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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER

Yesterday: A look at the 60s, 70s & 80s

In 1973, Mike Anderson was a highly touted 21-year-old who took over in right field for the Phillies, who believed he would be a mainstay there for some time. He also could play first base.

Anderson hit .254 that year and followed with two modest seasons in 1974 (.251) and ‘75 (.259) before he was dealt to St. Louis in the Bake McBride deal.

He was one of the Phillies’ Number One draft choices (1969) who didn’t quite meet expectations, and there were many who did.

In this week’s version of my Yesterday column - a trip back in time to the late 1960s, ‘70s and sometimes dipping into the early 80s and beyond – I will look at some of the more memorable Phillies’ No. 1 picks from 1970 to 1990 as well as some “number ones” in pop culture during the same period.

Those Searing Sixties and Seventies Stars: The player draft began in 1956 and the Phillies’ inaugural pick was right-handed pitcher Mike Adamson, who didn’t sign with the team. He later signed with the Orioles in 1967, and his career ended in 1969.

Greg Luzinski was the top pick in 1968, and the “Bull” moved quickly through the system. Mike Martin and Roy Thomas followed in the next two consecutive seasons, but neither of them worked out. Larry Christenson was selected in 1972, but “L.C.’s” career was cut short due to an offseason bicycle accident (remember?).

John Stearns was the pick in 1973, but he was dealt to the Mets for Tug McGraw. Lonnie Smith burst onto the scene in 1974, and he proved to be an integral part in the 1980 championship run.

From 1975 to 1980, only Scott Munninghoff (1977) made it to the big leagues, having just a four-game stint in 1980.

Eighties’ Elite: This era saw a handful of top draft picks who saw action in Phillies’ pinstripes.

Ricky Jordan was the top choice in 1983, and Jordan had a solid seven-year career (1988-94) as a line-drive hitter and first baseman before he left for free agency.

Pitcher Brad Brink (1986) had a cup of coffee with the Phillies before he ended up with the Giants. Fellow hurler Pat Combs was chosen first overall in 1988, but injuries shortened his career.

Outfielder Jeff Jackson was the Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 1989, and the Phillies thought they had a franchise-changing player. But his career ended in Reading in 1994 after several struggling seasons.

The 90s saw a number of picks who had made their mark with the Phillies. Mike Lieberthal was the top pick in 1990, and Tyler Green (‘91), Wayne Gomes (‘93), Carlton Loewer (‘94), Adam Eaton (‘96), Pat Burrell (‘98), and Brett Myers (‘99) all played different roles with the team.

Some Other Number Ones: One of the more prominent mentions of the word “One” came from the band Three Dog Night that released a song with the name in April 1969. The song rose to number five on the charts, but “One” easily is one of the most recognizable songs in the last 50 years.

Debbie Boone’s “You Light Up My Life” was the nation’s number one for 10 weeks in 1977, one of the longest stays in the 70s and all-time.

Terry Jacks had a one-hit wonder when his “Seasons in the Sun” stayed atop the charts for four weeks in 1974. Elton John’s “Island Girl” was number one for three weeks in January 1975, and “Escape, The Pina Colada Song” – another one-hit wonder – also stayed number one for three weeks beginning in late December 1979.

Those Terrific Taglines: Growing up in the 60s and 70s, there are some famous taglines from commercials that will always stay with us.

Go back to your Saturday morning cartoon watching days, and think about the Life cereal commercial involving “Mikey.” You know the 30-second spot ... I’m not going to try it ...let’s get Mikey, he’ll eat anything ... The bowl of cereal is put in front of Mikey and he begins eating ... ’He likes it, hey Mikey.”

Two other less memorable ones you may recall from the 1970s were the Dr Pepper commercial with the phrase, “Be A Pepper, Drink Dr Pepper,” and Bell Telephone’s “Reach Out and Touch Someone” in 1979.

Two other better remembered ones were Coke’s “It’s The Real Thing” from their commercial on top of a mountain, and American Express’s “Don’t leave home without it” with Streets of San Francisco actor Karl Malden. By the way, “The Streets of San Francisco” was one of top-rated shows of the mid-1970s, and a groundbreaking police drama in its time.

Those Number One Cult Movie Classics: It was Saturday night in the ‘70s, and one of the things we all did was to see the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at midnight at the old Lehigh Valley Mall theater.

The movie was released in 1975, but going to the Mall became popular in the late 70s and early ‘80s. It was interesting to see the players who acted out the scenes with the movie. Being a late teen, you never quite understood all of the sexual undercurrents of the film, but it always was that unique date.

A year earlier in 1974, “Blazing Saddles” hit the big screen, and it also developed into an instant success and a long-running classic. Most of the humor may not be acceptable in today’s standards, but it still was a comic masterpiece that everyone should see at least once.

Do you have a dime?: Remember back when you needed a dime to make a phone call, and if it was long distance, you had to make sure you had plenty of change.

How many of you remember when you needed a dime for a public toilet? Pay toilets were more prominent in public places such as airports, and they could be a nuisance to open. By the end of the 1970s and early 80s, they were either obsolete or replaced by digital ones for a brief time.

Do you remember?: Every week, I’ll mention a likely forgotten player or manager from yesterday…Do you remember Leo Rautins? He was the Sixers’ top pick in the 1983 draft as a small forward who enjoyed a stellar career at Syracuse and was a Canadian.

Due to a rash of injuries, Rautins played in only 28 games as a rookie and was traded in September 1984 to Indiana to make room for Charles Barkley under the salary cap. Rautins eventually signed with Atlanta as a free agent the following season, and knee surgeries ended his NBA career that year.

Rautins later played in Europe before he embarked on a 26-year broadcasting career with the Toronto Raptors before he was replaced this season.