hiway29

I know it's my turn, but I've been too jammed to get it done. If anyone wants to jump in, go ahead.

Frawley seemed to be in every movie, including 'Kill the Umpire', and 'Rhubarb'-about a cat that owns a baseball team, and is better than it sounds. He was even in Bendix's , 'Babe Ruth Story'. In 'Safe at Home', it was just as if Fred Mertz put on a Yankee uniform. I'm sitting behind home plate Saturday at the Ravine, vs the Brewers. I could care less about exhibition games, but I got invited, so I may as well get my first Dodger Dog, and hope that Manny plays. I'm scratching my head why the Dodgers are playing the Brewers in LA at this late stage. The Angels I understand-but why the Brewers ? At least it's the end of the longest spring. Maybe mother nature has been extending the awful winter in most places in retaliation.

Tony Perkins, a terrific actor-WAS a horrible ball player. That seemed to be common in baseball movies . I liked 'Fear Strikes Out', as a kid, especially when he starts climbing the backstop-which I'm sure never happened. It's not so great now, but I can still watch it if I ignore the baseball action. I don't think it's the 'worst' baseball movie-my vote goes to William Bendix in 'the Babe Ruth Story'. Talk about an actor who can't play ball. It also has the most inane script -every cliche, 'legend' or myth about the Babe is treated as 'truth'. Just watch Bendix calling his shot, or leaving the stadium in uniform after hitting a dog with a ball, or visiting the kid in the hospital-

'Safe at Home' was a big deal to me when it came out. As a movie, it couldn't be cheesier-it's looks and feels just like a 1962 TV show, which makes sense since that's when it was made. I was the same age as the kid in the movie, and could so relate to the kid's reverance for Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris-and according to this movie, the rest of the Yankees don't matter-it's all about Mickey and Roger-who prove to be 2 of the worst actors ever. Whitey Ford and Ralph Houk make cameos, but the rest of the Yankee team are ball playing extras. William Frawley (Fred Mertz) plays a Yankee coach, and even I couldn't buy that ! It was filmed at the Yankees spring training site in Ft Lauderdale. My uncle was an electrical engineer who helped design the lighting system for the park, which seemed a big deal to me. I had just been there the previous spring and my uncle took me to a couple Yankee games. Anyway-it's not a great movie, but has a definite 60's charm, that still manages to move me-probably nostalgia. But I asked it then, and still wonder-where's Yogi !!

Sheffield is kind of like Manny without the charm. He was very young and immature when he came up. The list of bad incidents is fairly lengthy, wherever he has played. He had a couple of monster years with the Dodgers, but always seemed angry. He asked for a multi year deal, so he could end his career in LA. He didn't realize this was the Dodgers he was talking to. When he didn't get what he wanted, he bad mouthed the team in ways that would make Manny blush. He also 'wasn't sure' he could perform at peak level . I didn't follow his time with the Yankees very closely, but I don't recall him having that much impact there. He didn't stifle the team at Arod levels, but I'm at a loss to remember anything memorable. Still-that's a huge bat when it's working. Don't know if he's falling off like Andruw Jones-but then no one's ever fallen off like Jones. PLEASE let the season start. This week long kick back for the WBC is crazy. The spring training that never ends.

well, now it sounds like 'Laugh -In'

actually, Happy Days became more about the early 60's before it was over, and 35 million for a space program isn't much. I still was certain that wasn't it, though.

The 'go to your room' sounds like 'Happy Days', so I'm guessing that.

You said it, Kimberly. Most of my baseball playing was with scuffed up balls, taped up bats, on rocky infields, with unkempt outfields, using whatever we could find for bases. There were rarely enough players, so there was no right field, any ball hit there was foul. There were no first or second base men, so you threw to the pitcher , who was 'first base'. Of course, someone on the other team was the catcher, but don't expect him to take any throws on runners coming home. And I loved every minute of it. When I played Little League, with real teams, uniforms and fields, it was like being in the big leagues.

'weee doggies' makes it almost too easy. Since I don't have another show ready, I won't reveal it. I did like the first quote-the relationship between Drysdale and Miss Jane always cracked me up.

like I said-piece of cake youre up, George

I got into the way while in college studying art, then struggled for years with what to do with it. Any time spent drawing, painting, anything, was time not spent in classes, witnessing, reading the Bible, or most importantly LOOKING like you were doing something 'profitable'. Nothing was less important than my personal career and life goals. That I was able to pull it together after I got out, and actually make a career out of art after years of neglect, seems like the biggest miracle of all.

So right. I forgot about that. The kid comes in the house on a tricycle, and Alfalfa gives him the last piece of cake on the way out. The 'weep-wow' cake is funnier. speaking of cake, this new one should be a piece of it. "Hellooooooo Mr Wilson" "Oh, Great Scott !"

just remembered-'I want my 44 cents' is from "Anniversary Trouble"- Darla's father in the last quote, plays Spanky's father in this one-and he's a loser in both. Don't recall his name,Arthur something, but he was a contract player for Roach studios, and played a great drunk in a Laurel and Hardy short.

Those are quotes from various "Our Gang' comedies, or the "Little Rascals", as they were named for television distribution. It's perhaps not accurate to refer to a series made in the 30's for theaters 'TV', but they certainly became that for baby boomers. (Of course now, no kid even KNOWS the Little Rascals, as nothing is shown anywhere-but I digress) "I want my 44 cents"-can't recall the title, but Spanky was made treasurer of the gang's club-for oned day until the club decides to disband and they want their money back. "The Lord gave me this 5 dollars"- that's Stymie speaking in 'The Pooch', which for me is on of the very best Our Gang's. "Wanna piece of cake"_I'm pretty sure that's from 'Birthday Blues"-Stymie and Dickie Moore make a cake filled with 'prizes'-it also calls out 'weep-wow' while cooking. "All I've had today is a piece of lettuce on a gluten sandwich"- that's Darla's wimpy father right before his birthday dinner is sabotaged by Alfalfa, Porky, but for some reason Spanky is missing.

Like you wouldn't take Manny back in a second. I've been warning my Dodger fan friends who treat the Red Sox and the American league like it's on another planet, that we're going to see the dark side of Manny, before we're done. I still say he's worth the money. The NL west is so bad, they may have the division won by August, anyway. Or, the pitching might stink, Manny could be hurt, and the Dodgers disappoint once again. In baseball, you don't know nothing. Just read a new bio of Yogi- not the best book I've ever read, but pretty insightful and in depth-to a point. Very revealing in just how important Yogi was to the Yankees, and really how underrated he is.

geez, I'm reading how banged up the USA team is, and I have to say this WBC thing has to go-or else play in the fall. I'm sure Mstar is thrilled that Youkilis is hurt. Chipper Jones strained an oblique-which is never good, David Wright is hobbling. It's crazy playing these games during spring training ,of all times. I'm sorry I turned down Saturdays tickets just for missing the fun of watching the mess.

I can't be the only one who remembers this catchy 'bubble gum' tune- it's 'Western Union' by the 5 Americans-which has to be their sole claim to fame

I had tickets to the wbc semi final offered to me for free the other day. Field level , right at first base. I turned them down because my granddaughter is spending the weekend, and I wasn't really caring about the wbc. I'm still not caring, but after the us comeback the other day, my curiosity was sparked. now I'm thinking it would have been interesting, but the wbc is still weird-mainly because of the timing. Oh well, real baseball starts soon. First game at the stadium for me is in mid April, and I am ready for that.

Here's the give it away clue from the chorus- "dit da dit da dit dit-dit dit dit dit dit"

"Things went wrong today bad news came my way I woke up to find That I had blew my mind"

"I've Just Gotta get a Message to You"-Bee Gees-pre disco "Things went wrong today Bad news came my way"

There's talk that the Dodgers are interested in Pedro Martinez. I think they should go for it , and how weird will that be? Manny and Pedro together again, on a team managed by Joe Torre, and coached by Don Mattingly. Worlds collide. Now if I can only afford to go to some games this year...

Happy Birthday, Abi!

Here's the answer. "Tomorrow is Yesterday"-original series. It's 'sort of' a sequel to 'The Naked Time'. In 'Naked', they learned they could travel back in time, while escaping a planet's gravitational pull, by some anti matter thingamajig, showing them the clock moving backward. Spock states that it opens some interesting possibilites, and that they can go back anytime, anywhere. Kirk say they may risk it 'some day'. Apparently 'Tomorrow is Yesterday' is 'some day', as Kirk notes in his log that they went back on purpose.