Lee Lowenfish

"Every season is different" goes the old sports adage that like most cliches survive because there is a lot of truth to them.  Getting the most annoying story out of my system early on, I didn't expect more than a .500 season from the Orioles and now that modest hope is fading. You have read many times on this blog that I never believed in the baseball acumen of "President of Baseball Operations" Mike Elias but as long as relatively new owner David Rubenstein believes that Elias, who has 8 years in a top role, is such a genius that he doesn't even need a general manager beneath him who just might just know a little more about analyzing pitching talent, the future seems bleak. 

For the next three nights (M thru W May 11-13) the Orioles do have a chance to avenge the embarrassing four-game sweep at Yankee Stadium earlier this month.  Perhaps it is a blessing that because the MLB schedule now limits head-to-head divisional matchups to only 13 a season, the Birds don't return to the Bronx until the last weekend of regular season.  Of course, there will be two series in Baltimore where if the Birds don't show more life, Camden Yards will likely become Yankee Stadium South.  But I still use the pronoun "we" and wear my Oriole jacket often and it leads to fruitful conversations with strangers who love the Orioles.  Like the young woman one-third my age who wondered, "What is Elias giving RHP Shane Baz a 5-year contract worth $65 million before he threw one pitch for us?"  So far his results have not been promising. I am tempted to shout, "Don't come back, Shane!"  (Stay tuned for more movie snark near end of this post.) 

To turn positive for a moment, we are only five games below .500 as I post on Monday morning May 11. Nobody in AL is comfortably above .500 except the first-place Tampa Bay Rays (who plucked 4 top prospects from the Birds in the Baz deal) and the Yankees. Yesterday on Mother's Day, we enjoyed a rare win over the improved Athletics. My boys did it mainly with pitching and defense - How about that?

In top of 7th inning after getting the first lead of the weekend on a clutch single by rookie outfielder Dylan Beavers, inexpensive free agent pickup center fielder Leody Taveras threw a one-hop strike to impressive 21-year-old rookie catcher Samuel Basallo to preserve the 2-1 lead. 37-year-old gritty RHP Chris Bassitt gave his best effort as an Oriole for 6 innings and the 2-1 score held thanks to a save by well-traveled interim closer Rico Garcia.  A native of Hawaii, Rico G wears #50 as a tribute to his home state and one of his heroes, former Mets outfielder Benny Agbayani.      

As for the overall outlook for MLB with a quarter of regular season games already as Mets broadcaster Howie Rose loves to say "in the books", Tampa makes their first visit to Yankee Stadium over the weekend of May 23 after sweeping the Bronx Bombers early last month at their domed dungeon called Tropicana Field that has been restored after severe hurricane damage.  The justly-maligned NL Central has all its teams over .500 as I post this in early May. The St. Louis Cardinals are nipping at the heels of the Chicago Cubs for first place and the Brewers after sweeping the Yankees this weekend are right in the mix, too. 

About 10 days ago, I watched FOX's Saturday "Baseball Night in America" and was impressed that the Cards started virtually an entire home-grown team with early Rookie of the Year contender second baseman JJ Wetherholt shining on both sides of the ball as the Cards beat the filthy-rich LA Dodgers.  Wetherholt is from the Pittsburgh area and I'm glad that the Pirates bounced back from a home sweep by the Cardinals to sweep the Reds. Pittsburgh is a great baseball town and the fans have suffered for so many years that they are still not drawing very well.  I hope many will return if the Buccos stay in contention.  

There have been many losses of eminent baseball people since I last posted.  I never had any real personal encounters with Yankee broadcaster John Sterling, 87, Atlanta Braves owner/champion yachtsman/media entrepreneur Ted Turner, 87, or Hall of Fame manager/former Yankee third baseman Bobby Cox, 84, but they certainly deserve to be remembered.  

Seattle broadcaster Aaron Goldsmith told on air last week a classic story about John Sterling whose love of the Great American Songbook was well-known. Goldsmith was a friend of slugger Matt Holliday and when Matt was a Yankee near the end of his stellar career, Goldsmith asked Matt if John Sterling was willing to narrate a tape that Aaron could use on his answering machine during the holidays.  Sure enough before Thanksgiving one year, Goldsmith received in the mail a tape of Sterling introducing Frank Sinatra singing "Happy Holidays". 

At the beginning of his career as a baseball owner in the early 1970s, Ted Turner was very brash, even putting on a uniform to manage a game during a long Braves losing streak. Soon he wisely let solid baseball people make the vital scouting and developmental decisions that led the Braves towards constant contention by the early 1990s. I devoted a chapter of my book on scouting BASEBALL'S ENDANGERED SPECIES to such Braves lifers as Bill Lucas - the unacknowledged first Black GM - and scouting maven Paul Snyder.  After a down 2025, the Braves are back in clear NL pennant contention. Atlanta just won a series in LA and are the only team above .500 in what so far must be called the NL Least. After a horrenous start, the Phillies have moved to only 3 under .500 under new manager Don Mattingly.  The Mets languish at 10 under .500 and show few signs of a rebound.

On a personal note, I had a moving experience on the last Friday of April, the 24th.  After a showing at the Ferguson Public Library in downtown Stamford CT of the 2013 bio-pic "42," the film that starred Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey and the late Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson, I was part of a panel discussing the movie along with authors of two recent books about the crucial period of the late 1940s Keith Evan Crook who has written OPENING THE DOOR FOR JACKIE (McFarland) and Peter Eisenstadt, INTEGRATION AT SECOND BASE (U of Illinois Press).  Courtesy of author Crook, here is a YouTube link to the discussion that was hosted by Guy Fortt, president of the Stamford NAACP who over 40 years ago was the first Black firefighter in Greenwich CT.  

I never tire of discussing this period in American history which seemed hopeful for genuine and equitable social change.  As I say in the tape, 1947 was the high point of success in Branch Rickey's career even though the Dodgers lost a memorable 7-game World Series to the Yankees. Though there are some errors in the baseball history, I'm so glad that feisty Leo Durocher is an important presence in "42" and Chris Meloni does him justice. Understandably not in a film made for a mass Hollywood audience, we don't learn the later story after 1947.  In 1948, the Dodgers did not win the pennant and the signs of Walter O'Malley's coming takeover of the team were clearer than ever, reaching fruition after the 1950 season though the Dodgers returned to Series in 1949 and missed out on last day of 1950 season.  Rickey's post-Dodger career in Pittsburgh and later back to St Louis was not crowned by baseball success but I continue to find him a  fascinating figure, a grandfather that I never had I guess. Was delighted that several in audience remember fondly my bio BRANCH RICKEY: BASEBALL'S FEROCIOUS GENTLEMAN still in print from U of Nebraska Press. Hope you enjoy the link and can ride through some occasional sound glitches. Many thanks to Keith Crook for providing the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i03NKPZWp_M&t=17s 

 CLOSING NOTES:

**Ivy League Baseball Post-Season Tournament begins Fri May 15 at 12N with top-seed Yale hosting #4 Columbia followed at 4P by #2 Penn versus

#3 Brown.  Loser's bracket at 11A on Sa and winner's bracket at 4P  Tourney winds up either on Sun or a M 12 Noon game.  

Kudos to Columbia senior RHP Evan Kleinhans who has closed games, served as an "opener", and pitched 8 1/3 innings of shutout ball in a key late

regular season game at Cornell.  I have dubbed him "Every Day Evan" referencing the former Twins and Giants hurler Eddie "Every Day" Guardado.  

All Ivy League tourney games will be available on ESPN+. 

*"Grass Routes" is a fun MLBTV show that features a different minor league franchise each Sunday from 1-130P on MLBTV.  During a show about the Portland (Maine) Sea Dogs, a fan described his dream afterlife: "I don't want to be buried but bronzed holding an umbrella so the pigeons don't get me." 

During a recent show about the Asheville Tourists that play in McCormick Field that is over a century old, Connor Griffin, then a visiting minor leaguer and now the Pirates' 20-year-old wunderkind SS, expressed his genuine love of the game and the experiences he was having on the way up to the majors.  The show narrited by Jonathan Mayo is on every Sunday at 1P on MLB network

 TCM TIPS:

F May 15 630P "Baby Face" (1933) Barbara Stanwyck sleeps her way to the top and among the beaus discarded are uncredited Douglass Dumbrille and John Wayne. Black actress Theresa Harris is a friend of Barbara's and is treated in film as an equal.  I mention this film because it's directed by Alfred E. Green (1889-1960) who started in Hywd as silent movie actor and directed a lot of bio-pecs including the "Jackie Robinson Story" (1950).  BTW it should be watched along with "42" for different insights into that crucial period of our history.  Jackie Robinson played himself in the 1950 film quite convincingly though, of course, masking on screen his righteous disdain in real life for the racists in our midst.

Sa May 16 245A "Designing Woman" (1957) Vincente Minnelli tries to make Gregory Peck believable as a sportswriter. Doesn't work for me but Lauren Bacall/Dolores Gray are also in cast.

Su May 17 Noir Alley a little later 1230A and 1015A Hitchock's "Strangers On A Train" (1951) with some memorable footage at Forest Hills Tennis Club.

Robert Walker is out to get innocent Farley Granger. Also with Ruth Roman/and oh-so-reserved Leo G Carroll. 

Later on Sunday two memorable films that have nothing to do with sports but must be listed:

1215P "Humoresque" (1946) one of the best films about classical music with John Garfield/Oscar Levant/Joan Crawford

1030P "Moonstruck" (1987) J P Shanley's memorable script and Vincent Gardenia, who did play the NY Mammoths manager in "Bang The Drum Slowly", as

Olympia Dukakis's straying husband and of course Cher choosing Nicolas Cage over Danny Aiello. 

****Th May 21 330P. Joe E Brown in "6-Day Bike Rider" (1934) along with frequent pal Frank McHugh.  Joe E always deserves 4-stars. 

11P "Blazing Saddles" (1974). how can I fail to mention Mel Brooks' enormously politically incorrect hilarious classic!

F May 22 6A "Body and Soul" (1925) Paul Robeson as philandering minister

8P Gregory Peck tries his hand as "MacArthur" (1977) - not sure I can last through this one but Genl Douglas A is an important if flawed figure in our history.

How can I forget my remedial speech class in 3rd grade when I had to recite a poem in honor of MacArthur's young son returning from Japan after Truman fired his daddy:  "Arthur MacArthur/We welcome you home!"  Fortunately forget the rest of poem but not this ditty that Miss Frisch taught us: 

"Good, better, best/Never let it rest/Until the good is better/And the better is best."

That's all for now (whew!). Always remember:  Take it Easy but Take It, and Stay Positive Test Negative!" 

I don't recall a more chaotic opening to an MLB season than this one.  A look at the standings on Monday morning April 13 reveals that only the filthy-rich but well-run Dodgers possess a record comfortably over .500 at 11-4. The Braves are at a solid 10-6, but no other team is more than three games over .500.  Contenders like the Yankees and Brewers are dealing with 5-game losing streaks and a marginal contender like the Astros has lost 7 in a row.  The non-contending Athletics - in a holding pattern for 3 more years playing in a minor league stadium in Sacramento before they move to Las Vegas - came into NYC last week and won the last 2 games and the series over the Yankees and then over the weekend swept the Mets and are now 8-7. The St. Louis Cardinals who I thought would be non-contenders this year are holding their own a game over .500  Their fans have been historically among the most loyal, but have been turned off by poor teams in recent years. They are still skeptical but if they win enough, they'll likely come back to the ballpark. Patience may have been rewarded with the development of exciting outfielder Jordan Walker.

What explains this early example of genuine competitive balance where no team is yet truly buried? It is, of course, only a small sample size of around 15 games, but I think part of the reason is the new ABS system (automated ball-strike) has empowered pitchers, catchers, and batters to appeal plate umpire calls at least twice a game. And if players win the appeal, theoretically a team could get positive calls for the entire game.  There is no doubt that walks have increased with the new system, but in the firm opinion of L.D. (Lively Dinosaur) Lowenfish, MLB doesn't need more of the Three True Outcomes - Home Runs, Strikeouts, Walks. ABS at its worst is creating another break to the rhythm of a beautiful if difficult game that shouldn't be more robotized and constantly bombarded with questionable new statistics (sigh). 

Cold weather has probably also been a factor in so many bad offensive performances by supposedly good teams.  Mets owner Steve Cohen was surprised that most fans didn't take up his offer of free tickets for day games last week that were played in 35-degree weather. He shouldn't have been surprised except by an odd 410P starting time for one weekday game. Cold weather probably is a big factor in the number of injuries this early in the season. I fear that too many players have been either unprepared or overprepared in their pre-game physical work.     

Oh, for the days when the season opened in mid-April not late March and was "only" 154 games equally spaced among the teams in two leagues of eight teams and then one World Series.  Of course, that schedule is not ever coming back because of expansion to 14 more teams.  At least, MLB will commemorate again Jackie Robinson Day this Wed April 15, the 79th anniversary of Robinson breaking the color bar. He was playing a position new to him, first base. Branch Rickey's close friend, Hall of Famer George Sisler, had helped teach JR the defensive basics in spring training. Although he went hitless in his debut, Jack sparked the game-turning rally in the bottom of the 7th with a walk and a stolen base as the Dodgers won 5-3 over the Boston Braves. Lanky Howie Schultz did go in for defensive purposes at first base in the 9th inning but before the end of the month, he was traded to the Phillies and Robinson soon settled into full ownership of first base. For that year alone - with the development of onetime catcher Gil Hodges, Jack moved to second in 1948. 

Here's a little plug - I've been invited to appear on a panel at Stamford CT's main Ferguson Library on Fri Apr 24. The evening opens with a 6P screening of

"42", starring Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey and the late Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson. It will be followed by a panel with Keith Evan Crook. author of the recent OPENING THE DOORS FOR JACKIE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BASEBALL'S INTEGRATION (McFarland) and Peter Eisenstadt who just came out with JACKIE ROBINSON AND THE QUEST FOR BLACK CITIZENSHIP (U of Virginia Press).  The Ferguson Library is located at ! Public Library Plaza in the historic DiMattia Building that is about a 10-minute walk from the MetroNorth train station. All buses at train station head there.  More info at 203-964-1000. 

One more plug:  I'll be discussing another chapter in My Rehabilitation of Frank "The Fordham Flash" Frisch Tour at SABR's meeting this coming Sat Apr 18 at the Y at 344 E 14th St, SW corner of 1st Ave.  Also on the program will be Jay Goldberg discussing his First Baseball Game project; author Ken Davidoff discussing his new book with pediatrician Harley Rotbart 101 LESSONS FROM THE DUGOUT (Bloomsbury) and Professor Seth Tannenbaum, recently tenured at Manhattanville U and author of the new book BLEACHER SEATS & LUXURY SUITES: DEMOCRACY & DIVISION IN 20TH CENTURY AMERICA (U of Illinois Press).  

And now for some TCM Tips for the later part of April.  Get your recording devices or get up early on:

W April 15 at 530A -a rare showing of "The Joe Louis Story" (1953) starrng former boxer Coley Wallace, who once beat Rocky Marciano as an amateur plus

a bevy of great character actors including John Marley/Paul Stewart/James Edwards (who was so riveting in "Home of the Brave" as a WW2-soldier suffering from PTSD and brought back to health by compassionate doctor played by Jeff Corey)/referee Ruby Goldstein playing himself (how I remember as a kid growing up in late 40s/early 50s watching on TV his dance-like backward movements around the ring!)  And on the soundtrack, Alec Wilder's lovely tune "I'll Be Around" sung by Anita Ellis backed by the Ellis Larkins trio. How I remember in the last decades of 20th century, overly unassuming Baltimore-born Larkins, one of Ella Fitzgerald's favorite accompanists, holding forth at the Carnegie Hall tavern. 

Later on Apr 15 at 930P tax day is commemorated by Robert Benchley's 1938 short, "How To Figure Income Tax"

Followed at 945A by the cartoon "Symphony in Slang" (1951)

F Apr 17 8P Peter Bogdanovich directs Boris Karloff in "Targets" (1968) - an aging star wonders about his life while a Vietnam war vet goes on shooting spree.

Sun Apr 19 at 12M and 10A - Noir Alley shows "His Kind of Woman" (1951) with Robert Mitchum probably playing a deported gangster to Mexico getting into some more trouble with Vincent Price/Tim Holt. Directed by Mia's daddy John Farrow.

For the night owls at 415A Tom Ewell plays a Little League coach in "The Great American Pastime" with two Anns, Francis and Miller

And looking ahead to Noir Alley of Su Apr 26: "711 Ocean Drive" (1950) starring underappreciated Edmond O'Brien as telephone repairman who gets mixed up with gambling group.  With Joanne Dru a couple of years before she plays Mrs. Dizzy Dean (not a well-conceived part) in "The Pride of St Louis" & always-fearsome Otto Kruger. 

Note this sequence of films after Noir Alley on Apr 26.

12N "The Stratton Story" (1949) with Jimmy Stewart & June Allyson & Frank Morgan as the scout who signs Stratton.

Followed at 2P by "Blackboard Jungle" (1955) that I saw in junior high school and will never forget my metal shop teacher Mr. Walsh sternly warn some rambuctious students to cut out the hijinks because he wasn't gonna allow his classroom at Joan of Arc JHS at 154 W 93rd St turned in a blackboard jungle.

Directed by the estimable Richard Brooks with Glenn Ford/Louis Calhern (the memorable Ambassador Trentino in "Duck Soup" sparring with Groucho & also Marilyn Monroe's sugar daddy" in "Asphalt Jungle"/and a memorable Sidney Poitier. 

That's all for now - stay positive test negative, and Take it Easy But Take It!