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Showing posts from May, 2013

Concert Review: Chicago @ Westbury Theater- Long Island, NY 5/25/13

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centerfieldmaz concert review-Chicago @Westbury 2013   Once again the band Chicago put on another incredible performance last night at the Westbury Theater on Long Island. It was the first of two nights at that venue. Westbury is a classic theater in the round with a slow rotating stage & every seat is a good one. It's a popular venue for Chicago since they have been doing it annually over the past few years.  Robert Lamm "Saturday In the Park"  Chicago, were established in 1967 in (of course) Chicago Illinois. They have become one of the most successful American rock & roll bands of all time with a tremendous following. In the U.S they have 22 gold- 18 platinum, and 8 multi-platinum albums. They've had five number-one albums and 21 top-ten singles.  Four original members remain: Keyboardist/ singer/ songwriter: Robert Lamm - Saxophone-flute player: Walter Parazaider - Trumpet / singer/ song writer: Lee Loughnane & Trombone/ brass a

Remembering The Doors Ray Manzarek (1939-2013)

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                      "when the music's over............" This is a sad day as Ray Manzarek of the Doors has passed away from complications of bile duct cancer in Germany. Manzarek was 74 years old. He is survived by his wife of forty years Dorothy, a son & three grand children. Raymond Daniel Manzarek was born on February 12th 1939, in the south side of Chicago. He originally wanted to play basketball but only in the forward position. In high school when he was told he had to play at guard or not at all, he quit the team. He later claimed there would have been no Doors if not given that ultimatum. Manzarek took piano lessons as a boy & later was in some local bands with his two brothers, most notably Ray & the Ravens. Manzarek attended DePaul University, earning a degree in economics. He then went West, to UCLA Film school in the Department of Cinematography & his life changed. There he met Dorothy Fujikawa whom he would eventually marry &am

Remembering the 1973 Mets: Tom Seaver K's 13 Reds In A Losing Effort

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This is another post honoring the 40th Anniversary of the 1973 N.L. Champion New York Mets team. On Wednesday May 2nd, 1973 ; the New York Mets hosted the Cincinnati Reds in what was an early preview of that seasons NLCS showdown. As so many other things early on for the New York Mets today did not go well, although Tom Seaver did go to the mound & struck out 13 Reds.   In the top of the 4th inning, Seaver already had five strike outs including Pete Rose & Dave Concepcion looking. But in this inning Concepcion doubled to centerfield scoring Tony Perez for the first run. Seaver returned to strike out the side in the 5th & 6th innings, although he did serve up a HR to the light hitting Concepcion. (Concepcion had eight HRs on the '73 season). With the exception of that HR, Seaver had managed to strike out eight batters in a row. But in the 7th, he gave up a single to the pitcher Ross Grimsley & then a two run HR to Pete Rose. Seaver would take the loss,

Italian / American Father & Son Umpires: Lou DiMuro (1963-1982) & Mike DiMuro (1999-)

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Louis John DiMuro was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 24, 1931. He went to high school in Jersey City, New Jersey then served in the Air Force where he broke a finger ending his baseball playing days.  DiMuro then went to Umpire school and made his way to the Major Leagues by 1963. DiMuro lived in Floral Park , New York on the Queens / Long Island border in the sixties before moving to western edge of New York State, at Westfield, New York- “the grape juice capitol of the world”. Some of his most notable games behind the plate were the 1965 & 1967 All Star Games. In 1969 he called Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmers no hitter. DiMuro did his first World Series in 1969 & was the home plate umpire for Game #5 at Shea Stadium as the Amazing Mets won the worlds championship. Earlier in the game Baltimore's Frank Robinson claimed he had been hit by a pitch & argued he should be awarded first base. DiMuro disagreed. In the 6th inning the Mets' Cleon Jones