Comments on: BSMW Retro – Clif Keane, The Original “Poison Pen”

By: Dave from Natick

Dave from Natick — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:33:50 +0000

I remember one day, and i think it was during the 1978 season, the Clif and Claf show was on and the radio “cough switch” failed. For those who don’t know, a cough switch was a device used when the announcer need to clear his throat. He would push the cough switch, which literally killed the audio for a second or two while he coughed. This day, a caller was giving Clif a particularly hard time about George Scott. A very agitated Clif screamed a vulgar response to the caller, but he hit the cough switch thinking his tirade would not be broadcast. Alas, as Claflin retold the story, the cough switch failed and everyone heard Clif say, “F— you buddy, that’s F-U-blank-blank!” True story.

By: Sluggo

Sluggo — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:48:48 +0000

Famous Clif and Claf story reported by Jack Craig years ago. Larry Claflin of the Herald-American was a veteran Sox beat reporter. He constantly had to shout over Clif because Keane was hard of hearing, and pig-headed to boot. An elderly woman calls into the show:

CALLER: “I was reading the sports page to my husband this morning, and –”
CLIF (Interrupting): “Why wasn’t he reading it himself? Is your husband a dummy or something?”
(slight pause)
CALLER (calm voice): “No, Clif. I read the sports page to my husband because he’s blind.”
CLIF: “He’s what?”
CLAFLIN: “Her husband is blind, Clif.”
CLIF (starting to yell): “HE’S WHAT???”
CLAFLIN (screaming): “HE’S BLIND!! HE’S BLIND!!!!!!”

By: ObjectiveBruce

ObjectiveBruce — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:01:07 +0000

I was never a Clif Keane fan and found far too many of his references, on the radio at least, to be obnoxiously unfunny — T-Man hit the nail on the head with respect to his attacks on George Scott. He really wasn’t a columnist, but took the daily notes portion of his stories beyond the standard we then associated with a game story.

However, he lead the paper on October 2, 1967 with a lede that still dances in my head (I’m reciting from memory here):
“It started off to be a rebuilding year but grew faster than a castle in the sky. The Red Sox, with all their youth, are in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.”

By: tom green

tom green — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:56:13 +0000

Keane had his moments but was only a shadow of the REAL poison pen. The Colonel Dave Egan who wrote for the Record – American back in the 40s. Oh how Ted Williams hated that man!

By: T-man

T-man — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:44:52 +0000

I also remember, as a teenager listening to the Cliff and Claff radio show. Keane’s ongoing rants against George Scott, including mocking his eating chicken in the locker room, seemed pretty racist. It made me wonder what he said when not on the airwaves.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:33:17 +0000

Boston has a poor press reputation because the players resent writers for being part of the celebrity culture. The fans are partially responsible for making the writers “celebrities” because of the obsession the general public in Boston has with the media.

By: just_doodling_and_thinking

just_doodling_and_thinking — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:14:39 +0000

After reading the snippets of Clif’s “conversation” with Early Wynn, doesn’t it seem that Wynn was close to attacking Clif? They barely seemed to be civil. Apparently, Wynn had reason not to be civil.

By: Lance

Lance — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:35:47 +0000

The fact Keane is considered a legend by many in Boston is why Boston has a poor press reputation around the country. He was a douche in any age.

By: Tony

Tony — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:29:52 +0000

I remember the old “Cliff and Claf” show on the Red Sox flagship station in the late-70s. Try to envision two guys playing Dana Carvey’s old “Grumpy Old Man” character from SNL, and then multiply the grumpiness by a factor of 10. That will give you an idea of what that show was like.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:55:53 +0000

I think Clif Keane was the writer who told Jim Rice, “I can make you or I can break you.” No wonder why Jim Ed didn’t care for the press.