DT, you'll like this
- Thread starter Protes
- Start date
By the way, we pummeled the Dukes in the championship game, 75-44.
I'm getting old for sure. But I'm not THAT old!
That was the 1959-1960 season, I believe, because Roger Maris went to the Yankees after the 1959 baseball season.
Well I am! LOL
Growing up in New York, I watched him play for the NY Mets in
the early 60's. He was nicknamed "Marvelous Marv." Those Mets (expansive
franchise) were the laughing stock of baseball. They played in the old Polo
Grounds because the Giants had relocated to San Francisco, Marv was a
a fan favorite due to his sometimes fielding ineptitude.
That was a stadium like no other....475 -483 ft to dead Center, 270+ and
250+ down the lines. It was an oval. The second deck actually hung out
over the outfield wall. Clubhouse was up the steps in center field. The players
walked to the outfield and up the stairs after the game.
A lot of you guys have great memories of Forbes Field. I spent many a day
at old Yankee Stadium, and the Polo Grounds.
Very true. I followed them as a kid growing up (along with the Mets). The
Yankees actually were involved with the Philadelphia A's moving to
Kansas City. So there was a relationship there. Besides Roger Maris,
the Yanks got other players like Clete Boyer," Suitcase Simpson"
(anyone remember him?), Ryan Duren, Bob Cerv, and even Enos Slaughter.
There were others, but I remember these guys because they were very good.
On the other hand the Yanks unloaded Billy Martin to the A's because of
his bad influence on Mickey Mantle.
I remember reading that Kansas City A’s owner Arnold Johnson had once owned Yankee Stadium and had other investments involving the Yankees, somewhat explaining the incestuous relationship between the teams during those years.
I also attended games at the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium with my dad and a neighbors dad and later on when on summer vacation from Pitt at quite a number of Mets games at Shea Stadium especially during the magic 1969 season. I was once even at a Brooklyn Dodgers game at Ebbetts Field with my dad as a young kid. Duke Snyder hit a home run as I recall.
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The Maris trade is just so ridiculous now and it had to have even been ridiculous then. The A's traded one of the top young hitters in baseball for the Yankees' number 6 starter, the decent player who was going to lose his job to Maris, a part timer, and a 38 year old. It's the 1959 equivalent of the Chris Archer trade.
There were a number of players on both sides involved with
that trade. Hank Bauer, yankee right fielder near the end
of his career was one of those players. Maris came in and
replaced Bauer as the yankee right fielder, and the rest is
history.
Bauer eventually retired and became a major league manager.
I remember being at Yankee stadium as a kid and watching him.
By the way, not that anyone is interested LOL, but I gotta tell it
anyway. As an 8yr old, I out foxxed some adults and came up
with a foul ball into the box seats on the right field line. Ball was
hit by Minnie Minoso (White Sox) and pitched by Tommy Byrne.
Anyone remember those players?
I still have that ball (enclosed in a clear glass case).
Harry 'Suitcase' Simpson had a stay with the Pirates and. it seems, with everyone else. Thus, the nickname, Suitcase.
The expansion Mets hastened Richie Ashburn's retirement. Even at his age, he was their best player. Center field at the Polo Grounds: Willie Mays' area from 51-56. I saw him play for SF in Philly in 1957. The first time up he hits a screaming line drive to shortstop Joe Koppe; the second time Harry, "The Horse" Anderson in left field leaps against the left field wall (334') and robs him of another screaming line drive; the third time up Mays hit the ball on the roof of the left field stands in old Connie Mack Stadium---like saying "let's see you suckers make a play on that!"
Maris was perfect for Yankee Stadium. A left handed pull hitter who could easily hit the ball down to the short right field outfield stands called a “short porch” at the time. One of the charms of MLB in that period was that stadium shapes and dimensions varied greatly which allowed teams to be built of players whose style/strengths would give you a bigger home field advantage.
Saw him a couple of times. Earlier era (and better relative to his era) but, similar style of player to Pitt’s Billy Knight, IMHO.
The Steel Bowl I remember the most was 1970. They managed to get UCLA in here with hopes of a Duquesne and UCLA championship game. They matched UCLA up with someone (I think William and Mary), and Pitt/Duquesne in the first round. We played one of our best games and knocked the Dukes off, 70 to 58. The Duquesne fans booed their team off the floor that night and booed them again when they came on the floor for the consolation game the following night. Even Mossie Murphy got into the booing act. We gave UCLA a good game for three quarters and lost by 13 In the championship game.
I remember Minnie Minoso - he got a pinch-hit when he was 51 years old, and appeared in a game when he was 55.
That was a great tournament for Pitt. It was Buzzy Hairston who lead Pitt to the victory over the Dukes. It looked like he was going to be a very good player, but didn't make it past his sophomore year - at least that is my recollection.
You're right about Richie Ashburn playing center field at the
Polo Grounds for the Mets. When the Giants would come in
town from San Francisco, it was a big deal. I was there to see
Orlando Cepeda fly out to the steps in Center Field for a
475 foot out. Ashburn caught it.
Yup, about 296 down the right field line. However those
dimensions changed quickly. That 296 quickly moved to
407 in right centerfield, and then on to 461-3 in center
behind the on field monuments, 457 to left Center, 402
straight away left field.
Also, Maris didn’t hit too many into the lower deck stands near that foul poll at 296. He hit lots of high drives into the upper deck well above about the 334 lower deck sign as I recall.
I recall his homers a little differently.
Actually many of his, and more than likely most,
were hit into the lower deck, including the big
one, # 61.
It was the Mick who hit the tape measure
jobs, a lot of em upstairs in the third deck. He
even put two on the facade of the roof.
Nobody ever hit one outta the park. However
supposedly Josh Gibson hit one out in the old
Negro League,. This maybe more speculation
than fact, since there's no official record of it.
