centerfield maz

Sunday, August 1st 1999:  Bobby Valentines Mets (66-43) were boasting on the leagues best records & were trailing the Atlanta Braves by just a half game on this day, as they visited Wrigley Field to play Jim Riggleman's Cubs (48-54). A Wrigley Field crowd of 39,222 filled the Friendly Confines to watch Kyle Farnsworth take on the Mets Al Leiter. The 13 inning affair would last four hours & twenty five minutes, seeing pitchers strike out 28 batters with both teams collecting ten hits each.   Starting Lineups Mets 1 Rickey Henderson LF 2 Edgardo Alfonzo 2B 3 John Olerud 1B 4 Robin Ventura 3B 5 Darryl Hamilton CF 6 Roger Cedeno RF 7 Todd Pratt C 8 Rey Ordonez SS 9 Al Leiter P Cubs 1 Mickey Morandini 2B 2 Manny Alexander SS 3 Mark Grace 1B 4 Sammy Sosa CF 5 Glenallen Hill RF 6 Henry Rodriguez LF 7 Gary Gaetti 3B 8 Benito Santiago C 9 Kyle Farnsworth P Al Leiter would strike out two batters in the 1st inning & again in the 3rd inni

Leo Ernest Durocher was born Born on July 27, 1905 in West Springfield, Massachusetts. The second baseman / shortstop made his MLB debut in 1925 with the A.L. New York team & played with BaBe Ruth & Lou Gehrig in the 19278 World Series.  Leo, who was never a great hitter, was dubbed “The great American out” by Ruth. Manager Miller Huggins loved the passion, & competiveness in Durocher but upper management hated him. Leo loved the nightlife, stayed out late, passed out bad checks & dressed in expensive clothes. After the 1929 season Durocher went to Cincinnati for four seasons getting traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in May of 1933.  He arrived in time to play on the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals World Champion “Gas House Gang” team. He had his best batting averages in St. Louis (.260 in 1934 & .286 in 1936) while driving in over 70 runs twice, & hitting 20 plus doubles three times. 1934 World Series: In the 1934 World Series he hit .259 (7-27) scoring 4

Frank Daryl Tanana was born on July 3, 1953 in Detroit, Michigan. The left handed fast ball pitcher was a 1971 first round draft pick for the California Angels, the 13th pick overall.  In 1973 he was 33-12 with a 2.70 ERA at two levels of minor league ball, getting promoted to the big league staff by the end of the year. In 1974 Tanana teamed up with Nolan Ryan making them one of the best one & two combo’s in baseball. The saying went in Anaheim was “Tanana, Ryan & two days of cryin’” during those mid seventies hey days.  In his first full season, 1974 he was given the start on the second game of the season in Chicago against the White Sox. Although he pitched well into the 7th inning allowing just two runs, he got no decision. He then won his next two starts beating Texas & the White Sox at home.  In May he lost four straight starts going 2-4 in the month, although his ERA was just at 2.88. From the end of June on, he allowed more than three runs in a game ju

All Star Break- Summer of 1969: Today Ken "the Hawk" Harrelson (no relation to Bud Harrelson) is known as the long time (33 years) broadcaster of the Chicago White Sox. The controversial broadcaster in known for his "Hawkisms" & a homer, outwardly rooting for the White Sox team.  Back in his playing days he was controversial & outspoken as well. He wore hip flashy colorful clothing of the late sixties, something ball players were not doing yet. Although he was not the first player to use one, he is credited with bringing the batting clove back to the game in his era. He wore a golf glove while batting. He began his career with the Kansas City A's as one of the teams first star players, he left in 1966 but was brought back by popular demand the next year. His time in Kansas City ended when he allegedly called owner Charley Finley " a menace to baseball". Finley moved the A's to Oakland & would win three straight World Series in t

July 1985- My Story:   At the time I was a young 19 year old teenager, ready to start my real job at the Utility the Monday after this concert. At that time Rock & Roll was everything to me & my friends. It was a time where classic Rock was at a cross over. The sixties music was still popular with us, we grew up in the seventies rock & were living the 80's Rock, especially the Hard Rock / Heavy Metal scene. (Now it's called classic Metal)  We were regulars at the rock clubs (Lamore's Brooklyn, Lamore's East Queens, The Red Eagle Saloon (Bronx), The Rising Sun (Yonkers) The Ritz (NY)  Kenny's Castaway, Rock & Roll Cafe & other MacDougal/Bleeker Street Clubs. We were attending all the rock/metal concerts coming through the New York area, so we had to be at this Live Aid concert. My friend Spanky, managed to get tickets to the sold out show. Me, Billy & Spanky set off on Friday night from the Bronx, to Brentwood, Long Island to pick u