Back on July 11, 1963, Galveston Tribune sports staff reporter Chuck Pickard collected these fan opinions into one column on the needs of the Houston Colt .45s in their second year of MLB life. Much of what the fans sa0d back then may sound familiar today.
Fifty years later, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Enjoy!
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Better Days Await Colts
By
Chuck Pickard, News-Tribune Sports Staff, Galveston Tribune, July 11, 1963
Although Houston is floundering around in the Depths of the National League this season, better things are ahead for the Colt .45s in the next five years.
At least this was the opinion gleaned in an interview with 12 Galvestonians Wednesday.
Leading off the interview was J.W. BROWN, manager of Walgreen Drugs.
For the first pitch, Brown was asked to pinpoint the main reason for the decrease in Houston’s attendance this season.
“There was more general public interest in the Colts last season,” the druggist answered. “There were a lot of fans went to games last season just out of curiosity. This year the Colts are having to depend more on the dyed-in-the-wool fan.”
The next batter was ARNOLD NEFF, manager of the Style Mart clothes store. Neff, who has been a baseball fan all his life, has viewed four games in Colt Stadium this season and he hopes to see every team in the league play at least once this year.
Domed Stadium Will Help
As for the future, Neff feels Houston will eventually become one of the top drawing teams in the National League. “The dome stadium will attract people from all over the country,” he said.
RON LUKER, a salesman at Skain’s Sporting Goods, thinks the Colts’ inability to win on the road is putting a crimp in home attendance.
“Another thing that hurts the gate is the Colts’ failure to put together a winning streak,” Luker said. He still feels Houston’s home attendance will reach the 850,000 mark.
Hitting cleanup in the interview was young MIKE LUQUETTE, a member of the Ball High football team.
Although he will quickly tell you football is his favorite sport, Luquette is happy he lives near major league baseball. The Ball High gridder has attended only one Colt game this summer, but he hopes to see more, time permitting.
GILBERT MENDIOLA, a parking lot attendant, hated to see Houston trade away Roman Mejias to the Red Sox. Mendiola has seen two games this season and is a regular listener on radio.
Barbers SAM and CHARLES PISTONE are avid Colt backers, but they both feel Houston is killing its gate, especially in the outlying areas, by blacking out major league telecasts on the weekend.
Sam thinks Mejias would have turned the tide in some of the one-run defeat suffered by Houston this season. Brother Charles calls Dick Farrell “one of the best pitchers in the league.”
I.C. JONES, a Texaco Service Station owner, hasn’t seen the Colts play this year, but he hopes to make at least one game on their next homestand. He wants to see the Mets. “Maybe Houston can win then,” smiled Jones.
ALEX BALFOUR, a fireman who has followed Houston baseball dating back to the days of Joe Medwick and Dizzy Dean, thinks the Colts need more depth before they can move up in the standings.
Should Televise Home Games
FAYNE NEWBURN thinks attendance at Colt games would improve if the team would televise its home games.
“Just look what TV did for bowling,” remarked Newburn, a desk clerk at the Jean Lafitte Hotel. “There’s no reason TV couldn’t do the same for baseball.”
MRS. G. BROOKS doesn’t let working as a cashier at the Martini Theater keep her from hearing Colt games. She had her portable radio tuned to every play of Houston’s 2-0 victory over Pittsburgh Wednesday night.
Mrs. Brooks is another who objects to the blackout of major league games in Galveston. “This is stamping out baseball interest on the island,” she claims. “Now we don’t see American League teams at all.”
GENE MARINELLI was the last to take his swings, and the Galveston barber predicts better things for the Colts.
“Houston has had a lot of bad luck on the road, but with a few breaks turning their way the Colts should start winning,” Marinelli said.
The Colts made a prophet of Marinelli by beating Pittsburgh.
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In 1963 and 2013, hope springs eternal.
Tags: BASEBALL FAN OPINIONS
The Pecan Park Eagle 
November 8, 2013 at 5:19 pm |
Very interesting perspectives, especially about the television blackouts. I did not live in the Houston area in 1963 so I do not recall the issue, but I do remember those days when very few games made it on television, so I could see the points made by the fans.
November 9, 2013 at 2:24 pm |
That sample of folks did not turn up any hard core fans who attended many games. Houston has some now, but still a lot of the type that were interviewed. Some things don’t change with 50+ years of MLB or not…or course those were all Galvestonians and they did have to drive an hour to get to Colt Stadium. (Current Houstonians often have to drive longer than that!)
November 9, 2013 at 4:21 pm |
I’ve always thought that the pendulum swings back and forth and things always repeat themselves in different, but similar ways! And not always to our liking!!!!!