centerfield maz

Rocco Domenico Colavito was born August 10, 1933 in the Bronx, New York. He grew up idolizing Joe DiMaggio watching him from the Upper Deck of that stadium in the Bronx, and waiting by the players entrance for an autograph. Colavito got noticed on the sandlots of Crotona Park, playing baseball with his older brothers. His brothers wouldn’t allow him to go him to dinner until he threw the ball far enough to go over the fence. He practiced, strengthening his arm until he was able to fire the ball across the playground over the fence. His arm became legendary; once throwing a ball over 420 feet. He attended Theodore Roosevelt High School on Fordham Rd. near the "Little Italy"- Arthur Avenue section in the Bronx. He tried out with the A.L. New York team &they didn’t offer him much, but the Cleveland Indians did. Colavito signed with the Indians in 1954. As the Tribe was getting swept by the New York Giants in the '54 World Series, Rocky was tearing up the mino

Thursday April 10th 1969: In just the third game of the 1969 season, there were already positive vibes around the New York Mets. In town were a brand new ball club, the first team to come from outside of the United States, The Montreal Expos led by manager Gene Mauch. After Oh Canada was sung for the third time at an MLB game, the National Anthem was sung & we were ready for baseball. The two teams had split the first two games of the series & this Thursday matinee was the rubber game. A Shea crowd of 8,608 were on hand to witness a Shea milestone. The Mets sent rookie Gary Gentry to the mound, another of the fine young arms the Mets kept plucking out of their minor leagues to face former Cardinal veteran; Larry Jaster. Starting Lineups Montreal Expos 1 Maury Wills SS 2 Gary Sutherland 2B 3 Rusty Staub RF 4 Mack Jones LF 5 Bob Bailey 1B 6 John Bateman C 7 Coco Laboy 3B 8 Don Hahn CF 9 Larry Jaster P New York Mets 1 Tommie Agee CF 2 Rod Gas