How welcome that video clip is on a mid-winter day with no baseball within smelling distance! I just watched it three times in a row.
A ton to enjoy:
- No ads behind home plate or on the outfield wall
- Eddie Layton's organ instead of a bunch of piped hard rock
- Simple graphics (if, OK, cheesy and obtrusive) instead of 15 seconds of elaborate CGI every time the director changes cameras
- Ladies and gentlemen, Bill White
- Stirrups!
Watch Donnie take ball one. Watch his head follow it all the way into the catcher's mitt. A textbook come to life.
And oh, that swing. That melted-butter-on-a-cloud swing.
Not sure whether this last is a negative or a positive -- depended on whether you wanted tickets that night -- but yes, Virginia, that was Yankee Stadium with section upon section standing empty. 15,136 on hand that night, sez Retrosheet, and it's no typo.
As a 17-year-old Yankee fan in 1985 I thought I was watching "modern" baseball. The look and feel has changed so much.
[2] I am glad you liked it. I actually have this entire game on DVD, original commercials included. I probably watch it once a month. More than any other, this game stands out in my recollection as a youth because I can recall being so despondent when they fell behind, only to revel in disbelief when Mattingly hit the home run.
And I was thinking about Donnie Baseball just this morning, as today's trivia on my "page-a-day" Yankee calendar says the following: "Which Yankees player hit a home run in eight straight games, a ML record that has yet to be surpassed."
And Frankie singing "New York, New York" after a win doesn't get old after all these years.
[2] And Yankee Stadium looked like Yankee Stadium, and the 411ft sign in LCF (which stayed until '88, I think) is the last legitimate remnant of Death Valley.
[3] I have to say, maybe I am just getting old and nostalgic, but I sure liked baseball a lot more then. Seeing these clips just reminds me of that.
[5] I am actually amazed that I still enjoy and follow baseball to the same extent that I did when I was much younger. From kindergarten, I was a rabid fan, and I always remember adults telling me I would grow out of it. That hasn't happened yet.
[11] Good, because I was wondering since we share the same first name and last initial if the Banter would morph into a gif of a spinning musical top with lights if we indeed had the same last name, but I doubt Alex and Ken would let a thing like that happen... over same names anyway... >;)
[5][7] I'm with both of you. Nothing like the old Stadium, Bill White and Donnie Baseball. But every time I think I've lost my love for the game something pulls me back. The other day I walked by a field here and saw some high school kids in t-shirts taking infield practice..it's mid-winter and they looked so joyous. I wanted to join them!
[12] I'm thinking next step is avatars on the Banter?
[13] I suggested that early on, but now I'm glad we don't because we'd be too much like Yahoo and E@#$... what's far more unique for a blog that discusses sports and NYC lifestyle among other sports blogs is the amount of respect we have for each other. We are largely civil and open with each other about our personal lives, the things we have in common and our difference. And it's little things about here that make a big difference between this and other blogs; I'm finding harder and harder to find anything similar out there.
[14] One of the reasons that the players looked smaller is of course because they were. But also I think it is the effect of a slightly different camera perspective Compare the CF camera view from those days today: it seems to me that the camera is zoomed in so much closer these days, so the players occupy a larger percentage of the screen. In addition, the backstop wall at old Yankee Stadium was much farther from the plate in the 1980s than it was by the time the old place was demolished---as several rows of very expensive seats were added right behind home plate. and of course the OF was larger. In so many camera angles there is simply more field relative to the players, so overall, one gets the perspective that the players were considerably smaller. At least that's my theory.
Hey, William, do you think you could post more clips from that game? I'd love to watch full ab of Winfield, Rickey, et. al.
This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine, the fact that it is so difficult to appreciate players' talents because all we ever see in historic footage is of the one swing where the ball goes over the fence or whatever. FAR more interesting and instructive, of course, would be to actually watch the full ab.
I mean, I hear about how great Ted Williams was but I've never seen him hit to be able to know *how* he was so great.
"In one-plus inning, Whitson surrendered five runs, and the Yankees soon found themselves in an immediate 8-0 hole. Twins manager Billy Gardner, who earlier stated he might protest the game on account of glare from the Big Dipper..."
[26] I'd be glad to post more clips...I also have a few other games many hear might enjoy. Unfortunately, the software I have is clunky, but I'll try to post more to youtube asap and let everyone know when they are available.
Regarding Rickey, unfortunately, he only has one AB in this game. In the first inning, he winds up getting injured after being thrown out home plate. I'll post that sequence soon.
Always felt he would be a permanent fixture at Yankee Stadium. What a bizarre world we've grown up to...
How welcome that video clip is on a mid-winter day with no baseball within smelling distance! I just watched it three times in a row.
A ton to enjoy:
- No ads behind home plate or on the outfield wall
- Eddie Layton's organ instead of a bunch of piped hard rock
- Simple graphics (if, OK, cheesy and obtrusive) instead of 15 seconds of elaborate CGI every time the director changes cameras
- Ladies and gentlemen, Bill White
- Stirrups!
Watch Donnie take ball one. Watch his head follow it all the way into the catcher's mitt. A textbook come to life.
And oh, that swing. That melted-butter-on-a-cloud swing.
Not sure whether this last is a negative or a positive -- depended on whether you wanted tickets that night -- but yes, Virginia, that was Yankee Stadium with section upon section standing empty. 15,136 on hand that night, sez Retrosheet, and it's no typo.
As a 17-year-old Yankee fan in 1985 I thought I was watching "modern" baseball. The look and feel has changed so much.
[2] I am glad you liked it. I actually have this entire game on DVD, original commercials included. I probably watch it once a month. More than any other, this game stands out in my recollection as a youth because I can recall being so despondent when they fell behind, only to revel in disbelief when Mattingly hit the home run.
And I was thinking about Donnie Baseball just this morning, as today's trivia on my "page-a-day" Yankee calendar says the following: "Which Yankees player hit a home run in eight straight games, a ML record that has yet to be surpassed."
And Frankie singing "New York, New York" after a win doesn't get old after all these years.
[2] And Yankee Stadium looked like Yankee Stadium, and the 411ft sign in LCF (which stayed until '88, I think) is the last legitimate remnant of Death Valley.
[3] I have to say, maybe I am just getting old and nostalgic, but I sure liked baseball a lot more then. Seeing these clips just reminds me of that.
Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you.
My God, what a swing.
[5] I am actually amazed that I still enjoy and follow baseball to the same extent that I did when I was much younger. From kindergarten, I was a rabid fan, and I always remember adults telling me I would grow out of it. That hasn't happened yet.
Great post, and great job on the captainsblog,William. Sorry I don't get to it often it enough, but it's always a great read.
[7] Whoa...what's with your name change? I don't post too much these days. I leave for a few weeks and everything goes crazy.
8) It's a great blog.
[9] Gradual progression from anonymity to full disclosure. Since I dropped the nyy23, I figured I need to remind everyone I'm a Mattingly fan.
[11] Good, because I was wondering since we share the same first name and last initial if the Banter would morph into a gif of a spinning musical top with lights if we indeed had the same last name, but I doubt Alex and Ken would let a thing like that happen... over same names anyway... >;)
[5][7] I'm with both of you. Nothing like the old Stadium, Bill White and Donnie Baseball. But every time I think I've lost my love for the game something pulls me back. The other day I walked by a field here and saw some high school kids in t-shirts taking infield practice..it's mid-winter and they looked so joyous. I wanted to join them!
[12] I'm thinking next step is avatars on the Banter?
[2] Those empty seats are crazy to look at. And look how small the players look! (That's for you, monkeypants.)
How could a playoff game in NY have only 15,000 attending?
[13] I suggested that early on, but now I'm glad we don't because we'd be too much like Yahoo and E@#$... what's far more unique for a blog that discusses sports and NYC lifestyle among other sports blogs is the amount of respect we have for each other. We are largely civil and open with each other about our personal lives, the things we have in common and our difference. And it's little things about here that make a big difference between this and other blogs; I'm finding harder and harder to find anything similar out there.
15) This wasn't a playoff game.
16) I like it how it is! We rock. LOL
bronx banter RULES!
period, end of.
[14] Are you saying that I have a small player?
[14] One of the reasons that the players looked smaller is of course because they were. But also I think it is the effect of a slightly different camera perspective Compare the CF camera view from those days today: it seems to me that the camera is zoomed in so much closer these days, so the players occupy a larger percentage of the screen. In addition, the backstop wall at old Yankee Stadium was much farther from the plate in the 1980s than it was by the time the old place was demolished---as several rows of very expensive seats were added right behind home plate. and of course the OF was larger. In so many camera angles there is simply more field relative to the players, so overall, one gets the perspective that the players were considerably smaller. At least that's my theory.
Omg, I am *so* excited to see this video...just watched the first few seconds so far but have to say, my God, he was so skinny!
I'm still amazed every time I see all those empty seats!
And some coach or random person is wearing Reggie's number!
And it's lovely to hear Bill White!
And finally, Don Mattingly was the real thing.
The archetypal baseball player.
"Watch Donnie take ball one. Watch his head follow it all the way into the catcher's mitt. A textbook come to life."
Yes.
"And Frankie singing "New York, New York" after a win doesn't get old after all these years."
It never does.
It never does.
[16] [17] Hear, hear.
Hey, William, do you think you could post more clips from that game? I'd love to watch full ab of Winfield, Rickey, et. al.
This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine, the fact that it is so difficult to appreciate players' talents because all we ever see in historic footage is of the one swing where the ball goes over the fence or whatever. FAR more interesting and instructive, of course, would be to actually watch the full ab.
I mean, I hear about how great Ted Williams was but I've never seen him hit to be able to know *how* he was so great.
Why does MLB seem to horde its footage like that?
"In one-plus inning, Whitson surrendered five runs, and the Yankees soon found themselves in an immediate 8-0 hole. Twins manager Billy Gardner, who earlier stated he might protest the game on account of glare from the Big Dipper..."
Hahaahahhahaah!!!
[26] I'd be glad to post more clips...I also have a few other games many hear might enjoy. Unfortunately, the software I have is clunky, but I'll try to post more to youtube asap and let everyone know when they are available.
Regarding Rickey, unfortunately, he only has one AB in this game. In the first inning, he winds up getting injured after being thrown out home plate. I'll post that sequence soon.
Thanks, William!
Who is this William Juliano fellow? Sounds vaguely familiar.
I always used to get thrown when I saw that credit, "Associate Producer Jim Hunter." Every damn time I'd do a double take and think of Catfish.
Also "Don Carney" would make me think Art and the Honeymooners...which usually came on next.