He said there was nothing more quintessentially American than baseball, apple pie and the Fourth of July. On this Independence Day, I’m honoring him by listening to a ballgame on the radio then watching the fireworks at night. Add some apple pie, and I’ll be good to go.
A new book merges American cultural history with wacky recollections of baseball from the decade of the 1970s. I had forgotten some of these bizarre details until I read “Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging ’70s” by Dan Epstein.
Epstein has compiled a fascinating history. He juxtaposes the cultural forces of that time with the notable baseball events from that decade. He asserts that baseball was a fairly conservative sport up until the late 1960s, when the great ferment in American popular culture began to seep into the dugouts and clubhouses of major league baseball.
Many baseball players began growing their hair longer. Some experimented with illegal drugs. New stadiums with artificial turf became prevalent. Some ballclubs began wearing polyester uniforms in a rainbow of wild colors. In an effort to attract fans, ballparks came up with ridiculous promotional concepts, which in hindsight now seem completely insane.
We learn the details of the game when the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, Dock Ellis, threw a no-hitter while he was under the influence of LSD. Epstein recounts how some New York Yankees pitchers swapped their wives. Did you know that the first long-haired ballplayer was the New York Yankee Joe Pepitone? His long hair was really just a toupee.
Do you remember the streaking craze? After a naked streaker ran across the stage during the Academy Awards, the craze spread to ballparks.
He recalls a game between the Reds and the Mets in September 1973 at Shea Stadium. A riot broke out. He writes: “Gazing forlornly out at the orgy of mayhem happening on the field, Reds Manager Sparky Anderson sighed and asked a reporter, ‘Can you imagine this happening in America?’ ”
There was the free beer promotion at Cleveland, where intoxicated fans stormed the field. The decade ended with the infamous “Disco Demolition.” It was a doubleheader between the White Sox and the Tigers in Chicago. Between games, a gigantic pile of disco records was detonated in the outfield. Chaos and anarchy followed, and game 2 was never played.
There’s mostly baseball though, memorable games, winners and losers. “Big Hair and Plastic Grass” is a hilarious, nostalgic, absurd and ultimately sobering tribute to a time that was utterly unique.
When my dad heard about the “Disco Demolition,” he couldn’t understand the point.
Dad, it’s the Fourth of July, I’m tasting some apple pie.
Contact book reviewer Vick Mickunas at vick@vickmickunas.com.
About the Author