August 26, 1973, 40 years ago: “Bang the Drum Slowly“ premieres, based on the 1956 novel by Mark Harris. It was a sequel to "The Southpaw," and it stars Michael Moriarty (himself the grandson of a former big-league ballplayer and umpire) as New York Mammoths pitcher Henry Wiggen, and a young Robert De Niro as catcher Bruce Pearson. Although some scenes were filmed at the pre-renovation old Yankee Stadium, most of the game scenes will filmed at Shea. Early 1970s Yankees like Bobby Murcer, Gene Michael and Thurman Munson can be seen in game action, as can Hall-of-Famers Brooks Robinson and Tony Perez. The fact that Henry, a big-league ballplayer and a very good one, has a second job should also tell you how long ago this was; no free agency in those days.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 18:07:02 +0000
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