June 8, 1948: Uncle Miltie

June 8, 1948: Texaco Star Theater debuts on NBC. It is later renamed for its host, Milton Berle. He becomes American's 1st television star, known as "Mr. Television" and "Uncle Miltie" -- even if he sometimes comes out onstage dressed more like an "Aunt Millie."

Millions of people all over America began buying TV sets, just to see what all the fuss was about. They saw a very funny man do very funny things. Eventually, however, the man born as Mendel Berlinger on July 12, 1908 in Harlem (then a Jewish neighborhood) began to be found out: He regularly stoke jokes from other comedians, becoming known as "The Thief of Bad Gags"; and women from other men, cheating on his own wife, and winning the women over because, in addition to being a massive dick, he apparently also had one.

By 1955, the show had been renamed The Milton Berle Show, and had been moved from New York to Los Angeles. On April 3, 1956, he broadcast live from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hancock, berthed at the naval base in San Diego, and featured Elvis Presley singing "Heartbreak Hotel." His last scheduled show was on June 5, back in Los Angeles, and Elvis was the guest again. (Thanks to the work of Elvis Presley Enterprises, these 2 episodes, and every other time Elvis was ever on any TV show, was preserved.) He went a big overboard with his snarling, brooding and gyrating in his performance of "Hound Dog." Berle didn't seem to mind: He thought the performance was funny.

His audience didn't. They thought it was disgusting. By his own recollection, he got badly "panned":

I got, believe this, 700,000 pan letters. Not fan mail, pan mail, saying things like, "Uncle Miltie, we'll never watch you again. How dare you have a young man like that on your show, making those movements, which are disgusting!" What did I do? I called up Colonel Tom Parker, and I said, "Colonel, you have a star on your hands."

It didn't damage Elvis' career, for which his manager, Col. Parker, was grateful. It didn't damage Berle's career, either: The former vaudevillian went back to what he did best, doing standup in Las Vegas and acting in movies, even proving himself a good dramatic actor. He lived until March 27, 2002, at the age of 93.

Despite frequently dressing in drag, and being married to a Democrat, Berle was a Republican.

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June 8, 1948 was a Tuesday. These baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox, 3-2 at Yankee Stadium. Bobby Brown singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning. Joe DiMaggio went 0-for-4 with a walk.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds, 6-5 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Jackie Robinson went 1-for-3 with a walk.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the Boston Red Sox, 2-0 at Fenway Park in Boston. Gene Bearden pitched a 5-hit shutout, outpitching Mel Parnell. Lou Boudreau, the Indians' 31-year-old shortstop and manager, hit a home run. These performances by Bearden and Boudreau foreshadowed the Playoff game for the American League Pennant that the Indians would win over the Red Sox, also at Fenway. Ted Williams went 0-for-3 with 2 walks.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 2-1 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

* The Washington Senators beat the St. Louis Browns, 6-5 at Griffith Stadium in Washington.

* The Boston Braves beat the Chicago Cubs, 11-1 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Vern Bickford went the distance for the win. He and Bill Voiselle formed a formidable starting rotation with Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain, helping the Braves win the National League Pennant. By now means was the rhyme "Spahn and Sain and pray for (or "two days of") rain" accurate.

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-5 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Stan Musial went 1-for-3 with 2 walks and an RBI.

* And the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates were rained out at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader on July 15. The Pirates won the opener, 4-3. The Giants led 2-0 going into the bottom of the 8th, but with 2 out, the Buccos got a home run by Frankie Gustine, a single by Johnny Hopp, and a home run by Ralph Kiner. But they couldn't hold it, as Walker Cooper tied the game with a home run in the top of the 9th. But, again with 2 outs, the Pirates got a triple from Ed FitzGerald. After Max West was intentionally walked to set up the game-ending force play, Stan Rojek singled FitzGerald home.

The Giants won the nightcap, 10-3. Johnny Mize went 2-for-5 with a home run and 4 RBIs. Sid Gordon, the Giants' All-Star 3rd baseman, and probably the best Jewish player in the majors in the wake of Hank Greenberg's retirement, went 3-for-4. He was from Brooklyn, and, on July 3, the Dodgers gave him an unprecedented honor: A "Day" was held at Ebbets Field, not just for an opponent, but for a member of the hated "Jints."