St. Louis Cardinals
Long Gone
April 19, 2010
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Long Gone is a 1987 tv-movie that first appeared on HBO.
Based on a novel by Richard Hemphill, it’s a tale about baseball, corruption, and sex centered on a minor league baseball team in Florida in the late 1950’s.
At the heart of the Tampico Stogies baseball team is Cecil “Stud” Cantrell, a long-time minor-league pitcher, manager, and slugger who almost made the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals.
He competed with Stan Musial. Cantrell says that he hit the ball harder but Stan the Man had a prettier swing. It was at the dawn of World War II. Cantrell served his country, but war injuries prevented him from going farther than minor league ball.
William Petersen of CSI fame plays Cantrell.
His protégé is Jamie Don Weeks, played by Dermot Mulroney. At first a naive player who simply wants to play baseball, Jamie transforms into a grown man and emulates Stud’s mannerisms.
He also gets his girlfriend pregnant -- Esther Wrenn, played by Katy Boyer.
Cantrell’s girlfriend is the young but world-wise Dixie Lee Boxx, played by Virginia Madsen.
Henry Gibson plays Hale Buchman, owner of the Stogies. Teller of Penn and Teller plays his son in a rare talking performance.
Larry Riley plays Joe Louis Brown, a catcher with tremendous power. In one scene, the KKK stops the Stogies’ team bus in the middle of the night. The Stogies chase off the Klan with baseball bats and Brown knocks a burning cross to the ground with a powerful swing.
The Stogies’ chief rival is the Dothan Cardinals. J. Harrell Smythe, the Cardinals’ owner, makes Cantrell and Riley an offer. Throw a decisive game against the Cardinals. Brown gets a brand new car. Cantrell gets a contract with the Dothan Cardinals. An enticing offer for Cantrell considering he never gave up his dream of working in the Cardinals’ organization after losing a spot to Musial.
To see how the story ends, check out Long Gone if you can find it.
Long Gone may be long gone, but not forgotten.
david@davidkrell.com
Long Gone is a 1987 tv-movie that first appeared on HBO.
Based on a novel by Richard Hemphill, it’s a tale about baseball, corruption, and sex centered on a minor league baseball team in Florida in the late 1950’s.
At the heart of the Tampico Stogies baseball team is Cecil “Stud” Cantrell, a long-time minor-league pitcher, manager, and slugger who almost made the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals.
He competed with Stan Musial. Cantrell says that he hit the ball harder but Stan the Man had a prettier swing. It was at the dawn of World War II. Cantrell served his country, but war injuries prevented him from going farther than minor league ball.
William Petersen of CSI fame plays Cantrell.
His protégé is Jamie Don Weeks, played by Dermot Mulroney. At first a naive player who simply wants to play baseball, Jamie transforms into a grown man and emulates Stud’s mannerisms.
He also gets his girlfriend pregnant -- Esther Wrenn, played by Katy Boyer.
Cantrell’s girlfriend is the young but world-wise Dixie Lee Boxx, played by Virginia Madsen.
Henry Gibson plays Hale Buchman, owner of the Stogies. Teller of Penn and Teller plays his son in a rare talking performance.
Larry Riley plays Joe Louis Brown, a catcher with tremendous power. In one scene, the KKK stops the Stogies’ team bus in the middle of the night. The Stogies chase off the Klan with baseball bats and Brown knocks a burning cross to the ground with a powerful swing.
The Stogies’ chief rival is the Dothan Cardinals. J. Harrell Smythe, the Cardinals’ owner, makes Cantrell and Riley an offer. Throw a decisive game against the Cardinals. Brown gets a brand new car. Cantrell gets a contract with the Dothan Cardinals. An enticing offer for Cantrell considering he never gave up his dream of working in the Cardinals’ organization after losing a spot to Musial.
To see how the story ends, check out Long Gone if you can find it.
Long Gone may be long gone, but not forgotten.
When It Was A Game
November 06, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Today, the New York Yankees celebrate a 27th World Series Championship with parade in Manhattan’s Canyon of Heroes.
The excitement of the 2009 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees overshadowed the recent steroid scandal.
But baseball has suffered scandals since its beginning.
The Black Sox Scandal of 1919 where the Chicago White Sox suffered accusations of fixing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
The betting scandal involving Pete Rose betting on baseball games, including games played by the team he managed -- Cincinnati Reds.
For a time when the lines were clearer, the heroes were greater, and the myths were bigger, look no further than HBO’s When It Was A Game documentaries.
HBO made three documentaries in 1991, 1992, and 2000 respectively under the When It Was A Game banner.
The musical score, appealing visuals, and artful narration combine for a step into history that even the most casual fan will appreciate.
The musical score’s foundation is its fanfare. It appropriately shows the reverence for the heroes depicted in the documentaries.
The visuals come from home movies -- 8 millimeter and 16 millimeter films shot by fans and insiders from the 1930’s through the 1960’s.
You see stadiums that don’t exist anymore -- Polo Grounds in Manhattan, Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis.
You see legendary players -- Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams along with old-timers Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Babe Ruth, and Cy Young.
And throughout the When It Was A Game trilogy, you hear wonderful narration from people who love the game of baseball.
James Earl Jones -- Actor.
Robert Creamer -- Writer.
Jim Bouton -- Pitcher.
Maury Wills -- Shortstop.
Frank Robinson -- Outfielder.
Jim Kaat -- Pitcher.
Al Kaline -- Outfielder.
Thomas Boswell -- Writer.
Bob Costas -- Broadcaster.
John Sayles -- Filmmaker.
When It Was A Game recalls eras when legendary players enjoyed unbreakable associations with teams. Fans could count on their favorite players spending most -- if not all -- of their careers with one team.
Roberto Clemente -- Pittsburgh Pirates.
Al Kaline -- Detroit Tigers.
Hank Aaron -- Milwaukee Braves / Atlanta Braves.
Willie Mays -- New York Giants / San Francsico Giants.
Jackie Robinson -- Brooklyn Dodgers.
Bob Gibson -- St. Louis Cardinals.
Harmon Killebrew -- Minnesota Twins.
The eras depicted in When It Was A Game were eras of greatness in baseball. But the bottom line definitely existed. Promotions took place. And owners were hard-nosed in their negotiations with players in the time before free agents, massive bonuses, and free agency.
But the eras enjoyed deep reverence. And that depth shines clearly in the When It Was A Game trilogy.
Before the first pitch of a baseball game was sponsored, before .220 batters got million dollar contracts, and before stadiums were named for corporations, there was indeed a time when baseball was a game.
david@davidkrell.com
Today, the New York Yankees celebrate a 27th World Series Championship with parade in Manhattan’s Canyon of Heroes.
The excitement of the 2009 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees overshadowed the recent steroid scandal.
But baseball has suffered scandals since its beginning.
The Black Sox Scandal of 1919 where the Chicago White Sox suffered accusations of fixing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
The betting scandal involving Pete Rose betting on baseball games, including games played by the team he managed -- Cincinnati Reds.
For a time when the lines were clearer, the heroes were greater, and the myths were bigger, look no further than HBO’s When It Was A Game documentaries.
HBO made three documentaries in 1991, 1992, and 2000 respectively under the When It Was A Game banner.
The musical score, appealing visuals, and artful narration combine for a step into history that even the most casual fan will appreciate.
The musical score’s foundation is its fanfare. It appropriately shows the reverence for the heroes depicted in the documentaries.
The visuals come from home movies -- 8 millimeter and 16 millimeter films shot by fans and insiders from the 1930’s through the 1960’s.
You see stadiums that don’t exist anymore -- Polo Grounds in Manhattan, Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis.
You see legendary players -- Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams along with old-timers Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Babe Ruth, and Cy Young.
And throughout the When It Was A Game trilogy, you hear wonderful narration from people who love the game of baseball.
James Earl Jones -- Actor.
Robert Creamer -- Writer.
Jim Bouton -- Pitcher.
Maury Wills -- Shortstop.
Frank Robinson -- Outfielder.
Jim Kaat -- Pitcher.
Al Kaline -- Outfielder.
Thomas Boswell -- Writer.
Bob Costas -- Broadcaster.
John Sayles -- Filmmaker.
When It Was A Game recalls eras when legendary players enjoyed unbreakable associations with teams. Fans could count on their favorite players spending most -- if not all -- of their careers with one team.
Roberto Clemente -- Pittsburgh Pirates.
Al Kaline -- Detroit Tigers.
Hank Aaron -- Milwaukee Braves / Atlanta Braves.
Willie Mays -- New York Giants / San Francsico Giants.
Jackie Robinson -- Brooklyn Dodgers.
Bob Gibson -- St. Louis Cardinals.
Harmon Killebrew -- Minnesota Twins.
The eras depicted in When It Was A Game were eras of greatness in baseball. But the bottom line definitely existed. Promotions took place. And owners were hard-nosed in their negotiations with players in the time before free agents, massive bonuses, and free agency.
But the eras enjoyed deep reverence. And that depth shines clearly in the When It Was A Game trilogy.
Before the first pitch of a baseball game was sponsored, before .220 batters got million dollar contracts, and before stadiums were named for corporations, there was indeed a time when baseball was a game.