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1965
"THE LAST OUT"
A Eulogy of Griffith Stadium
"The Last Out", a 1965 Television documentary on the history of Griffith Stadium which aired a few weeks before the demolition of the old ballpark, is a eulogy of the old home of the Senators in Washington. This vintage TV show is now available on video to baseball fans everywhere! As a bonus, Senator fans will also see several player interviews from spring training 1961 and 1962 plus highlights of the "new" Washington Senators first game: Opening Day, 1961! This 42-minute B & W video is a must for ballpark historians and especially fans of the baseball Senators in Washington!
The tape begins with three 1961 spring training interviews by Morrie Siegel of WMAL TV-7, Washington. At Pompano Beach Florida, spring home of the new "expansion" Senators, Siegel interviews catcher Pete Daley and pitchers Dave Sisler, Pete Burnside and eventual Opening Day starter Dick Donovan! Then, silent footage shows the highlights of Opening Day 1961, as 35,000 fans (including President Kennedy) watch the Senators play Chicago to a 3-3 deadlock through seven innings. In the 8th, Roy Sievers' sac fly scores Minnie Minoso from third with the winning run in a 4-3 White Sox victory. Next, you'll see shots from spring training 1962, as the new Senators get ready for their second season: Bennie Daniels, Pete Burnside, Joe McClain, Jim Hannan, Claude Osteen, Jim King, Dale Long, Danny O'Connell, Chuck Hinton, Willie Tasby and Jimmy Piersall. Seigel then interviews young infielders Eddie Brinkman and Ron Stillwell, catcher Pete Daley and manager Mickey Vernon.
"The Last Out", narrated by a young Jim Simpson, makes up most of this video. Standing near the old Senator dugout, now in ruins, Simpson talks about the history of the old park, which is soon to be demolished to make way for the expansion of nearby Howard University. Shown are many views of the ballpark from the inside, showing seats torn out, holes in the roof and waist-high weeds covering the playing field, all the way out to the broken clock atop the rusted outfield fence signs. Simpson then introduces Hall-Of-Famer Sam Rice, former Senator during the pennant-winning glory years 1924, 1925 and 1933. Rice comments on the 1924 World Series and Earl McNeely's winning hit which hopped over Fred Lindstrom's head and won the series for Washington. Rice continues on a variety of subjects, such as the longest homer he ever saw hit at Griffith Stadium, his at-bat in the 1933 World Series, "Boy Manager" Bucky Harris and Joe Judge, and what the park looked like before Babe Ruth re-juvinated baseball in the early 1920's. Also shown are action clips from the 1933 W.S., with actual radio play-by-play of the highlight of the series for Washington fans - Fred Schulte's 3-run 6th inning game-tying homer!
You'll take a trip to Clark Griffith's office in 1954 and hear him name his all-time Washington Senator lineup. Then "The Old Fox" talks about the Opening Day tradition of the President throwing out the first ball and describes each one. More film clips show action from the 1937 and 1956 All-Star Games at Griffith Stadium, as well as the park as used for other events throughout the years (primarily for Redskins football). All-time NFL passing great Sammy Baugh describes owner George Preston Marshall, the "inventor" of half-time shows for pro football and the Washington Redskins marching band. Film clips of the famous 1940 and 1942 NFL Championship Games at Griffith Stadium are shown with commentary.
To get your copy of this 42-minute Senators Griffith Stadium video, send $29.95 plus $5.00 for shipping and handling (Illinois residents must add $2.00 sales tax) to:
"RARE SPORTSFILMS N",
1126 Tennyson Lane,
Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 527-8890
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