Vin Scully Narrates 1965 World Series Documentary

Enjoy this gorgeous, color recap of the exciting '65 World Series, as told by the incomparable Vin Scully, who signed off a short time ago this afternoon after the Dodgers final regular season game of 2016. This is the latest in the continuing 1965 World Series posts. It is a collection of summaries for each of the games 1-7 from that post season between the Dodgers and Twins.

I became a Dodger fan largely because of him. And I must say, it was my pleasure to see this classy chap one last time on the MLB app. This is Classic Twins's salute to the great one, arguably the best announcer in Major League Baseball history.

His is a career that has spanned post-War 1950s-era Brooklyn to the 21st Century Los Angeles of the digital age, endearing him to millions as he wove his way across the generations and the decades. Scully could adorn a baseball broadcast like no other, adding player anecdotes and figurative language in a genial, American vernacular that was accessible to people in all walks of life. He did so with an economy of words that always had the deft subtlety of one who never forgot the game is the thing. He was the added chrome and vivid detailing on the classic, Mustang Convertible.

As the description from the You Tube sponsor puts it:

"Sandy, Don, and Claude take on Jimmy, Mudcat and The Little Potato!"

Video via the Sports History Channel

"So long, everybody!" - Herb Carneal

Bonus: Vin Scully interview with NPR, with soundbites from some of his most famous calls!

Sweet Swingers: Harmon Killebrew GIF

Sweet swings from The Killer: Harmon Killebrew    

               

A few general impressions...

This was Killebrew yet in his prime.

The top frame is attractive for the imagined mayhem. You never see ball meet bat, nor the trajectory of the pitch, or whom Harmon is batting against. But you can well infer it's bad medicine for whomever's chuckin. Just another sunny day for the fans at Metropolitan Stadium, with The Killer providing the thrills. 

These give just a quick take on the violence of the basic, Killebrew homerun cut. As if he was hacking down a maple. I recall Bloomingtonite Kent Hrbek sitting at a panel of others (Jack Morris, Paul Molitor, Jim Grant) three years ago when Killebrew passed away, and saying that Harmon was like the mythical Paul Bunyan for him as a kid.

Appropriate he would choose an icon central in Minnesota lumbering history in describing the area's favorite "ax-man" of the diamond. For a really great view of that swing, you should pick up the great Red Sox commemorative 1967 DVD, which features the oldest known preserved, full-length, color MLB game on record. Harmon homers for number 44 of the season in game 161(box), and it is the true, typical vicious swing for which he was known.

The second frame gives a bit more context of  "The Fat Kid," at work (see book excerpt below) as Jim Bouton referred to him. In fact, when I first saw the pitcher in the road blue, yellow piping, I immediately thought "Oh...Seattle Pilots, 1969!," but then noticed Harmon's jersey didn't have the MLB 1969 Centennial logo on his right arm sleeve (see photo ABOVE, BELOW), which would date the image from the 1970/71 seasons - which means the opponent was not the Pilots, but their children, the newly transplanted Milwaukee Brewers.

I had said this was Harmon in his prime. A Few stats from BBRef: keep in mind, ye not impressed -  this period was still part and parcel of the pitching rich late-60's. A special player! As a public service OPS & OPS+ are linked to a definition for old dudes like me who've time-traveled in from the '60s, other times unknown, and were fed mostly RBI, jacks, doubles and triples on the backs of their Topps baseball cards :

Year	G ▴	PA	AB	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
1970	157	665	527	96	41	113	128	84	.271	.411	.546	.957	159	288
1969	162	709	555	106	49	140	145	84	.276	.427	.584	1.011	177	324

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table. 

Generated 11/5/2013.   BOLD TYPE = LEAGUE LEADING TOTALS

Killerologists will recall he finished third in the MVP voting in 1970, and took home the heavy hardware in 1969, the only such time he was honored. It will be worth my while to post some more gifs of this subject. Yes, there are a few in the pipeline, and the world awaits.

It's the least I can do for the player who taught me it was okay to eat Old Dutch chips in the dugout during a game.

To sign off in typical Herb Carneal Fashion:
"So long everybody!"

Jim Grant: Trailblazing Ace In Twins History

In this 2010 video while in Fargo, Jim Grant explains how he earned his nickname

Besides his multi-faceted personality, one of the things I've always appreciated about the Mudcat was his nifty, economical windup. There was no wasted motion, and he hid the ball well before whipping it towards homeplate. I think it's great that he has become an iconic figure in Twins history. You can read The Sporting News feature on Grant from Oct. 1, 1965 for a pre-World Series look at the Twins newest pitching sensation.

Jim is famous for sending that World Series to Game Seven in 1965 with his pitching and batting, as seen in this newspaper link from the Oct. 14 edition of the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Above and below are two expandable articles from The Sporting News, plus an April, 1965 column on Grant.  Together, they form a fascinating look into his character.

Just click to get a bigger, better read!

In the Sid Hartman piece, it's pretty evident Grant was not a guy to put up with any crap, racist, elitist, or otherwise. This is another insight into the thought process of an up-front Black man from 1960's America. Below is a video from local, Minneapolis TV, and presents the stirring rendition of "What A Wonderful World" by Mudcat at the Harmon Killebrew Memorial from May, 2011.

As Herb Carneal would say "...and the count rides along." - TT

Snapshots From Twins Territory: Mudcat Grant: "I Did It My Way"

Jim Grant: capturing a proud, man at his zenith, circa spring

training, 1965.  It was the summer he won 21 games - the first

African-American to win 20 or more in major league history!

" Live simple. Live prayerful. And never ask more from a person than you would expect from yourself, " is the philosphy of life that James "Mudcat" Grant lived by. I love the picture of him at the left! He was a Twin from 1964 to 1967.


Heavily influenced by his mother, Iba, Jim Grant was perhaps the most multi-dimensional being the Twins ever had.  Musican, author ( his book, The Black Aces, publ. in 2006), athlete, philosopher - he was quite the package.

He distinguished himself very well when visiting Minnesota in 2005 for the 40th Anniversary weekend of the 1965
championship year.  He sang the National Anthem for one of the games.

There is a fine, Cool of the Evening website of author Jim Thielman that does a much better job than I can at capsulizing the man Grant. 

Fine video of Grant in his hey day at Metropolitan Stadium!

May Your Taters Fly Far! Twinkler Out!

Jim Grant,1972 Topps Card:

when Joe Mauer grows

mutton chops like this,

I'll situp and take notice!