Editor's Note: 'Check the Webbing' will be short posts about broadcast clips found on the Web. These types of clips either do not need extensive explanation or research, or are updates to posts already written.
Billy Williams Day, a doubleheader from June 29, 1969, is a topic that has been discussed on numerous occasions. Three years ago, we saw a brief clip of the final out of Game 1 from that double header at Wrigley. Our original post back in 2012 focused on color video tape footage from the 8th inning of that first game.
The description of the events of that clip were:
The
clip seen here is of Ernie Banks driving in the 1st run of the game
with an RBI single up the middle. This clip, as well as the other
Gibson shots, come from Revisiting the 1969 Cubs , a WGN produced clip that (judging by onscreen graphics) was put together in the 1990's.
On January 31, 2017, MLB.com uploaded an extended video clip of Banks' single off of Gibson in the 8th inning. This clip can be found on their YouTube channel. The footage is color videotape and is complete with the Jack Brickhouse call.
Without speaking to MLB, the source of this clip most likely comes from the WGN highlight reels that were compiled throughout the season. Many of these survived from the late 60's and early 70's. They often times represent the only broadcast footage that remains from WGN.
*This post is part of an on-going series cataloging surviving broadcast footage from 1972.
Milt Pappas' no-hitter/near perfect game stood as a rare feat in two ways for nearly 43 years. In 1972, Pappas became the first pitcher since 1908 to lose a perfect game bid on the 27th batter without giving up a hit. Not since Hooks Wiltse's HBP in 1908 had a free base been issued to the 27th batter. The walk by Pappas would be the last of its kind until June 2015, when Max Scherzer's perfect game bid was spoiled with 26 outs by Jose Tabata's elbow pad.
Even with that inglorious drought ended, Pappas still held the distinction of throwing the most recent no-hitter in the 'friendly confines' of Wrigley Field. That feat now belongs to left hander, Cole Hamels, who no-hit the Cubs on July 25, 2015.
For Pappas, his day in the sun was near the end of a long, weird career. This eventful no-hitter was one of the final chapters in a career of prominent lowlights (being on the wrong lopsided end of the Frank Robinson to Baltimore trade/admitting to giving up Roger Maris' 59th homerun out of spite towards Ford Frick) and highlights (striking out the side on only 9 pitches).
The memorable 9th inning and more, after the jump.
*This post is part of an on-going series cataloging surviving broadcast footage from 1972 .
When rookie Burt Hooton took the mound on April 16, 1972 at Wrigley Field, he was likely just trying to solidify his spot in the Cubs pitching rotation. What he ended up doing was etched his name into the record books.
On that blustery Chicago afternoon, Hooton was not particularly sharp. While he struck out seven hitters and did not allow a hit, he issued seven walks. He also dodge a few bullets thanks to some defensive help. In fact, he may have only lived on in this game for as long as he did because manager Leo Durocher was sick and at home. After the jump, we will take a look at how much of the game survived and how a few key defensive stops made this day historic.
On a day in which Billy Williams would tie and pass Stan Musial in a doubleheader against Stan's old team, we've been treated over and over again with bits and pieces of beautiful WGN color video footage. While I have never been able to track down (through many attempts) how much of this footage WGN held on to, I'd like to mark the anniversary of Billy Williams Day by showing you footage that doesn't contain Billy Williams!
As I pointed out in this post nearly 2 years ago, Billy Williams Day featured one of the greatest of Wrigley treats: A Gibson/Jenkins duel. The two would both throw the entire game with Gibson giving up the lead in the bottom of the 8th.
After the jump, we get some of the 9th inning action.
I'm sure it is difficult for MLB Productions, from time to time, to put together their 'clips' shows for seasons prior to 1980. While they undoubtedly have more footage in their archives than any of know they have or will ever see, there are large gaps that they must try to fill with newsreel footage, broadcast news highlights and team highlight films. It is often times disappointing that they will chose color 'film' clips over broadcast footage when putting together these shows but is somewhat understandable.
When they use footage that isn't even from the time period they are showcasing, however, I feel it creates a 'false history'. That is exactly what happened in an episode of Baseball's Seasons focusing on the 1970 season.
When pointing out the contentious NL East race of 1970, they discussed the Cubs early season collapse and the assencion of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The problem is, they used footage from a late 1969 game between the two trying to punctuate the Cubs poor play. More about it with extra footage after the jump.
Joining the 500 Homerun club is hard enough, but often it seems getting from 499 to 500 can be the hardest part. Players will often go through an extended stretch before reaching the milestone event. That is what made Albert Pujols hitting 499 and 500 in the same game (not just the same day) all the more rare. Sadly, the last 25 years of the homerun deluge took value away from reaching those counting number milestones. You would think, in 2014 with at least 4 cable channels carrying games nationally weekly, that the game would be carried outside of the local markets. However, much like when Mays or Aaron hit their 500th, coverage was as minimal as it could get.
As was pointed out in this post a few years ago, nine players hit their 500th homerun between 1960 and 1980. During that time, many owners still saw television broadcasts as cutting into their attendance. A few did not. Thanks to major markets like New York and Chicago, some of these events were televised. In the case of Ernie Banks, WGN actually preserved homeruns 498, 499 and 500.
Ernie Banks ended the 1969 season needing three homeruns to become the 9th member of the club. In speaking with Jack Brickhouse during Spring Training, Banks said that he'd hoped the number 500 would come on April 14th at the home opener "in the friendly confines of beautiful Wrigley Field". Banks would be right about hitting 500 at Wrigley, but would be off by nearly a month.
This Sunday, WGN will air a two-hour special titled: "Wrigley 100: A Century Celebration" to honor the tie between WGN and the Chicago Cubs. The program will air at 8 pm ET, 7 pm CT.
This season, WGN's website is running blog posts discussing events that have happened on that day at Wrigley. Here is the description of the special:
Narrated by WGN Radio’s Steve Cochran and
featuring custom drawings by cartoonist Drew Litton, the magic moments
and memories of a century of baseball at Clark and Addison are told via
interviews with over 60 different people, including Hall of Famers Ernie
Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo, Andre Dawson, Greg
Maddux and Ryne Sandberg; as well as Kerry Wood, Rick Monday, Rick
Sutcliffe, and Derrek Lee. Visiting greats such as Hank Aaron, Vin
Scully, Mike Schmidt, Albert Pujols, Bob Uecker and Paul Konerko will
add their thoughts as well. Other segments include Mike Ditka and Gale
Sayers on playing for the Chicago Bears at Wrigley, fun and crazy
moments at the park described by Harry Caray and Jack Brickhouse, and an
in-depth look at some of Wrigley’s greatest games.
Here is a YouTube clip of the intro to the special.
WGN has a special bond with this blog simply because a majority of our color content has come from surviving WGN specials. I have contacted WGN in the past and they have told me on a few occasions that a cache of classic broadcasts aren't hidden away somewhere. What we have seen is what exists. I don't know that to be 100% true, as things can be mislabeled or misplaced but I would imagine if there is something new, we might see it on this weekend's show.
A treasure trove of color broadcast clips come from what WGN has saved over the years. What exactly they saved as far as just clips or full length games, no one really knows. However, there have been a plethora of video clips in the trading community that people have seen so often, they just take for granted. However, the other day a clip caught my eye that I had never seen before.
That man standing on the mound, in beautiful color video tape, is Bob Gibson. He is standing in the middle of the field at Wrigley Field, pitching against the 1st place Chicago Cubs. What game this is and what the rest of the footage shows, after the jump.
With the death of Ron Santo, MLB.tv released a brief highlight video of the 3rd baseman's playing days. Included in it were clips from many games over the 1969-1972 seasons. One clip that stood out was a part of the Ken Holtzman no-hitter that I had never seen.
A big hat tip goes out to twib77 for bringing these clips to my attention.
In the past, I had seen clips of the 9th inning. We will get to that later. What I hadn't seen until a few months ago was the footage from the 7th inning. On top of that, what I hadn't seen until 3 days ago was the clip from the FIRST inning of that game.
All of this footage is WGN COLOR broadcast footage. I'll break it down after the jump.
