Bill russell baseball stats with batting stats, pitching stats and fielding stats, along with uniform numbers, salaries, quotes, career stats and biographical data presented by baseball almanac. Kurts father, bing russell, who is perhaps best known for his role as deputy clem foster in bonanza and robert in the magnificent seven, also played in the minor leagues, playing in 19481949 for the carrollton hornets. Kurt russell society for american baseball research. Like his son, bing russell was an actor with formidable credits in films and gueststarring roles in television, including a recurring part as sheriff clem foster for nearly 60 episodes on bonanza. Curiously, norfolk had played a more recent part in bing russell s baseball odyssey when he returned to the city in the late 1990s to watch grandson matt during his sojourns with the norfolk tides, then the mets triplea affiliate. This isnt particularly shocking, when you realize the directors are bing russell s grandkids. After bing russell s death in 2003, the bat remained in the familys possession. The battered bastards of baseball doesnt have an edge sharp enough to scuff a baseball. In 1973, hollywood veteran bing russell best known for playing deputy clem on bonanza created the only independent baseball team in america at the time, the legendary portland mavericks. I created this quiz to serve as a litmus test of peoples baseball savvy.
Best recognized for his appearances in westerns, he worked on john sturges the magnificent seven 1960 and later became popular for portraying deputy clem foster on the. Kurt russell l and bing russell, owner of the portland mavericks r, in a scene from the netflix documentary the battered bastards of baseball. He made his film debut in 1951 in an uncredited role, but then went on to be in hundreds of films and television shows during his fortyyear acting career. How the battered bastards of baseball kept portland weird. The portland mavericks baseball club was created with a free and independent spirit in mind. Run expectancy, and leverage index calculations provided by tom tango of, and coauthor of the book. They played five seasons in the class ashort season northwest league, from 1973 through 1977. Here youll find current best sellers in books, new releases in books, deals in books, kindle ebooks, audible audiobooks, and so much more. The battered bastards of baseball, a new documentary that will. An outstanding memory is growing up in a baseball family, says kurt russell. Bookrecommendations site finds obscure oregon connections, takes reader down rabbit.
Bing russell biography affair, married, wife, ethnicity. Still, bing s first love became his sons first love. Bing russells grandsons explore his battered bastards of. Kurt is releasing a film on the life and times of the mavericks. Bing russell, with a sure sense of showmanship, devised and staged some extraordinary baseball shtick that made the mavericks games as much spectacles, and rowdily participatory ones, as they. The story of how russell joined the yankees is a flexible piece of family lore, one whose details change slightly depending on the teller, whether its kurt or bings widow, louise, or his grandson, chapman way, who, with brother maclain, made a 2014 documentary about bing and the portland mavericks called the battered bastards of baseball. Bing russell was a former professional baseball player who also had a fourdecadelong acting career, during which he appeared in hundreds of films and television shows. He was best known for playing the role of deputy clem foster on bonanza, beginning in 1959 and of robert in the magnificent seven in 1960 russell was the father of golden globe nominated actor, kurt russell. It turns out father bing had a lifelong affinity for the game, even being part of a significant piece of baseball history as mascot for the new york. Although best known as the deputy on bonanza 1959 and robert in the magnificent seven 1960, russell s notoriety on a national level was as the owner of the portland mavericks baseball club. First of all, the father, neil oliver bing russell, was born in 1926 in.
Archive footage of bing russell managing the portland mavericks in the battered bastards of baseball documentary. Swanson fit right in on the team that included bing s son, kurt russell, and former new york yankee, jim bouton. The portland mavericks the battered bastards of baseball. His dad, bing russell owned the portland mavericks, a wild crazy team that made the history books. The colorful true story of the portland mavericks, a scrappy, independent baseball team of underdogs started by actor bing russell in the 1970s. The battered bastards of baseball hits insidethepark. Kurt russell played minor league baseball until an injury. Bing russell timeline featuring tv shows and other. Russell had a different vision for his team than most baseball owners, one where entertainment was as important as athleticism. The two men did not distinguish themselves in the record books, and their playing.
Then, in 1977, after five years of shenanigans from an independent team with an owner better known as the deputy sheriff on bonanza, major league baseball muscled the mavericks out of existence. Bing russell may 5, 1926 april 8, 2003 was an american actor and baseball club owner. Kurt russells dad, the actor bing russell, planted the portland mavericks there, joined the shortseason northwest league, and fielded a. The title is from a line in jim boutons book ball four. The parallels between baseball and movies run deep. With todd field, kurt russell, rob nelson, jim swanson. Bing russell s grandsons explore his battered bastards of baseball brothers chapman, left, and maclain way are codirectors of the documentary film, the battered bastards of baseball. In 1973, hollywood actor bing russell roared into oregon. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide. Pitcher jim bouton, who wrote the controversial book ball four and was drummed out of major league baseball because of it, could still fling the horsehide. Neil oliver bing russell may 5, 1926 april 8, 2003 was an american actor and class a minorleague baseball club owner. The battered bastards of baseball, a lively and cautionary. Book recommendations site finds obscure oregon connections, takes reader down rabbit hole.
When portland, oregon lost their mlb affiliated team, actor and former professional baseball player, bing russell, wanted to create a team of independent players that were. Russell returned to baseball in the 1970s as owner of the portland mavericks of the northwest league. They signed former yankee pitcher jim bouton, then considered a reprobate because of his. He was the father of kurt russell, a popular actor, and grandfather of matt franco, baseball player. A new documentary examines the brief, weird tale of bing russell s minor league team. In just 32 pages he tells the tale of huey, a 50s kid who wants nothing more than to get. Best known as deputy sheriff clem on bonanza, character actor bing russell 47, tu48.
The battered bastards of baseball is a 2014 documentary film about the portland mavericks, a defunct minor league baseball team in portland, oregon. The official page of the portland mavericks baseball club, inc the original portland mavericks played in the northwest single a league from 19731977. Bing russell turned minorleague baseball upside down with his portland mavericks. Russells baseball experience likely helped him land his next part in a. The portland mavericks baseball team were more than just mavericks. An ailing lou gehrig took his last swing in baseball on april, 1939the. Maybe the film draws parallels between the father and son, too. Bing russell simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This isnt a baseball trivia quiz it focuses entirely on the games rules and strategies. Ive had many people tell me they think baseball is boring, but i think they simply dont understand the sport well enough to appreciate it. He was the father of golden globe awardnominated actor kurt russell and grandfather of exmajor league baseball player matt franco. The books homepage helps you explore earths biggest bookstore without ever leaving the comfort of your couch. Its a brief history of 1970s portland and national baseball, and then actormovie star kurt russell and his mother louise russell begin discussing his father in a typical documentary format.
Bing russell biography affair, married, wife, ethnicity, nationality, net worth, height married biography who is bing russell. Bing operated without a major league affiliation while playing in a city that was considered a wasteland for. Owner bing russell made baseball history in november of that year when he promoted 24yearold lanny moss to become the first female general manager in professional baseball. Play ball kurt russell gets tips on bunting from actorfather bing russell bing. My dad and i talked about baseball all the time, especially. One without the influence of big league baseball pulling the strings. Bing russell castcap by cal bing in branded he was born neil oliver russell in brattleboro, vermont on may 5, 1926. Helming the only independent team in the class a northwest league, russell was an innovator. Official page for the portland mavericks baseball club. Bing russell and his collaborators held unheardof open tryouts. Play ball kurt russell gets tips on bunting from actorfather bing. He was also popularly known as class a minor league baseball club owner. A new documentary examines the brief, weird tale of bing russells minor league team. Its the story of an actor named bing russell, who in 1973 had just come off a.
Bing russell s baseball career fizzled out after he was hit in the head, so he made a name for himself acting and was famous for his role in bonanza. Owned by actor bing russell, the mavericks were an independent team. Actor bing russell kurts father created a ragtag independent baseball team called the portland mavericks in the 1970s. Bing russell was a minor league player in the new york yankees farm system and later a hollywood actor most known for his work in the tv show bonanza. Russell, who died in 2003, was an outsized force of nature in whose life the national pastime and hollywood fame deeply and happily entwined. Bing helps you turn information into action, making it faster and easier to go from searching to doing. The battered bastards of baseball is one of baseballs last great, unheralded true stories. Owned by actor bing russell, the team was featured in the documentary the battered bastards of baseball. In the 1970s, independent baseball leagues as we know them today were nonexistent. After the hit tv show bonanza ended in 1973, actor bing russell, who played deputy clem foster for years, moved to portland, oregon, and started an independent baseball club. Bing russell was an american actor and baseball club owner. Whenever a book by a writer i especially respect refers to additional material, i will seek it out more often than not.
Its the name of the man whose biography encompasses all this and moreneil bing russell. My mom didnt have a backyard with a pool and beautiful grass. In 1975, again under manager frank peters, the mavericks played to a 4235 record, finishing in first place in the newly aligned north division. Its content to be the scrappy, inspiring underdog story. He was the father of golden globenominated actor kurt russell and grandfather of exmajor league baseball player matt franco. In 1973, there were no independent baseball teams in america, except for one. The battered bastards of baseball netflix official site. The battered bastards of baseball is one of baseball s last great, unheralded true stories. He has since written multiple books, including counting coup a.
According to rotten tomatoes, these are the top ten baseball flics. From 1973 to 1977, former hollywood actor bing russell turned a ragtag team of misfits into a winning minor league team and one of the. In the spirit and dream of bing russell, the original founder of the portland mavericks, we are bringing back the portland mavericks to portland oregon to play baseball again in a way. In the 1970s, bing russell father of actor kurt russell assembled a ragtag band of baseball players in portland, oregon, to create a barnstorming independent team dubbed the mavericks. See more ideas about baseball, portland and kurt russell. An ailing lou gehrig took his last swing in baseball on april, 1939 the.
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