Columnist Ron Kantowski: HBO special brings fans back to the ‘60s

Tuesday, July 18, 2000 | 12:27 p.m.

Ron Kantowski's notes column appears Tuesday. Reach him at 259-4088 or ron@lasvegassun.com

It had been, what, two full days since Carl Everett had gotten in somebody's face, and the caller and talk radio host were locked in hot debate over what minimum security holding pen the insufferable Red Sox outfielder should chill out in.

I had yet to hear the latest round of softball scores from the American and National leagues but it didn't matter, as guys like Everett are making it hard for me to remain a baseball fan.

I needed a quick fix -- a taut 3-2 game featuring a sacrifice bunt, a catch with one of the neighborhood kids who wasn't playing Nintendo or kicking the soccer ball around, a quick game of Strat-O-Matic -- to restore my faith in baseball.

Then HBO's "When It Was a Game III" came on the TV. And an hour later, I was oiling up my old Wilson A2000 fielder's glove and wondering if there wasn't some adult baseball league team that could use a light-hitting 43-year-old utility infielder.

It's a must-see for anybody who preferred sandlot ball to Little League or considered baseball cards keepsakes rather than investments. And don't worry if you missed it. In that it just started its run on HBO, it can be seen about as often as Wilbur Wood pitching on three days' rest for the '72 White Sox.

But Wood and his contemporaries will have to wait their turn. "When It Was a Game III" focuses on the 1960s, with an emphasis on the middle part of the decade when icons such as Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Bob Gibson, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax and Juan Marichal dominated the game. All are feted in this installment.

Issues such as minority players bursting into prominence in the National League -- in one of the celebrity voice-overs, musician George Thorogood recalls making it a point to visit Connie Mack Stadium whenever the Reds were in town, just so he could watch the graceful black and Latin Cincinnati players -- and the dawn of free agency that would signal the end of the special relationship between the fans and players of the era are tossed around the infield.

But the beauty of the documentary is the footage of Al Kaline and Pete Rose and Willie McCovey and Ernie Banks and Frank Robinson, much of it shot by amateurs from the bleachers, and all the anonymous, gap-toothed kids in ill-fitting flannel uniforms who would have traded three mint condition Henry Aaron baseball cards for one Woody Held -- if only they could hit like Hammerin' Hank.

"Because Burgess Meredith died," Reynolds deadpanned.

Reynolds may become a familiar face around these parts as many of the staged racing scenes in the movie will be shot at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In fact, several of the cars used in the CART 101 driving school at LVMS will be painted like their real-life counterparts to give the film some authenticity.

Along those lines, several CART drivers, including Michael Andretti, Juan Montoya and Dario Franchitti (Mr. Ashley Judd), will have cameo roles in the movie. The script is said to center on Stallone's character, a veteran driver past his prime, coming to grips with retirement.

Sounds like "Rocky" on wheels.

Spectators responded -- as they always do at soccer matches -- by rioting. Scores were injured.

Twelve of the 17 Pakistan players arrested were released after their heads were shaved in punishment. The five reserves who kept their warmups on returned to their native land with their hair intact.

* AROUND THE HORN: Las Vegas has a presence in two major sports publications that hit the newsstands this week. Thirteen-year-old Josue Marinelli, an acrobat with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus, is featured in the "Hotshots" section of Sports Illustrated for Kids. Assorted Las Vegas Stars strike the requisite Las Vegas pose with showgirls on the Strip in a photo essay for ESPN The Magazine depicting minor league ballplayers in their home habitats. ... Kyle Bostick, a 12-year-old student at Silvestri Middle School, recently toured Puerto Rico with the Roberto Clemente All-Stars. The U.S. baseball team went 2-4 against teams whose alumni include Ivan Rodriguez, Bernie Williams and Juan Gonzalez. ... Ross Newhan, who covers baseball for the LA Times and is the father of Las Vegas Stars infielder David Newhan, is one of three baseball writers on this year's Hall of Fame ballot. ... A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum -- it became a bible school. The former home of the Los Angeles Lakers is on its way to becoming a giant 17,500-seat house of worship, as the Faithful Central Bible Church of Southern California has made an offer to buy it. ... A new book about Sonny Liston ("The Devil and Sonny Liston" by Nick Tosches) alleges the vicious ex-heavyweight champion took a dive in both of his title fights with Muhammad Ali and couldn't have died with a narcotics needle stuck in his arm, because he was deathly afraid of them. Sounds a lot like everything else that has been written about Liston, who died nearly 30 years ago and is buried in a Las Vegas cemetery. ... Clarification: In this space last week it was reported that former UNLV football radio analyst Hunkie Cooper was "let go." According to the UNLV sports information department, Cooper resigned following the final game of last season.

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