Category Archives: Baseball

Jan. 24, 1969: Ghosts of Wrigley Field

Posted on January 24, 2019 by lmharnisch

Keith Thursby says: John Hall wrote a couple of columns bidding farewell to Los Angeles’ Wrigley Field. “It was another time, another place. It was Wrigley Field, 1925-1969, may it rest in peace. The demolition crews are at work and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1969, Baseball, Keith Thursby, Sports | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jan. 22, 1969: Lee Meyers Hoping for a Comeback With the Royals

Posted on January 22, 2019 by lmharnisch

Keith Thursby has the story of baseball player Lee Meyers, who was was making a comeback, hoping to get a job with the first-year Kansas City Royals. Meyers was married to Mamie Van Doren (1966-1969).. Note: This post originally appeared … Continue reading →

Posted in 1969, Baseball, Keith Thursby | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Jan. 22, 1969: Musial and Campanella Elected to Hall of Fame

Posted on January 22, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 22, 1969: Stan Musial and Roy Campanella are voted into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Campanella became only the second black player in the Hall of Fame, after Jackie Robinson. This post originally appeared on latimes.com in 2009 and is … Continue reading →

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Jan. 22, 1959: ‘Our Gang’ Star Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer Dies in Fight Over $50

Posted on January 22, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 22, 1959: Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer is shot to death in a fight with Moses Samuel Stiltz. According to police, Switzer borrowed a dog belonging to Stiltz, then lost the dog. Switzer paid $50 for the return of Stiltz’s dog. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Baseball, Crime and Courts, Dodgers, Film, Hollywood, Keith Thursby, LAPD, Obituaries | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jan. 18, 1959: Jerry Lewis Plays First Base for the Dodgers

Posted on January 18, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 18, 1959: OK, it was a benefit game. But still.. Keith Thursby writes: Rosalind Wyman was a bright, young politician and a driving force in bringing the Dodgers to Los Angeles. The paper profiled the City Council member as … Continue reading →

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Jan. 11, 1959: ‘Who Shot Duke Snider?’

Posted on January 11, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 11, 1959: Keith Thursby looks at the fledgling acting career of Duke Snider. If it worked for Chuck Connors…. The entire piece appeared on latimes.com in 2009 and is available at Archive.org..

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Jan. 10, 1959: Dodgers Move Outfield Fence

Posted on January 10, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 10, 1959: The Dodgers are playing in the Coliseum and decide to cut the distance to the outfield fence. It was a victory for Duke Snider, Keith Thursby writes. The post originally appeared on latimes.com in 2009 and is … Continue reading →

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Jan. 3, 1949: Tom Harmon on the Future of Televised Sports

Posted on January 3, 2019 by lmharnisch

Here’s a nice piece from Keith Thursby, now of ESPN. The complete post from the Daily Mirror, Jan. 3, 2009, is at Archive.org.. Story, Part 1 | Story, Part 2

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Oct. 25, 1907: L.A. Bids Adieu to the Boys of Summer as Pacific Coast League Ends Season

Posted on October 25, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. “A dollar’s worth of wholesome fun is really worth a dollar and a half ($40.04 USD 2017).”

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‘Laura’ — The Making of a Film Noir Classic, Part 20

Posted on August 19, 2014 by lmharnisch

“I stood beside him in the bay window of Laura’s living room. East 62nd Street had yielded to the spirit of carnival…” The 200 block of East 62nd Street, New York, via Google Street View. In case you just tuned … Continue reading →

Posted in 1944, Architecture, Art & Artists, Baseball, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, New York | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Abbotwares Radio – Kitschiana!

Posted on December 28, 2013 by lmharnisch

An Abbotwares radio, known as “Atwater Kent’s love child from a drunken night in a trophy shop,” has been listed on EBay. Usually these radios, which were made in Los Angeles, take the form of horses (or the elusive Hula … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Found on EBay, Radio | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

N.Y. Bans Night Baseball!

Posted on May 19, 2012 by lmharnisch

May 19, 1942: It’s officially straw hat season in Los Angeles, so men, dump that felt chapeau and get yourself a nice Panama. Lee Shippey writes that the evacuation of the Japanese has forced many (white) Angelenos to get back … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Baseball, Columnists, Comics, Fashion, Lee Shippey, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Searching for Baseball History – and USC’s Bovard Field

Posted on October 24, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo:  Tom Phelps scores for USC in a 1946 game against UCLA at Bovard Field. Credit: El Rodeo, 1946 Jane Leavy of the New York Times examines the search for historic baseball diamonds, including USC’s Bovard Field, where Mickey Mantle … Continue reading →

Posted in 1951, Baseball, Preservation | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Keith Thursby: Dodgers Wrap It Up at the Coliseum

Posted on September 21, 2011 by lmharnisch

Sept. 21, 1961 The Dodgers ended their fourth and final season in the Coliseum with a 3-2, 13-inning victory over the Chicago Cubs. According to the Times’ coverage before and after the game, the Dodgers left their first Los Angeles … Continue reading →

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Shofar Flash Mob!

Posted on September 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: The Volute Krater, which is being  returned to Italy. Credit: Minneapolis Institute of Arts Adam Nagourney of the New York Times explores the different philosophies of treating history at the Reagan and Nixon presidential libraries. But another exhibition that … Continue reading →

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Hitler Dead Soon, Hungarian Astrologer Says

Posted on September 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

Sept. 9, 1941: The Times publishes the amazing predictions of Hungarian “astro-philosopher” Louis De Wohl! He says Adolf Hitler is mentally ill. Check. He says Hitler doesn’t have long to live. Well, depending on how you define “long.” And the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Baseball, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, World War II | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

#history, #museum 7|17|2011

Posted on July 17, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Mail sent by airplane from the 1912 Aviation Meet at Dominguez Field.  Credit: New York Public Library   7|17|2011DEATHSArdis Butler James, 85, co-founder of the International Quilt Study Center & Museum at the University of Nebraska. Margalit Fox in … Continue reading →

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7|10|2011 #museum, #history

Posted on July 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

Portions of fabric clipped from the U.S. flag before it was planted on the moon by Neil Armstrong in the Apollo 11 mission are being offered Sunday by Ira and Larry Goldberg auctioneers, 11400 W. Olympic Blvd, Suite 800. Lot … Continue reading →

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#history

Posted on June 30, 2011 by lmharnisch

A summary of history-related posts on the Web: Chicago Tribune The Trib has an item on the Children’s Museum remaining at Navy Pier rather than moving to Grant Park as the facility is transferred to private management. Here’s the Trib’s … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Baseball, Chicago, Film, History, Hollywood, Museums, Music, Native Americans, Photography, Sports | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Coming Attractions: Society for American Baseball Research Convention

Posted on June 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

 A post by Baseball Toaster alum Bob Timmermann (in private life he’s a librarian at LAPL) alerted me to the upcoming convention of the Society for American Baseball Research, July 6-10 at the Long Beach Hilton. The group plans a … Continue reading →

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