Frank Robinson: Player/Manager with Homerun/Win

On April 8, 1975, Frank Robinson broke the managing color barrier in Major League Baseball.  For the first time in league history, the Cleveland Indians were managed by an African American.  

Thanks to MLBNetwork and their new morning chatfest 'MLB Central', we are treated to a videotaped view of that historic afternoon.

The Story of the 1957 World Series Game 1 release

The 1957 World Series is one of the few kinescope-era World Series that we have multiple complete or near complete broadcasts.  In 2007, we discussed that Doak Ewing of RareSportsFilms had shown or sold the broadcasts of Games 3, 4 and 7.  Later, in 2013, Doak began to sell a near-complete copy of Game 5.  Game 6 has been part of a partial that he sells with a copy of the World Series Film. That update left only Game 1 and 2 from seeing the light of day.

Game 1, however, has since made it's way out into the world in the last two weeks through an eye-raising series of events.  How that game came out and how you can find it, after the jump.

RIP Lon Simmons (1923-2015)

One of the original San Fransisco Giants game announcers, Lon Simmons passed away Sunday.  The Giants issued the following in their press release:

But it was with the Giants that Simmons made his biggest impact. Their arrival from New York in 1958 was a historic event, since it marked the Major Leagues' first westward movement. Teaming with Russ Hodges, Simmons provided verbal illustrations of the excitement generated by the talent-laden clubs that recorded winning records each year from 1958-71, yet captured only one National League pennant. The exploits of San Francisco's core of eventual Hall of Famers -- Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda and Gaylord Perry -- were rendered unforgettable when delivered in Simmons' rich baritone.

Simmons would also call games for the Bay Area's other team, the Oakland A's, from 1981-1995.  It was during this stint that Simmons was able to call the final outs of a World Series, something that had alluded him on the other side of the Bay.

View image | gettyimages.com

More after the jump:

When Campy Forgot the Number of Outs

Happy Opening Night!

MLB.com gives us a 17-second clip on their YouTube channel of some vintage color videotape footage.  The wonderful part of this color videotape is that it preserves the remarkable brilliance of Charlie Finley's golden A's vests. 

The green stirrups with yellow socks.  The yellow vests with green sleeves.  The white spikes.  Dressed to the Nines actually lists that this combo didn't exist.  The socks, with the yellow vests should have been white.  These uniforms continued to feature the big green A on them for the second season. The 1970 season would be the first season they were no longer known as the Athletics but as solely the A's.  Modern baseball vests are often a terrible look due to their fit but this look is perfect and timeless.  

As for the game itself, it took place July 19, 1970 at Fenway Park.  More on that, after the jump.