Category Archives: Sports

Yankees Fire Casey Stengel!

Posted on October 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

    Oct. 19, 1960: Casey Stengel, the most successful baseball manager of modern times, was fired by the New York Yankees Tuesday only because of his age and despite his heated insistence that at 70 he is "just as … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Sports | 2 Comments

Did Sportswriters Know the Score?

Posted on August 13, 2010 by lmharnisch

Aug. 13, 1970: Back in 1970, baseball writers were still serving as official scorers for major league games. They were paid by the clubs all of $35 a game. Henry Aaron didn't like the idea of writers judging hits or … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | 1 Comment

Chargers Open AFL Season

Posted on August 7, 2010 by lmharnisch

Aug. 7, 1960: The Chargers opened their first season in the American Football League and their only season in Los Angeles with a 27-7 victory at the Coliseum over the New York Titans. The Chargers were coached by former Ram … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Sports | Comments Off on Chargers Open AFL Season

Jack Johnson Gets Hero’s Welcome

Posted on July 8, 2010 by lmharnisch

Photograph by Julian Robinson / Los Angeles Times Jack Johnson and his wife, Irene, after winning a legal battle to avoid being evicted from their home at 2015 Hyperion Ave. because he was black, March 31, 1943. July 8, 1910: … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1910 L.A. Times bombing, Photography, Sports | Comments Off on Jack Johnson Gets Hero’s Welcome

Fight of the Century Touches Off Race Riots

Posted on July 7, 2010 by lmharnisch

  July 7, 1910: Times cartoonist Edmund Waller “Ted” Gale comments on the race riots that followed Jack Johnson’s defeat of James Jeffries in the Fight of the Century. Many cities barred theaters from showing film of the fight for … Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, Countdown to Watts, Sports | Comments Off on Fight of the Century Touches Off Race Riots

The Fight of the Century

Posted on July 4, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Los Angeles Times file photo   July 4, 1910: The Herald publishes a cartoon showing James Jeffries and Jack Johnson. I found this photo of the fight in The Times archives. On the jump, more photos of Johnson.

Posted in Photography, Sports | Comments Off on The Fight of the Century

The Fight of the Century

Posted on July 2, 2010 by lmharnisch

    July 1-5, 1910: The Times’ Harry Carr writes from Reno: "The 'battle of the century' made me think of nothing so much as the butchery of an old bull. "When, at the end of the 15th round, old … Continue reading →

Posted in Countdown to Watts, Film, Sports, Stage | Comments Off on The Fight of the Century

Fight of the Century Revisited

Posted on June 30, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Women’s bathing suits are on sale for $3.45 [$78.45 USD 2009]. June 30, 1910: Jack London (yes, that Jack London) has the latest on the James Jeffries – Jack Johnson fight in Reno, coming up on the Fourth of … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion, Sports | Comments Off on Fight of the Century Revisited

Tough Season for Angels’ Alex Johnson

Posted on June 20, 2010 by lmharnisch

June 20, 1970: Alex Johnson would win the Angels' only batting title in 1970, finishing with a .329 batting average. But like everything else in Johnson's perplexing career, the season would not be without trouble. In the first inning of … Continue reading →

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Governor Bans Fourth of July Prizefight

Posted on June 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

  June 19, 1910: The Times publishes an editorial cartoon by Albert Jean Taylor praising Gov. James Gillett’s ban on the Fourth of July fight between Jack Johnson and James J. Jeffries, which was to be held in San Francisco. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1910 L.A. Times bombing, art and artists, Sports | Comments Off on Governor Bans Fourth of July Prizefight

Oh, Say, Can You See….

Posted on June 11, 2010 by lmharnisch

  June 11, 1980: Ever since Sinatra and the Bee Gees sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium, everybody wants to try….

Posted in Dodgers, Music, Sports | Comments Off on Oh, Say, Can You See….

Get Your Lakers Tickets!

Posted on June 10, 2010 by lmharnisch

  June 10, 1960: The Lakers started selling season tickets for their new home in Los Angeles and what a different world it was. Season ticket holders would be assured of at least 25 home games in the new Los … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Lakers, Sports | 1 Comment

Jim Murray: John Wooden Is the Best Coach in the History of College Basketball

Posted on June 6, 2010 by lmharnisch

  USC stalls UCLA, 46-44, the Bruins’ first defeat at Pauley Pavilion. March 9, 1969: Sports columnist Jim Murray calls John Wooden “the best basketball coach in the history of the collegiate game — or maybe the game, period. He … Continue reading →

Posted in #Jim Murray, Sports | 1 Comment

John Wooden at UCLA

Posted on June 4, 2010 by lmharnisch

April 21, 1948: The Times reports that John Wooden is coming to UCLA as “head cage mentor.”  On the jump, Wooden takes UCLA to the NCAA title for his last game, March 31, 1975.

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Make Way for Tomorrow

Posted on May 25, 2010 by lmharnisch

May 25, 1950: Gilmore Stadium, a major link to the history of sports in Los Angeles, will be demolished to make room for the new home of CBS television. "Nobody knows how big this television industry is going to be," a … Continue reading →

Posted in broadcasting, Hollywood, Sports, Television | 1 Comment

Angels’ Forecast a Little Cloudy

Posted on May 20, 2010 by lmharnisch

  May 20, 1970: Looking back, it's hard to imagine anyone comparing the 1969 Miracle Mets to the 1970 disastrous Angels. But after Rudy May pitched a two-hitter to beat the White Sox, longtime baseball executive Frank Lane tried to … Continue reading →

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Dodgers Release Furillo

Posted on May 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

  May 18, 1960: The Dodgers sent Carl Furillo, one of the Boys of Summer from Brooklyn, packing. An unhappy Furillo was given his release and the Dodgers recalled Frank Howard from the minors. Furillo, a career .299 hitter who … Continue reading →

Posted in Dodgers, Sports | 1 Comment

On the Frontiers of Sports

Posted on May 15, 2010 by lmharnisch

  May 15, 1910: New rules are approved to avoid some football injuries. For example, “no pushing or pulling of the man with the ball” and the flying tackle is banned. But the rules committee keeps the forward pass after … Continue reading →

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Talking to the Dodgers’ Nobe Kawano

Posted on May 10, 2010 by lmharnisch

May 10, 1960: Jeane Hoffman does a nice profile of the Dodger’s Nobe (Nobu in this story) Kawano with a shout-out to his brother Yosh. 

Posted in Dodgers, Sports | 1 Comment

Jack Johnson Training for Title Fight

Posted on May 10, 2010 by lmharnisch

May 10, 1910: Jack Johnson starts training for his Fourth of July fight with Jim Jeffries by going 12 miles in the morning and an additional five in the afternoon. “Newspaper men present at the taking of pictures of Jack … Continue reading →

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