centerfield maz

In the summer of 1969 the Beatles were pretty much all doing their own thing and the days of the group were numbered. After the miserable recording sessions for GET BACK which later became Let It Be, they decided they wanted to record in a way like they use to. No one actually said it, but there was a feeling this could be the last project as The Beatles. With this in mind everyone made nice and put their differences aside for the time being. ABBEY ROAD was the last recording the Beatles made together. Although LET IT BE was released afterwards, it was recorded in January of 1969, prior to ABBEY ROAD. Paul McCartney called up their producer George Martin and told him the plan. He agreed only if he could have full control as a producer and do things his way. The band came in to the studio beginning in July 1969. Rarely were all four Beatles actually in the studio at the same time, usually recording separately or in pairs. ABBEY ROAD was released in America on October 1st, 1969 and by it...

It was another great day for the annual Ferragosto celebration on Arthur A venue in Little Italy in The Bronx. The annual event is in honor of the Feast of August which is celebrated every year on August 15th in Italy. The day is believed to be the day the Virgin Mary ascended into Heaven, a huge Holiday in Italia right behind Christmas & Easter. In ancient times the Romans also celebrated the Feast of Augusti and the tradition of the date was kept . In the Bronx, its a celebration of food & music as the local merchants of Arthur Avenue set up shop on the street and present their specialties. I don't think there was a spot in the world today that offered as much great foods & desserts that were on display on Arthur Avenue. The event has grown through the years, now every restaurant sets up numerous tables outside for dinning. Other smaller stands serve sausage & peppers, zeppoles, Italian pannini's, pasta, pastries, pizza, espresso, bread, Italian Ices, cookies,...

Bethel, New York is the original site of the 1969 Woodstock concert. The name came from the promoters using the name Woodstock Ventures, in honor of the town a good one and a half hours away in Ulster County. The town of Woodstock had been a mecca to artist from the early 20th century. In the sixties Bob Dylan, the Band, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Sebastian & Paul Butterfield all called the quaint town home at some point. There was no room there for the large concert, so a spot in the town of Walkill was chosen. The town threatened and forced the promoters out. Max Yasgur who owned a large dairy farm in the Town of Bethel in Sullivan County, offered his proper ty which was in the shape of a natural amphitheater. They built it, they came, the rest is history. Anyone who's ever been to the small town knows what a mind blower it must have been to have 500,000 plus people descend on the area. Pictures & film doesn't not do it justice. After many years of neglect, idea...

September 10, 1954: The 1st place NY Giants are playing the Cincinnati Reds in the Polo Grounds. Down 6-1 in the top of the 8th inning, rookie Hoyt Wilhelm comes into pitch. Wilhelm is already 11-4 with 7 saves, and the best reliever in baseball. His best pitch is the knuckleball a very tough pitch to handle. Behind the plate today is back up catcher Ray Katt. Katt was a much better hitter than regular catcher (future Mets manager) Wes Westrum who only hit .187 (8 HRs 27 RBIs, in 98 games). Katt batted .255 with 9 HRs & 33 RBIs in 86 games. Defensivley it seems Katt wasnt use to th knuckleball as he has hard time handling it today. He sets a record with four passed balls in the inning. With two outs and a runner on first, Wilhelm gets a little wild. He walks two batters and Katt gets credit for two passed balls. The next batter is future Mets player & coach Roy McMillan. Wilhelm throws two knuckle balls which get by Katt and get scored passed balls. Two more runs score & ...