OT: I Saw Lefty Gomez Pitch!

[z28jd]

Video from the first baseball game I ever saw in person, 1982 Old Timers Day. Look at the old-timey names, Joe Sewell, Waite Hoyt, Bill Dickey and Ray Fisher. Only this board could really appreciate seeing Ray Fisher. I need to pick up one of his t207's now, didn't remember him being there. Worth the ten minute watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPkWAUEhVyc

[Stonepony]

Fantastic. Thanks for posting!

[kkkkandp]

I thought it was hilarious seeing Hank Bauer light up a cigarette in the dugout!

There was a picture of Beach Haven/Manahawkin native Roger "Doc" Cramer in the visitors' dugout. Do you recall if he played? He would have been about 77 at the time.

[z28jd]

No idea on Cramer, but he was another cool one to see. I was 7 at the time, I remember bits and pieces of that day. We had upper deck seats to start off with, but my grandfather worked for A&P, who had box seats and no one was using them, so we moved to behind first base, about ten rows back.

[Joe_G.]

Neat piece of history with a direct tie into your early days of enjoying the game of baseball. Very nice, thanks for posting. Seems that the "Old Timer" games and re-unions are not as common these days.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by Joe_G.

Neat piece of history with a direct tie into your early days of enjoying the game of baseball. Very nice, thanks for posting. Seems that the "Old Timer" games and re-unions are not as common these days.

Agreed, the old timers games were awesome, but now seems like they only time to see old greats is during that stupid celebrity softball game during the AS break.

I remember seeing footage of a 72 year old Luke Appling going yard at Comiskey Park (I'll see if I can find a link), and just watched the other week some really great footage of 60-70 year old Sadaharu Oh going deep in an old timers game. Really is a mystery to me why there aren't more of these, especially during something like an AS break.

Nevermind, it was in DC... And he was 75!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jHV7...e_gdata_player

[Butch7999]

Thanks for the clip.
Generally we find old-timers events in any sport disturbing -- an unsettling reminder of our own mortality
in seeing the strong, sleek athletic gods of our youth revealed as stooped, fat, balding, arthritic old men.
But we did see 75-year-old Luke Appling belt a legitimate home run at an old-timers' game in Buffalo in 1984.
That wuz somethin'!

PS -- Ian, you posted while we were typing. Appling had a great season in '84!