When I was a kid, Wes Parker was definitely one of my favorites. The guy was absolutely the best defensive first baseman in the game, (Gold gloves for six consecutive years, 1967-1972). In 1970 he came into his own and hit .319 and knocked in 111 runs. He was popular, had movie star looks, and was public relations minded. Heck, he even played the teacher’s boyfriend in an episode…
Today’s post is about the longest tenured Dodger manager. Walter Emmons Alston. Smokey to his friends. Alston was the manager when the team moved from Brooklyn. He was just 3 years removed from guiding them to their only World Championship in their long history. His team was a mixture of old Brooklyn stars, Reese, Hodges, Snider, Furillo, Erskine, and some new blood just beginning to make some noise on the…
As fans, we all know the stars of our teams, and today with the internet and all the media coverage, we know the rookies, the scrub beanies, and just about everyone else in the organization. Growing up, and learning the game, that was not the case. We found out in box scores, and those of us lucky enough to have a subscription, in the Sporting News. But for every star player, there was…
One of the better mid-season trades that the Dodgers ever made was acquiring Reggie Smith from the Cardinals for Freddie Tisdale, Bob Detherage and Joe Ferguson in June 1976. While many Dodger fans were heartbroken to see Tisdale leave the Dodger family, getting Smith more than made up for that loss. After joining the Dodgers, Smith hit .280 with 10 homers and 26 RBI in the 65 games following the…
Harold Peter Henry Reese was born on July 23rd 1918 in Ekron, Kentucky. He lived there until he was almost 8 when his family then moved to Louisville. He got his nickname, Pee Wee, playing marbles. A Pee Wee is a small marble. Reese was so small that he did not play baseball until his senior year in high school. At that time he only weighed 120 pounds and played…
Most of us can remember where we were when important events occur in our lives. On Nov 22, 1963, I was at choir practice in our auditorium when I heard about JFK’s assassination. 9-11-2001, I was in South Gate at the JB Hunt terminal when the planes hit the twin towers. But the day I fell in love with the game… That actual date escapes me. And since my love…