Not too many left. I believe Carl Erskine and Roger Craig are the only two who played at least some role in the '55 Series. Koufax and Lasorda too, but they hardly played that year.
for those too young to recall him, his size and the way he worked from the mound might call to mind Sabbathia. Newk took the ball and went to work, no questions asked so few left
who lives in Brooklyn now and am obsessed with Dodgers history here in Brooklyn. I find it completely tragic that they completely demolished Ebbets field and that the only thing remaining is a dumb plaque on the sidewalk. I was born two decades after they left Brooklyn, but I just cannot read enough about baseball in NYC in 40s and 50s. It really was the capital of the world for baseball I don't know if it is the limited availability of highlights or whatever, but that era has such a mystique to me and unfortunately the only things we had left, which was their great stories are leaving with these great men. RIP Don Newcombe.
such a different era, wasn't it? You had these kids, young men really cuz they grew up a lot faster when they had to go work on the farm or in a factory in their teens, try out. Maybe 'Mr. Rickey' would give them a try out, maybe he'd even sign them. If I recall correctly, Erskine thanked his lucky stars he got a raise to $17,000 a year and Rickey didn't fire him for asking for one.
I went to two games at Ebbets Field, the second a memorable one against the Giants. Oisk (and I think he homered in this one) had a no-hitter going into the top of the eighth or ninth (don't recall which), and up comes Ray Kaat, the Giants' squatty, catcher, who hit from the right hand side with a slight crouch. Middle of the count, Katt launches one to the opposite field, down the line, to the short wall (Bedford Avenue). Our seats were in the Mezzanine, slightly to the 3rd base side of home plate, so we had a pretty good view of line of sight, and damned if Kaat's drive didn't keep drifting right, finally hooking foul. No hitter preserved!
I think Ebbets Field sat maybe 32,997 or something, SRO.
such a different era, wasn't it? You had these kids, young men really cuz they grew up a lot faster when they had to go work on the farm or in a factory in their teens, try out. Maybe 'Mr. Rickey' would give them a try out, maybe he'd even sign them. If I recall correctly, Erskine thanked his lucky stars he got a raise to $17,000 a year and Rickey didn't fire him for asking for one.
Rickey despite all the obvious accolades he deserves was also known as one of the cheapest guys around. He would hold a hard line on contract negotiations (not that it was that hard because back then either your signed or you didn't play).
who lives in Brooklyn now and am obsessed with Dodgers history here in Brooklyn. I find it completely tragic that they completely demolished Ebbets field and that the only thing remaining is a dumb plaque on the sidewalk. I was born two decades after they left Brooklyn, but I just cannot read enough about baseball in NYC in 40s and 50s. It really was the capital of the world for baseball I don't know if it is the limited availability of highlights or whatever, but that era has such a mystique to me and unfortunately the only things we had left, which was their great stories are leaving with these great men. RIP Don Newcombe.
because of Willie Mays. My dad was a Giant fan also. I must have been 6 years old and my dad would take me to the tavern around the corner filled with dodger fans watching the game.
guys would randomly come up to me and say so you're a giant fan.
Was great in those days I could sit at the bar with my dad and drink a coke
My friends and I used to go on Sunday for the doubleheader.
Our parents packed lunch in brown bags. We rode the BMT to Prospect Park and walked to Ebbets Field. We walked to the player's entrance and, when the players came before batting practice, we gave them self-addressed post cards so they could sign them at their leisure and mail them to us. We then killed a little time at the zoo which was nearby until the game started. We bought bleacher seats for 50 cents and screamed our heads off for the Dodgers. Between games they let us go to the box seats behind first, home plate or third since there were empty seats from fans who left after the 1st game. A great time for a kid in Brooklyn.
We'd typically take the trolley up Ocean Avenue and walk to the park
The park was very Fenway-like. Small, with fans close to the field. Emmett Kelly, the famous clown from Ringling Bros. Circus, entertained in LF during the 7th inning stretch some days.
What was even more special was that the players all lived in Brooklyn. Early in his career, Gil Hodges worked at the hardware store around the corner from my house, so we got to see him all the time.
Had forgotten Newk won the Cy Young and the MVP both in '56. That was such a cruel finish to the dreamlike '55 season and WS (racing home from school to catch the final couple of innings of Podres' masterpiece), Larsen's perfect game, the dream of another title crashing on Daytime Mitchell's feeble PH at bat
Yup, and tons of friends in the neighborhood so you could play all day and into the evening. I recall all of us pooling the few cents we each had to come up with the Quarter we needed for the new "Spaldeen" when someone hit it onto the roof of the private home across from our apartment building's backyard.
RE: RE: the 50's truly were wonderful innocent times
Yup, and tons of friends in the neighborhood so you could play all day and into the evening. I recall all of us pooling the few cents we each had to come up with the Quarter we needed for the new "Spaldeen" when someone hit it onto the roof of the private home across from our apartment building's backyard.
He was a parishioner at my childhood parish, Our Lady Help of Christians on 28th St. and Ave. M in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. His widow, Joan, might still be alive and still living in their house on Bedford Avenue. My only claim to fame in nearly 60 years on earth is that I was one of the altar boys at his funeral.
Lots of people said that Brooklyn lost part of its soul in 1958. Maybe that's true, now that it's the home of artisanal pickles and the like. But I'm proud that my native borough welcome Jackie Robinson to the major leagues.
And RIP to Mr. Newcombe. Not many were better in Dodger Blue.
Yup, I lived on Ave. N and 17th street, nd my cousin lived across
Actually, Gil Hodges Lanes were on Ralph Avenue, not on the site of Kings Plaza, which is Avenue U and Flatbush. No worries, however, it's nice to hear from a neighborhood guy!
not No. 27 as I posted above, dang, hate when I do that.
Here is a pretty good obit (if there can be such a thing as a good obit) from NYT. Significant takeaways are his two years in the Service (Erskine commented Newk would be HOF were it not for that) and how much his drinking affected his performance, esp. later in his career.
for those too young to recall him, his size and the way he worked from the mound might call to mind Sabbathia. Newk took the ball and went to work, no questions asked so few left
I went to two games at Ebbets Field, the second a memorable one against the Giants. Oisk (and I think he homered in this one) had a no-hitter going into the top of the eighth or ninth (don't recall which), and up comes Ray Kaat, the Giants' squatty, catcher, who hit from the right hand side with a slight crouch. Middle of the count, Katt launches one to the opposite field, down the line, to the short wall (Bedford Avenue). Our seats were in the Mezzanine, slightly to the 3rd base side of home plate, so we had a pretty good view of line of sight, and damned if Kaat's drive didn't keep drifting right, finally hooking foul. No hitter preserved!
I think Ebbets Field sat maybe 32,997 or something, SRO.
Rickey despite all the obvious accolades he deserves was also known as one of the cheapest guys around. He would hold a hard line on contract negotiations (not that it was that hard because back then either your signed or you didn't play).
Nice post.
guys would randomly come up to me and say so you're a giant fan.
Was great in those days I could sit at the bar with my dad and drink a coke
The park was very Fenway-like. Small, with fans close to the field. Emmett Kelly, the famous clown from Ringling Bros. Circus, entertained in LF during the 7th inning stretch some days.
What was even more special was that the players all lived in Brooklyn. Early in his career, Gil Hodges worked at the hardware store around the corner from my house, so we got to see him all the time.
Special, innocent times!
Had forgotten Newk won the Cy Young and the MVP both in '56. That was such a cruel finish to the dreamlike '55 season and WS (racing home from school to catch the final couple of innings of Podres' masterpiece), Larsen's perfect game, the dream of another title crashing on Daytime Mitchell's feeble PH at bat
Yup, and tons of friends in the neighborhood so you could play all day and into the evening. I recall all of us pooling the few cents we each had to come up with the Quarter we needed for the new "Spaldeen" when someone hit it onto the roof of the private home across from our apartment building's backyard.
Quote:
stoop ball, stick ball, rinalevo. a new spalding
Yup, and tons of friends in the neighborhood so you could play all day and into the evening. I recall all of us pooling the few cents we each had to come up with the Quarter we needed for the new "Spaldeen" when someone hit it onto the roof of the private home across from our apartment building's backyard.
Lots of people said that Brooklyn lost part of its soul in 1958. Maybe that's true, now that it's the home of artisanal pickles and the like. But I'm proud that my native borough welcome Jackie Robinson to the major leagues.
And RIP to Mr. Newcombe. Not many were better in Dodger Blue.
Remember Gil Hodges Lanes out near what would become Kings Plaza?
And gtt, of course!
Here is a pretty good obit (if there can be such a thing as a good obit) from NYT. Significant takeaways are his two years in the Service (Erskine commented Newk would be HOF were it not for that) and how much his drinking affected his performance, esp. later in his career.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/19/obituaries/don-newcombe-dead.html