In a year when the San Francisco’s Barry Bonds hits two home runs in each of his first two games, it may seem random to revisit the 1957 World Series. But it’s hard to appreciate baseball without its history. That year, young Hank Aaron led the Milwaukee Braves to victory over the powerhouse New York Yankees. He batted .393, homered three times and spoiled Don Larson’s bid for another World Series perfect game.
The last player to hit two homers in each of the first two games? Milwaukee’s Eddie Mathews — in 1958.
“Diamond Gems,” a baseball show that recently entered its ninth year on Chicago radio, retransmits the actual Braves-Yankees play-by-play calls. George Castle and Red Mottlow co-host the show, 6 a.m. Sunday on WAIT-AM 850; it repeats at 7 p.m. Sunday on Waukegan-based WKRS-AM 1220.
When Radio Was: Midnight weekdays on WBBM-AM 780.
Tuesday: “Fibber McGee” from 5-5-42 (part 2); “Big Town” from 1940: “Death Rides the Highway,” with Edward G. Robinson.
Wednesday: “Tarzan” from 1-11-51: “Black Ivory”; “Life With Luigi” from 1-17-50: “Cold Season” (part 1, part 2 Thursday).
Thursday: “Life With Luigi” (part 2); “Screen Guild Players” from 5-5-47: “Pardon My Past.”
Friday: “The Shadow” from 3-2-41: “Death Rides a Broomstick”; “Calling All Detectives.”
Monday: “Black Museum” from 1952: “The Jacket”; “Burns & Allen” from 2-1-44 (part 1, part 2 April 16), with guest William Powell.
Those Were the Days: 1 p.m. Saturday on WDCB-FM 90.9.
Singer-writer-actor Eddie Cantor had perfect timing for radio, rambling in an insecure, pre-Woody Allen way, spontaneously bursting into funny songs like “If You Knew Susie (Like I Knew Susie),” or, in an exaggerated German accent, “Baby Face.” Along with Al Jolson, he stars in “Texaco Town” (1-3-37, around the time of his meteoric rise) and sings “My Mammy” to Jolson’s “Margie.”
Also: “Stop the Music” (a name-that-tune sweepstakes show from 3-21-48, starring Bert Parks); “Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” (1-9-49); “Suspense” (11-23-50), with Ozzie and Harriet; and “Meet Me in St. Louis” (6-29-48, with singer Margaret Whiting as Esther Smith).
Please send comments, questions and programming notes to knopps@bgp.nu.
