FIFTY YEARS AGO: TRAGEDY AT HOME PLATE BOSTON
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 18-20, 1967) — Fifty years ago today (Aug. 18, 1967), one of major league baseball’s greatest tragedies occurred at Fenway Park in Boston. It came when a pitch from California Angels’ Jack Hamilton smacked into Tony Conigliaro‘s face near his left eye and temple. Tony dropped as if shot, writhing in the dirt of the batter’s box. Later at Sancta Maria Hospital, doctors agreed: another half inch more, and Tony would have died, joining Ray Chapman as the only big leaguer to die on the field as a result of the game (Chapman from a pitch from Carl Mays in 1920).
Conigliaro, born in East Boston and growing up in Swampscott, broke all schoolboy records, and the Boston Red Sox made sure the local boy didn’t get away. They signed him in late spring 1963, and Tony C. immediately went from high school to the team’s A league entry at Wellesville, Pa. There he hit with power, drove in runs, and batted .363. The following spring, Boston brought him to spring training in Scottsdale, AZ. Tony’s perfect swing battered the Cactus League offerings of opposing pitchers, including tape measure blasts that even had the grumpy Boston press in awe.
Manager Johnny Pesky pleaded with the front office to take the kid north. Management agreed. On the first pitch of his first at-bat at Fenway Park, Tony launched a home run over the Green Monster. By the time Aug. 18, 1967 rolled around, Conig was 22, a local icon and rock star with 104 home runs in his nascent career. He was the youngest player in history to reach 100 homers.
Hamilton’s pitch changed everything. Tony C. missed the rest of the Impossible Dream championship season and all of 1968 as his left eye deteriorated. Against all odds, Tony came back for 1969 (A.L. Comeback Player of the Year) and 1970 (36 home runs, 116 RBI). The burst of hope and hitting, however, proved illusory. In 1971, the Red Sox, ignoring the irony, traded him to the Angels. Tony quit shortly after the season started. The eye deteriorated again. One more failed comeback with the Sox in 1975 ended his career for good.
Projecting Tony’s stats for an entire career and taking away the near-fatal injury, he would have challenged Babe Ruth‘s record of 714 home runs. At 22, Ted Williams observed, Tony was just learning to hit. He had a right-handed swing custom fit to Fenway Park. As Casey Stengel said of Mickey Mantle, “He had it in his body to be great.” Mantle largely wasted his chance with booze. Conigliaro fell victim to the passive voice: His chance was destroyed by random fate, delivered by a journeyman pitcher with not much past and little future.
Two days later at Fenway Park, with THE PLANET in attendance, the Red Sox swept the Angels in a doubleheader, winning 12-2 and 9-8 in the memorable nightcap, coming as they did from an 8-0 deficit. We filmed that day, and we still have the 8mm home movies, including a serendipitous shot of Carl Yastrzemski‘s three-run home run in Game Two to spur Boston’s improbable comeback. The filmic preservation of that time of our lives five decades ago teaches a lesson. We will let you draw it up for yourself.
The temptation here is to attempt rhetorical cartwheels and syntactical summersaults by relating the Conigliaro tragedy to events more current. With a little thought, that would be easy to do. The best way to get rid of a temptation, as Sir Harry tells us in Oscar Wilde‘s The Picture of Dorian Gray, is to yield to it. THE PLANET won’t do that, because the lure of relevancy cannot catch the fish swimming in the peaceful place that we presently occupy. The latitude is love at 23 degrees, 16 minutes. The longitude? Man, you wouldn’t believe it.
Let the pot simmer. If it boils over, don’t worry. Just keep doing the next right thing.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
———————————————————————————
“On the finger-tip ledge of a great fall, tenuous is one finger short of elevenuous.” — Sir Tiberius Fruitjuice
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The Usual Disclaimer.
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox/2017/08/john_henry_says_red_sox_will_lead_effort_to_change_name_of_yawkey_way
And to think it all started on our own common in 1791. My, my.
there used to be a statue on the common honoring baseball being invented in Pittsfield. But it was torn down because it offended basketball players.
Ya nailed it, dusty.
Dan: What’s the story on this? What person or group complained and who made the decision to remove it?
Dan is the greatest.
Yeah, but we do have Pocket Pool.
Linda will be cutting the ribbon for the pocket pool memory early this fall
I watched the cable news shows tonight, and they said that Donald Trump will either resign or be impeached by the end of this year of 2017. They called Trump a “coward” who wont face justice. The Republican Party will lose a lot of seats in Congress because of Trump’s poor leadership. He may be the best gift to Democrats!
You shouldn’t watch PMSNBC fake news.
I believe it was on the Clinton News Network.
The man said Trump will resign to stay out of jail.
I ask, “For what crime?” To date, we have no crime, folks. We have no evidence of a crime.
Trump was supposed to be gone by summer this year because of the Russia myth, before that he wasn’t going get the votes in the actual Electoral College vote in December, before that the recounts were going to overturn his victory, before that he had no chance to win the election, before that he had no chance to get the nomination, before that he had no chance of winning any primaries at all, before that he wasn’t going to run.
Yup, media/leftists have a pretty good prediction record so far.
“Mr. Trump will not be president.”
–Barack Hussein Obama
Citizens:
My office has been receiving reports from call boxes around town–from officers and citizens–that there are some very, very, stupid, stupid, ignorant drivers out and about in the city of Pitts.
Seems that folks like to tempt death, pain, destruction by seeing if they can jump out and beat the oncoming traffic. Gives them a thrill, I guess.
Also, apparently that fourth-grade lesson on what the different colored lights at intersections mean has not taken complete hold around here. Yeah, I mean you guys in the big, loud, stinky, polluting trucks, too. Oh, maybe especially at that intersection at Coltsville?
Yesterday while heading south on First St. adjacent to the hospital, one woman in large vehicle even cut off this officer. Bad enough, don’t you know. But then little missy in a white car ALSO tried to cut off same right behind the first stupid driver–call them stupid and stupider.
Luckily this officer is trained in driving the speed limit with a touch of defensiveness thrown in. Even so, I had to slam hard on the brakes and swerve a bit to the left to avoid actual contact.
Missy’s car was just about taking up my entire lane. Good thing no one was coming from the other direction at the moment on First St.
Ol’ O’Hara advises that you stay off the streets, especially in the downtown area, after about 2 pm weekdays.
Berkshire County drivers are the worst.
I don’t think you get out much Pat. It’s the same all over.
Because we’re mostly old farts.
Totally agree with you ossifer O’Hara. Would love to see a numerical breakdown of how many vehicular mishaps, big and small there are within the city limits for any given month, and how much time and personnel is taken up responding to such events. And how many of these are the result of a driver who ran a stop sign or red light?
But since the chief has added the new traffic control patrols I have not seen a decrease in the number of people who blow through red lights. It blows my mind when I see the big rigs coming from the Lanesboro cement company blow through the Coltsville intersection. And it is not rare to see a mother with children in the car risking her own life as well as that of her children gambling that she can make it through a red light.
How many times have I had a car speed up behind me and then ride my ass all the way down Dalton Ave? I am thinking, Oh my this person must be on his way to the hospital, but then they pull off into Dunking donuts.
But sadly, you cannot fix stupid. There is no pill for that yet.
Just curious. I go past the soft serve ice cream place on Tyler street several times a week and have for years. IN past summers there was almost always a crowd waiting at the window to be served. This year I never saw more than two people at once and most often one or nobody. What is up with that?
Stop worrying about ice cream lines, there are more important issues like l e d lights and lawn mower parties at Hess.
Oh really? What would you say if I told you that ice cream was invented in Pittsfield on that very site? And that there was once a statue there that had since been removed by the people who invented yogurt?
So don’t even go there dude…
Welll, that’s a game changer.
The new folks who took it over are gonna call it Cones With Cons.
Who bought it? Murraca? I hope he got another tax break.
Also curious about the non-construction of the new DD on First St.
Are they still holding out for a drive up?
Tragedy and success in the same year.
Fenway Park is targeted. Movement to change its address and street location from Yawkey Way is gaining momentum, because of the Yawkey family’s racist player position during the 59 years that they owned the Red Sox, beginning in 1933. The Yawkey’s were considerable philanthropists in the Boston community with even hospital wings donated. What’s your opinion?
ED raises a good question. THE PLANET gives our view: We oppose any change in the street name. This attempt to judge the past by the position of the attitudinal present does history a disservice and ensures that “the present” shall be wasted on trivia, this while vital issues remain ignored.
Street names change. Why does it matter?
Tyer already has streets named for her- the ones that say one way.
Stay Vibrant
LT
I would think Wrong Way would be a better fit.
or… NO PARKING UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET YOUR ASS FINED BIG TIME
The owners of all the other MLB teams are as perfect as Mother Theresa.
Boston fan base is questionableas far as racism.
I think I’ll hire Steve Bannon to keep the cats and dogs outta my yard, he a good clean up guy.
CALLED the Mayor’s office a couple days ago and got a recording must’ve,been at a Red Sox Game.
She was busy being vibrant some place else.
Have to laugh,almost every apartment rental are in a war zone.
Upper Woodlawn fits that description. The police are there more than they are on Allen street. Cavalier city
Jonathan, has a list of streets to stay away from, mi.
PUBLIC SAFETY ALERT!
Stay off of:
North st.
Tyler st.
Lincoln st.
First st.
Second st.
Linden st.
Dewey ave
Cherry st.
Burbank st.
Kent ave
Madison ave
And Seymour st.
And you might survive.
I don’t care for that remark.
Onaota
Columbus
Francis
Lower West, u
Per West soon
Center
Bartlett
April Lane
Harvard
Wahconah
Burger King Parking lot
McDonalds
West Housy
Easier to just say Pittsfield.
Lol
Pittsfield is O.K. from 6 am to 6 pm
Pittsfield is scary from 6 pm to 6 am
President Bannon has stepped down…Trump is going to fill in for now
The House of Horrors is in full blown chaos. The walls are crumbling. Trump is not going to overcome this self made crisis.
Until impeached,Pence will bethe only one in his administration. Like I said two years ago, the press will not let him finish his term.
.
Oh, neat, we have a regular seer/prophet in our midst. Two years ago? And you knew he’d be elected way back in August 2015? And could foresee the press barrage?
Can we talk some sense and logic here?
Trump must somehow (1) die, (2) be physically/mentally incapacitated (not just drive the media crazy), (3) be impeached by the House AND convicted by the Senate, or (4) resign in order to be removed from office.
Just because the media, Hollywood, comedians, the ignorant, the uppity, the uneducated, the ill-educated, the elite-educated, the Democrats, and half of the Republicans don’t like the guy, doesn’t mean he’ll have to resign or leave office.
The media won’t let him? Wa? Who the hell is this media person anyway? Who elected it/them? What sort of constitutional/legal power do they have to force a president from office.
Nixon resigned only because a group of Republican senators led by Goldwater went to the White House and told him he didn’t have the votes in the Senate.
Wasn’t the media or the polls or Johnny Carson or sitcoms or newspapers.
See my post above on the track record of predictions about Mr. Trump.
You would think Melania would have worn him out by now?
Thank you Edward Murrow…..well said!
Many people believe everything they hear on mainstream news – whatever happened to critical thinking? Garbage in, garbage out!
I listened word by word to all three of Trump’s press conferences after Charlottesville. He denounced, MANY times, the KKK, white supremacists, etc. who caused the fray. The Soros camp paid protestors to show up & create a scene. The globalists hate Trump – they control the media and many people on both sides of the aisle – Ryan, Pelosi, Schumer, McConnell to name a few. You folks who are calling for impeachment……for what??!! Do some research online and educate yourselves.
Yes, Gigi. Just one more example of why you can’t trust the media at all.
Not much “news,” Congress in recess, apparently Russia is going nowhere, so let’s gin up something to keep our ratings up and twist words around and lie, lie, lie.
Yeah, that’ll get the mindless minions fired up.
One thing you have to remember, folks, is that the mainstream media types get up every morning and ask, “How can I make a Republican look bad today?” That’s their entire m.o. That’s how they make they’re careers.
Jihadi terrorists run down people in Barcelona with van. Um, er, well, um, don’t have much to say about it . . . er, duh . . . Wait, OH! It must have been a copycat act of Charlottesville. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Yeah, because everything is the Republicans’ fault.
What a joke is the media.
The Left will never like Trump even if he cured Cancer. Never mind that he has saved us from Nuclear War and turning into Europe. He has saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Herman Cain, a black man, blasted the left the other night by saying they couldn’t win with screaming Russia-Russia-Russia or Refugee-Refugee-Refugee so now they have turned to Racist-Racist-Racist…….
Douglas Murray, a gay man, who recently wrote a great book called “The Strange Death of Europe” writes that America needs to heed the warning of what has happened in Europe, with terrorist attacks every week, to avoid it happening in our country, but American politicians are just TOO STUPID. Only Trump gets it.
Many people liked what Trump had to say about rebuilding infrastructure but he could not stay on course,middle class tax cuts but he had to focus on women and their bodies and in the end many people saw Trump as half baked and could not vote for him.
I totally agree Edward R. Murrow.
Wrong A C, if you read the previous post a couple years ago it was said by moi after an interview Dumps did with Charlie Rose,stated… He will never be elected President because the press will never let him finish the job if elected, he was saying stupid comments right along,,,,,,Fake accusations..
Sorry, but I don’t want the media to rule the country. If the media has the power to get rid of elected officials that means that voting has no meaning. That also means that we have become a communist country where one political party and the media are in cahoots.
Trump owns 33%and they like Pat have blamed Trumps personal flaws on reporters who cover his words and actions.Trump is an expert in media and went to fake news hundreds of time to repeat over and over and over that Obama was not a legitament president and media would not buy his fake news
Pat, is Shaun Hannity media? What about Rush Limberger? Ann Coulter? Fox news? These people trolled Obama every minute of every hour of every day for the 8 years he was president and still do. Stop pretending that they are reciting from the Bible and CNN is the bad guy. You are suffering from tunnel vision.
Every president should have some criticism. Obviously no president will get everything right, but with Trump it has gone over the top. During the Obama years the media did NOT do their job. The only criticism we did hear was from the people you mention. Their voices kept some balance in the country, however, they did not go to the extremes we see now.
Trump just defined his whole Presidency over Charlottsville. He will never overcome it. It’s who he is. Disgrace.
Dusty, that’s exactly what all those outlets you mentioned are, “media”. They are not news. They are all commentators. They don’t report news anymore, they report opinion for ratings. They pick one subject for the day, hammer it from every side and see what sticks today.
I want tjhe media to report on who rules the country,and they do and thats what lost the election for Clinton.Fake issue by 33% Who see Trump as the savior
From the inside, business way off on Tyler St … too much bad juju going on in that neighborhood. Owners of the store looking to sell or close.
They can’t close because it’s vibrant now.
Referring to ice cream stand the former Dairy Queen.
It probably just not safe anymore, but the complaints will be that now it’s an ice cream desert.
When is fantasy Tyler St. going to set up with the fake facades?
Richmond: “Sheriff Bowler sets annual picnic”
The Berkshire Eagle, August 18, 2017
The 2017 Sheriff’s picnic will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at Camp Russell.
The event will feature an afternoon barbecue and an update by Sheriff Thomas Bowler on the many new programs at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction.
In addition, lifeguards will be on duty at the camp’s pool for the children who typically attend this family picnic.
Admission is $10; kids under 12 are free.
For more information, call Mary Murphy at 413-822-4185.
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/richmond-sheriff-bowler-sets-annual-picnic,517144
Will Carman be handling weiner duty?
LOL! That’s a good one!
In never understood why Carmen and Angelo never married each other.
Jonathan, you have to analyze the situation and determine the Maine problem.
I would NEVER let a child anywhere near Camp Russell … even if he had soap on a rope.
Carmen Stracuzzi
Angelo Massimiano
I wonder who will attend Tom Bowler’s picnic next Saturday?
* The lovely Linda Tyer
* State Senator Adam Hinds
* State Representative Tricia Farley Bouvier
* Candidates for North Berkshire State Rep, including Der WunderBarrett
* Smitty Pignatelli
* Richie Neal
* Candidates for Pittsfield City Council
Will they sing Elvis’ “Jailhouse Rock”?
I don’t want to think about where they would put each other’s rings.
Jimmy Ruberto would be Carmen’s best man, while Cliffy would be his ring bearer.
Nuciforo can sell medical marijuana to Tom Bowler’s jail inmates with prescriptions for weed.
Maybe Zardi can help cook.
I found the Hess Forest an enjoyable minute.
A green oasis
Are there still gas tanks in the ground there? If so do we know they are not leaking? Who owns them? Is Hess forest a Superfund site? Whose ward is this?
does anyone even care as long as bears are not living there?
“Former Hess gas station with three 10,000 gallon single wall tanks, 6 duel product dispensers and attendants booth on site. No deed restriction.”
That’s how it is described in its for sale listing.
As far as ownership, I think it is Hess that owns the property. I think they own the old Hess over the mountain at the bottom in New Lebanon. Looks just like ours.
You left out the price. The city could buy this prime property and turn it into a wildlife park complete with benches just like those fine gathering places on North street. Toss in some drop boxes for used needles, and a Narcan dispenser and you have a home away from home for those who cannot make it over to the west side.
I saw three listings for the property and each said call for price. The New Lebanon Hess property has been vacant around 10 years. Unless you use the property as a gas station, the new owner will have a hefty bill getting those tanks out and remediation costs.
If they could combine Wahconah Lake and Hess Forest, then you would have something.
Be on the lookout for this New Fascist leftist group called the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Much like the Nazis in the 1930s, their main tactic is to label anyone who disagrees with them a “hate group.” But that’s just a basic tactic of the Saul Alinsky Left–everyone else is a racist, bigoted, homophobe, anti-LGBT, anti-Trans, anti-Honey Dew Melon.
Simply part of what I’ve called before the Sorosabteilung–very well-financed leftist groups who hide behind a mantle of moral superiority to justify their own hate and violence, especially violence: “Because we’re moral.”
So when I saw SPLC quoted as an authority in the first paragraph of the bottom, front-page story in the Eagle this morning, I though it was time to warn people.
CNN is also using them as a source of info/authority.
Heard last night that SPLC is essentially a leftist fundraising organization, which now has $350 million on hand, much of it in off-shore accounts. Been around since the founder, Morris Dees(?), raised a bunch of cash for McGovern and then Carter.
Looks like they’re starting to go after Christians now, too. I guess grandma’s weekly Bible study will be labeled a hate group soon.
They were on North St.–last summer? this spring?
“Have you heard of SPLC?”
“Yes.”
“Would like to talk to us?”
“No.”
I had to hurry to a more important appointment–with a burrito.
You must be white.
And you must be . . . ?
They were labeling the groups who PUBLICLY espoused purging America of anyone not white ” hate groups,” not anyone who disagrees with them. Or do you, like Donnie Trump, believe that there were lots of good people there, mixed in with the flack jacket wearing, automatic weapon toting, racist chanting white supremacists too?
Yes, “labeling” is the correct term. Sort of like the other hate groups do.
One of those supposed “hate” groups?
Family Research Council
SPLC has some blood on their hands too–they’re inciting leftist nut jobs, like the one that walked into FRC in 2012(?), and mostly likely the shooter at the congressional softball game.
They also list some “radically traditionalist Catholic” groups.
Oh, but that’s OK, because they’re on the good side.
This self-declared goodness and virtue is really scary.
Sort of like Robespierre. Make no mistake, the Terror is coming.
Chuck was spot on with Ezekil Elliotof the Cowboys, good call Sir!
Pres. Clinton was impeached and did not leave office. Therefore, if Pres. Trump is impeached why should he leave office?
the pyramids were build almost totally by slaves. TEAR THEM DOWN!!!!
Talk about throwing mud.
Great memory, May. Guys like Ezekiel Elliot are role models yet society today gives them nothing but a slap on hand for outrageous transgressions. Want to know why groups of major league ballplayers don’t bet against their team? One hundred years ago Commissioner Landis issued a lifetime ban against members of the Chicago team for throwing World Series. End of problem. Decision makers nowadays don’t have cohones to make a tough decision.
Hope tou’vehad a great summers
Watching the Boston police commissioner- a well intentioned buffoon.
A congress of baboons gathered today on Park Square to fake protest fake imaginary hate. Read all about it in the fake news Berkshire and the fake news iBerkshires.
Berkshire Eagle that is
You can be the model for the statue for stupid
Try only smoking half a loint begore you post.
Hess would make an excellent campaign headquarters.
It would be the perfect spot for the new monument honoring stupidity.
Did the moonbats at the Park do a hey, hey, ho, ho chant? That’s a moonbat mainstay.
Didn’t hear anything about Trump’s ho.
I hear she is a real pisser.
Churchill Street has been a mess for some time now and it looks like it’s going to get worse
Isn’t that fake job Krol’s ward? Good job John boy.
Just that new developent alone,don’t have the car window open, when a vehicle blows by going by,the dirt from the roads is bad, not to mention the larger trucks going through the already narrow road, that projects, and future developement are not good for that area.
If Churchill starts developing for homes, they’ll literally be swimming in their own garbage.
A couple of things concerning the goings on in the City. How can you have a board, loaded with employees spouses and special I Teresa’s? Attorney Dahoney is the hearing officer for the Registrar and as a hired employee by the City, running a meeting with people like the Mayor in attendance? You have Lady Di, her husband is the City Treasurer, Jodi Phillips, City Clerk, and Woody, who claims to have no political involvement but seemed to be very for Mr. Powell and Very against, the to complaintents.. It was incredibly amateurish to watch Mr. Barry, who is a Lawyer,making motions and the other members seconding motions, so fast, I guess to show they understand procedure, it all seemed so concocted.
I thought the same thing, Cos, when I saw the meeting. And the Mayor’s assistant, Ms, Dews is the wife of Warren Dews of the Berk. Eagle. You don’t think that he is influencing what goes on in City Hall?
Called City Hall the other day and got a recording, don’t care for that. That phone should be manned during office hours.
I got a call from city hall and they told me I stayed at one of their resorts.
The only thing he could possibly influence is the menu st McDonalds.
Another is the Students PCTV programming for the last few years, the host give many a chance during the political season for interviews, but what is hidden is the fact the hosts are special interest’s and candidates who win, are subconsciously beholden for the airtime. They must think the public is stupid, surprised no one, especially non special interest, have complained about the format of that show.
The littering is the City is at an all time high. One that was noticed was at the interesting of outer North and Wahconah, the little island at the lights looks disgusting, the usual, cig butts, bottles paper.
And don’t you like the all day traffic lights on North Street, especially across from benches and bus stops with drinking and smoking as these wanderers stare and make noise at the vehicle.
Much more litter in the 60s when we were great
Dirt and debris are why some people have jobs
What this city could use is a monument to Bernard Madoff . It would be perfect.
The first instance of corruption it the U.S. was on the common in 1791. The town then passed an ordinance encouraging it.
And in 2015 I believe it was, the city council amended the city charter to accelerate the corruption and make it easier for others to grab their share.
“and so it shall be” said the council president
All, and I mean all subsidy money goes thevespecial I terests,, it called greed, most don’t don’t need certain programs that benefit New York types, they have money period, they come here to live and you are supposed to owe them a living for doing that. Look at some of the programs that benefit the already,
well to do. The Arts for one, Movie Theatre Moguls. One that peaks my interest is that Ollie Program out at B C C,who funds that? Do taxpayer monies or subsidy’s go to it, it is a State Run School.
Just saw the Eagle and noticed that there was only one black person in the photos. I guess that most area black folks had the good sense to avoid this gathering of moon bats and chef Powell.
I got a little turned on when I saw the picture of the moonbat with blue hair.