Whitey Ford, Chairman of the Board and the Greatest Living Yankee
October 21, 2018 by Ed Gruver · 5 Comments
There is something magical, lyrical even, about the man and his moniker. Whitey Ford. Chairman of the Board. For longtime Yankees fans, the native New Yorker – Ford was born in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens and will turn 90 on Oct. 21 – is not only the “Greatest Living Yankee,” he is as synonymous […]
The Epic Pitching Duel That Changed the Future of Two Franchises
October 7, 2011 and the melting pot that is South Philadelphia is stirring. From the Parisian redesign of Rittenhouse Square to the William Penn statue at Broad and Market; from South Street to the Mexican and Asian influences of Washington Avenue; from the African-American neighborhood of Point Breeze to the hipsters’ hangout in Northern Liberties, […]
First to Worst: The Phillies’ Free Fall And How It Could Have Been Avoided
March 3, 2016 by Ed Gruver · Leave a Comment
Imagine the frustration of Philadelphia Phillies fans who tuned in the fifth and deciding game of the 2015 American League Division Series between Texas and Toronto. Lifting a bat in the Texas lineup was slugger Adrian Beltre. Toeing the rubber for the Rangers was ace hurler Cole Hamels. It was a painful reminder of what […]
The ’72 Yankees: A Different Kind of Bronx Tale
February 28, 2015 by Ed Gruver · Leave a Comment
It was the high point of the era of Murcer, Clarke and Lyle; the Scooter on WPIX; Bob Sheppard; the Mayor’s Trophy Game and family swaps. For several years we had watched them from afar; grainy, black-and-white images on our Zenith television screen. For my father, older brother Mike and I that all changed on […]
The Greatest World Series Never Played
October 17, 2014 by Ed Gruver · Leave a Comment
Murderer’s Row and the Gashouse Gang. The M&M Boys and El Birdos. The New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals have fielded some of the greatest and most colorful teams in World Series history. Five times they’ve collided in the Fall Classic; twice their Series went the full seven games. Their meetings have been rare […]
October ’72
The Mustache Gang, the Big Red Machine and the World Series that climaxed one of baseball’s most memorable seasons (Following is an excerpt of Ed Gruver’s latest book, October ’72.) Reggie Jackson loved to hit a baseball. In the spring of 1972, the star right fielder for the reigning American League Western Division champion Oakland […]
