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Ever since
Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, records
have documented our National Pastime through
song; play-by-play action, highlights, and
interviews of our baseball heroes. Here are
some featured on YouTube.
In 1952 Columbia
Records released four
single records in
Columbia's Playtime Series,
providing youngsters with
information on how to play
baseball. Columbia
recruited baseball greats;
Ralph Kiner record PV-800
Hitting, Phil Rizzuto
PV-801 Bunting, Yogi Berra
PV-802 Catching, and Bob
Feller PV-803 pitching.
The format offers basic tips,
some simple plays and then a
simulated game problem. Four more
record followed; George Kell PV-804
Third Base, Richie Ashburn PV-805
Base Running, Bobby Thompson PV
-806 Batting, and Ned Garver PV-807
pitching. The 7 inch red vinyl 78
RPM records came in a paper record
sleeve featuring artwork of each
player with a facsimile autograph.
In 1953 Rainbo
Records developed a thin
micro-plastic record,
manufactured in a
continuous web, resulting
in numerous patents,
domestically and
internationally. This
Wheaties record,
"Take Me
Out To The Ball Game"
was part of a 9 record set,
produced for a 1954
promotion.
The "Record on a box" was
born. In 1955 Rainbo Records introduced a
patented method to produce the
flexible records as the
"Record-On-A-Box" for a Wheaties
promotion. Using Rainbo built and
refined equipment, the company
produced over 30 million records
for Wheaties over the next several
years.
The first annual
Good
Luck Clover Newspaperboy
Contest was held in
1955 by the Lever Brothers
Company, makers of Good
Luck Margarine. Before the
start of the contest
newspaper-boys asked their
customers to save for them
the "Clover Stamps" from
the Margarine package.
Phil Rizzuto, famous
short-stop of the New York Yankees
is pictured on the record sleeve,
and on the recording he offers
special winning tips. The contest
ran for 8 weeks, early in the year,
during which time newspaper-boys
picked up the "Clover Stamps" from
their customers. Each boy was
eligible for as many prizes of his
choice as are covered by the number
of clovers he sent in at the end of
the contest.
The Doughnut
Corporation of America
issued a premium record in
1955;
"My Greatest Thrill In
Baseball" as told by;
Brooklyn Dodger Gil Hodges,
New York Yankee, Whitey
Ford, and New York Giant
Johnny Antonelli. Gil
Hodges starts it off,
recalling his greatest
thrill, in a game played
against the Braves.
On August 31, 1950. Hodges
became the sixth player in major
league history, to hit four homers
in one game. - Johnny Antonelli
winning his 20th game on august 30,
1954, a four hitter against the
Cardinals. -Whitey Ford's 8-1 win
over the Tigers in Detroit on Sept.
16, 1950, vaulted the Yankees into
the league lead for good.
Released in 1959 by
RCA Victor, the
Mel Allen's Baseball Game
uses a 33⅓ LP recorded by
New York Yankees announcer
Mel Allen to determine the
outcomes of baseball plays.
"Mel Allen Makes The Calls
You Play The Game" is
written at the top of the
album cover to the right of
Allen's picture.
Further to the right is the cover
price of $1.98, the RCA Victor
catalog number LYB-1025, Bluebird
(a line of RCA children records)
and the RCA "Nipper the dog" logo,
and reads; "A sensational new game
you play by using this record. Each
game will be different. All the
realism and excitement of a World
Series as YOU play championship
ball."
Mickey Mantle fell short
with 54 home runs, but Maris would
end up with 61 in 1961, a record
that will stand for 37 years. Side
A - "The Story of Mickey Mantle and
His Batting Tips – as told to Phil
Rizzuto has a run time of about 3
1/2 minutes. Side B features, “The
Story of Roger Maris and his
Batting Tips as Told to Phil
Rizzuto.” with a run time of about
4 minutes.
In 1962 Mars
Candy offered 3 promotional
phonographic records
entitled "Baseball Tips
From the Stars." The 33 1/3
rpm 7" vinyl records were
made available for only 50
cents each, and four
wrappers from any Mars
Candy Bars, such as; Milky
Way, Snickers, 3
Musketeers, or Mars Toasted
Almond Bar.
Narrated By Lou Boudreau, the
set features three records with
"Helpful Hints in the Stars Own
Voices" and included star players; Stan
Musial, Ernie Banks, Duke Snider, Ken Boyer, Warren Spahn, Joey Jay, Johnny
Podres, Don Drysdale, Willie Mays,
John Roseboro, Gil Hodges, Don
Hoak. The audio features Interviews
with the ballplayers, recorded live
at Major League parks during
batting and fielding practice.
The
"Casey Picks 'em
for '63" Flexi-disc was
recorded exclusively for
representatives of the
Aetna Life Insurance
Company and Aetna Casualty
and Surety company. At the
time of the recording, the
"winningest manager in
the history of baseball,"
Casey Stengel, was the
manager of the New York
Mets.
Interviewed by special
events director Keith Morris of
Sports Illustrated, the Old
Professor, in rapid-fire Stengelese,
predicts the 1963 finish of the ten
teams in the National League, and
gives inside secrets to his new
favorite team, the New York Mets.
Produced by
Stan-The-Man Inc., and
Pressed by RCA Records,
"Stan-The-Man's Hit Record"
was released April 30,
1963. The album
was accompanied with the
Stan-The-Man's Hit Record
Batting Instructions
booklet. made available at
Phillips 66 gas stations,
Free with a minimum fill of
8 gallons of gas.
The offer varied from
station to station. Some Phillips
66 Gas Station dealers made the
record available for $1.00.
The
GE Show'N Tell
Phono-Viewer allowed kids
to look, listen and learn
with full-color, full sound
picture programs. The
program came with a record,
and filmstrip which was to
be inserted into the phono-viewer,
while playing the record.
There were 15 slides on the
filmstrip that progressed
as the record.
played on the turntable. The record
side with the arrow features the
story about Babe Ruth's called
shot. It has a runtime of about
3:20. The reverse side had
additional information on baseball
taken from the World Book
encyclopedia. The inside cover of
the program that houses the record
and filmstrip also featured
instructions on the right, and
batting tips on the left.
Produced exclusively for the New
York Yankees by Columbia Records in
1967;
"Baseball in the Great
Yankee Tradition"
33-1/3 RPM record
features interviews with;
Mickey Mantle, Ralph Houk,
Mel Stottleymre, Elston
Howard, Joe Pepitone, Tommy
Tresh, Frank Crosetti and
Jerry Coleman.
The record Starts off with a
few verses of “Here Comes The
Yankees,” by Sid Bass and his
Orchestra, then fades out to Mickey
Mantle speaking. Jerry Coleman
interrupts and introduces the
players on the record. The 7 inch
black background picture sleeve,
pictures; Mickey Mantle, Elston
Howard, Joe Peptone, and Tom Tresh,
at the top, with Mel Stottlemyre,
Frank Croseti, Ralph Houk, and
Jerry Coleman, at the bottom.
A 1968 Fleetwood
Recording Co. release,"Curt Gowdy talks with Carl
Yastrzemski"
about batting, fielding and
physical conditioning ...an
ideal recording for little
leaguers and aspiring ball
players. The rare record
sleeve illustrates Red Sox
Super Star and athlete of
the year Carl Yastrzemski,
instructing a little leaguer
the skills of hitting and fielding.
The back of the sleeve pictures
Gene Berde, Yaz's personal trainer,
and a daily 10 step training
exercise program to the right.
"Ralph Kiner Talks With
The Amazin' Mets" was
produced by by the Americom
Corporation, after the 1969
World Series. The 7 inch
33-1/3 RPM record features
Ralph Kiner interviewing
the 1969 World Series
champion New York Mets, as
well as
highlights/play-by-play
calls from that season.
Side One: Gil Hodges, Tom Seaver,
Tommy Agee, Tug McGraw, Jerry
Grote, Ed Kranepool, Ken Boswell.
Side Two: Ron Swoboda, Jerry
Koosman, Art Shamsky, Cleon Jones,
Bud Harrelson.
From 1971 to 1973,
Audio Sports Inc. of Los
Angeles produced a series
of
six
record/booklets on baseball
fundamentals. Each booklet
was accompanied with a
Eva-Tine Soundsheets
flexi-disc record. The six
subjects and players
included; Hitting - Hank
Aaron, Pitching - Don
Drysdale,
Catching -Bill Freehan, Running -
Maury Wills, Shortstop - Jim
Fregosi, and Outfielding - Willie
Mays. In 1972 a rare Hitting -
Mickey Mantle booklet with a red
Flexi-disc was also released.
A 1975 Fleetwood
Recording Co. release,
"The
Ball Hit The Bat" LP Record
tells the story of baseball
thru the eyes and hearts of
the fans of baseball. "A
Collectors Item" the front
cover art depicts
illustrations of ball
players, and fans,
surrounded with ballpark
phrases; "You're Blind As A
Bat, Strike, Ball,
Foul Ball, He Couldn't Even
Hit The Side Of A Barn, He Needs A
Glove, Kill The Ump. Who's On
First." The back cover features the
Currier & Ives lithograph "The
American National Game of Baseball"
grand match for the championship at
the Elysian Fields, Hoboken, N.J.
around the Civil War.
The
"Learn Not To Burn"
33 1/3 RPM record was a
Radio campaign Issued by
the National Fire
Protection Association, in
cooperation with the Public
Service Council. "Keep
Matches Out Of The Strike
Zone" features twelve
30-second radio commercials
staring baseball greats
talking about "Strike
Zone."
There's a "Strike Zone" in every home from the floor to about chest high.
A zone which should never contain
matches or lighters. The "Strike
Zone" is where children spend most
of their time looking for things to
do and where they are apt to find
things with which to start a fire.
The
Ernie Banks Ball 'n Strike
Instructional Batting Game
& Record was distributed by
H.B.S. Sales in 1977. The
game came with a hard ball
attached to a 20 foot
long-lasting cord. "GREAT
for Little Leaguers high
school and college players!
Dad (or Mom) can have a
ball with Ernie Banks
Ball'nStrike"
The game came with a 13
minute, 33⅓ RPM 7" Flexi-Disc
record was produced by Eva-Tone
Soundsheets Inc. Featured on the
recording is Instructional Batting
tips from the Chicago Cubs All-Time
Home Run Hitter. "Listen to Ernie
Tell You How To Be A Better
Hitter-Then Practice With His New
Game!"
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