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Old 01-21-2016, 05:29 PM   #26938
rico43
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Chattanooga and Internet
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1952: "Baseball In Your Living Room"

In 1952, the Braves' final season in Boston, owner Lou Perini came up with what was then a novel, if not pioneering concept: a baseball show on televison. WNAC-TV carried a weekly 15-minute show called, reasonably enough, "Baseball In Your Living Room," featuring then-manager Tommy Holmes and members of the Braves as they taught baseball fundamentals.

The shows began during spring training, and a Lexibell folder revealed two publicity photos tied around the show.

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The first shows coach Johnny Cooney (left) talking outfield fundamentals to Bill Bruton, Pete Whisenant and Bob Thorpe. What makes the photo such a novelty is that Bruton never played for the Boston Braves; he was sent down to Class AAA Milwaukee, then broke in the following season with the newly relocated Milwaukee Braves.

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The second photo includes, left to right, George Crowe, Gene Conley, rookie third baseman Eddie Mathews, manager Tommy Holmes, Jim Solt and Leo Righetti. Solt was a career minor league catcher who was in the Braves' system from 1951-58. Righetti, father of future Yankee pitcher Dave Righetti, had signed with the Braves as a minor league free agent for 1952, but when told at the end of camp he would be returned to AAA, he threw a chair at a Braves official and was instead released!

Last edited by rico43; 01-21-2016 at 08:37 PM.
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