November 24, 2015 by Andrew Baggarly
The Giants don’t have to win a World Series for Willie Mays to drop by the White House and say hello to President Obama. The Say Hey Kid had an especially memorable visit on Tuesday.
Mays was among 17 individuals on Tuesday who were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in a ceremony in the East Room. Yankees catcher Yogi Berra was a posthumous honoree. The honor has been bestowed on 11 baseball players; Ernie Banks was the last recipient, in 2013.
Mays, 84, rose from his chair and took off his Giants cap with the script G logo, and President Obama smiled as he clasped the ribbon around his neck.
The honor is presented “to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors,” according to the White House.
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“We don’t have time to list all of Willie Mays’s statistics — 660 home runs, .302 lifetime batting average,” President Obama said. “The list goes on and on. I won’t describe that miracle grab at the Polo Grounds, either — because Willie says that wasn’t even his best catch. I will say this: We have never seen an all-around, five-tool player quite like Willie before — and we haven’t seen one since. He could throw and he could field, hit for contact and for power. And, of course, he was so fast, he could barely keep a hat on his head.
“On top of that, Willie also served our country, and his quiet example while excelling on one of America’s biggest stages helped carry forward the banner of civil rights.
“A few years ago, Willie rode with me on Air Force One. I told him then what I’ll tell all of you now — it’s because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for President.”
Other honorees included Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Stephen Sondheim, violinist Itzhak Perlman and NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson.
“This is an extraordinary group,” President Obama said. “Even by the standards of Medal of Freedom winners, this is a class act. What an incredible tapestry this country is and what a great blessing to be in a nation where individuals as diverse, (from) wildly different backgrounds, can help to shape our dreams, how we live together, help define justice and freedom and love. They represent what’s best in us and we are very, very proud to welcome them today.”
The theme from E.T. played as the President went through and greeted each winner one more time.
Mays stood and applauded when Streisand was announced. Who knew he was a fan of “Funny Girl?”
Giants CEO Larry Baer congratulated Mays on the honor after it was announced Nov. 16.
“As everyone knows, Willie is a national treasure and one of the greatest players in the history of baseball,” Baer said in a statement. “I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to recognize Willie for his endless contributions to our national pastime.”

BY: NYGPS Member Andrew Baumgarten

Recently there was another great event at the Bergino Clubhouse (a fabulous place with great baseball items and a truly good man, Jay Goldberg as its owner) as the highlight of the final 2015 meeting of The New York Giants Preservation Society, which is led by another truly good and hard working man, Gary Mintz.
The guests were creative producer, director (A Century in the Bleachers) Jon Leonoudakis and the 93 years “young,” “Babe Ruth of baseball writers,” Arnold Hano. Mr. Hano’s wife of 63 years, together for 67, (Mr. Hano quipped 4 years of “spring training” preceded the marriage), Bonnie was also a great, friendly informative presence.
The night with Mr. Hano talking about his extraordinary life, having met and talked with Babe Ruth and President John F. Kennedy, being part of a United States Supreme Court decision and of course talking about baseball could have gone on all night and remained captivating. Mr. Hano is the subject of what is an extraordinary documentary produced by Mr. Leonoudakis called “A Century in the Bleachers.” It tells the Hano story as a great writer, husband and father. One of three children, Stephen whom I also met and shared memories was also in attendance. Additionally he asked his dad about interviewing the great player, Roberto Clemente one of many greats Hano interviewed while at Sport Magazine. It was pat of a rousing question and answer session in which Hano flexed “baseball muscles” that entertained and informed in spectacular fashion. Watching some of the documentary “A Century in the Bleachers,” that night and subsequently all of it, I attest to the work as a great record of Arnold Hano, who is a treasure.
Imagine being at Don Larsen’s perfect game in the pivotal 5th game of the 1956 World Series and not only dwarfing what permeates the media today, but having a beautiful, neat scorecard to match Larsen’s perfection that day. His stories are incredible including encounters with the great Giants’ pitcher Carl Hubbell about facing Babe Ruth. Continue reading →

ARNOLD HANO AND JON LEONOUDAKIS
Our final NYGPS meeting of the year took place November 12 with Arnold Hano, journalist/activist, and director Jon Leonoudakis. The evening was incredible as Mr. Hano discussed his career, both in the game, and outside the white lines. Hano’s memory for a 93 year old is better than most people my age as he rattled off specific events that occurred 75 plus years ago!! Mr. Leonoudakis spoke about directing this man’s incredible life story. We then saw a 13 minute of Hano’s story, which was followed by a 45 minute Q& A. Many thanks to both men, Arnold’s son Stephen and wife Bonnie for attending! Thanks also as always to Jay Goldberg for allowing us to use his home, the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse. Jay has some autographed copies of A Century in the Bleachers. (http://hanodoc.com/) available at http://www.bergino.com/
Jay also has great baseball gifts for all the holidays, visit his site and store!!!

NYGPS FINAL MEETING OF THE YEAR!!-NOVEMBER 12
ARNOLD HANO AND JON LEONOUDAKIS
Our final meeting of the year will take place November 12 with Arnold Hano, journalist/activist, and director Jon Leonoudakis, They will be discussing their new film, A Century in the Bleachers.
http://hanodoc.com/
From its website: Meet Arnold Hano, 93 years young, and one of the most prolific writers of the past hundred years. He’s authored 27 books, penned over 500 magazine articles and won both the Magazine Sportswriter of the Year and The Sidney Hillman prize for journalism in 1963.
His new DVD, entitled A Century in the Bleachers will be discussed with Hano and director Jon Leonoudakis. Hano’s famous book, A Day in the Bleachers is summarized here from Amazon: “From the subway ride to the ballpark, through batting practice and warm-ups, to the game-winning home run, A Day in the Bleachers describes inning by inning the strategies, heroics, and ineluctable rhythms of the opening game of the 1954 World Series. Here are the spectacular exploits of the Indians and Giants, and of a young player named Willie Mays, who made the most-talked-about catch in baseball history.
This will be an event you want to miss. I expect this to be a packed house at the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse
http://www.bergino.com/
RSVP as soon as possible.
As a bonus Hano/Leonoudakis will be back the next evening at Berginos for a partial screening of the movie.

By Dayn Perry | Baseball Writer
John McGraw’s New York Giants from 1919 through 1931 sold collective “season passes” to fans that would endow the possessor with the right to take in any of the team’s home games at the Polo Grounds. For the 1921 season, here’s what the Giants gave to such lucky rooters …

Excelsior again!
The Giants in ’21 barged to a 94-59 record, thanks in part to a high-powered offense helmed by future Hall of Famers High Pockets Kelly, Dave Bancroft and Frankie Frisch. They prevailed over the Yankees and a hobbled Babe Ruth in the World Series by a count of 5-3 (best of nine!).
It so happens that the Yankees were the tenants of the Giants and owner Charles Stoneham. They’d paid rent to play at the Polo Grounds since 1913, but once Ruth announced his presence and changed the face of baseball, McGraw saw the Yankees — who’d never won a pennant before 1921 — as a genuine threat in the New York market. So the Giants informed the Yankees that they’d be evicted following the 1922 season. By that point, though, Yankee Stadium had been built.
Mostly, though, this has been about baseball’s most resplendent season pass, which you saw above. By all means, look at it again.

UNREAL PIECE OF NY BASEBALL GIANTS AUDIO HISTORY!!
Thanks to NYGPS Members Rich Rodgers (audio) and Jessica M. (video attachment) here is the NY Giants March written by Horace Stoneham and played at the Polo Grounds. Many members and people have been mentioning this song for decades without finding it. Here it is! Enjoy!!
THE GIANTS MARCH (1947)
We’re calling all fans,
All you Giants ball fans.
Come watch the home team,
Going places ‘round the bases.
Cheer for your favorites,
Out at Coogan’s Bluff.
You’ll see those Polo Grounders,
Do their stuff!
(words by Horace Stoneham)

Today’s San Francisco Giants trace their roots back to New York, where they played from 1883 until moving to California in 1958. That first 1883 Giants team—known as the New York Gothams—wore this amazing emblem on their uniforms:
This original patch resides at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown.
While it’s certainly an incredible object to look at, it’s significant too. It could well be the first non-typographic decoration of any kind on a Major League Baseball uniform.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015 – 9:00AM TO
SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015 – 9:00PM
REMINDER:
With three World Series titles in five seasons, the San Francisco Giants are going to need more room in their trophy case.
But before the 2014 World Series trophy goes on permanent display in San Francisco, it will make a stop at the home of baseball in Cooperstown.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum hosts Giants Weekend Aug 1-Aug. 2 in Cooperstown.
The Museum will honor the 2014 San Francisco Giants with its annual World Series Weekend. Museum visitors will have the chance to relive the 2014 season and create new memories in Cooperstown, where artifacts of the Giants’ world title will be preserved forever. Many of those artifacts are on display in the Museum’s exhibit Autumn Glory, which celebrates each season’s playoff and World Series teams.
Visitors will be permitted to take pictures with the trophies.

With the Hall of Fame induction ceremony to be held tomorrow, July 26 in Cooperstown, here are the players, managers, etc. who have either starred for the Giants Franchise (Inducted as a Giant) or who experienced playing for the team in either NY or SF and was inducted into the Hall. List is from
http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/…/his…/hall_of_famers.jsp
There were some omissions and some spelling errors which I tried to correct. Feel free to comment if you see other errors.
Position Players (19) Inducted Position
Roger Bresnahan 1945 C
Orlando Cepeda 1999 1B .
Roger Connor 1976 1B .
George S. Davis 1998 SS
William Ewing 1939 C .
Frankie Frisch 1947 2B
Monte Irvin 1973 OF .
Travis Jackson 1982 SS .
George Kelly 1973 1B .
Fred Lindstrom 1976 3B
Ernie Lombardi 1986 C .
Willie Mays 1979 OF .
Willie McCovey 1986 1B .
Johnny Mize 1981 1B
James O’Rourke 1945 OF
Mel Ott 1951 OF .
Bill Terry 1954 1B .
Monte Ward 1964 SS
Ross Youngs 1972 OF

Pitchers (19) Inducted
Carl Hubbell 1947
Tim Keefe 1964
Juan Marichal 1983
Rube Marquard 1971
Christy Mathewson 1936
Joe McGinnity 1946
Amos Rusie 1977
Mickey Welch 1973
Hoyt Wilhelm 1985
Gaylord Perry 1991

Managers (1) Inducted
John McGraw 1937

Others who spent part of their career with Giants (25)
Dave Bancroft SS
Jake Beckley 1B
Dan Brouthers 1B
Jesse Burkett OF
Steve Carlton P
Gary Carter C
Leo Durocher MGR
Rich Gossage P
Burleigh Grimes P
Charles “Gabby” Hartnett C
Rogers Hornsby 2B
Waite Hoyt P
Randy Johnson P
Willie Keeler OF
Mike “King” Kelly OF/C/MGR
Bill McKechnie MGR
Joseph “Ducky” Medwick OF
Joe Morgan 2B
Edd Roush OF
Ray Schalk C
Albert “Red” Schoendienst 2B
Duke Snider OF
Warren Spahn P
Casey Stengel OF
Hack Wilson OF

Broadcasters Who Spent Part of Their Career Covering The Giants (5)
Ernie Harwell
Russ Hodges
Lindsay Nelson
Jon Miller
Lon Simmons

By Doug Miller
Baseball’s all-time greats have rightfully earned almost every conceivable honor and piece of hardware the game has to offer. On Tuesday night, a quintessential quartet of hardball heroes was feted with even more recognition.
On the grand stage of the 86th All-Star Game presented by T-Mobile at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, four former players — all Hall of Famers — were revealed as the winners of Major League Baseball’s Greatest Living Players, the result of a fan vote from April 8 to May 8.
Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, Sandy Koufax and Cincinnati’s own Johnny Bench were given the honor as part of pre-Midsummer Classic ceremony that also featured the unveiling of results for Greatest Negro Leagues Players, the game’s Greatest Pioneers and the all-time Franchise Four winners from each of the 30 big league organizations.
The highlight of Franchise Four unveiling was the final club to be revealed: the hometown Cincinnati Reds. Bench, Barry Larkin, Joe Morgan and Pete Rose were all in attendance and introduced by Thom Brennaman, the son of legendary Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman.
Rose, who has been lobbying Commissioner Rob Manfred to be reinstated after being banned from baseball in 1989 for betting on baseball, was the last to come out of the tunnel, and the all-time hits leader received a standing ovation from the Cincinnati faithful.
The Reds are one of many teams whose Franchise Four will be hotly debated, but no perhaps no team’s quartet will receive more scrutiny than the Yankees’. It was fitting for the club with the most World Series championships, and retired numbers, that its Franchise Four consisted of absolute baseball royalty: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.
Continue reading →

BARRY BONDS, WILLIE MAYS, WILLIE MCCOVEY AND BUSTER POSEY.