February 14th, 1949-October 26th, 1956

A fifteen-minute nightly newscast hosted by John Cameron Swayze. It was replaced on October 29th, 1956 by the Huntley-Brinkley Report. 

Sportscaster reporter Phil Rizzuto reports on game 5 of the 1956 World Series in which the Yankees Don Larsen pitched a perfect game. 

                  Broadcasting career
Phil Rizzuto had options following his release by the Yankees, on Old Timer's Day, August 25, 1956 including a player contract from the Cardinals and a minor league offer from the Dodgers. But Rizzuto, who had filled in for the New York Giants' wraparound fifteen minute post game show hosted by Frankie Frisch beginning on September 22, 1956 following Frisch's heart attack (August 9th right after NY Giant win over the Philadelphia Phillies), received a favorable response. With his eye on a post-playing career, Rizzuto submitted an audition tape to the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees' sponsor, Ballantine Beer, took notice, and insisted that the team hire Rizzuto as an announcer for the 1957 season. General manager George Weiss was obliged to fire Jim Woods, who had only been with the Yankees for four years, to make room for Rizzuto in the booth.   Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto was so popular with the fans that they couldn't let him go after his retirement in 1956. After announcing his retirement, he signed on as the Yankees announcer on December 18th, 1956, a position he held for 40 years.                                           

Horace McMahon narrates this special review of the history of the Polo Grounds. Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca, Willie Mays, boxing champs Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson, Ken Strong, Arthur Daly, Frankie Frisch, Leo Durocher, Jack Dempsey and Carl Hubbel review the fabulous past of the Polo Grounds, a great arena where everything but Polo was played. Produced by Howard Cosell.  

   The Polo Grounds : requiem for an arena / a Howard Cosell production in association with WABC-TV ; producer, Howard Cosell ; director, Lou Volpicelli ; writers, Howard Huckner, Jack O'Grady.
 
Summary:  A look at the history of New York City's famed Polo Grounds, which is facing the wrecking ball very shortly. Featured are comments by sports greats Frankie Frisch, Jack Dempsey, "Sleepy" Jim Crowley, Carl Hubbell, Ken Strong, Leo Durocher, Willie Mays, Bobby Thompson, Ralph Branca, and Floyd Patterson. Also, New York Times sports columnist Arthur Daley (who comments on what happened on December 7, 1941), William Shea (the man who Shea Stadium is named after), and Polo Grounds security guard Adolphus Freeman.
 

                                    

The state of baseball today is discussed by former Brooklyn Dodger greats Roy Campanella and Jackie Robinson, Charles O. Finley, owner of the Kansas City Athletics, Bob Feller, former pitching star of the Cleveland Indians, Frankie Frisch, former Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and Keith Morris of Sports Illustrated.

This "lost" television program was audio recorded off the air by Phil Gries at the time of its original broadcast. 
One of the GEMS archived in the collection of Archival Television Audio, Inc.