Cyberchase

"Chaos as Usual"

Who knew that math could be so much fun? OK, I did but I always liked math. For those unfamiliar with the PBS show, it follows the adventures of Digit, Inez, Jackie, and Matt as they do battle in each episode with the villain known as Hacker (voiced by Christopher Lloyd). The interesting aspect of the show is that the heroes defeat Hacker every time by using math. Yes, math! At the end of each show there is a segment called "Cyberchase For Real," starring by Bianca or Harry.

This was the ninth episode of the sixth season of Cyberchase. In this episode the "Cyberchase For Real" segment involved Harry, working as a vendor in Shea Stadium, hoping to catch a foul ball. And who is there to help him, none other than John Maine. If you go to 3:25 in the clip below, you can see the segment. The segment also shows Carlos Delgado fouling off a pitch and Oliver Perez pitching.

 

For more information about the series you can go to the Cyberchase website (http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/).

Availability: from what I can tell, this episode is currently not available on DVD. However, you can watch the entire episode on Youtube. Part one is here, part two is here, and of course part three is here.

The Ed Sullivan Show

Today, when a team wins the World Series or Superbowl, you will most likely hear that the MVP is going to Disneyworld. And in recent years, the team will get an invitation to the White House. Back in 1969 this wasn't the case. You got to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show! 

For those not familiar with it, The Ed Sullivan show began in 1948 (originally called "The Toast of the Town" and ran twenty-four seasons before ending its run in May of 1971.

This was the fourth episode of the 1969-1970 season of the Ed Sullivan show. It originally aired on October 19th, 1969 and featured the New York Mets singing (yes singing!) "You Gotta Have Heart." Most of the World Champion New York Mets were there including Tommie Agee, Ken Boswell, Don Cardwell, Donn Clendenon, Duffy Dyer, Wayne Garrett, Rod Gaspar, Gary Gentry, Jerry Grote, Cal Koonce, Buddy Harrelson, Ed Kranepool, Jim McAndrew, Tug McGraw, J.C. Martin, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, and Ed Charles.  This was actually the second episode that month to have members of the NY Mets on it. Two weeks earlier, Ed interviewed Gil Hodges, Cleon Jones, Tommy Agee, Jerry Koosman and Tom Seaver.

Availability: there are some episodes of the Ed Sullivan show available on DVD but I have not yet determined if the full segment of this episode is on any of them.

(Information for this entry came from the TV.com entry for the Ed Sullivan Show and that site can be found here.)

Men In Black

This 1997 movie starred Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith as government agents assigned to protect earth from aliens! Stationed in New York City, they are on the trail of an intergalactic assassin. The chase leads to the 1964 World's Fair site adjacent to Shea Stadium. 

Eventually a flying saucer flies across the night sky during a Mets game distracting Bernard Gilkey (this occurs about eighty minutes into the movie). So, the fans at Shea, so used to seeing jets fly over, get to see a UFO this time. In addition to Gilkey's cameo, there are some brief scenes of Shea Stadium both inside the park and outside.

The movie was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and the screenplay was written by Ed Solomon. It is based on the comic book by Lowel Cunningham. A scene from the movie, along with scenes from other movies that showed Shea Stadium can be found here. (Thanks to Loge 13 for finding this site.)

Two Weeks Notice

This was a 2002 romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock, Hugh Grant, and Mike Piazza. OK, maybe it was more like a cameo for Piazza but he actually had a speaking role and was listed in the credits!

In the movie, Bullock works for Grant and at one point they go to a Mets game together. With Pedro Astacio pitching, a Giant hits a foul ball that Piazza gives chase to. Piazza tries to catch the ball but comes up empty due to fan interference by - Sandra Bullock. This leads to a big chorus of boos by the crowd that is led by . . . Mr. Met. (Note: Tsuyoshi Shinjo (who was on the Giants - in between to one-year stints with the Mets) also appeared as the batter who was up prior to the foul ball.

According to Baseball-reference.com, the Mets played the Giants at Shea on May 9th, 2002 with Astacio pitching.* Footage of this game was used in the movie. According to the Internet Movie Database the foul ball scene was shot after the game.**  The foul ball was hit by #17 on the Giants. In 2002, the Giants did not have a #17 on their roster.*** 

The movie was written and directed by Marc Lawrence. A scene from the movie, along with scenes from other movies that showed Shea Stadium can be found here. (Thanks to Loge 13 for finding this site.)

* http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN200205090.shtml

** http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0313737/trivia

*** http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=2002&t=SFN

The Odd Couple

If Felix Unger called you up to talk to you about dinner, you would not only have missed the triple play in the game, you would have missed all of the appearances by the Mets. Honestly, unless you are watching it on a home movie theater, you probably could not tell who the players were unless you were told.

In the movie, it is the top of the ninth inning and the Mets cling to a one run lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates have the bases loaded with no outs. The action is viewed from the Shea Stadium press box. Walter Matthau's character Oscar Madison is covering the game. His roommate Felix, played by Jack Lemon, calls him to discuss dinner arrangements. Oscar gets the phone and is speaking to Felix when Bill Mazeroski hits a ground ball to Ed Charles. Charles makes the put out at third before firing the ball to the second baseman who makes the put out at second. He then throws to Ed Kranepool to complete the triple play! (Or at least that was the play according to sportswriter Maury Allen who was their and briefly appeared in the movie.*)

Another interesting story that Allen relates is that Roberto Clemente was originally offered the role as the player who hits into the triple play but he declined. If true, this would be quite ironic since Clemente actually hit into two triple plays in his career. And Mazeroski? None!**

The scene was filmed on June 27th, 1967 before the start of the regularly scheduled game between the Mets and the Pirates. According to the Internet Movie Database in addition to Charles and Kranepool, Ken Boyer, Tommy Davis, Jack Fisher, Buddy Harrelson, and Cleon Jones were also in the film.***

Oh, in the actual game they played that night, the Mets beat the Pirates 5 - 2!****

The movie was written by Neil Simon and directed by Gene Saks.
*http://www.thecolumnists.com/allen/allen90.html
**http://tripleplays.sabr.org/tp_bat.htm
***http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063374/fullcredits#cast
****http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196706270.shtml

Seinfeld - The Boyfriend

This episode appeared in season three of Seinfeld. In the episode Jerry and George meet Keith Hernandez and Jerry and Keith become friends. Jerry soon learns that Kramer and Newman despise Hernandez because on an incident that happened after a Mets game in 1987. In the clip below, the incident is recounted in detail.

In the episode, the game in question happened on June 14h 1987 with the Mets supposedly losing to the Phillies on an error by Hernandez at Shea. In reality, according to Baseball-reference.com*, the Mets were in Pittsburgh beating the Pirates 7-3. Although Hernandez would have 10 errors that season (the most he made in any season as a Met) he did not commit one in that game. Hernandez did commit two errors five days earlier on June 9th in Chicago in a game the Cubs won 6-5.
 
Roger McDowell also appears in the episode. According to Keith Hernandez, in an interview that appears on the DVD, Darryl Strawberry was originally supposed to be in the episode.

The episode was written by Larry David and Larry Levin and directed by Tom Cherones.
* http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT198706140.shtml

Availability: season three is available on DVD.

Click here to see a clip of The Boyfriend!