The Last Game At Old Yankee Stadium, September 30, 1973

By Paul Plaine www.ballparkprints.com on September 30, 2023September 30, 2023

September 30, 1973, can it really be 50 years? It was a beautiful, sunny fall day for a baseball game and the last game ever at The House that Ruth Built—the 1973 season also marked George Steinbrenner’s first season as the majority owner of the New York Yankees. Throughout the season, I had been thinking about the last game. I grew up near Yankee Stadium and had been going to games there since the summer of 1952. I would love to hear your anecdotes and personal experiences of your favorite ballpark.

Visit my website, http://www.ballparkprint.com, to view additional pictures, and I also offer a limited-edition custom Box Set of pigment ink giclee prints of the history of Yankee Stadium.

1962, the view from my bedroom window.

Fans Say Goodbye

**Final Scoreboard Message At Yankee Stadium**

BALLPARK PRINTS

Jigsaw Puzzle

By Paul Plaine www.ballparkprints.com on July 4, 2023July 4, 2023

I have sold images and, from time to time, pillows, mugs, etc.— on Fine Art America, but, this is a first—a Jigsaw Puzzle. Every year the family gathers at the beach house. The big entertainment is the jigsaw puzzle on the dining table. I had often thought I should order one of my images—I never did. So, whoever purchased this, enjoy and thank you. You made my day.

September 1, 1961

By Paul Plaine www.ballparkprints.com on September 1, 2021September 5, 2021

September 1, 1961, the Yankees, with a 1-1/2 game lead over the Detroit Tigers, were now going to face off for the first time since a one-day July 4 doubleheader. On that day, the Tigers held a 2-game lead over the Yankees. The Tigers won the first game, with the Yankees taking the second. Resulting in no change in the American League standing. For the next eight weeks, the heavy-hitting Tigers and Yankees keep pace with each other leading up to this first of a 3-game showdown.

**September 1, 1961, Young Fans Hoping To Get Mickey Mantle’s Autograph**, **As Roger Maris Slips By**.

Seeing these photos of young fans wanting to get an autograph brings up fond memories of days after school and weekends chasing down ballplayers arriving at Yankee Stadium before a game, asking them, please sign.

“Mantle, Maris and a Few Others Stir a Potpourri of Fan EmotionThe players arrived at Yankee Stadium last night in bright, new automobiles. Dozens of small boys rushed toward them and pleaded, like supplicants, for autographs or for some word, some recognition”.

Foot Notes: Main NY Times Article Written by, Robert L. Teague 1929-2013. Bob Teague joined WNBC-TV in New York in 1963 as one of the city’s first black television journalists and went on to work as a reporter, anchorman, and producer for more than three decades

Mantle, Maris and a Few Others Ítir a Potpourri of Fan Emotion Written by Gay Talese: Gay Talese -1932- is an American writer. As a journalist for The New York Times and Esquire magazine during the 1960s, Talese helped to define contemporary literary journalism. He’s written 15 books, most noted for Honor Thy Father 1971, and Frank Sinatra Has a Cold with Phil Stern.

Memorial Day May 30, 1961

By Paul Plaine www.ballparkprints.com on May 30, 2021May 30, 2021

In March, on my Twitter account, with the help of The New York Times Time Machine, I started recreating the New York Yankees 1961 baseball season.

It was Major League Baseball’s first season of expansion to ten teams in a league. 1961, the American League is the first to expand to ten teams, with the National League expanding in 1962. This expansion also created an unbalanced number of the game each league would play in 1961. Ten teams had to alter the traditional 154 game schedule and extended it by eight games to 162. The addition of those eight games would haunt the 1961 season and Roger Maris for years.

Screen Grab One: Yankees Season

On Memorial Day 1961, the Cincinnati Reds sweep a doubleheader from the San Francisco Giants, leaving both teams tied for first place, with Los Angeles Dodgers just 0.10% behind. Until late September, the Dodgers teams would be chasing the Reds. In the American League, the Detroit Tigers, with a 4.5 game lead over the Yankees, continue to play well with their heavy-hitting lineup carrying them. The Yankees have started to improve. On May 30, 1961, Mantle and Maris each connected for two home runs apiece. From this point, forward Mantle and Maris would continue to hit home runs at a record pace, ultimately with Maris hitting 61 and Mantle 54 home run.

Screen Grab Two: SF Giants, Dodgers Reds

The First Time I Met Yankees Legend Don Larsen

By Paul Plaine www.ballparkprints.com on January 2, 2020January 2, 2020

Woke-up to the sad news Don Larsen passed away. October 8, 1956, was also the first time I would meet him in my aunt and uncle’s kitchen around 5:30. Back then, families lived within the same building, and my aunt and uncle lived a floor above us.

Aunt Anne come down while having dinner and ask if would okay for me to go upstairs and meet someone. Mom and dad knew and said okay. Leaving the dinner table back then was a big deal then. Sitting in there kitchen, having a beer with my uncle, was Don Larsen.

They had two season tickets to Yankee Stadium Section 5 club Lodge level. The seats were the first row seats1-2. They were directly behind Mel Allen and were all the sportswriters sat. Section 5 Lodge at the top of the stairs had a bar-clubhouse for the writers and the small group of ticketholders in that section. Back then, women were not allowed in any sports venue sportswriters bar/clubhouse.

My aunt often declined to attend games, sighting that Uncle Charlie would go up to bar for three or four innings, and she did not like sitting alone that long, and so I got to go to games. Many of the games I attended were Old Timers Day, Saturday and Sunday doubleheaders, and some World Series games. These games had a significant media presence. I did get to meet the writers in the beginning, and I was too young to realize the wow factor!

When my uncle died in1972 from cancer, Don Larsen sent my aunt a letter that she read I recall that he felt terrible that he could not make it to NYC for the funeral. Side note, my parents also knew him and never spoke of it.

Some years back, I went to Bryant Park to a Yankees event and spoke to Don Larsen and mentioned my Aunt Anne and Uncle Charles Shipp, and he stopped walking, and we exchanged a few words shook hand and parted our ways.

What’s ON My MLB Jose Quintana Mind

By Paul Plaine www.ballparkprints.com on January 6, 2017January 6, 2017

Last evening I commented on the daily trade rumors surrounding Jose Quintana. Today MLBs’ HotStove did not disappoint, and talk about Quintana and is as hot as ever. Now it’s the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Huston Astros turn. After my original post on the Quintana rumor mill Sporting News published their spin:

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/yankees-still-searching-for-rotation-help-new-york-jose-quintana/jhq9idfbfcr1oc2ydaezglopThe article boils down to this

For me, this paragraph sums up the article, and why they are called rumors:

Quintana, who is signed over the next four years at a decently affordable $35 million, went 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA and 181 strikeouts last season. Still just 27 years old, he is on the upswing of his career and would be a valuable addition for the Yankees in the competitive AL East.

Outfielder Clint Frazier or infielder Gleyber Torres are the Yankees’ top-ranked prospects. It would likely take one or both of them to snatch Quintana away from Chicago.

The question is whether or not they will be willing to meet the demand as the season draws near.

If the Yankees were crazy enough to make this trade, Fraizer and Torres for Quintana, the fans would go nuts, and Cashman would lose his job at some point in the season. The Yankees would not include these players for Chris Sale, so why now would they trade them?

Baseball HotStove with its rumors is one of the cool fun elements that separates for all the other major sports make baseball’s off-season and entertaining. But some of these rumor/news articles are real head-scratchers.

Next up Bill Mazeroski!

Reference Sporting News By Alex Brzezinsk Ominisport

What’s On My MLB Mlnd

By Paul Plaine www.ballparkprints.com on January 5, 2017January 5, 2017

Will Jose Bautista sign with a team before Pitchers and Catchers report February 14th?

Will Jose Bautista get an offer beyond one year?

Buck Showalter
August 2, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. — The way Buck Showalter sees it, Alex Rodriguez’s possible suspension would mean that the New York Yankees would end up with Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters in two years.

Fast forward two years free agent Matt Wieters still not signed. Will this catcher be home when Pitchers and Catchers report for Spring Training?

Buck Showalter, as usual, did his whining about the Yankees, who as it turns out do not need Matt Wieters and it seems that Buck Showalter also does not want his after all.

The Pool In Right Center Field Must Be Leaking!
Diamondbacks demand/sue as they claim they need a need stadium to replace the 19-year old Chase Field.
A disturbing trend seems to be arising; the Braves open their new ballpark, SunTurst Park, this season; after only 20-years in Turner Field.
The Rangers are another team that recently got approval for a new 1 billion ballpark, their current ballpark Globe Life Park in Arlington opened in 1994.

White Sox having daily Quintana talks with teams.
I must be missing something when it comes to Jose Quintana, 5 years 46 W 46 L!

Not a MLB News day goes by wihout a new rumor linking Quintana to (fill in the) ______________ as a possiable landing spot.

Charles Finley and the Opt-Out Clause

By Paul Plaine www.ballparkprints.com on January 23, 2016February 11, 2016

Late yesterday the Mets signed Yoenis Cespedes for three years with an Opt-Out clause after one year. This made think of Charles Oscar Finley maverick owner of the A’s who passed away twenty years ago. In March 1960, he purchased the Kansas City A’s and for the next 20 years, would be a thorn in the side of two Baseball Commissioners and the other owners.

As an owner, he was behind baseball playing World Series games at night, and the Designated Hitter. Now after 42-years it appears in 2017, the National League will finally adopt the DH. Other ideas, like using an orange baseball for night games were considered silly.

Courtesy of Nancy FinleyCharles O. Finley

But, Charles Finley’s biggest contribution to baseball and all sports, is Free Agency. Through his failure during 1974, baseball season to meet certain obligations in Catfish Hunters contract, an arbitrator declaring Hunter, a free agent and his subsequence signing of a five-year contract with the Yankees. Following the 1975 season, a grievance was filed by Andy Messerschmitt of the Dodgers and Dave McNally of Expos, arbitrator, Peter Seitz ruled for the players declaring them free agents. This verdict ended the Reserve Clause that tied players to teams forever. Charles Finley then said what may be his boldest idea “Make Them All Free Agents Every Year”. Marvin Millet opposed this knowing it would it would keep player salaries low and the owners were afraid of the concept.

What was once scared owners and maybe the players is now taking hold in a unique concept, the opt-out after one to three years now being part of bigger contract signings.

It is early in the game, but as the opt-out becomes more attractive in contract negotiations, it will make for some exciting times in player and team moves.

These Are The Fun Days Watching Baseball

By Paul Plaine www.ballparkprints.com on August 16, 2015August 16, 2015

Some say the Baseball season is too long, no way. Look at the current changes that have taken place in the Standings from first place to the wildcard. It just doesn’t happen in the NFL or the NBA.
For me, it is the fun days, and not the dog days of August. It is scoreboard watching at its best.