centerfield maz

Iron Maiden took its "Legacy of the Beast Tour" to New York City for two incredible nights at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. The opening night was another amazing theatrical experience filled with powerful music & an energy that never stopped. The tour began in Europe in May of 2018, going through mid August 2018. It picked up again for the North American dates, on July 18th 2019 in Sunrise Florida, just outside of Fort Lauderdale.  Iron Maiden drummer, Nico McBrain lives in Boca Raton & has a small restaurant called "Rock & Roll Ribs" in Coral Springs, Florida. Excellent food with lots of Maiden paraphernalia around. They also serve imported, Iron Maiden Trooper beer in bottles as well as the Light Brigade version. A few of the Maiden guys spend lots of time in South Florida as well. If you don't know Iron Maiden or have never been to one of their shows you don't get it & don't understand. This is a mega band with an incre...

50th Anniversary of the 1969 World Champion "Amazing Mets" The New York Mets headed into the 1969 All Star break at 53-39 just five games behind the Chicago Cubs. It was the best position the Mets had ever been in at that point of a season, since their inception in 1962. Manager Gil Hodges had molded them into true contenders & they were for real in the exciting summer of '69. The team closed out the first half splitting a four game weekend series in Montreal, with the Expos. On Friday night, Jerry Koosman won his third game in a row, going the distance in a 5-2 Mets win. Kooz struck out seven, walking two in the seven hitter that lowered his ERA to a 1.88, with an 8-5 record. For Koosman it was onto his second All Star Game, this one in Washington D.C.   Jerry Grote hit his second HR of the year, a two run shot & Art Shamsky hit his eighth HR, a solo shot. Expo pitcher, Jerry Robinson walked in a run & allowed an RBI single to Rookie Wayne Garrett a...

July 23rd 1969: MLB All Star Game- Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, Washington D.C. Gil Hodges- Willie Mays & Leo Durocher The 40th Mid Summer Classic was originally scheduled for the night of July 22nd, but heavy rains caused the game to be postponed. It was then played in the afternoon of the next day, July 23rd. To date it's the last All Star Game to be played in the daytime. The game was played on the historic day that Apollo 11 was to return to earth & splash down in the Pacific Ocean, fresh off the first United States moon landing. President Richard Nixon was to throw out the first pitch on Tuesday night but after the game was rained out, he had to go west to greet the astronauts & his VP Spiro Agnew tossed out the first pitch. Koosman & Seaver with Ted Williams The game featured a talented group of players that produced 20 Hall Of Famers. The game was broadcast on NBC with Curt Gowdy calling the play by play, Tony Kubek & Mickey Mantle served as ...

Nelson Doubleday Jr. was born July 20th 1933 in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. He is the grandson of Frank Doubleday who founded the Doubleday Publishing Company & the son of Nelson Sr. who built the business into a mass market powerhouse. Doubleday Jr. grew up mostly in Long Island & was an avid baseball fan rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Nelson Jr. attended Green vale School on Long Island, Deerfield Academy & Princeton University where he earned a degree in economics. Doubleday played football & hockey at Princeton then served in the US Air Force. In the early seventies he was an investor in the New York Islanders hockey club with his Country Club pal John Pickett. In 1978 he became president of the Doubleday Company and the business reported sales of $350 million at the time he bought into the New York Mets Baseball Club. In 1980 Doubleday posted 80% of the record $21.1 million to purchase the New York Mets from the Joan Whitney Pays...

John William McCall was born July 18, 1925 in San Francisco, California The six foot left hander earned the name Windy which he became known as throughout his career. He attended the University of San Francisco getting signed by the Boston Red Sox in 1947. He made his MLB debut on April 25th 1948, getting hit by the AL New York club for three runs in just 1.1 innings of work. He was sent down where he was 9-12 as AA Louisville the rest of the year. He made just five more appearances for Boston the next year, before getting traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He ended up in the Pacific Coast League with the San Francisco Seals from 1951-1953 where he won double figures barley over .500 each season. In October 1953 he was sent to the New York Giants for $60,000 & three minor leaguers. What a break for McCall as he ended up on a Giants team that would go on to win the World Series that season. He was used out of the bull pen in 33 games, pitching in 61 innings as he struck out...

50th Anniversary of the 1969 World Champion "Amazing Mets" John Joseph Murphy was born on July 14th, 1908 in New York City. He attended Fordham Prep. High School in the Bronx, & then moved on to Fordham University both located in the Bronx, New York. He would be forever known as "Fordham Johnny" as well as other nicknames "Fireman" & "Grandma". Murphy was a tall right handed pitcher that became one of the best relievers of his era. In 1934 he began his career as a starter, making twenty starts in 40 games, going 14-10 with a 3.12 ERA on the season. He would make spot starts throughout his career but found success in the bullpen He would pitch 12 seasons for the AL New York club, winning six World Series titles while leading the league in saves four times. In a time where it wasn't a glamorous position, Murphy was an All Star reliever earning three All Star appearances. From 1938 through 1942 he led the AL in saves all b...

  Tommy Joe Moore was born on July 7, 1948 at Lynwood, California. The five foot eleven right hander was drafted out of high school, by the New York Mets in 1967, in the 10th round. After a 3-8 season at A ball Pompano Beach in 1970, he won eleven games going 11-10 at AA Memphis in 1971. He was second on the staff to John Glass in wins, while posting a 3.20 ERA. He appeared in a few early 1970s Met yearbooks as a top pitching prospect, but he never quite made it out of the year book pages. It was tough to crack the Mets staff of the early seventies, and Moore only saw limited action at the big league level. In 1972 he was 11-5 with a 2.80 ERA at AAA Tidewater, second to only Harry Parker on the Tides staff, earning himself a September call up. He made his debut at Wrigley Field in Chicago, where he was roughed up for three runs, in three innings of work. His best career outing came on October 2nd, at Jary Park in Montreal. He started the game, pitching seven innings, allow...