Mateo Rojas "Matty" Alou (December 22, 1938 – November 3, 2011) was a Dominican outfielder who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the San Francisco Giants (1960–1965), Pittsburgh Pirates (1966–1970), St. Louis Cardinals (1971–1972, 1973), Oakland Athletics (1972), New York Yankees (1973) and San Diego Padres (1974). He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Taiheiyo Club Lions from 1974 through 1976.^[1]

He was the middle of a trio of baseball-playing brothers that included the older Felipe and Jesús.^[2] They were the first set of three siblings to play together in the same outfield (on September 15).^[3] and all bat in the same half-inning in the majors (September 10)^[4] , accomplishing both with the Giants in 1963. Matty had been teammates with Felipe during the prior three campaigns, and would do likewise with Jesús for the following two. Matty and Felipe later reunited with the Yankees in 1973.^[5]

Alou's best years as a player were spent with the Pirates, where he won the National League (NL) batting title in 1966 and was a two-time All-Star in 1968 and 1969. He was a member of a World Series Champion with the Athletics in 1972 and a NL pennant winner with the Giants in 1962.

Playing career[link]

Alou was born in Haina, Dominican Republic. Alou was a platoon player for the Giants for several years and was mostly unremarkable. His finest moment in San Francisco came in 1962 when his pinch-hit bunt single in the final game of a three-game tie-breaking playoff against the Los Angeles Dodgers began the rally that won the game and the pennant for the Giants. He batted .333 in the Giants' losing effort against the Yankees in that year's World Series. While he was primarily an outfielder, Alou also appeared in one game in 1965 as a pitcher, pitching two scoreless innings.^[6]

After Alou was traded to the Pirates before the 1966 season, he received instruction from expert hitting instructor Harry "the Hat" Walker that helped turn him into a formidable hitter. He won the batting title with a .342 average, with his brother Felipe finishing second, and finished in the top five in hitting four more times after that 1967-1969, 1971. He also led the league in at bats twice (1969-1970), hits once (1969) and doubles once (1969). After leaving the Major Leagues following the 1974 season, he played three seasons in Japan (Taiheiyo Club Lions) and managed in the Dominican Winter League.

On June 23, 2007, the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame inducted Matty Alou into their Hall of Fame during an on-field, pre-game ceremony at AT&T Park before a game between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees. He, along with San Francisco Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel were inducted in front of over 43,000 fans. Alou died in Miami, Florida because of diabetes complications.

See also[link]

• List of Major League Baseball batting champions
• List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases

References[link]

External links[link]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube

Mike Francesa
File:MikeFrancesa2008.jpg Francesa at the annual Bar A show in Belmar, New Jersey in 2008
Born	(1954-03-20) March 20, 1954 (age 58) Long Beach, New York, U.S.
Show	Mike's On: Francesa on the FAN (2008-present) The NFL Now (1987-present) Mike'd Up: The Francesa Sports Final (2003-2011)
Station(s)	WFAN & YES Network, New York City
Time slot	9 a.m. – 12 p.m., Sunday (during the NFL season)
Style	Sports radio
Country	United States

Michael Patrick "Mike" Francesa, Jr. (born March 20, 1954) is an American radio talk show host and television commentator. He is primarily known in his former role co-hosting the popular Mike and the Mad Dog show on WFAN in New York City. Francesa now hosts his own show, Mike's On: Francesa on the FAN, during the afternoon drive slot formerly occupied by Mike and the Mad Dog.

Career[link]

CBS Sports[link]

Francesa started his career by spending six years at College and Pro Football Newsweekly. He was hired by CBS Sports in 1982 as a researcher, focusing primarily on college sports.^[1] In CBS Sports, he was initially a behind-the-scenes, statistic-wielding editorial assistant, but network executives were so impressed by his knowledge that he was made a studio analyst for college basketball and football^[2] and acquired such a reputation that The New Yorker termed him "Brent Musburger’s brain."^[3]

When he was a studio analyst at CBS Sports, he said the most common complaint he heard was about his New York accent.^[4]

ESPN tried to lure Francesa as its studio expert on college football, college basketball and NFL in 1991, but he declined the offer.^[5]

Francesa announced on the radio that he quit CBS on April 1, 1993^[6] before the 1993 Final Four began.^[7]

WFAN[link]

When WFAN was launched in 1987, Francesa thought he would be good at radio and applied for a host job, but the station management was looking for top-shelf types, rather than someone with no experience and he was only offered a producer's job, which he rejected.^[8] With his then-wife Kate's encouragement, Francesa continued to pursue WFAN. Finally WFAN gave him a job as a weekend host talking college football and basketball in August 1987.^[9] Because of the positive reviews, Francesa began to guest-host other shows.^[1]

Because of his initial success as a weekend and fill-in host, he was teamed with local New York City host Ed Coleman and the duo had a popular show on the 10 a.m.-2 p.m. slot. In 1989, WFAN was looking for hosts to replace the controversial Pete Franklin in the afternoon drive time period between 3 and 7 p.m. Station management decided to team the knowledgeable, but somewhat dry Francesa with the young and vibrant Chris Russo. While Francesa's brand of sports commentating was considered hard-hitting and serious, Russo's was lighter, unconventional, and more entertaining. The show was dubbed Mike and the Mad Dog. The show quickly gained popularity and was a staple of the New York sports scene from 1989-2008.

Francesa also hosts a weekly radio show called The NFL Now, which has originated from WFAN since 1987. It eventually became syndicated and at one time was simulcast on MSNBC and later via video Webcast on NBCSports.com. The NFL Now became a syndicated program again when WBZ-FM in Boston started airing the show, a few weeks after the station's launch. Francesa on the FAN can be seen on the YES Network.

He does the nightly "Sportstime" commentary on the CBS Radio Network and Westwood One. Francesa regularly contributed to the Imus in the Morning program with his views on sports while it aired on WFAN and Westwood One.

Francesa's trademark intro to a show he is hosting by himself is "From the studios of WFAN in New York and simulcast across the country on the YES Network this is Mike's On: Francesa on the FAN."

On August 14, 2008, it was announced that Chris "Mad Dog" Russo decided to leave WFAN, and thus ended the Mike and the Mad Dog show two weeks shy of its 19th anniversary scenario. This ended two months of speculation of whether the show was going to make it to a 20th season. At the same time, Francesa signed a five-year deal to stay at WFAN.^[10] September 8, 2008 officially marked the kickoff of Francesa's new WFAN program, which he announced on air would be called Mike'd Up, the same name as his former weekly television program on WNBC.

On January 17, 2012 the show was renamed Mike's On. After Francesa left the show Mike'd Up: The Francesa Sports Final in WNBC, the television station retained the rights to the name of the show. NBC and CBS did not reach an agreement for the rights and WFAN changed the name.^[11]

Other projects[link]

Francesa hosted Around the NFL with Bill Parcells on MSG Network between August 30, 1991^[12] and April 16, 1992. When the show was cancelled, Francesa said, "I was disappointed. I wanted to do a second year, but it's a very expensive show to produce."^[13]

In 1990, Francesa began hosting a talk show following Knicks and Rangers games at Madison Square Garden called Live from the Play By Play. The Play By Play is a restaurant in Madison Square Garden. The show featured sports and entertainment figures in a "late night" talk style program.

In 1998, Francesa began a website called mikesports.com, but the project was abandoned and is no longer online.^[14]

Francesa auditioned for the Monday Night Football job in 2000 that eventually went to Dennis Miller.^[15]

In 2003, Francesa began hosting an 11:30 PM Sunday Night Sports Show on WNBC-TV in New York City entitled Mike'd Up: The Francesa Sports Final. Taking a live hand-off from the end of the WNBC-TV local news, Francesa then launches into in-depth analysis of the weekend games -- with a focus geared towards the New York-area teams. He also interviews notable athletes, coaches, and sportswriters. The show was intended to span the length of the NFL season, but proved so successful that WNBC extended the show to run year-round. Weekend sports anchor Bruce Beck usually filled in when Francesa had the summer off.

However, on July 15, 2011, it was reported in the New York Post and Newsday that Francesa would end his tenure as host of the Sunday night program, effective immediately, citing his wish to spend more time with his family.^[16] Bruce Beck is continuing to host the program, but its future is still uncertain.

Personal[link]

Francesa was born and raised in Long Beach, New York.^[17] He is the second son of Michael Francesa, Sr., who abandoned the family when Francesa was eight years old.^[3] He has an older brother, John and a younger brother, Marty, who committed suicide on November 27, 1990.^[8] He attended Maria Regina High School, now Kellenberg, in Uniondale,^[18] and graduated from St. John's University in 1977 (transferring there after one year at the University of South Florida), majoring in communications and athletic administration. He first married Kate in 1983^[19] but divorced in the 1990s.

Currently a resident of Manhasset, New York. Francesa married his current wife, Rose (whom he usually refers to as Roe), on July 14, 2000^[20] and they have three children, fraternal twins Emily Grace and Jack Patrick, born on January 17, 2005^[21][22] and Harrison James, born on November 20, 2006.^[23]

Health[link]

Francesa has also had a number of health problems. He had reconstructive surgery on both of his knees. He participated in junior varsity high school baseball, but was cut. He frequently refers to his "baseball career" on the air, garnering him some derision because of the use of the word "career" ^[3] in reference to his high school playing days.

During the first week of June 2006, Francesa missed a few days on the radio for what was termed as 'personal reasons'. Soon after returning, on the June 8, 2006 show, he revealed that following medical tests, he needed to change his diet due to his weight struggles.^[24] He also admitted to going to the hospital to get an angioplasty done. Francesa had emergency knee surgery on August 31, 2006 to repair his shattered kneecap when he played golf the day before in Westhampton Beach, New York.^[25][26]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mike Francesa bio on WFAN

Robert Herbert Forsch (January 13, 1950 – November 3, 2011) was an American right-handed starting pitcher who spent most of his sixteen years in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the St. Louis Cardinals (1974–1988) before finishing his playing career with the Houston Astros (1988–1989). He was a member of the 1982 World Series Champions and National League (NL) pennant winners in 1985 and 1987.

A twenty-game winner in 1977, he is third amongst all Cardinals pitcher in victories with 163. He is also the only player in team history to pitch more than one no-hitter, achieving it twice in 1978 and 1983. Along with Ken Forsch, they are the only brothers to have each performed the feat in the majors.

Early years[link]

Forsch graduated from Hiram Johnson High School in Sacramento, California, and attended Sacramento City College. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 26th round of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft as a third baseman, eight rounds after his brother was selected by the Houston Astros. He compiled a .223 batting average with four home runs before he was converted to a pitcher with the Cards' low A affiliate, the Lewiston Broncs, in 1970. Forsch went 41-37 with a 3.96 earned run average over four and a half seasons pitching in their farm system.

Career[link]

Forsch was called up to St. Louis midway through the 1974 season. Making his major league debut in the first game of a doubleheader at Riverfront Stadium, he lost a pitchers' duel with Tom Carroll and the Cincinnati Reds.^[1] He shut out the Atlanta Braves in his second start to earn his first major league victory,^[2] but perhaps his most memorable pitching performance of the season came on September 30 against the Montreal Expos. In the second to last game of the Cardinals' season, needing a win to remain tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates atop the National League East, Forsch carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. He ended up with a complete game three-hitter for his fourth consecutive win.^[3]

Forsch was a twenty game winner in 1977. He pitched his first career no-hitter on April 16, 1978 against the Philadelphia Phillies^[4] with the help of a questionable ruling by official scorer Neal Russo of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on a Ken Reitz error off the bat of Gary Matthews.^[5] Regardless, his record stood at 3-0 with a 0.71 ERA following the game, however, things began to unravel for Forsch shortly afterwards. After a May 11 three hit shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers improved his record to 6-2,^[6] Forsch went 5-15 with a 4.07 ERA the rest of the way to end the season at 11-17.

After nine seasons in the majors, Forsch made it to the postseason for the first time in his career in 1982. He also earned his first career save on May 15 against the Atlanta Braves.^[7] He got the game one start in the 1982 National League Championship Series, and held the Atlanta Braves to three hits while striking out six.^[8] He also went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. He lost both of his World Series starts against the Milwaukee Brewers, however, the Cardinals still won the series in seven games.^[9]

After going 15-9 with a 3.48 ERA in 1982, his record fell to 10-12 with a 4.28 ERA the following season as the defending World Champions dipped to 79-83 and fourth place in the NL East. One of the few bright spots for his club came on September 26, 1983, when Forsch pitched his second career no-hitter, this time against the Montreal Expos.^[10] He became, at the time, just the 25th pitcher to throw more than one career no-hitter, and the only Cardinals pitcher to accomplish the feat.^[11] His career nearly came to an end when he required back surgery during the 1984 season to relieve pressure on a nerve on his lower back, however, after sitting out three months, he was able to return to the mound.^[12]

Forsch's final win of the 1985 season was a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on October 4 to clinch a first place tie with the New York Mets, as they and the Mets battled for first place in the NL East all season. The Cards ended up winning the division by three games, and defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1985 National League Championship Series. With the Kansas City Royals representing the American League in the World Series, 1985 was the first time two teams from the same state faced off in a World Series since 1974, and the first time two teams from Missouri faced each other since the 1944 World Series. The Royals beat the Cardinals in seven games for the franchise's first World Series title.^[13] Forsch went 0-1 with a 8.53 ERA in his second postseason.

Forsch made headlines during the 1987 National League Championship Series, which pitted the Cards against the San Francisco Giants. The Giants led the series after Game 2, owing in part to the batting prowess of outfielder Jeffrey Leonard, who scored nine runs and five RBIs during the series. The Cardinal fans were enraged with Leonard's "one-flap down" routine of running the bases, and his "Cadillac" home run trot. While pitching to Leonard in the fifth inning, Forsch famously hit Leonard in the back with a fastball. This created a stir in the St. Louis press, which began calling Leonard "both flaps down". Forsch unconvincingly commented, "Just trying to come inside"^[14]

Forsch was 9-4 with a 3.73 ERA in 1988 when he was traded just before the waiver trade deadline to the Houston Astros, who were making a playoff push in the National League West.^[15] Forsch pitched poorly for the Astros, going 1-4 with a 6.51 ERA. Forsch re-signed with the Astros for 1989, and went 4-5 with a 5.32 ERA splitting his time as a starter and relief pitcher in his final season before retiring.

Career stats[link]

Forsch was one of the better hitting pitchers of his era. He hit twelve career home runs, batted over .300 in 1975, won the inaugural Silver Slugger Award for NL pitchers in 1980 and a second Silver Slugger award in 1987. Forsch's no-hitters were the only two ever thrown at Busch Memorial Stadium.^[16] His 163 career wins with the Cardinals is the franchise's third highest total.

See also[link]

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

Death[link]

Forsch was a Minor League pitching coach for the Reds' Rookie League affiliate, the Billings Mustangs from 2009 until his death. He also wrote a book titled Bob Forsch's Tales from the Cardinals Dugout, with Tom Wheatley.^[17]

Forsch died suddenly from an thoracic aortic aneurysm on November 3, 2011.^[18] Less than a week before his death, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game seven of the 2011 World Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.^[19][20]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball Almanac, or Baseball Library

Sid Melton
Melton (center) as Charlie Halper, 1963.
Born	Sidney Meltzer (1917-05-22)May 22, 1917 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	November 2, 2011(2011-11-02) (aged 94) Burbank, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Pneumonia
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1939–2001

Sid Melton (May 22, 1917 – November 2, 2011) was an American actor known for his roles as incompetent carpenter Alf Monroe in the CBS sitcom Green Acres and as Uncle Charlie Halper, proprietor of the Copa Club, in Make Room for Daddy and its spin-offs.^[1]

Career[link]

Born as Sidney Meltzer in Brooklyn, New York, he was the brother of screenwriter Lewis Meltzer, and the son of Isidor Meltzer, a Yiddish theater comedian. In 1941 Melton was cast as "Fingers" in Shadow of the Thin Man. During World War II he entertained American soldiers overseas where he met screenwriter Aubrey Wisberg who arranged for him to have a part in his Treasure of Monte Cristo for Robert Lippert.^[2]

Other movies included On the Town, The Geisha Boy, The Tunnel of Love, and Blondie Goes to College. He appeared in two Lippert Pictures, Lost Continent and Radar Secret Service, which were later featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, whose hosts gave Melton the nickname "Monkey Boy" due to his comedy relief antics.

Melton appeared three times as Harry Cooper in the 1955–1956 CBS sitcom It's Always Jan, starring Janis Paige and Merry Anders.

His television credits also include The Golden Girls (as Sophia's deceased husband, Salvadore, in flashback and dream sequences), Captain Midnight (as Ichabod "Ikky" Mudd), Dragnet and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. He also had a guest role in an episode of Adventures of Superman called The Deadly Rock, and as a photographer in an episode of I Dream of Jeannie called The Biggest Star in Hollywood. He also guest-starred in one episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show, where he played deli-owner Bert Monker who is in love with Sally Rogers.

In 2005, he attended Eddie Albert's funeral along with Green Acres's co-stars Mary Grace Canfield and Frank Cady.

Death[link]

Melton died from pneumonia on November 2, 2011.

Selected filmography[link]

• Knock on Any Door (1949)
• Lost Continent (1951)
• The Steel Helmet (1951)
• The Lady from Peking (1975)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sid Melton at the Internet Movie Database