1958: This Week in Sports Vol. 9 #17

Transcript (Download)

Hello there, I'm Marty Glickman with This Week in Sports.

Big League Baseball goes west.

The Boston Marathon goes to a Yugoslav and the Stanley Cup stays in Canada.

Now it's spring for sure.

The baseball season is open.

President Eisenhower attends the curtain raiser in Washington between the Centervas and the Boston Red Sox.

Ike gets in on the act, he cuts loose the first pitch of the season and has a big time.

Then the umpire calls the meeting to order and nearly 27 ,000 capital fans enjoy themselves hugely watching their favorites beat the Red Sox.

But how sad and still by the banks of the guan, Ebbets Field, the old homestead of the Dodgers, lies dark and empty.

No happy poor lies over the polar grounds where only the ghosts of legendary heroes like Christy Matheson, Art Fletcher, Carl Hubble, Bill Terry, Mella and other Giants now wander.

But out by the Golden Gate the joint is jumping.

San Francisco welcomes the Giants with a rousing parade through the downtown streets.

It's goodbye Broadway.

Hello California.

All the Giants get a roaring greeting from the happy Westerners but they've got a special welcome for one.

You guessed it, the say hey kid Willie Mays.

23 ,500 packed the Giants new home to capacity for the opener with the Dodgers.

In a new setting, managers Bill Rigney and Walt Orson renew an old acquaintance.

And there's Mrs.

John McGraw, widow of the most famous Giant of them all.

Now the historic moment they've been awaiting.

Ruben Gomez delivers the West Coast's first major league pitch.

Gino Simoli fouls it off.

Then it's all Giants.

They route Don Drysdale of the Dodgers.

Here's Daniel Spencer making the first big league home run in California.

The Giants keep up the tattoo and load the bases.

Willie Mays comes through with a single, two run score as Charlie Neal dives and knocks it down but Willie just keeps running and he's out a mile at second base.

A great day in San Francisco.

The Giants walk all over their old rivals.

Gomez pitches a shutout and presents the new fans an eight to nothing victory.

Then to Southern California and this time the Royal Orkin is for manager Walter Austin and his Dodgers and for Walter O'Malley, Dodger owner who engineered the big league move to the coast.

Los Angeles Mayor Paulson proudly displays his prized scalp, the old home plate from Ebbets Field.

Still more parades.

Southern California fans start drifting into the gigantic Coliseum early and again the two teams are introduced to the spectators.

When the Empire finally calls play ball, the Mammoth Stadium holds 78 ,682 fans.

A record crowd for the National League, a record for a single baseball game.

Duke Snyder drives in the first Dodger run of the season with a double that bounces past Mays in the third inning.

Junior Gilliam scores it.

That's Al Worthington pitching.

Charlie Neal single sends the Dodgers ahead in the game bringing in Snyder.

First Coliseum home run.

Hank Sauer, old warhorse of the giants.

Hank finds that short left field screen inviting.

He hits two homers.

It takes a rookie to show the Dodgers the Chinese garden and left.

Dick Gray parts one there for the home team.

By the ninth inning the Dodgers are two runs ahead but Carl Erskine is laboring all the way.

The giant sparkling rookie Jim Davenport opens the night with a double off the high screen.

Now the deciding play of the game.

Willie Kirkland pulls a long drive to center.

Somoli chases it back nearly to the fence but fails to hold it and it goes for three bases.

Now watch Davenport.

See him hesitate? He knows he missed third base and starts back then decides to go onto the plate but the Dodgers spot it and his run doesn't count.

It's a costly oversight.

Mays follows with a hit to deep short which sends Kirkland home and would have tied the score but Davenport's failure to touch third saves the day for the Dodgers.

They tweak through six to five.

Both teams make their home fans happy as big league ball goes west.

An all New England custom the 62nd annual Boston Marathon.

160 runners from many nations.

From far off Israel Shalom Kalani champion of his country.

Pedro Alvarado and Pedro Peralta of Mexico.

Kelly father of last year's winner and John Junior number one with Franjo Mahalek Yugoslavian star.

Away they go but only a small minority will finish.

What makes them run? The fun of the get -together, the exercise, the publicity and every man who finishes gets a ball of beef stew.

Mahalek number two and Ino Pulkinan of Finland pacing the field together.

Sharing a drink along with the lead.

Now John Kelly Jr.

number one 1957 winner joins them and you might say they're running one two three.

Going into the last few miles Pulkinan has fallen back.

Now it appears to be between Kelly and Mahalek.

With the end near Mahalek starts to draw away from Kelly.

Now it's torture for Mahalek but he's all alone with victory.

The Yugoslav wins in two hours 20 minutes four seconds beating Kelly by five minutes with Pulkinan third.

The fifth victory in six races for the 36 year old printer his only defeat in the Olympic games.

Jamaica racetrack in New York jams in nearly 45 ,000 for one of the east most popular races the wood memorial worth about $60 ,000.

Seven colts away from a mile on the furlong test sometimes considered an indicator for the Kentucky Derby.

Nascow number two bows out first on the rail.

Jules reward number one under Eddie Arcaro stays right with him then pundit number five can smashing between them and charges into the lead.

Down the back stretch nearing the far turn pundit still setting the pace.

Jules reward has taken over second place and Arcaro drives him steadily up on pundit until he catches them around the turn.

In the stretch it's Jules reward in front apparently winning as he likes.

Suddenly an unexpected challenge New Redden ridden by James Compass makes a strong bid but Arcaro gets another burst of speed out of Jules reward and he beats New Redden by half a length with Martin's roller third.

A burst of 37 ,500 for main chance farm Arcaro's ninth victory in 34 runnings of the world.

Do or die for the Bruins and the Boston Garden they make a last stand against the champion Montreal Canadiens who need only one more victory for their third successive Stanley Cup.

14 ,000 spectators hardly settled in their seats before their delta facer Bernie jump around for Montreal after 46 seconds.

The Bruins have given the Canadiens a rugged battle all through the series fight back.

The Montreal defensemen turn the attack and the Canadiens take over.

Maurice the rockery Shaw sweeps down the rink with the puck and wraps in Montreal's second goal in the first two minutes.

Still the Bruins refuse to weaken they keep pounding at the Canadiens until Don McKenney with Doug Moans screening the shot scores just before the period ends.

Two more Montreal goals in the second period make it four to one but the Bruins go all out in the last session.

Norm Johnson slaps the puck home.

Later the Bruins get within one goal of the champions and then they really give goalie Jacques Plante a hard time.

As time is running out Boston goalie Don Simmons is called to the blue line to be replaced by an added skater.

This leaves the gate open and the Canadiens don't overlook those chances.

Doug Harvey scores the punching goal.

That's it for the Canadiens they win five to three and the excited routers from north of the border swarm onto the ice to salute their heroes the Montreal Canadiens world hockey champions for the third straight year.

Well that's it for now we'll be back again next week until then this is Marty Glickman saying so long.

Identifier

F.2012-03-0835

Date Of Production

1958

Abstract

Black and white sports newsreel from 1958 featuring the start of the baseball season. President Dwight D. Eisenhower throws the first pitch of the season in Washington as the Washington Senators beat the Boston Red Sox. Ebbets Field in New York is shut down. The New York Gothams become the San Francisco Giants as they move to the West Coast. The Giants play the Dodgers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The 62nd Boston Marathon is won by Yugoslavian Franjo Mihalic. In horse racing Jewel’s Reward ridden by Eddie Arcaro wins the Wood Memorial Stakes at Jamaica Race Course. In the Stanley Cup the Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins.

Run Time

0:12:48

Format

16mm

Extent

475 feet

Color

B&W

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Distribution Print

Genre

Sports
Magazine

Form

Newsreels

Subject

Sports
Baseball
Athletes

Related Collections

SUBSERIES II: Sports

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ Massachusetts ➜ Boston

North America ➜ United States ➜ New York ➜ New York

North America ➜ United States ➜ New York ➜ Brooklyn

North America ➜ United States ➜ California ➜ San Francisco

Distributor

Telenews (Firm)

Participants And Performers

Glickman, Marty (is commentator)

Eisenhower, Dwight (is participant)

Arcaro, Eddie (is participant)

Mihalic, Franjo (is participant)

Washington Senators (Baseball team) (is participant)

San Francisco Giants (Baseball team) (is participant)

Boston Bruins (Hockey team) (is participant)

Montreal Canadiens (Hockey team) (is participant)

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