Posted on 07/17/2020 10:20:48 AM PDT by Signalman
A series of filmed home run contests between two sluggers of the late 1950s/early 1960s, one National Leaguer, one American Leaguer. The batters had to swing at every pitch in the strike zone. Any called strike or batted ball that did not go for a home run was an out. (Three outs per inning.) The batter with the most runs at the end of nine innings won $2000. The loser got $1000. As an added incentive, any batter who hit three home runs in a row got a $500 bonus. Each consecutive home run after the first three in a row was worth an additional $500. While one hitter was at bat, the other sat in the press box with host Mark Scott and talked about both his and the other hitter's career. Filmed at Wrigley Field--home of the Pacific Coast League Los Angeles Angels--where the power alleys were a generous 345 feet from home plate.
Although the description indicates one player from the American League and the other from the National League, in this episode both players (Mantle, NY Yankees and Jensen, Boston Red Sox were in the American League).
Chicks dig the long ball.
Yeah, they they generally call you out for trying to steal 2nd base.
I’m from Boston, but I first started getting interested in baseball early in the 1967 season, when I was in second grade. No one had a clue things would go the way they did that year.
But I never heard of Jackie Jensen till about five years ago, when I met a young lady on the West Coast who said that Jackie Jensen was some kind of uncle.
I became a Red Sox fan in the late 50s when I was a little tyke, and one of the highlights of my life was seeing Ted Williams launch a home-run ball into the the right field stands at the old Yankee Stadium, circa 1958. I was sittingin a box seat behind 3rd base.
I’d never seen this before—thanks!
I’ve had some success with the squeeze play.
Yeah, it wasn’t set up league vs league...It was always hitter vs hitter...
I watched this show religiously as a kid...Mickey Mantle was my favorite player...
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
I use to have a channel on my cable line called “The Works.” They aired vintage episodes of “Home Run Derby” on Friday nights. They dropped this channel from my cable a few years ago (don’t know if the channel still exists anywhere.)
TV Show was 1960 so the inflation adjustment would be $1 = $8.71, so $500 = $4,354, $1,000 = $8,709 and $2,000 = $17,418. As for the baseball park, Wrigley Field in Los Angeles was named and built (1925) a year before its Chicago cousin. The Los Angeles Angels were a farm team for the Chicago Cubs and they plus both ballparks were owned by William Wrigley Jr., the chewing gum magnate.
This was also the original home for the Big League LA Angels in 1961 under partial ownership of Gene Autry. The next year they moved to share the Dodger’s ballpark, Dodger Stadium. This ballpark was eventually owned by the City and demolished in 1969.
Just some fun facts!
I went to school with all of Micky's brothers and sisters, My brother was a little older than me and had classes with him. CHS 1956.
That must’ve been cool....:^)
OK, good grammar needs a rearrangement as the LA Field was NAMED Wrigley a year prior to Chi-Town ...
Wrigley Field in Los Angeles was built in 1925 and named Wrigley, a year before its Chicago cousin ...
ahh, I see. You weren’t wrong it just wasn’t clear to me.
Pittsburgh had a team in that Federation League that was called the Pittsburgh Filipinos! They lured Pirates star pitcher Deacon Philippe away, made him player/manager and named the team after him.
With all the kerfluffle over the Redskins can you just imagine if they were still around?
..first baseball game I ever saw was at Wrigley Field in LA. I think it was the last year the LA Angels of the old PCL played—and Steve Bilko was like Babe Ruth in the 50s...
Chicago’s Wrigley: Opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park, home of the Chicago Whales.
Thanks for posting. Enjoyed watching parts of the other 20+ episodes.
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