Philadelphia Phillies (1901-2003) Quiz: 1) 1983 Cy Young
award winner? [It’s not Steve Carlton] 2) Who was rookie of
the year, 1964? 3) What four Phils have had their uniform
retired? 4) Who holds the single season RBI mark with 170? 5)
How many years did Mike Schmidt lead the N.L. in homers? 6)
Who threw a no-hitter in 1971? 7) Who is #2 in homers as a
Phillie behind Schmidt? 8) Since 1917, only three hurlers have
won 20 games in a single season. Name them. [Incredible, but
true…two did it more than once.] Answers below.
Bob Murphy
Just last September, the great baseball broadcaster Bob Murphy
called his last game for the New York Mets after 50 years in the
business. Then on Tuesday we learned he died of lung cancer.
Poor Murph hardly got to enjoy his retirement.
I was fortunate to have a great childhood, and now upon
reflecting on Murphy’s death, following my favorite teams – the
Mets, Jets, Knicks and Rangers – was a huge part of it.
I probably wouldn’t get too many arguments from you on my
theory that your most intense moments as a fan are from about
age 10 to 16. [Exempting those Duke / UConn-type moments.]
It’s then you’re utterly devoted to your boys and at least in my
day there were no distractions. Today, at age 46, I have sporting
events on as background to my reading and writing, for example,
but in the time before Game Boy, when you were a kid and
watched or listened to your favorites, the event itself received
your undivided attention.
For Mets fans of my age, that meant listening to the greatest
broadcasting team of all time; Bob Murphy, Lindsey Nelson and
Ralph Kiner.
Imagine, in a stroke of sheer brilliance, Mets ownership started
their first season, 1962, with this trio in the booth and in the case
of Kiner and Murphy, their affiliation together lasted through
2003. [Kiner still broadcasts a few games when he’s physically
up to it…Lindsey Nelson stayed with the Mets until 1979.]
And no one painted a picture better than Bob Murphy. Kiner,
Nelson and Murphy shared the radio and television work from
1962-79, but Murphy then worked radio solely after 1981.
Murphy would start out every broadcast the same way, “Well hi
everybody, I’m Bob Murphy” and from that moment on it was
like he was your best friend. Murph, as he liked to be called, was
always cheerful, Mr. Sunshine. He was incapable of saying a
bad word about anyone and while at first you may think this is
kind of corny, remember that the Mets have had some awful
stretches of play. Forget the early years that get all the attention,
any Mets fan remembers the 1977-83 era with horror. Murph
lightened the pain, that’s for sure.
Until baseball stopped playing traditional doubleheaders, each
year the Mets held “Banner Day,” being the first franchise to do
so. The fans would parade their artwork between games of the
twin-bill and one year my friend Ken P. and I decided we were
going to get on television. I think it was 1973 and my very
talented brother drew terrific caricatures of Kiner, Nelson and
Murphy on a bed-sheet. Ken and I added the caption “The
Untouchables” and yes, as my family recorded, the Mets
announcers discussed our banner. Ken and I didn’t win any
prizes because to do so you had to honor a player, but, hey, we
accomplished what we set out to do.
Murphy worked over 6,000 games for New York and it always
made you smile when he’d say something like “It’s a beautiful
day weather-wise. Just a few harmless cumulous clouds floating
by.” You know, I haven’t seen anyone mention this, but Bob
Murphy was kind of like baseball’s Mr. Rogers.
To Ralph Kiner, Murphy was “the big brother I never had.”
These two were so close and poor Ralph, now 81, must be
crushed, having also just lost his wife recently. Kiner once told
the New York Daily News’ Mike Lupica that Murphy couldn’t
wait for the game to start. Kiner said that turning the
microphone over to Murph was like giving a kid the keys to his
first car.
Bob Murphy had many memorable moments, like in 1969 and
‘86, the latter including Mookie Wilson’s grounder going
through Bill Buckner’s legs, but perhaps his best was the one
time Murphy couldn’t stay cheerful. Instead, he became
exasperated when the Mets, leading Philadelphia 10-3 in the
ninth, almost blew it with the Phillies rallying back for six on one
dinker after another. Finally, it ended.
“Line drive – caught!” Murphy called. “The game’s over. The
Mets win it. A line drive to Mario Diaz. They win the damn
thing!”
Of course almost every long-time baseball town has a Bob
Murphy. He’s in the broadcast wing of the Hall of Fame and for
you old-timers out there, you’ll recognize some of the other
members of that august group.
Mel Allen, Red Barber, Bob Elson, Russ Hodges, Ernie Harwell,
Vin Scully, Jack Brickhouse, Curt Gowdy, Buck Canel, Bob
Prince, Jack Buck, Lindsey Nelson, Harry Caray, By Saam, Joe
Garagiola, Milo Hamilton, Chuck Thompson, Bob Wolff, Herb
Carneal, Jimmy Dudley, Jaime Jarrin, Arch McDonald, Marty
Brennaman, Harry Kalas, Bob Uecker, and the newest edition,
Lon Simmons.
So in Murphy’s death we honor them all, for helping make life so
enjoyable for us baseball fans. Personally, I have fond memories
of the Pirates’ Bob Prince, having spent many a summer out in
the Pittsburgh area growing up, visiting the relatives, pumping
gas, playing pinball and eating a ton of ice cream at Cousin Joe’s
garage…all while endlessly discussing the Mets and the Bucs.
When Bob Murphy retired last fall, he told everyone “Fifty years
is a pretty good run. Life has been so good to me. I’ve had so
many wonderful years. I have nothing but good things to say
about the life that I’ve led.” His final words to the audience at
Shea Stadium were “I’ll say goodbye now to everybody. Stay
well out there, wherever you might be. I’ve enjoyed the
relationship with you.”
As the New York Post’s great sportswriter Mike Vaccaro
summed it up on Wednesday:
“Bob Murphy’s work has been absent from New York City’s
airwaves for nearly a year, when he finally bid the Mets farewell
and entered a too-brief retirement in Florida. Yet if you listen
hard enough, you can still hear it everywhere. Great voices are
like that. They transport you. They allow you to remember
where you were when you were hearing them, and who you
were, too.”
Thanks, Murph. You were simply the greatest.
—
The Animals
The other day I picked up a new anthology, the Animals /
Retrospective. If you’re a fan of this British Invasion group from
the 60s it’s a must have. [2004. ABKCO Music & Records]
And after my running argument with Harry K. as to my personal
choice of favorite tunes of all time, I just may have to amend my
list to include the Animals’ 1965 hit, “It’s My Life.”
I mean I feel like I rediscovered the greatest rock song of all
time, and I’m also proving that CDs never wear out because I’ve
played it at least 25 times in less than a week. Do yourself a
favor and either find the tune or buy the CD.
Anyway, it’s a good time to reprise a piece on the Animals I did
a number of years ago.
While Liverpool may have been a hotbed for the British
Invasion, the gritty area around Newcastle had its share of rock
‘n’ roll royalty, foremost being the Animals; Eric Burdon
(vocals), Alan Price (keyboards), Chas Chandler (bass), Hilton
Valentine (guitar), John Steel (drums). All five came from
working-class families.
The most famous Animal, Eric Burdon, was born on May 11,
1941, during an air raid in Walker, Northumberland. In 1962 he
joined the Alan Price Combo, a Newcastle-based R&B / rock
band whose main influences were the likes of Chuck Berry, Bo
Diddley, and Ray Charles. [Burdon’s first band was the Pagans,
by the way.] The Alan Price Combo then gained a regular slot in
Newcastle’s Downbeat club, later called Club a Go-Go. It was
because of their notoriously wild stage act that the group decided
to change its name, adopting the locals’ label for them,
“animals.”
By 1963, the Animals’ reputation was growing across Europe
and the group began a two-month stint at Hamburg’s Star Club.
Then in the summer of ’64, Alan Price rearranged a traditional
folk-blues tune, sung by Leadbelly among others, “The House Of
The Rising Sun,” that was recorded in 30 minutes and cost about
4 British pounds to produce. The band’s label, EMI, argued that
the 4 ½-minute length would prevent radio stations from playing
it, so Price shortened it some for the U.S. market and within five
weeks it hit #1, selling over a million copies. Burdon, not
exactly Paul McCartney, looks-wise, became a media darling in
his own right as rock’s bad boy. [Yes, Burdon and the Animals
hit the scene a few months before the Stones and Mick Jagger
had their own initial Top Ten, “Time Is On My Side.”]
Following up “House…..” with the Top Twenty “I’m Crying,”
the Animals were preparing for a live album at the Apollo
Theatre in January 1965 when U.S. immigration officials
canceled the show because the group’s visas had expired, so they
headed back to the U.K. The band would later return to the
States, but not until they had straightened out some internal
problems. Alan Price left the band in May because he was afraid
to fly, plus he had disagreements with Burdon on which direction
the band should take as well as the fact that Price was jealous of
Burdon’s star billing.
While the Animals didn’t have as many hits as the Beatles, in
some circles they were threatening the Beatles in popularity. But
there was growing drug use in the band (another reason why
Price left), particularly among Burdon and Hilton Valentine. In
Valentine’s case, his constant use of LSD led to increasing
visions of Jesus Christ.
With Price’s departure, the Animals just regrouped and kept
turning out the hits. “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” topped
at #15 in the U.S. in the spring of ’65 and then the band appeared
on The Ed Sullivan Show, May 30. That August they recorded
“We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” (#13) and, in December, “It’s
My Life” topped at #23 (why it wasn’t a top five I’ll never
know).
We now proceed to the summer of ’66, where we find Chas
Chandler leaving to manage the early career of Jimi Hendrix, but
before Chas leaves the Animals have a #12 in “Don’t Bring Me
Down.” The group has now become Eric Burdon & The
Animals, but Burdon and Valentine are so heavily involved in
LSD it’s amazing anything gets recorded. Valentine finally had
to quit when he refused to leave his apartment.
From late ’66 to ’68, Burdon & The Animals cranked out the
following top 20 tunes: “See See Rider” (#10), “When I Was
Young” (#15), “San Franciscan Nights” (#9), “Monterey” (#15),
and “Sky Pilot” (#14). “Monterey” was a celebration of the ’67
pop festival that the Animals had helped open up.
Of course the group had its share of bad moments, including a
scene in March ’67 where fans in Ottawa staged a riot after
waiting an hour for the band to appear…they never did. And
then in December ’68, Burdon announced the final breakup of
the band as he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a film career.
That never panned out, but he soon teamed up with a heavy funk
band that was popular in the L.A. area, a group called Night
Shift. Soon it became Eric Burdon and War. By July 1970,
Burdon had a #3 hit with the group, “Spill The Wine.”
But back to “It’s My Life.” Just a few of the lyrics:
It’s a hard world…to get a break in
All the good things…have been taken
But girl there are ways to make certain things pay
Though I’m dressed in these rags, I’ll wear sable…some day
Hear what I say
I’m gonna ride the serpent
No more time spent sweatin’ rent
Hear my command
I’m breakin’ loose, it ain’t no use
Holdin’ me down, stick around
But baby (baby)
Remember (remember)
It’s my life and I’ll do what I want
It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want
Show me I’m wrong, hurt me sometime
But some day I’ll treat you real fine
—
Yeah, the above probably doesn’t appeal to everyone, but
sometimes I can’t help but think…
It’s my site and I’ll do what I want
It’s my mind and I’ll write what I want…
Stuff
–NASCAR Update: Just six races to go before the sport settles
into its new season-ending chase. You have to be in the top ten
in points after the 26th race to have a shot at the Nextel Cup title,
with the last ten after that then deciding it all. So here’s how
things stack up.
1. Jimmie Johnson…3,040
2. Jeff Gordon…2,808
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. …2,773
4. Matt Kenseth…2,623
5. Tony Stewart…2,606
6. Elliott Sadler…2,504
7. Kurt Busch…2,481
8. Ryan Newman…2,472
9. Bobby Labonte…2,466
10. Kevin Harvick…2,420
11. Jeremy Mayfield…2,380
12. Kasey Kahne…2,351
13. Mark Martin…2,331
14. Dale Jarrett…2,317
15, Jamie McMurray…2,287
[Of course I supply this information for those of you who may
not be such great fans of the sport, but still want to wow your
spouse or significant other at the local watering hole, church or
pawnshop.]
–Follow-up to my comments the other day on online gambling.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that there is
increasing worldwide pressure on the U.S. to give in and regulate
and legalize the industry. Antigua and Barbados, to cite but two
examples, have had a particularly tough time because of the
restrictive U.S. policies, with Internet gambling having grown to
account for 8-10% of the islands’ GDP. For starters, these
businesses employ a lot of folks.
**Remember, don’t gamble with the beer money!
–Speaking of beer, and constitutional amendments banning gay
marriage, on Tuesday, Missouri voters went to the polls on this
issue (they approved it) and it brought back memories of an
August day, 26 years ago, when I was selling books door-to-door
between my sophomore and junior years in college. [My
apologies to those who remember me telling this story.]
By August, my territory had expanded to the Olathe, KS area.
You have to picture that in ten weeks I had drunk beer on only
one occasion (my Waylon Jennings / Maud, Oklahoma / bar in a
trailer tale). We were told by our company not to drink and we
didn’t have any extra money anyway so we all complied (we
were also a bit brainwashed…but that’s another story).
Anyway, my roommate was a big baseball fan like me and I saw
that the Royals were in town, Olathe being near K.C. This was a
chance for me to see Willie Wilson, who I went to high school
with. I also told my friend, Don, that I didn’t care what the rules
were; I was going to have some beer at the game.
Boy, I was psyched….it was a beautiful evening for baseball, we
settled into our seats, and then I went to get the refreshments.
“Whaddya mean there’s no beer?!” I cried when apprised of the
situation by the vendor. And that’s when I learned it was
Primary Day in Missouri……………………no booze.
[fyi…the drinking age was 18 back then.]
–Allen H. reports that when former Cleveland quarterback Tim
Couch was driving from Cleveland to his new home in Green
Bay (where he will be backing up Brett Favre), he was
accompanied by his fiancé Heather Kozar. We thank Allen for
this valuable information and congratulate Mr. Couch for scoring
off the field.
–Guess I better wait for those of you who don’t know who Ms.
Kozar is and are currently Googling her………………………
–I noted back on May 18 that Mike Piazza would never hit .300
or drive in 100 again. Looking pretty good, if I may say so
myself. He is becoming an old man in front of our eyes, all those
years behind the plate finally catching up to him. And it was all
so predictable. Just wait until the Mets return home from their
current road trip. Unless Mikey starts hitting, soon, the boobirds
will be out in force.
[And Mets management is so screwed up, now they’re thinking
of putting Piazza behind the plate on a more regular basis, having
suddenly given up on the first base experiment. Geezuz, it sucks
being a Mets fan, especially when surrounded by the Yankees.
And now no Murph to soothe the wounds.]
–Back to babes (because I can), the other day I mentioned Anna
Benson of annabenson.net fame. [Husband Kris was recently
traded to the Mets.] Well, it just so happens I have a contact who
may be able to supply some dope on the Mets’ players wives;
more specifically, this person works for their plastic surgeon.
With Anna now in town….well, you know…it’s a competitive
world out there, sports fans.
–Granted, Smarty Jones probably doesn’t know he was formally
retired the other day…assuming he can’t read….but he’s about to
receive $75,000 to $150,000 per as a stud fee. Smarty, may I
recommend a diversified portfolio; underweighting stocks for the
time being, while remembering that cash is not trash….or feed.
–Sprinter Calvin Harrison is another victim of the steroid
scandal, knocked off the Olympic team and suspended for two
years. His brother Alvin faces a lifetime suspension.
–Locusts have been wreaking havoc in Africa this year. In one
day they can devour what would normally feed thousands of
people and cattle.
–According to WBAL-TV in Baltimore, the mystery animal that
Harry K. and I predicted was a jackelope is actually a red fox.
Supposedly, the baby was found and it has mange, just as one
wildlife official had himself said would be the case, but now
authorities are looking for the mother caught on camera.
Personally, I’m not going to be satisfied with this explanation
until the new National Intelligence Director takes over and has a
chance to coordinate info with all the various agencies
responsible for such matters. In the meantime, remain very
afraid.
–Speaking of wildlife, I was musing the other day that the local
scene here in New Jersey has been very disappointing this
summer. No bear attacks, for example, let alone mountain lions
ambushing protest groups. But then I’m reading a front page
story in the Wall Street Journal this Wednesday and the reporter
is discussing the fact that in Montana, grizzly bears are doing a
terrific job of blending into what are increasingly populated
areas. Some folks are lying out by a lake, for instance, not
knowing a grizzly is in the woods behind them.
And how do we know this? Through the radio collars being
attached to some of the bears, with researchers then being able to
plot the beasts’ movements. In other words, I may think there
aren’t any mountain lions in my condo development, but do I
really know this for sure?
–Update: According to the AP, that surfer who was killed by
sharks the other week south of Perth, Australia, may have been
the victim of “a great white and possibly also a bronze whaler.”
Folks, don’t you see? They’re teaming up! Ohhh…the horror…
–The Oakland A’s Mark Mulder is carving out a nice career, and
he turns just 27 today, the 5th. Mulder, 15-3 this season, is now a
spectacular 79-37 lifetime. Sure, it’s ridiculously early to be
projecting these things but this may be our next 300-game
winner, after Greg Maddux. [I don’t see Glavine, Johnson,
Martinez, Schilling or Pettite reaching the level.] Unfortunately,
Mulder does have an early history of injuries.
–Johnny Mac was musing about the year of the pitcher, 1968,
the other day and for you Luis Tiant fans out there, ponder this.
In ’68 he was 21-9, 19 complete games, 9 shutouts, a 1.60 ERA,
just 152 hits allowed in 258 innings, 264 Ks…and he didn’t
receive one 1st place vote for the Cy Young award. Of course the
reason was Denny McLain and his 31-6 mark.
–Last time I noted “A Boy Named Sue” was #2 on the pop
charts for three weeks and forgot to mention what tune beat it out
for the top slot… The Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women,” which
held the #1 position for four weeks. But what replaced “Honky
Tonk Women”? The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar,” which then had its
own four-week run at #1. Amazing. We were a very confused
nation back then.
–Ahem….this is typical. Last chat I bring up the subject of the
U.S. Men’s Basketball team and then two days later they lose to
Italy in an exhibition game. I just promised Johnny Mac I won’t
make a call on the presidential election until I absolutely have to.
Top 3 songs for the week of 8/7/65: #1 “I’m Henry VIII, I Am”
(Herman’s Hermits) #2 “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (The
Rolling Stones) #3 “What’s New Pussycat?” (Tom Jones)
Philadelphia Phillies Quiz Answers: 1) John Denny won the Cy
Young in 1983. [Carlton won it 1972, 77, 80 & 82] 2) Dick
(Richie) Allen was the rookie of the year in 1964. 3) Retired
uniform #s: Richie Ashburn, #1; Mike Schmidt, #20; Steve
Carlton, #32; Robin Roberts, #36. 4) Chuck Klein drove in 170
in 1930. 5) Mike Schmidt led the league in homers 8 seasons –
1974-76, 1980-81, 1983-84, 1986. 6) Rick Wise threw a no-
hitter in 1971 and also hit two home runs in that same game, six
for the ’71 season. 7) Del Ennis is #2 in home runs behind
Schmidt. 8) Since 1917, only three won 20 games: Robin
Roberts: six times, 1950-55; Steve Carlton: 1972, 76, 77, 80, 82;
and Chris Short: 1966.
Talk about a crappy franchise, whose lone World Series triumph
was in 1980, the Phils were 87-65 in 1917 and then had only one
season above .500 through 1948.
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday.
