I was drawn to photography at an early age by baseball through the images on the back pages of the Daily News, The New York Mirror and Ozzie Sweets photography. Today Bleacher Report has this wonderful link to my past, unpublished candid images from Life magazines files of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and other New York Yankees spring training 1961…
Enjoy!!!!
Along the lines of PNC Park, the Great American Ball Park home to the Cincinnati Reds located on the Ohio River is ballpark I believe overlooked when discussing beautiful ballparks located in cities…
Visit http://www.ballparkprints.com where images of ballparks and classis Ozzie Sweet images are always beging added.
Sitting on the Allegheny River, and the “New Pittsburgh” is beautiful PNC Park home to the rising Pittsburgh Pirates. This from a life long baseball fan who is also huge Yankees fan (grew-up in the shadow of Yankee Stadium) and is only haunted by one game, the 7th game of the 1960 World Series. If you are a Yankees fan, October 13, 1960 is nothing but heartache. No defeat for me hurts and stills hurts more than that one. Here are a few side notes, October 8th, 1960 was the first World Series game I attended, and for years sitting in an umbrella stand at my house was one of Bill Mazeroski’s game used bats from the 1960’s until I gave it to a neighbor who was from Pittsburgh.
This winter has been our “Groundhog Day”! So if you are sitting at home watching the snow feeling trapped, enjoy this movie and just maybe you will feel a little liberated….
2014 Season will be bitter sweet
While reading Nationalpastime.com, this caught my eye.
2006 after deliberating for a little more than four hours, a jury rules the Angels did not breach a contract with the city of Anaheim when the ball club changed its name. Thirteen months ago the team known as the Anaheim Angels became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim prompting the city where it plays to file a lawsuit, claiming the change in name amounted to at least $100 million in lost revenue. (http://www.nationalpastime.com/)
Then I wondered how many times the team located in Anaheim changed its name? A hundred years ago it was common practice for teams to change its name. Today it is the ballparks that are getting there names changed almost yearly. Listed below are the names the Angels have used, I like Anaheim Angles…
| Organization | Pitchers & Catchers | First Workout |
Position Players |
First full workout |
| Arizona D-Backs | Feb. 6 | Feb. 7 | Feb. 11 | Feb. 12 |
| Atlanta Braves | Feb. 13 | Feb. 14 | Feb. 18 | Feb. 19 |
| Baltimore Orioles | Feb. 13 | Feb. 14 | Feb. 18 | Feb. 19 |
| Boston Red Sox | Feb. 15 | Feb. 17 | Feb. 18 | Feb. 20 |
| Chicago Cubs | Feb.13 | Feb. 14 | Feb. 18 | Feb. 19 |
| Chicago White Sox | Feb. 15 | Feb. 16 | Feb. 20 | Feb. 21 |
| Cincinnati Reds | Feb. 14 | Feb. 15 | Feb. 19 | Feb. 20 |
| Cleveland Indians | Feb. 11 | Feb. 13 | Feb. 15 | Feb. 17 |
| Colorado Rockies | Feb. 15 | Feb. 16 | Feb. 21 | Feb. 22 |
| Detroit Tigers | Feb. 13 | Feb. 14 | Feb. 17 | Feb. 18 |
| Houston Astros | Feb. 15 | Feb. 16 | Feb. 19 | Feb. 20 |
| Kansas City Royals | Feb. 14 | Feb. 15 | Feb. 19 | Feb. 20 |
| Los Angeles Angels | Feb. 13 | Feb. 14 | Feb. 18 | Feb. 19 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | Feb. 8 | Feb. 9 | Feb. 13 | Feb. 14 |
| Miami Marlins | Feb. 16 | Feb. 17 | Feb. 20 | Feb. 21 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Feb. 15 | Feb. 16 | Feb. 21 | Feb. 22 |
| Minnesota Twins | Feb. 16 | Feb. 17 | Feb. 21 | Feb. 22 |
| New York Mets | Feb. 15 | Feb. 16 | Feb. 20 | Feb. 21 |
| New York Yankees | Feb. 14 | Feb. 15 | Feb. 19 | Feb. 20 |
| Oakland Athletics | Feb. 14 | Feb. 15 | Feb. 19 | Feb. 20 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Feb. 12 | Feb. 13 | Feb. 17 | Feb. 18 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Feb. 12 | Feb.13 | Feb. 17 | Feb. 18 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Feb. 12 | Feb. 13 | Feb. 17 | Feb. 18 |
| San Diego Padres | Feb. 13 | Feb. 14 | Feb. 18 | Feb. 19 |
| San Francisco Giants | Feb. 14 | Feb. 15 | Feb. 18 | Feb. 19 |
| Seattle Mariners | Feb. 12 | Feb. 13 | Feb. 17 | Feb. 18 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | Feb. 14 | Feb. 15 | Feb. 19 | Feb.20 |
| Texas Rangers | Feb. 16 | Feb. 17 | Feb. 19 | Feb. 20 |
| Toronto Blue Jays |
Feb. 16 | Feb. 19 | Feb. 20 | Feb. 21 |
| Washington Nationals |
Feb. 13 | Feb. 14 | Feb. 18 | Feb. 19 |
Today we celebrated Henry Hank Aaron 80th birthday.
The first game I ever took my wife to was a Brave, Mets game at Shea Stadium in 1970 to see Hank Aaron. At that time the media were starting the buzz can he break Ruth’s 714 home run record? We also went to the last game he ever played in New York at Yankee Stadium, then a Milwaukee Brewer. He played only in the middle game of 3 game series and got a hit in his final plate appearance. The Brewers had announced that would be the only game he would appear in. For me, that was a no brainier who would not want to see one of the greatest players of all-time for the last time? In his 4th and final plate appearance he flied out as he rounded the bases heading to the dugout wave to the crowd he was given one more standing ovation. In my archives, I have a series of shots from his final at bat in NY, and coming off the field, and waving to fans. It did not stop until he came out of the dugout for one final appearance. It is one of those special moments you store away, and on a special day like today it makes me feel connected to Henry Hank Aaron…
Happy Birthday Hank Aaron!
Noting better then spending a day at the ballpark watching the greatest game from batting practice till the final out
Last Sunday I was at the NJ Devils vs NY Rangers outdoor hockey game. We arrived, dress for the elements our seats were located in section 407 (upper, upper deck) that over looks right field. To say it was very, very cold would be and understatement, and the game started 98 minutes late do to ice glare.
By the end of the first period my feet were starting to feel numb, I had not been that cold since I was in Germany, and did winter mountain training in the Army (1967-68). But last Sunday the only place that I wanted to be was at that hockey game like the other 50,000 plus people who were there. Yes, It was cold, it was fun, it was an amazing experience, and we knew it would be cold, and I did not hear anyone complain.
It’s Super Bowl Sunday, for weeks-on-end all the noise has been about the weather. The sun is out the sky is blue with clouds and the 6:30pm kickoff projected temperature (the weather channel) is 44° and at 10 pm 39°. The NFL network loves broadcasting one of the most famous games ever played “The Ice Bowl”. Today I would venture to say football fans know more about The Ice Bowl played in 1967 then Super Bowl II. The NFL should not look at this as a one-time cold weather Super Bowl, but remember the games roots come out the central and northeast section of the country.
Other big event today is its Groundhog Day. Winter this year has brought us cold stretches and snow that we have not seen in over 20 years. So, with that in mind Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow or not, was more important to me then Super Bowl. Alas, he saw his shadow, and as legend goes six more weeks of winter. So I look for comfort in this news release “The National Climatic Data Center has put Phil’s forecasts to the test and found them sorely lacking, declaring the groundhog has “no predictive skill.”
Other big event today is its Groundhog Day. Winter this year has brought us cold stretches and snow that we have not seen in over 20 years. So, with that in mind Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow or not, was more important to me then Super Bowl. Alas, he saw his shadow, and as legend goes six more weeks of winter. So I look for comfort in this news release “The National Climatic Data Center has put Phil’s forecasts to the test and found them sorely lacking, declaring the groundhog has “no predictive skill.”
The countdown clock for The Bowl is now 5 hours and 30 minutes, and the countdown clock I am thinking about is, in 25 days, I will be in Florida for 30 days of spring training games…
BALLPARK PRINTS 