Watching Full Vintage Games on Youtube...

[Harliduck]

We are so lucky to be living in the age of the internet. I routinely utilize youtube to watch players I could only view in pictures and read about. I LOVE the pre-war footage and am still amazed that our beloved game really hasn't changed a whole lot. Before I was able to watch these clips, I would not have thought a stud from 1909 could compete with the players now...after watching hours of footage I disagree with that statement. A stud is a stud. In fact, it is clear to me the players today have lost some of the talents the past players perfected. Bunting mostly...that fine art is almost DEAD. Ever seen Phil Rizzuto lay down a bunt??? Bunting and the threat of the bunt changes the game...entirely. Can you imagine if Ty Cobb batted today and they put a shift on him??

I stumbled across this game the other night, Game 7 of the 1952 WS (Yankees vs. Dodgers), playing in such an amazing pressure packed event and for all the marbles. I knew who won being a Post War stat geek, and I knew Billy Martin made the amazing catch to save the game, but that was all I knew. Watching such iconic HOFers play in the entirety, not just news clips, was unreal. The bunting...there were attempts by Mantle, Robinson, Rizzuto, and yes, even Duke Snider tried to lay one down! Watching Mantle at 20 years old was something else, pure poetry. Pee Wee Reese was a master at SS, what hands. Anyway...here is a link if anyone is interested...what a game. Nothing better than watching in it's entirety like this...not just clips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqZnPQnxO9U

[Cliff Bowman]

I watched the near complete game between the Phillies and Cubs played on September 27, 1977 in Wrigley Field on YouTube last night. I remember coming home from school as a ten year old in New Jersey to watch the second half of the game on a Philadelphia station. It was the division clinching game for the Phillies that year, but oddly it is missing the Cubs bottom of the ninth and showing the Phillies celebrating. As a lifelong Cub fan I didn't mind that. A few things stood out to me, when a player reached base they immediately discarded the batting helmet and wore a cap on the bases, when Tug McGraw relieved starter Larry Christenson, Christenson stayed at the mound until McGraw got there and handed him the ball and then walked off, and the camera showed a concessionaire walking around selling Cubs memorabilia including pennants, team photos, caps, etc. That is really a contrast from baseball today. It was also the final game of Dave Giusti's career, he got lit up by the Phillies in the top of the ninth when the game shuts off. ETA, I was also surprised at how much bunting there was in the game, both Mike Schmidt and Bobby Murcer attempted bunts for hits with runners on base. You never see sluggers do that today.

[brian1961]

John, I am in complete agreement with you. While I have not seen the complete 1952 World Series seventh game you mention, I do want to see it one day. I've seen the segment when Mickey Mantle faced Joe Black, walloping a crucial homer. No doubt about it, what Mickey did in the 6th and 7th games made him "the toast of the town" in New York, and the star to watch in the future.

As I recall YOUTUBE carries both those games in their entirety. Their heritage traces to when the games were filmed from the television broadcast, which I believe is referred to as a kinescope. These World Series films had been sent to our US servicemen fighting the Korean War at the time.

Thanks for reminding me of these, bro. They will be worth the time. That 1952 Series was one of the greatest ever. ---Brian Powell

[AustinMike]

Incredible!!! Thanks for the link!! I didn't know these were on Youtube.

[seanofjapan]

LOL, I didn`t know about the ability to see full old games on Youtube until reading this either, thanks!

[bnorth]

I watch youtube all the time and never even though about full baseball games being on there. Awesome, thanks for posting this.

I usually watch the best TV show ever made on there "The Red Green Show".:)

[MattyC]

Thanks for posting this; great to watch with the kids. Fascinating and compelling viewing.

[glynparson]

Here go countless more hours. I never knew these existed.

[campyfan39]

Thanks for posting this! I was watching this afternoon and my 13 year old came over and said "Hey did that guy just say Campanella as in Roy Campanella?"
I told him it was 52 World Series between yanks and Dodgers. Then he asked which team Campy played for..... I swallowed hard and calmly said Dodgers. He watched over my shoulder and said "Jackie Robinson? You never told me Campanella was on his team!"
Good stuff and I gave him one of my copies of Campy's book "it's good to be alive" to read!

[pokerplyr80]

I remember a few years back ESPN classic came out and would show games like that. I'm guessing they're not around any more. That or the channel isn't part of my direct tv package.

[brian1961]

Thanks for posting this! I was watching this afternoon and my 13 year old came over and said "Hey did that guy just say Campanella as in Roy Campanella?"
I told him it was 52 World Series between yanks and Dodgers. Then he asked which team Campy played for..... I swallowed hard and calmly said Dodgers. He watched over my shoulder and said "Jackie Robinson? You never told me Campanella was on his team!"
Good stuff and I gave him one of my copies of Campy's book "it's good to be alive" to read!

Wistful story, with a happy ending. Thanks for loaning him IT'S GOOD TO BE ALIVE. That's a terrific book that made me a Roy Campanella fan in junior high back in the late 60s.

Bro, maybe you could follow that up with THE BOYS OF SUMMER. Like Bogie said to Claude Rains, "Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Thanks for sharing, bro. ---Brian Powell

PS--I've asked more than a handful of people if they've ever heard of Mickey Mantle that had not. Time marches on.

[Harliduck]

Ive got both of those books in my collection...I love reading baseball player biographies, I think I have about 30 on the book shelf. I travel a lot for work and have lots of plane time for reading. Still one of my favorites was Rico Petrocelli's book on the Sox of 67...just loved that one, and I'm not a big Sox fan. I guess where they came from that year gives a lowly Mariners fan something to hope for. But the Campy book is great...


Glad to hear some are enjoying the link...my 11 year old who is infatuated with Jackie Robinson was in awe watching him actually play "live".

[brian1961]

Ive got both of those books in my collection...I love reading baseball player biographies, I think I have about 30 on the book shelf. I travel a lot for work and have lots of plane time for reading. Still one of my favorites was Rico Petrocelli's book on the Sox of 67...just loved that one, and I'm not a big Sox fan. I guess where they came from that year gives a lowly Mariners fan something to hope for. But the Campy book is great...


Glad to hear some are enjoying the link...my 11 year old who is infatuated with Jackie Robinson was in awe watching him actually play "live".

John, the "Impossible Dream Red Sox" (taken from the song, "The Impossible Dream", the most popular song from the 1965 broadway musical, "Man of La Mancha", and was sung for years afterward by various artists) is a great story. My White Sox were battling them for the pennant in '67, but come September they folded badly. Of the four AL teams contending for the pennant, the Sox wound up fourth!

The main reason I wanted to post is to say that YOUTUBE offers several games from that great '52 Series. In Game 1, the first time Jackie Robinson came to bat, he blasted a homer off the Yanks' ace, Allie Reynolds. I mention this just in case you two hadn't seen that one. It would be easy to locate since it was early in the telecast.

Regards, Brian Powell

[Harliduck]

The main reason I wanted to post is to say that YOUTUBE offers several games from that great '52 Series. In Game 1, the first time Jackie Robinson came to bat, he blasted a homer off the Yanks' ace, Allie Reynolds. I mention this just in case you two hadn't seen that one. It would be easy to locate since it was early in the telecast.

Regards, Brian Powell

Hey thanks...I didn't even notice that. I know what we will be watching tonight...:D

[Rich Klein]

There is a limited amount of full pre-1977 games available on You Tube and some of them get taken down out of no where as well.

But it's always good to search and hear or watch those games as if we were watching live

I think from the 50's we have game 6 and 7 from 1952; Larsen's Perfect Game; one or two games from the 57 World Series and perhaps an All-Star game (not sure on the ASG)

Not much but it gives great insight into a few players even if just a snapshot of those games -- and the oldest known regular season game saved in Color is a late season Red Sox Twins game from 1967. That is also on You Tube

I recommend watching/listening to any or all of these games if you collect post-war cards

Rich

[JTysver]

I always was fascinated with Gil MacDougald and his unusual protocol in the batters box. He would slide his hand all the way up the bat right before the pitch. Seems like I remember kids dong this when i was young in the mid 70s.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Absolutely astounding! I have only watched an inning or so of Game 6 of the '52 Series, but I am blown away! To see Mantle, Robinson , Campanella, etc in the flesh is amazing. When I get home from work tomorrow night and get settled in, I know what I will be watching!

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[Manny Trillo]

I really want to find time to do this one time when I was visiting my parents I watched the 1972 World Series on Major League Baseball Network, this is before YouTube became prevalent. I was really impressed with Frank Robinson, and was shocked at the condition of the outfield!

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