AUG2013:   THE 124th  ARTICLE FOR BASEBALL GURU

ONEMOREINNING

literary, theatrical, and baseball phenomenon:      In 1955 an unheralded play came to Broadway based on a very heralded best selling novel. It featured a fairly known television actor (Ray Walston), a not very well known singing, dancing, actress (Gwen Verdon), and a virtual unknown actor (Stephen Douglass)        It did however have some heavyweight talents involved in its formation. Harold Prince was its producer, music and lyrics were by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, and the book was by George Abbott (based on the novel by Douglas Wallop).    It ran for a walloping 1,019 performances and ended up winning the Tony Award for best musical.    It took the baseball world by surprise! Its not every day that you wed the National Pastime to the Faustian Image and come out with a smash hit.    The plot deals with a middle aged real estate agent who makes a deal with a Mr. Applegate (the Devil) to be transformed into a super ballplayer (Joe Hardy) to help transform the pathetic Washington Senators. At the end of the musical the Senators win everything, Hardy foils Applegate and his sexy curvaceous assistant, and alls well that ends well.    The musical featured witty dialogue and a brilliant score. Songs such as GOODBYE OLD GIRL, HEART, SHOELESS JOE FROM HANNIBAL MO, WHATEVER LOLA WANTS, THOSE WERE THE GOOD OLD DAYS, TWO LOST SOULS. have become pop standards.    in 1958 after a successful run on Broadway a film version appeared starring everyone from the original production with the exception of Stephen Douglass who had played the part of Joe Hardy. Tab Hunter stepped into that role and did well.    Over the years there have been several successful revivals and word has it that another one is on its way.    No other show based on baseball has been that successful. THE BASEBALL SHOW:     Features an Umpire who narrates a series of anecdotal material about the happenings that take place on a Minor League ballfield. We're introduced to a young girl coming to her first ballgame, some raucous old ladies giving an Umpire a hell of a a time, Shoeless Joe Jackson coming on to the field as a ghost and giving out baseball tips, an executive skips work to come to the game, and a so so ball player who might make a spectacular play.It is based on the novel by Cynthia Mercati who also wrote the musical and most of the songs.  The musical appeared in 1990 and did poorly off Broadway. It has had minor reviews since then.                                     NEXT MONTH, BASEBALL SHOWS: PART THREE.