Sandy Koufax Tropicana Motel

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

That's awesome!

[MFS62]

Thanks for that.

Later

[metirish]

Crazy that Sandy didn't know he would be starting until he showed up to the stadium, different times

[metirish]

[TWEET]

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Happy birthday to one of the best

[stevejrogers]

Crazy that Sandy didn't know he would be starting until he showed up to the stadium, different times

 

There is a story about that happening to David Wells the morning of his perfect game. But that could have been the massive hangover he was dealing with.

Then again the story includes him and Jimmy Fallon just drinking the night away at Saturday Night Live’s season finale afterparty hours earlier. One problem, SNL’s finale that season, the 23rd, aired a week earlier, 5/9/1998, while Wells’ perfecto was on 5/17/1998. I supppse I could give the faulty narrator credit for the perfect game happening on a Sunday though

In any event, obviously not in Koufax’s case when it comes to major inebriation the previous day, I think most of those stories come from distracted hurlers forgetting the plan, as well coaches/managers projecting the idea that rotations were meaningless, and they could have had the same guy start games in a row if they wanted to.

So I’ve taken that notion about not telling a pitcher they were starting until that day, with a ton of salt grains

[Frayed Knot]

Crazy that Sandy didn't know he would be starting until he showed up to the stadium, different times

 

So I’ve taken that notion about not telling a pitcher they were starting until that day, with a ton of salt grains

 

No, those were definitely not uncommon back in the day. As Irish says, 'different times'.

One of the more noted examples was Don Larson's WS perfect game. Larson found out he was that day's starter in the way a lot of pitchers found out: if your mitt, rather than being in your locker, was instead sitting on your stool with a new 'game' ball in the pocket, then it was your game. A talk from your manager wasn't even part of it.

Basically the whole idea of players having any sort of say in, or advance notice of, when or how often they'd play was an idea not yet standard practice.

When Islander coach Al Arbour agreed to the request from his goalie tandem of Billy Smith and Glenn Resch that they always know in advance who was

going to start the next game during the season, it was considered a very novel concession at the time.

Koufax, btw, was still about 2-1/2 months from turning 30 in that above clip w/Scully.

He'd pitch just one more season before retiring, a season consisting of 41 starts, 323 innings, and 317 Ks!.

The 1.73 ERA he threw in '66 was the lowest of his career and he led the league in numbers of batters faced in both '65 & '66

All of which kind of clues you in to why he felt it necessary to hang 'em up at the age of 30.

[Edgy MD]

Nick Lowe's promotional video for his 1979 #12 smash "Cruel to Be Kind" famously features footage from his actual wedding to Carlene Carter, interspersed with fake wedding day drama pantomimed by Rockpile's Dave Edmunds (the chauffeur), Billy Bremner (the baker), and Terry Williams (the photographer).

Less famous is that the footage of Lowe miming the song with Rockpile is shot at the Johansen Spot at the Trop.

[YOUTUBE]b0l3QWUXVho[/YOUTUBE]

The Tropicana was at 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard and in latter days the facility has become a Ramada Inn, with new frontage built on to the existing building, but I guess it's a real open question whether it's still standing after this past week.

[whippoorwill]

I’ve been wondering that all week

[Frayed Knot]

1) you can see her mother in Carlene's face

2) the marriage didn't last

[Edgy MD]

Clem Burke in the right foreground of the shot, going for a swim at The Tropicana with his Blondie bandmates.

[metirish]

Image isn't loading

[Edgy MD]

That is disappointing, but here is Clem catching some rays at The Trop.

[fimg=500]https://metsrostercentral.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/clem.jpg[/fimg]

[Edgy MD]

Famed muscleman Dee Dee Ramone brings his poolside game to The Trop.

[FIMG=450]https://metsrostercentral.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/dee.jpg[/FIMG]

[kcmets]

We're gonna need an UNSEE button here...

[whippoorwill]

Never mind look at the haircut and you’ll unsee everything else

[whippoorwill]

Though Peter Tork looked cute with it

[ashie62]

Great photo

One two tree faw!!

[metirish]

[TWEET]

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Big hands needed to clean the motel

[Frayed Knot]

And somehow Sandy wound up sitting two rows Behind Harry & Meagan for Game 4 at Dodger Stadium.

[stevejrogers]

And somehow Sandy wound up sitting two rows Behind Harry & Meagan for Game 4 at Dodger Stadium.

 

Well, he still holds the distinction of being the only Dodger pitcher period to close out a championship season on his home mound back in ‘63!

1955 MFY Stadium

1959 Comiskey

1965 Metropolitan Stadium

1981 MFY Stadium II

1988 Oakland Coliseum

2020 Wearing home whites, but at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington

2024 MFY Stadium III

2025 IDGAF that it bears my own name, I’m Still Calling it Skydome