Lee Lowenfish

I have a ticket stub somewhere for the 1964 Father's Day Mets-Phillies doubleheader which I went to with my father at newly-opened Shea Stadium. It was the day that future Hall of Famer Jim Bunning pitched a perfect game but the Mets were still so bad that I don't remember much drama. I remember more Bunning exclaiming to Ed Sullivan on his TV show that night that he told his fielders to dive for everything to aid his chance at immortality.  

Father's Day June 20, 1982 is the one I really remember. The hated Yankees are hosting the Orioles and I'm watching a nail-biter on TV with my nephew Eric in his bedroom above the kitchen in my sister Carol's house in suburban Fanwood NJ. Bespectacled backup catcher Joe Nolan comes up to pinch-hit for Rick Dempsey in top of the 11th inning against fearsome Goose Gossage.  He blasts a two-run homer into Yankee Stadium's lower right field stands to break a 3-3 tie.  I leap from the couch cheering wildly (in those pre-arthritis days when I could get up quickly.)  I hear a crash below me in Carol's kitchen - a plate must have fallen off a wall.  "Eric, grow up!" she shouts at her soon-to-enter-college only child.  It is in a voice that could be heard two suburbs away. 

I would be 40 a week later (and 6 days from now, I will be 84.)  Maybe one of these days I will grow up, but it's not really on the calendar of my twilight years.  I think back to how 1982 actually didn't turn out too well for Joe Nolan and the Orioles although my Birds made a great run at the eventual AL champion Milwaukee Brewers.  I went down to Baltimore for all 4 of the games against the Brewers that the Orioles had to sweep to win the division.  They won the first 3 convincingly. but in the Sunday afternoon matchup of future Hall of Famers Don Sutton versus Jim Palmer, the Brewers won 10-2 behind two solo HRs by future Hall of Famer Robin Yount and six late insurance runs.  It was still a close game when Joe Nolan pinch-hit for Rich Dauer around the fifth or sixth with runners on base. But Ben Oglivie made a great catch in the left field corner to stifle the rally. 

i was seated high up in the left field upper deck and actually didn't see the great catch until watching it on TV that night.  What I did see before the game was Sutton and Palmer shake hands before they went to their respective bullpens to warm up.  Some years later I met Sutton when he was broadcasting for the Atlanta Braves and I had my occasional Shea Stadium press pass.  Don remembered that handshake and asked if I had a photo of it.  Unfortunately, I didn't but the memory lingers on.  Don is gone now and so is my sister Carol Ann Lowenfish Norton who did live to see my Branch Rickey biography come out in 2007.  In fact, in one of her great acts of thoughtfulness after she had moved to California, she arranged for us to stay at a guest house on the UCLA campus where pictures were prominent of Jackie Robinson and his fellow Black football teammates from the late 1930s, Woody Strode and Kenny Washington, the latter who would integrate the NFL in 1946.

I hope Wikipedia is right that Joe Nolan is still with us at 75.  Thank you Joe for the memories of a special Father's Day in my life as a fan. I don't have any children of my own but has maintained a shared baseball love with Eric.  And here's to more special memories for fans of all 30 MLB teams and other teams of all kinds.  I will have more to say later in the summer and early fall about the seemingly unavoidable lockout of the MLB players on Dec 1. I highly recommend savoring every pitch and possible memorable moment in what is left of the 2026 season.  And never forget that baseball will always live locally and in our minds.  

As for the 2026 Orioles, I have vowed not to get too enthusiastic until they make it to .500 and stay above it.  Before games on Mon Jun 22, they are still 5 under with almost half of the season gone. The starting pitching is improving as evidenced by a gritty Father's Day win for RHP Brandon Young in a rubber game rout of the Dodgers in LA. Young has the intriguing mien of a quiet Texas gunslinger and after a rocky rookie 2025 season, the 2024 Oriole Minor League Pitcher of the Year is showing signs of maturing.  I am close to the point of writing down the 5 current starters in the rotation: Young, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, raw rookie Trey Gibson, and the only southpaw Trevor Rogers.  But I must remind myself of my promise to myself in first sentence of this graf!!   

Here is the one TCM baseball tip.  W Jun 24 at 5AM - "Whistling in Brooklyn" (1943). Red Skelton as the Fox enlists some of the Brooklyn Dodgers to foil a

gangster's scheme.  Also with memorable character actors Ray Collins/Sam Levene/Rags Ragland. 

That's all for now.  Always remember:  Take It Easy But Take It and Stay Positive Test Negative!  

On January 19th, on the eve of President Biden's inauguration, baseball lost its ninth Hall of Famer since April when Don Sutton, 75, died of cancer in Rancho Mirage, California.

 
In a 23-year career, Sutton posted a 324-256 won-lost record with a 3.26 ERA.

He threw 178 complete games with 58 shutouts. 

 
His walk-strikeout ratio was solid, 1343:3574. Innings pitched ratio to hits were less impressive, 5282:4692. He won 15 games or more in 15 seasons, including one 20-win season.

 
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998 during his fifth year of eligibility.  

There are some remarkable similarities in the careers of Sutton and Gaylord Perry, elected in 1976, and not just because both were accused of doctoring the baseball.  

 
In a 22-year career, culminating in a 1976 enshrinement in Cooperstown, Gaylord went 314-265 with a 3.10 ERA and an impressive BB-K ratio: 1379-3534. Hits-IP not as impressive 5351:4938.  303 CG astounding, 53 shutouts. 

 
Sutton made his post-career mark as an able announcer for the Atlanta Braves.

I once had a nice conversation with him about his pennant-winning victory over Jim Palmer and the Orioles in the final game of the 1982 season. 

 
I told him that I was sitting in the outfield nosebleed sections of Baltimore Memorial Stadium.  I saw him and Palmer and Sutton shake hands before they warmed up in their separate bullpens.  

 
Sutton remembered that handshake and asked if I had a photo of it.  Unfortunately I did not, but I'm happy that the moment formed a baseball memory that has lingered for us both.

Check out "To A Hall of Famer, Pitching Was an 'Easy Job," Tyler Kepner's very moving remembrance of Sutton in the January 21 New York Times. He never forgot how hard his father worked to support the family in the Florida panhandle. 

 
This coming Tuesday January 26th the Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the results of this year's voting for enshrinement in Cooperstown.  It is possible that no new members will be elected to join Derek Jeter and Larry Walker and Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller.  They were voted in last year but the induction was delayed because of the pandemic. 

Before I leave, here are some TCM viewing tips, the old movie station that has kept me grounded during the Trump years and I expect will do the same in the future. 

Sat January 23 at noon - "Black Legion" 1937 - Humphrey Bogart as a Detroit

auto worker who misses on a promotion and joins a nativist group.  Still relevant for obvious reasons.

 
8p "Out of the Past" 1947 - this week's "Essential", a classic noir with Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer directed by Jacques Tourneur.

12M - repeated Sun on 10A - "Born to Kill" 1947  Lawrence Tierney who takes Noir savagery to new heights/meaning lows.  Claire Trevor hangs on for dear life. With Walter Slezak as a private detective.

 
Wed Jan 27 145p "Trouble Along the Way" 1953 John Wayne as small town football coach trying to save a church.  With Donna Reed and Charles Coburn. The film where the oft-used phrase actually comes from, "Winning is the only thing".

 
Th Jan 28 8p "The Heiress" 1949 based on a Henry James story with unforgettable performances by Olivia DeHavilland and Montgomery Clift

 
Fr Jan 29 8p "Citizen Kane" 1941 I don't think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread - forgive hoary metaphor - but it certainly was influential.  

 
S Jan 30 8p "The Music Man" 1962 this week's "Essential" with Robert Preston and Paul Ford as the bedraggled Mayor of the town - not longer after his memorable take as Colonel Hall trying to deal with Phil Silvers' Ernie Bilko

 
Su Jan 31 midnight repeated at 10A  "The Killers" 1964 with Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes, directed by Don Siegel.  Past Noir's heyday but sure looks appealing. 

 
Unifying the country may be impossible and not particularly desirable as long as one minority is armed and dangerous. After the events of January 6th we can't say that with assurance.  

Let's just be glad that Trump was a one-term President and that an adult is now in charge or at least tries to make governing for all the people again a possibility,  one of his Biden's and my favorite words. 

That's all now.  Always remember: Take it easy but take it!