In Bing Cosby's Wine Celler: Vintage Baseball
La N
September 23, 2010
In Bing Crosby's Wine Cellar, Vintage Baseball
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
How a near pristine black-and-white reel of the entire television broadcast
of the deciding game of the 1960 World Series - long believed to be lost
forever - came to rest in the dry and cool wine cellar of Bing Crosby's home
near San Francisco is not a mystery to those who knew him.
Crosby loved baseball, but as a part owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates he was
too nervous to watch the Series against the Yankees, so he and his wife went
to Paris, where they listened by radio.
"He said, 'I can't stay in the country,' " his widow, Kathryn Crosby, said.
" 'I'll jinx everybody.' "
He knew he would want to watch the game later - if his Pirates won - so he
hired a company to record Game 7 by kinescope, an early relative of the DVR,
filming off a television monitor. The five-reel set, found in December in
Crosby's home, is the only known complete copy of the game, in which Pirates
second baseman Bill Mazeroski hit a game-ending home run to beat the
Yankees, 10-9. It is considered one of the greatest games ever played.
Crosby, the singer and movie, radio and TV star, had more foresight than the
television networks and stations, which erased or discarded nearly all of
the Major League Baseball games they carried until the 1970s.
A canny preservationist of his own legacy, Crosby, who died in 1977, kept a
half-century's worth of records, tapes and films in the wine cellar turned
vault in his Hillsborough, Calif., home.
"Bing Crosby was way ahead of his time," said Nick Trotta, senior library
and licensing manager for Major League Baseball Productions, the sport's
archivist.
Three years ago, Major League Baseball acquired the rights to Yankees
pitcher Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series - leaving the
finale of the 1960 World Series high on its wish list. The hunt for old
games - this one unseen on TV since its original broadcast - is constant,
subject to serendipity and often futile. Great games like Game 7 in 1960 are
often recalled with just a few newsreel clips.
Crosby was so superstitious about hexing his Pirates that he and Kathryn
listened to the game with their friends Charles and Nonie de Limur in Paris.
"We were in this beautiful apartment, listening on shortwave, and when it
got close Bing opened a bottle of Scotch and was tapping it against the
mantel," Kathryn Crosby said. "When Mazeroski hit the home run, he tapped it
hard; the Scotch flew into the fireplace and started a conflagration. I was
screaming and Nonie said, 'It's very nice to celebrate things, but couldn't
we be more restrained?' "
After Crosby viewed the 2-hour-36-minute game, probably in a screening room
in the house, the films took their place in the vault, said Robert Bader,
vice president for marketing and production for Bing Crosby Enterprises.
They remained there undisturbed until December, when Bader was culling
videotapes of Crosby's TV specials for a DVD release - part of the estate's
goal of resurrecting his body of work.
He spotted two reels lying horizontally in gray canisters labeled "1960
World Series." They were stacked close to the ceiling with home movies and
sports instructional films. An hour or so later, he found three others on
other shelves. Intrigued, he screened the 16-millimeter film on a projector.
It was Game 7, called by the Yankees' Mel Allen and the Pirates' Bob
Prince - the complete NBC broadcast. The film had not degraded and has been
transferred to DVD.
"I had to be the only person to have seen it in 50 years," Bader said. "It
was just pure luck."
Bader's call to M.L.B. officials last spring initiated months of talks that
have led to an agreement allowing the MLB Network to televise the game in
the off-season, and to wrap interviews and other programming around it, with
Bob Costas as the host.
"It's a time capsule," Trotta said.
Hearing of the broadcast's discovery, Jim Reisler, a historian born in
Pittsburgh, sounded stunned.
"Wow," he said. His book about the game - "The Best Game Ever" - would have
benefited from seeing the NBC production, he said; he relied on the radio
call. "It would have given me a greater sense of the tremendous ebb and flow
of the game," he said.
Dick Groat, the Pirates' shortstop, said: "It was such a unique game to
begin with. It was back and forth, back and forth. It was unbelievable."
The production is simple by today's standards. NBC appeared to use about
five cameras. The graphics were simple (the players' names and little else)
and rarely used. There were no instant replays, no isolated cameras, no
analysis, no dugout reporters and no sponsored trivia quizzes.
Viewers looked at the hand-operated Forbes Field scoreboard, which on that
day (of 19 runs and 24 hits) got a vigorous workout. Occasionally they saw
newsreel cameras atop the ballpark roof.
Prince and Allen rarely interacted, with Prince calling the first half and
Allen the second. That put Allen on the air for Yogi Berra's three-run homer
in the sixth inning (Allen first called it foul); Pirates catcher Hal
Smith's
eighth-inning homer to put Pittsburgh on top, 9-7 ("That base hit will long
be remembered," Allen said as the film showed Roberto Clemente - Allen
called him Bob - bounding around the bases with joy); and Mazeroski's
winning drive to left field ("And the fans go wild," Allen said).
The game included the play on which a ground ball hit by Bill Virdon to
Yankees shortstop Tony Kubek kicked off the dirt and hit him in the Adam's
apple. Kubek fell on his back, sat up within a minute looking dazed, stood
up, then lobbied Manager Casey Stengel unsuccessfully to stay in.
It also included remarkable base running by Mickey Mantle with one out in
the top of the ninth. The Yankees were trailing, 9-8, with Mantle on first
and Gil McDougald on third. Berra hit a sharp grounder that was grabbed by
first baseman Rocky Nelson, who quickly stepped on the bag for the second
out. For a split second, Nelson seemed ready to throw home in time for a tag
play on McDougald for the final out of the World Series.
But Nelson immediately became distracted by Mantle, who never took off for
second when Berra hit the ball and was now standing just a few feet away.
Nelson reached to tag Mantle, but Mantle made a feint and dived back safely
into first. McDougald scored, and the score was tied, 9-9.
"How about that?" Allen said after Mantle's play. But just minutes later,
Mazeroski stepped to the plate. NBC's sound was good enough to hear a fan
shout, "Just get on, Billy, get on!" Mazeroski did more than that. After his
home run, fans poured onto the field and danced on the Pittsburgh dugout.
Only later did Bing Crosby witness the joy and jubilation recorded just for
him.
"I can still see Bing hitting the mantel with the Scotch," Kathryn Crosby
said.
Michael O'Connor
network in the near future.
marcus
In my more than 50 years of watching MLB, my Number One favorite
moment was the 7th game of the 1960 WS. I was only ten, and it was
the first series I watched from beginning to end, and I rooted for the
underdog, Pirates. When Mazeroski hit that home run, it was an
electric excitement moment. My mother literally jumped off the chair
she was sitting, and hugged my father in mid-air.
Sweet.
Bill Schenley
> an electric excitement moment. My mother
> literally jumped off the chair she was sitting,
> and hugged my father in mid-air.
You weren't in school (boy, does *that* show)?
Your father was unemployed? What the hell kind
of people are you?
marcus
Thank you for reminding me...I was in school for most of the game, We
were listening to the game on transistor radios...a teacher had an old
TV set hooked up in my elementary school cafeteria. I got home in
time for the last inning or two, and saw Mazeroski hit the homer,
while watching it on our old Zenith black-and-white TV with my
housewife mother, and my self-employed father.
AndrewJ
> too nervous to watch the Series against the Yankees, so he and his wife went
> to Paris, where they listened by radio.
Bob Hope was a part-owner of the Cleveland Indians, too. And Danny
Kaye was an original investor in the Seattle Mariners franchise.
Michael O'Connor
> In my more than 50 years of watching MLB, my Number One favorite
> moment was the 7th game of the 1960 WS. I was only ten, and it was
> the first series I watched from beginning to end, and I rooted for the
> underdog, Pirates. When Mazeroski hit that home run, it was an
> electric excitement moment. My mother literally jumped off the chair
> she was sitting, and hugged my father in mid-air.
>
I grew up in the Pittsburgh area, but was born a couple years after
the 60 WS. The game 7 between the Pirates and Yankees is considered
to be one of the greatest baseball games ever played, if not THE
greatest. The two greatest games I ever saw were game 6 of the 1975
World Series, and game 6 of the 1986 NLCS between Houston and New
York. Honorable mentions would go to game 7 of the 1991 World Series,
and game 5 of the 1980 NLCS with the Phillies and Astros, and game 6
of the 1986 World Series. Perhaps my favorite baseball moment was the
Braves winning the 1995 World Series, or the Pirates winning the 1979
World Series.
marcus
I rooted for the Pirates in '71 and '79. My second favorite WS was
the win by the Mets in 1969. I literally watched every televised game
that entire season, and saw one game in late August at Shea (Seaver
beat the Giants). The '86 World Series and '04 playoffs and WS were
pretty memorable as well.
Refresh my memory about the 1980 playoff with the Phillies and
Astros...was that the game where a very odd call by an umpire, seldom
seen, took place? I remember seeing it with a buddy, and we couldn't
believe what happened, but I no longer recall what it was
Michael O'Connor
> Refresh my memory about the 1980 playoff with the Phillies and
> Astros...was that the game where a very odd call by an umpire, seldom
> seen, took place? I remember seeing it with a buddy, and we couldn't
> believe what happened, but I no longer recall what it was
The 1980 NLCS was quite possibly the best baseball postseason series
of all time; the only one I think that compares in as much as every
game being memorable was the 1991 World Series.. Best of five series
won by the Phillies, who went on to win their first World Series
against Kansas City. The final four games all went into extra
innings. It was game 4 of the 1980 NLCS that had the controversial
play which held the game up for about 45 minutes while the umpires and
Managers talked it over. From wikipedia:
A controversial play occurred in the top of the fourth with the game
still scoreless. Bake McBride and Manny Trillo opened the inning with
back-to-back singles off Vern Ruhle. Garry Maddox then hit a low
liner back to the mound that Ruhle appeared to catch, but TV replays
showed he trapped it. Ruhle threw to first base, but Art Howe was
unsure if the ball had been caught, so he stepped on the bag and threw
to Rafael Landestoy at second, just in case. At that point, umpire Bob
Engel ruled a catch by Ruhle, prompting a heated protest from Dallas
Green. Engel declared both Maddox and Trillo out, but allowed McBride
to return to second. This decision, in turn, aroused a protest by
Astros manager Bill Virdon, claiming that McBride was still off second
when Howe threw there and, if Ruhle made a catch, McBride should be
declared out, too. The protests went for naught, but it hardly
mattered as Larry Bowa grounded out for the third out.
I was unable to find the specific play online, but I remember they
replayed the ABC broadcast of the game on the MLB network a while back
and they must have replayed the play about a hundred times from every
angle while the Umpires discussed it with the Managers.
R H Draney
>
>"I can still see Bing hitting the mantel with the Scotch," Kathryn Crosby
>said.
He really *was* a mean drunk, wasn't he?...r
--
Me? Sarcastic?
Yeah, right.
Brigid Nelson
So Danny Kaye queered the Mariners.
B. R. Slim
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> "Bill Schenley" <stra...@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:i7h0ob$4r1$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>
Hey, LIEberman. I can't help but notice you're on another posting binge.
Almost all of which is off-topic prattle, and now you resort to ad
hominem bullshit. Again. SHUT THE FUCK UP, ASSHOLE! NOBODY LIKES YOU!
Bermuda999
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> "Michael O'Connor" <mpoconn...@aol.com> wrote in message
>
> news:7893e672-a426-4f1a...@a30g2000vbt.googlegroups.com...
>
> > In my more than 50 years of watching MLB, my Number One favorite
> > moment was the 7th game of the 1960 WS. I was only ten, and it was
> > the first series I watched from beginning to end, and I rooted for the
> > underdog, Pirates. When Mazeroski hit that home run, it was an
> > electric excitement moment. My mother literally jumped off the chair
> > she was sitting, and hugged my father in mid-air.
>
> I grew up in the Pittsburgh area, but was born a couple years after
> the 60 WS. The game 7 between the Pirates and Yankees is considered
> to be one of the greatest baseball games ever played, if not THE
> greatest.
>
>
> Um, the '51 playoff game between the Dodgers and Giants on Oct. 3, still top
> the 7th game of '60 WS for sheer drama, only because of the come-from-behind
> nature of the Giants when trailing almost all season and in the last game.
> Maz's blast wasn't a come-from-behinder, they were tied 9-9 after the
> Yankees tied it in the top of the 9th.
> That's the difference between the two. Narrow, but distinct.
> Now, if Pit. was trailing when Maz hit it, it would be closer to tying Bobby
> Thomson's remarkable blast and without the recent controversy on the Giants'
> stealing signs--which Thomson did deny knowing the pitch beforehand.
>
> And another point in the Giants-Dodgers '51 game favor with Thomson's blast
> was it was for the pennant, while Pit. in '60 had already won the pennant
> and it was in the WS.
So it was only for the World Championship? And isn't it the only WS
game 7 decided by a walk-off home run?
(Attributions effed up by immediately previous poster)
marcus
>
> And isn't it the only WS game 7 decided by a walk-off home run?
Yes.
The other walk-off home run that won a WS was by Joe Carter in 1993
for the Blue Jays over the Phillies, but that was in Game 6.
danny burstein
>This is a huge historical find; I can't wait to see it on the MLB
>network in the near future.
You'd have thought the article's author would have
asked Yogi Berra for comment...
I'm sure he'd have said plenty if he sarted talking.
--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dan...@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
Michael O'Connor
> In <9d6e3aa1-98aa-4f9b-a91d-bc6cf430e...@t11g2000vbc.googlegroups.com> "Michael O'Connor" <mpoconn...@aol.com> writes:
>
> >This is a huge historical find; I can't wait to see it on the MLB
> >network in the near future.
>
> You'd have thought the article's author would have
> asked Yogi Berra for comment...
>
> I'm sure he'd have said plenty if he sarted talking.
>
I've read where the MLB Network will be airing this game sometime in
December.
Anne Onime
>
Hey, LIEberman. I can't help but notice you're on another posting binge. Almost all of which is off-topic prattle, and now you resort to ad hominem bullshit. Again. SHUT THE FUCK UP, ASSHOLE! NOBODY LIKES YOU!
--
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-Men!!!!!