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On Cars, Baseball and the Halcyon Days of Summer

The automotive world was introduced todistance away, and fired in a rubber ball.
economies of scale in 1954 as Nash and HudsonThe batter stood about 5 feet from the brick
(yes, those were makes of cars exactly 52wall, and if he did not swing at the pitch or
years ago) merged to form American Motors.swung and missed, the ball bounced off the
Both Nash and Hudson models are history now.wall and back out to the pitcher.You learned
Heck, American Motors has taken a hike sincepretty fast how to throw strikes, because if
then too.Two other autoyou did not, you were running all over the
manufacturers—Studebaker andblacktop lot to retrieve the ball after each
Packard—also merged their production inpitch.When you connected, the distance of the
response to economies of scale. They are bothball in the air determined what kind of hit
gone now as well.As these four autoyou had, hit it to the chain link fence on
manufacturers were headed toward oblivion,the fly and it was "Good-bye Baseball,
another entrepreneur was just gettingHello Home Run." The rubber ball you hit
started. Ray Kroc founded McDonald’s innever went as far as you thought it would.
1954 and went on to create the fast foodYou had 3 swings for each out, and 3 outs to
restaurant industry as we know it today.Thean inning. Balls were ignored to not cause
first nonstick pan was produced in 1954,disputes.The sun would get hotter as the day
leading to Teflon (a trademark forwore on. Even at age 10, we thought we
polytetrafluoroethylene), and Reagan (whoinvented sweat because it was so prevalent in
would become the Teflon President) was notthe blistering sun. No one ever called us to
even President. It was another guy named Ikecome home, both our parents worked when it
(Dwight David Eisenhower), who in 1944 waswas not the thing to do. I think it was
made Supreme Allied Commander for thecalled survival on the wrong side of the
invasion of Europe during World War II.Whiletracks.We never thought about lunch. We were
Ike was busy making war plans, I was born ina couple of 10 year olds, dreaming about the
Flint (MI), then headquarters of General9th inning with the scored tied, 2 outs and a
Motors and its vast manufacturing3-2 count on the batter. Always we thought of
facilities.The New York Yankees, who had wonMickey on that fateful pitch.Mickey Mantle of
five consecutive World Series from 1949the Yankees did not win the American League
through 1953, were watching the World Serieshome title in 1954, but even at 10 we knew he
from the sidelines in 1954, as the Nationalwas a legend was in the making. Mantle did
League Champion New York Giants (the otherwin the home run title the following year
team from the city so nice they named it(1955) and added 3 more titles in 1956, 1958
twice) swept the American League Championand 1960.In 1961, Roger Maris of the Yankees
Cleveland Indians in 4 games.Leo Durocher,would break Babe’s record with 61
the Manager of the Giants, could not sayhumdingers. We were so excited on that day we
"Nice guys finish last" thatcould not pee straight.After hours of play we
year.Interestingly enough, Cleveland’sheaded to the local drugstore. Both Tommy and
Bob Lemon lost games 1 and 4 of the SeriesI worked or we would not have had money. I
and Early Wynn lost game 2. Both Lemon andhad a TV Guide route with about 200
Wynn are in Baseball’s Hall of Fame.customers. Youngsters today would have no
Cleveland’s Bobby Avila also won theidea that TV Guide, long before it relied on
American League batting title in 1954 with agrocery stores and direct mail for sales, had
.341 average (now that is what you call aroutes just like paper routes. We delivered
trivia question), and Larry Doby (who brokeonce a week and collected monthly.We lived
the color barrier in the American League) wonfor two things at that drugstore, baseball
the home run title with 32 dingers.For thecards and cherry Cokes. I purposely
Cleveland Indians, it became what some woulddown-cased the "c" in cherry
call a bad year. Imagine getting to thebecause back then you could not buy Cherry
promised land and coming up short with twoCoke off the shelf at your local supermarket
eventual Hall of Fame pitchers, a battinglike you can today.You got Coke and the
champion and an eventual Hall of Fame homefountain person would squirt in cherry
run champion.I remember the 1954 Series asconcentrate and stir it up, pour in ice and
the one at the Polo Grounds when Willie Maysbam, once that hit your throat after 5 hours
made "The Catch," a dramaticin the hot sun, it was like visiting another
over-the-shoulder catch off a line drive byworld.We would sock down 4 or 5 of them while
Vic Wertz to deep center field which couldbuying baseball cards, and with each pack of
otherwise have given the Cleveland Indians acards we opened, the bubble gum would go into
game one victory (remember, the Giants sweptour mouth, every last slice of it. We were
the Series that year, winning four straightlooking for that elusive Mickey Mantle card,
games).A lot more happened in 1954, but hereand when we got more than one, we had an
you get the tidbits I learned later in life,awesome bargaining chip for trades.Always, we
much later. I celebrated my 62nd birthdaytried to build up enough chewing gum so we
June 27.In 1954 I was 10 years old and justcould push it out in our cheek, like Nellie
about my whole world was baseball. We playedFox, the sure-handed second baseman for the
during the school year but there was neverChicago White Sox with the biggest chaw of
enough time. Summer was a dream come true, notobacco in his cheek you ever saw.Fox was
school and lots of hot, sunny days. Afteranother Hall of Famer, and probably would
rolling out of bed, eating the requisitehave been even without the chaw of tobacco.
breakfast and meeting my buddy Tommy, weHe was a 12-time American League All-Star who
walked two blocks to St. Michael’s, thenever struck out more than 18 times a season
private school in our lower middle classin 15 full seasons, and was the American
neighborhood.We could not afford to go there,League Most Valuable Player in 1959.We loved
but we wore out the brick wall on the side ofNellie because he was a little guy like us
the school all summer.The Catholics who builtthat made it big. Fox had 200+ hits in 1954
St. Mike’s meant for it to stand for aand a .319 batting average (his best year in
long time. At that point in time,the majors). Man, we thought Nellie was
Christianity had been around for 19.5something.We then walked home, exhausted,
centuries, and they built it like they meanthappy, poor kids who never knew any better.
for it to be there for another 19.5It would be a number of years before we got
centuries.No one ever ran us off theour first car, and cruised the A&W Root
property. We were very lucky, too small orBeer stand on Friday nights after the high
too insignificant to be noticed. Maybe theyschool football game. But without any cars or
thought we were their students.Back thencar repair bills, 1954 was a great
Tommy and I played several games a day. Wesummer.Copyright © 2006 Ed BagleyEd
were there by 10 and did not quit until afterBagley is the author of Ed Bagley's Blog,
3. Man, it was hot most days. Having a gamewhich he publishes daily with fresh, original
with only two players was simple. The homewriting intended to delight, inform, educate
team pitcher took the mound, an appropriateand motivate readers. Visit Ed at . . .



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