Saturday, July 4, 2015

The Freakin' Weekend (1969)


This is not shaping up as the most exciting weekend in the world for Hoptown 1969 me. The women of my real house in 2015 are out of town at camp; I'm going to pretend Hoptown 1969 me is in the same lonely, dry-season predicament. So, for example, while I might get out to the Holiday Inn on Sunday afternoon for some chicken and White House potatoes, I'm probably not going to whoop it up with Ross Sisk and Band at the VFW tonight.



None of the movies in town particularly interest me.



I really like the No. 1 country song right now, Jack Greene's "Statue of a Fool." I mentioned the other day that I've decided that Hoptown 1969 me is rich; maybe I'll just go out and buy that record and listen to it all weekend.



He already had another No. 1 hit earlier in the year, and that was from a whole other album. Jack Greene, born 1930 in Maryville, Tennessee, is having a very big 1969.



I don't know. I'll probably end up watching a lot of TV.


43 comments:

  1. My dad was in the Philippines with the Navy in 1944 and 1945. Hoptown 1969 me would've been 22 in 1944, so maybe I'm supposed to think Hoptown 1969 me was in the Philippines during World War II. In that case, I probably would've at least noted when The Extraordinary Seaman came to town, which I find pretty surprising, given that it apparently didn't show anywhere any too long. But the deal is that I don't think I'm prepared to much confidently imagine how Philippines 1944 me would've turned into Hoptown 1969 me and what he would've thought about stuff like football, TV and Christmas. I've thought a lot about how Philippines 1944 Bobby turned into Evansville 1971 Dad and, then, say, 1981 Paducah Dad, and it's a load to get a grasp on.

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  2. At 12:30 Central Saturday on ABC, Happening was a music show created by Dick Clark and hosted by Paul Revere & the Raiders, and it is the program that is responsible for this terrific performance by the Bob Seger System. Happening immediately followed American Bandstand.

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  3. But I'm probably going to look at the baseball on NBC instead.

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  4. the holiday inn had great food in 1969. i knew the manager and he very good at running the inn. the inn was so busy at this time, they would not book a single.

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  5. Yeah! That is some excellent insight. Thank you, Anonymous.

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  6. OK, very cool ... Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek are doing the A's-Twins game at Minnesota on today 1969's NBC Game of the Week.

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  7. The East divisions of both leagues have broken wide open. Both Wests are close. The A's and Twins, indeed, are separated by a few thoundandths of winning percentage in the American League West. Here are the standings entering the full slate of games today, July 5, 1969 ...

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  8. A.L. West

    A's 42-32
    Twins 44-34, 0 games back
    Pilots 35-43, 9
    Royals 34-45, 10.5
    White Sox 33-34, 10.5
    Angels 28-49, 15.5

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  9. A.L. East

    Orioles 55-24
    Tigers 43-32, 10 games back
    Red Sox 44-35, 11
    Senators 42-41, 15
    Yankees 39-43, 17.5
    Indians 31-48, 24

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    1. Ted Williams is doing an amazing job in D.C. With him managing the Senators, and Vince Lombardi taking over the Redskins, D.C. sports fans are set for years to come.

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  10. N.L. West

    Braves 47-32
    Dodgers 45-32, 1 game back
    Reds 40-34, 4.5
    Giants 43-37, 5
    Astros 41-40, 7
    Padres 27-58, 21.5

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  11. N.L. East

    Cubs 52-28
    Mets 44-34, 7 games back
    Pirates 38-42, 14
    Phillies 35-41, 15
    Cardinals 37-44, 15.5
    Expos 24-54, 27

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  12. The Twins beat the A's on July 4, 10-4, as Leo Cardenas, Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew each homered.

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  13. Today's starters are, for the A's, 25-year-old right-hander Chuck Dobson of Kansas City (9-6) and, for the Twins, 32-year-old right-hander Jim Perry of Williamston, N.C. (6-4).

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  14. Batting order for the A's ...

    6-Ted Kubiak
    4-Dick Green
    9-Reggie Jackson
    5-Sal Bando
    3-Danny Cater
    8-Rick Monday
    7-Joe Rudi
    2-Phil Roof of Paducah Saint Mary's!
    1-Chuck Dobson

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  15. For the Twins ...

    8-Ted Uhlaender
    4-Rod Carew
    9-Tony Oliva
    5-Harmon Killebrew
    3-Rich Reese
    2-John Roseboro
    6-Leo Cardenas
    7-Cesar Tovar
    1-Jim Perry

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  16. I'm disappointed that the A's are on TV, and my favorite A, shortstop Bert Campaneris, has the day off. I'm uncertain whether he's hurt or just resting. Anyway, it feels like a very bad sign when his Campy's replacement, Kubiak, grounds out to second to lead off the game.

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  17. But then, with two out, Jackson homers, and everything is right with the world. That's 34 home runs so far this season for the 23-year-old, who was our top draft choice in 1966, and that's six more home runs than any other player in baseball.

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  18. I mentioned that Hoptown 1969 me is doing OK. I pick up The Sporting News pretty frequently, even though it bumped up to 50 cents a copy earlier this year.

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  19. During the commercial break at the half inning, I read Ron Bergman's A's report in the July 5 Sporting News, "Kubiak Content to Play Spear Carrier With A's," and he wrote that it was a surprise that the backup infielder remained with Oakland through the trading deadline:

    "Now why would 11 American League clubs--not to mention several National League teams--want a utility infielder who's started in only three of the A's first 59 games with 21 at-bats?

    "Because baseball people know that at this time, Kubiak would be the starting shortstop on eight A.L. clubs or the starting second baseman on the three others. He is considered capable of batting around .260, but his glove would keep him in any other lineup at .240."

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  20. Also, The Sporting News reprinted a June 16 letter from President Nixon to Reggie Jackson after Jackson talked about how honored he was to play in front of the president after a two-homer performance against the Senators: "Dear Reggie: I want to thank you for your generous comments with regard to hitting a homer in the presence of the President of the United States. Although I always root for the home team, I have nothing but the highest admiration for your performance on the night I saw you. My daughter Julie, and her husband David Eisenhower, have seen you play twice, once in Boston and once in Washington. On both occasions you hit two home runs. You had better subsidize them to attend all your games!"

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    1. I used to watch games at RFK. It was basically impossible to hit home runs there. Reggie Jackson was amazing.

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  21. But this turned out to be the last happy moment of the afternoon for this A fan, for here's what happened next ... Dobson hits Uhlaender with a pitch … Carew triples, and Uhlaender scored … Oliva singles home Carew … Killebrew homers … 4-1, Twins through one complete … Killebrew homers again in the bottom of the second … 7-1 … Cardenas singles with one out in the bottom of the third … Jim Roland, who relieved Dobson in the second, hits Tovar … Perry singles, and Bando’s error brings home two … Uhlaender singles Perry to third … Carew grounds out, scoring Perry … 10-1!

    Minnesota went on to a 13-1 victory and first place alone in the A.L. West.

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    1. And then the Twins beat the A's on Sunday 1969. Minnesota now leads the American League West by two games.

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    2. And after today 1969, the A's are going to be 3.5 back in the division.

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  22. At least our boy Phil Roof had a couple of hits in three at-bats to raise his average to .240. That's a big deal for the 28-year-old. Roof has never finished at better than .209 in any of his previous eight big-league season.

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  23. I've got nothing but love for The Lawrence Welk Show. I hated it as a kid, because I was a kid and my parents watched it every Saturday night. But I was just being a jerk, and I like it fine now. The music's pretty, and it's always great to see people dancing and being happy. I don't want to listen to it all of the time, but it's fine.

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