Last night I started writing a post but it quickly got shuffled sideways once Facebook friend Mark Mariniello posted a video from the 1972 season. It’s listed as the NBC Game of the Week on July 9th, 1972 – innings four through six – but that’s not what it is. This is a Sunday game and I think it’s a Dodgers telecast with a Mets TV feed. Whatever it is, sit back and enjoy!
There are just so, so many things to talk about but you really need to watch it yourself. In a way it’s a little sad because you see how crisp the games used to be played. But it’s a great reminder of what used to be standard. Here are a few of many things that jump out at me.
Tom Seaver pitching to Duffy Dyer!
Maury Wills playing SS because Bill Russell is away on military duty
The announcer pointing out that Seaver is 13-2 lifetime against the Dodgers
Mets starting outfield of Tommie Agee, Cleon Jones and Rusty Staub all out with injuries.
Dodger backstop Duke Sims apparently catching with a cap, not a helmet.
A not-yet-morbidly-obese John McSherry as the home plate umpire
Willie Mays batting leadoff and not getting cheated with his swings
Dugout shots of Yogi Berra and Walter Alston
Out of town scores and mentions of doubleheaders, Denny McLain getting pounded and Hank Aaron hitting his 657th lifetime homer.
Which first baseman had bigger sideburns — Wes Parker or Ed Kranepool?
Tug McGraw warming up in the pen
Bonus coverage of the top of the 7th inning and Vin Scully on the mike.
A basket catch by Mays
Paid attendance of 50,084 and 139,000-plus for the three-game set.
*****
I think I was at the Saturday game. My oldest brother would take me to games and he was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan so we’d always see the Dodgers. And Jim McAndrew pitched the day before. Somehow it seems we always saw McAndrew…
Dodgers win 2-0– Osteen and Seaver both go 9 in a 2:14 game. The loss leaves the Mets in second place, 4 games behind the Pirates…
Good stuff!
Great show, Brian. Crisp, as you said. Loved the out-of-town game call, the unis (stirrups & calf-high pants), no batting gloves… and Bill Buckner.
I remember the Saturday game of the week on NBC primarily because the Baseball Bunch with Johnny Bench was on right before it. I also remember Monday Night Baseball with Howard Cosell on ABC. As for crisp games, Yankees home night games used to start at 8 pm and end by 10:30 at the latest. Scheduled twi-night double headers started at 5:30 and almost every game was broadcast on WPIX. And when I was in high school, $4.50 got you a general admission seat in the third deck or you could sit in the bleaches for $2. I’ll stop now, I’m starting to sound like my old man.
Bria, I love this !! Teddy Martinez working the count for a walk….great audio of a plane flying over (as usual) during Lee Lacy’s at bat…awesome !!
Glad you liked it. I was pretty thrilled to see it myself.
I was at that game! Seaver gives up a run in the first and a run in the 9th, loses to Osteen 2-0. My father and I sat next to Cindy Garvey, whose husband Steve wasn’t really a regular yet but who went on to win MVP the next year.
Nice!
Anytime I hear Steve Garvey, I always think about a game I was at right after the first allegations came out about his wife. There were some drunks behind us in our seats at the top of stadium on the first base side who kept screaming all night long – Hey Steve, Cindy’s up here with us!