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Pat Walsh
Pat's Peeps Podcast
Ep. 234 Today's Peep Celebrates Baseball's Opening Day! Great S.F. Giants Broadcaster News, Sharing Baseball Stories from My Time as The "Sports Guy" on KFBK, Plus Lon Simmons, Vin Scully, Bob Uecker and More, and A Great Tune from '75
Baseball's greatest broadcasters created a theater of the mind that transformed simple play-by-play into unforgettable moments etched into our collective memory. Pat Walsh shares personal encounters with broadcasting legends and explains why these voices became as much a part of baseball's magic as the players themselves.
• Special memories of Lon Simmons' iconic "Tell it goodbye!" home run calls
• The San Francisco Giants announcing team of Kuiper, Krukow, Miller and Fleming signing contract extensions
• Oakland A's broadcasts featuring Tower of Power's "What Is Hip?" as their theme song in the 70s
• The emotional story of Mike Andrews receiving standing ovations from Mets fans during the 1973 World Series
• Vin Scully's masterful storytelling, including the tale of racing Jackie Robinson on ice skates
• Personal encounters with baseball legends, including meeting Vin Scully in a press bathroom
• Behind-the-scenes moments from MLB locker rooms, including JT Snow's reunion with his father
Listen to my radio show on KFBK in Sacramento Monday through Friday from 7-10pm, available nationally and internationally on your free iHeart app.
welcome my friends to the pats peeps podcast. Welcome back for those of you who have been kind enough to drop by before. Thank, thank you so much. Happy Thursday to you. It's the 27th of March 2025, and this is Pat's Peep number 234. The 234th Peep. Hey, where'd that sunshine go? I'm looking out my studio window. It was out there yesterday and the day before and the day before. Now it's gone. It's kind of peeking through every once in a while over the beautiful foothills of Northern California. Take a look out the window. It's still a nice day, though. So how are you? Yes, like I say, it's a Thursday Today is very excited about this opening day of Major League Baseball.
Speaker 1:I look forward to this all year. As far as I'm concerned I've said it before I believe that school kids should be able I think classes school kids should be able to go to the ballparks today. Then this is their day of class, and the teams need to work with big groups of students and schools and say, hey, we're going to set this section aside for all the students and we want to give you guys tickets and get everyone in, whether it's at discounted prices or free or whatever. But I just think you know, hang that red, white and blue bunting. By the way, today this Pat's Peeps episode 234, very special Red, white and blue bunting all over my desk. Okay, it's the most beautiful red, white and blue bunting you've ever seen decorating the Pat's Peeps desk today. Let that run through the theater of your mind. So I get up. I'm all excited about this, and last night we did our baseball prediction show with Greg Perry, we did Beyond the Humidor, robin the Interrupter, with Billy Bones, the web slinger, and with Joe Michaels, our great editor and reporter there at KFBK. By the way, I'm Pat Walsh. I'm also the host of the Pat Walsh Show, as heard on KFBK in Sacramento and nationally and internationally on your free iHeart app 7 to 10, monday through Friday.
Speaker 1:And boy, last night, speaking of baseball, I got so many things on my mind today, baseball related First of all. I'll be doing my show live from a top secret spot tonight, from some kind of bunker. I don't even know where it is, right, I don't even know Somewhere in Sacramento. I think I'm kidding, I'm not. I don't even know why they're keeping it so secret, but I'll be doing my show live from a remote location tonight, somewhere. Last night was awesome, though, on our baseball prediction show I had Curt Schilling on. I had Curt Schilling on for 45 minutes. We could have had him on the entire hour. Man, we just kind of hit it off man. We had the best conversation. It was like we'd known each other forever. We got to talk about so many things and I mean just a great guest. So I really want to say thank you to Kurt Schilling, who, in my opinion, should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. It's ridiculous that he is not. They should have that bloody sock in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Thank you, I'm gonna try to get him back on my podcast, you know, because last night he goes hey, you call me anytime. I had fun, so let's do it again. So maybe I get him on my podcast.
Speaker 1:So I just kind of I thought today. So I wake up, I turn the TV on because I can't wait to see a ball game. I don't even care who it is Like, I don't even care if it's the dreaded Yankees. Sorry, yankee fans, fans, I love you, my, my beautiful sister, michelle, who's a Yankee fan. But and then, sure enough, I turned the TV on. I said, you know, and then, oh my god, if it's not the Yankees, it's gonna be the Giants. Sorry, giants fans, I love you too. Listen, I just love baseball. It's what makes the. I love you know, I love all of the fans, whoever you're rooting for as long as we love baseball. And so I turned the TV on. What do I get first off? Totally excited about it, though, the Yankees and the Brewers. So, yeah, it starts with the Yankees, right there, yankee Stadium. Thank you.
Speaker 1:I loved the scene where Aaron Judge from Stockton went out and handed the kid the baseball and just made that little kid just that. He was overwhelmed. He was just so emotional when he handed him that baseball. Aaron judge, on opening day. Then the young man who caught the baseball on the home run on the opening home run I forgot who hit it. Now all of a sudden, uh, but uh, but anyhow. So the Yankees and the Brewers already interleague. Not big on the interleague stuff, but that was the first game I saw.
Speaker 1:Now I'm watching the National League game, which is, of course, the Giants. The Giants are playing their home opener and they're playing the Cincinnati Reds, a very young team. I think they're going to be a lively team. I almost picked them in the prediction show last night. The only reason I didn't go with the Reds, who I think could surprise in that division. Sorry to get so deep into sports today. I'm just excited, sorry, I won't keep doing it like that, but I won't keep getting deep into it, I promise all right, but the Reds are a young team. I'm just not so sure about their pitching, but I think they're going to be. I think they are an up-and-coming team and they may play. Right now they're up three to two, so we'll see where this, you know where this thing ends up.
Speaker 1:Let me turn it up just for a split second. I'm not supposed to. Here we go Just for a split second. Here you can hear in the background. You know, buster Posey is now the president of baseball operations in San Francisco and it's his birthday. Oh, hold up now. What is this? Is this his 38th birthday? Is that right? Yeah, buster Posey's 38 today.
Speaker 1:Now, listen real quick, just for a second. Okay, I'm not supposed to play any of that, so I'm just going to lay off of that. I just wanted you to get an idea right there. They're talking about Buster Posey, so he's now in charge there with the Giants. I mean for a guy. Could that guy's career gone any better? When he went three World Series he was like the World Series MVP. He was an MVP maybe more than once. I think twice. I may have my numbers wrong. It's just off the top of my head, but you know, as we're listening to him, I want to say this and yeah, I am straight up Dodger fan. But when I hear that I'm going to start off right there with the Giants announcers. I love this news Just reported days ago the San Francisco Giants announcers Dwayne Kuyper, mike Krukow, dave Fleming, john Miller reaching off-season contract extensions.
Speaker 1:That's fantastic news. Talking about one of Major League Baseball's most well-regarded announcing teams is staying put. Giants announcers Dwayne Kuyper, mike Kruko like I said, fleming and Miller signing those extensions in the offseason their beloved broadcasting team and that's coming again from the. You know a fan of the arch-enemy Dodgers, but this quartet they have been the main announcers for the Giants for over two decades Now. You have Kruko and you have Kuyper. They handle most of the TV. You know play-by-play and youplay and TV duties. You get John Miller and you get Fleming working mostly on the radio side and if you look at that partnership between Kruko and Kuyper, they started calling games for the Giants, back in 86 and then in 90 respectively, and this is the season after their playing careers ended.
Speaker 1:Think about that your season, your career comes to an end as a player. Boom. Next thing you're just going to be an announcer. It's not easy to be an announcer. I mean, quite frankly, that's difficult. You know, in baseball, which is probably my favorite sport, there are times and I'll get to this more speaking of announcers in just a little bit but there are times, you know, you've got to fill the gaps.
Speaker 1:Ball one beautiful, quiet day. That's the thing about baseball and the radio for me. I don't care that it's not off the right side. There's the the. Now, I don't care that's not off the right side, there's the pass. I don't care about that. I love the serenity, the peacefulness of you kind of hear the organist, some people in the background. There's ball one. It's kind of peaceful, you know, and he starts talking. You, jones came up from AAA, blah, blah, blah, blah, throwing a couple of antidotes. There's the pitch, it's just. I love it on the radio and so.
Speaker 1:But there's a technique and it takes a lot of time seasoning to become a good broadcaster, so to come right out of your playing career, like these two gentlemen did, and to be as good as they are Now. To me it also also because they're a little bit different. They're kind of um, they're just different. They've got a really good sense of humor, you know. They mix it up well. They make observations about the you know a lot of the, the fans and the stands. Again, I think they have their own style and I think some of that is because of the fact that perhaps they were not long-time announcers coming up to the ranks, coming up to AA and AAA and then finally into the major leagues, where you have this very professional voice which they do.
Speaker 1:Don't get me wrong, that's not what I'm saying. I don't know. I just think it's lighthearted sometimes and I like that, but it's good news. Lighthearted sometimes and I like that, but it's good news. You know, aside from the 93 season when Kuyper worked as announcer for the Rockies, you know they've been paired together since then. You know Miller, the 2010 Ford C Frick Award winner. He started calling games for the Giants in 97, which is a year that I'll talk about in a moment. I want to share a couple of stories. Then Fleming's worked with the team since 03. And I did want to mention this, and this is part of the reason that this is such incredibly good news. I'm sure that many of you know this, if you're Giants fans or if you're baseball fans.
Speaker 1:Krukow suffers from inclusion body myositis. I hope I said that correctly. Essentially, it prevents him from making road trips with the team, and so that's a little tweak. They had apparently, according to Kruko, that they did on his contract that he's pleased with, but still that's kind of tough. You know, you want to be on the road with your partner watching the ball game, you want to be stuck in front of a monitor or wherever they have them set up. But, as MLB has added more exclusive national broadcasts that take Kruko off the NBC Sports Bay Area airwaves, they say that his new deal allows him to shift to the radio team on KNBR for games, which means that Kruko is going to call all 81 home games this season, in addition to 23 away games from the television station San Francisco Studio, and then Kipe will be out there on the road doing the road games from the stadium. So to me that's fantastic news and I'm so glad that he's able to do that. It's a great, great update.
Speaker 1:Now, of course, we're going to celebrate the A's tonight as they begin their run in Sacramento for the next three years. We're kind of. Who was it? Yesterday, I think Deb said she feels like Sacramento are the A's foster parents, which is pretty. You know, it's probably very true. Until then they moved to Las Vegas, which in my estimation, is just a real shame for the A's fans. You know it's just a shame. You know they lose the Raiders, they lose the A's, they lose the Warriors. There's no teams left in Oakland. What they lost their uh, didn't they lose their were the Bay Area Bombers. And before I say that their roller derby team was at the Bay Area Bombers, and before I say that their roller derby team was that the Bay Area Bombers, were they San Francisco or were they Oakland? I can't remember. I remember the Genie West, I remember the Bay Area Bombers. I don't know why. That just popped into my mind Before I jump to the A's, though I do want to.
Speaker 1:Just speaking of the Giants announcers, I kind of want to finish that thought that growing up in Sacramento and I've mentioned this before but I'll mention it again because there's a couple stories I haven't told but excuse me, get a drink of water there. But even as a Dodger fan, I'll say this forever that Lon Simmons, who was the Giants announcer, san Francisco Giants announcer I loved that dude man. I loved that guy. I loved listening to Lon Simmons man. He just had this voice. He had a big, deep voice, lon Simmons' voice. I'll give you a couple of examples of Lon Simmons, and I'm even going to include a football example, but I'm going to start with baseball. Lon Simmons here he is calling Willie Mays' 600th home run.
Speaker 3:Mays, the batter with punt at first. Here's the pitch to Willie Swung on hit deep to left. That one is way back, way back, way back. Tell it goodbye. Number 600 for Willie Mays.
Speaker 1:That was his thing. Tell it goodbye. Tell it goodbye. If I were a Giants fan, god forbid, I Sorry. That's why I have to Sorry. That choked me up. I'd have a shirt that said tell it goodbye.
Speaker 3:And the bye-bye. Baby bonanza and the Giants come to home plate. The greeting number 600 for May.
Speaker 1:Actually, bye-bye baby would be the shirt I would have. This is September 22nd 1969. Ksfo Radio. Sorry to interrupt.
Speaker 3:He's mobbed at home plate.
Speaker 1:Lon Simmons here he is, right here. This is the 89 World Series. Speaking of the A's, here he is. Lon Simmons A's sweep the Giants.
Speaker 3:Swung on bounce off McGuire's glove. Phillips has it Flows accurately, he's got him. Another great play by Tony Phillips and the A's have won the World Series in a sweep.
Speaker 1:Just, lon Simmons is just so. His voice is so exciting and thrilling and passionate. One of my favorite calls ever and again, this is from a Rams diehard, just like I'm a Dodger diehard man but one of my favorite calls ever, which means the 49ers are my arch enemies in football, but God, one of the best calls ever. Lon Simmons calling 49er quarterback Steve Young and his run versus the Minnesota Vikings. To me, when you listen to this call, I always felt like it was like Lon Simmons was somehow running next to Steve Young with a microphone because he's exhausted.
Speaker 3:He's just so exhausted, it's so cool so the 49ers, with 314 remaining, trailing 21 to 17, they have to get to the end zone. Young, back to throw in trouble. He's going to be sacked. No, gets away, he runs. Gets away again. Goes to the 40. Gets away again. Goes to the 40, gets away again.
Speaker 5:That's a 35,. That's back at the 30, to the 20, the 50, the 10.
Speaker 1:He dies. A sound 49er. It's as good as it ever was. It's as good as it ever was. It's as good as it ever was. Man, I love that Fantastic.
Speaker 1:I have a great memory. I've shared many, many, many times with people. I've shared it on my radio show. I people, I've shared it on my radio show. I'm sure I've shared it right here on the podcast, but these are just things that are coming to me.
Speaker 1:Lon Simmons, I was playing hoops. You know, being from Elk Grove, I was out shooting hoops in my driveway one day, middle of summer, and I'm going to listen. The thing I remember about it is John the Count Montefusco was pitching for San Francisco against my Dodgers and I did not like John the Count Montefusco. He was a braggart and he was just a kind of cocky, and so, anyhow, I'm listening to the game that day. And, lon Simmons, there used to be a thing do you remember western airlines? They're no longer in existence. Remember, there used to be that, the commercial, a tv commercial. It was an animated tv commercial and it was some kind of a bird and he was like sipping on a martini or something. And he would. He was sitting on the back of an airplane. It was a western airline jet and he would go and in my head I can remember western airlines, the only way to fly. Let me see if I'm close, oh pizza, bravissimo.
Speaker 1:Western airlines, the only way to fly, hey hey, I haven't seen that literally since the 70s. I had, I still had that one down, oh my god, anyhow. So during, like I said earlier, during a you know, baseball, sometimes you gotta fill, you gotta fill, and so and again I know many of you probably already heard this, but for those of you have not lon simmons is calling a game and he's like this. He says, uh, there's a pitch high and outside, that's ball. Two by the way, western airlines now with non-stop flights to hawaii and there's a pause. And then you hear the paper here well, hell, I hope so I'm not shooting hoops.
Speaker 1:I started laughing. That one little bit, that one little lie. Well, hell, I hell, I hope so. That has made me laugh for years. And the day that Pac Bell Park opened I got in the elevator, the press elevator, to go up to the press box and I was the last one to squeeze in the elevator. And there's all these people in there and I squeeze in and my back is turned and the elevator doors closed right in front of me and I hear the guy behind me say, oh, you just made it, young man, and I go, lon Simmons it was Lon Simmons, right behind me. We got out of the elevator. I told him that story and he got a good laugh at it, because I have no recollection of that he said obviously, but he loved the story and he was just so happy that he could make me laugh, and he did.
Speaker 1:I hope you don't mind this I'm going to do today here on Pat's Peeps 234. Thank you, thank you, thank you for listening today. I greatly appreciate it. You know, all these years I had as the sports guy, I have a lot of stories that I can share. I mean, mean, I probably don't even have half of them here, but I just, if you don't mind, I'll do that.
Speaker 1:So let's go now to the A's, okay, the Oakland A's, and I know that our friend, darlene, with a Y, is from Oakland. Hi, darlene, I know you're listening to me. Love you. She's a sweetheart man. You'd be a lucky person if you ever have a good friend as close as Darlene is to me. She's just a sweetheart, do anything for you. She loves Monty Moore and I remember watching Monty Moore Also Monty Moore growing up calling those games the great Monty Moore and he would call games with Jim Simpson at times. Watch, I'll play some of that and I remember how the Oakland A's broadcast would start. If you're an A's fan and you go back to those early years, the World Series years 72, 73, 74. And if you watched the Oakland A's, they had this song. You know what they did. You know what they started the broadcast with A little East Bay Grease. That's Peeps 234 Tower of Power baby From Oakland, california and Sacramento, by the way. So you want to jump out your trick bag.
Speaker 6:And ease on into hip bag, but you ain't just exactly sure what's hip.
Speaker 1:What is hip? Yeah, this would be like their theme song. They'd show Oakland A's baseball. I can't remember what station. It was KTVU, I don't really remember. I can't remember the station. It's back when we only had three stations and then UHF Oakland A's baseball brought to you by whatever it is. Here's your announcer, Monty Moore. Then Monty Moore would come on 1973 World Series, Game 4, A's Mets Jim Simpson, Monty Moore, Bert.
Speaker 3:Campanera is the A's shortstop. He hit .250 for the year, sold 34 bases. He is one of five players to have five hits in the World Series. The pitch to him swing and a foul strike. One Campanera is trying to go to right field on the very first pitch of the ball game. Fouled it away. No player has more than five hits in the series but Harrelson, jones and Milner of the Mets have five each. Campanera's and Rudy a five for the A Matlack's pitch butted hard to the first baseman. Milner, who missed tagging Campanaris in a game earlier this year, tagged him this time he could have gone to the bag and beaten him, but he wanted to put the tag on him and he did just that In a game out in Oakland. Campy butted to Milner and about 20 feet from the bag, slid under Milner's tag, got up and scampered the great Joe Rudy. Wow, joe Rudy.
Speaker 1:Love that guy.
Speaker 3:Had that long hair.
Speaker 1:I can still remember Rudy making that catch.
Speaker 3:A couple of catches up against the wall in that series. They said his fastball from the belt down is very, very well placed. Most of the time Rudy lays the bat on his right shoulder. The curveball is in there A little low for a ball. It's one ball and one strike.
Speaker 1:We'll see what happens with Rudy.
Speaker 3:They play Rudy pretty well straight away. If they have any defensive shift on at all, it is by Hahn and center field, and he has shaded just a bit.
Speaker 1:Of course I don't have the rights to this.
Speaker 3:I'm just trying to educate, whatever I've got to say.
Speaker 1:You know, as I'm listening to this, there was a moment that someone would say arguably one of the greatest moments in World Series history, which occurred in this, when the A's reserve infielder, Mike Andrews, came to bat. Now, if you recall Mike Andrews, he'd been pretty worked over there by the A's owner, Charlie Finley Screwed, you might say by Finley, who was a very colorful owner of the Oakland A's Charlie O the mule, the little jackrabbit, used to pop up out of the hole and he'd have a basket full of baseballs for the umpire and so many other things. He actually wanted to use fluorescent baseballs to see the baseball better. It gave everyone nicknames. Anyhow, he was the A's owner. He was also instrumental in MC Hammer and his career, but Andrews was reinstated to the team by the commissioner Bowie Kuhn at the time and so he was.
Speaker 1:Incredibly, it was very moving to see these two standing ovations he was given by the 54,000 Mets fans at Shea Stadium. Think about that Two standing ovations for Mike Andrews, for the A's. Okay, at Shea during a World Series you got 54,000 New York Met fans giving him two standing ovations and Finley's BS, some people would say, also led to Dick Williams, who was the manager of the A's at the time to his resignation at the end of the series and mark the beginning of the end for the swinging A's. So let's see, if we can find that in here, let's go to. Let's see, if we can find that in here, let's go to. Let's see if we can find this. Bear with me, Let me see, Try to find that moment. All right, let's work it right about here.
Speaker 3:He was off and running but the ball was hit to short left field and Rudy picked up and fired a perfect strike into Fossey and Rudy was out. No runs, two hits, no errors and seven innings at 6-1 New York, all right here we go.
Speaker 1:This should be it right here. I mean, this is pretty amazing when you really think about it.
Speaker 3:The offense gets to the open A's and the JC and fans are giving him a chanting ovation and he's wearing an open-A's uniform. For those of you who may not be aware, wherever you are listening in the world, it was Mike Andrews who signed that medical report that a media chronic arm trouble was sent home. The A's tried to get someone else to take his place. Commissioner Boykin said no, sir, and you've got to reinstate Mike Andrews. He missed last night's game. He's here tonight because of much publicity across the country the options of nearly every newspaper man here in New York and he's going to bat 0 for 2 in the series. Matlock throws him a fastball and he fouls it down the right field line. It'll make it back into the seats by about a dozen rows. Strike one to Mike Andrews. Well, I can't recall many stories like this in baseball in the series. As to Mike Andrews, strike one to him.
Speaker 3:Right-handed batter, big, tall, strong man Played for Dick Williams on the 67 Red Sox team. Hard Wow, dugout, wow. 54,800 plus fans here at Chase Stadium to give Mike Andrews a standing ovation.
Speaker 1:That is, so that is awesome.
Speaker 3:And in the on-deck circle.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is really good stuff. I would be remiss if I did not, when I'm talking about announcers, discuss my favorite announcer, the late great Vin Scully of the Dodgers, the great Vin Scully, who I will tell you this story. I'm at the opening game, major League Baseball. I don't know if it was opening game. I take that back. It was a game between the Dodgers and it might have been the last game at Candlestick, which, by the way just a point of reference Dodgers won the last game at Candlestick against the Giants. I was the last fan in the stands and the Dodgers won the home opener at Pac-Bell against the Giants. I was the last fan in the stands. I was doing my sports. The game ended, they started to open up the fence in the outfield so that they could bring in the goalposts and everything for that weekend's 49er game. It was interesting to see that. That's the only time I'd ever seen that and I had to do another sportscast. So the game ended.
Speaker 1:Let's say gosh, I can't exactly remember like maybe 4.30 or 4.15. It was a one o'clock start or whatever, and I was doing my sports live from Candlestick, because it was the last game there and you're not supposed to wear any gear of any team. When you go cover a ball game, no matter what the sport is, you can't wear gear. You can't support a team, you have to be neutral. So in my bag, in my duffel bag, you know, I had my Dodgers jersey. I have my Dodger blue baseball gloves. Sorry, giants fans, sorry, but it's true. And I waited till the stadium emptied. Now I'm still sitting up there in the stands. I thought for sure someone was going to come out and go. Hey, you got to get out of here, man.
Speaker 1:But I waited till it emptied and there was no one left. So now it's like 4.50. Everyone had already been out of the stadium. Maybe it was even 5.20. Everyone was just vacant. So did my sports cast, put on my Dodger jersey, my Dodger hat I'm sorry, giants fans again, I love you my Dodger blue glove Did my sports cast and as I was finishing it up, I stood up and went Go Dodgers, last one out, turn the lights off, put my stuff back in the bag, switch back into my civvies and headed out, by the way, my mother's ashes.
Speaker 1:I always told her she'd have the best place. If the Dodgers ever found this out, it probably would be banned. Her ashes are right behind home plate, right behind on the warning track, right behind home plate, right behind on the warning track, right behind home plate, right before the fence, right behind where it says LA. I secretly, secretly, was able to put her ashes right there so she would have the best seat in the house. I promised that to her. So every time I watch a game I think about that. Let's see what else. Oh God, I have so many things.
Speaker 1:I don't want to make this too long, but so one time, 1987,. Let's go back to, no, yes, 1987, I'm in Butte College and I'm in sports production and there's this guy, jerry Fall. So I'm behind the scenes at that time. I'm not in front of the camera, I'm not broadcasting, I'm a camera guy, I'm just kind of learning what I've been doing. I've been doing this for about two and a half years, something like that. And so I'm running camera and I've got the microphone with the mic flag on it and everything, and we go to see the Oakland A's and the Toronto Blue Jays. This is during a time when the Celtics and the Lakers are playing in the NBA finals, back in their heyday. And so I happened to be wearing that night because, again, you're not supposed to wear any gear that is the team's gear that you're going to cover. So we had credentials. We had media credentials, media credentials. So Jerry Fall, who was an announcer, and I decided we're going to go down there, as we are in college and we're going to shoot a piece. We're going to go shoot this piece at the game so we can really build our portfolio. But so I'm wearing a Celtics jacket okay, because I'm a Celtics fan now. But think about that. This is one of those 1980s green satin Celtics jacket and this where it says Celtics, across the front the letters are white and the trim is in yellow, very similar to an A's jacket. All right, so we're in the game. It's a tie game.
Speaker 1:Now it goes into extra innings, god's honest truth. So, at least to best of my recollection, recollection, dear Lord and Jerry says, hey, look, you know the speed gun that they clock the pitchers with. Jerry says hey look, no one's manning the speed gun down there. You know we should go down there and we should grab the speed gun and clock the pitcher. See if we can, you know, clock the pitcher and do that. So we go down there and, sure enough, we pick up the speed gun and we're clocking the pitcher. I couldn't believe we were doing this. We were getting away with it. No one said anything.
Speaker 1:Up to bat steps Dave Kingman. Now we're kind of by. I don't want to call it the backstop, but it's right there at the back of the warning track and we're sitting right along the fence with the speed gun. Dave Kingman, who has played with all kinds of teams. He's playing for the A's at this time in Oakland. He steps up there.
Speaker 1:We're looking right behind Dave Kingman. There's the pitch, kingman, who could hammer. He just drills this home run. That's back deep into left field and there's that little cement area back there. I don't know what you would call that, but there's a little cement area over the left field fence. He hammered it for a walk-off and when he hammered it there were two dudes come out of the dugout to my right for the Toronto Blue Jays dugout and it was George Bell and Jesse Barfield from Toronto, and they were pissed. Jesse Barfield from Toronto, and they were pissed. And George Bell I'm thinking of that throw.
Speaker 1:He comes out and he picks up this metal folding chair and he just takes it wham, and he hits the wall right next to my head. I mean, this dude almost cleaned my clock. I would have been on the national news. This guy, he and Jerry Jerry, the guy. He's like hey, don't say nothing, don't say nothing. I'm like I'm not going to say nothing, but the guy almost killed me. I'm not going to say anything, but I never forget that he smashed that chair right next to my head. I don't think he meant to scare me with it or anything.
Speaker 1:So, anyhow, as we're leaving this game this night, we go out this media entrance and as we come out the media entrance, there are A's fans out there and they're waiting to get autographs. They're hoping that because this is apparently the place where the A's players come out, after they're showered up and everything. They come out this exit. So Jerry says to me. He goes hey, pat, do me a favor, would you? Because he's got the mic flag in his hand with the microphone. He goes do me a favor, just play along with what happens here. I go, sure, whatever. And we walk out the back and he goes. He asks me a question Because again I'm wearing this Celtics jacket. Now people are looking at us.
Speaker 1:We come through these doors, here's this crowd of fans. He asked me a question. I start answering whatever question, like we're on TV, and all these fans start handing me baseballs and gloves and hats and pins and I'm signing. I'm signing baseballs Pat Walsh, Pat Walsh, hats, pat Walsh. To this day I wonder who those A's fans were If they're looking at their stuff going hey, hey, bob, you know who's Pat Walsh. I remember this dude. When was this guy on the team? I had no recollection of this guy. God, that was a fun. That was a fun little memory. So I don't go on too long too terribly long here. Here is my favorite announcer, vince Scully, sharing an incredibly cool story about Jackie Robinson and ice skating.
Speaker 2:Did I ever tell you about the time Jackie and I raced each other on ice skates? No well, I'm not going to tell you now, but that's going to be hit into right field. If you're on the run, kicks it off One away. So Connor Gillaspie, an out to right, right and Barry Zito coming out. What happened was Rachel and Jackie and I were going up to a resort in the Catskill Mountains a long, long time ago. Being a kid from the east, I had ice skates. Jackie and Rachel said oh, you're going to go skating. I said, yeah, they said we'll go with you. Oh, I said that skates. Jackie and Rachel said oh, you're going to go skating. I said, yeah, they said we'll go with you. Oh, I said that's great.
Speaker 2:Now the only problem was Rachel was about seven months pregnant. Sure enough, she got ice skates. Now Jackie is putting his skates on alongside of me in the dressing room and he said when we get out there, I'd like to race you. Now Jackie is putting his skates on alongside of me in the dressing room and he said when we get out there, I'd like to race you. I said, jack, I didn't know you ice skated. You're from Southern California. I knew football and baseball. But I didn't know, ice skating Squirts down to Gordon Two out. I said I didn't know you, I skated.
Speaker 2:And Jackie said I've never been on skates in my life. I started to laugh. I said hey, jack, come on, let's face it. I mean I'm not a great skater but I can skate. He said I know. But I said I want to race you Because that's how I'm going to race you. And I said I'm not a great skater. I'm not a great skater but I can skate. He said I know, but I said I want to race you because that's how I'm going to learn. And if you've never been on ice skates and you put skates on, the first thing you do is walk on your ankles. And sure enough, he was running on his ankles on the ice trying to beat me.
Speaker 2:But what was as memorable and scarier was Rachel. She was on the ice with a girl whose name, I believe, was Maureen Miller, an Olympic skating star, and there was Rachel, seven, eight months pregnant, kind of mincing around on her ice skates. I was at my heart and my throat. But anyway, there aren't very many people who can say, oh sure, I'm not going to be a skates. I was at my heart and my throat. But anyway, there aren't very many people who can say oh sure, I raced Jackie Robinson on ice.
Speaker 1:Vin Scully, and I meant to say I started to tell you the story as I was listening to Vin spin that tail there. Boy, he could weave a tail, couldn't he? I started to tell you that, being my favorite announcer, I was at a game at Dodgers Giants and I go into the restroom between innings. I have to use the press restroom. Well, I have to use the restroom. So I guess they've got a restroom in the press box.
Speaker 1:So I go into the restroom there doing my business there at the Royal Sloan Valve Company flushable urinal. Every man should know that Royal Sloan Valve Company USA because it's at the top of that urinal. Do not veer your eyes to the left or to the right. Stare at that at all times. I go in there, I'm doing my business. There's no one else in there. The door opens and who walks in and stands next to me at the urinal to my left? None of the great Vince Scully who? I wait, it occurred to me like I always wanted to meet Vince Scully, I just I never thought it would be next to him at the urinal. So when I get to the sink to wash up and I'm drying off, he finishes his business and he comes back there to wash up, and I shared a laugh and I said and I told him that I said Mr Scully, my God, I can't even believe it. I never thought this of all places, if I ever had the opportunity to meet you, it would be at the urinal, in the bathroom. And he started laughing and shook my hand both clean hands, by the way, very important part of the story and boy that that just made my day.
Speaker 1:Another thing that made my day I was at the All-Star Game in 2010, and John Miller, who's again one of the Giants announcers, came up to the table. Who was I sitting with at the table? I don't know, oh my gosh, who was I sitting with? I can't remember who I was sitting with. Oh, it must have been another. I can't really remember Tony DeFrancesco, someone the manager of the Rivercats? I don't, no, I can't remember. Whoever it was, it doesn't matter, but John Miller comes over and he did the best. Vince Scully impersonation. I'll tell you that you ever heard he had everyone in stitches. Speaking of having everyone in stitches, I mentioned the Brewers and the Yankees. It was the first game I saw. Today Certainly want to remember. On this day, we just lost Bob Euchre, one of the funniest guys ever from baseball you know, one of the best things about being an ex-big leaguer is getting pre-tees to the game. Call the front office bingo. Funniest guys ever from baseball.
Speaker 3:Beer from Miller Everything you always wanted in a beer, and less.
Speaker 4:Good seats. Eh, buddy, he missed the tag. He missed the tag.
Speaker 1:Just a little outside. Sorry, the audio that's some old audio, some old stuff, vintage stuff, so the audio might be kind of low on that. You know, I could go on and on with all these stories. I know that Mark McGuire 98, he and Sosa having this big battle with home runs, watching the Cardinals on a Tuesday afternoon, beautiful day, Candlestick, playing the Giants I don't really remember who won the game, necessarily. I remember, though, that they walked Mark McGuire intentionally three times After the game. We're standing by his locker. He's the big story. He's the story. So we're all standing by his locker. Everyone else on the Cardinals is basically all showered up and dressed, not McGuire. He tries to wait us out. Apparently we didn't know it at the time. He finally comes out, and I can see it today. He comes out in his towel around his waist, around from the shower. We're standing out there by his locker and I can hear his voice oh come on, guys, come on. Like he wanted to wait us out, but we were still there, come on. And they were asking him questions. And what about being walked three times a day? That's baseball, guys, that's baseball. He was just so annoyed and I thought geez, you know, you're the talk of the world. You and Sammy are basically saving a game after a strike, and you're very. He was, and I love Mark McGuire, but he was very seemingly not happy to have all the attention or something.
Speaker 1:1997, florida Marlins win the World Series before their fire sale, but they defeat the Giants in the ALCS at Candlestick. I got a buddy there now a former buddy, because of politics, because apparently he's a political guy. I didn't even realize that. Oh well, any, anyhow, it doesn't matter, it's another story someday. And I take him to the game. I have again credentials. I always have credentials for my friends. I would take.
Speaker 1:We go into the, the, the, the Marlins defeat the Giants. We go into the Marlins locker room afterwards and here's Jimmy Leland, the manager of the Marlins. He's going to the World Series. He's puffing a big old cigar. He too has the towel around his waist. I'll never forget that no shirt on. He's puffing a cigar and they're uncorking champagne. And I'm looking at my friend going dude, can you believe we're in here right now? I mean, can you believe this? It's so great, unbelievable. And Jimmy Leland looks at us how you doing, boys, it's a great night, isn't it? Yes, sir, it's a great night, how you doing there, boys. That's a memory.
Speaker 1:And then we go over to the Giants locker room, very somber, and here's my memory, as I remember JT Snow. And I told JT Snow a couple of years ago now keep in mind, this was 97 but I told him a couple of years ago on my radio show about this moment and he he paused like what, what? Wow? I said you know, I saw you and Jack Snow was his dad and I'm being as a huge Rams fan, jack Snow was a wide receiver with Roman Gabriel as a quarterback for the Rams when I was a kid and out of Notre Dame, and his dad is Jack Snow. Well, I don't know the backstory, but apparently they hadn't talked for several years, for whatever reason. After that game I'm standing there here, jack Snow.
Speaker 1:Jack Snow I mean JT is sitting there despondent, you know, basically just very down because the team lost and Jack walks in and they look at each other and they gave them each other this big hug, first time they'd seen each other in forever and it was this long-lasting, really cool behind the scenes thing. And I told JT that and he said, said, oh my God, he goes. Honestly, I'd forgotten all about that, but it's absolutely true. Wow See, he was blown away by that. Listen, I could go on and on.
Speaker 1:I have so many stories I could tell you about Mark McGuire. Oh, he's a steroids user, or whatever. I saw him and Ruben Sierra working out in a weight room one time when no one else was and they were pumping weights. Sometimes these guys work harder than people really understand, you know, and they attribute it all to steroid use and it was perhaps human growth hormone that which he admitted to, but they lifted a lot of weights. I do remember seeing that, and I also remember Terry Steinbach and Goose Gossage being very ticked off about women reporters in the locker room who were not doing their job and instead were watching Duke in the NCAA Finals in 1992. Gossage and Steinbach were like get out of here, do your job, get out of here. That's supposed to mean you're lounging around. We want to get dressed and get out of here. Do your job, get out of here. That's supposed to mean you're lounging around. We want to get dressed and get out of here. I was just sitting there half-naked. Happy opening day. I need to leave it at that. I'll just ramble forever. I pulled this record from my shelf today. I like this song. This is from 75. I can already tell you just because I just remember it from that year, but let me look and make sure I've got it all right Yep, 75.
Speaker 1:This band from the album Hearts written by Jerry Beckley, second single to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, remained in the top position for a week. It's a good song. I remember girls liked this song a lot, it seems in my mind. Girls liked it, teenagers.
Speaker 1:Beckley says there was really no actual and then subject of the song, the lyrics were largely inspired by the works of Jackson Brown. Beckley commented Jackson Brown has a knack and an ability to put words to music that is much more likely, much more like the LA approach to just genuine observation as opposed to simplifying it down to its bare essentials. He says I find Jackson can depress me a little bit, but only through his honesty, and it was that style of which led to a song of mine, this song which is probably more LA of my lyrics. He said, and Beckley says that the song was one of the first times that he used ain't in a song, but he says he wasn't making an effort to, he says he was just putting himself in that frame of mind and he got those kind of lyrics out of it, ain't Beckley? Jerry Beckley also says he played the 12-string guitar, overdubbed the prominent slide guitar. He had a lovely lap steel guitar that, david Lindley. God rest in peace. David Lindley had picked out. David Lindley you talk about. If you know David Lindley, or El Rayo X, talk about a talented guy. I was just listening to him the other day with Honey Nasser. Both now passed on. So talented Anyhow.
Speaker 1:This song went to number one on the US Billboard 5, easy listening. Number two on Cashbox, number one on Record World, number one on Radio and Records. Canada went to number 11, but what do they know? Our 51st state? No, I'm just kidding. I love you. Canada 1975, sister Golden Hair put it on the table. America Pats Peeps 234.
Speaker 6:This is on Warner Brothers Records well, I tried to make it Sunday, but I got so damn depressed that I set my sights on Monday and I got myself undressed. I ain't ready for the altar, but I do agree, there's times when a woman sure can be a friend of mine. Well, I keep on thinking about you, sister, golden hair surprise, and I just can't live without you. Can't you see it in my eyes? I've been one poor correspondent and I've been too too hard to find, but it doesn't mean you ain't been on the mind. Will you meet me in the end? Will you meet me in the middle? Will you meet me in the end? Will you love me just a little, just be a man to show me care? Will I try to fake it? I don't mind saying I just can't make it.
Speaker 1:This was such a big song in 75. On the record it has a stamp from the radio station.
Speaker 6:It says April 1975.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening. Happy opening day to you. Greatly appreciate the company. Have a blessed day. Remember the secret party tonight? It's not a party, it's the well I guess it is. It's the secret watch party. Go A's Go, dodgers brother. Sorry, there's the Giants too. It's not a party. It's the well I guess it is. It's the secret watch party. Go A's Go, dodgers brother. Sorry, there's the Giants too. They're still playing.
Speaker 6:See you on the radio. See you on the radio. I don't mind saying I just can't make it.
