Room with a view

Lindsey Nelson from his perch at the top of the Astrodome

In something you do not see every day – not that Hall of Fame play-by-play announcer really sees much of anything on this day in 1965 – Lindsey Nelson broadcasts the New York Mets’ game against Houston 59 years ago today from a gondola that sits 208 feet above second base at the Astrodome.

From here, Nelson and his producer, Joel Nixon, remain throughout a game that drags on a bladder-challenging three hours and 24 minutes.

Historians note that the Astros win the game 12-9 with a rookie named Frank – please, call me “Tug” – McGraw taking the loss for the Mets before a Wednesday night crowd of 27,690 in the stands with two others looking on from nearly 70 yards above the field.

Lindsey Nelson

The game marks the first time an announcer sits – or, for Nelson, stands – in fair territory.

Just in case, the umpires decide to call for a ground-rule double for any batted ball striking the gondola, Nelson or his producer.

“I think you’re crazy,” Mets player-coach Yogi Berra tells Nelson, although Nelson probably already realizes this even before he and Nixon enter the bathroom-less gondola 30 minutes prior to the game.

Nixon, like Nelson, comes equipped with a scorecard and pen, but quickly and wisely stops keeping score shortly after the game begins.

“If I ever dropped the pen,” Nixon later tells The Sporting News, “it would be a dangerous missile.”

The stunt is a one-and-done moment at the newly opened Astrodome, where announcers and their producers will sit in the pressbox for every ensuing game until the dome closes after the 1999 season.