“It’s summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime…”

You know the song, and you will hear it plenty of times over the next few months. It was sung by the Jamies in 1958.

Yes, last Thursday marked the official beginning of summer, and we all have had our share of memories. It could have been a lingering movie, a passing fancy, or listening to a ballgame on your transistor or the clock radio next to bed.

Within the sports world, there have been June swoons that stayed with us as well as some pop culture circumstances.

In this weeks’ version of my Yesterday column – reminiscing about sports events and situations in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s and sometimes beyond – I’ll take a look at some early summer swings in the sporting world and our culture.

Do you remember Ugueth Urbina, and did Coke taste better in bottles? And could Bill Walton have been a Sixer?

June Juggernauts: If you grew up in the 70s, there were a few trades that shook the sports world as well as some minor ones in the June.

One who may have forgotten was on June 16, 1975, the Milwaukee Bucks traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and reserve center Walt Wesley to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Elmore Smith, forward David Meyers, guard Brian Winters and swingman Junior Bridgeman. Jabbar had won a championship with the Bucks in 1971, and he wanted a change of scenery and a bigger market for his “cultural needs.” Yet, this was a trade that benefited both teams.

On the local front, the Eagles traded for Rams’ quarterback Roman Gabriel on June 8, 1973. The Eagles wagered mightily for Gabriel, sending wide receiver Harold Jackson, fullback Tony Baker, a 1974 first-rounder, and the team’s first and third-round pick in 1975.

Gabriel did win the league’s Comeback Player of the Year Award, as he brought the team back to respectability with a 5-8-1 record, but he didn’t have the staying power. The Rams benefited from this deal, drafting John Cappelletti, Dennis Harrah, and Dan Nugent.

There also was the trade of infielder Placido Polanco to the Tigers for closer Ugueth Urbina on June 8, 2005. Urbina went 4-6 with a 4.13 ERA and just one save in 56 games. Overall, he posted a 5-6 record with 10 saves and a 3.62 ERA in a career-high 81 games.

It would be his last major league season, and he later served a seven-year jail sentence for an attempted murder charge.

As you know, like he did for the Phillies, Polanco proved to be invaluable for the Tigers. Urbina will always be another memory jogger.

Finally, on the hockey front, the Flyers shocked the hockey world when they acquired Eric Lindros from the Quebec Nordiques on June 30, 1992. Quebec received Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Mike Ricci, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Hoffman, $15 million cash, Philadelphia’s first-round pick in the 1993 NHL draft, Philadelphia’s first-round pick in the 1994 NHL draft and future considerations.

It was a king’s ransom for “The Next One” – referring to the successor to Wayne Gretzky – and Lindros never brought a Cup to Philly.

I do have to mention the Tom Seaver trade of June 15, 1977, which shocked Mets’ fans. Seaver was dealt to the Reds for Doug Flynn, Dan Norman, Pat Zachry, and Steve Henderson. What isn’t widely known is that Seaver initially vetoed the trade, but then decided to leave. He reportedly would have accepted a deal to the Phillies, Dodgers, and Pirates. Seaver could have been in the same rotation as Steve Carlton.

Those Summer Days: It was a simpler time back then. Once we got out of school, we would spend time riding bikes, playing hoops at the playground or some neighborhood games, and wearing our Chuck Taylors and Keds, possibly even Adidas.

Do you remember playing games like Chase, Freeze Tag, Kickball, Pickle (the baseball game) and Running Bases?

One of the big treats was getting soft ice cream, and drinking some water from a stream. There wasn’t anything like getting a soda from those big, vintage Coke machines that distributed it in bottles, which sometimes was difficult to turn to release.

One for the Books: On June 14, 1974, the Red Sox lost to the Angels, 4-3, in 15 innings.

The important aspect of this game was that California’s’ Nolan Ryan went 13 innings and Boston’s Luis Tiant went all 15 innings.

So much for pitch counts.

At the Movies: In June of 1973, James Bond’s “Live and Let Die” was the top box-office seller. It introduced Roger Moore as the new Bond, and Paul McCarney and Wings had a top-ten hit. Bond movies were a huge part of pop culture in the 60s, and 70s, and this one was one of my favorites.

It also helped spur 7-Up’s popular “Uncola” ad campaign.

What’s In A Name: There have been some players with last names associated with the remnants of spring and the beginning of summer: Champ Summers, Dennis Springer (ex-Phillies), George Springer, Don August, Neal Heaton, and in the football world, June Jones, and Ty Summer.

Big Red Almost A Sixer: In the spring of 1973, Sixers’ management made a $2 million dollar offer to UCLA junior Bill Walton to abandon his senior year. Walton rejected the deal and returned to UCLA. The Sixers, who had the number one pick in the draft, selected Doug Collins. Walton was the first pick in the following year by Portland, and the Sixers took Marvin Barnes at No. 2. Barnes decided to sign with the ABA’s Spirit of St. Louis.

Another Classic Game: One of the more recognized card games of the late 60s and early 70s was Milton Bradley’s Official Baseball Card Game. The versions were 1969, 1970, and 1972.

The game contained the Field (game board), four player pawns, two dice, a scoreboard, 32 game cards, and 28 player cards. I did have the game, and it was fun.

Memory Lane: Every week, I will look back at a former player, manager, coach or media personality that helped shape our yesterday.

Do you remember Phillies’ pitcher Jose DeJesus? The 6-5 right-hander spent the 1990 and ‘91 season in Philly, and posted an overall 17-17 record with a 3.55 ERA. DeJesus also spent three seasons with the Royals, posting a 3-2 slate with a 6.27 ERA. His final year was with the Royals in 1994, and he had an overall 20-19 record with a 3.84 ERA.

Feedback: Your thoughts, comments, and ideas are always welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com.