Happy Opening Day 2018! Much of the league saw their games played under gray skies (or even postponed) but hopefully this classic color footage will brighten your day!
Here we have a clip uploaded by MLB.com to their YouTube channel. As described in the video's info:
6/15/69: Athletics outfielder Reggie Jackson hits his 23rd home run of the season
That's exactly what we get. Reggie Jackson, in the beautiful sleeveless A's uniforms, takes Sonny Siebert deep into the Fenway bullpen for his 23rd home run of the 1969 season. This game was broadcast on WHDH-TV and we have Ken Coleman on the wet-blanket call.
What makes this clip so particularly interesting is where it came from and what it represents. This footage comes from the New England Museum of Sports. We've talked about footage from the Sports Museum before. There is an extensive cache of clips and highlights that survived from when WHDH lost their license. Up until now, it was not known whether MLB was in possession of all of this. This clip makes it clear they do have it.
Which brings me to the most important point: this June 15, 1969 game survives as a pretty extensive partial. Roughly 2 hours and 7 minutes of this game, in beautiful color, has been saved. Sans for part of the top of the 3rd inning, the game is complete into the top of the 8th inning. This is a pretty sizeable partial color broadcast, which seems to be missing the final reel/tape of the game.
With this game having been in trading circles for years now, you're left with less hope that the final reel/tape will ever be found. The full radio broadcast of this June game can be purchased on-line, which would allow fans to finish the game should this ever be offered through and official vendor. Still, complete or not, this is one of those amazing finds that is the whole reason those of us that are always on the look for stuff continue to search!
One of the original San Fransisco Giants game announcers, Lon Simmons passed away Sunday. The Giants issued the following in their press release:
But it was with the Giants that Simmons made his biggest impact. Their
arrival from New York in 1958 was a historic event, since it marked the
Major Leagues' first westward movement. Teaming with Russ Hodges,
Simmons provided verbal illustrations of the excitement generated by the
talent-laden clubs that recorded winning records each year from
1958-71, yet captured only one National League pennant. The exploits of
San Francisco's core of eventual Hall of Famers -- Willie Mays, Willie
McCovey, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda and Gaylord Perry -- were
rendered unforgettable when delivered in Simmons' rich baritone.
Simmons would also call games for the Bay Area's other team, the Oakland A's, from 1981-1995. It was during this stint that Simmons was able to call the final outs of a World Series, something that had alluded him on the other side of the Bay.
More after the jump:
Happy Opening Night!
MLB.com gives us a 17-second clip on their YouTube channel of some vintage color videotape footage. The wonderful part of this color videotape is that it preserves the remarkable brilliance of Charlie Finley's golden A's vests.
The green stirrups with yellow socks. The yellow vests with green sleeves. The white spikes. Dressed to the Nines actually lists that this combo didn't exist. The socks, with the yellow vests should have been white. These uniforms continued to feature the big green A on them for the second season. The 1970 season would be the first season they were no longer known as the Athletics but as solely the A's. Modern baseball vests are often a terrible look due to their fit but this look is perfect and timeless.
As for the game itself, it took place July 19, 1970 at Fenway Park. More on that, after the jump.
