Television makes life much easier for sports fans looking to follow their favorite team or simply watch a good matchup. Video captures certain sports moments that cannot be described with words, like Michael Jordan floating in mid-air before he buried the game winner in the ‘98 Finals, Kevin Dyson falling one-yard short against the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, or the image of Kirk Gibson celebrating as he hobbled around the bases after his walk-off home run in Game 1 of the ‘88 World Series. These moments are etched in the minds of sports fans forever, and the thought of not having video of these events seems ludicrous.
The 1960 World Series between the Pirates and the Yankees culminated in what some deem the greatest game ever. With the series tied 3-3, the Yankees headed to Forbes Field in Pittsburgh for the final game of the series. After a back and forth battle, the Pirates entered the bottom of the ninth with the score even at 9. Pirates’ second basemen, Bill Mazeroski, led off the inning with what remains today as the only walk-off homerun in a World Series Game 7. That’s the ultimate backyard Wiffle Ball scenario that you enact with your brother on a summer day.
“Smith steps up to the plate, World Series game 7, everything is on the line for this youngster. He watches the pitcher’s windup, here’s the delivery, and … there it is folks! The World Series is over thanks to the sweet swing of Garrett Smith!”
However, a full video from that game did not exist because for most games prior to the 1970s, Major League Baseball would erase or discard the footage after its use. However, as reported by the New York Times last week, a complete tape from that game was found in the wine cellar of Bing Crosby. When Crosby wasn’t dreaming of a White Christmas, the part-owner of the Pirates was dreaming of a Pittsburgh World Series title. From within the article,
“Crosby, the singer and movie, radio and TV star, had more foresight than the television networks and stations, which erased or discarded nearly all of the Major League Baseball games they carried until the 1970s.
A canny preservationist of his own legacy, Crosby, who died in 1977, kept a half-century’s worth of records, tapes and films in the wine cellar turned vault in his Hillsborough, Calif., home.”
In an era where ESPN regularly shows Friday night high school football games on national television, it’s nice to hear about stories like this that highlight the value of video. We all could use a little reminder of how fortunate we are to live in this day and age where following sports doesn’t require waiting for the box scores in the morning paper the next day.
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