Farewell and Adieu to Stan, Roy and Stretch

As this is a 20th century pop culture blog, today's post will pay tribute to three giants, one in comics, the second in music, the third a San Francisco Giant. We begin with Stan Lee of Marvel Comics, who passed at 95 earlier this week.



At Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog, he's one of our favorite Stans, with Laurel, Kenton, Musial and Getz.



Martin Goodman's Timely Publications, based in the McGraw-Hill Building at 330 West 42nd Street in New York City, published the first Marvel Comics, appropriately titled Marvel Comics #1, in October 1939.



Stan Lee and ace artist Jack Kirby ultimately would join forces and build Marvel Comics into a powerhouse.



They first worked together at Timely Comics in the early 1940's. Lee's first story there was Captain America Foils the Traitor's Revenge and first character was the Destroyer.



Once running his own company, Lee had the good sense to hire the best - and the best was Jack Kirby. After launching the superhero series Captain America for Timely Comics with another frequent and brilliant collaborator, Joe Simon, Kirby joined Marvel.



Together, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created The Fantastic Four, with Stan concentrating on stories and dialogue. They subsequently collaborated on many more characters and series, before Kirby left Marvel for DC Comics in 1970.



On the Jack Kirby Museum website, there are, among his numerous artworks, a selection of cover stats that Marvel Comics sent to Spanish publishers, along with the Fantastic Four covers Marvel published.



Over his lengthy and prolific career, Lee co-created countless comics and characters in collaboration with Kirby and many more stellar artists: Dick Ayers, John Buscema, Steve Ditko, Bill Everett, Don Heck and Larry Lieber. These include Spider-Man, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The X-Men, Iron Man, The Avengers, Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Hawkeye, The Silver Surfer and Black Panther, to name a few. Ditko and Lee, another stellar team, created The Amazing Spider-man.



In addition to his work with Marvel Comics, Stan Lee also hosted a wonderful series, The Comic Book Greats, featuring interviews with innovative artists.









Even the low budget animated TV shows based on Marvel characters are pretty darn wonderful. The one, the only Spiderman, helmed by former Screen Gems and Walter Lantz Studio cartoon-meisters Sid Marcus and Grant Simmons with former Disney director Clyde Geronimi in 1967? Bring it on - that's entertainment!



A cartoon directed by Ralph Bakshi on the origins of Spiderman? Yes, indeedy!



In an odd way, I find these 1967-1970 shows as entertaining as the big budget special effects and CGI-packed 21st century silver screen spectaculars.



Stan Lee continued well into the 21st century with the still ongoing series of big screen epics starring Marvel characters. Stan does cameo appearances in many of these Marvel movies.



Of the Marvel big screen spectaculars, this blogger's favorite, ands-down, is Iron Man. starring Robert Downey, Jr.



Hugh Jackman, the celebrated actor, dancer, accomplished musician and film producer from Sydney, new South wales, like Mr. Downey, has brought panache to 21st superhero lore in the X-Men movies.



Shifting from comic art and movies to the art of music, we remember the remarkable multi-instrumentalist and recording artist Roy Clark.



A fixture on such programs as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Late Night With David Letterman, as well as an entertainer who understood that music is supposed to be fun, Roy Clark passed away at 85 on November 14.



Since Roy sang "Folsom Prison Blues" in the previous clip, it's fitting that he made music with The Man In Black, Johnny Cash.



On television, Roy co-hosted Hee Haw with country-western star Buck Owens, while Glen Campbell's summer replacement show showcased such musicians as Jerry Reed and John Hartford. Both were ace country-western musicians profoundly influenced by the masters of string swing, Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian. They sound great together.



Nothing if not versatile, Roy brings a touch of Carlos Montoya flamenco flair to the steel string acoustic in this appearance with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman on The Odd Couple television series.



Jazz? No problem for Roy. Here he is with Joe Pass.



Country & western meets jazz when Roy Clark and Joe Pass play Hank Williams.



While it is no fun to write an R.I.P. Blog and we have resisted that (mostly) at Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog, the passing of Baseball Hall Of Famer Willie "Stretch" McCovey at 80 on October 31 gets us in a big way here.



This writer found myself with a lifetime membership in the order of San Francisco Giants fandom.



This is a direct result of witnessing the likes of Mr. McCovey, Willie Mays, Juan Marichal, Gaylord “The Dry Look” Perry, Jim Ray Hart, Mike McCormick, Jimmy Davenport, Bobby Bonds (Barry’s dad and the Mookie Betts of the late 1960's and early 1970's), Jack Clark, Darrell Evans, Joe Morgan, Chili Davis, Jeffrey "The Hackman" Leonard, “Will The Thrill” Clark, Kevin “Boogie Bear” Mitchell, Dave Dravecky, Rod “Shooter” Beck, "Rapid Robb" Nen, Matt Williams and Barry Bonds (and more) repeatedly do amazing things in a misbegotten, cold and windy baseball park named Candlestick many moons ago.



Mr. McCovey was not only known for his heroics on the field, but his kindness, consideration and decency off the field. Giants pitcher and longtime announcer Mike Krukow speaks eloquently for all of us here.



Thanks for making the world a better place, Stan Lee, Roy Clark and Willie McCovey.

World Champion San Francisco Giants Hoist The Flag

Since the last DEAR SPAMMERS: GO AWAY blog posting was, rather laughably, greeted with approximately 14,073 spam comments, none actually relating to a single topic, thought, word or syllable posted, ever, on Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog, might as well give up and celebrate something close to Mr. Blogmeister's heart: the ceremonial raising of the pennant flag by the 2012 World Champion San Francisco Giants. Big thanks to everyone involved with The San Francisco Giants and to Comcast Sportsnet for the following cool footage.



And triple thanks to Mr. Blogmeister's late father for taking him to hundreds of Giants games, many when the team's stars were Willie "Mr. New York and Mr. San Francisco" Mays, Willie "Stretch" McCovey, Juan "The Dominican Dandy" Marichal and Gaylord "The Dry Look" Perry.

Congrats To The 2012 San Francisco Giants!

Congratulations to the 2012 San Francisco Giants, who swept the heretofore mighty Detroit Tigers to earn their second championship in three years.



The ceremonial parade down Market Street takes place at 11:00 A.M. Pacific Standard Time.



While there are many people who don't go for professional sports in any way shape or form, IMHO, even the momentary diversion from daily life problems one's favorite team and game can provide is a wonderful thing.

Thinking about baseball, with Thursday's long overdue tribute to the Negro Leagues and Willie Mays, who passed at 93 on June 18. Foghorn Leghorn elaborates:



What animated cartoons about baseball have we not posted on this blog before? Here's one from Famous Studios.



Terrytoons had to get their two cents in, and they did just that with this opus starring Gandy Goose and Sourpuss. In the 1940's Terrytoons-Lantz-Screen Gems tradition, this one's funnier than one expects.



Any further cartoons about baseball which this blog posted more than five years ago? Yes. Posted Tex Avery's 1944 MGM cartoon BATTY BASEBALL back in 2016, so the Statute Of Limitations means we can post it again. It's on the dark side even by Avery standards and acheived a certain immortality for a quite literal interpretation of the phrase "kill the umpire."



In the "Fleischer Studio Does It Right" department, here's a cartoon we posted here back in 2018, Popeye in The Twisker Pitcher.

The Cartoon Research website covered, as part of a comprehensive piece on the insanely busy Famous Studios in the early 1960's, the very enjoyable animated adaptation of Eddie "The Old Philosopher" Lawrence's record Abner The Baseball. Here's the original record.



The cartoon is one of the best ever produced by Famous Studios in its lengthy and checkered history. Must tip our well-worn San Francisco Giants baseball cap to the frequently clever and inventive Famous Studios director/storyman Irv Spector, Eddie "The Old Philosopher" Lawrence - and all involved in creating and researching this Abner The Baseball post (Jerry Beck, assisted by Ken Layton, Mike Kazaleh and Paul Spector) on Cartoon Research.







In the opinion of this blogger, the greatest animated cartoons about baseball were the Friz Freleng masterpiece BB and GOOFY in HOW TO PLAY BASEBALL, directed by Jack Kinney

Happy 80th Birthday, Willie Mays!

The 80th birthday Willie Mays is a big deal for your correspondent, a San Francisco Giants fan since he was old enough to comprehend the sport.

Willie celebrated his 80th birthday in style, with a luncheon bash, followed by the pre-game ceremony at the opener of the weekend series between the Giants and the Colorado Rockies.





Standing beside Mr. Mays at the festivities were fellow Hall Of Famers Willie "Stretch" McCovey, Gaylord Perry and Orlando "The Baby Bull" Cepeda, as well as two gentlemen who played with Willie on The Birmingham Black Barons in the 1940's! The game that followed turned out to be a thrilling come-from-behind walkoff 4-3 victory over the formidable Rockies.



Mr. Mays is unsurpassed in baseball legend, but arguably equaled by George Herman "Babe" Ruth, who only tore up the American League with 714 dingers, 2213 RBIS and a .342 average after a career as a dominant pitcher.



There have been great hitters (Ted Williams, Barry Bonds), paragons of consistency in the excellence of their all-around game (Henry Aaron, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio), baserunning daredevils (Maury Wills, Lou Brock, Ricky Henderson) who changed the nature of baseball, guys who inspired with clutch hits, amazing throws from the warning track and sheer swagger (Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson, Roberto Clemente), but none combined all of the above quite like Willie Mays.

Willie was also known as a singularly brilliant baseball strategist, a coach on the field, often trusted by managers to relay the latest and greatest signs to his teammates from his roving outfield post. Chris Haft of MLB.com penned a superlative tribute focusing on Willie's Jedi Master or chess champion baseball mind.



Any discussion of the Say Hey Kid and Sunday sermon in the hallowed halls of the Holy Temple Of Major League Baseball, first and foremost, begins with viewing of a certain play Willie made in the far Siberian depths of center field at New York's Polo Grounds.



If that the catch and throw of the screaming line drive off the bat of the Cleveland Indians' Vic Wertz did not impress the living daylights out of you, dear reader, consider that the game-winning play took place in the freakin' 1954 World Series and emphatically took the oxygen out of the Giants' opponents.

The website of Psychotronic Paul favorite The Daily Show features an interview of The Say Hey Kid by witty comedian and rabid baseball fan Jon Stewart. Even better among the various interviews with Willie available on YouTube are the following splendid two-parter:





Thankfully, Willie, a frequent visitor to the Giants' clubhouse, got to relish the first San Francisco Giants World Series victory in 2010, take the trophy to New York, visit the elementary school he attended and share baseball lore with East Coast baseball fans, some of whom were there for the Giants' upset of the mighty 111-43 Cleveland Indians in the 1954 World Series.

In the city of San Francisco, May 6 is officially Willie Mays Day. SAY HEY!

Congratulations 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants

The 56 year wait at long last is OVER - congratulations to the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants!

Culminating a wonderful and improbable season, the San Francisco Giants clinched the championship by winning Game 5 against the mighty Texas Rangers (led by big bopper Josh Hamilton and pitching stalwart Cliff Lee - and managed by Ron Washington, well known in the Northern California as the Oakland A's third base coach/baseball guru for more than a decade) by a score of 3-1. 2010 World Series Most Valuable Player Edgar Renteria, previously one serious tormentor of the Giants as a member of the 1997 World Champion Florida Marlins and 2004 National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals, smacked a three-run homer to seal the deal.



The afterglow is sweet for long-suffering Bay Area fans, as three San Francisco Giants World Series appearances ended in heartbreak. They lost in 1962 to the New York Yankees (and specifically a superb, acrobatic play by second baseman Bobby Richardson to spear a screaming line drive by Hall Of Famer Willie McCovey), got swept a pitching-rich and powerful juggernaut of an Oakland A's team in the 1989 "Bay Bridge" series (quite literally delayed by the Loma Prieta earthquake) and were beaten in humiliating fashion after a 3-2 World Series lead by a combination of timely hitting by the California Angels and a painful Giants pitching meltdown.

And don't get us "orange and black" fans started on the years when the Giants enjoyed superb regular seasons only to either get eliminated during the regular season's final weekend (1982, 1993, 2001, 2004) or lose in the Round One of the playoffs (1971, 1987, 2003). Arguably the mightiest of all the Giants teams, the 1993 squad (103 wins, 59 losses), which featured a lineup led by Barry Bonds, Will Clark and Matt Williams, were edged out on Game 162 by the sole team with a better record in MLB, the 104-58 Atlanta Braves.

Without a doubt, this World Series victory is especially sweet for the many stellar players who have worn the Giants uniform.



To quote the article by John Schlegel regarding today's parade in San Francisco on MLB.COM

"The Giants are getting ready to party like it's 1958.

The parade route taken when the Giants were first welcomed to The City by the Bay will be used once again, this time when the World Series trophy is welcomed to City Hall.

The parade will conclude on the steps of City Hall, where Mayor Gavin Newsom will present the team with the key to the city.

The Giants clinched the first World Series title since the team moved to San Francisco in 1958 with a 3-1 victory over the Rangers on Monday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, with ace Tim Lincecum throwing eight innings and Brian Wilson -- sporting his best "Fear the Beard" facial hair -- sealing the deal in the ninth inning.

No doubt, there will be plenty of beards among the fans on the parade route -- men, women and children. Also, figure on a lot of references on signs to torture, the team's unofficial theme for the year after dozens of close games and agonizing defeats steeled their will to win into the postseason.

They'll be there by the thousands to honor the Freak and the rest of the pitching staff that took the trophy one zero at a time, to cheer Aubrey Huff and his red rally thong, to bask once more in the postseason heroics of World Series MVP Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe and Cody Ross.

Figure on an orange river flowing through the streets of San Francisco.

The last time San Francisco hosted a sports parade of this magnitude was in 1995, when the city celebrated the fifth Super Bowl title won by the 49ers of the National Football League.

This time, an unlikely mix of homegrown talent, outcasts and misfits will be honored along a parade route in downtown San Francisco, carrying a very special item the city has waited since 1958 to bring home:

The World Series trophy."

Congratulations, San Francisco Giants, 2010 National League Western Division Champions by Paul F. Etcheverry

This one's for the sweet swings of Baseball Hall Of Famers Willie "The Say Hey Kid" Mays, Willie "Stretch" McCovey, Orlando "The Baby Bull" Cepeda and early 1980's San Francisco Giant Joe Morgan, as well as the latter day sweet swings of Barry Bonds, Will Clark, Kevin Mitchell, Matt Williams, Jeff Kent and Ellis Burks.



For relief ace Stu Miller getting blown off the mound by the ill winds of Candlestick Point. For Steve Bedrosian and Rod Beck staring down the opponent a la Goose Gossage, and Robb Nen hitting triple digits on the radar gun. For left-handed relief aces Mike Jackson, Al Holland and Craig Lefferts.

For brilliant and unorthodox Hall Of Famers Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry, artistes on the mound. For John Burkett, Jack Sanford, Rick Reuschel and Kirk Reuter, who could roll out of bed and pitch 6-7 quality innings like clockwork. For the devastating sinker of Bill Swift. For Dave Dravecky, who rehabbed from cancer surgery to teach a "how to pitch in the big leagues" master class at Candlestick Park.

For Robby Thompson and Jose Uribe turning those double plays, Bobby Bonds, Brett Butler and Darren Lewis patrolling the far regions of the outfield, Willie Mays and Jack Clark throwing runners out at home plate from the warning track, Kevin Mitchell catching a ball with his bare hand.




For the baseball characters: Bob Brenly, John "The Count" Montefusco, Jeffrey "The Hacman" Leonard, Don "Caveman" Robinson and many more.

Big time congratulations to the 2010 National League Western Division champions! To paraphrase a great comedian, Jackie Gleason. . . How sweet it is!

It's April '09 - Play Ball by Paul F. Etcheverry

The major league baseball season commences today, and as one of that species known as the San Francisco Giants Fan – a punishment-loving cult after the Marquis de Sade’s own twisted heart – I have no choice but to devote a blog entry to MLB. So once a year, I do boring Giants talk, only of interest to that select but ever-masochistic breed.

I found myself with a lifetime membership in said breed by witnessing the likes of Willie Mays, Juan Marichal, Gaylord “The Dry Look” Perry, Willie McCovey, Bobby Bonds (Barry’s dad and the Alfonso Soriano of his day), Joe Morgan, Jeffrey "Hackman" Leonard, “Will The Thrill” Clark, Kevin “Boogie Bear” Mitchell, Dave Dravecky, Rod “Shooter” Beck, "Rapid Robb" Nen, Matt Williams and even the loathed but highly skilled, unbelievably focused, fierce and fiercely competitive Barry Bonds (and more) do amazing things in a misbegotten, cold and windy baseball park named Candlestick decades ago.

First and foremost, it doesn’t matter to me that the Giants sucked donkey baby makers for the last four seasons. Frankly, Scarlett, I don’t give a crap! In matters of romance and baseball, hope, even totally unsupported by evidence, springs eternal. Only in the former does it not spring quite as often as the decades march on (although, come to think of it, the equivalent of Viagra and Cialis for devotees of unrelentingly wretched major league baseball teams could definitely make big bucks for big pharma). And the Giants, ladies and gentlemen, have the 2008 Cy Young Award winner, hard-throwing mighty mite Tim "Lights Out" Lincecum. It'll be worth going out to the ol' ballpark just to see Timmy throw heat.

To address the faint but undaunted hopes of Giants’ fandom, here’s what I’d like to see in the 2009 season:

• Pablo Sandoval plays a decent third base and lives up to his nickname of "The Round Mound Of Pound".


• Left fielder Fred Lewis improves his defense and hits .290+ with some pop (90+ RBIs).


• Travis Ishikawa plays superb defense at first, proves can he hit big league pitching and slams a few dingers out o’ the joint in the process.



• The clutch-hitting, slick-fielding Edgar Renteria who personally annihilated the Giants in the 1997 and 2003 playoffs, not his over-the-hill identical twin who played so badly in 2008 that the Detroit Tigers made no effort to re-sign him, is the one we get in a Giants uniform. If the Giants end up with the latter, trade him at mid-season, move Manny Burris to shortstop and give Kevin Frandsen a shot at second base.


• Manager Bruce Bochy rests Aaron Rowand at times, whether he likes it or not. And Aaron, don't worry about hitting homers (you and most MLB hitters won't get many in the cavernous dimensions of A T & T Park), just play a solid center field and hit for average the way you did for the Phils and White Sox.


• New relief pitchers Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry do something the horrid "arson squad" bullpens of 2006-2008, with the exception of Brian "Don't Call Me Beach Boy" Wilson rarely did: actually hold a lead.


• Among the very few worthy holdovers from the ‘08 pitching staff's horrific relief crew, Sergio Romo and Merkin Valdez, return from injuries, protect leads - and kick ass doing it.


• Should the crosstown Oakland A's wuss out and trade Matt Holliday at mid-season (instead of signing him to a long-term contract), deal him to the Giants!
  


• Find Manny Mota and arrange for him to have dinner with Rich Aurilia. Since Richie's going to get plenty of chances to pinch hit with the game on the line, have the veteran Giant talk pinch-hitting strategy with the best, as long as Manny isn't working for the Dodgers.
  



• Someone teaches Barry Zito the Don Sutton variation on the "cut fastball". No straight-as-a-string fastball means 15+ wins for Barry in 2009.


• Note to Matt Cain and Barry Zito: pitch inside! Yes, that means throw at guys. A.K.A. channel the confrontational "just try and hit this, sucka" spirit of Sal "The Barber" Maglie or the fearless Bob Gibson.

• Note to position players: score some runs for Matt n' Barry this year, PUH-LEEEZ!
  

PLAY BALL!

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Barry Bonds is the Lance Armstrong of baseball. Lance Armstrong is the Barry Bonds of cycling. The Tour de France is the buck naked reality of sports competition, and has been for a long time. That's the way it is. OK, I'm a cynic - so sue me. Anything that strikes me about this story?

• Both Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron received death threats over breaking a home run record. Yes, death threats over, of all things, sports. . . Roll those words around in your mind again, death threats. What are these people thinking? These are baseball players, for cryin' out loud. What variant of pond scum (and I say that with apologies to all the nice pond scum) squanders energy and time directing death threats at professional athletes?
• Barry's homer put the Giants ahead in a game they eventually lost, due to a four run rally off their horrid bullpen, a shell-shocked corps that invariably brings reliable relief to the other team.
• Cheating? If I were Giants owner Peter Magowan (and I'm not), I'd pay Hall Of Famer Gaylord Perry to personally teach Barry Zito and the misbegotten Giants relievers the good ole' country sinker. Then we'll win some ballgames and both Barries could have some fun!
• Sanctimonious commish Allan H. "Bud" Selig should have checked his own ego at the door and let George W. Bush be commissioner of baseball way back when.
• I'm glad this is all over - now I can get a good seat when Giants phenom Tim "Lights Out" Lincecum pitches.

Rod "Shooter" Beck, Closer Extraordinaire (1968-2007) by Paul F. Etcheverry

"I always thought Rod would be the perfect guy to ride in on a Harley every time he came in, because that's how he looked and that's how he pitched." Duane Kuiper, current Giants broadcaster and former Giants player

"In an era when players distance themselves from fans, Beck embraced them. He often held court in the Giants' hotel bar, buying round after round for ordinary people who would chat with him about baseball." Henry Schulman, San Francisco Chronicle

"I got down to 9.2 percent body fat and blew out my elbow, so I said fuck this, give me some grease and donuts." Rod Beck

IN THE GIANTS LOCKER ROOM, AFTER A TOUGH LOSS:

"Are you available?" sportswriter Bruce Jenkins

"Actually, I'm married." Rod Beck

It has been a tough year for that masochistic but undaunted species known as the San Francisco Giants fan. The worst news, infinitely beyond even the most unthinkable humiliation on the field, came yesterday: Rod "Shooter" Beck, Giants closer extraordinaire from 1991 to 1997, was found dead in his Arizona home. He is survived by his wife, Stacey, and daughters, Kayla and Kelsey.

"Shooter" was by all accounts a great guy. He would stay after games just to hang out with fans, shoot the bull and sign autographs. Regarding Rod's gregarious personality, sportswriter Scott Ostler quipped, "Some guys will buy a round for their buddies, or maybe for the house. Beck would buy rounds for Des Moines." The Becks were active fundraisers for AIDS research and the Pediatric Aids Foundation, as well as driving forces in the Giants' "Until There's A Cure Day".

On the field, he was only surpassed as 9th inning guru by his successor, "Rapid Robb" Nen. Both of these guys could, in true "closer" style, scare the living daylights out an unsuspecting hitter - it was their job. He led the spectacular bullpen crew of the 1993 squad (arguably the best Giants team of the past 35 years) with 48 saves and personally nailed the last out in the game that clinched the 1997 West Division title. While never possessing a blistering 100 MPH fastball or even the vicious slider that Robb Nen utilized to blow big-leaguers away, he did serve up a split-finger fastball that dropped precipitiously at just the right moment.

That, plus a Goose Gossage style Fu Manchu mustache and unshakeable determination (no reliever could successfully work in and out of trouble, with or without his "stuff", quite like Beck) was his mojo - and boy, did he work it. As Giants center fielder Daryl Hamilton noted, "The intensity he had coming off the mound was something I'll never forget". Such intimidating and entertaining mound presence carried on the great baseball tradition of such wild man closers as Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrabowsky and Dick "The Monster" Radatz.

Since one of the things I like about baseball is that one doesn't necessarily have to be a ultra-buffed matinee idol to succeed, it was a pleasure to see Rod Beck, complete with excess avoirdupois and scraggly signature mullet (long in the back), take the mound and strike guys out. Beck's style, more akin to a Ron "Tater Salad" White concert than a GQ shoot or Hollywood soiree, endeared him to Giants fans.

Considering the recent passings of slick-fielding shortstop José Uribe and third baseman Chris Brown (alas, whose primary claim to fame was his inclusion in a blockbuster trade that brought the Giants slugger Kevin Mitchell, another legendary baseball character), it gives us all pause. If all of us, baseball nuts and non-sports enthusiasts alike, could just remember, always, that since there are absolutely no guarantees that we will be here tomorrow, it is vital to treat others (and ourselves) kindly now, this world would be a better place.