Sports Illustrated magazine cover (1969-07-21) - “Torch of the Twins” (Billy Martin)
Posted by Rhubarb_Runner on Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 6:00 am
SBG Note: Rhubarb_Runner continues his SBG Library entries with a look at an SI Cover.
[contributed by: Rhubarb_Runner]
Sports Illustrated cover - July 21, 1969
"The Torch of the Twins" "Fiery Manager Billy Martin"
photographed by Tony Triolo
accompanying article by Roy Bount, Jr
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This issue's cover story is titled "A Torrid Time for the Twins" and is found on pages 16-19: Blowtorch Billy Martin has transformed 1968's sluggish team into one that may literally steal the pennant. Along with the fine article are b/w photos featuring Frank Quilici and Chuck Manuel, Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, and one of Billy doing some gardening.
Additional articles of note include:
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England's Tony Jacklin winning the British Open
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US swimmers (incl. M. Spitz) & divers at Santa Clara
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part II of an article by Kenneth "Hawk" Harrelson
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baseball as played in Japan
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US javelin thrower Mark Murro
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Madison Square Garden boxing "matchmaker" Teddy Brenner.
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Personal notes:
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I began collecting the SI Twins covers quite a while back, mostly at used bookstores when living in the LA area. My roommate during the 1987 WS run was a Dodgers fan, so I got those three SI's on the cheap. Ebay made picking up the last few a snap.
Please drop an email to SBGLibrary (at) hotmail (dot) com if you have a suggestion or a submission for the SBG Library.
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Hey SBG -- how do I limit how much of the article shows on the main WGOM page? There's no need for the whole article to take up space there.
btw everyone, CarterHayes has put together a nice Library item for later next week (good one, CH!)
<!--more--> puts the break in.
Note, there are supposed to be two hyphens on each side of the word more.
ah! much better. I'll add that to the "template"
The article reminds Moss of a discussion, probably from AG.com, on the abuse of the term "literally." Obviously the Twins didn't "literally" steal the pennant. Quite the opposite. They literally did NOT steal the pennant.
It is an annoying trend, In Moss' Humble Opinion.
So how many SI covers are there for the Twins?
That is one of my pet peeves as well. I recall a discussion last year about how Derek Jeter literally carried the Yankees on his shoulders. Which would have been interesting to see in the least.
Yeah, my daughter has picked up the "literally" kick now, too, and no matter how much I question her on it, she continues to use it incorrectly.
You're going to make me count the SIs?
I believe there are 18, plus one "SI for Kids" cover. unofficial tally. Watch for more of them to show up here in the future.
David Cross does an excellent bit about the misuse of the word "literally." Since misusing "literally" tends to mean that you are using it in the precise opposite of its meaning. He particularly hammers on sports announcers. He then follows this with pet peeve two, athletes speaking of themselves in the third person. A great Ricky Henderson bit.
(Seemed apropos in this instance.
Also one of my pet peeves. I would estimate that "literally" is used correctly 10% of the time, if that.
Hey RR,
I have the SI from 1987 when the Twins won the World Series. No big deal right? Well it's covered with autographs including:
Frank Viola
Kent Hrbek
Kirby Puckett
Dan Gladden
Gary Gaetti
Tim Laudner
Time has faded the autographs have faded a bit but you can still see them.
Now that is cool. Got a scanner handy? That would make a great cover image when we post that issue to The Library. Feel free to mail it to the SBGLibrary email address, if you are able to scan it!
Rhu_Ru: I would gladly scan it for you. Just send it to me
Uh, bS, I already have a scanner, and have been using it quite a bit already for the Library items queued up. We're talking to freealonzo here.
And somehow, I think you would "lose" the magazine "in the mail"...
*raises hands in air, Duncanesque look of shock on face*
For those who may not know, the Twins were the first club to hire Billy Martin as a manager. The Twins won the AL West that year (the first year of divisional play), but Martin was fired in part because of a fight that he got into with pitcher Dave Boswell.
Although most accounts say that Boswell initially was fighting with Bob Allison at the same bar Martin and pitching coach Art Fowler were drinking. Martin saw the conflict escalate and escalated the fray.
Also, pretty much everyone in the organization considered Boswell a pretty boy piece of crap.
(I've been researching Martin's 1969 season the last few months in the hopes of perhaps compiling something to present at a SABR convention in the next year or two.)