Talkin' 70s baseball
 

I just picked up a book called Talkin' Baseball: An Oral History of Baseball in the 1970's, by Phil Pepe. The book is a collection of excerpted interviews with a number of baseball figures from that era, which Pepe has selected and interwoven with commentary to place the interviews in context. Pepe aims to tell a cohesive, chronological story of the game in the 1970s.

So far (I'm up to 1975) I have enjoyed the book, although the readability varies depending on how articulate a particular speaker is. Highlights for me have included the story of Curt Flood and his suit against baseball; Brooks Robinson's amazing defensive performance in the 1970 World Series; anything about Roberto Clemente; the Mets trading Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi (!).

I was born in 1972 and became aware of baseball as a young child, but my personal memories of the game don't extend back before 1978 or so, and therefore this book is interesting to me as the immediate precursor of what I consider the baseball of my childhood.

If anyone has any favorite memories of that time, post 'em here. I'd like to "reminisce" (even though they aren't really my memories) as I read this book. Since NetShrine was kind enough to invite me to the site, I'll try to post a "highlight" story from the 70's every few days.

Satchel - first, officially, welcome to the forum.

I've read Talkin' Baseball - and, it's on the NetShrine Recommended List - great stuff. Actually, "mainsr" who posts here (sometimes) knows the author's son. At a time, the three of us were in a roto-league. Little Pepe seemed like a good guy.

Being almost 39, the book meant a great deal to me as I was ages seven to seventeen in the 1970's. Prime baseball memories age. And, I'm looking forward to your posts on the book, and other things, in the future!

My best memories from the 1970s both came in 1978.

I was 7 years old and discovered baseball for the first time. I was immediately hooked.

I immediately became a Yankees fan. My cousin was born a few days before me, and we were big rivals at the time, so he had to become a Redsox fan.

I was over at my grandparents' house the day of the Yankees-Redsox playoff game. My grandfather had a Babe Ruth League sticker. He only had 1, so he said whoever's team won the game got the sticker.

Unfortunately, I don't remember actually seeing Bucky Dent's HR, although I've seen it plenty of times on replays. But, I do remember having fun rubbing the Yankees's victory into my cousin.

A few weeks later, I came home from school and my mother ordered me to get to bed to take a nap. I told her that's for babies and I was too old for it. She said I better get some rest because I have a big night ahead of me. My father got tickets for that night's World Series game.

One of my father's clients gave him 4 tickets. I went with him, my uncle and a different cousin. My memories of that night are far more vivid than the playoff game.

I remember arguing with my cousin on the way to the stadium on who was better: Reggie Jackson or Thurman Munson. I liked Munson, but Reggie was my favorite.

That was the game that Graig Nettles' glove saved numerous runs. Guidry didn't have his good stuff and the Dodgers put more than their share of runners on against him, especially for the standard of the '78 Guidry.

But, every time things looked bleak, another Dodger lined a would be hit near Nettles and he performed his defensive magic.

I can still remember watching the scoreboard flash "GRAIG GRABBED IT", just as if it happened yesterday.

Great stuff Lee!

I was 15 for the big game in 1978. I rushed my paper route to get home in time. I sat on the sofa watching the entire game without barely moving. I had to concentrate on every pitch - because I was so scared. Scared of what? Giving myself skid marks - that's how nervous I was during the game! To this day, the most pressure packed game that I've ever watched in my life.

I just got a 16x20 autographed photo (by Bucky and Torrez) of the HR swing on QVC. I needed it, almost a quarter century later, as a something to remind me of how important that game was to me at that time.

Still have that Babe Ruth sticker? :D

I was in CCD during the game. My Mom would not let me stay home. Apparently she thought religion was more important. I will never forget. There was an announcement over the PA when Dent hit his homer. I was crushed. Clearly God was was/is a Yankee fan.

Luis Tiant
 

I remember Luis Tiant hocking hot dogs on TV - he would come on with that great big smile and say "eet's great to beee with a weeeeenerrrrrr!" That was after he joined the Yankees.

In "Talkin' Baseball" I was just reading about Tiant's antics in the Boston clubhouse, earlier in his career. There's a great picture of him in a denim leisure suit with collars a mile wide, sporting a few gold rings and chains, a cigar, and a brand new toupee (!), signing autographs.

Bernie Carbo, one of the remarkably articulate ballplayers interviewed in the book, tells a story of Tiant and Carl Yazstremski, who was apparently a real clubhouse cutup. Tiant was walking around the clubhouse wearing shiny new shoes and nothing else. He was ribbing the guys - picking on them for wearing 10-buck Thom McAn's instead of going out and spending some of their money on the finer things.

After the game, Tiant's voice went booming through the clulbhouse - "I keel you!" - as he chased Yaz around waving his $150 shoes, trying to pry nails out of the soles. Yaz had nailed them to the floor of Tiant's locker!

Carbo says that after he got the nails out Luis put on the shoes, shrugged his shoulders, and said: "I don't care. It no rainin'."

Buzz, at least you got an announcement - I think that was pretty cool.

Zimmer didn't have too many nice things to say about Carbo is his book - which is also an interesting read.

Nettles had a good line on Tiant - when on the plane once, he said Luis couldn't use the john as there was a sign that read "No forgien objects allowed in toilet."

'70s baseball
 

70's baseball rocks! great teams,stupid mascots,
reggie smith "i can barely fit my batting helmet
on" 'fros! the last days of pitchers going 22-15!
(raise your hands gaylord and wilbur)the start of
guys with free-agent attitudes(dave parker, when
asked why he wore a star of david despite not
being jewish- "my name is david, and i'm a star"
i was born in '75 to a red sox-mad dad, and a
patient mom. we have a picture of baby me being
held by luis tiant at my dad's uncles house, while
he sang me cuban lullabies.(no kidding)
had a tee of a cartoon bird pitching with "the bird" in big letters-thought it was big bird
"fidrych who?"
and what was up with the 70s uniforms? who was
worst, pads, stros "we are family" pirates? what's
everyone think?
well, like the beasties said, "i got more action than my man john woo and i got mad hits like i was rod carew!" long live the 70s!

Re: '70s baseball
 

Chisox hot pants - hands down.

I got hooked on baseball as a youth by a devious neighbor whose identity shall remain a secret. Although I am "only" 36, my favorite 1970s memories come from the first half of the decade...the part that I knew about but didn't really remember. I was always very interested in the Orioles of 1969-1971 and the ("swingin") A's of 1972-74. It may have something to do with those being my first baseball card years. Anyway, one of the great delights recently for me has been to be able to see the old World Series games on ESPN Classic. Awesome. A short list of images from 1970-75.

1. The A's. What a show! Reggie, Hunter, Bando, Joe Rudi, George Hendrick, Vida...The team was in constant turmoil, but had 5000+ uniforms, had a nutcase owner, and three straight titles. Always photographed in great leisure suits.

2. How did the Orioles lose 2 of 3 series in 1969-71? Palmer, McNally & Cuellar were awesome. Powell, Brooks and Frank, Dave Johnson, speed in the outfield. A juggernaut.

3. 1974 Dodgers. Lost to Oakland in the series. But, the first look at the 1978-1981 club that played in 3 more series. Garvey, Lopes, Russell & Cey...and a left fielder who stole almost 30 bases named Bill Buckner.

4. On the subject of Tiant and Nettles above...The Twins (my Twins) dealt Nettles to Cleveland for Tiant in 1970 and then released Tiant after 1970 thinking he was damaged goods. I think that they could have won the West without Tiant in 1970 and boy would Nettles have looked good at the Met through the 1970s.

5. The parade of new "hip and happening" uniforms. Check Okannen's "Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century" to see how different things were from 1970 to 1980. The neo-classic looks of today look like the beginning of the 1970s (without long hair, ear rings and goatees) while the late 1970s were all about polyester, elastic, powder blue road uniforms and bright colors. The next step in marketing will be updated versions of those 1970s duds.

Even worse than the ChiSox pajamas were Cleveland's "blood clot" uniforms that were a disturbing red from head to toe.

Yeah, Andre Thornton did look like Santa Claus in them. Think Robby had them on too when he HR v. the Yanks on OD when he debuted as player/MGR.

pjl7 - - "devious"? I probably would have went with "grouser of a" :loud:

Mark "the Bird" Fidrych
 

I wish I could have seen this guy pitch. I've seen films of him and he just looks wild. Not just the patting down the mound and talking to the ball, but his long arms and legs seemingly flying every which way as he delivered a pitch.

In "Talkin' Baseball," Fidrych's manager with the 1976 Tigers, Ralph Houk, recalls trying to set his rotation so that hometown fans could see the Bird, while other clubs would call and say "pitch him here, they haven't seen him here yet." That's how much of a sensation he was in his rookie year.

Rusty Staub recalls a game that Fidrych won. Fifteen minutes after the game ended the fans were still in the stands chanting "We want the Bird! We want the Bird!" Staub went into the clubhouse and found Fidrych getting ready for the showers. He told the young pitcher to put his uniform back on and come with him. "Where are we going?" said Fidrych. "You'll see," Staub answered.

When they got out into the dugout Fidrych was amazed. Staub told him to get out there and take his bow. Fidrych balked. "You hit a home run; you come with me," he said.

Staub answered, "They're not saying 'We want Rusty.' They're saying 'We want the Bird.' "

Fidrych's second season was cut short by knee and arm injuries, and he was never the same. In his rookie year, Fidrych went 19-9, led the AL in ERA with 2.34, and in complete games with 24. In his subsequent four seasons, he won only 10 games. Such a bright light that shined so briefly. One wonders how different Fidrych's career would have been had he come up in 2001 instead of 1976.

This week in Baseball just did a flashback on the Bird this Saturday. Very fun.

I've mentioned this book that I'm reading in another thread - but Jocks and Socks is great - - lots of stories from this era - highly recommended - - just read a section on the Bird that was very touching this weekend.