1975 Play-by-Play

It was the first year of play without Dr. Death, who had run up four straight victories since the Game became official and then retired at the end of the 1974 season. For once the gamesters knew that someone else would surely win. Would it be co-founder Binky Brown? Or some brash young rookie? Here is how it unfolded...

January 8th, e. mcgrath took the lead at four points with a solo on operatic tenor Richard Tucker... Jan. 19th, rookie R. Gilbert, a.k.a. Dr. Gilbo, hit his first solo, a deuce on painter Thomas Hart Benton... Jan. 24th, D. Perriman Jr. soloed on the Three Stooge's Larry Fine for three points.

February 14th, T. Curran soloed for one on author P. G. Wodehouse, a huge favorite in Game circles... Feb. 25th, Binky Brown soloed for three on Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammed, but still e. mcgrath held the lead at four points.

March 14th, seven gamesters scored five on actress Susan Hayward. Wresting the lead from e. mcgrath and moving to eight points were Binky Brown and D. Perriman Jr. ... But the very next day, G. Conway led seven in scoring four on shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and she took the lead at nine points... Mar. 16th, J. DeGeorge, e. mcgrath and D. Perriman Sr. tallied two on hostess Perle Mesta... Mar. 25th, R. Gilbert and B. "Whip" Lasch scored a royal four on King Faisal.

April 5th, Chang Kai-shek let power slip from his grasp and dropped two points into the hands of nine gamesters. Still in the lead, G. Conway moved to 11 points, with Binky Brown and D. Perriman Jr. at 10... Apr. 10th, R. Gilbert hit his second solo on the toast of Paris, singer/dancer/sensation Josephine Baker for four points and his share of second place at 10.

May 5th, still game, e. mcgrath soloed on former N.Y. Sen. Ken Keating for three points... The very next day, D. Perriman Jr. led a group of three in a two-point hit on Hungary's Cardinal Mindszenty and took the lead at 12 points, followed closely by J. DeGeorge at 11... May 13th, D. Perriman Sr. soloed for three melodious points on country singer Bob Wills... May 23rd, B. McArdle (who had submitted his entire list in rhyme) and J. C. Hoffmeier scored three on classic comic Jackie "Moms" Mabley... May 27th, Binky Brown and J. Smoke tallied five each on boxer Ezzard Charles. The hit gave Binky the lead at 15 points.

June 28th, R. Gilbert hit solo #3, this time on writer and "Twilight Zone" creator Rod Serling for five points, which thrust him into a tie with Binky Brown at 15 points each.

July 30th, Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, but disappearance does not mean death in the Death Game, and B. "Whip" Lasch and D. McCarthy were told to wait for a body; they are still waiting.

August 9th, R. Gilbert hit solo #4 on composer Dmitri Shostakovich for four points and took the lead at 19. But just six days later, on Aug. 15th, Binky Brown and N. Basal scored on Bangladesh President Sheik Mujibir Rahman, assassinated during a coup, and the five points moved Binky back into the lead at 20... Aug. 27th, both Binky Brown and R. Gilbert were in the crowd of 13 who scored two on Ethiopia's Haile Selassie, moving to 22 and 21 respectively. A notable early appearance: Skul, with his Wild Card... Two days later, Binky Brown was back with D. Perriman Jr. scoring an ace on Ireland's patriot and president, Eamon de Valera, inching out to a 23 - 21 lead over R. Gilbert.

September 30th, Binky Brown was back again, leading a team of nine in a deuce on baseball's Casey Stengel. The hit moved him to 25 points and a 25 - 21 lead over Gilbert.

October 22nd, D. Perriman Sr. had a nice solo two on Arnold Toynbee, English historian and author.

November 20th, Spain's Francisco Franco, "El Puto," died in slow, horrible pain as 12 gamesters looked on impatiently. Binky Brown moved to 27 points, all he would need to win in 1975. Also scoring two, R. Gilbert, moving to 23 points, good enough for second place. Going wild were Ghostwriter (who shared Franco's birthday), B. "Whip" Lasch and D. Perriman Jr.

December 4th, J. Corrigan soloed for three on Purdue football coach Jack Mollenkopf... Dec. 7th, Mr. Clete, the Game's dark dog, the furry rocket, the clever canine, soloed for three on playwright Thornton Wilder... On Dec. 14th, in the final hit of the year, five gamesters scored two on Arthur Treacher. Enjoying their fish & chips and watching Arthur butler in an old movie were D. Beach, Mr. Clete, J.C. Hoffmeier, J. Smoke and D. Perriman Jr.

And so it ended, with Binky Brown triumphant and Rookie of the Year R. Gilbert showing tremendous style.

Let's look at the Top Ten for 1975.

Take me on to 1976.

Take me back to Play-by-Play.