In this week’s version of my Yesterday column - reminiscing about sports and pop culture in the 1960s. 70s, 80s, 90s and sometimes beyond – I’ll start out by going back a little earlier than I usually do.

Do you remember Elmer Valo?

The Palmerton native had a 17-year Major League Baseball career that began in the 1940s and lasted until the early 1960s. Valo played for six different teams, including the Phillies, but the majority of his career was with the Philadelphia A’s.

He finished with a .282 career average, and was recognized for his pinch-hitting duties and crashing into outfield walls. Those latter events - along with his hustling work ethic and friendly demeanor - gained him legendary status.

In addition to Valo, I’ll look at some other Philadelphia sports figures who left their mark in their own way.

The Wall Crasher ... I had the opportunity to interview Valo in spring training before his death in 1998. He was a frequent visitor to Clearwater, and worked with the younger Phillies players on the fundamentals of hitting. Valo was a consummate gentleman who had a knack to explain the game well.

In his playing days with the A’s, the outfielder gained the nickname “Wall Crasher” for his countless, full-steam slams into outfield walls. One time when Valo hit the wall hard to rob Ted Williams of a home run in 1941, he had to be carried off the field. During that season, he hit .307 - the first of three consecutive seasons he hit over. 300 for the A’s.

When he turned 16 in 1937, Valo was promoted from the American Legion to the semi-pro Lehighton Moose.

He could have been a four-decade player, as he apparently had one at-bat for the A’s as an 18-year-old in the 1939 season. However, his name was expunged from the record books because he supposedly wasn’t on the active roster, and owner Connie Mack would have incurred a hefty fine.

During one of his latter years, Valo took the baseball umpire’s examination at the renowned Bill McGowan’s Umpire School, and passed with the highest grade in the class. He said he hoped to be an umpire after his playing career. In the offseason, he refereed high school basketball games, and later refereed a few collegiate and Eastern League basketball games.

He was a player who was ahead of the curve and should not be forgotten.

Another Crash ... In 1964, Richie Allen broke in with the Phillies and had a banner season. He led the league in runs (125), triples (13), extra-base hits (80), and total bases (352). Allen finished in the top five in batting average (.318), slugging average (.557), hits (201), and doubles (38), en route to winning the Rookie of the Year.

He was given the nickname “Crash” for always wearing a batting helmet in the field – one reason was because fans hurled objects at him. One late legendary sports writer friend of mine once told me that he never saw anyone “hit the ball as hard as Allen.”

Allen’s 17-year career was dotted with a series of incidents. He got into a well-documented clubhouse fight with teammate Frank Thomas – who was white - and was released the next day, which generated some racial tension. Allen’s tenure ended with the Phillies in 1970 when he was traded to the Cardinals in the controversial Curt Flood deal.

Allen returned for a brief two-year stint with the Phils in 1975 and ‘76.

Allen ended his career with 351 homers, 1,119 RBIs and a .292 average. He hasn’t received enough votes for the Hall of Fame, and passed away in 2020. The Phillies have retired his number 15.

Do you have an Allen bobblehead that was a recent club giveaway?

One More Favorite Phillie ... If you’re a diehard Phillies fan, Tony Taylor created some memories along the way.

The second baseman was a fan favorite from 1961-71, and was recognized for making the sign of the cross before every at-bat. Despite not having stellar numbers, Taylor was an everyday staple in the field and did enough at the plate. He was that type of player you always hoped would succeed.

He was dealt to the Tigers midway through the ‘71 season, but returned to finish his career with the Phillies in ‘75 and ‘76. The club honored him with a “Tony Taylor Night” in 1975. He was also a coach with the team.

Taylor was my grandmother’s favorite player, and became one of mine. During my second Phillies game at Connie Mack Stadium (the stadium has its own legendary status), Taylor signed my scorecard and then passed it around the dugout for some players to sign. He passed away in 2020.

He was a legend in his own way.

Concrete ...The Eagles’ Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik was the NFL’s last 60-minute man.

When I met him in my teens, I truly didn’t recognize who he was. Ironically, the Bethlehem native was a big Lehigh Valley Polka fan.

The Hammer and Mixville ... Flyers’ enforcer Dave “The Hammer” Schultz was an integral part of the “Broad Street Bullies” mentality, which helped lift the Flyers to consecutive Stanley Cups. Schultz doesn’t raise the same awareness as Bobby Clarke or Bernie Parent, but he does have legendary status.

Then there’s Steve Mix, the “Mayor of Mixville.” He elevated his career with the Sixers and gained All-Star status as well as being one of the more popular players.

That Legendary Summer Movie Spot ... It was built in 1948, and its first showing was April Showers in 1949. Likely all of us - even me living out of the immediate area - have been to the legendary Mahoning Valley Drive-In.

Mahoning Valley doesn’t hold the distinction of the oldest drive-in in the region, however, as that still belongs to Shankweiler’s in Allentown, which opened its gates in 1934.

Did you ever have a hamburger or hot dog there that was wrapped in the foil that looked like something NASA would use?

A couple of other Lehigh Valley drive-ins you might have visited were Starlite Drive-In outside Easton, or the Bethlehem Drive-In in the township at some point in your life.

YoYo and the Clown ... If you grew up in the 60s and 70s and were a Phillies or Big Five basketball fan, you should remember Yo Yo. Channel 17 broadcast most of the Palestra games, and YoYo always caught the camera’s eye.

He was a little, round old man who wore a brown overcoat and had a cigar in his mouth. YoYo would dance around and sometimes have a harmonica, and could ignite the crowd.

Max Patkin was a Philly native and earned the nickname, “The Clown Prince of Baseball” for his slapstick antics at Phillies’ games and others across the nation. Patkin was active until his death in 1999.

Another Classic (Legendary) Game ... in the early 70s, Sports Illustrated released several versions of its “Superstar Baseball” board game.

The game came with three spinners, one for the pitcher, one for the batter and one for the fielder. There also were rules for bunting or stealing, and wild pitches and passed balls were possible.

There were 96 pitcher and batter cards of the all-time best players as chosen by Sports Illustrated. You could have matchups with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig against pitchers Cy Young and Sandy Koufax.

Memory Lane ... Every week, I will look back at a player, coach, manager, or media member who was a part of our yesterday.

Do you remember Philadelphia sportscaster Don Tollefson? With his flamboyant style, Tollefson achieved legendary status for his work on Channel 6’s Action News, and he later worked for Channel 29.

Tollefson’s career faltered in 2015 when he was found guilty of theft by deception and theft by unlawful activity in booking Eagles’ trips. He served 14 months in jail. Tollefson also admitted that he had a long-suffering bout with alcoholism and an addiction to painkillers.

He has relocated to the Allentown area, and has been seen working at a retail food distributor.

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