Big Red & Blue Summers

Today, I found out there was a paper work glitch - the fault of my attorney’s office – that’s been keeping me from getting paid. It’s nice that people can play so fast and loose with my ability to eat and pay rent. As the days and weeks go by, I’m beginning more and more to understand the mystique behind “going postal.” Hopefully, the evening news remains free of any violent shenanigans I may wind up getting into. I’m at the end of my rope. So, how do I calm myself? How do I make myself believe it’s a wonderful summer, all will be well, the show will go forward, other projects will go forward and I’ll be extremely happy and successful? I simply take myself back. Back to my early years when I had little on my mind except baseball, and the Dodgers battled the Big Red Machine every season for a trip to the playoffs.

There was no “big market, small market” crap back then. If you had a good farm system, you were good and if you didn’t, you were bad. Until Steinbrenner changed baseball by buying entire teams of All Stars, the game was simpler. And what great teams the Reds and Dodgers had year after year. I loved and hated those Cincinnati Reds. I mean, in spite of what a difficult time they gave the Dodgers, you really had to respect them. They were more than pesky, they were overwhelmingly good. The great Johnny Bench behind the dish, Tony Perez and then, later, Dan Driessen at first. The amazing Joe Morgan at 2nd, Davey Concepcion at short and everyone's Hall of Famer, Pete Rose, late of left field, at 3rd. (Yes, before Ray Knight) Their outfield consisted of George Foster in left, perennial Gold Glover, Cesar Geronimo in center and Ken Griffey Sr. in right. Their pitching staff, however, was never quite as good as thaat of the Dodgers. They had Don Gullet, Jack Billingham, Gary Nolan, Fred Norman, Pat Zachry, then later Rawley Eastwick & Pat Darcy. They had the annoying Pedro Borbon coming out of the pen, along with Manny Sarmiento and Will McEnaney. The Dodgers, meanwhile, had the reliable arms of Don Sutton, Andy Messersmith, Burt Hooten, Tommy John, Dug Rau, Al Downing and Rick Rhoden and, in the bullpen, the likes of Mike Marshall, Jim Brewer and Charlie Hough. Of course, we had Garvey at first, Lopes at 2nd, Russell at short, Penguin at 3rd, Buckner, then, later, Baker in left. Jimmy Wynn, then later Rick Monday in center and Willie Crawford, then later, Reggie Smith in right. And we had a great bench: Lee Lacy, Manny Mota, Tom Paciorek, Jerry Royster, then later, Vic Davallio, Jeff Leonard and Jay Johnstone.

The Reds would drive me crazy with their big bats and those low red socks. As the seasons wore on and it appeared the Dodgers may not prevail, tensions grew high. We once suspected a kid in our neighborhood of being a Reds fans. His name was Little John Monaco and we held a trial on the Alberstone’s front lawn. We found little John guilty, (he’s well over 6 feet now) put him in a market basket and tied him to a tree in front of the house belonging to the meanest people on the block. We rang the doorbell and ran, leaving him there, tied to that little tree. We watched from behind a wall as the witch of the house came out and spoke to him. We could see him nodding his sad little head. She left him there as he stared solemnly at the ground. Maybe he was rethinking his allegiance.

Those two teams played each other hard. There was a lot at stake every time they met and I’ll never forget the feeling of anticipation I’d have whenever the games were about to begin. The Reds won the West in ’70, ’72, ’73, ’75, ’76 & ’79. They went to the Series in ’70, ’72, ’75, & ’76, losing to Baltimore in ’70 and to the ‘Swingin’ A’s’ in ’72. They beat Boston in ’75 and they swept the upstart Yankees in ’76. The Dodgers won the West in ’74, ’77 & ’78 making it to the Fall Classic each time. They also lost each time - to those same A’s in ’74 and to the Yankees in two consecutive painful Octobers in ’77 and ’78. Still, it felt like every summer was the beach, swimming pools, baseball, Otter Pops and the Dodgers and the Reds. I loved it.

These Dodgers, meanwhile, are battling to stay better than 4 games below .500. I actually feel like crying right now. At least Juan Pierre returns tonight. Ned Colletti, you have 6 days.