| The automotive world was introduced to | | | | a rubber ball. The batter stood about 5 feet from |
| economies of scale in 1954 as Nash and Hudson | | | | the brick wall, and if he did not swing at the pitch |
| (yes, those were makes of cars exactly 52 | | | | or swung and missed, the ball bounced off the |
| years ago) merged to form American Motors. | | | | wall and back out to the pitcher.You learned |
| Both Nash and Hudson models are history now. | | | | pretty fast how to throw strikes, because if you |
| Heck, American Motors has taken a hike since | | | | did not, you were running all over the blacktop lot |
| then too.Two other auto | | | | to retrieve the ball after each pitch.When you |
| manufacturers—Studebaker and | | | | connected, the distance of the ball in the air |
| Packard—also merged their production in | | | | determined what kind of hit you had, hit it to the |
| response to economies of scale. They are both | | | | chain link fence on the fly and it was |
| gone now as well.As these four auto | | | | "Good-bye Baseball, Hello Home Run." |
| manufacturers were headed toward oblivion, | | | | The rubber ball you hit never went as far as you |
| another entrepreneur was just getting started. | | | | thought it would. You had 3 swings for each out, |
| Ray Kroc founded McDonald’s in 1954 and | | | | and 3 outs to an inning. Balls were ignored to not |
| went on to create the fast food restaurant | | | | cause disputes.The sun would get hotter as the |
| industry as we know it today.The first nonstick | | | | day wore on. Even at age 10, we thought we |
| pan was produced in 1954, leading to Teflon (a | | | | invented sweat because it was so prevalent in |
| trademark for polytetrafluoroethylene), and | | | | the blistering sun. No one ever called us to come |
| Reagan (who would become the Teflon President) | | | | home, both our parents worked when it was not |
| was not even President. It was another guy | | | | the thing to do. I think it was called survival on |
| named Ike (Dwight David Eisenhower), who in | | | | the wrong side of the tracks.We never thought |
| 1944 was made Supreme Allied Commander for | | | | about lunch. We were a couple of 10 year olds, |
| the invasion of Europe during World War II.While | | | | dreaming about the 9th inning with the scored |
| Ike was busy making war plans, I was born in | | | | tied, 2 outs and a 3-2 count on the batter. |
| Flint (MI), then headquarters of General Motors | | | | Always we thought of Mickey on that fateful |
| and its vast manufacturing facilities.The New York | | | | pitch.Mickey Mantle of the Yankees did not win |
| Yankees, who had won five consecutive World | | | | the American League home title in 1954, but even |
| Series from 1949 through 1953, were watching | | | | at 10 we knew he was a legend was in the |
| the World Series from the sidelines in 1954, as | | | | making. Mantle did win the home run title the |
| the National League Champion New York Giants | | | | following year (1955) and added 3 more titles in |
| (the other team from the city so nice they | | | | 1956, 1958 and 1960.In 1961, Roger Maris of the |
| named it twice) swept the American League | | | | Yankees would break Babe’s record with |
| Champion Cleveland Indians in 4 games.Leo | | | | 61 humdingers. We were so excited on that day |
| Durocher, the Manager of the Giants, could not | | | | we could not pee straight.After hours of play we |
| say "Nice guys finish last" that | | | | headed to the local drugstore. Both Tommy and I |
| year.Interestingly enough, Cleveland’s Bob | | | | worked or we would not have had money. I had |
| Lemon lost games 1 and 4 of the Series and | | | | a TV Guide route with about 200 customers. |
| Early Wynn lost game 2. Both Lemon and Wynn | | | | Youngsters today would have no idea that TV |
| are in Baseball’s Hall of Fame. | | | | Guide, long before it relied on grocery stores and |
| Cleveland’s Bobby Avila also won the | | | | direct mail for sales, had routes just like paper |
| American League batting title in 1954 with a .341 | | | | routes. We delivered once a week and collected |
| average (now that is what you call a trivia | | | | monthly.We lived for two things at that drugstore, |
| question), and Larry Doby (who broke the color | | | | baseball cards and cherry Cokes. I purposely |
| barrier in the American League) won the home | | | | down-cased the "c" in cherry because |
| run title with 32 dingers.For the Cleveland Indians, | | | | back then you could not buy Cherry Coke off the |
| it became what some would call a bad year. | | | | shelf at your local supermarket like you can |
| Imagine getting to the promised land and coming | | | | today.You got Coke and the fountain person |
| up short with two eventual Hall of Fame pitchers, | | | | would squirt in cherry concentrate and stir it up, |
| a batting champion and an eventual Hall of Fame | | | | pour in ice and bam, once that hit your throat |
| home run champion.I remember the 1954 Series | | | | after 5 hours in the hot sun, it was like visiting |
| as the one at the Polo Grounds when Willie Mays | | | | another world.We would sock down 4 or 5 of |
| made "The Catch," a dramatic | | | | them while buying baseball cards, and with each |
| over-the-shoulder catch off a line drive by Vic | | | | pack of cards we opened, the bubble gum would |
| Wertz to deep center field which could otherwise | | | | go into our mouth, every last slice of it. We were |
| have given the Cleveland Indians a game one | | | | looking for that elusive Mickey Mantle card, and |
| victory (remember, the Giants swept the Series | | | | when we got more than one, we had an |
| that year, winning four straight games).A lot more | | | | awesome bargaining chip for trades.Always, we |
| happened in 1954, but here you get the tidbits I | | | | tried to build up enough chewing gum so we could |
| learned later in life, much later. I celebrated my | | | | push it out in our cheek, like Nellie Fox, the |
| 62nd birthday June 27.In 1954 I was 10 years old | | | | sure-handed second baseman for the Chicago |
| and just about my whole world was baseball. We | | | | White Sox with the biggest chaw of tobacco in |
| played during the school year but there was | | | | his cheek you ever saw.Fox was another Hall of |
| never enough time. Summer was a dream come | | | | Famer, and probably would have been even |
| true, no school and lots of hot, sunny days. After | | | | without the chaw of tobacco. He was a 12-time |
| rolling out of bed, eating the requisite breakfast | | | | American League All-Star who never struck out |
| and meeting my buddy Tommy, we walked two | | | | more than 18 times a season in 15 full seasons, |
| blocks to St. Michael’s, the private school in | | | | and was the American League Most Valuable |
| our lower middle class neighborhood.We could not | | | | Player in 1959.We loved Nellie because he was a |
| afford to go there, but we wore out the brick | | | | little guy like us that made it big. Fox had 200+ |
| wall on the side of the school all summer.The | | | | hits in 1954 and a .319 batting average (his best |
| Catholics who built St. Mike’s meant for it | | | | year in the majors). Man, we thought Nellie was |
| to stand for a long time. At that point in time, | | | | something.We then walked home, exhausted, |
| Christianity had been around for 19.5 centuries, | | | | happy, poor kids who never knew any better. It |
| and they built it like they meant for it to be there | | | | would be a number of years before we got our |
| for another 19.5 centuries.No one ever ran us off | | | | first car, and cruised the A&W Root Beer |
| the property. We were very lucky, too small or | | | | stand on Friday nights after the high school |
| too insignificant to be noticed. Maybe they thought | | | | football game. But without any cars or car repair |
| we were their students.Back then Tommy and I | | | | bills, 1954 was a great summer.Copyright © |
| played several games a day. We were there by | | | | 2006 Ed BagleyEd Bagley is the author of Ed |
| 10 and did not quit until after 3. Man, it was hot | | | | Bagley's Blog, which he publishes daily with fresh, |
| most days. Having a game with only two players | | | | original writing intended to delight, inform, educate |
| was simple. The home team pitcher took the | | | | and motivate readers. Visit Ed at . . . |
| mound, an appropriate distance away, and fired in | | | | |