 |
|
1916-1958
"BASEBALL HIGHLIGHTS"
With Buddy Blattner
"Baseball Highlights" with Buddy Blattner, former broadcaster with Dizzy Dean on the MLBB TV Baseball "Game Of The Week" telecasts of the 1950's, shows clips of baseball action and great players of the early 'teens through 1958. This 27-minute B & W film, narrated by Blattner himself and presented by Falstaff, has recently been restored by Rare Sportsfilms and is now available on digital video!
The tape begins with a brief history of the beginning of baseball, recognizing both the Doubleday and Cartwright contributions. Grover Cleveland Alexander and Home Run Baker are shown in action. John McGraw's 1916 and 1917 New York Giants are shown along with manager "Pants" Rowland of the World Champion 1917 Chicago White Sox. Clips of players in the 1920 World Series including Zack Wheat and Burleigh Grimes as well as "Uncle" Wilbert Robinson are included. "Walter Johnson Day" at Griffith Stadium and Rogers Hornsby at Baker Bowl are shown.
Pittsburgh coach Honus Wagner is shown taking infield and talks about how baseball has changed since his playing days and "modern day" 1933! Next is "Connie Mack Day" at Yankee Stadium, 1949. In 1951, old timers gather in New York City at the same hotel where the American League was formed in 1901 (Cy Young, Speaker, Charlie Gehringer, Hornsby, Eddie Collins, Mickey Cochran, Cobb, Jimmie Foxx, George Sisler and Pie Traynor).
The video then takes an interest in St. Louis Cardinal baseball, first showing Stan Musial rapping out his 3000th hit at Wrigley Field on May 13, 1958. Stan afterward talks about the pitch he hit and what he was thinking about at the plate in that situation. The great Cardinal "Gashouse Gang" of the 1930's is mentioned and players shown include Pepper Martin (sliding), Frankie Frisch, Dizzy and Daffy Dean, Wild Bill Hallahan, Tex Carleton, Jesse Haines, Joe Medwick and Leo Durocher.
Bill Terry and Mel Ott of the New York Giants are next and Carl Hubbell is shown throwing his famous screwball. Lefty Grove and Lefty Gomez are other great pitchers shown from the 1930's. Also included on this tape is action from the 1934 World Series (games 4 and 7), with Dean being "beaned" at second base and the Joe Medwick "fruit throwing incident" at Detroit.
The "greatest umpire of 'em all", Bill Klem, is shown and Klem explains that he "never called one wrong". Here is where Falstaff inserts a beer commercial starring the "Old Pro" cartoon character.
The Yankees of Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio (HR) are discussed and Lou Gehrig (fielding and HR) is shown, along with Babe Ruth (two homers). In September of 1957, the Pirates beat the Giants 8-1 in the last Giants home game ever at the Polo Grounds. Players are shown fleeing for their lives when fans storm the field after the final out! On October 2, 1938 Bob Feller is shown striking out Hank Greenberg on the last day of the season and setting a new record of 18 strikeouts in a single game. Johnny Vander Meer is shown pitching his second no-hit game in succession at the first night game in the history of Ebbets Field! Don Larsen's perfect World Series game wraps up the film, but not before Blattner plays Russ Hodges' famous call of Bobby Thomson's "shot heard 'round the world" on a vintage reel-to-reel tape recorder!
Now you can get your own copy of this vintage film footage on video for the first time ever! Send $29.95 + $5.00 shipping & handling. (Illinois residents must add $2.00 tax) to:
"RARE SPORTSFILMS N",
1126 Tennyson Lane,
Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 527-8890
Go Back
|
|
