Paul Read News

If you saw my earlier posting about Jim Brosnan’s definitive baseball book, and my being completely nuts about it, this is just one of those lovely little cooincidences life passes along. As anyone who reads my blog (there MIGHT be somebody) knows I have a liking for old baseball games and am particularly fond of the middle 40s to the mid 60s, but that’s okay. Anyway I decided to listen to a game from 1958 between the Chicago Cubs and the Brooklyn Dodgers. The starting pitcher for Chicago was Dick Drott and the opposing pitcher was the inestimable Sandy Koufax. Anyway they got into a bit of a strikeout duel. Koufax had struck out 13 Cubbies in their last meeting and Drott was no slouch either. But as luck would have it, or should I say as Baseball would have it, the Cubbies fell behind and a relief pitcher was called in. None other than 6′4″ Jim Brosnan. When they announced his name I alsomost swallowed the toothpick in my olive (just kidding – no drinking of the nectar of gin and vermouth soaked anything these days!) Vin Scully was one of the announcers and I think it was he that gave some history on the man. But there I was listening as Brosnan came into the game and through careful pitching and excellent defense (a double play) they got out of the inning without any damage.

Fun stuff. I think that game is available at RUSC.com. It’s a subscription site and not too costly. The have a limited number of baseball games available (all GOOD) but there is more to be found at MLB.com. But be careful if you are a Mac user. The digital downloads come with DRM licenses and won’t play on a Mac even under Virtual PC. Microsoft’s decision apparently….the bums.

Paul

In the early 1960’s I was spending a few glorious weeks at my grandmother’s cottage on Lake Simcoe, just outside Barrie in southern Ontario. Those were the days of barefeet all summer and magical memory making every 5 minutes. I recall going into a variety store on Dunlop Street in Barrie and saw a baseball book in paperback, called “The Long Season” written by a pitcher named Jim Brosnan. The book cost 25 cents (computers don’t have a cents symbol – go figure). It was a landmark book written by someone ‘inside’ the game who related conversations between players on and off the field, between owners and players, talked about salary negotiations at a time when ballplayers had offseason jobs like carpenters, and other trades. Brosnan was a journeyman middle relief, occasional starting pitcher who not only could play the game at the Major League Level, he could actually write, with perception, insight and wit. I became totally absorbed by his account of the 1959 season in which he is traded mid-season (the effect on his family and his career – how smoothly and how not smoothly this goes makes a great read). He begins this, his first book, by relating a bit about salary negotiations with the owner of his team (no agent of course) and arguing over whether or not he was worth the 10,000 dollars they were offering. This is a book full of baseball magic and worth reading over and over. Which I have done since buying it for a quarter those many years ago. And I continue to read it from time to time. It never loses its magic. Except now I read the replacement copy since the first one has completely come apart and is held together with elastic bands. I can’t bear to throw out the original. Treat yourself, if you are at all in love with this great game, This was a landmark book and without it, Jim Bouton’s famous book, an other “baseball from the inside” would never have been written. A GREAT read.
Enjoy.
Paul

For those who don’t know, one of my favourite sports is baseball. Lately I have discovered the joys of listening to old games on my ipod and I wanted to share with you how much this experience reminds us of how life has changed, and at times how litttle. Last night I listened to Mel Allen and a sidekick whose name I can’t remember calling the 5th game of the 1948 World Series between the Boston BRAVES and the Cleveland Indians. Guess how many people attended this game. OVER 86,000 PEOPLE!!!! It was a record then and may still be. I got a kick out of this one for another reason, It was held the year I was born. Not an earthshattering thing, but it was fun to put myself back 57 years to a time when there were no answering machines, or email or computers, or CDs or cassette tapes or videos. There is no annoying crowd motivational electronic music and sound effects. There was, however, a marching band and they roamed around the stands between innings playing live. Pretty cool if you ask me.
Also NO DESIGNATED HITTER! I am not a huge fan of this part of the American League rules enhancements, and it does seem more strategic to have the pitchers hitting. Also in the ‘48 series one of the pitchers was Nells Potter who batted over .350 for the season. Maybe if pitchers had to hit…
Anyway, it is great fun, and if you love baseball you have to check out these older games. I have two sources: the MLB site and also the RUSC.com site. ENJOY.

I love baseball and particularly enjoy listening/watching old games. for example, I have the Baltimore/Jays game when they clinched the pennant in 1989 on video. I had to tape it to watch later, because I was in New York when the game was being played. That is still one of my favourite ones to watch and I’ve seen it first pitch to last about 10 times. It helps to be an insomniac. Recently I discovered that you can find REALLY old games on the internet. I have really enjoyed listening to games between the Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field (!) in 1957 and also a game from the same location played in 1949. If you want to check it out there are two great sources: RUSC.com (stands for Are U Sitting Comfortably?) which specializes in old time radio broadcasts. I couldn’t resist that one and have enjoyed listening to old Ozzie and Harriet shows, Fred Allen, Jack Benny and so on. They also have a sports section and have a few great games. Listen to Vin Scully, Mel Allen, Phil Rizzutto and others call play by plays. The ads are a hoot and the charm of the game is exactly what brought me to the game in the first place. In the 50’s many players were paid about 10K for the season and had off-season day gigs to pay the rent. Times have changed! The other source is the MLB site. Go to the Multimedia link and then to Best in Baseball. For $9.95 you have access to a lot of historical radio and video footage. ONLY THREE MONTHS TO SPRING TRAINING!!!!
All the best
Paul