Gil Hodges had no more devoted a fan than Richard Lewis.
After the Dodgers left for Los Angeles, Lewis turned to the expansion Mets for some salvation. Ultimately, those early Mets teams had playing for them not only Hodges in 1962 and ’63, but also future Hall of Famers Duke Snider and Richie Ashburn.
“I remember when the Mets came and had the worst first season of anyone, 40-120. I used to go to the games to see Gil. I was just glad to see him,” Lewis said. “I used to get I got in trouble in my junior high school because I used to cut school and go to the Mets games. It’s like I’m reliving it now and I’m getting chills. I should have been in school but I had to go.
“They were so bad, the team at that point,” he joked, “that they weren’t even wearing a complete uniform. They wore slacks and a white shirt and tie so they could leave the game as soon as it was over.”
Lewis’ only encounter with Hodges came outside the Polo Grounds – the Mets' home in 1962 and ’63. “I saw him waiting for maybe his wife to pick him up. I don’t know. I was in high school then. And I said, ‘Gil.’ It was like me yelling out a song if I’m going to a Bob Dylan concert with my wife. I would scream out a song for Bob to sing and my wife would say, ‘Everyone’s looking at you now.’ The same thing with Hodges. I went, ‘Gil.’ I think I was like a groupie.”
Brian Mulrooney, the Canadian Ronald Reagan, (given exchange rates), dies at 84
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2024 12:23 pm
by Chad ochoseis
He was nowhere near as bad as Reagan. Fundamentally decent, highly intelligent, right of center. As conservatives go, about as good as it gets.
As a bilingual Québécois who was both conservative and federalist (a rare combination...most of the Québécois right would rather give les anglais the middle finger and secede) he did a lot for keeping Quebec in the union. He almost succeeded in negotiating the Meech Lake Accords, which would have achieved formal ratification by Quebec of the Canadian constitution. It failed, largely because Pierre Trudeau spoke against it from, oddly enough, a more hard-line position than Mulroney.
Québec still hasn't ratified the constitution.
A friend of mine recently drove me by his house in Montreal. Amazing, of course, but completely unguarded. I can't imagine that happening in the States. I don't even think you could get within a block of Jimmy Carter's simple old ranch house in Georgia.
Canada is slowly following in our unfortunate footsteps, but they're not nearly as crazy as the USA.
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2024 1:01 pm
by Johnny Lunchbucket
Thanks for that, yeah my post was a bit of a a sloppy joke about a discount Reagan that I knew was gonna bomb.
What I remember most about Mulrooney was that when Tommy Greene threw a no-hitter vs the Expos, Roger McDowell afterward called Greene impersonating Mulrooney, and congratulating him.
His dad was the Cantor in the synagogue near where I lived in Queens.
Olevai Shalom.
Later
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 7:43 am
by Frayed Knot
aka: Sidney Liebowitz and Edith Gormezano, from Brooklyn and the Bronx
Prior to yesterday I would have guessed that neither was still alive.
Gorme, seven years older than Lawrence, died in 2013
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 4:06 pm
by metirish
Malachy McCourt, aged 92 ,what a life
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 5:50 pm
by Edgy MD
I met Malachy a couple of times.
He seemed to have a weird duality in that he had a bee in his bonnet about the historic show-business archetype of the "stage Irishman," but his public persona was pretty much the embodiment of The Last Great Stage Irishman.
Cliché or not, he was a funny man.
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 6:12 pm
by metirish
Yeah, I've seen him described as a "professional Irishman" ,he played it well
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 6:43 pm
by whippoorwill
Read his book and his brother’s books of course.
MalachY’s I think I liked better
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 10:29 pm
by Johnny Lunchbucket
Eric Carmen, ex-Raspberries and "All by Myself" singer. Age 74.
Tragically, he died an ignorant Trumpie.
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 11:23 pm
by Edgy MD
Judging by the cover of his 1980 album Tonight You're Mine, I'm guessing that ignorance wasn't new to Eric.
Terrific singer, but I don't know how anybody can listen to "Go All the Way" and not crack up when the bad-ass, fiery, young-guy-with-his-blood-pumping opening riff turns into the smarmiest-thing-I-ever-heard opening verse.
I hope Karl Wallinger gives him some schooling on the tour bus into the hereafter.
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 11:34 pm
by Johnny Lunchbucket
The Power Pop Cops would like to take you in for questioning.
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 5:54 am
by Marshmallowmilkshake
“Go All the Way” is an awesome crank up the volume sing along banger! I liked his two 1980s hits, too.
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 7:27 am
by Chad ochoseis
Lyndhurst, Ohio is known for two things - being the worst speed trap on the east side and being that place where Eric Carmen is from. He was still kind of a big deal in the Cleveland metro area.
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 8:21 am
by Bob Alpacadaca
Eric responded to his 1980s "Dirty Dancing" resurgence with what can be described as the poofiest 1980s hairdo in his "Make Me Lose Control" video the next year. Metal hairbands must have been envious of the sheer volume here.
Both are great songs.
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 8:29 am
by Johnny Lunchbucket
I agree "Lose Control" is a great song. That 50s thing is happening with all the 80s echo and glitz.
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 8:48 am
by whippoorwill
Raspberries songs always ALWAYS got me hankering for a certain boy in my class who now looks like Santa Claus but I still love him to death.
Too bad about Eric. Didn’t really like his post Raspberries stuff but Oh that hair!!
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 11:22 am
by Edgy MD
Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 8:29 am
I agree "Lose Control" is a great song. That 50s thing is happening with all the 80s echo and glitz.
Indeed, it takes some melodic hookz from "Spanish Harlem" and other pre-Beatles pop soul.
The Power Pop Cops can eat my dust. "Go All the Way" is hilarious.
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 4:20 pm
by ashie62
Arguably the father of Power Pop
I will remember him more as a Trump supporter which I find sad
Re: Guess who died in 2024
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 4:49 pm
by MFS62
One of the first song parodies I posted here was based on "All By Myself".
RIP