Post by Rog on Jan 12, 2014 8:54:36 GMT -5
You make great points about Roberto, Allen. The style point was easy to see when Roberto played, but I learned of his humanitariasm only when he died while flying to provide aid to Nicaragua. I was flat-out shocked when I awoke on New Year's Day of 1973.
The tragedy was asuaged to the tiniest degree by Roberto's 1971 World Series heroics and his reaching exactly 3000 hits in his career.
Remember how when Willie Mays made the spectacular catch in the 1954 World Series, Russ Hodges said of the catch that it came "in what must have been an optical illusion to a lot of people."? The third homer of the hat trick I saw Roberto accomplish on August 13, 1969 hit the side of the flag pole in center field and appeared to bounce UP! The only thing I could think of was an unevenness in the paint. The ball was a line drive that was CRUSHED, but I don't see how it otherwise could have bounced up.
That day Roberto hit two of the homers off Mike McCormick and the third against Bobby Bolin, so it wasn't as if he were feasting on rag-tag pitchers. The homers gave him 19 on the season, and he seemed a shoe-in to hit 20 for the fourth time in his career. But somehow he didn't hit a single homer the rest of the way and finished at 19.
We all know how great Willie Mays was at drawing throws to enable runners behind him to move up a base. Roberto was the only guy I ever saw throw Willie out trying that move.
I have a question for Randy here. If I'm not a true Giants fan, why is it that I apparently saw so many more of these exciting Giants moments than you have?
I didn't see this one, merely listening to it, since it occurred in Milwaukee, but one of the biggest changes from one end of a Giants series to the end came at the end of April, 1971.
In the Friday night opener, Warren Spahn no-hit the Giants in a 1-0 Braves win. Despite giving up two walks and having his Braves commit an error, Spahn faced the minimum 27 batters. Matty Alou tried to break up the no-hitter and provide a badly-needed Giants base runner when he pinch hit for Jose Pagan and attempted a drag bunt with one out in the ninth inning. Spahn himself cut the bunt off, throwing to first base to retire the fleetest of the Alou brothers.
Willie Mays went 0-for-3 in that game, striking out twice.
In the series finale, Sunday April 30th, the Giants pounded the Braves, 14-4. That was the game in which Mays hit four home runs.
Two historic games in the same series -- and from the ridiculous to the sublime for the Giants.
The tragedy was asuaged to the tiniest degree by Roberto's 1971 World Series heroics and his reaching exactly 3000 hits in his career.
Remember how when Willie Mays made the spectacular catch in the 1954 World Series, Russ Hodges said of the catch that it came "in what must have been an optical illusion to a lot of people."? The third homer of the hat trick I saw Roberto accomplish on August 13, 1969 hit the side of the flag pole in center field and appeared to bounce UP! The only thing I could think of was an unevenness in the paint. The ball was a line drive that was CRUSHED, but I don't see how it otherwise could have bounced up.
That day Roberto hit two of the homers off Mike McCormick and the third against Bobby Bolin, so it wasn't as if he were feasting on rag-tag pitchers. The homers gave him 19 on the season, and he seemed a shoe-in to hit 20 for the fourth time in his career. But somehow he didn't hit a single homer the rest of the way and finished at 19.
We all know how great Willie Mays was at drawing throws to enable runners behind him to move up a base. Roberto was the only guy I ever saw throw Willie out trying that move.
I have a question for Randy here. If I'm not a true Giants fan, why is it that I apparently saw so many more of these exciting Giants moments than you have?
I didn't see this one, merely listening to it, since it occurred in Milwaukee, but one of the biggest changes from one end of a Giants series to the end came at the end of April, 1971.
In the Friday night opener, Warren Spahn no-hit the Giants in a 1-0 Braves win. Despite giving up two walks and having his Braves commit an error, Spahn faced the minimum 27 batters. Matty Alou tried to break up the no-hitter and provide a badly-needed Giants base runner when he pinch hit for Jose Pagan and attempted a drag bunt with one out in the ninth inning. Spahn himself cut the bunt off, throwing to first base to retire the fleetest of the Alou brothers.
Willie Mays went 0-for-3 in that game, striking out twice.
In the series finale, Sunday April 30th, the Giants pounded the Braves, 14-4. That was the game in which Mays hit four home runs.
Two historic games in the same series -- and from the ridiculous to the sublime for the Giants.