Johnny Mize

Plan to come early.

You don't want to miss the old-timers taking batting practice, then the traditional old-timers game, and when it's all over, the regularly scheduled game between the Mets and Cubs at 4.05 p.m. Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio, hopefully Mickey Mantle will be there, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Carl Erskine, Monty Irvin, Johnny Mize, Bobby Feller, Johnny Vandermeer, Lou Boudreau, Freddie Lindstrom, Joe Cronin, Whitey Ford, Joe Torre, Bobby Thompson, Tony Cregliero, our own Ralph Kiner, and new Hall of Famer Eddie Matthews, and many, many more.

That's Old Timers Day on the next Homestead, Saturday afternoon, July the 8th.

Joe Torre is in a very heated discussion with umpires Billy Williams and Dick Stello, the discussion taking place near first base.

And if you're not at Chase Stadium for this season's Old Timers Day on Saturday afternoon, July 8th, you won't be an eyewitness to more thrilling moments like this one.

Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio have already accepted invitations as have Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Carl Oskin, Monty Irvin, Johnny Mize, Bob Feller, Johnny Vandermeer, Lou Boudreau, Fred Lindstrom, Joe Cronin, Monty Ford, Joe Torrey, Bobby Thompson, Tony Conigliaro, and new Hall of Famer Eddie Matthews.

Mickey Mantle has accepted, but he has been ill and he had to cancel out.

The theme is hitters and no-hitters.

At first it was announced that Mel Ott of the Giants would be in right field, but we've later been informed that Mack West of the Boston Bees will be in right, and both men are hitting exactly .288.

Johnny Mize of the Cardinals, who has a batting mark of .279 so far for the campaign at first base.

Ernie Lombardi of the Reds batting .308 behind the plate.

Joe Medwick of Brooklyn in left field with his .303 batting mark.

The National Leaguers are going out on the field now to take their playing positions, so in just a few moments, this ball game is going to be ready to start.

We're going to run over the way they're out on the field for you again on the National Leaguers.

Going around the infield, there is Harry Lavagetto, Cookie Lavagetto of the Brooklyn Dodgers at third, Archie Vaughan of the Pittsburgh Pirates at short, Billy Herman of the Chicago Cubs at second, Johnny Mize of the St. Louis Cardinals at first base, Ernie Lombardi in back of the plate, and Paul Derringer on the firing line.

In the outfield, it's Joe Medwick in left of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Terry Moore of the St. Louis Cardinals in center field, and Max West of the Boston B's out in right field.

The only change he made was addition.

He brought in Johnny Mize, trying to help some of his hitters.

And it was good to see Big John down in the dugout where the double header started.

There's a curve ball popped up into short right field.

Fastball pops foul going out of play down the right field line.

Count holds at one ball, two strikes, one out, nobody on, top of the eighth inning, Kansas City three and the Yankees three.

Good to see Johnny Mize back in baseball, the new batting coach for the Kansas City Athletics.

Whitey's pitch is a curve popped foul back in the upper deck.

Um, Stan Musial was at home plate.

Uh, Johnny Mize.

Um, I, I, I, uh, I met Ted Williams.

I talked to, to Ted Williams about the strike zone for 30 minutes and minutiae.

These are all from the '50s, 1951 Bowman baseball near set, 319 of 324.

It has 65 PSA graded and six SGC, with, uh, PSA seven of guys like Gil Hodges, Johnny Mize, Pee Wee Reese.

That's at $3,700.

A 1954 Topps baseball near set, 245 of 250.

And Mapes, the six-foot left-hand hitting right fielder.

Wait a minute, and Mapes is gonna be called back from the plate, and Johnny Mize is going to pinch hit.

Mize, the, uh, former Cardinal, the former Giant who was sold from the Giants, uh, late in the summer, but in time to be eligible for the series to the Yankees.

Mize, who pinch hit a, uh, single yesterday into right field, is coming on to pinch hit for Mapes.

Johnny Mize.

[crowd cheering] Well, Mize is no stranger to Branca.

They've had many a brush.

So Johnny Mize is coming on to pinch hit, and going down to the Yankee bullpen to get ready to go into the outfield is Hank Bauer.