2017 American League MVP

Flashback Tuesday

A look back at the 1977 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers.  I was 10 years old and I loved the Yankees and Reggie Jackson while my dad was an old school Dodgers fan.  Needless to say it was fun at our house with the arguing and complaining.

Game 5

Sunday October 16th 1977

Dodger Stadium

Starting Pitchers :  Yankees - Don Gullett,  Dodgers - Don Sutton

This was broadcast by ABC with Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell and Tom Seaver on play by play.  The is the first World Series broadcast by ABC TV since NBC had exclusive rights to the Series since 1946, the beginning of the World Series on TV. 

1948 World Series (Game 1)

The 1948 World Series

Boston Braves vs Cleveland Indians

October 6th 1948

Braves Field, Boston MA

Boston was making their first appearance in the series since 1914 when they beat the Philadelphia A's to complete the year of the Miracle Braves.  The Indians were making their first appearance since 1920, when they defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Game 1 would see the aces of both teams take the pitchers mound, Johnny Sain for Boston and Bob Feller for Cleveland.   Feller would lose both appearances in this series but the Indians took the world championship in 6 games.

Here is the coast to coast radio broadcast of Game 1 of the 1948 World Series.  

Legendary announcer Mel Allen would host, what today we call the pregame show.

Sports Illustrated Cover of the Week

October 18th 1971

1943 World Series - Game 1 (Cardinals vs Yankees)

Our friend Buck Benny has come through again, this time we go back 70 years this month to 1943 and the original radio broadcast of the 1943 World Series between the New York Yankees and St Louis Cardinals.

This is game one from Yankees Stadium with your announcers Red Barber and Bob Elson.

Truly a time capsule of America playing sports during wartime and to listen to future Hall of Famers Joe Dimaggio and Stan Musial in action.  This was also the first world series to be filmed for a "highlight reel" to be sent to troops overseas to get a recap of the games back home, a tradition that continues to this day.

October 5th 1943

Bob Gibson Wins NL MVP Award

Today in 1968 Bob Gibson, Hall of Fame pitcher for the St Louis Cardinals, was named the National League MVP of the 1968 season. He just beat out Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds.

Here is a clip of Game 1 of the 1968 World Series between the Cardinals and the American League Champion Detroit Tigers. Bob Gibson set a new record for strikeouts in a World Series game with 17 in this game.

A couple of thoughts on this video, first its the announcers Curt Gowdy and Harry Caray, 2 legendary voices together and Harry was the regular announcer for Cardinals games along with Jack Buck and its just great to hear how excited Harry was for Gibson to set the record.

Second, as the camera scans the crowd during ovations for Gibson I noticed almost all of the men had on dress shirts and ties and the women present were in dresses and it was all so very classy looking and truly a bygone era in sports.

Lastly, during the ovations for Gibson setting the record you could almost see the annoyance in Gibsons face as he wanted the crowd to settle so he could finish the game, not one for pomp and adulation he had a job to do and wanted to get it done.

Today in Baseball History

October 25th 1986, Game 6 of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets.

I can remember sitting in the floor and sometimes on my knees begging the Mets to start getting some hits and I couldn't believe what I was watching, I was not and still not a Red Sox fan.