruised to a 4-0 win to take a 2-1 lead in the Series. Ferriss’ gem was the 50^th shutout in World Series history. The last Boston pitcher to toss a shutout during a World Series was Babe Ruth, who blanked the Cubs in 1918. Boston was 61-16 at Fenway during the 46’ season. 34,500 fans were in attendance. In the third inning, Ted Williams unexpectedly laid down a bunt toward the vacant third base line once he saw, once again, the seismic shift to the right side of the infield.  Williams smiled as he easily made it to 1^st, knowing he had caught the Cardinals infield flat-footed.  Despite an unproductive day for ``The Kid’’, radio reporters still mobbed the slugger in the clubhouse after the game. Williams would only say, ``it’s not my day, it’s Ferriss’ and York’s; give them all the praise.’’

Newspapers reported that Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey's sister, Emma Ouerbacker, had a $2,500 diamond and emerald platinum ring, a $150 pair of diamond and gold earrings and $40 in cash stolen from her hotel room. Bleacher seats, which numbered about 8,500, didn’t go on sale until 9:00 a.m. that morning and sold out in about two hours. In attendance were Massachusetts Governor Maurice J. Tobin and Boston Mayor James M. Curley

 

Game Four

October 10, 1946

Fenway Park

St Louis-12

Boston-3

35,645 in attendance. After three remarkable pitching performances by both teams, Game 4 turned into a dud. Cardinals turned out 20 hits, squaring the Series at two games apiece. The Boston Globe wrote the Sox played ``like married men at a church picnic.’’ Three Cardinals had four hits a piece: Slaughter, third baseman Whitey Kurowski, right-fielder Wally Moses, and Joe Garagiola, the 20-year-old rookie catcher. Garagiola knocked in three runs, as did Cardinal shortstop Marty Marion. Every Cardinal had at least one hit, matching a feat accomplished by the Cardinals in the 1934 World Series, the Reds in 1919 against the White Sox and the Yankees in 1936. George Munger, the big read-head, who just a few months ago was serving with occupation forces in Germany was  on the hill for the Cards, limiting the Sox to 9 hits. In attendance were Leo Durocher, Joe DiMaggio, George Raft, Toots Shor, and Joe Louis. Enos Slaughter crushed a 400 foot home run in the second inning. Five Red Sox pitchers were summoned from the bullpen before the game was over.

The Boston Globe noted that Ted Williams failed to doff his cap to the fans at Fenway for the first time since 1941. The newspaper reported Williams agreed to tip his cap after having a private conversation with Bobo Newsom, the Washington Senators right-handed pitcher, an admirer of ``The Kid’’ as well as his favorite critic. Asked by the drubbing his team took, Ted Williams said, ``I’d rather lose that way than by 3-2 in 15 innings.

 

 

Game Five

October 11, 1946

Fenway Park

Boston-6

St. Louis-3

Behind the pitching of Joe Dobson (former relief pitcher for the Cleveland Indians), the 195 pounder from Durant, Okla., tossed a four-hitter as the Red Sox rebounded from a 12-3 drubbing in Game 4, beating the Cardinals 6-3 in front of 35, 982 fans without a cloud in the beautiful blue sky to take a 3-2 Series lead and needing just one more win for a World Series championship. If not for two errors by Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky (2^nd and 9^th inning) Dobson was in line for a shutout. Pesky did contribute three hits. The Boston Globe noted only three teams in World Series history, staked to a 3-2 lead, failed to win the final two games of the Fall Classic on the road: The Detroit Tigers in Cincinnati in 1940, the Washington Senators in Pittsburgh in 1925, and the New York Giants in Washington in 1924. The Globe additionally noted World Series winners will receive less money this year than in any series since 1918.  The Sox pounded Cardinals southpaw ace, Howie Pollet. A pair of doubles by Dom DiMaggio and Pinky Higgins inflicted the final blows to the Redbirds, as the Sox put three more on the board. Pollet, who had been so spectacular in his previous start, was knocked out in the 1^st after facing only four batters.  In the opening frame, Ted Williams aka ``Thumping Ted’’ stepped to the plate and drilled a liner to right, scoring Pesky, moving Dom DiMaggio to third and sending Pollet in for an early shower. Williams single was his fourth hit of the series and only his first RBI. The Cardinals had a scoring chance in the 4^th when Enos Slaughter stole second. Dobson, however, struck out Kurowski and Garagiola to end the threat. Al Brazle replaced Pollet. Leon Culberson smashed a curve ball against the left field screen, just over the scoreboard in the 6^th inning to put the Sox up, 3-1.

Arthur Daley of the New York Times notes Dobson’s four-hitter made him the hottest thing in town since the big Boston fire of 1872. Spotted in the stands in Game 5 were Lefty Grove, Carl Hubbell, Dizzy Dean, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmy Foxx, Bill Terry, Hank Greenberg, Rogers Hornsby, Frank Frisch, Al Simmons, Tris Speaker, and Harry Heilmann. Ted Williams moaned to reporters before the game, ``I got to get me some hits. This can’t go on forever.’’  The loss to the Red Sox must have seemed particularly painful for Cardinals manager Eddie Dyer who celebrated his 46^th birthday. After the game, the Cardinals announced they were officially shutting down their southpaw ace, Howard Pollet, due to a strained shoulder and side muscles that’s continuing to bother him.

 

Game Six

October 13, 1946

Sportsman’s Park

St Louis-4

Boston-1

35, 768 fans were in attendance. The Cardinals’ wiry left-hander Harry Brecheen from Broken Bow, Okla., frustrated Red Sox hitters all afternoon in a 4-1 win over the Boston to send the Series to a decisive Game 7 Tuesday at Sportsman Park in St. Louis. Boston was held to seven hits. Rudy York’s triple in the 7^th (and Doerr’s sac fly) accounted for the only Boston run. The Red Sox were highly favored to beat the Cardinals. Brecheen dazzled the home crowd in shutting out the Red Sox in Game 2 at Sportsman’s Park.

Boston Globe Headline: ``Williams an Enormous Flop in First Six Games-‘’ Harold Kaese of the Globe, writes: ``As matters stands, Williams is an enormous bust. In six games, he has made five singles and has batted in one run.’’ Kaese additionally questioned Boston manager Joe Cronin’s decision to have started Tex Hughson (20-11) in Game 1 instead of David Ferriss who posted a mighty impressive 25-6 record during the season. Kaese wrote, ``The Red Sox are in the curious position of having played six World Series games and having used their 25-game winner in only one contest-a shutout.’’

Grover Cleveland Alexander posed for photographers before the game. In his traditional post-game essay during the World Series for the Boston Globe, Ted Williams wrote: ``The Cat [aka Harry, the Cat, Brecheen] not only skinned us again, but this time he feasted on our flesh and scratched on our bones. Brecheen not only stuck the bats down our throats, but he broke them off inside us.’’

Arthur Daley in The New York Times notes, Ted Williams can't wait for this series to conclude so he can go hunting and fishing in South Dakota, ``far from the maddening crowd. `` Thus far in the series’’, Daley observes, ``the only fishing he's done has been fishing after third strikes and his hunting has consisted principally of hunting for base hits. Neither appeals to Temperamental Ted.’’ In Game 6, Williams slapped a single through the hole, his only hit of the game, bringing his Series batting average to a pedestrian .238.

Cardinal manager Eddie Dyer is one game away from winning the World Series in his freshman year as manager in the big leagues. A sac fly by Moore and some clutch hitting by Eddie Kurowski and Enos Slaughter enabled the Cards to put three runs on the board in the 3^rd inning. Walker doubled in the 8^th for the Cards fourth and final run of the game.

 

Game Seven

October 15, 1946

Sportsman’s Park

St. Lous-4

Boston-3

The Cardinals win their sixth world championship in nine trips to the World Series; only the New York Yankees with 10 had won more.

With the score tied at 3 in the bottom of the 8^th, Enos (Country) Slaughter of the Cardinals, slapped a single to center field. Cronin then brought in reliever Bob Klinger from the bullpen who retired the first two batters he faced. Harry Walker then stepped to the plate and laced a line drive double to left center, allowing Slaughter to peel around the bases and head for home. Johnny Pesky, after receiving the relay throw from the outfield, hesitated on his throw to the plate, which allowed Slaughter to slide home safely in a cloud of dust, to put the Cardinals up 4-3, a lead that was secured by a relief appearance by Harry Becheen in the top of the 9^th. After their win, the Cardinals lifted rookie manager Eddie Dyer on top of the shoulders and the celebration was in full bloom.

36, 143 fans were on hand. Johnny Pesky stood in the clubhouse after the crushing defeat to tell reporters, ``I’m the goat. It’s my fault. I’m to blame.’’ Pesky said, he never expected Slaughter would dash for home. ``I couldn’t hear anybody hollering at me above the noise of the crowd’’ the woeful Boston shortstop said. ``I gave Slaughter at least six strides with that delay.’’

But to hear the Cardinals tell it as echoed through Martin Marion: ``We won the World Series by stopping Williams.’’ During the series, Ted Williams managed only five singles, driving in one run, ending with a .200 batting average. It was Boston’s first World Series loss in 43 years. Harry Becheen came in for relief in Game 7 to secure his third win of the Series, becoming the first pitcher to win three World Series games since Stanley Covleski of the Cleveland Indians in 1920.

The Cards entered the World Series as a 7-20 long shot to beat the highly favored Boston Red Sox. Dom DiMaggio, the`` Little Professor’’ drove in all three of Boston’s runs.

It was announced that the winning share of each member of the St Louis Cardinals would amount to $3,757.04, while each Red Sox player would receive $2,052.03. The Cards ended up outscoring the Sox 28-20, outhitting them, 60-56, while committing only four errors to the Red Sox 10 miscues. The Boston Globe reported that Williams, looking almost on the verge of tears, sat in front of his locker staring mournfully at the floor for at least 30 minutes. Commissioner Happy Chandler stepped into the Sox clubhouse and patted Williams on the back, saying ``God love you Ted. ‘’ Williams replied: ``I never missed so many balls in all my life.’’

Stan Musial told reporters , ``Experience may have had a lot to do with it…These Red Sox are good...But we’ve been in this before…I want to say this for Boston, though- it was a great Series and they played wonderful ball, clean,  not any bickering, no dusters.’’

In the Cardinal clubhouse before the decisive Game 7, manager Eddie Dyer was chuckling over a letter he received from a woman from New York,  who charged the Redbirds were ``gangsters for having stopped Williams.’’

Before Game 7, Boston manager Joe Cronin presented Williams with a parting gift for the offseason, a book titled:  ``To Hell with Fishing.’’

 

 

1967 Starting Game One Lineups for the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.

St Louis Starting Lineup

Lou Brock, LF

Curt Flood, CF

Roger Maris, RF

Orlando Cepeda, 1B

Tim McCarver, C

Mike Shannon, 3B

Julian Javier, 2B

Dal Maxvill, SS

 

Boston Starting Lineup

Jerry Adair, 2B

Dalton Jones, 3B

Carl Yastrzemski, LF

Ken Harrelson, RF

George Scott, 1B

Rico Petrocelli, SS

Reggie Smith, CF

Russ Gibson, C

 

1967 World Series

October 4, 1967

Game One

Fenway Park

St. Louis-2

Boston-1

``WE'LL WIN: ``I still say the Red Sox will win the World Series...we've been coming from behind most of the last few weeks and you'll see us come back again.''

-Carl Yastrzemski.

34,796 fans in attendance.  Cardinal’s ace Bob Gibson struck out five of the first eight batters he faced, finishing with 10 strikeouts, surrendering six hits before the afternoon was over. The Sox never were able to manage more than one hit in an inning off Gibson; his only walk came in the 9^th on a 3-2 pitch to George Scott. His only mistake pitch came in the third frame when he floated a slow hanging curve ball to pitcher Jose Santiago who proceeded to smack his second home run of the year. It marked the seventh home run hit by a pitcher in World Series history. Gibson threw 11 pitches to Rico Petrocelli, striking him out three times without Rico ever managing to put the bat on any of Gibby’s missles. Petrocelli was lifted for a pinch hitter in the 9^th. After Santiago’s blast, only two Red Sox runners reached second base. Gibson complained of a sore ankle after the game, but said he should be fine.  Gibson missed eight weeks during the regular season (returning in September) after breaking a bone from a liner on his right chin off the bat of the Pirates Roberto Clemente. Both of the Cardinal runs came from infield grounders off the bat of Roger Maris. Lou Brock slapped four singles in the game, while stealing bases in the third and seventh innings.

As reported by the Boston Globe, equal to the calamity of the Sox dropping Game 1 of the Series was that the stadium ran out of box lunches for members of the press; in addition, the hitting schedule of the teams got confused, preventing the Sox regulars from getting enough batting practice.  The Boston Globe columnist Harold Kaese was all over the team for playing Ken Harrelson in right who let a Roger Maris fly ball plop right in front of him.  ``Who thought Harrelson would get to the ball?, Kaese wondered?  ``Why should he, he can’t play the outfield.  Because Dick Williams is gambling that he will hit a long shot of importance, sooner or later, and that meanwhile, no tough flies will be hit in his direction.  ``The Red Sox are gambling’’ Kaese went on to write.  ``They’ve been gambling all season. Why should they stop now.’’

Spotted at Game 1 at Fenway, was former Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy, ailing patriarch of the Kennedy clan, who was wheeled into the game by sons Teddy and Bobby Kennedy.  Former Cleveland Indians ace Bob Feller who pitched (and lost) a World Series game in Boston 19 years ago, was also spotted hopping all over the box seats, chatting it up with old friends. Awed by facing the stellar Gibson, Yastrzemski hitless in four trips to the plate, said that `the St. Louis ace was the best pitcher they faced all year.’’ Gibson, who is no stranger to the World Series, won two games in 1964 and set a Series record of 31 strikeouts.

Las Vegas odds makers listed the Cardinals as 3-1 favorites to win the World Series after winning the curtain-raiser.  Oddsmaker Jimmy (The Greek) Snyder, meanwhile, listed the second game as even money. ``You pick em.’’

After the game, Ken Harrelson, a late pick up during the season, joked with reporters that he was the only man in baseball to have a better year than Yastrzemski. ``I went from Charlie Finely in Kansas City to the Red Sox and the World Series.’’

Seats, at least some seats, at Game 1 in Fenway reportedly were selling for $8 and $12.

The lead paragraph of Bud Collins Boston Globe column went as follows: ``Wednesday afternoon’s matinee at Fenway was over-priced and under-active, but at least it was the most forgettable game of the season.’’

 

Game Two

October 5, 1967

Fenway Park

Boston-5

St. Louis-0

With 35,188 fans in attendance on a dark cloudy drizzly Boston afternoon, Red Sox pitcher and Stanford graduate Jim Lonborg; the six-foot five inch right-hander pitched a one-hitter in a 5-0 win, throwing only 93 pitches and didn’t surrender a hit for seven and two-thirds. It was only the fourth one-hitter in World Series history.  His no-hit bid was ruined in the 8^th when Julian Javier slashed a double to right with two men out.   Lonborg had retired 19 consecutive St Louis hitters, until surrendering a walk, his only walk of the game, to Curt Flood in the seventh inning.

Curt Flood upset that Red Sox pitcher Jim Lonborg delivered some chin music to two off his teammates: Lou Brock and Dal Maxvill, threatened his team would retaliate against Carl Yastrzemski, their power hitter. When questioned about Flood’s comments, Longborg, said, ``What do they think I’m going to do, give them home plate?” Brock, on the other hand, wasn’t as nearly as incensed as Flood was about the brush back pitches. ``It’s legal and has been around a lot longer than the players participating in this World Series.’’

Triple-crown winner Carl Yastrzemski crushed a home run to right in the 4^th to give the Sox a one-run lead, and smashed another one over the Red Sox bullpen with two runners on in the 7^th to extend the Sox lead to 5-0. Yaz became only the 16^th player in World Series history to smack multiple home runs in a single World Series game, and the first since Mickey Mantle slugged two in Pittsburgh in 1960. Upset at being hitless in Game One, Yaz took some extra batting practice after Boston’s 2-1 loss, almost unheard of. During the season, Yastrzemski was reportedly paid an annual salary of $60,000, just enough to plunk down money on some post-season expenses, namely, the $2,000 he spent on World Series tickets for family and friends, his wife’s wardrobe for the trip to St. Louis cost him another $1,000 with taxes taking another $3,000 from his pocket. `` Joking with reporters, Yaz said he would only break even with a loser’s share of the World Series, ``so I’ve got to get a winning share.’’

Asked about Lonborg’s one-hitter, Cardinal catcher Tim McCarver, said, ``He threw a lot of breaking stuff and kept the ball down. When you can pitch like that consistently, you should come out ahead.’’

Former Yankees pitcher Don Larsen, the only pitcher to have tossed a no-hitter in the World Series (1956 against the Dodgers) watched Lonborg’s gem from his San Diego home and observed: ``I’d liked to have seen him get it…He did a fine job and I imagine he’s quite happy.’’

The New York Times report Game 3 at Busch Stadium in S. Louis will be well stocked at the concession stands, including its plans to have six tons of hot dogs, 500 half-barrels of beer, 6,000 cases of bottled bear, 5,000 pounds of popcorn, and 5,000 pounds of hamburger patties.

 

Game Three

October 7, 1967

Busch Memorial Stadium

Boston-2

St. Louis-5

As promised after Game 2 by Curt Flood, the St. Louis Cardinals took retaliation against the Red Sox, this time Cardinal pitcher Nelson Briles drilled slugger Carl Yastrzemski in the 1^st inning, and the Cardinals right-hander quickly became public enemy No. 1 in the Boston clubhouse. ``All I can say is now is that if those bush league_ _ _want to play baseball that way, that’s alright with me’’, Red Sox pitcher Jose Santiago told reporters after the game. Briles argued he was gripping the ball too hard-and it just got away from him.  Yaz took the plunking in stride, saying he would have been more upset and would have expected his team to retaliate if the ball was aimed at his head. Instead, the ball hit him squarely on the back of his left leg in the middle of the calf.

Even before Briles took to the mound, he attracted the wrath of the Red Sox when he told reporters a day before the game that the Red Sox are a ``weaker hitting team’’ than any team they face in the National League-including the Dodgers.

Lou Brock opened the game with a triple to left center and later scored on Curt Flood’s hard single to center. The Cardinals added two more in the next frame when Tim McCarver singled and scored on Mike Shannon’s majestic two-run shot into the left field seats. The Red Sox weren’t able to get on the board until the 6^th inning, when Dalton Jones slapped a single to right, scoring Mike Andrews. Lou Brock’s speed again (who reached by way of a drag bunt) helped the Cards score their fourth run in the bottom of the 6^th, when Boston pitcher Lee Stange rifled a ball to first in attempt to pick off Brock; only the ball hit the speedster on the back with the ball rolling down the right field line, allowing Brock to scamper to third. He later scored on Roger Maris’s single to right, his third RBI of the Series. In the 7^th, Reggie Smith brought the Sox to within striking distance (4-2) with a solo shot in the right field stands, but Boston wouldn’t score again. The Cards added another run in the 8^th   to extend their lead to 5-2. Yastrzemski turned in an uneventful day. After being drilled with a pitch in the first, Briles induced the slugger into hitting three routine grounders to Julian Javier at second.

By the time it was over, 54,575 at Busch Stadium saw Briles limit the Sox to seven hits in a complete game performance to put the Cards up in the Series, 2-1.

Sox pitcher Gary Bell was touched up for three runs in the first two frames.  He was replaced after two innings.

Despite the loss, Boston manager Dick Williams was so impressed with Gary Waslewski’s three perfect innings of relief (3^rd-5^th)-that he penciled him in to start Game 6 of the Series.

Commenting on the Yastrzemski plunking in the 1^st inning, Boston Globe writer Harold Kaese, opened up his column with the following words: ``The World Series has gone to war. The ABC of the third game was Antagonism, Belligerency, and Combativeness.’’

In addition to winning Game Three, the Cards were further encouraged seeing two of their key hitters, Orlando Cepeda and Tim McCarver break out of their hitless slumps in this Series.

 

Game 4

October 8, 1967

Busch Memorial Stadium

St Louis-6

Boston-0

54,575 fans in attendance. The game was over before it really even started as the Cardinals jumped on Sox pitcher Jose Santiago for four runs, when his usually effective curve ball was nowhere to be found. Roger Maris continued his hitting barrage, knocking in two of the Cards four runs in the 1^st frame, after drilling a double to the left-field corner. It was Maris’s 5^th RBI of the Series. They added two more in the third with a sac fly by Tim McCarver; Julian Javier doubled in the Cards final run.

Bob Gibson, brilliant in Game One, painted the corners again in yet another masterpiece in Game 4, shutting out the Sox 6-0 on five hits to put the Cards up 3-1 and pushing Boston to the edge of the cliff.  It was a complete game for Gibson, just like Game one. He beat the Yankees twice during the 1964 World Series. The Cardinal ace pitching on only three days’ rest, admitted to reporters he was tired and had to rely more on breaking pitches than his signature fastball.

Only two teams in World Series history have fallen behind, 3-to-1, and have gone on to win the Series: The Pittsburgh Pirates against the Washington Senators in 1925 and the New York Yankees in 1958 against the Milwaukee Braves.

Refusing to be discouraged over the Sox being shutout, Ken Harrelson told reporters after the game, ``I’ll knock one out of here tomorrow, just wait and see.’’

Asked if the playing for the Cardinals in the World Series is as thrilling as when he was with the Yankees, Roger Maris responded, ``They’re  all a thrill.  I just don’t think about the Yankees. That’s the past and this is now.’’

 

Game 5

October 9, 1967

Busch Memorial Stadium

Boston-3

St. Louis-1

On the brink of elimination, pre-med major Jim Lonborg was back on the mound again for the Sox. And the team is happy to report, the operation was successful.  Lonborg, the 24 year-old Californian, came with his golden arm again by allowing only three hits, and his shutout was intact until the 9^th when Roger Maris deposited one of his pitches into the right field seats. The blast came with two out. The Cardinals countered with a slender southpaw: Steve Carlton.  Ken Harrelson put the Sox on the board first in the 3rd, shooting a sharp single through the hole between short and third, scoring Joe Foy. Harrelson, whose defense has been called into question by Boston writers, flashed some leather in the 1^st by snagging Lou Brock’s hard hit line drive in right center.

Despite flirting with a no-hitter in his previous Series start, Lonborg told reporters he had better stuff today. Cards cleanup hitter Orlando Cepeda was 0-4 at the plate, and is now 2-19 in the Series with only one run batted in for the entire Series. He batted a hefty .325 during the season.

With the bases loaded in the 9^th, Elston Howard drove in two runs, looping a fly ball behind first base down the right field line and thanks to an errant throw to the plate by Roger Maris, the Sox were up 3-0.

Cardinals’ catcher Tim McCarver groaned to reporters that when in Boston, he didn’t like some of things he heard, read, and saw on television and on radio. ``Our ball club has respect for them’’.  McCarver said, ``but they don’t respect us.’’  More from McCarver: ``We played in a Series against the Yankees in 1964 and there was mutual respect. That’s the way big league players should be.’’

 

Game 6

Fenway Park

October 11, 1967

Boston-8

St. Louis-4

Rookie manager Dick William’s instincts worked like a charm in starting Gary Waslewski who entered the Series as a ``Who’s Who in Baseball’’, having been kicked around the minors for eight years. Except for getting roughed up in the 2<sup>nd</sup> and 7<sup>th</sup> frames, the 26 year-old’s money pitch, his sinker, worked well, at least well enough to keep the Sox hopes alive to chase their Impossible Dream in a 8-4 win over the Redbirds.  Equal to Waslewski’s solid performance, was the Sox putting together an impressive power surge in the 7<sup>th</sup> with three home runs (a World Series record) off Dick Hughes. The long balls were deposited by Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Smith, and Rico Petrocelli. Petrocelli also homered in the 2<sup>nd</sup>. ``I never hit fastballs out’’ Rico told reporters, ``and two in one day.’’

Yastrzemski joined Babe Ruth (1923) and Ted Kluszewski (1959) in blasting three home runs over six games. In addition to his three hits, Yaz chased down Tim McCarver’s laser that he snagged right up against the left-field wall.

Lou Brock provided most of the offense for the Cardinals. He knocked in a run in the 3^rd and smacked a two-run homer in the 7th

So this sets the stage for another start for Bob Gibson, the 31-year old pitcher from Omaha,  in the deciding Game 7 at Fenway against the ``Team of Destiny.’’  Asked about the challenge, Gibby said, ``I’m looking forward to it. I know when I tried to pitch in a World Series against the Yankees with only two days rest, I got awful tired, and wore out after the third inning.’’

Lonborg will be pitching on only two days rest; Gibson will have had three days to prepare for the deciding game. Gibson won the first and fourth games of the Series; while Lonborg took the second and fifth game, limiting the Cards to four hits and one run over 18 innings.

 During the year, Longborg pitched twice with only two days rest, winning one of those in a shutout against Kansas City, and getting knocked out in the 3rd in the last week of the season against the Cleveland Indians.

 The Boston Globe noted the Red Sox were 100-1 underdogs to win the pennant when the season began. Boston came in 9^th out of 10 American League teams the year before; and nearly half the baseball experts predicted the Sox would finish dead last in 1967.

The Cardinals are preparing for their sixth World Series Game 7 in franchise history. They have never lost a Game 7.

Cardinal Cushing, the Archbishop of Boston, watched the game from a box seat at Fenway and was reported to have given the Sox a pre-game blessing.

The New York Times reported that Gil Hodges, who just accepted a position to manage the New York Mets, was milling around the batting cages just prior to Game 6.

 

Game 7

October 12, 1967

Fenway Park

St. Louis-7

Boston-2

The Red Sox Cinderella season came to a screeching halt before 35,188 frustrated fans, as Bob Gibson and the St Louis Cardinals soundly defeated the Sox in their home park, 7-2.  Gibson won the third game of the Series, surrendering only three hits and striking out 10. In three starts, the Cardinal right handed fireballer fanned a total of 26 over three games. Gibson joined six other pitchers who were 3-0 in World Series competition. Jim Longborg, working only on two days rest, was knocked out after six innings, have given up 10 singles, including a solo shot by Gibson and another three run blast by Julian Javier. When he walked off the mound for the final time at Fenway, tears were seen streaming down Longborg’s face. The only real cheer for the local crowd came in the 9^th inning, a standing ovation, when Carl Yastrzemski stepped to the plate for his final at-bat in the 9^th. He blistered a sharp single off of Gibson, much to the delight of the Boston fans.

Boston’s first hit didn’t come until the 5^th inning, when George Scott slammed a triple off the center field wall, and scored on a wild pitch to third. They tacked on another harmless run in the 8^th, but by then all the damage had been done.

Lou Brock went into the record books, stealing three bases, giving him seven swipes for the Series, a World Series record. Cardinal manager Red Schoendienst called the speedster the ``most exciting player in the whole show.’’

While a cavalcade of sad, disheartened souls departed Fenway, in St. Louis it seemed like Mardi Gras. The Boston Globe reported that in downtown St. Louis ` avalanches of paper streamed out of office windows.  Clerks and salesgirls ran through the streets littered with paper.’’  And when Bob Gibson fanned George Scott for the final out in the Cardinals 7-2 victory, crowded bars in St. Louis erupted into thunderous cheers; others banged pots and pans, while the streets were tied up in bumper to bumper traffic with horns wailing throughout the city.

In the Red Sox clubhouse, Carl Yastrzemski’s six year-old son, Mike, was reportedly holding back tears, while his father, Carl told reporters, ``Someone has to win, someone has to lose. It’s all part of the great game.’’ When everyone reminded Carl’s son what a great Series it was, he strongly disagreed. ``No, it wasn’t’’, little Yaz said, ``because the Sox lost.’’

Headline of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner: ``Color the Red Sox Blue’’

Mayor John Collins of Boston received the following telegram from the mayor of St. Louis, Alfonso J. Cervantes: ``Sorry about that chief.’’

After Game 7 had concluded, the following message came over the Boston Police Teletype: ``To all Districts and Units-There is no joy in Mudville tonight.’’

While leaving Fenway, Mrs. Barbara Carens Clapp of Wellesley, told a reporter from the Boston Globe that the Sox losing reminded her of a quote from the late Adlai Stevenson after failing in his bid to win the presidency in 1956: ``It hurts too much to laugh, and I’m too old to cry.’’

Lead paragraph of Bud Collins’s Boston Globe column: ``God isn’t dead, as some theologians have suggested. It’s just that He’s moved to St. Louis.’’

Tim McCarver, questioned about the lack of production from the Cardinals cleanup hitter, said: ``I don’t want to hear any criticism of Orlando Cepeda. He got us here.’’

After Game 7,  Cardinal great Stan Musial walked into the clubhouse, wrapped his arms around Cardinal manager Red Schoendienst and said, ``Let’s have a drink. We’ve had a few, haven’t we?’’ Musial and Schoendienst were roommates for more than a decade as Cardinal teammates.

The Red Sox prepared for a long cold winter knowing they hadn’t tasted a world championship since 1918, when Babe Ruth was on their club as a pitcher.

 

-Bill Lucey

[email protected]

October 22, 2013

 

STATS and FACTS for Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Eye-Catchers of the Day:

• The Top Ten Reasons The Government Shutdown Isn't All Bad (Posted by a group of Republican Senators)

 http://is.gd/cJZ7xj

• What happens in a US debt default?

Q & A: BBC http://is.gd/gxpHEW

• Vote for the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees: Rolling Stone Magazine http://is.gd/u2PACz

 

• ESPN Picture Graph: 21 countries have qualified for the 2014 World Cup. 11 more will do so in Nov. playoffs

http://is.gd/7RssZP

 

 

STATS  OF THE DAY

• By 2020, an estimated one-fourth of American workers will be 55 or older, up from 19 percent in 2010.
• The most calories for a single item at McDonald's is the chocolate McCafe shake with whipped cream and cherry-700 calories;  the lowest caloric burger or sandwich is theircheeseburger-300 calories.
• The St. Louis Cardinals flame thrower Trevor Rosenthal has not allowed a run in 11 career post-season appearances.
• The Dodger’s Yasiel Puig is batting .600 (9-for-15) through four home postseason games, the highest home average in MLB.
• ESPN: ``Justin Verlander is the first pitcher in postseason history to be the starter in two games in which his team lost 1-0 in a single postseason.’’
• Just 45 % of Americans were vaccinated during last year's flu season, according the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
• According to the Washington Post, stretching back to 1980, the debt ceiling has been raised 42 times. It was raised 17 times under Ronald Reagan, 4 times under Bill Clinton and 7 times under George W. Bush.
• According to the Corruption Perceptions Index (2012) Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tie for first place as being the least corrupt countries, based in part on their strong access to information systems and rules governing the behavior of those in public positions, while Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia are the most corrupt countries based predominantly on their lack of accountable leadership and effective public institutions.
• Former Fox News commentator Liz Cheney has raised $1.027 million since she announced in July her intention to challenge Mike Enzi (R-WY) for his senate seat.  Enzi, by contrast, has earned $847,646 during that same time period.

 

 

Polls/Surveys

• Harris Interactive Poll:  Dallas Cowboys are the favorite team of adults who follow professional football. The Green Bay Packers move up one spot to number 2 and the Denver Broncos make one of the largest moves on the list, going up 14 spots to 3^rd from a tie for 17th in 2011. Rounding out the top five favorite football teams are the New York Giants, up three spots from 7th to 4th, and the New England Patriots, who drop from number 4 to number 5.

http://is.gd/UVamUD

• Esquire-NBC News survey: just 1 in 4 support immigration reforms that would provide a path to citizenship for those who came here illegally.

http://is.gd/qaWL2Q

• The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll: An all-time high 74 percent of Americans disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling Washington’s budget crisis; 53 percent, by contrast, disapprove of Obama’s work on the issue-21 points lower than disapproval of the Republicans.

http://is.gd/1HZSsh

• The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research: Among Americans ages 50 and older who currently have jobs, 82% expect to work in some form during retirement.

http://is.gd/guicRK

 

• Pew Internet & American Life Project: As of May 2013, some 15% of American adults ages 18 and older do not use the internet or email. Another 85% of U.S. adults do go online.

http://is.gd/Pe0v0I

 

Today in History:

October 16, 1997: The first page one color photo appears in The New York Times.

A Footnote: The first color photo believed to have appeared on page one of a major newspaper was on October 21, 1959, when the Minneapolis Star ran an Associated Press color photo of the funeral of General C. Marshall. On June 8, 1939, AP transmitted a half-tone color picture of President Roosevelt and King George VI from the nation's capital.

 

Word Origin:

Cushy: The word ``cushy'' as in ``cushy job'', comes from a Hindi word khushi, meaning ``pleasant'' --a slang expression used by the British in India.

 

Looking For a Good Quote?

``             The boisterous sea of liberty indeed is never without a wave.''

-Thomas Jefferson

 

 

-Bill Lucey

[email protected]

October 16, 2013

STATS and FACTS for Monday, October 14, 2013

Boston Red Sox Team Motto: ``Find a Way!’’

Elias Sports Bureau: `` Teams with a 5+ run lead in a postseason game are 459-14 (.970).''

ESPN STATS: ``The [Boston] Red Sox win probability was as low as 3.8 percent with 1 out in the 8th.''

Predicted Headline in Monday's Boston newspapers: ``GRAND PAPI!''

ESPN Recap of Dramatic Game 2 of the ALCS

http://is.gd/4ayjv5  

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STATS of the Day:

• 91% of Americans own cell phones, 56% own a smartphone. There will be 100 to 150 million new high-end smartphone users annually over the next two years,

 

• There are 218.3 million monthly active users on Twitter.

 

• Almost three out of four U.S. adults (71%) watch local television news, 65% view network newscasts, and 38 % view cable TV news over the course of a month, according to Nielsen data from February 2013. About 38% of Americans access news online at home via a desktop or laptop computer.

 

• With output of more than 10 million barrels per day for the last two quarters, its highest in decades, the United States is set to become the largest non OPEC liquids producer by the second quarter of 2014, overtaking Russia.

 

• The U.S. holds about 30 % of the world's financial assets.

 

****

 

Surveys/Polls

• Gallup Poll http://is.gd/BMvWqf : Amid the government shutdown, 60% of Americans say the Democratic and Republicans parties do such a poor job of representing the American people that a third major party is needed.

 

• Biggest Reasons Women Have Abortions? Financial reasons (40%); timing (36%), partner related reasons (31%), and the need to focus on other children (29%) Source: BMC Women's Health 2013 13:29 http://is.gd/rJkrF2

 

• Financial Conditions of U.S. Cities? A majority of city finance officers (72%) report that their cities are better able to meet financial needs in 2013 than in 2012, according to the National League of Cities: http://is.gd/403ocG

 

• Levada Centre Poll http://is.gd/rFYSVm  : Russians' attitude toward the United States is worsening. 71% feel the U.S. are ``hypocritically'' trying to make other countries observe the rules of international law, while they don't always obey them itself." 50 % of respondents have a negative view about the United States ‘role in the modern world in general.

 

***

 

Controversy continues to hover around the word ``Redskins'' in Washington's football team, ever since President Obama in an interview with the Associated Press said if he were  the owner of the team, and knew the term (``redskins’’)was offending ``a sizeable group of people'' , he'd think about changing it.

Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, however, remained defiant, saying he will ``NEVER!'' change the name.

On NBC’s Sunday Night Football halftime show last night, Bob Costas fired a missile at the team name:

``Think for a moment about the term “Redskins,” and how it truly differs from all the others. Ask yourself what the equivalent would be if directed towards African Americans, Hispanics, Asians or any other ethnic group. When considered that way, “Redskins” can’t possibly honor a heritage or noble character trait, nor can it possibly be considered a neutral term. It’s an insult, a slur, no matter how benign the present day intent.’’ 

So what's the origin of the word ``redskin''?  Has it always been considered a racial slur?

 

Ives Goddard, Senior Linguist in the Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History argues the following points in a 2005 journal article. http://is.gd/Y6ym5N

 

• The quotation "I am a Red-Skin" in the title is from a speech made by the Santee chief French Crow in a formal council with President James Madison in the President's House in Washington on August 22, 1812, as interpreted by John A. Cameron and officially recorded.

 

• The same expression was used by the Potawatomi chiefs Topinabee and Metea at a treaty conference in Chicago in August, 1821, as interpreted by Whitmore Knaggs and recorded by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft.]

 

• The word redskins reflects a genuine Native American idiom that was used in several languages, where it grew out of an earlier established and more widespread use of ``red'' and ``white'' as racial labels.

 

****

 

Halloween Costumes, 2013

 

What's Trending?

 

• At Beyond Costumes in Yonkers, N.Y http://is.gd/rSvgo3  : ``With the release with The Great Gatsby, all of the 1920 looks are trending; also ``The Fox'' has been huge since the music video. Some of the creative costumes are those looking to recreate the Edward Gorey illustrations, a dark Victorian look. Movies like Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland and other fairy-tale characters are still very popular along with superheros pirates and gladiators.''

 

• At the Garment District in Cambridge, MA http://is.gd/1jI4fO  : ``Among all of the classic costumes, some of this year’s trends so far have been Breaking Bad, Miley Cyrus, and Game of Thrones.  We have a giant section of pre-owned costume elements, so a lot of customers have been piecing together their own costumes in order to have a totally unique costume (as well as save some money!). One of my favorite customer costume ideas so far this year has been a mother and her young son – she got a costume for Daenerys from Game of Thrones, and got a dragon costume for her son.''

 

• At Mallatt's Pharmacy and Costumes in Madison. WI  http://is.gd/sinIAc  : ``Cannot keep enough fox ears and tails as well as fox colored makeup on the shelf. The most requested look for men is "Heisenberg" persona of Walter White from the TV show "Breaking Bad", especially the facial hair and glasses. The second favorite looks are the boys from "Duck Dynasty." Women are sticking with the classics like zombies and other dead and undead creatures, these looks are easily created with stage quality makeup and a trip to goodwill, followed by renaissance/medieval dresses reminiscent of the "Game of Thrones." Katniss Everdeen from the "Hunger Games" also remains popular.''

 

• At Ricky's NYC in Manhattan: http://is.gd/AShX83  : Adults-Women: Wonder Woman, Flapper, Wizard of oz, Ninjas, Sexy superhero/Men: Prisoners/Jailbirds, Superman, Spider-Man, Kenny Powers, Mad hatter.

***

 

Today in History:

10 Year Anniversary

October 14, 2003: In the 8th inning of the NLCS between the Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins at Wrigley Field with the Cubs staked to a 3-0 lead, a 3 games to 2 lead in the best of 7 series and just five outs away from winning their first NL pennant since 1945, Marlins second baseman Luis Castillo lifts a fly ball down the left field line. A star-crossed fan, Steve Bartman, lunged for the ball, preventing Cubs left fielder Moisés Alou from catching it. The Marlins ended up scoring 8 runs in that nightmare of an inning, beating the Cubs 8-3. They beat the Cubs (9-6) again the following night to secure the pennant and advance to the World Series against the New York Yankees.

                See video of the infamous catch: http://is.gd/YejW6M

 

 

Word Origin

``Sticking to your guns’’ (refusing to compromise); Originally a military phrase, when in the field of battle: ``sticking to your guns’’ meant remaining at your post despite being under constant siege.

 

Looking For a Good Quote?

``Always forgive your enemies-but never forget their names.''

-Robert F. Kennedy

 

 

  -Bill Lucey

 October 14, 2013

 [email protected]

FACTS and STATS for Friday, October 11, 2013

FACTS and STATS for Friday, October 11, 2013

 

Via ESPN: ``Justin Verlander's last four starts: 27 innings, 15 hits, 0 runs, 6 walks, 43 strikeouts. ''

Justin Verlander hasn't allowed a run since September 18^th. 

 

STATS of the DAY

• How much has Congress been paid since the government shutdown?  $2,600,000

• Rookie MLB starters have lost all 6 of their winner-take-all postseason starts from 2011 to 2013

 

• 4  MLB starters have multiple wins in winner-take-all postseason games-- J.Verlander, B.Gibson, C.Carpenter & M.Cain

 

• Matt Ryan, Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger will combine to make $55.1 million this season. Their teams are a combined 1-14.

 

•   N.Y. Giants are 0-6 for the 1st time since 1976 (started 0-9).

 

• Asia-Pacific countries collectively represent more than half of the world's GDP, 44 percent of world trade and 40 percent of world population.

 

• There are 32 million Americans who at present have no medical insurance.

 

**

 

Public Opinion Polls over the government shutdown have been coming thick and fast:

 

• Gallup: Eighteen percent of Americans are satisfied with the way the nation is being governed, down 14 percentage points from the 32% recorded last month before the partial government shutdown began. This is the lowest government satisfaction rating in Gallup's history of asking the question dating back to 1971.

http://is.gd/CHvkE4

• WSJ/NBC poll: 53%  blame Republicans for the shutdown v 31% who blame Obama.

http://is.gd/fEL7ql

• If you could, would you vote to defeat, replace every member of Congress, including your rep? Yes 60%/ No 35% NBC/WSJ    http://is.gd/19bH44 

 

How the Government Shutdown is affecting every agency: Washington Post Graphic http://is.gd/mfFOT0

 

***

Snippets from International Headlines

 

Moscow has no illusions with regards to destruction of Syria's chemical weapons

 

• MOSCOW, October 10 (Itar-Tass)

Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday that Moscow did not have any illusions with regards to when chemical weapons in Syria could be destroyed because the process was unlikely to be smooth. "We do not have any illusions about the fulfillment of this complicated task, especially the deadlines which have been set,"

 

"It is clear that the destruction of chemical weapons will not go smoothly. Apart from the hard situation in Syria, some chemical weapons facilities may be located in areas of military hostilities," Lukashevich emphasized.

 

• According to a report this week by Credit Suisse, China now has 6% of the world’s total of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, or those with fortunes in excess of $50 million. That’s second only to the United States, which commands nearly half the world’s total.

Wall Street Journal: http://is.gd/1Pht27

 

• CHINESE researchers may have found the cure for a hangover before it takes hold - lemonade. The Independent reports research from Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou which explains why lemonade, such as Sprite or Schweppes, could be the trick.

http://is.gd/ShSXJQ

 

Today in History:

October 11, 1975: ``NBC's Saturday Night'' (later changed to `` Saturday Night Live'') premieres with Don Pardo introducing the cast on the first show as the "The not for ready, prime time players" instead of their actual name as "The Not Ready For Prime Time Players." The original cast, included: Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, and Garrett Morris.

Comedian George Carlin was the first host with two musical guests: Billy Preston and Janis Ian.

 

Word Origin

``Pomp and circumstance’’, a phrase used by Sir Edward Elgar for his composition played at high school graduations was originally used in Shakespeare's Othello: ``Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war..'' According to William Morris' ``Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins’’, ``Circumstance’’ comes from two Latin words, circum and stare and originally meant ``standing around.'' In the age of Shakespeare it meant any formal show or ceremony.

 

Looking For A Good Quote?

``The fact is, that the public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything, except what is worth knowing.''

-Oscar Wilde

 

-Bill Lucey

[email protected]

October 11, 2013