Harry Kallas Calls Cesar Cedeno's 1st MLB HR

[JSngry]

http://www.astrosdaily.com/audio/70cedenohr.mp3

Check out the scoreboard sounds.

[BERIGAN]

Was Yosemite Sam the team mascot then???? And why does Calas sound so happy??? Thought he was always with the Phillies??? And Cesar Cedeno, a blast from the past! The next Willie Mays, right???

[JSngry]

Not Yosemite Sam, no, just the Astrodome Home Run Spectacular: http://www.astrosdaily.com/history/scoreboard/

And Kallas was with the Astros for a few years before going to Philly. With the Astros, he teamed with the urbane, Gene Elston, who did innings 1-2 & 8-9. & the down-home Uber-Homer Loel Passe who did 3-5. Kallas did 6-7 and was very much the freshly starched, sparkingly scrubbed Nice Young Man. His, "and that ball is an ASTRO ORBIT" was his signature, and he never did get it to where it sounded like he was saying it because he had to, if you know what I mean.

And oh my yes, Cedeno was hyped to the high hills in Houston! This was an expansion franchise, remember, and for the better part of the 60s, they played in a setup with no divisions, just a 10 team league, winner take all. So the benchmarks for improvement, and therefore cause for excitement were of a different nature that today. I remember when the team first had a chance to finish at .500 - you'd would have thought that they were competing for the Series! So when a young stud like Cedeno shows up, a kid with true potential, you better believe that the organization made it sound like he was Jesus With Pine Tar. And they did!

Here's Loel Passe calling a play by Cedeno. Loel talks like a hapless PR puppet, which is a big part of what he was, but by no means was that all he was.

http://www.astrosdaily.com/audio/72ccitphr.mp3

Loel Passe was...Loel Passe. God bless Loel Passe.

[tkeith]

Was Yosemite Sam the team mascot then???? And why does Calas sound so happy??? Thought he was always with the Phillies??? And Cesar Cedeno, a blast from the past! The next Willie Mays, right???

Cesar was better with a handgun than Willie.