Our July NYGPS Meeting has been moved up to June 17, as we are proud to present Bill Madden as our guest speaker. For more than 30 years Bill has covered the Yankees and Major League Baseball for the New York Daily News. The author of several books about the Yankees, Madden is also the 2010 recipient of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s J.G. Taylor Spink Award. Here is his speech at the Hall of Fame
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6003532/v10264409/bill-madden-receives-the-2010-jg-taylor-spink-award

Mr. Madden will be discussing his new book 1954, The Year Willie Mays and the First Generation of Black. The book will be available for purchase and autographing. If you already own the book Mr. Madden will gladly sign it as well. Here is the Amazon blurb:

Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Bill Madden delivers the first major book to fully examine the 1954 baseball season, drawn largely from exclusive recent interviews with the major players themselves, including Mays and Doby as well as New York baseball legends from that era: Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford of the Yankees, Monte Irvin of the Giants, and Carl Erskine of the Dodgers. 1954 transports readers across the baseball landscape of the time—from the spring training camps in Florida and Arizona to baseball cities including New York, Baltimore, Chicago, and Cleveland—as future superstars such as Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, and others entered the leagues and continued to integrate the sport.

Weaving together the narrative of one of baseball’s greatest seasons with the racially charged events of that year, 1954 demonstrates how our national pastime—with the notable exception of the Yankees, who represented “white supremacy” in the game—was actually ahead of the curve in terms of the acceptance of black Americans, while the nation at large continued to struggle with tolerance.

Please RSVP to me ASAP and by May 31st. This should be a wonderful evening at our “home base” the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse at 67 East 11st Street in Greenwich Village at 6:30PM. Thanks as always to Jay Goldberg, the owner of this terrific baseball boutique. Any questions feel free to contact me. GO GIANTS!!!-Gary

TWENTY-EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE NY GIANTS REMAIN

From Wikipedia: Died 6 months ago but just reported

See Dee Jay Primetime’s Post

Mario Peter Picone (July 5, 1926 – October 13, 2013) [Babe] was an A…merican pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Redlegs in part of three seasons spanning 1947–1954.

Listed at 5′ 11″, 180 lb., Picone batted and threw right handed. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.

In a 13-game career, Picone posted a 0-2 record and a 6.30 ERA in 13 pitching appearances, including three starts, allowing 28 earned runs on 43 hits and 25 walks, while striking out 11 in 40 innings of work.

Two of his starting assignments accounted for the two losses on his MLB résumé. On September 27, 1952, he opened for the Giants and lasted eight innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing six runs (five earned), in a 7–3 defeat at the Polo Grounds.[1]

Then, on June 13, 1954, in his first appearance for Cincinnati, he faced his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers at Crosley Field and lasted only 4⅓ innings, giving up five earned runs, including home runs by Duke Snider and Jim Gilliam.[2] Brooklyn eventually won, 14–2.

He also spent 13 seasons in the Minor leagues, playing from 1944 through 1956 for 11 different clubs. His most productive season came in 1952, when he combined a record of 21-8 with a 2.94 for Sioux City and Minneapolis. Besides, he won 19 games in 1945 and amassed four seasons with at least 14 wins.

Overall, he went 129-98 with a 3.95 ERA in 186 pitching appearances (82 starts) over 1975.0 innings.[3]

Picone died in October 13, 2013 in Brooklyn at the age of .87. His death was reported six months later.
Continue reading →

HAPPY 83RD BIRTHDAY TO THE GREATEST EVER!!

Willie Mays turns 83 on May 6, this Tuesday!! His legacy continues to grow every year!

Shortly after my arrival into SFO Airport I went to meet Sue Peterson who does fund raising for the youth in the Bay Area.
My Sports Interest Group at Sun City Grand in Surprise, Arizona raised $940 for the cause this past holiday season.
She and I had previously spoken but never met each other.
The half hour we spent was most enjoyable and she again thanked me for my efforts.

After that meeting I was given a private tour of the new Gotham Club at ATT Park on the Suite Level by Ryann Greenberg.
She is in charge of the club and recruiting members.
The two bowling alleys, pool table, and décor with NY Giants Memorabilia is amazing. There were numerous photos I had never seen before among other things.
The 1883 Theme is all over the place including the wine glasses..

I also spent time with a big time Giants Fan and supporter Annina Puccio. She is an amazing lady and we compared collectibles.

The three games were a repeat of 1954 as we swept the Tribe !
Saturday was the ring day and the Giants gave out 30,000 1954 replicas…..Amazing piece of jewelry for sure.
Saturday Night I met the grand niece and also the nephew of James DOC Crandall, a NY Giants relief pitcher from the early 1900s
We all had a great schmooze.

Sunday I again ran into Ryann Greenberg who took me to the bullpen portion of the Gotham Club.
and then the three run walk off homer by Brandon Hicks to sweep the series.