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#10506: SALUTE TO BASEBALL

1957-04-13, WNBC, 55 min.

Baseball personalities on this television special ushering in the start of the 1957 baseball season include Johnny Antonelli of the New York Giants, Don Larsen, Bob Friend, Billy Pierce, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, Mel Allen, Ernie Banks, George Kell, Harvey Kuenn, Ted Kluszewski, Ed Matthews, 
Don Newcombe, Pee Wee Reese, Robin Roberts, Herb Score, Harry (Suitcase) Simpson, Eddie Yost, and Happy Felton and his Knothole Gang. Mel Allen recreates Don Larsen's perfect game. Show Business guests include: comedians Ed "Archie" Gardner, Paul Winchell, Jerry Mahoney, Frank Fontaine, singers Tony Bennett, Pat Marshall, and Bill Hayes, Singer-comedienne Janis Paige, actors Robert Alda and Robert Strauss. Also participating are baseball commissioner Ford Frick, sportscaster Mel Allen, and baseball Hall Of Fame members Joe DiMaggio, Pie Traynor, Lefty Grove, and Gabby Hartnett. Gene Kelly is the host. 

Highlights:
Gene talks to Don Larsen about his no windup pitching approach.
Also, Gene in conversation with Billy Pierce, Johnny Antonelli, and Bob Friend. Kelly introduces Ed Gardner...comedy routine about Baseball's greatest pitchers.  

In a brief segment,  Mel Allen states his dream outfield. Gene Kelly talks with Stan Musial, who states that his favorite ball player was Mel Ott, Ted Williams, chairman of the Jimmy Fund  states that his favorite baseball player was Joe DiMaggio, and DiMaggio's favorite ball player was Frank Lefty Odeul. Gene Kelly mentions that his favorite Baseball Player of all time was Babe Ruth. 

Other Highlights: 

"This Is The Year" Ensemble
1956 Most Valuable Players: Mickey Mantle, Don Newcombe
Sketch: "Rookie Of The Year" Robert Alda
Song: Janis Paige
World Series Film: Gene Kelly
Interview: Don Larsen, Gene Kelly
" Know-How" Kelly, Paige, Tony Bennett, Paul Winchell, Jerry Mahoney, Robert Alda
Knothole Gang- Happy Felton
Dugout Sketch- Paul Winchell, Jerry Mahoney
Song- Tony Bennett 
Pitchers Interview- Gene Kelly
"Two-top Gruskin" Ed Gardner, Robert Alda
Baseball Medley- Ensemble
Song- Pat Marshall
Dream Outfield- DiMaggio, Williams, Musial
Waite Hoyt's Tribute To Babe Ruth- Gene Kelly
Old-Timer's Film- Mel Allen
Rock-'n'Roll Number- Bill Hayes
Comedy Interview- Robert.Alda
Commissioner's Message: Ford Frick
Hall Of Fame Sequence- Gene Kelly
Finale- Ensemble

#13158: SALUTE TO BASEBALL

Order

1957-04-13, WNBC, 8 min.

Baseball personalities on this television special ushering in the start of the 1957 baseball season include Johnny Antonelli of the New York Giants, Don Larsen, Bob Friend, Billy Pierce, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, Mel Allen, and Ed Gardner. Mel Allen recreates Don Larsen's perfect game. Gene Kelly is the host. 
Highlights:
Gene talks to Don Larsen about his no windup pitching approach.
Also, Gene in conversation with Billy Pierce, Johnny Antonelli, and Bib Friend. Kelly introduces Ed Gardner...comedy routine about Baseball's greatest pitchers.  

In a brief segment,  Mel Allen states his dream outfield. Gene Kelly talks with Stan Musial, who states that his favorite ball player was Mel Ott, Ted Williams, chairman of the Jimmy Fund  states that his favorite baseball player was Joe DiMaggio, and DiMaggio's favorite ball player was Frank Lefty Odeul. Gene Kelly mentions that his favorite Baseball Player of all time was Babe Ruth. 

NOTE: An almost complete air check of this program is archived in the ATA collection.

#13222A: NEW YORK GIANTS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES

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1957-09-29, WPIX, 22 min.

The final New York Giant Baseball Game played in New York at the Polo Grounds by the New York Giant baseball team.

The Giants moved into the Polo Grounds in 1891. After today's final game they will be leaving many memories, mourners and an empty baseball park behind.

Radio came to the Giants in 1939. Television's first full season came in 1948. Steve Ellis called the shots that first TV season over the NBC network. In 1949 WPIX, with Russ Hodges and Al Helfer, at the mikes took over the telecasting, providing memorable play by play moments including those by Willie Mays and the most audacious New York Giant recording of them all, by Hodges, of the National League Winning home run by Bobby Thomson in 1951.

In what is considered the only known WPIX TV video or audio opening of a regularly scheduled New York Giant game we hear the theme music and opening by broadcaster, in the booth, Jim Woods, who reminds the viewers that the ballgame is coming to them by Knickerbocker Beer and Pall Mall cigarettes. We hear George Levy New York Giant public address announcer naming today's line-up in the background.

Announcer, Jim Woods, states that manager Bill Rigney wants to pack the Giant line-up with as many 1954 New York Giant players as possible, including catcher Wes Westrum who hasn't started a game in quite some time.

NEW YORK GIANTS STARTING LINE-UP

1B - Danny O'Connell
RF - Don Mueller
CF - Willie Mays
LF - Dusty Rhodes

3B - Bobby Thomson (traded by the Giants in 1954 and returning
for one more half season in 1957)

1B - Whitey Lockman
SS - Daryl Spencer
C - Wes Westrum
P - Johnny Antonelli

After announcing the first lead off hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates we segue to the bottom of the ninth inning, Giants losing 9 to 1. Bob Delaney does play by play. Don Meuller flies out. Willie Mays gets a resounding standing ovation (banging on the roof of the Giant dugout can be heard. Willie makes out ending his 1957 season with a .333 batting average. The final New York Giant out at the Polo Grounds is made by Dusty Rhodes.

NOTE: In 2014 a version of this tape was presented in person by Phil Gries to the daughter of Dusty Rhodes and to a friend of Willie Mays, to be given to him.

We hear announcer Russ Hodges, from the center field New York Giant clubhouse reminiscing about past Giant teams who played at the Polo Grounds (1942, 1944, 1946, 1951, 1954).
Giant fans surround him and chant "Stay team stay."

Hodges interviews manager Bill Rigney from his New York Giant Clubhouse Office. He states that today is a sad day.
He discuses plans for managing the 1958 San Francisco Giants.

Russ Hodges interviews former NY Giant players, including Hans Lobert who began his baseball career in 1903 playing for the Giants from 1915-1917, Red Murray who played with the Giants from 1909-1914, Sid Gordon who retired as a Giant during the middle of last season, Buddy Kerr great short stop for the New York Giants over a period of six years during the 1940's, and Eddie Brannick who joined the New York Giant organization in 1905 as an office boy working his way up to Club Secretary / Office manager, remaining with the club for a total of 65 years.

Russ Hodges becomes poetic reading a verse he has written about the departure of the New York Giants form New York.

Russ Hodges and Bob Delaney sign off.
THE END OF AN ERA

#13222B: NEW YORK GIANTS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Order

1957-09-29, WPIX, 6 min.

ATA #13222B is a six minute excerpt edited from the ATA #13222A TV Audio Air Check, outlined below. It contains ONLY the ninth inning, as announced by Bob Delaney, which includes a rare retrospective TV broadcast audio description of Willie Mays' last at bat, in the Polo Grounds, as a New York Giant.

ATA#13222A
The final New York Giant Baseball Game played in New York at the Polo Grounds by the New York Giant baseball team.