Dick Cavett is something of a late-night oddity. Though he was one in a long line of would-be competitors who failed to make much of a dent in Johnny Carson’s 30-year stranglehold on the time period, Cavett’s show (or, more accurately, shows) stands alone.
To watch The Dick Cavett Show was to see a who’s who of politicians, novelists, journalists, and anyone else with an opinion from the Nixon years on. All would be called upon to discuss the news of the day and share stories from their illustrious lives. Even when more ‘traditional’ celebrities sat down on his trademark brown leather chairs, the level of conversation was elevated.
Few shows have gone through more incarnations. His show first aired over six years on ABC. Then it was on to CBS, PBS, USA Network, and eventually back to ABC, then CNBC, before a final run at Turner Classic Movies from 2006-2007. The show also moved throughout timeslots. During his time at ABC, for example, Cavett first aired in daytime, then primetime, before finally settling in late night, where he competed against that most famous of Nebraskans for a full five years.
Though he’s best remembered for conducting extended interviews that veered into the intellectual (at least by late-night standards), Cavett himself was no comic slouch. After all, he was good enough to get hired by Jack Paar after walking up to him in the 30 Rock lobby and handing him some jokes. He was also good enough for Carson to keep him on the writing staff once he took over.
And, as he proved on January 17, 1971, when The Dick Cavett Show pivoted in the direction of a more traditional late night bit, the host could deliver.
On this episode, Cavett’s guests were a pair of legendary baseball pitchers: Bob Feller and Vida Blue. By 1971, Feller had been in the Baseball Hall of Fame for nine years, a first-ballot inductee who made his MLB debut with the Cleveland Indians at the age of 17. In 1940, he won the Triple Crown (leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average). The next year, he enlisted in the United States Navy, just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Blue was a young gun for the Oakland Athletics. Just four months prior to his visit with Cavett, he’d pitched a no-hitter. Months later, he would begin a historic season, winning the AL MVP and Cy Young Awards. A six-time All-Star, his name often appears on lists of players fans believe should one day make the Hall of Fame.
On this day, both Blue and Feller are there to help Cavett learn a little bit more about America’s Pastime. The segment begins with Blue helping Cavett put on some catcher’s gear. It all looks wrong, and Cavett can sense it: “Is this a child’s version?” he asks of the small gear he has draped over his petite frame. Blue beings to help him, and names the thing he is missing: “The face mask!”
Cavett darts over to the back of the stage and grabs his mask and glove. The mask is so odd looking that he looks more like an early prototype of Michael Myers than he does a professional baseball player. Cavett walks back to Blue and looks very much the fish out of water, informing the audience that he’d been dared to do this. “I wouldn’t want you to hurt me,” Cavett says to the pitcher. “We don’t have to do this; you can just explain it to me how it would feel.”
But Blue is encouraging. Standing mere feet from Cavett, he takes a baseball and tosses it to his now-fully geared catcher. Cavett drops it immediately. Blue and the audience are in stitches (pun intended). “I don’t think this is going to go too well!” Cavett declares.
The contrast between Blue, muscular, tall, an athlete at the top of his game, and Cavett, tiny, lovingly nerdy, could not be greater. It’s the quintessence of comedy. Cavett knows this and fully leans in. “How are you supposed to catch in these things?” he says, pointing to his gear.
Cavett soon walks away from Blue to the other end of the stage; not quite the 90 feet typically separating home plate from the pitcher’s mound, but far enough for Blue to show him what he’s got. Fully leaning into his absurd baseball ineptitude, Cavett puts a catcher’s mitt on his right hand a regular glove on his left. He’s ready for a pitch.
“Just lob one in,” Cavett says to Blue. The ace bends his knees and does just that, hitting Cavett right in the glove. The host drops the ball. The audience loves it. Blue gets ready for another. “This is going to be a screw-knuckle-curveball,” he says, just loud enough for the audience to hear but, not Cavett. “What is it?!” Cavett yells back. The audience and Blue love it. “Part of what you said is true,” Cavett adds. Blue can’t keep a straight face.
“You’re supposed to give me a signal,” Blue replies.
“I’m giving it,” Cavett says, without missing a beat, “but it’s inside the glove.”
Cavett catches the next pitch. The audience applauds as if he’s hit a walk-off home run. Blue then tells Cavett he will now be throwing a screw-knuckle-change-up. Blue lobs it right in and Cavett delivers. Now he wants a new challenge.
“Just throw one a little hard,” Cavett says.
Now it’s Blue’s turn to get some laughs. “Huh?!” he replies to host, slowly marching towards him, a hand on his hip. “Is your insurance paid up?” he asks.
“Just a little hard,” Cavett repeats. Blue obliges. Cavett grabs the ball.
Up next comes Feller, who at this time was fifty-two-years-old. Cavett asks if he, Feller, can throw him a curveball. Feller happily obliges. The audience applauds the legend.
Cavett, Blue, and Feller then, finally, return to the chairs. There, Feller gifts Cavett a remarkable item: a ball featuring the names of some of baseball’s greatest players, including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Cavett can’t believe the kind gesture. For the first time in the segment, holding the ball, Cavett truly does look like a kid again.
Watch video of Cavett’s visit with baseball greats Vida Blue and Bob Feller at the top of this post.
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