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#5905C: BROOKLYN DODGERS VS NEW YORK GIANTS BASEBALL GAME (1950)

1950-04-22, MGM, min.

       Brooklyn Dodgers - 7 New York Giants 6  
From Ebbets Field the fourth game of the 1950 season, and the first regularly scheduled Brooklyn Dodger game to be Nationally broadcast.
Highlights include first Black Pitcher in Major League history, Dan Bankhead, starting the game for the Brooklyn Dodgers who hits a double in his first time at bat. Gil Hodges hits a home-run. 

Calling the play by play on this radio broadcast are Red Barber and Connie Desmond.

#5905B: BROOKLYN DODGERS VS NEW YORK GIANTS BASEBALL PLAYOFF GAME 3 (1951)

Order

1951-10-03, WCFL, 132 min.

The Liberty Network, WCFL, Chicago aircheck. 
The National League Championship game number three,  that included the famous game-ending home run by Bobby Thompson ("The Shot Heard Round the World"). 

This radio broadcast is actually a re-creation, using data about the game sent in by wire. The announcer is Gordon McLendon, who owned the Liberty Network.

#5898A: WORLD SERIES (1951) NEW YORK GIANTS VS NEW YORK YANKEES

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1951-10-04, MBS, 95 min.

The 1951 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the New York Giants, who had won the National League pennant in a thrilling three-game playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers on the legendary home run by Bobby Thomson (the Shot Heard 'Round the World).

In the Series, the Yankees showed some power of their own, including Gil McDougald's grand slam home run in Game 5, at the Polo Grounds. The Yankees won the Series in six games, for their third straight title and 14th overall. This would be the last World Series for Joe DiMaggio, who retired afterward, and the first for rookies Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle.

This was the last Subway Series the Giants played in. Both teams would meet again eleven years later after the Giants relocated to San Francisco. They have not played a World Series against each other since. This was the first World Series announced by Bob Sheppard, who was in his first year as Yankee Stadium's public address announcer. It was also the first World Series to be televised exclusively by one network (NBC) as well as the first to be televised nationwide, as coaxial cable had recently linked both coasts.

Rare highlights of game one, five, and six of the 1951 World Series broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System radio network.

Game One - The opening with commentator Al Helfer who for the first seven minutes mentions multiple times yesterday's historic Bobby Thomson winning home run against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Helfer states the opening line-up for both teams.

Mel Allen is heard doing the play-by-play during an historic first inning which includes Monte Irvin's steal of home, only the fourth time successfully executed in World Series history, last done by Bob Meusel thirty years ago in 1921. This game is notable for rookie Yankee Mickey Mantle who is lead-off hitter for the New York Yankees.
We hear highlights during the bottom of the Yankee second inning which includes Gil McDougald's first World Series hit (double).
Al Helfer does the play-by-play in the top of the Giant sixth inning which includes a home run by Alvin Dark and Monte Irvin's fourth consecutive hit in the game.

Highlights of game five. Al Helfer states the opening line-ups for both teams. Mel Allen does the play-by-play for the top of the Yankees' first inning, and top of the Yankees' third inning which includes Gil McDougald hitting only the third Grand Slam in World Series history. Also heard is Phil Rizzuto hitting a home run in the top of the fourth inning and Joe DiMaggio doubling in the top of the seventh inning, playing the next to last game in his career (1936-1951).
Mel Allen recaps game five's 13 to 1 Yankee massacre of the 1951 World Series.

Game six opening with Mel Allen stating the line-ups for both teams.
Al Helfer does the play-by-play for the bottom of the Yankee first inning. Brief play-by-play in the Giant top of the fifth inning with Willie Mays singling. Mel Allen calls the ninth inning which is a nail bitter as the New York Giants load the bases with no outs, trailing 4 to 1. After the Giants close within one run with the potential tying run on second base, a racing Hank Bauer makes a sensational sliding catch by pinch hitter Sal Yvars to end the game giving the New York Yankees their fourteenth World Championship.

The 1951 season has been referred to as "The Season of Change" as it witnessed the departure of several of the games veteran superstars and the introduction of a new generation of talent. Several new rookies on the scene including a young 19-year-old switch hitter named Mickey Mantle and a phenomenal 20-year-old outfielder named Willie Mays begin their historic careers.

NOTE: These rare sound tracks were discovered at WOR radio station in the 1960's. They were on multiple 16" Electronic Transmission discs. Each side of one disc contained 15 minutes of audio. This 95-minute compilation of broadcast audio highlights of the 1951 World Series is all that exists of this classic World Series broadcast.

#11075: NEW YORK GIANTS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Order

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

Duplicate of #13222A.

#13222A: NEW YORK GIANTS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES