[NJARC] Bing Crosby and a classic video

[John Ruccolo]

Bing Crosby's 1960 World Series treasure to air in December -- Report 
By NewsCore
24 Sep 10|1719GMT

The seventh game of the 1960 World Series, featuring the first walk-off 
Series-winning home run, will air in its entirety on MLB Network in December, 
the first time the entire game will be seen since it was played by the 
victorious Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees fifty years ago, the New 
York Times reported Friday. 

A near flawless black-and-white kinescope copy of the game, discovered in singer 
Bing Crosby’s cellar last year, will provide sports enthusiasts with an 
indelible link between one of history’s most beloved entertainers and one of 
baseball’s greatest games.

Crosby, who was a minority owner of the Pirates in 1960, was not even in the 
stands of Forbes Field on the day his club claimed the world championship. The 
famous crooner was in Paris, nervously listening to the game via shortwave 
radio.

Crosby hired a company to record the game in kinescope. The result was a 
five-reel set that captured the entire back-and-forth battle between Pittsburgh 
and the then-18-time champion New York Yankees.
Even before their championship season, Crosby was instrumental in turning the 
Pirates from a perennial cellar-dweller in the 1950s into the surprise 1960 
National League pennant winners.

Crosby was almost solely responsible for the 1950 signing of eventual Cy Young 
winner, Vernon Law. Law, one of the first Mormons to play major league baseball, 
started three games in the 1960 Series, winning Games 1 and 4 for the Pirates. 
He started Game 7 as well, but was lifted because of an ankle injury.
Crosby’s film, discovered in his San Francisco home, is the only complete copy 
of the game known to exist. The original NBC broadcast of the Series was 
destroyed.

The timeless footage has been transferred to DVDs, and Major League Baseball 
plans to sell copies marking the 50th anniversary of the great contest.

The game itself has long been considered a Major League classic.  After the lead 
had changed three times, the Pirates’ second baseman, Bill Mazeroski, hit a 
bottom of the ninth, walk-off home run against Ralph Terry, to win the game 10-9 
and give the long-struggling Pittsburgh franchise its first World Series title 
in 35 years.

Crosby claimed he left the country before Game 7 to avoid jinxing his beloved 
Pirates.
 
He filed away his 2 hour, 36-minute treasure after watching the game upon his 
return home.
Crosby was an oft-seen fixture at baseball games in Los Angeles, where he made 
his home during his years in the spotlight.