KHJ: INSIDE BOSS RADIO ~ Part 18

The Ken Levine

BOSSBALL REVIEW

1965-1969

Robert W. Morgan - Hall of Famer. Best lead-off hitter in the game. Multi-skilled man who does it all. Pipes, timing, personality, production, humor. Throws in a wicked curve at any time. (His great production ability proves he can “pitch.”). Sneaky fast. Can score at will. If you had to build a franchise around one player it would be Morgan. Winner of both the Cy Young and Carl Jung Awards. Hobbies: Fishing, old trains, Nickodell’s.

The Real Don Steele - Hall of Famer. Naturally combines speed with power. The ultimate clean-up hitter. Dominates his position to where he has redefined it. Flashy. Strong finisher. Always goes for the extra hit, willing to take that extra base. Mr. Excitement. The straw that stirs the drink. Retired Martoni’s Man of the Year Trophy. Big Delgado fan himself.

Humble Harve - Made a mid-career adjustment after early success in the Philadelphia organization. Learned some new pitches in mid-‘60s while in the minors at Burbank and came back to the bigs with a flourish. Great at reading signs. On any other team would be the MVP. Has comfortable delivery that allows him to pitch as well today as back in his glory years.

Sam Riddle - Sweet swinger. Slick veteran. Already a star when he arrived. Good on the field and especially off the field. Great promoter for the organization. A Southern California fan favorite.

Johnny Williams - The iron man. Night after night, year after year plays the position with the most turnover in the game. Unsung hero. No glitz, no big numbers, but no team gets by without one of these players. In it for the love of game, not the glory. Role model of consistency, team play and temperament. Fills his slot with such understated grace that he makes it look easy.

Gary Mack - Overshadowed by flashier players but solidified the line up. Always put up big numbers. Very savvy. The mark of a good team is being strong up the middle and no one excelled at that more than Gary Mack. The Bill Mazeroski of Boss Radio.

Frank Terry - Utility. Can play any position well. Versatility. Can go months without a single day off. Would be a starter on any other team. Stresses fundamentals. Excellent mechanics

Bobby Tripp - Elegant. Joe DiMaggio with headphones. Veteran leadership. The ultimate gamer. Played with pain. Cinch for the Hall of Fame if his career wasn’t cut short.

Charlie Tuna - The kid with all heart. No one worked harder or played with more verve. Scouts said he wasn’t ready. He proved them wrong. Maturity beyond his years. Unmatched pre-game preparation. Uses the whole field. Presence is always felt. This Cornhusker makes major contribution each and every day.

Scotty Brink - Table setter. The ultimate team player. Traded to the Army then returned. Had big free agent offers elsewhere (WABC-New York) but chose to stay. Professional. Loves to play and it shows. No big headlines but coveted by every major league team for years.

Tom Maule - Boyish enthusiasm. Sparkplug out of the pen. Great repertoire. Curves that came at you from all angles. Trick pitches. Clubhouse clown. Kept the rest of the guys loose. Should have been a starter. Never got enough playing time in the rotation to show his real stuff.

Steve Clark - Primarily used in long relief. Brooklyn native. Arrived in Los Angeles by way of Miami.

Bill Wade - Nickname “Suitcase.” Often traded. KHJ, KGB, KFRC. Not to be confused with former Chicago Bear quarterback. Player-coach. Owned teaching academy.

Johnny Mitchell - Solid. Air tight. Always went deep into the count (down of the Boss 30). Traded to SF and later to NY where he became a manager. Career ended too soon.

Tommy Vance - Converted Cricket player. Rushed to the big leagues. Up for a cup of tea. Returned to England where he played for the Pirates. Was safe at home.

Dave Diamond - Made roster too soon. Required more time in the minors. Came up a couple of years later in San Francisco where he blossomed into all-star status.

Roger Christian - Veteran who brought name value to this expansion club. Hit maker who at one time played with Brian Wilson. Very helpful to the younger players, especially Robert W. Morgan.

Bill Drake - GM. Created a whole new style of play. Set the tone, instilled organization with pride and class. Legendary player personnel man.

Ron Jacobs - Manager. The feisty field general. Master of motivation. Managed to take diverse personalities and have them play as a team. Would do what it takes to win. Tough on players but highly respected by them. Master strategist. Created Big Kahuna mascot.

Who else to chronicle the KHJ team than a Triple Threat himself? Ken Levine spent time as a minor league deejay playing under the name of Beaver Cleaver, but quickly moved to comedy as the writer of M*A*S*H, Cheers, Frasier, and other high winning-percentages shows; currently directs Everybody Loves Raymond, Dharma & Greg and Becker. In the sitcom off-season Levine worked as the alleged radio “play-by-play” man for Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres radio crews.

2 B continued . . .

http://www.93khj.com/