Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame

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Sinatra, Steinbeck and Sonny Corleone: The legacy of Bobby Thomson’s Shot Heard Round the World

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By Graeme Macpherson @Graeme_Macphers

NOT everyone saw The Shot Heard ‘Round The World. Frank Sinatra was just one of a clutch of celebrities packed inside the Polo Grounds on October 3, 1951 to watch his beloved New York Giants clinch baseball’s National League pennant against local rivals the Brooklyn Dodgers.
When Bobby Thomson, the Glaswegian batter, struck his three-run home run to send the Giants to the World Series, however, Sinatra was temporarily distracted. His friend, the actor Jackie Gleason, had just been sick all over his lap.

“Here is one of the all-time classic games and I don’t see Bobby Thomson hit that home run,” lamented Ol’ Blue Eyes years later.
The first baseball game to be broadcast on television throughout the United States, the home run catapulted Thomson to national stardom.
John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac wrote about the game’s famous denouement. Fellow author Don De Lillo used the story of the game-winning ball as the basis of his book Underworld. The contest was also referenced in The Simpsons while the commentary played on the radio as Sonny Corleone was gunned down in The Godfather.

On the tenth anniversary of Thomson’s death, it remains one of the most iconic moments in American sporting history.
“The home run is still considered one of the great moments in American sports, and still right towards the very top for baseball,” revealed Jay Price of the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame, the New York borough where the Thomson family settled after leaving Scotland.
Thomson was known throughout his career as the Staten Island Scot and was one of the first inductees to the Hall. There is now an ambassador award presented in his honour each year.
“To fully understand the immensity of the moment, it helps to know that it came at the climax of the fiercest and most improbable pennant chase the game has seen, between teams that shared the same fanbase and a genuine dislike for each other, at a time when baseball was truly the National Pastime; and when New York, with three teams, was the centre of the baseball universe,” added Price.

“The deciding game was one of the first sporting events televised nationally, and it was broadcast around the globe on Armed Forces Radio.
“Thanks to that one swing, Thomson is certainly the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame’s best-known inductee, despite the presence of multiple Olympians, All-Americans, and Super Bowl champions. And, especially among those Staten Islanders old enough to have known him, the best-loved.”
Born in the Townhead area of Glasgow, Thomson moved to the United States with his family when he was just two years old.
There the old-fashioned Scots values of parents James and Elizabeth and his five elder siblings would continue to shape his life, even despite the nationwide attention that followed his game-winning swat – some of it negative after subsequent accusations that the Giants had cheated.

Good or bad, Thomson remained a humble figure throughout the hysteria. “It’s just a home run,” he once shrugged.
“It’s been our experience that the biggest sports stars of Bobby’s generation were often among the most gracious, and Bobby was the epitome of that,” added Price, a former sportswriter, author and fellow inductee in the Hall of Fame.
“A lot of [his humility] came from his father, who taught all his children not to make themselves the centre of attention and to “do what’s right”.
“I don’t think Bobby ever thought of those things as corny; and as the youngest, he heard them reinforced by his brother and sisters. He was genuinely embarrassed at having jumped onto home plate after his famous home run, which seems quaint compared to the show some guys put on today.

“When he was inducted with the first class of the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, it was up to him to choose his presenter. He could’ve had one of the old Giants players, or any one of a number of celebrities who would’ve been thrilled to do it.
“But he chose the equipment manager from Wagner College who ran the gas station where Bobby often stopped on his way to the Polo Grounds. He did it because he thought it would mean something to the other guy.”
Despite his legendary status in the United States, Thomson remains relatively unknown in his homeland, although he was voted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
The man himself, who passed away aged 86 on August 16, 2010, would likely have been embarrassed by the fuss.
“He was humble in every regard, and I can’t imagine him ever “big-timing” anyone,” added Price. “I can honestly say that I’ve never met anyone who knew Bobby Thomson, on any level, who had a bad word to say about him.”

 

Just Sayin’: Danny Ingellis pushes on to do the work of late Advance writer and author Andy Mele

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By Joe D’Amodio | damodio@siadvance.com

A Vietnam veteran, Dan Ingellis knows all about finishing tasks and completing the mission. That’s why when Ingellis’ good friend, Andy Mele, the Advance’s Staten Island Memories columnist and Island author, unexpectedly passed away last week, Ingellis had one thing on his mind: finishing the job for Mele.

Ingellis, 73, had done research on some of Mele’s published books for the past 12 years, and Mele once again summoned Ingellis, a former New York City Police Detective, to do some research on three Staten Islanders — Julie Bowers, Fred “Sonny” Logan and Glen Mosley — who played in baseball’s Negro Leagues. The three Islanders, in fact, played together on the New York Black Yankees.

Mele had wanted to write two stories — one on Bowers and another on Logan and Mosley — for his Advance Memories’ column and then author another book on the Negro Leagues, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

“I have been doing a research project on the Negro Baseball League for Andy,” said Ingellis, who resides in New Springville. “He was a great friend of mine and I have done previous work (photography and research) on his four baseball books he authored. Andy was planning on authoring a book on the Negro League and I was doing the research for him.”

Since March, during the pandemic, Ingellis had read nine books about the Negro Leagues to try to find out more information about Bowers, Logan and Mosley, all of whom have passed. The latter two are members of the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame.

“The nine books came at a good time because I had nothing to do — like everyone else — during the pandemic,” said Ingellis with a laugh. “But I learned a lot about the history of the Negro Leagues.”

Ingellis had compiled most of the information he needed to give Mele a couple of weeks ago, but got sidetracked when Mele fell ill and died.

As recently as this week, Ingellis was putting the final touches on his research.

But instead of presenting his findings to Mele, he handed over his research to the Advance sports department with the hope the newspaper could use the information and write about Bowers, Logan and Mosley.

In recognizing the great players who competed in the Negro Leagues — including three of our own — the Advance is more than happy to use Ingellis’ research to write a story on each player beginning in September to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the loop.

“I know Andy would be very happy about that,” said Ingellis, who knew Mele for 15 years but said it felt more like a lifetime because that’s the way Andy made you feel. “I’m also trying to get someone to write that book about the Negro Baseball League that Andy was hoping to write.

“It’s the least I can do for all that Andy has done.”

Top-notch coach, myriad of talent fueled Curtis’ baseball dynasty of the 1950s-60s

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By Charlie De Biase Jr. | debiase@siadvance.com
Those who know Larry Anderson best will tell you he’s as modest as they come. And truth be told, there’s plenty of things for Anderson to brag about if he ever chose to go that route. When former Staten Island Advance/SILive.com columnist Jay Price asked Anderson which Public Schools baseball championship game was more of an upset when the Warriors lost in both 1958-59, the ex-three-sport athlete couldn’t help but laugh at first.

The laugh, most likely, was because an uncharacteristic response was on the way. “Anytime we lost, it felt like an upset,” he told Price for a column about the last days of Ebbets Field.

Just over 13 years later, Anderson explained a bit further.“In my three seasons between sophomore and senior year, we went a combined 66-6,‘’ explained Anderson, who was the starting centerfielder for the Warriors back then. “Unfortunately, three of those six losses came in the city championship game.‘’

And that only tells half the story of just how dominant those Curtis teams were back in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Warriors, in fact, who were managed by Curtis alum Bert Levinson, made a whopping six consecutive appearances in the city title game between 1958-63.

The 88-year-old Levinson, who is always fast to credit his players for the success, happened to be in the first six seasons (he pretty much ran the show when long-time, legendary coach Harry O’Brien decided to call it quits as manager, but still sat on the bench for the 1958 season) of what would become a 14-year stint as the Warriors’ manager. His former players, however, will tell you the old coach deserves a lot of props for the success as well.It’s most likely somewhere in the middle and at the end of the day, those Curtis teams enjoyed one of the most dominant stretches Staten Island’s seen since they started playing organized sports on the high school level.

“We had some outstanding ballplayers that not only earned scholarships, but some that went pro,‘’ said a proud Levinson, who had both Gordon McKinnon and Herb White on his coaching staff. “During that stretch, every one of my kids could start for any other school.

“It was really nice to see so many young players produce the way they did and they all lived within Curtis’ (school) zone — we never recruited anyone — and went on to graduate.

“I’m very proud of that.‘’

So why were the Warriors so dominant? Well for starters, they had exceptional pitching led by a pair of aces that first included Ray Ratkowski and later Danny McDermott. Other guys like Tommy Burrell, Jimmy Fleschner and Frankie Previti also contributed to Curtis’ success with time on the mound.

Then, of course, they had a boatload of position players that sparked their offense, including guys like Anderson, Jack Tracy, Frank Fernández, Sonny Roberto, Bobby Fisher, Billy Wolfe, Terry Crowley, Joe Cipoletti, Pat Marzo, Joe Montalbano, Drew Kelly, Basil Russo, Tommy Martinson, Harry Gumb, Jack Smiechowski, Bob Campbell and Carvin Young, just to name a few.

Five guys, including Crowley, Roberto, Fernández, Tracy and McDermott, got drafted. Crowley, Roberto and Fernández, meanwhile, made it to the big leagues.

Anderson said one of the reasons why they played so well together was because of how often they found themselves on the diamond. The former Wagner College baseball coach said in addition to playing two high school games a week, the majority of the guys would also play Kiawanis Jrs., T-M Midget, T-M Light Jrs., T-M Heavy Jrs. and in Men’s Leagues as well.

“There was a lot of baseball being played and, a lot of the time, we’d be together or playing against each other,‘’ said Anderson. “We seemed to be playing every day of the week. Sure, we had guys with a lot of talent, but we had relationships and a camaraderie that contributed to our success.

“But as far as Curtis was concerned,‘’ Anderson continued, “the names and faces changed over the years, but the one constant was Bert and he was a big part of why we were successful as well.‘’

The Warriors were the favorites in each of those first three city championship games between 1958-60, but uncharacteristically gave the opposition some extra outs that were turned into a number of unearned runs.

Levinson’s troops, however, finally hit pay dirt in both 1961-62.

After losing the 1960 championship game 3-0 to Bryant, they pounded the same team, 15-2, a year later.

“That championship game we played in 1960 was probably one of the best we ever played, yet we got shut out,‘’ said McDermott on Monday. “They scored three unearned runs off me in the first inning and I shut them out the rest of the way.

“We hit a bunch of line drives, but every one seemed to be hit right at somebody,‘’ laughed McDermott, who would go on to win the Jaques Award as Staten Island’s top basketball player the following year before leading the Warriors to another baseball title. “I was 15-years-old after we lost that championship my sophomore year (1960) — it broke my heart.

“I came back hungry and, honestly, even the years we lost, it was a great time with all the talent we had,‘’ added McDermott. “Bert was a great coach in both baseball and basketball — he kept us motivated and we could play with anyone.‘’

Levinson, who graduated from the ‘Castle on the Hill’ back in 1949, revels in the fact his teams accomplished so much during those dynasty years. He acknowledges the abundance of talent, but is also thankful his boys competed the right way.

“They played defense and always hustled during that run,‘‘ the former coach says as if though it was yesterday. “I was a pretty good coach, but I had great kids that wanted to play. They wanted to be there.

“They were top-notch players that made me important.‘’

His players would likely refute that last statement. But regardless, there’s no denying just how dominant those Warriors were.

Monsignor Farrell HS gives beloved former football coach Dennis Barrett a maroon-and-gold sendoff

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By Staten Island Advance

Amboy Road in front of Monsignor Farrell High School on Tuesday, July 16th was adorned in maroon and gold, and rightfully so.

The Oakwood school paid tribute to Dennis Barrett, the school’s beloved former head football coach and faculty member, who passed away last week at age 77. Members of the Farrell community lined Amboy Road as a sign of respect and admiration as Barrett’s funeral procession passed in front of the school on the way to Moravian Cemetery.

Farrell students, dressed in uniform, stood in silence with American flags, Monsignor Farrell High School flags, and their sports equipment as a final salute to the coach, who also recently served as a member of the Monsignor Farrell High School Board of Trustees.

The procession stopped in front of the Farrell Chapel for a blessing by school Chaplain Fr. Jeff Pomeisl and the playing of Amazing Grace by bagpiper Christian Meyer, Monsignor Farrell Class of ’21, who then switched to the trumpet for the playing of Taps before proceeding under NYPD escort to Moravian Cemetery. An estimated 50-car procession of family and friends followed. “Coach Barrett was faith in action. He was the living epitome of our mission,” said Farrell president and CEO Lou Tobacco, a member of the Lions’ Class of 1990. “He taught, coached, and mentored all, developing the whole man, a person aware of his own God-given talents, confident in his abilities, and oriented to the service of others.”

When it came to teaching and coaching, Barrett’s philosophy was: “You have to love them and they have to know that you love them,” and he did, and his students and players loved him back.

“It is truly a sad day for the entire Barrett family,” said Brian Hall (Farrell Class of 1977), who played for Barrett at Farrell in the 1970s and remained a close friend. “He truly touched the lives of so many, making a difference in the lives of all the people that he met.”

Another of Barrett’s players at Farrell and close family friend Mike Marino explained, “The common thread among all those that I met who knew Dennis was that he always made you feel special and that you had his complete attention. In short, you knew that he loved you. That was his magic, that he truly loved you,” adding, “I wouldn’t be where I am without Dennis Barrett.”

Coach Barrett served as the head coach of Farrell from 1968-1980. He compiled an impressive 103-13- 6 record. But the wins only tell a small part of the story of Dennis Barrett.

He was a teacher, a coach, and a mentor not just to those who played for him, but to anyone who was fortunate enough to cross paths with him. Young men from other schools on Staten Island would seek his help, which he would gladly give. That is the type of man he was.

“It’s a very somber day knowing that we are never going to be able to speak to Coach again,” lamented Rich Fugazzi, another former Farrell player and close friend who flew up from Florida to attend the services. “The beautiful display from the Farrell Family today as Coach passed by the school this morning one last time was heartwarming and inspirational. His passing is going to leave a huge void in many lives, but the memories of him will last forever.”

Farrell alumnus David DiTommaso echoed Fugazzi’s sentiments. “The students of Monsignor Farrell holding the American flags in front of Farrell was a great tribute to Coach.”

A memorial celebrating Coach Barrett’s life is being planned at Farrell to be held when conditions permit.

NOTES: Farrell and the Barrett family would like to sincerely thank alumni Jack Oehm, Hall, Marino and Mike Lanza, as well the FDNY Ceremonial Unit, the NYPD, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and all of the Faithful men of Monsignor Farrell High School for their help in Tuesday’s special salute to Barrett.

Hall of Famer, Brenda Jordan, ahead of her time hoops start, dies at 77

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Hall of Famer Brenda Jordan, an ahead-of-her-time athlete who scored 1,000 points before that was a thing in girls basketball – and, for that matter, before girls basketball was much of a thing on Staten Island – and regularly beat the boys at their own games, died April 16 of complications related to Alzheimer’s Disease. A member of the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2017, Jordan was 77.

Before players like Gerry Lawless, Sheila Tighe, and K.C. Comeford changed the way girls were expected to play on Staten Island, and long before women like Nicky Anosike and Jen Derevjanik made their mark in the WNBA, Jordan was an outlier, holding her own in Stapleton schoolyard games against the neighborhood boys. One of those neighborhood kids, John DiMaggio, who would go on to be an All-Met basketball star at Wagner College, pushed Jordan to abandon her set shot in favor of a jumper. They nailed a hoop to a telephone pole in the street, and wore it out over countless hours of practice, day and night.

It was her lifelong friend, Louise Dolce, now Louise Nicolosi, who recruited Jordan to join the parish basketball team at Immaculate Conception. “I was two years older, and the team captain,” Nicolosi said. “But Brenda was our mentor. She wanted to win every game. She taught us so much, and we started winning Island championships.”

In the summer she pitched and played shortstop for the Rosebank Cardinals – a boys team – in the Police Athletic League, only occasionally removing her ubiquitous baseball cap, so some beaten club could have their “Omigod, the pitcher’s a girl!” moment.
As an eighth grader at St. Joseph Hill Academy, Jordan was watching the varsity basketball team practice, when a loose ball bounced her way. She retrieved it and flipped it behind her back toward the hoop, off the backboard, and in. The coach, Ruth Burbank was watching. Without a second thought, Burbank announced, “You’re on the team next year!”

She scored 1,180 points in just 46 games at Hill, averaging 25 a game over four varsity seasons. The first time she broke the school single-game scoring record, with 46, the old record belonged to her older sister Maureen. The last time, she poured in 53 in a 67-51 victory against St. Peter’s, outscoring the program that would become the standard for girls basketball on the Island, all by herself.
The high school boys who came to watch her play – that was something else people weren’t accustomed to in those days – started calling her “Cousy,” an homage to the Boston Celtic star Bob Cousy, then in his 1950s prime.

“She was unstoppable,” Jordan’s old teammate Louise Nicolosi said. And then, after a pause, “but never a show-off.”
She stayed close to the games after high school, as a player in the Staten Island Women’s Softball League; and as a light-hearted presence on the bench at St. Peter’s softball and basketball games.
More recently, Jordan and Nicolosi, still best friends after all the years, reveled in watching the growth of women’s college basketball – Jordan was an incurable Notre Dame fan – and the WNBA; a joy informed by those championship runs in elementary school when the game plan, as Nicolisi remembers it, was as pure as one of the jumpers Jordan learned from John DiMaggio.

“Get the ball to Brenda, and we win.”