The other night I watched a few innings of the Dodger intra-squad. Even though they added piped in music, and “fan noise” it was still difficult for me to get excited about the game. One thing I did enjoy, however, was watching Josiah Gray pitch. He is a good one folks! And, if baseball ever returns to some semblance of normalcy, I can see great things ahead for him. Both…
With a raucous sellout crowd pulsating throughout the stadium last night, Joc went head to head against Vlad Jr in a remake of the classic 2019 HR Derby. This time Joc bested the young Blue Jays slugger and won the 2020 Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium. This was on a night that followed a Josiah Gray masterpiece who went 2 innings striking out all six batters he faced in…
Last night (Friday) I watched an inning of the scrimmage between the 2 Dodger squads on TV. It was so odd and, frankly I couldn’t get into it quite the same as a regular game. On the other hand it is baseball. After I turned the TV off, it began to stir in me the query of why do I love baseball so much. As a result, I began to…
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…
Monday was a bittersweet day for me. On the positive side, it was my wife’s and my 46th wedding anniversary. It also marked the 16th anniversary of Andy’s MLB debut. However, it also marked our first anniversary without our son Kris. Kris was a nomad, but no matter wherever he was, he would ALWAYS call his mother on May 25 and wish her a Happy Anniversary. Never failed. I have…
I must admit it is a major disappointment having made it through the baseball drought that is winter. Our provincial government and federal have asked us to stay home and when out maintain the two-meter separation going out only if really necessary.
The above picture of Duke, Andy Pafko and Carl Furillo is a snapshot of my all-time favorite outfield. I expect this is the case because it was my first outfield and all three homered on my first night of Dodger baseball which also gives me a way to trace my first game. That is the only time all three homered in the same game.
Like many baseball players of his era, Furillo answered the call and spent the next three years, 1943-45, in the army. He saw active duty in the Pacific Theater where he was wounded and received three battle stars. His war service gave the Dodgers an early glimpse that Furillo seemed to be uncomfortable in social situations and perhaps almost a lone wolf. Peter Golenbock in his book “Bums” writes that Carl Furillo turned down a Purple Heart medal for his wounds, saying that he hadn’t been sufficiently valiant.
One of my all-time favorite movies is “The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn” starring Sidney Poitier. In it, Poitier plays Noah Dearborn, a 91‑year old carpenter who lives a simple life and existence, detached from modern life. His only interest is woodworking, at which he is very gifted. In his hands, woodworking tools are not just tools, they become instruments for creating works of art. Poitier, who is also a…
Count this as my latest of the “Dodger Codger” series. The older I get, the more I look at myself and realize that I sound like an old man. And then I realize, “I am an old man.” I’m nearing 60. I have followed the Dodgers for 55 years., and I could cite to you incidents from every Dodger season back to my years as a young child. We are…