Page 265 - 1975 BoSox

258 ’75—THE RED SOX TEAM THAT SAVED BASEBALL
“a rst-of-its-kind idea, anchors and reporters speaking amid live newsroom chaos. When lm or commercial ran, our police radio was turned on full.” In September 1969 Pirates skipper Larry Shepard was red, his successor expected to be Don Hoak or Bill Virdon of the sainted 1960 world champion Bucs. On decision eve, Stockton repeated his on-air view that “Don’s personality was needed after Shepard’s quiet manner.” e next day at 5 P.M. retired 1960 Pittsburgh manager Danny Murtaugh was surprisingly rehired. Dick took a call from Hoak: “hurt, furious, wanting to come on and blast the Pirates.” Dissuading him, Stockton went live at 6.
Minutes later police radio reported that Hoak had been found dead in suburban Shadyside. Numb, Stockton said: “We have just found out a shocking and incredibly sad development. Don Hoak, who had been a prime candidate to become new manager of the Pirates, has died of a heart attack. Details to come on the 7 P.M. newscast.” After the 30-minute network news, he told how someone had tried to steal the car of Don’s brother-in-law. Hoak started his own auto, chased but never caught the other car, and was found slumped over the steering wheel at the bottom of a hill. Dick said that “to this day, Hoak’s wife believes that Don, who so badly wanted to manage the Pirates, died of a broken heart. Before broadcasting baseball, I endured a baseball tragedy.”
In 1971 Stockton moved to Boston NBC outlet WBZ, his coverage including commentary. In 1973 he left to freelance: Home Box O ce cable TV, hoops Celtics, Baltimore Colts preseason football, and CBS pro football in-studio host. In 1974 he was phoned by Gene Kirby, producer of the mega-popular Dizzy Dean’s 1953-65 Game of the Week. “Gene had great stories,” said Dick, “since Dean was awful at pronounc- ing surnames.” Chico Carrasquel was “that guy with the three Ks in his name.” Italian and Polish runners occupied each base. “ ere’s a line drive,” Ol’ Diz said, “and here’s Gene Kirby to tell you all about it.” Boston’s new v.p., administration, told Stockton about a Red Sox TV play-by-play vacancy, then asked for an audi- tion tape. e 32-year-old didn’t have one, his baseball
vitae limited to 30 Indians HBO games in 1974. “So?” Kirby said. “Go to Shea Stadium”— the Yanks’ home as e House at Ruth Built was renovated — “record a game, and send me what you do.”
Dick thought Kirby would recommend him or say, “I wasn’t what Gene was looking for.” Instead, he again phoned, starting: “Got a pad?” Stockton took notes — “seven pages, back and front”— as Kirby lectured “from pregame to nal out, the little I’d done right, the more I’d done wrong.” Tape again, Gene ordered, which six times Dick did, Kirby demanding that he “phrase correctly—baseball’s ‘patter’—and properly inject things and describe plays.” After the seventh tape Kirby called to say “Eureka!” He could nally recommend Dick to the Red Sox. In 1975 Stockton said of Fisk, “Who could have predicted when I was enduring the grueling exercise of taping and being critiqued that one year later I would call such a play?” He wouldn’t have, without Gene.
At the time, Dick said, “I’ve always wanted to be an announcer for a major-league team because I think it’s the best job in sports broadcasting, and the Red Sox are the best team in the majors to cover.” He never changed his mind, always saying, “My time in Boston pivoted my career.” Such a trope seemed equally ap- plicable to Stockton’s analyst, popular 1967-69 Sox slugger Ken “Hawk” Harrelson,” both crashing Hub TV amid change. For years, the club had “been stuck at 55 to 60 games,” said v.p./emeritus and team histo- rian Dick Bresciani. “It’s all the inventory [program- ming] our agship [WBZ] could handle. Network programming limited their freedom.” In late 1974, Hub UHF Channel 38 (WSBK) bought exclusivity for a 1975-1979 team-record $1.6 million a year. Non- network, it had more room in which to televise — 95 games by 1977.
“[Channel 38 G.M.] Bill Flynn told me he wanted to go with a new cast,” 1954-63 Indians and 1966-74 Red Sox play-by-playman Ken Coleman said in late 1974, soon returning to Ohio to televise the 1975-78 Reds. Harrelson replaced ex-Sox shortstop great Johnny Pesky. Some claim Harrelson beats his own drum. It is fairer to say he follows his own drummer. In 1969