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Disco Demolition Night--one of baseball's most ill-conceived promotions--caused a rare MLB forfeit on July 12, 1979. It occurred at Chicago's Comiskey Park between games of a Thursday doubleheader between the hometown White Sox and visiting Detroit Tigers. Popular Chicago disc jockey Steve Dahl had been fired from radio station WDAI when he mentioned--on the air--that he listened to the album-oriented rock of rival station WLUP rather than his own station's fare--predominantly disco tunes. Dahl was subsequently hired by WLUP, known locally as "The Loop."
The 1979 White Sox were a mediocre team struggling to attract decent crowds, so the team's management was willing to try anything to try to draw new fans. Dahl, in conjunction with Mike Veeck (son of then-White Sox owner Bill Veeck), devised a promotion: Anyone who brought a disco record to the ballpark would be admitted for just 98 cents. The records would be collected, placed in a large crate in center field, and blown up by Dahl between games. Dahl hyped the event on The Loop, hoping that 12,000 people might show up--double the typical Thursday attendance at Comiskey Park. The turnout exceeded all expectations. An estimated 90,000 people turned up at the 52,000-seat stadium. When the box office stopped selling tickets, thousands of people still got in by climbing over walls.
It was an atypical baseball crowd to be sure. Broadcasters Harry Caray and Jimmy Piersall commented on the "strange people" wandering throughout the stands. When the crate was filled with records, stadium staff stopped collecting them. The "fans" who still had records soon realized they were shaped like frisbees. A few began to throw records from the stands during the game.
After the first game, a 4-1 Tigers' win, Dahl, clad in army fatigues and a helmet, proceeded to center field. The crate containing the records was rigged with explosives. Dahl led the crowd in chants of "Disco sucks!" prior to triggering the explosion. When detonated, the explosives tore a hole in the outfield grass and a small fire began burning. Dahl triumphantly circled the warning track in a jeep before leaving the field.
Once Dahl left, the White Sox started warming up for the second game, but thousands of fans rushed the field. Some lit more fires. Others pulled down the batting cage and wrecked it. Bases were stolen and chunks of the outfield grass were ripped away. Most trespassers wandered around aimlessly, though a number of participants burned banners, sat on the grass, ran from security and police and threw records into the air. Veeck and Caray used the PA system to implore the fans to vacate the field, but to no avail. Eventually the field was cleared by police in riot gear. Six people reported minor injuries and 39 were arrested for disorderly conduct. The field was so badly torn up that the umpires decided the second game could not be played. The next day American League president Lee MacPhail forfeited the second game to the Tigers on the grounds that the White Sox had not provided acceptable playing conditions. For the rest of the season, fielders complained about Comiskey Park's playing surface being substandard. No AL game has been forfeited since that night.
Tags:
baseball
riot
disco
Comiskey
Park
Added: 30th January 2012
Views: 1780
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
 
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Bridget Loves Bernie was a CBS sitcom that ran for just one 24-episode season in 1972-73. Starring Meredith Baxter and David Birney, it was based on the long-running Broadway play Abie's Irish Rose. The show's premise was that a young school teacher from a well-to-do Irish-American family falls in love with and marries a poor Jewish cab driver. The show was given an excellent time slot--Saturdays at 8:30 PM, between All in the Family and Mary Tyler Moore--and finished fifth in the overall ratings for the season. Why was the show cancelled? It was widely reported that Jewish groups opposed to inter-religious marriages inundated CBS with hate mail! (Officially, CBS claimed the show's ratings were disappointing.) Bridget Loves Bernie remains the highest-rated show ever to be cancelled after just one season. Birney and Baxter were later married in real life.
Tags:
Bridget
Loves
Bernie
CBS
religion
controversy
Added: 21st February 2012
Views: 899
Rating:
Posted By: Lava1964 |
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How many can remember when 3 dudes from Louisiana were suddenly the next "big thing"? Well now, that would've been way back when things were changing drastically with hairstyles and clothes. They, like all, were "one" grouped together as those that could be heard from 1 mile away, that is, when played correctly. Sure, many more elicited similar reactions, but at that particular moment, everything was right for them. But like most or some who vaguely sounded similar to them, it only lasted for a decade or less, this was when things changed for the worse for those alike them. But instead of packing it in, Zebra continued on. Not surprisingly, most of the guys were heavily inspired by a London-based group you may of heard before: Robert, two John's and Jimmy's blues-inspired sounds. They were the four who could take credit for it and so many more. So with the 3 Americans, it just wasn't another composition with its entirety worded about a lady or ladies. Or was it? Now that I think about it, this certainly applied with their own take on how they saw things. Also, it does certainly capture that unique time perfectly. Thankfully, they still manage to carry on with much more than their counterparts from that time. A matter-of-fact, they actually found their beginnings way before, away in '75. This was when things started to turn, as they got their own identity to work on. *E*
Tags:
7
Albums
Since
1983
Louisiana
Synthesizer
Guitar
Fashion
New
Orleans
Zeppelin
Club
Eighties
It
Went
Gold
Added: 26th February 2012
Views: 513
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Posted By: Electricland |
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A young female streaker, wearing a big smile and little else, pranced across Centre Court moments before the men's 1996 Wimbledon final.
The 23-year-old streaker's name was Melissa Johnson. With her courage bolstered by a few drinks, Johnson climbed over a barrier at one end of the court and dashed the length of its periphery--passing in front of finalists Richard Krajicek and MaliVai Washington as they posed near the net for photographs.
Johnson, who had been working at a Wimbledon pizza stand, wore only a tiny maid's apron. She was quickly escorted off the court near the Royal Box by two policemen.
Both players broke into laughter, as did most of the 14,000 fans.
Washington paused a moment and then doubled over trying to contain his laughter. Walking back to the baseline to begin his warmup, the American lifted up his tennis shirt to bare his own chest and received a large ovation.
"I look over and I see this streaker ..." said Washington, who lost to Krajicek in straight sets. "Gee, she smiles at me. She had on an apron. She lifted it up and she was still smiling at me. I got flustered, and three sets later I was gone. ... That was pretty funny."
Johnson was taken to Wimbledon police station where she was held until the end of the match. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said "no further action" would be taken.
Usually stiff and proper, The All England club was unexpectedly light-hearted regarding the moment.
"Whilst we do not wish to condone the practice, it did at least provide some light amusement for our loyal and patient supporters, who have had a trying time during the recent bad weather," a club statement said.
A Centre Court spectator, 57-year-old travel agent Peter Goord, said Johnson's streak even drew a humorous reaction from the royals in attendance.
"When she got in front of the Royal Box, she lifted it up and showed everything off," Goord said. "The Duke of Kent was laughing like mad. She then ran into the policemen's arms. There was no way she was trying to get away."
Wimbledon officials had expressed concern before the opening of the tournament that a streaker might appear--coaxed on by several of Britain's large bookmakers offering odds on it happening.
Before the tournament, William Hill bookmakers reduced the odds on a streaker interrupting Centre Court play during the final to 4-1. John McEnroe, doing commentary for NBC, apparently approved of the goings-on. "We need a replay from every possible angle!" he excitedly exclaimed. His broadcast partner, the distinguished Dick Enberg, reminded McEnroe that it was "a family show." Replied McEnroe, "My family would love it!!!"
Tags:
tennis
Wimbledon
streaker
Added: 30th March 2012
Views: 4210
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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From 1916 through 1952 the United States and Canada experienced horrible outbreaks of polio every few years. At one point, one out of every 5000 children was diagnosed with the dreaded disease. Polio is a virus which can be contracted through contacting bodily fluids from someone already infected. Early symptoms might include headaches and a runny nose. However, once the virus moves to the central nervous system, it can cause paralysis and even death. Sneezing and coughing accelerate the spread of polio. Therefore there was justifiable panic in communities when outbreaks occurred. Public gathering places would be declared off limits. (Swimming pools were typically the first places to be closed.) Municipal parks would be eerily vacant. Researchers later determined, somewhat ironically, that young children were most susceptible to polio because most North American births in the 20th century occurred in the sterile environs of hospitals. These newborns did not naturally come in contact with small amounts of the disease as did their ancestors who were born at home. Accordingly, their immune systems did not develop sufficient resistance to the virus. Researchers Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin worked separately to find a cure. Both believed that by exposing children to minute traces of the virus through immunizations their immune systems would build up a lifetime immunity to polio. Salk favored vaccine containing the dead polio virus while Sabin favored live-virus vaccine. In 1954, two years after the terrible 1952 outbreak, more than 1.83 million children volunteered to be "polio pioneers" and serve as guinea pigs for Salk's virus. As a reward for their bravery, each was given a lollipop, plus a button and certificate acknowledging participation in the program. None of the volunteers contracted polio.
Tags:
polio
research
vaccine
volunteers
Added: 13th May 2012
Views: 675
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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About four years ago I made a post about the gender controversy surrounding Stella Walsh, a Polish-born sprinter who competed at both the 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics. Only after 'her' 1980 death was it discovered that Walsh was actually a male. Walsh's great rival at the 1936 Berlin Games was American Helen Stephens (shown on the left in this photo). Stephens passed her gender test and won the gold medal in the women's 100 meters.
Tags:
gender
controversy
Helen
Stephens
Stella
Walsh
Added: 15th May 2012
Views: 1028
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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This photo issued by Acme Newspictures on September 30, 1934, shows the immortal Babe Ruth exiting Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. following the New York Yankees' final game of the 1934 season. Washington won 5-3 in a game that took just 80 minutes to play. Ruth went 0-for-3 at the plate but did score a run before being replaced by Myril Hoag in right field. Detroit won the American League pennant in 1934, so there would be no World Series farewell for Ruth. Ruth was honored at Griffith Stadium earlier that day with gifts and he announced his retirement from baseball before a crowd of about 15,000. (Before the 1935 season Ruth was convinced to return to the game by Boston Braves owner Judge Emil Fuchs. He only played a month before quitting the last-place Braves.) Ruth's departure from the Yankees was bitter and messy. His playing skills were obviously diminishing and Lou Gehrig was now the team's star attraction. After years of unsuccessfully lobbying for the managerial position with Yankees' owner Jacob Ruppert, Ruth had had enough. This photo shows a dejected Ruth, with his head down, making his exit outside the ballpark. A boy is shown trying to chase down the Babe for an autograph, but Ruth (who usually accommodated everyone) was in a foul mood and had no time to pen the lad's baseball. A policeman is gesturing with his hands to the kid with a "not-today-son" motion. Six days earlier, on Monday, September 24, 1934, Ruth made his final Yankee Stadium appearance as a player in New York's 5-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He was pulled early in the game from his right feld position. There were no special ceremonies to mark the occasion. Fewer than 2,000 fans attended the game.
Tags:
baseball
Babe
Ruth
Yankees
photo
Added: 22nd May 2012
Views: 1924
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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Terry Lane Felton (born October 29, 1957 in Texarkana, AK) was a not very successful pitcher for the Minnesota Twins from 1979 to 1982. Felton holds two of the most dubious pitching records in Major League Baseball history: the most consecutive losses to start a career and most career losses without ever being credited with a victory. He was released by the Twins after the 1982 season in which he went 0-13. In that 1982 season Felton was used as a starter in six games and a closer in 20 others. As a reliever he gave up three walkoff homers. When Felton's 0-13 mark from 1982 is added to his 0-3 record coming into that season, he has a combined lifetime record of 0-16. Felton finished with a 5.53 career ERA. However his team did win six of the 55 games in which he played. Oddly enough, Tony Armas, who won two-thirds of American League triple crown in 1984, went hitless in the nine times he faced Felton.
Tags:
baseball
Terry
Felton
losses
Added: 26th May 2012
Views: 626
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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You know it, but do you know the story behind it? Bill, he is an Italian-American from a place called Providence. In the best way, what an impact he had created with its brimming orchestration feeling. It could be said, lines formed due to the sound of it. And at that time, Bill would never suspect that he would be remembered for something that would make you jump off your seat. Since the age of seven, he had been emerging as an embraced piano player. Very befitting for the result he got out of it. I bet he was glad for those lessons. He has received too many well-deserved honors since. From '76 to today, it has become to be known by all ages around us. Did you know, in the following summer, it had worked way up the charts. From the second month (February), right up to becoming really big in early summer of '77( June/July). Plenty of people both young and old were blown-away by it. Pretty tremendous then. Were you one? There has been very few that have been quite as cool as it. The thing was, it's so consistent. It made you feel great. And still does. It was a "no-brainer", that he (Bill) was asked to repeat it again & again for the much talked about chapters in the later years of the Eighties, right up to recent years. The character was all about passion. Hard to forget. Do you recall it like I?
On Bill, he has given us so much other than what he had done then. His greatest strength is found on the tube in your home. By all measures, hard to eclipse what he had already done being versatile. But do you know how many highly stylized titles he has created? He could, in fact, be remembered for more than just the sporting story/career maker. I haven't even got to the amount of tele-goods he was responsible for imposing to your attention musically. He was behind so much on a first-hand basis with a simple melody on each project. A serious creative thinker who is more than educated in his chosen field. His promising choice in life, he had lots to inspire us with it. *E*
Tags:
July
1977
Score
Philadelphia
5
-
1976
1979
1982
1990
2006
Conductor
of
Awards
Show
Boxing
Sports
Movie
Rocky
Cinema
Instrumentalist
Radio
Bill
Franchise
Added: 31st May 2012
Views: 465
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Posted By: Electricland |
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A sure-fire prizewinner. It never failed that year. The entire premise was wrote by hand in an apartment with windows blocked for complete privacy. Getting there wasn't as easy as it looked for the down on his luck actor. The total notion that it was is untrue. He may of been thuggish, but in the end, the soon to be "beefcake" became known around-the world with a winning idea about an outsider. It was ambitious and has become inspirational to this day. It had so many positive effects going 4 it. Made you work-out every week. Many were surprised how economically brought-together it really was. Under a million bucks. A challenge for some. But it was kept low on a tight schedule for about a month by all accounts. As you know, the payoff was enormous for all involved. Luckily, he had the assurance of having it done his way. With the message from him read clear, he had talked many into gettin' his wish done right. The rewards were enormous. Impeccably photographed and compelling enough to clearly see again and again. The recognizable tale really had an emotional heart that focused on a transcending journey towards an excellent climax. Remember when it started during the final days of November, bringing with it, a period of strong emotions with each crafted part. It was a clear choice that year to become a big-gold winner. But some were skeptical over it. Eventually with its unfolding, good came out of it. Dedicating himself to working-out, you could say, he had made it less intimidating with his unorthodox methods of variety. In other words, it was staggeringly doable. Also, he took us inside to that world of competition he desperately wanted to tell. A world that he dreamed with all of us to cheer him on continuously. So many still continue to see his fearless living that was career-defining. There was a pattern after it, as guys wanted to model their life around it. Even so, more chapters to the life of the man would be added in later years. There was much to consider with opportunities after the sudden success of that year. Talk about luck.
*E*
Tags:
American
Cinema
Rocky
Oscar
Marciano
Pennsylvania
Movie
December
Third
1976
There
is
a
connection
to
Blazing
Saddles
in
the
movie.
Know
it?
Added: 1st June 2012
Views: 507
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Posted By: Electricland |
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