JUDGE IS THE BIG LEAGUE CHEW POSTER CHILD, BUT THERE WERE OTHERS

If you were a baseball-loving kid growing up, chances are you stuffed your cheek with a wad of Big League Chew and strutted around like you just got called up to the majors. It was sticky, it was stringy, and it was awesome. No tobacco, just pure sugar-fueled swagger—and maybe a little drool if you really committed to the bit.

These days, though? Rumor has it gum’s getting banned in some youth leagues. Why? Choking hazards. Yes, we’ve apparently reached a point in society where bubblegum is too dangerous for baseball. America: home of the brave, unless that bravery involves chewing grape gum in the outfield. We’ve gone soft, folks.

But thank the baseball gods, Aaron Judge is here to bring back a little edge—and a whole lot of nostalgia.

In a move that hits harder than one of his moonshots to center field, Judge will be featured on a pouch of Big League Chew. Starting this month, you’ll see his face on the Grand Slam Grape flavor at places like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Costco. It’s a full-circle moment for the Yankees captain—and for every one of us who thought we were hot stuff with gum in our cheeks and dirt on our uniforms.

Judge called it “surreal” in the press release. “Big League Chew has always been more than gum — it’s a part of the game,” he said. “I chewed it as a kid, and now being on the pouch is surreal.” Surreal, yes—but also incredibly well-deserved.

And because Judge doesn’t just hit homers—he gives back—a portion of the proceeds will go to his All Rise Foundation, which helps empower young people to become leaders on and off the field. Gum with a mission? We’re in.

But I found an interesting piece of info that isn't accurate (I don't think at least.) It was reported by Delilah Bourque on New York Yankees on SI that Judge is the first MLB player ever. But that's simply not true.  Back in 2013, Matt Kemp and Cole Hamels were on pouches of Big League Chew. Maybe because it's an actual partnership with MLB, rather than PLB Sports, who knows.  While my memory is sometimes foggy, I do remember the pouch, and so while it's not a big deal, it is a big deal for Judge and the Yankees. It's cool.

Now let’s rewind to how this glorious gum came to be. Picture it: 1977. A quirky left-handed pitcher named Rob Nelson, playing for the Portland Mavericks (aka baseball’s most chaotic underdog team), has an idea. What if players had a fun, chewable alternative to tobacco that still looked the part?

Rob Nelson

With help from future film director Todd Field (then a batboy) and Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton, they cooked up Big League Chew—literally in the bullpen. By 1980, it hit stores with its signature foil pouch and cartoon ballplayer, and the rest is bubble-blowing history.

Since then, Big League Chew has sold over a billion pouches, earned a spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and remained the go-to gum for anyone who wants to feel like a slugger—without the nicotine habit.

Now, with Aaron Judge leading the charge, the gum is getting a second wind. Maybe kids will start chewing again (safely, of course). Maybe grape will become the flavor of champions. Maybe—just maybe—we’ll all remember that baseball is supposed to be fun.

So go ahead, grab a pouch. Blow a bubble. Feel like a kid again. And give a nod to Judge, the face of a new era in gum-chewing greatness.

--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor

THE YANKEES ARE 'HAPPENING' THIS APRIL

Source: Adam Hunger/Getty Images North America

There is this amazing air of excitement and confidence around Yankee fans these days, which is something I have not seen or felt since 2009.  Fans have been reaching out to me personally, saying things like, "The Yankees are unbelievable."  "Some comeback win last night." "I don't remember feeling like this about the Yankees in years." I second all of these sentiments.  This team, as our BYB leader Robert Casey said so eloquently in a post on Saturday, is something special.  The Yankees are happening this April and the biggest reasons why are to follow.

Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America

Reason 1-Aaron Judge:  Not just because of his bat or his hustle in right field and on the base paths, but because of the charisma he adds to the team.  He makes the word "team" explicit in his post game interviews like I haven't seen since Derek Jeter retired almost three years ago.  I am almost more excited to see his post game interview than I am to see him play during the game.  With 10 home runs in first 20 games...Almost...

Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America

In an interview with the NY Post after the win on Friday night, team leader and veteran, Matt Holliday had this to say about Judge, "He's probably the most gifted baseball player I think I've ever been around," Holliday said. "I mean, he's 6-foot-8, 275 pounds. He moves really well in the outfield. I'm not saying he's going to be the greatest player who ever played, but as far as when the guy hit a 97-mph fastball that was a line drive that the shortstop jumped for and it went off the fence ... He can do things that I haven't seen and I've played a long time."

Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America

Reason 2-Matt Holliday: As much as Judge makes the word "team" explicit in his post-game interviews, Matt Holliday's leadership in almost invisible to the naked eye.  But when you focus in closer, you see a guy who knows the game, knows young kids (having four of them of his own) and knows how to motivate and empower young players.  According to the Post, Judge had this to say about his new mentor, "It's amazing," Judge said. "I look up to Holliday, watching his career and how he's played. What he's done for this game on and off the field has been pretty amazing. To hear that from someone like him is pretty awesome."

 Source: Adam Hunger/Getty Images North America

Reason 3-Masahiro Tanaka: According to ESPN, "On Thursday, Tanaka allowed three hits and struck out just three, becoming the first Yankees starter to have that combo against the Red Sox since Jim Bouton in 1963."  Tanaka has been reflective of his poor outings and indicated that these reflections are helping him improve. He has talked about these reflections during his post game interviews since the start of the season.  He reviews the recordings of his body and work and makes decisions about how he can make changes.  If we are in the midst of his continuous improvement, we are in for a real treat come May and June.  What I like about Tanaka is that he is in fact interested in re-watching his games with a keen eye for change and wants to always go out there with something more the next time.

Source: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images North America

Reasons 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...the team itself.  The Yankees are in fact an incredible body of individuals who are motivated to win, even when the runs are mounting against them.  They are not shutting down. They are rising up with the likes of Jacoby Ellsbury who is batting clean up and earning that revered place in the line up.  Austin Romine who has been invaluable to us.  In Saturday's game he had an incredible five RBIs. Starlin Castro who is one of the top hitters on the club.  Didi Gregorius who is back and he means it offensively and defensively. The guy looks great.  The Yankees have options, unlike seasons' past.  Ronald Torreyes who is batting .308 is being reinstated as a utility player with Gregorius back in the lineup.  Guys, we have options.  This is new.  This hasn't been the case in years.

What we are seeing folks are the Yankees as a team, making it happen this first month of the long season.  As I told a fan in a tweet earlier this weekend:

With just over five months of regular season baseball left, be patient my friends, but if April is any indication of good things to come, sweeping the Red Sox and beating down the O's will be something we do routinely and confidently as the season progresses.

#MakeItHappen

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: FRITZ PETERSON

It's always an honor for me to meet and interview members of the Yankees family. It's especially great when it's an accomplished pitcher like Fritz Peterson. Fritz Peterson was a starting pitcher for the Yankees during a mediocre time in Yankees history, from 1966 to 1974, before being traded to the Cleveland Indians. He holds the distinction of having the lowest career ERA pitching at the old Yankees Stadium (2.52), and he pitched the final game there before renovations began.

Bleeding Yankee Blue had a chance to sit down and talk to him on his recent trip to New York. We proudly present our exclusive interview with Fritz Peterson. 

BYB: We want to thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Tell us about your book “When the Yankees Were on the Fritz: Revisiting the Horace Clarke Years.” What is it about, what do you hope to accomplish through it, and what do you want to share?

Fritz Peterson: Sure. In my first book, I wanted to get some stuff cleared up about our “situation” [quotes mine]. I touched on a bunch of players that I really thought a lot about. I made it “Mickey Mantle Is Going to Heaven”. But it wasn’t a serious book. It was just to get it out there in case I died of prostate cancer which I was on the verge of doing at the time. At least I said some things that I wanted off my chest. But I wanted to do a serious book. I talk about my years with the Yankees, each one of them. One through nine - I call them innings, every year. Doing it [that way] brought back a whole bunch of memories about players that I remembered through those days. They taught me a lesson in that I didn’t know how baseball worked, I didn’t know that baseball was a real business - I thought it was a game. I found out when my first best friend there got released.

Then I go into a little bit about my family stuff, got through all those things, then had to transition through the marriage situation in 1972. The last chapter has to do with all the players that I played with, that I remember seeing in uniform in 1974. It has a lot of personal things in it, it has a lot of things that people have been commenting that they didn’t know that this was what happened in baseball.

BYB: You touched on your nine “innings”, but then in 1974 you were traded to the Cleveland Indians. What was that like and what do you remember most about changing clubs?

Fritz Peterson: I knew it was coming, but I didn’t know it was to Cleveland. But because that year I was the fifth starter, and I was starting to develop some arm problems, and at the beginning of the season you don’t play as many games. I wasn’t in the starting rotation at the start. I knew I was going somewhere. So I asked [Yankees General Manager] Gabe Paul. I said, “Gabe, I know you’re trying to trade me, but I just want you to know two things. I don’t mind because that’s baseball. But I won’t go to the Philadelphia Phillies or the Cleveland Indians.” He patted me on the back and said “Don’t worry, young man. We wouldn’t do that to you”. So two weeks later I’m on a plane with three other teammates and we’re heading to Cleveland. Bill Virdon had called us into his office and told the four of us [Peterson, Fred Beene, Tom Buskey and Steve Kline] that there’s been a trade. They were pissed. We were four people that they liked. That’s 40% of our pitching staff going for guys that they didn’t really pay much attention to. It turned to be a really good trade for the Yankees [ed. note: the Yankees got Chris Chambliss, Dick Tidrow, and Cecil Upshaw]. I remember us looking at each other on the plane going from LaGuardia to Cleveland, the four of us at about 8 o’clock in the morning, wondering what happened. We get there to Cleveland and there’s our old buddy John Ellis, one of my favorites from the Yankees, waiting for us to pick us up and bring us to the hotel. Cleveland was an odd feeling, but Cleveland was fun for a while.

BYB: You mentioned some of your teammates. Who was your favorite teammate and why?

Fritz Peterson: My favorite at the beginning was Jim Bouton. He roomed with me and he actually gave me a chance to make that team in Spring Training in 1966. When I heard that, I’m thinking that here’s a big leaguer who’s been there and he’s saying “you have a chance to make this team.” I planned on going to the minors a few more years and when he said that, I really believed it. So we roomed together and we had a lot of really good times together. Crazy guy, good guy, you know. When he wrote the book, I purposely didn’t read it because I had friends on both sides. I didn’t want to take sides. I got it at home ready to bring to the nursing home when I go. Then obviously Mike Kekich was my best friend from 1969 to 1972 when our situation was going on. Mel Stottlemyre overall was the best, most consistent friend I had.

BYB: Do you ever keep in touch with the old players?

Fritz Peterson: No, no. The only one I keep in touch with is Mel Stottlemyre. But with his sickness now, he’s not well. I’m afraid to even see the newspapers because if I see his name I’m gonna think “Oh no.” We were there at the [Old Timer's] game, but we didn’t go in. I didn’t wanna go in. I didn’t want to see Mel like that.

BYB: In 1970 you went 20-11 - a 20-game winner - with a 2.90 ERA, you made the All-Star team, the team finished second in the American League. What was your greatest memory from that season with that team?

Fritz Peterson: I suppose it would have to be winning the 20th game on the last day of the season in Boston. They pushed me up one game ahead of Stan Bahnsen because I did have a chance to win the 20th game and it was the last day of the season. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have pitched. If it had rained, that game would have never been played because Boston and the Yankees were in the place they were going to be in the standings. We checked in to our hotel in Boston on the Friday of that weekend. The room that I was supposed to take was room 1912. Our traveling secretary had everything laying on the table, and I looked at that and I said there’s something wrong with that. If I had lost that game, that’s the record I would have had. Oddly enough, I said, “Bruce [Henry, 1970 Yankees traveling secretary], you gotta change that.” He said, “Why?” Then he looked and said “I know why”. So he did, and oddly enough, he got me 2011. Here I had 19 games and I didn’t know if I’d ever get to 20. I'm glad I figured that because I never did do that.

BYB: Every pitcher has one hitter they just hate facing. Who was that person for you?

Fritz Peterson: Those people were, in order fear, was Frank Howard. He was six feet nine inches, 300 pounds, and could fill a toilet in one sitting. I saw him hit a ball one time off Mel Stottlemyre, Mel threw him a sinker to keep it away from him. Frank hit it and it nearly hit his cap. It started going up, and up and up. It went out for a home run in center field. That was scary. It went up like a golf ball. So we learned that when we threw the ball to Frank, extra quick get your glove up for self-defense. Dick Allen later, was the second as far as scary. I’ve seen him hit some monsters. The best hitter I faced over my career was Al Kaline. That's because he never gave up. It could be 8-1 they’re losing and he still trying to get on base and start a big inning. I gotta tell you one little sidelight of that. When Duke Sims got traded to the Yankees, Al Kaline was about the end of his line. Duke had played with Al Kaline for a while and got to know him. Duke told me if you get a chance, could you let Al get a hit, like a bunt down third. Because if he gets on, it’s a base hit and they’ll take him right out of the game because that would make him an even .300 hitter. So I did and he did. They didn’t take him out for two more years. 

He got better there for a while because of the DH. The funny thing about that was Denny McLain, of course, was on Detroit, he had done the same thing for Mickey Mantle in grooving that home run pitch for him in 1968. So I thought, they did him a favor to Mickey, I’ll do Al a favor.

BYB: Baseball today is a lot different today than it was when you played. In what ways do you think the game got better and in what ways worse?

Fritz Peterson: I think it got worse lately because of the speed gun. All pitchers want to be dominant, macho strong men. They think now, when the emphasis on that is so much, even when they’re signing rookie pitchers, because lefties have to throw at least 93 and righties have to throw 96 before they’ll even sign them for anything. But when they get there finally, they know that they have relief pitchers we never had before. So they can let it all out. But they’re also letting it out looking at the scoreboard. What did I get? Did I get up to 97? In our day, they signed pitchers that were pitchers even then. They had good sinkers, they had good control, two or three pitches maybe. Now it’s completely different, it’s a power game. So, if you can throw hard, you can work off that. But I think there’s an over-emphasis on that, and I’m not sure it’s gonna last forever. These guys are dropping out with Tommy John surgery.

BYB: What do you think of pitch counts?

Fritz Peterson: I don’t like them. They’re so conditional. In the day, if we were going well and running a smooth ballgame, it didn’t really matter. We had a guy over there with the clicker, Jim Turner, but we never paid any attention to it. He was just doing a job. It didn’t matter. Now it matters a lot. It takes a little of the managerial stuff out of managing. When managers say “How are we doing?”. [pitchers say] “I wanna pitch, I wanna stay in.” Some of these guys are out of there before they knew [sic] what happened. All of a sudden, there’s an inning produced and they’re not in there. I think we should at least give a guy an out per inning. If he can’t get the first guy out, then bring in the relief pitcher. Not take him out because he threw too many pitches.

BYB: Tell me about Ralph Houk. He was a legendary manager. What was it like playing for him?

Fritz Peterson: It was wonderful. It was just like my own dad being there. Once you won a position with Ralph, you didn’t have to look over your shoulder or worry that if you made an error you were gonna lose your position. You could be yourself, throw good stuff because you were there and you knew you had a friend behind you. Being a major in the Army, he got people’s attention. I saw him grab a writer one time and raise him up on the wall because he wrote an article intimating the Yankees were having trouble. Ralph didn’t like that, so he grabbed him. It was Maury Allen. He had to set the record straight. The guys knew [Ralph] was right behind them, on their side.

BYB: You mentioned earlier about prostate cancer. It’s a big issue for men. Guys like Bob Watson are big advocates for early testing. My own father is a prostate cancer survivor. What would you like to say to that issue?

Fritz Peterson: Yes. There’s a movement going on now to do away with the testing, including the PSA, saying that even if you do treat, it’s about the same results as if you didn’t even know about it. For myself personally, I’m glad I did. I was one of those that if I didn’t have it taken care of, I would have been dead. I had that thought back in 2006 when they found it again. I envisioned what it would be like to not have another Christmas. It was a little peaceful, in a way, but when I found that I could make it again, I was happy again. It was almost a relief.

BYB: We are glad you are as well as you are, and we hope your treatments continue to work.

You mentioned about your “situation” a number of times during this interview. Is there anything you’d like to say, in general, about that.

Fritz Peterson: Sure. When Mike was traded to our team in 1969, he was Jim Bouten’s replacement for me. He was a fun guy. Mike and I were best friends, we roomed together on the road. Our families were the same age. He had 2 daughters, aged 5 and 2. I had 2 sons 5 and 2. We spent a lot of time,  just innocent times always, until the last part there. Then, getting to know the others’ spouse, I personally was never thinking of leaving mine. I wouldn’t do it, I wouldn’t consider it. But I thought he sure had it nice. His wife would let him stay at the ballpark, sign autographs. Mine, I had to come home the second the game was over, to be under her watch. He saw something in my wife, somebody pretty, who like to read and had college degrees. So something inside of us was building slowly. Until a night at Maury Allen’s house, in 1972, which was July 15. We were at a party at Maury’s, drinking beer and having hot dogs and hamburgers and stuff. Maybe we had a little too much drink, I’m not sure. It was sure fun. Mike’s wife Susan was sitting across from me, and he was sitting across from my wife Marilyn. I happened to touch Susan’s foot under the table. It didn’t bother her, but a little while later, I think she touched mine. After that, we touched each other’s foot more and more and we were drinking and stuff like that. After we were done at Maury’s, we decided to go home. On the way walking from the party to our cars,  I said to my wife Marilyn, why don’t you ride home with Mike, back to the Fort Lee Diner where we had both parked and met. I said to Mike, your wife Susan can come with me. We can just meet there. So we did and it was so much fun, at least in my instance talking to Susan, knowing that I didn’t have to be careful of what I said. She was such an easy-going, wonderful wife. With my wife, I had to say everything perfectly with her. Mike felt the same way about my wife as I did about his.

We got home and we met at the ballpark the next day. It was Sunday, and I said to Mike we should do that again, and he agreed. So we decided to do it again a couple of nights later, and this time we went to a steak and ale in Fort Lee, NJ. We met at the steak and ale and we all had a couple of drinks. Marilyn and Mike took off and then Susan and I just stayed there and ate and drank. We had a ball, an absolute blast. We all wanted to do it again, so we did it again the next available time. Then it became like, let’s do this all the time, so we did. It just became, wow, can this work? Mike was the first one to tell his wife that he loved Marilyn, my wife. I didn’t say that because I didn’t know yet, I was just one of the team. But we started then dating all the time.

At the end of the season, we didn’t want each other to leave. Mike and Susan were going to go off to Missoula, Montana. Marilyn and I were gonna go back to live and stay in New Jersey where we just built a house. It was tough to do. I was working in New Jersey, I was with John Sterling, who was with the New York Raiders hockey team. John was the play-by-play man, I was the color man. There was one night when we were going from Philadelphia to Boston, where my plane was so bad, it was one of those white-knucklers. I’m thinking you know what, I don’t even care if I die. Because Susan is gone, and I didn’t want to back to my wife, because I wanted to be with Susan. So when I got to Boston, I called Mike and I said Mike, you still wanna do this thing we’ve been talking about, switching families? He said yes. I said you arrange for Susan and your kids to come East to New Jersey, and I’ll send Marilyn and my boys out to you. That was it. Shortly after, my wife Marilyn called me and she said, I wanna come back. The poetry from Mike wore off, and she found out he didn’t have any degrees in college, and he was in debt and she wanted me back and I said I can’t come back. I’m gonna go be with Susan. It’s been her and I now for 41 years. They never did get married. They were both bull heads. I was hoping it would work out.

BYB: I am surprised by your response. I didn’t want to go there because I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable. You have a great history with the Yankees, as a player, and that’s what we were going to focus on. I am a little surprised that you’re as comfortable as you are, but we appreciate your candor.

Fritz Peterson: I appreciate you not wanting to do that. But I don’t care. I’ll tell anything now. The older I get, the more I don’t care.

BYB: How do you feel about social media?

Fritz Peterson: I’m just starting to get into that. I don’t really have much time, because mine is getting so extensive, my Facebook stuff. I almost have a full-time job doing that, and I feel like I gotta do that before I do anything. I’m not an English major, so there’s mistakes in it sometimes. I’m finding it fun and I’m practicing before I get Alzheimer’s, so I can remember everything [laughing]. I’m gonna start putting the word out [that] I would like to do commercials for nursing homes, because I wrote about that in the second book, and it was fun writing. I plan on pulling pranks on the people in the wheelchairs. They’re gonna have a hard time, but I’m going down hard!

BYB: Is there anything else you would like to say?

Fritz Peterson: Yeah. What do I have to do to get to the Old Timer’s Game? They don’t get to me quite often. Last time was 2006. I’d love to go to the Old Timer’s Game. I don’t even want you to make them look bad. I’d just love to go to that, and I just wish I went to more.

Again, we want to thank Fritz for sitting down and speaking with us. Fritz, you're a great conversationalist and a fun guy to be around. We wish you all the success in the world, great health, and that you accomplish all you set out to do.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

STOP RIDING ICHIRO FOR ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

A lot of buzz about Ichiro Suzuki and how he "doesn't want to go back to New York." Well, if you actually read what Ichiro said, and knowing that he doesn't have a true command of the English language, and how translation can sometimes be misconstrued... well, there's no story here. Yet, the media wants you to believe that the Yankee clubhouse is just as dysfunctional as when Jim Bouton re-lived it in Ball Four. Oh... those were the days!

Anyway... In a conversation with Ichiro, he was asked about coming back to the Yankees. Ichiro, through a translator, said this:

“That might be a question you shouldn’t ask right now... Obviously there’s a lot of things that go on that the fans and the media can’t see, that goes on inside (the club)."

OK. And?

Sure, read into it all you want, but I wouldn't.  Here's why;  First off, why piss off a potential club you actually enjoy playing for and who enjoyed you and your service while you were there. I mean, Ichiro is in his 40's. I'd play him into his 50's on my team, but I'm not in this scenario. The point is, he's still a good player. Ichiro could have meant ANYTHING by that statement above. Here are some examples:

"Don't ask me right now, it's a bad time.  Let's talk once the season's over. I'll give you my thoughts."

Or, how about this:

"It's not a good time, I'm trying to get ready for dinner and you're in my personal space."

Or:

"Don't ask me that! I have to use the bathroom. Can we rush this along?"

Silly right? My point is, in what context was "you shouldn't ask right now" in? What was happening at that moment? Furthermore, again, he's being translated.  "Things go on in the clubhouse that fans and media don't see."  It could just be a throwaway answer.  Trust me, there is no Da Vinci Code situation here.  No clues and nothing to solve. It isn't even cryptic for crying out loud.   Yet, here's the media's take on it. Check out a few headlines:

Ichiro makes mystery of Yankees future with 3000 in sights -New York Post 

Ichiro says he still wants to play, but alludes to some problems with the Yankees-Hardball Talk

Ichiro Plans To Continue His Pursuit Of 3,000 Hits — With Or Without Yankees-CBS Local

Ichiro Suzuki Hints at Problems in New York Yankees-Sports Media 101

No offense, Ichiro isn't "hinting" shit. The media is. Look, here's my thinking. If Ichiro wants to play full time, he should, but I don't think the Yankees want to do that.  If he wants to be a fourth outfielder, and eventually get 3000 hits in the Bronx, the Yankees should offer him a 2 year deal. That's a good marketing tool for the Yankees as well. There is no question he'll rack up over 200 hits in 2 seasons in that spot.

But that's it... don't read into it. The BYB readers are smarter than that. There's no story man... it's made up.

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!

REMEMBERING WHAT BASEBALL IS REALLY ALL ABOUT

Last  weekend I was fortunate to be able to watch a movie that left an impression I will carry with me each time I watch our Yankees.

The film “The Battered Bastards of Baseball” is a documentary of a minor league (Class A) team that existed for 5 seasons (1973 through 1977) in Portland, Oregon.  Known as the “Mavericks”, the club was owned by Bing Russell, an actor who starred as Deputy Clem Foster in Bonanza and had played Robert in The Magnificent Seven.  He is perhaps better known as the father of actor Kurt Russell.

While a boy, Bing Russell became the unofficial mascot of the New York Yankees.  As such, he lived out many a child’s dream by counting Lefty Gomez, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig among his friends.  So endeared to the team was Bing that an already ailing Gehrig gave him the bat he used to hit his final home run.

Can you imagine?

In addition to baseball, Russell grew up with a love for showmanship.  Eventually he would move his family to the west coast in pursuit of an acting career, but as the film shows, baseball never left his heart.

(In Photo: Bing Russell with Kurt Russell)

Portland had struggled as a minor league town, and with attendance dwindling, lost its Class A team- the Beavers- in 1972. In stepped Russell who created an independent team that held open tryouts every year. 

The club he would put together was a band of misfits and castoffs, yet somehow in their very first season the Mavericks would win their division.  In fact, over the course of over five seasons the team made the playoffs three times and garnered two division crowns.  Along the way, they rekindled Portland’s love for baseball, drawing record attendance.  The key was what Bing Russell used as his team’s motto: FUN.

The Mavericks stepped outside the box when it came to entertainment.  When they were on the verge of sweeping an opponent, a player would grab a broom and dance on the dugout with it, eventually setting it on fire.  Soon fans were coming to games with brooms.  

(In Photo: Hank Robinson)

The team had a bad-boy image that they certainly lived up to.  Their first manager, Hank Robinson, was fired for punching an umpire and his successor – Frank Peters – upon being ejected from a game, grabbed first base and locked himself inside the locker room.  The umpires called the cops, but that proved unsuccessful and the game was called.  

Peters was unconventional as a manager.  Once he rotated the players around during the course of the game so that each played every position. On another occasion he drew the lineup from a hat (something Yankees manager Billy Martin would employ a few years later).  That experiment didn’t exactly go according to plan as one of the team’s top hitters chased Peters through the clubhouse with a .44 magnum when he found out he wasn’t in the lineup.  The manager promptly put him in.

Among the “bad boys” to play on the Mavericks was a former 20-game winner with the Yankees; Jim Bouton.

To organized baseball, Bouton was truly the definition of outcast.  With the publication of his book “Ball Four”, which chronicled some of the behind-the-scenes activities in baseball, the pitcher was basically blackballed from the major leagues.  He joined the Mavericks in 1975 and used his time with them to help launch what would eventually be a comeback to the majors in 1978 with the Atlanta Braves.

Without giving you the rundown on the entire movie, the bottom line is that the Mavericks were the very epitome of “independent” and as such drew the ire of organized baseball.  In spite of their success on the field and in the stands (possibly because of it?), they would lose the franchise in 1978 when the Pacific League brought the Beavers back to Portland (attendance immediately dropped).

Bing Russell understood that as a game, baseball needed to be entertaining.  The fact that the Mavericks became so endeared to the city of Portland is proof that he had it right.  Watch the film and you’ll see what I mean.

I came away from the film promising myself that no matter how bad things get with my Yankees (and lately they’ve been pretty bad), I’d remember the lesson this film taught; that even though “business” gets involved with the sport, at its roots baseball is still just a game – why play it or watch it if you can’t have fun?

    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1


 
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