1962: Baseball and America in the Time of JFK by David Krell - Book Review

As member of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) I had the pleasure of speaking to David Krell on the phone about baseball.  I was attracted to his new book 1962: Baseball in America in the Time of JFK.  I was 13 years old in 1962 and was a fan of the original New York Mets and suffered through their futility in their inaugural year.  Krell stated that originally his book was to consider only the original New York Mets and Houston Colt .45s, but it was a good thing that he expanded on that.  Almost all baseball books discuss only the sport, and not how it integrated into the popular culture. Krell discusses movies, television, books, politics, and current events as he takes his readers back in time.  It certainly brought back memories for me as I was a teenager that year.  Younger readers can benefit by learning about baseball and the popular culture of that time.  I enjoyed reading about the lesser-known players on the original Mets.  One reason the book is unique is that he provides information about the original Houston Colt .45s not readily available.  I was quite impressed by the research he did by interviews and original newspaper accounts.  I am happy that he acknowledged the help he received from librarians as that was my former profession.  My only disappointment was there was very little mention of the popular music of that era.  I can read about the golden oldies in other places.

 

Happy 75th Birthday Donovan (Leitch) on May 10

 

Donovan is a Scottish singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock, and world music (notably calypso).  I have followed his career since the mid-1960s and have many of his albums in my collection.

Sunny South Kensington appeared on the album called Mellow Yellow but was also the B-side of the single of the same name.  I rate it as my favorite B-Side.

Lloyd Price, Mr. Personality, Passes Away at 88

 Variety Magazine reports that recording artist Lloyd Price has passed away at 88.  I didn't realize that he was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.  Below is his big hit Personality.  I hope Cousin Brucie plays it tonight.

Happy 90th Birthday Willie Mays

 Willie Mays is certainly MLB's greatest living player as I salute him on his 90th birthday.  He is one of 11 players still living who played for the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds.  I best remember him for finishing his Hall of Fame career for the Mets from 1972-3.  He played in the 1973 World Series.

Statistics for Wille Mays from Baseball Reference

Biography of Willie Mays from the SABR Bioproject

There are also several books that biographies of Willie Mays.

It Was 20 Years Ago Today - Lee's Bar Mitzvah

 It is hard to believe that Lee's Bar Mitzvah was 20 years ago today. Karen and I were proud of Lee's performance at the temple. Things have changed very much over the years.  The service was at Temple Israel of Jamaica which merged with a synagogue in New Hyde Park.  The building is now a mosque.  The reception was at a restaurant called Harper's which is now a Mexican restaurant under another name.  When I looked at the photos, I was saddened to see that so many people have passed away.

Time marches on.

Ringo Starr says that Come Together is His Favorite Beatle Song

 

Ringo Starr was interviewed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.  He explicitly stated that Come Together was his favorite Beatle song.  I am surprised that he didn't say Yellow Submarine.😀

May 1 Visit to the Whitney Museum

I certainly have documented in this journal several trips to the Whitney Museum since 2011.  I thought today would be a good time to have a return visit.  We started out on the top floor by viewing the exhibit Dawoud Bey: An American Project.  Bey is a photographer who chronicles communities and histories that have been largely underrepresented or even unseen.

One of the photographs from that exhibit

Much of the rest of the museum was devoted to samples from the museum's rich collection.

A work by Andy Warhol

For some reason, this statue reminds me of Richard Nixon.

An exhibit was devoted to the works of JulieMehretu, an Ethiopian artist who specializes in abstract art.  She creates new forms and finds unexpected resonances by drawing from the histories of art and human civilization.

by Julie Mehretu

I'll return to the Whitney later in the year when the exhibitions change.