Cleveland Vintage Blog

The year was 1971, and I know the expression is cliché, but I remember it like it was yesterday, when Harold "Gomer" Hodge’s Cleveland baseball legend was built on key, back-to-back pinch-hitting assignments. Let's look at how the legend started. Opening Day — April 6, 1971 This was Hodge’s only season in the big leagues as a utility infielder (and even though he played all infield positions adequately, he always said his best position was "hitting.") On this day in Detroit, Hodge came up against tough Tiger left-hander Mickey Lolich in his first pinch-hitting assignment of the year. The Tribe’s...

For decades — thanks in large part to Ernie Anderson's beloved late-night Ghoulardi character — Parma was the butt of jokes. During his "Parma Place" skits, Ghoulardi and Chuck Schodowski would play stereotypical ethnic Parma residents in a parody of the then-popular prime-time soap opera Peyton Place, mocking pink flamingos, white socks, polka music, and chrome ball lawn ornaments, staples of the fast-growing, middle-class suburb. The pink flamingos really stuck, becoming a ubiquitous symbol of the Parma community, much to the dismay of city officials. The lighthearted jabs might have stuck, but in recent years, Parma has really leaned into the...

The Musicarnival is one of the many long-gone Cleveland rock institutions, a summer tent theater that operated on the grounds of Thistledown Race Track from 1954 to 1975. All types of major rock acts would make their way through the Musicarnival, including Led Zeppelin on one particularly big night for the world. Now, if you're a fan of rock and roll history or Cleveland music history in general I would highly recommend Smoky, Sweaty, Rowdy and Loud: Tales of Cleveland's Legendary Rock & Roll Landmarks by Mike and Janice Olszewski. It's a fantastic, in-depth history of Cleveland's rock and roll scene...

Say it ain’t so: Can it be true that Pabst Brewing Company has decided to discontinue Schlitz beer? Sadly, that is indeed the case as Schlitz, one of the last “dive bar” beers standing, has become a victim of the industry’s cutting room floor. After 177 years, and a stint as the most popular beer in America, the last batch of Schlitz was brewed in Wisconsin on May 23, 2026. Schlitz's Time as the Most Popular Beer in the U.S. Does it surprise you at all that Schlitz was once on top of the beer world? It shouldn’t, because Schlitz...

Our great city has yet another reason to proudly stick out its chest, thanks to the commission into naval service of the fourth vessel to proudly carry the name USS Cleveland. The ceremony to make it official took place on May 16th after a week-long celebration, as the vessel sat docked at North Coast Yard. What makes the event even more special is that this is the first naval vessel to be put into service in the state of Ohio in the 250-year history of the United States, a true honor for not only the city, but for those who...