JOHNNY PODRES – THE ORIGINAL HYUN-JIN RYU

July 8, 2020

Outside the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, a statue depicting southpaw Johnny Podres after a pitch release stands 60 feet, six inches from a statue of catcher Roy Campanella. They commemorate the Brooklyn Dodgers winning the 1955 World Series over the New York Yankees, one of the most iconic moments in Dodger history!   The photo of the elated Podres leaping into the arms of Roy Campanella, with Don…

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GIL HODGES A HALL OF FAME PLAYER AND HALL OF FAME MAN

June 29, 2020

I’m going to come right out and say that I believe that Gil Hodges should be in the Hall of Fame. Much has been written about the subject and nothing that I offer here is unique or original to me. I will just say this, if a player can be voted in for being a tremendous person, then Gill Hodges would be a unanimous first ballot selection.   I was too…

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Pee Wee and Jackie

May 13, 2020

Today – May 13 – is the 73rd anniversary of, “the embrace”, that moment when Pee Wee Reese left his spot at shortstop prior to the beginning of the inning with the Dodgers in the field and walked over to Jackie Robinson who was standing alone at first base and taking all kinds of abuse from the fans in Cincinnati. The story goes that he put his arm around Jackie,…

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Jackie and Larry

May 6, 2020

In 1942 Branch Rickey joined the Dodgers as the team’s president and general manager. He quietly and in a very determined way began his quest to bring black players to the team. He was well aware of the challenges that lay ahead trying to integrate the first segment of American society – baseball. He knew there would be resistance in the Commissioner’s Office, from other team owners, the players themselves…

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“Pistol Pete” Reiser

March 31, 2020

Growing up, Pete Reiser excelled at any sport he tried. Besides baseball, he earned $50 a game playing soccer against professional players and was a talented football player with a dream of becoming a star player with Notre Dame. He was a skillful bowler and proficient at ice skating. Perhaps his greatest strength was that he was truly ambidextrous.

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The Lip: Leo Durocher

February 11, 2020

A Word from Mark Timmons: Dodger Fans need a break from all the scandals, charlatans and cheating. Evan Blade is the man with a plan. Enjoy! In 1976, upon hearing that the Japanese Pacific League Saitama Seibu Lions had hired Leo Durocher to manage their ball club, the reserved Vin Scully who rarely said anything negative about anyone said it best.  “It took the U.S. 35 years to get revenge…

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Jim Hughes- A True Fireman

January 1, 2020

I am slacking it a bit today as we have had our family with us for the better part of four days and will be away most of tomorrow and Thursday. So, I pulled up an article from exactly four years ago ( January 2, 2016). They say you never forget your first love. At least that’s what I’ve been told. As much affection as I have always had, and…

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Where Have All The Captains Gone?

December 4, 2019

A few days ago I came across a question asked by a novice baseball fan. It was a he and he said he didn’t see a “C” on any MLB team uniforms. That is the “C” worn by the captain of a team. He asked if MLB teams had captains as in other major team sports. Once again it brought back a memory of an article I have written back…

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Dodgers Third Baseman and his “Playmaker”

October 23, 2019

Last Wednesday, I wrote an article on Rube Walker – the Father of the Five-Man Rotation – which drew some comments for which I was grateful. Presently, I am not in mourning over the Dodgers untimely exit from post-season play. It happened, it is over, and life goes on. With my ninth decade now staring me in the face each year without one more WS victory is a bit problematic,…

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Rube Walker – A Pitcher’s Pitching Coach

October 16, 2019

As a youngster growing up on the east coast of Canada in the golden years of baseball in the 1950s, I fell into the Vin Scully trap on radio and became a lifer with the Dodgers even when they abandoned me for the far west coast in California. The memories of Duke, Pee Wee, Jackie, Campy and so many other stars still remain fresh in my mind. At the same…

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