The Début of Gilmore Field

Boosted by cheers from Hollywood stars supporting the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League, Gilmore Field débuted as a ballpark on May 3, 1939.  Among the famous fans:  Buster Keaton, Jack Benny, and Rudy Vallee.  “Glamour was furnished in the person of...

Bobby Bonilla’s Payday

At the turn of the 21st century, while the world scrambled to confront a Y2K threat to computers, Bobby Bonilla and the management of the New York Mets came to an agreement regarding salary—defer it.  Well, a lot of it.  From 2011 to 2035, Bonilla gets annual...

Everybody Loves Dean Martin Sometime

Dino Crocetti emerged from the hardscrabble existence in Steubenville, Ohio to become one of the biggest stars in the second half of the 20th century.  With a new moniker of Dean Martin, a legendary partnership with Jerry Lewis, and a fixture status in the famed Rat...

Man of a Thousand Voices

One of television’s greatest stars would probably be unrecognizable to most people, but his voice is burned in our collective memory.  Mel Blanc.  In fact, he had many voices. Mel Blanc’s vocal roster of characters includes Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, and...

Tarzan Takeoffs on Television

Tarzan’s popularity inspired takeoffs, parodies, and parallels.  Television, in particular, provided a fertile platform for these offerings. On November 11, 1962, Carol Burnett gest starred on The Jack Benny Program.  She plays Jane in the Jack Plays Tarzan...