Why Don't the Los Angeles Dodgers Wear That Number Anymore?

Every team in the league has its own legends.  Some legends tower over the history of the game.  Some tower over a certain portion of the history.  Some define an organization and are the first thought anyone has when the team is mentioned.

Each team finds a way to honor their legends, usually with the retirement of the player's number.  For the fans of that team it is easy to sit in the stadium seats, look out on the display of retired numbers and feel pride in the part that number represents to their team's history.  Unfortunately, fans of the visiting team stopping  by to see a game may not know the meaning of those numbers.

So during this series we will explore what the retired numbers for each team mean and why they were retired.

We have already looked at the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants in this series.  This week we will look at the Brooklyn Dodgers/Los Angeles Dodgers:

1

Photo of Pee Wee Reese Courtesy of Wikipedia

The Dodgers in Brooklyn got a reputation of winners in their final two decades.  It wasn't always that way.  The key man, the leader, in establishing that trend was Pee Wee Reese.  He was the captain, the field leader.  He well earned the #1.  He was more than numbers, he was the guiding force of the Brooklyn Dodgers.  The 10 time All Star also received MVP votes in 12 different seasons.  Pee Wee ranks among the top Dodgers in many categories: WAR (1st), Offensive WAR (2nd) , Defensive WAR (1st), Games Played (3rd), At Bats (2nd), Plate Appearances (2nd), Hits (2nd), Runs (1st), Total Bases (5th), Doubles (4th), Triples (8th), RBI (7th), Walks (1st), Stolen Bases (10th) Singles (2nd), Extra Base Hits (8th). Times on Base (2nd) and Sac Hits (3rd),  Before Pee Wee came along seven players wore the number 1: Johnny Frederick (1932-1934), Buzz Boyle (1935), Freddie Lindstrom (1936), Woody English (1937-1938), Packy Rogers (1938), Gene Moore (1939) and Charlie Gilbert (1940).  While Pee Wee Reese was serving in World War II, the number 1 was issued to Paul Waner (1943 and 1944) and Mike Sandlock (1945).  Following Reese's retirement in 1958 four players wore the number 1 for the Dodgers:  Billy Grabarkewitz (1969-1972), Rick Auerbach (1974-1976), Derrel Thomas (1979) and Gary Weiss (1980-1981).  Reese was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984 by the Veteran's Committee.

2

Photo of Tommy Lasorda Courtesy of LA Times

Tom Lasorda pitched two years  for the Dodgers in Brooklyn and lost his spot on the roster to Sandy Koufax.  If you ask Lasorda, he should have been kept instead of Koufax.  His work in those two years (8 games, 0-0, 7.62 ERA) are not why his number is retired.  Lasorda's number is retired because he managed the team for 22 years, won 1599 games as manager and constantly had the Dodgers contending for first place.  Under Lasorda's leadership the Dodgers won 8 division titles, 4 National League Pennants and two World Series.  Before Lasorda took over the team 14 players wore the number 2:  Neal Finn (1932), Joe Judge (1933), Jim Bucher (1934-1937), Leo Durocher (1938-1945), Bobby Morgan (1950-1953), Randy Jackson (1956-1958), Don Demeter (1959-1960), Bart Shirley (1966), Dick Schofield (1966-1967), Zoilo Versalles (1968), Bobby Valentine (1969-1972), Paul Powell (1973), Orlando Alvarez (1973-1975) and Ellie Rodriguez (1976).The number 2 was never issued following Lasorda's retirement.  Lasorda was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997.

4

Photo of Duke Snider Courtesy of Wikipedia

If Pee Wee Reese was the leader of the Brooklyn teams, Duke Snider was the power.  Snider hit 407 career Home Runs and likely would have hit quite a few more if not for the first few years in Los Angeles when the Dodgers played in the oddly shaped Coliseum.  Snider played on six of the Dodgers World Series teams, the first in 1949, and hit 11 World Series Home Runs.  Snider is in the top 10 Dodgers in many categories WAR (2nd), Offensive WAR( 1st), Slugging % (4th), OPS (5th), Runs (3rd), Hits (4th), Total Bases (2nd) , Doubles (2nd), Triples (6th), Home Runs (1st), RBI (1st), Walks (4th),Singles (9th), Extra Base Hits (1st) Times on Base (4th) and Intentional Walks (3rd).  Snider was a long time presence for the Dodgers long after he retired and he loved to mentor young players.  10 players were issued the number 4 before Duke (some of them quite famous in their own right):  Hack Wilson (1932-1934), Frenchy Bordgaray (1935-1936), Tony Malinosky (1937), Bert Haas (1937), Dolph Camili (1938-1943), Gil Hodges (1943), Joe Orengo (1943), Gil English (1944), Babe Herman (1945) and Mike Sandlock (1946).  Three players wore the number 4 following Snider: Tom Hutton (1966-1969), Kevin Pasley (1974-1977) and Bill North (1978).  Snider was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1980.

19

Photo of Jim Gilliam Courtesy of ESPN

There has been a general rule with the Dodgers management that only players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown will have their number retired.  That will explain why you don't see Maury Wills, Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Garvey, Orel Hershiser or Kirk Gibson's numbers up there.  There is one exception to this rule: Jim Gilliam.  Gilliam does appear on a number of the Dodgers lists of top ten all time: WAR (8th), Offensive WAR (8th), Games Played (5th), At Bats (5th), Plate Appearances (3rd), Runs (4th), Hits (8th), Total Bases (9th), Doubles (7th), Walks (2nd) Singles (6th), Times on Base (3rd), Gilliam was quite a bit more than that.  He was one of the longest hold overs from the Brooklyn days, spent 14 years as a player for the Dodgers and remained as a coach until his death in 1978, just before his 38th birthday.  During the post season of 1978 the Dodgers wore a patch with the number 19 on their uniform sleeve in honor of Gilliam. Before Gilliam came along 17 players wore the number for the Dodgers: Ray Phelps (1932), Chink Outen (1933), Babe Phelps (1935-1936), Jim Lindsey (1937), Ralph Birkofer (1937), Ira Hutchinson (1939), Herman Franks (1940-1941), Cliff Dapper (1942), Frenchy Bordagaray (1943), Ed Head (1944), Charlie Fuchs (1944), Tom Sunkel (1944), Morrie Aderholt (1944-1945), Cy Buker (1945), Joe Hatten (1946-1951), Johnny Schmitz (1951-1952) and Joe Landrum (1952).    No player was issued the number 19 after Gilliam's death.

20

Photo of Don Sutton Courtesy of Sporting News

Don Sutton debuted for the Dodgers in 1966 and joined a defending World Champion.  He finished at 12-12 that year and would not appear in the Dodgers' World Series loss to the Orioles.  Sutton would go on to pitch for the Dodgers for a total of 16 years and win 233 regular season games and another five post season games for the Dodgers.  Sutton was the link in the chain of great Dodgers pitchers between Koufax and Drysdale to Valenzuela and Hershiser.  Sutton was a four time All Star and four times received votes for the Cy Young (all of them top 5 finishes).  Of course Sutton ranks in the top 10 all time Dodgers in many categories: WAR for Pitchers (4th), Wins (1st), WHIP (6th), Games Pitched (1st), Innings Pitched (1st), Strikeouts (1st), Games started (1st), Complete Games ( 8th), Shutouts (1st).  24 players wore the number before Sutton came along:  Sloppy Thurston (1932-1933), Glenn Chapman (1934), Zack Taylor (1935), Harry Eisenstat (1935), George Cisar (1937), Tom Baker (1937), Ernie Koy (1938-1940), Wes Flowers (1940), Kemp Wicker (1941), Larry French (1941-1942), Al Glossop (1943), Tommy Warren(1944), Charlie Osgood (1944), Ralph Branca (1946-1947), Elmer Sexauer (1948), Hank Behrman (1948), Phil Haugstad (1947-1951), Carmen Mauro (1953), Rip Repulski (1959-1960), Turk Farrell (1961), Daryl Spencer (1962-1963), Dick Scott (1963), Larry Miller (1964 and AL Ferrara (1963-1965). 11 players wore the number 20 following Sutton's departure: Candy Maldonado (1982-1985) , Ed Amelung (1986) , Larry See (1986), Phil Garner (1987), Don Sutton (in his return in 1988), Willie Randolph (1989), Mike Davis (1989), Brian Traxler (1990), Darren Holmes (1990), Mitch Webster (1991-1995), Mike Blowers (1996) and Darren Lewis (1997).  Sutton was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998.

24

Photo of Walter Alston Courtesy of SABR

For a team as consistently competitive as the Dodgers were in their last two decades in Brooklyn it seems odd that they had so many managers.  There was Leo Durocher, Clyde Sukeforth, Burt Shotton, Durocher again, Ray Blades, Shotton again, Charlie Dressen and finally Walter Alston,  Wearing number 24 Alston led the team to seven first place finishes, seven National League pennants and four World Series wins (the first four in franchise history).  Alston spent 24 years as Dodgers manager and won 2040 regular season games.  In addition to the 7 first place finishes, he led the team to 8 second place finishes.  18 players wore the number 24 before Alston came along: Ed Pipgras (1932), Cy Moore (1932), Jimmy Jordan (1933), Watty Clark (1934), Bobby Reis (1935), Randy Moore (1936), Jim Peterson (1937), Jake Daniel (1937), Buck Marrow (1937-1938), Lee Rogers (1938), Al Hollingsworth (1939) Bill Crouch (1939), Joe Gallagher (1940), Tommy Tatum (1941), Paul Waner (1941) Augie Galan (1941-1946), Bobby Bragan (1947-1948) and Hank Edwards (1951).  No player was issued Alston's number 24 following his departure.  Alston was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

32

Photo of Sandy Koufax Courtesy of LA Times

Along with Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax could be the most iconic Dodger of all time.  Koufax started with the Dodgers in Brooklyn but did not become a great pitcher until the team moved to Los Angeles.  Koufax was absolutely dominant through 1966 and is considered one of the greatest pitchers the sport has ever seen.  Koufax was a six time All Star, three time Cy Young winner and an MVP.  He ranks high on many Dodgers' categories and would have ranked much higher had his elbow not broken down.  For All Time Dodgers lists he ranks: WAR (3rd), ERA (10th). Wins (5th), Win Loss % (7th), WHIP (4th), Hits/9 IP (2nd), K/9IP (3rd), Games Pitched (7th), K's (3rd), Shutouts (3rd), K/Walk (6th),  18 players wore the number 32 before Koufax: Goody Rosen (1937), Art Parks (1939), Boots offenberger (1939), Jimmy Ripple (1939), Lee Grissom (1940-1941), Bob Chipman (1941), Johnny Rizzo (1942), Rube Melton (1943), Bill Lohrman (1943), Fats Dantonio (1944), Ray Hayworth (1944-1945), Babe Herman (1945), Les Webber (1945-1946) Joe Tepsic (1946), Willie Ramsdell (1947-1948), Cal Abrams (1949-1952), Rocky Nelson (1952) and Bill Antonello (1953),
No player was issued number 32 following Koufax's retirement.  He was elected into the Hall of Fame 1972 on the first year of eligibility.

39

Photo of Roy Campanella Courtesy of MILB.com

Roy Campanella was one of the most well respected Dodgers of the Brooklyn era and had he not been paralyzed in a car accident likely would have played well into the Los Angeles era.  He was so well respected by the O'Malley's that he was often spoken of as a future manager, twenty years before Frank Robinson became the first African American manager.  An All Star in 8 of his 10 years he was also a 3 time MVP.  He ranks high in many Dodgers categories;  Offensive WAR (10th). Slugging % (10th), Home Runs (4th) and RBI (8th), If he had not been injured he would certainly be higher on many lists.  Only three players wore the number before Campy:  Ray Lucas (1933), John Corridon (1946) and Ed Chandler (1947).  Three players were issued Campy's number 39 following his retirement : Ken Rowe (1963), Howie Reed (1964-1966) and Bob Lee (1967).  Campanella was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

42

Photo of Jackie Robinson Courtesy of SABR

Little explanation is needed for Jackie Robinson.  He is the face of the Dodgers history and much of Baseball's history. Along with Reese and Snider, Jackie dominates the Dodger record books: WAR (3rd), Offensive WAR (3rd), Defensive WAR (7th), OBP (4th), OPS (9th), Runs (7th), Walks (6th), Extra Base Hits (10th), Hit By Pitch (2nd),  What is most amazing about Jackie's numbers is that baseball was considered his 4th best sport.  He was best known for football at UCLA and was an Olmypic athlete in Track.  He also lettered in Basketball while at UCLA.  If he had been allowed to play baseball directly out of college there is no telling what his numbers could have been.  Only 1 player, George Jeffcoat (1939) wore the number 42 before Jackie and only Ray Lamb (1969) ever wore the number 42 following Jackie's retirement. Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962.

53

Photo of Don Drysdale Courtesy of Wikipedia

Don Drysdale was the counterpart to Sandy Koufax and in some ways a better pitcher.  Drysdale won 209 games in 14 years with the Dodgers.  He represented the team in 8 All Star Games, was a Cy Young Award Winner and four times received MVP votes (twice finishing in the top 5).  Drysdale and Koufax defined the first winning era of the Los Angeles chapter.  He leads even Koufax in many of the Dodgers pitching categories: WAR for Pitchers (2n), Wins (2nd), Games Pitched (2nd), Innings Pitched (2nd), Strikeouts (2nd), Complete Games (6th), Shutouts (2nd), Prior to Drysdale no player ever wore the number 53 for the Dodgers.  Following Drysdale only Tom Paciorek (1970) ever wore the number.  Drysdale entered the Hall of Fame in 1984.

TRIVIA QUESTION:
As mentioned in today's article, with the exception of Jim Gilliam, the Dodgers' team policy has generally been to not retire a player's number unless they are elected to the Hall of Fame.  This leaves quite a few players with major impacts on the team history without thatt honor.  One player spent 14 years of a 19 year career with the Dodgers, won an MVP, received MVP votes 8 times as a Dodger (including a second place finish), made eight All Star Teams and won 4 Gold Gloves.  He also is among Dodgers top 10 lists in a number of categories: WAR (9th), Games Played (9th), At Bats (8th), Plate Appearances (8th), Hits (5th), Total Bases (6th), Doubles (3rd), Home Runs (6th), RBI (5th),Strikeouts (9th), Singles (7th)Extra Base Hits (6th), Times on Base (9th), Sac Flies (3rd), Intentional Walks (4th).  In addition to all  that, this player was the leader on 4 Dodger Playoff Teams (all of which made the World Series and one of them won) and won an NLCS MVP with the Dodgers.  After leaving the Dodgers he played in another NLCS and won an NLCS MVP with that team.  The man also holds the National League record for consecutive games played.  Who is this?

Answer to Last Week's Trivia Question:
Amos Wilson Rusie, known as the Hoosier Thunderbolt, played 10 years in the Major Leagues.  He started in 1889 with his hometown Indianapolis Hoosiers going 12-10 with a 5.32 ERA.  When the Indianapolis franchise closed shop because of financial issues, Rusie was sent to the Giants.  Rusie would pitch for the Giants from 1890-1898, although he would miss all of 1896 as a hold out.  In his 8 seasons with the Giants, Rusie never won less than 20 games (his lowest total was 20).  His win totals were amazing: 29, 33, 32, 33, 36, 23, 28 and 20.  Rusie won the 1894 Pitching Triple Crown, twice had the league's top ERA, led the league in strikeouts 5 times and four times led the league in shutouts.  Rusie was inducted in the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1977.

Almost a Dynasty: 1950's Dodgers

What actually makes a sports dynasty?  Obviously a teem needs to be successful for a continuous amount of time.  Every sport has that one iconic dynasty that fits the Dynasty category.  The NBA had the Boston Celtics who won nine out of ten championships.  The Montreal Canadiens won 7 of nine Stanley Cups (including six straight).  The NFL had several dynasties including the 49'ers, the Steelers, the Cowboys and, most recently, the Patriots.  Baseball itself has had the Yankees dynasties in several incarnations including the 1930's, 1950's and 2000's.

So what actually makes a team a dynasty?  There can of course be several definitions since there are varying levels of success.  A team can dominate their division for a decade but be bounced out in the first round of the playoffs year after year.  We could of course consider that to be a divisional dynasty but you wouldn't call it an overall baseball dynasty.  So let us set the parameters for this series of articles.  A dynasty, for our purposes here, is a team that wins multiple World Series championships (above two as back to back is nice but not a dynasty) within a 5-10 year period.  That being defined, this series will explore those teams that may have been a divisional or league dynasty but for whatever reason could not get over the hump to that World Series dynasty.

This series will show an array of near dynasties.  Some are teams that made the World Series year after year but fell short.  Others will be teams that competed right down to the end of the regular season year after year just to be beaten out.  It will be a series of near misses and what could have beens.

Don't miss the other almost dynasty articles: The Detroit Tigers of the 1900's, The Chicago White Sox of the 1910's, the Pittsburgh Pirates of the 1920's and the Boston Red Sox of the 1940's.  Now let's get started with this weeks "almost dynasty": The Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950's.

Sowing the Seeds of Sorrow:
The "almost dynasty" of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950's started long before the 1950's.  The Dodgers in Brooklyn were the city itself.  It was part of the largest city in the United States struggling to retain a small town feel.  Of course they were known for the Brooklyn Bridge but they took pride in their Dodgers, even during the bad times.  The Dodgers of the 1930's were known more for their goofy antics than they were for their success.  The team earned the nickname "the Daffiness Boys" for their seeming constant errors.  The most famous being a play where three Brooklyn base runners ended up on the same base.  The team had to fight hard to overcome that image.

They did so in 1941.  The image that replaced it was the image of heartbreak.  The Dodgers in 1941 surprised many people by not only reaching the World Series but putting up a fight against the dominant Yankees.  They entered the ninth inning of Game 4 with a lead that would tie the series at 2 games.  This is where the "almost dynasty" takes root.  On the final strike of the game, theoretically ending the game, the ball got past Catcher Mickey Owens allowing Tommy Henrich to reach base.  The Yankees took advantage of the miscue and won that game, then rolled through the team to the World Series title.  1946 was no picnic either.  The team could have won the National League again and faced off against  Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky and the Red Sox.  Instead, they were tied with St.Louis on the final day and lost the first ever National League Playoff to the Cardinals.  (The game played between the Giants and Cubs after the 1908 season was technically not a playoff.  It was called a "replay" of the disputed Merkle game.)  The 1947 Dodgers overcame the hate they faced as a result of breaking baseball's color lines and the last minute suspension of their manager and won the National League but were dominated by the Yankees in the World Series.  1949 again saw them win a close National League race only to fall short, again to the Yankees.

The 1940's could have been the Dodger's near dynasty, if only the 1950's were not so much more heartbreaking.

The Core Eight:
While the Yankee dynasty of the 1990's-2000's had what was considered the "Core Four" of Jeter, Posada, Pettite and Rivera (although Tino Martinez, Paul O'Neill and Bernie Williams should also get more recognition for their participation in that group) the Dodgers had what some might call a core eight.

The 1940's Dodgers had a strong group of players including Dixie Walker, Mickey Owen, Eddie Stanky, Kirby Higbe, Hugh Casey and Pete Reiser.  By the time the 1949 season rolled around it was an almost brand new team.  Reese remained from the 1941 team but even between 1947 and 1949 the team was greatly changed.  So who are the core 8?:

Pee Wee Reese:  One of a million missed opportunities for the Red Sox, Manager Joe Cronin felt his body could sustain a few more years as player-manager in Boston.  That made short stops in the Boston system expendable so in 1939 the Red Sox traded Pee Wee Reese to Brooklyn for $35,000 and three players.  Reese played only half of the 1940 season but was the team leader on the 1941 World Series team.  He would miss three seasons serving in World War II.  He would become the face of the franchise.  The quiet leader.  The captain.

Carl Furillo:  AKA the Reading Rifle.  Signed with the Dodgers before the 1941 season but did not see any action until he returned from World War II.  He was known for his defense but also won a batting title.  He was a ferocious competitor and under rated part of the Dodgers almost dynasty.

Gil Hodges: Hodges, like Furillo, signed before World War II, although Hodges actually appeared in one game before shipping off to the Marines.  Hodges was originally signed as a Catcher and spent most of the time on the bench watching the other Catchers.  When First Baseman Preston Ward hit a slump Durocher threw Hodges onto first and he stuck.

Jackie Robinson: Jackie joined the Dodgers in 1947 and immediately became a spark on the team.  He was the man who made the Dodgers go.  Few players in history could change the game like Jackie did.  He was once referred to as "Ty Cobb in Technicolor".

Roy Campanella:  Campy signed with the Brooklyn organization shortly after Jackie Robinson but did not make his debut with the big league Dodgers until 1948.  Campy would be one of the biggest contributors offensively and defensively.  He would make eight All Star Teams in ten seasons and would win three MVP awards.

Don Newcombe:  Big Newk was signed shortly after Campy and Jackie.  He made the big league team in 1949 and had an immediate impact.  He lost two seasons to the Korean War and unfairly gained a reputation for being unable to win the big game.  Big Newk was the undisputed ace of the team and the "almost dynasty" wouldn't have existed without him.  In fact had it not been for the two years in Korea, it likely would have been a real dynasty.

Duke Snider:  The Duke of Flatbush signed with the Dodgers before the 1943 season but did not appear until after the war.  While many of those above contributed to the 1947 World Series team, Duke would come late to the party.  He would be the big hitter in the Dodgers' "almost dynasty" and would have a love/hate relationship with the fans.

Carl Erskine: Known to the fans as "Oisk" because of the way the Brooklyn accent played with his name.  Carl would pitch two no-hitters in his career and if not for arm problems that sometimes made it impossible for him to lift his throwing arm high enough to comb his hair, Oisk might have made the Hall of Fame.

These were not the only key players of the almost dynasty but these eight were the group that did most of the heavy lifting.  As you'll see, starting with 1950, the other contributors also made legendary contributions.  Some good and some bad.

The Wide Turn and the Whiz Kids:  
Thirty years later Richie Ashburn sat in a broadcast booth in the Astrodome with Harry Kalas.  It was October of 1980 but the topic, as a young Marty Bystrom warmed up to face the Astros in the deciding game of the NLCS, was pressure.

"Rich, what was the most pressure packed game in which you were ever involved as a player?"  Kalas asked casually.
"Well the last game of that '50 season obviously.  It was either win or go into a playoff."

The "almost dynasty" of the Dodgers started immediately in the 1950's.  The Phillies' young group of 1950 were known as the Whiz Kids.  They had surprised the league to lead most of the year but as the season wound down their lead was down to two games with two games to play.  Those last two games were against the Dodgers, the team charging hard at the end of the season.  If the Dodgers won both games they would tie for first and play a three game playoff against the Phils.  Lose one and they were done.

Ebbets Field was tense in the Saturday opener of the two game set.  In the bottom of the 5th the game was scoreless.  Each scoreless inning increased the pressure.  Campy struck out to start the 5th but Third Baseman Billy Cox singled and went to second on Pitcher Erv Palica's ground ball.  Dodgers fans started to cautiously stir.  There was still another batter before Pee Wee and Duke made their appearance and they had already seen their team leave three runners on base this game.  The hitter was Cal Abrams, today's Left Fielder.  Abrams broke the scoreless tie with a single.  Pee Wee followed with a triple and when the Phillies brought in their MVP Jim Konstanty, the Duke rudely greeted him with a 2 run Home Run giving the Dodgers a 4 run lead.  The Whiz Kids would cut the lead to 4-3 but Campy would take away any doubt in the bottom of the 8th with a Three Run Home Run.  The Dodgers were now one game back with one game to play.

On the mound for the Dodgers in the season finale was Big Newk.  He was facing off against the Phillies ace Robin Roberts.  If Saturday was tense Sunday's game had people being fit for straight jackets.  For the first five innings neither team scored.  It was now half way through the game and stomachs churned a little louder as the game inched on.  Every called strike got a little groan, every ball was a little victory.  The Phillies came to bat in the 6th.  Eddie Waitkus and Richie Ashburn went down for two quick outs and it looked like the Dodgers would have another easy inning.  Dick Sisler singled to Center Field causing some anxiousness in the crowd.  Del Ennis followed with a single and the crowd grew restless.  Stepping in was Willie (better known as "Puddin' Head") Jones.  Puddin' Head hit a ground ball up the middle that scored Sisler but Snider got to it quickly enough to hold Ennis.  Dodgers fans were sure this was the negative sign they had dreaded.  Beaten by Puddin' Head.  Then the unthinkable happened in the bottom of the inning.  The Dodgers tied it on a Home Run.  It wasn't Hodges, Snider or Campy.  It wasn't even Jackie.  It was Pee Wee!  The little guy who had hit only ten Home Runs all year hit one out (barely, it got stuck in the screen for a ground rule Home Run).  But hell, a tie game is a tie game and a Home Run from Pee Wee was a sign that the Dodgers were going to win it all.

The Dodgers were energized entering the bottom of the 9th still tied.  Cal Abrams walked to lead off the inning and now they were sure.  Reese singled sending Abrams to second and there were two on and no out with Duke, Jackie, Furillo and Gil to follow.  There was no way they didn't win this.  Snider lined a single to center and Ebbets Field was louder than ever.  It was over.  But what was it that Yogi said?

Abrams took off for third.  Ashburn, the Phillies Center Fielder, had a notoriously week throwing arm.  The scouting report was he was no threat to throw someone out.  Abrams hit the bag at third with Third Base coach Milt Stock screaming "Go! Go! Go!"

Abrams turned the bag (history has blamed him for turning too widely and costing him precious steps) as Ashburn fielded the ball.

Abrams sprinted for home.

Ashburn picked it up on one hop.

Abrams kept running.

Ashburn turned and fired a perfect strike to Stan Lopata at the plate.

Abrams stopped running.  Out at the plate.  With Robinson, Furillo, Hodges and Campanella due up next and only one out the Dodgers should have still won it but the out at the plate deflated the crowd.  For decades Cal Abrams was public enemy number one.  Public enemy number two may have been the Phillies' Dick Sisler, who hit a three run Home Run in the top of the 10th sending the Whiz Kids to the World Series and the Dodgers home disappointed for another long winter.

Say Hey!:
Any lasting effects from the last day loss in 1950 seemed to have disappeared.  Although they wouldn't pay immediate dividends, the Dodgers made some tremendous signings in the off season.  Signings that would feed the "almost dynasty" long into the future:  Joe Black, Jim Gilliam, Johnny Podres and Maury Wills.  The Dodgers took over first in mid May and by mid August they had built a 13 game lead.  They were starting to count their chickens (or playoff bonuses) with a month and a half left.  The closest team was the Giants.  There was no way they would catch the Dodgers.  It was over.

What was it that Yogi said?

The Dodgers went 27-24 the rest of the way.  Normally that record does well enough to maintain a 13 game lead.  Not when the Giants, led by Durocher and Willie Mays go 39-8.  The lead shrank and the Dodgers needed a 9-8, 14 inning win on the last day of the season just to remain tied and force a playoff against the Giants.

The Dodgers lost the first game of the series at home 3-1.  Game 2 was in the Polo Grounds and the Dodgers played like a team angry that Durocher was trying to take their pennant.  Jackie started it in the first with a Two Run Home Run.  Jackie would go 3-5 with 3 RBI on the day.  Rube Walker (playing for an injured Campy), Hodges and Andy Pafko would also hit Home Runs and the Dodgers won 10-0, tying the series.

The final game was played at the Polo Grounds but after the 10-0 demolishing the Dodgers were confident.  Say Hey! kids.  It was nice seeing you but it will be nicer seeing you go, especially you Leo.  You all head home.  We'll take on the Yankees.

The Dodgers confidence skyrocketed in the Top of the 8th.  Tied at 1, the Dodgers got to Sal "the Barber" Maglie.  The situation may have been too tense for Jackie to make his normal Maglie joke before the game. "Don't bother shaving. Maglie will pitch you close enough to do it for you."  To start the 8th Furillo shot a ball straight back at Maglie but Maglie caught it for out number one.  The two tough men may have glared at each other.  Furillo silently saying "I wish it would have hit ya, ya bastard."  Maglie silently saying "Sit down ya Dodger son of a bitch."  Reese and Snider singled. A Maglie wild pitch scored Reese.  Jackie was walked intentionally.  Pafko singled scoring Snider.  After a Hodges pop out, Billy Cox singled scoring Jackie and it was 4-1 Dodgers.

Big Newk pitched a perfect 8th and the Dodgers just needed three more outs. He gave up back to back singles before getting Monte Irvin to foul out.  When Whitey Lockman doubled Newk's day was over.  And then came Ralph Branca to face Bobby Thompson.  Cue Russ Hodges.

One Step Closer:
1950 saw the Dodgers come within a wide turn of forcing a three game playoff.  1951 saw the Dodgers lose a three game playoff.  In 1952 these guys were not messing around.  They won the NL by 4 1/2 games (though it wasn't necessarily that close) and faced the Yankees, who were playing in their fourth straight World Series.

Although it had only been a few years since the 1949 World Series this Yankees team was different.  DiMaggio, Keller, Henrich were gone.  Rizzuto, Reynolds, Raschi and Berra were still there but new were Martin, Mantle and Joe Collins.

This year was different.  In 1941 the Dodgers had shot themselves in the foot with the Owens passed ball.  In 1947 and 1949 they were just overpowered by a great Yankee team led by The Great DiMaggio.  In 1952 they actually struck first, they won Game 1 behind rookie pitcher Joe Black's complete game.  They lost Game 2 7-1 but came back and won Game 3 behind Preacher Roe.  Not only did they win it, they won it in Yankee Stadium with two runs in the 9th to beat the Yankees at home.  Joe Black pitched again in Game 4 and held the Yankees to only 2 runs.  Unfortunately Allie Reynolds was better holding the Dodgers to 0 runs to tie the series at 2.  The Dodgers had missed an opportunity, behind Black's well pitched game, to take a commanding 3-1 lead.

If Game 4 was a missed opportunity, Game 5 was a statement.  With a chance to take the lead again, Carl Erskine took the mound.  The Bums scored one run in the 2nd but left the bases loaded.  When they scored three more in the 5th (thanks to a Pee Wee sac fly and a two run blast from Duke) it looked like the men left on base was an after thought.  Hank Bauer started the bottom of the fifth with a single.  Billy Martin duplicated it.  Irv Noren pinch hit for the pitcher and followed Bauer and Martin's example, scoring Bauer.  Gil McDougald grounded to Reese who forced Noren but Martin scored.  It was 5-2.  Still a safe lead.  Rizzuto singled McDougald to third but when Mantle popped out for the second out Dodgers fans breathed a sigh of relief.  The collective released breath from Brooklyn may have created a tail wind because the next batter, Johnny Mize, launched a three run Home Run to tie the game.  In other years this team would have quit but not after last year.  This team fought back.  Snider had an RBI single in the 7th to tie it up.  In the top of the 11th Duke would untie it with an RBI double and the Dodgers were one game away from their first ever World Series win.  I wonder if Yogi said anything to the Dodgers after the game.

With elimination looming the Yankees started one of their Aces, Vic Raschi.  The Dodgers started... well let's see.  Erskine?  No he started Game 5.  Joe Black?  Nope. Newcombe?  Nope, he was in the military. (oh, how different it could have been if Big Newk were available).  Branca or Preacher Roe?  Nope.  The choice to start a potentially clinching game was... Billy Loes.  His name may not immediately jump out like Branca, Erskine or Newk but Billy Loes was 13-8 in 1952 and he had a 2.69 ERA.  So although it wasn't the flashy pick it was a good choice.  Through 6 innings he had allowed only 2 hits and 2 walks but no runs.  Raschi was just as good through 6 allowing only four hits and no runs.  It was another gut squeezing game.  In the bottom of the 6th the faithful at Ebbets Field thought they had it made.  Duke (they loved him again) led off with a Solo Home Run to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.  It didn't last long.  Maybe Yogi didn't say it out loud but his bat said it for him.  He led off the Top of the 7th with a game tying Home Run.  Then, missed opportunity number 2 for the Dodgers.  Gene Woodling walked.  Unnerved, Loes balked  Woodling to 2nd.  In true Dodgers fashion he didn't just balk.  He came set,  Thought about what he wanted to throw and then.,, he dropped the ball.  It just fell to the ground and Woodling advanced to second. Irv Noren struck out and Billy Martin popped up.  Two out.  All Loes had to do was get the pitcher and they were out of the inning.  Raschi hit a weak ground ball back to the mound.  Loes didn't react.  It hit off his leg, rolled into right field and Woodling scored from second on the error from Loes.  So what happened?  Loes lost the grounder, he said, in the sun.  What?  How can you lose a ground ball in the sun?  Erskine backed him up.  "In October the sun is right between the decks for probably no more than a couple mintues' time.  And that's exactly when that happened, and when Loes said he lost it in the sun everyone laughed, and the fact is, if you ever pitched in Ebbets Field you know that's possible in October with a ball that's hit with a little bounce on it."  In the top of the 8th Mantle made his presence known with a solo Home Run to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead.  Snider hit his second Home Run of the game but no one was on base so the Yankees lived on for one more day.

Joe Black started Game 7 and the Dodgers were confident they had this one already.  Neither Black nor Reynolds was dominant.  The Yankees struck first in the fourth.  The Dodgers answered right back in the bottom of the third.  The Yankees took the lead again in the 5th on a Gene Woodling Solo Home Run.  The Dodgers answered in the bottom 5th.  The Yankees scored again on a solo Home Run from Mantle in the 6th.  The Dodgers were silent in the 6th.  The Dodgers scored in the 7th.  The Dodgers were silent in the 7th.  Well not exactly silent.

Here was missed opportunity number three.  Furillo walked to start the inning.  For Carl it was nothing more than a walk.  There was no hand clapping on the way down to first.  At this point it was nothing but a base runner.  Rocky Nelson pinch hit for Preacher Roe.  With a 1-1 count (Nelson and the crowd thought it should be 2-0) Raschi threw well outside and the Dodgers dugout came to life.  Cookie Lavagetto, Dodgers coach and fan favorite, was loud in rooting Nelson on.  Nelson popped a ball up to short.  Rizzuto fought the sun but caught the ball.  Billy Cox stepped in. The count went to 3-2.  Benches started to get uneasy.  Sitting positions were shifted.  Hats, the same ones that had sat in the same position for innings, now felt tight or tilted.  The hats came off as nervous hands ran through hair.  Cox lined a single sending Furillo to third and Pee Wee came to the plate with Duke on deck. As the count went to 3-1 Stengel got nervous. Yelling from the dugout he eventually took a walk to the mound.  The next pitch came in and Pee Wee started to walk to first but was called back.  It didn't take long for him to get to first.  He walked on the next pitch and Snider strode to the plate to face a new pitcher.

Bases loaded.  1 out.  All they needed was a base hit.  On an 1-1 count Duke checked his swing on an outside fastball and fouled it off.  He was furious with himself.  He shouldn't have even offered at it.  The count went full and the tension got bigger.  Snider swung and connected on the next pitch. It was on the outside part of the plate and if he could have made perfect contact with it he could have driven it for at least a double.  Instead it was popped up. The infield fly rule was called and there were two out.  That brought up Jackie Robinson.  Two out.  Bases loaded.  If there was any one person you would want at the plate in this situation it was Jackie.  He swung through strike one.  The Yankees stirred.  Ball one.  The Dodgers bench stirred.  On the mound Bob Kuzava fidgeted between pitches, played with the rosin bag.  Ball two and Yogi didn't like this one.  He started growling at the ump.  Lavagetto was still pacing, clapping, yelling from the dug out as Robinson fouled off another pitch.  It was on the inside part of the plate, the kind of pitch Jackie would love to pull.  He just pulled it too far.  The next pitch was identical and Jack tried to pull it inside the bag.  Foul ball.

With the bases loaded and a two run lead the Yankees were playing the middle infielders back and the corner fielders were guarding the line.  The next pitch was out over the plate.  Jackie swung.  Connected.  It went straight up in the air.  With two out Furillo was moving and crossed the plate.  Behind the plate Berra waited for Kuzava to take charge.  Cox hit third and turned the corner.  On the mound Kuzava looked straight up.  Watching.  Reese started jogging to second.  At short stop Rizzuto started to amble towards the mound.  Cox noticed the lack of urgency on the Yankees part and he headed home.  At second base Billy Martin knew this was not his ball.  It was Kuzava's or maybe Collins' at first.  Reese rounded second and headed for third as the ball started coming down and the Yankee fielders stood motionless.  Martin sprinted towards the infield.  Robinson was at second by now.  Dodgers fans saw the ball falling.  Jackie and Reese saw the same.  Cox crossed the plate.  Martin kept sprinting.  If the ball fell to the ground Furillo and Cox would have scored and Reese had a good chance.  Martin kept running.  Kuzava watched.  Rizzuto had lost it in the sun.  The ball was falling.  Martin sprinting.  Falling.  Sprinting.  Falling. Martin reached the field grass in front of the mound.  He stuck his glove out and just below his knees the ball dropped in his glove.  Three outs.  Threat over.  For all intents and purposes, Series over.  Better luck next year.

Again:
1953 was similar to 1952 in the fact that the regular season was an almost foregone conclusion by June.  Brooklyn ran away with the pennant by 13 games.  They finished with a 105-49 record.  Their World Series opponent again was the Yankees.  The Dodgers lost the first two games. won the second two and it looked like seven games again.  The Yankees took a 3-1 lead into the 9th inning of Game 6.  The Dodgers tied it when Carl Furillo launched a two run Home Run.  Dodgers fans, who moments before had given up, raised their eyes for a moment.  Maybe there would be a Game 7.  It didn't last long.  A Billy Martin single in the bottom of the 9th scored Hank Bauer giving the Yankees their fifth straight World Series win.  The Dodgers almost dynasty now had a clear pattern and the Dodgers were becoming the lovable losers.

Where the hell did they come from?
The Dodgers' 1954 season was not bad.  They won 92 games.  The problem was Leo Durocher and the Giants were better.  The Giants took over first on June 9 and although the Dodgers would continue chipping away at the lead they could never quite overtake the Giants.  While the Giants faced off against the heavily favored Indians the Dodgers brooded over another missed opportunity to win it all.

The off season brought Jim Gilliam to the team and there was a question of where he would play.  Gilliam was a second baseman, Jackie Robinson's position.  What about Billy Cox?  He was traded to Baltimore with Preacher Roe leaving Third Base open.  Jackie did not want to move to third but in the end he did.

Finally?:
There was drama in the 1955 season and it mostly centered around the fact that the Dodgers were now aging.  Robinson, Reese, Campy and Furillo were all now slowing down.  Snider and Erskine were middle aged.  Injuries were starting to take their toll.  There was a question of how long the window would remain open.

The National League picture had slowly been changing.  The Giants won in 1954 and the Braves were coming soon.  The Dodgers were building their youth for the future.  Roger Craig, Jim Gilliam, Johnny Podres, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Don Zimmer looked like they would keep the train rolling for longer but could they accomplish what the core eight had done.  One other player intended to be part of the new core was stolen away by the Pirates and their new club President, Branch Rickey.  Rickey had an eye for talent so when they had a chance to steal Roberto Clemente from the Dodgers, they jumped at the chance.

The 1955 Dodgers ran away with the league...again.  Their opponent for the 1955 World Series was the Yankees...again.  Big Newk lost Game 1 to Whitey Ford 6-5.  Billy Loes lost Game 2 to Tommy Byrne 4-2 and suddenly the Dodgers were down 2 games to 0.  The series shifted to Ebbets Field and the Dodgers fans expected this to be quick but painful.  Instead, the Dodgers scored runs in bunches, winning Game 3 8-3.

The Yankees jumped out to 3-1 lead in Game 4 which gave the impression that the series would have the same score by the end of the day.  In the bottom of the 4th Campy hit a solo shot to cut the lead to 3-2.  Furillo immediately followed with a single.  Up stepped Gil Hodges.  The big, intimidating ex-marine and future manager of the Miracle Mets.  Hodges, who had long overcome the pain of his horrible 1952 season, gave the Dodgers the lead with a two run Home Run.  One inning later, with Reese and Gilliam on base, Duke Snider hit a three run Home Run.  It gave the Dodgers a secure lead in the game and a tie in the Series.  Game 5 went to the Dodgers behind 6 strong innings from Roger Craig.  The Dodgers were (again) only one game from winning a World Series.

With the season on the line the Yankees wasted little time in putting up their fight.  Dodgers Starter Karl Spooner finished the game with 1/3 inning pitch.  He gave up 2 walks, three singles and a three run Home Run.  That made the game 5-0.  It would not get any better for the Dodgers that day.  To this point in the series the home team had won every game.  If the Yankees won Game 7 it would be the first time a home team had won every game of a 7 game series.  If they lost it meant it was the first time a Dodgers team had won the World Series.

The Yankees started Tommy Byrne.  The Dodgers started... Johnny Podres.    Podres?  Had Dodgers fans  not learned from the disaster of Billy Loes a few years before? Podres was brilliant.  Campanella scored the first run of the game on an RBI single from Hodges.  A sac fly from Hodges in the 6th gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.  Now Dodgers' fans just had to sit and wait for the disaster to strike.

It didn't take long.  Don Zimmer had started the game at second.  The Dodgers had pinch hit George Shuba for Zimmer the inning before hoping to get an extra run.  It hadn't worked so as the bottom of the inning started some movement occurred in the Brooklyn defense.  Jim Gilliam moved to his natural position at second base.  That left an opening in Left Field.  The solution was a seldom used outfielder named Sandy Amoros.  Billy Martin opened the inning with a walk.  McDougald followed by trying to sacrifice Martin to second.  Instead he ended up with a single and two runners on base with no out.  Up to the plate stepped Yogi.  As Yogi always said about it being over...

The Dodgers outfielders were shifted towards the right.  Way to the right.  Berra never could drive a ball to left field.  Shocking everyone, Berra connected on a pitch that headed towards the left field corner.  Dodgers fans were sure this was it.  Amoros started running towards the ball.  Martin and McDougald were sure they would both score.  Berra had thoughts of a triple.  Amoros ran like hell.  He just ran until he was almost out of room and stuck out his glove.  The ball smacked in his glove.  The umpire's fist shot up in the air.  The runners, Martin and McDougald, stopped dead and reversed direction.  It was chaos.  As we have always said on the baseball eras blog, it does not matter what causes the chaos.  What matters is how you react to the chaos.  Amoros, with the ball secure, tried to stop but with his speed and momentum he couldn't stop dead.  He slammed into the wall, using the fence to stop his momentum.  He quickly recovered, turned and threw to Reese.  Reese, reacting quickly to the chaos, turned and threw to first.  McDougald slid back in but Hodges had already caught the ball.  Double play.  Threat over.  Where Billy Loes had failed a few years earlier, Johnny Podres had succeeded.

The Dodgers had their first World Series title.  Now, how about 2?

The Defending Champs:
As expected the Dodgers won the National League again.  As expected the Yankees were the opponent.  What was not expected was the difficulty the Dodgers faced in getting back to the series.  You can read more about that next week in the next "almost dynasty".  The Dodgers struggled greatly during the season.  The battles on the field were matched day by day by the battles between Dodgers' owner Walter O'Malley and the city of Brooklyn.  As the Dodgers fought for the pennant, the ownership fought for a new stadium.  Rumors swirled.  Not about whether the Dodgers would play in Ebbets Field or a new Brooklyn stadium.   Rumors swirled about whether they would play in Brooklyn at all.  During parts of the 1956 season they didn't.  For a few series they used a minor league stadium in Jersey City, NJ as their home stadium.  Despite the challenge from the Braves the Dodgers held on to, or stole away, the pennant.

The series started the same as the 1955 series, except the Dodgers won the first two this time, crushing Don Larsen 13-8 in Game 2. The Yankees won Games 3 and 4.  Game 5 was the classic.  The legendary game.  The perfect game.  So it came down to Game 6.  It was win or go home.

Game 6 was another classic.  Scoreless into extra innings, Jackie Robinson singled home the only run for a 1-0 win forcing Game 7.

With so many tight, hard fought games over the years between these two teams the anticipation for Game 7 was huge.  Everyone assumed it would be a classic and given the result of the 1955 Game 7 there was no way to tell who would win.  The Dodgers seemed to have the advantage with Big Newk starting for the Dodgers against Johnny Kucks for the Yanks.  The Yankees scored first in the first inning with a  two run Home Run from Yogi.  The Dodgers couldn't answer.  In the third inning the Yankees struck again with another two run homer from Yogi.  The Dodgers again couldn't answer.  A solo Home Run by Elston Howard in the 5th and a Grand Slam by Moose Skowron in the 7th would be all the scoring for the day.  Johnny Kucks pitched nine innings allowing only three hits and no runs for a 9-0 World Series clinching victory.  The "almost dynasty" of the Dodgers had missed the opportunity to win back to back championships.

The Decline and Fall:
The "almost dynasty" in Brooklyn fell quickly and was replaced by (in some parts running simultaneously with) the almost dynasty in next week's article.  The Dodgers hung in the race until mid season but by the end of July the team was in third place and they would never climb higher.  Injuries depleted their power and the talent expected to replace the aging players did not progress as quickly as anticipated.  Drysdale showed signs of success but Koufax was wild and unreliable.  Add to that rumors, which turned into reality, that the Dodgers would be moving to Los Angeles led to smaller crowds and a lack of interest in the team for the first time in team history.

The core eight were starting to slow down.

After the 1956 season  the Dodgers did the unthinkable.  They traded Jackie Robinson to the rival Giants.  Too bad they didn't know he had already planned to retire.

Following the 1957 season Campanella was in a car accident leaving him paralyzed his entire life.

At 37, Pee Wee's playing time diminished and he was playing games at third base instead of Short Stop.  He made the move to Los Angeles for the first season but retired after that first year.

Furillo also made the trip to Los Angeles for a few years but injuries and the sudden appearance of younger talent shrunk his playing time.

Big Newk suffered on the mound following the Game 7 loss in 1956.  He went just 11-13 in 1957.  He started out 0-6 in the first Los Angeles season before being traded to the Reds.

Gil Hodges played with the Dodgers until being drafted by the Mets in the 1962 expansion draft.  He would eventually manage the team to their first ever World Series title.

Carl Erskine always had Hall of Fame talent.  His arm was the only thing holding him back.  His injuries slowly took their toll.  He went just 5-3 in 1957, 4-4 in 1958 and 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA in 1959 before retiring.

Duke Snider was the last man standing.  As Pee Wee, Campy and Furillo aged and saw less playing time, Duke became the team leader.  He stayed with the team through 1962, even making huge contributions to the Dodgers first World Series win in LA.

The Brooklyn teams of the late 1940's and early 1950's could have been a full fledged dynasty.  With six pennants between 1947 and 1956, as well as two other years (1950 and 1951) that were missed opportunities, the team had chance after chance to stake their claim as an actual baseball dynasty.  Instead, what they ended up with was one World Series title and second place in history to the Yankees dynasties of the 1940's through early 1960's.

TRIVIA QUESTION:

The Dodgers signed Sandy Koufax as a "bonus baby" meaning that the size of his contract required him to remain on the major league roster.  In order to make room for Koufax on the roster the Dodgers had to send a player to the minor leagues.  What player was sent to the minors to make room for Koufax?

Answer to Last Week's Question:
Congratulations to TJD for answering last week's question correctly!
Between 1941 and 1964 the Yankees, Indians and Red Sox dominated the top of the American League.  The Yankees won the American League in 1941, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964.  The Indians won the AL in 1948, and 1950.  Although the Red Sox came close in 1948 and 1949 they only manged to win the AL in 1946.  Only three other teams managed to sneak into the World Series from the AL.  The Senators and A's were not able to sneak in at all during that time.  The 1944 St. Louis Browns were able to win the American League and challenge the National Leauge's powerful St. Louis Cardinals in a cross town World Series.  The following year the 1945 Detroit Tigers rode the emotion of Hank Greenberg's return to beat the Cubs.  The 1959 White Sox led by Al Lopez reached the Fall Classic before losing to the Dodgers in their first ever West Coast World Series win. 

Players I Love More Than I Should: First Base Hank Greenberg

Don't forget to check out the first article in this series of player profiles:  Yogi Berra.

More than 18,000 players have appeared in Major League Baseball games since the start of the league.  Some players have short careers that last one at bat or one appearance in the field.  Others have 20+ year careers.  As I read more and more about baseball history there are certain players I find myself enjoying reading about more than others.  It is obviously illogical since many of them retired, or in some cases passed away, long before I was even born.  I have no first hand experience in watching them play but for whatever reason their personalities and perseverance strikes me above and beyond the other players I read about.  Over the next few weeks I will be giving you short biographical histories*of some of these players.  Some of them will be Hall of Fame players.  Some of them will be players only casual fans may know.  Regardless, I chose one player from each position for this series to explore.  This week we will explore the First Baseman  I chose for the series, the one that my regular readers probably knew was coming: Hank Greenberg.


Hank Greenberg suffered through some horrible moments in his career.  Every moment was a struggle.  Even his most noble and lasting action was torn apart by a press that found reasons not to like him. Some have said this is the normal territory heroes tread, however, the general consensus was that Hank suffered quite a bit more because of his Jewish heritage.  After all of that Greenberg remains one of the most under rated players in the history of baseball and one of my favorite baseball figures.

Early Days in New York
The Philadelphia Athletics were still riding high on their World Series Championship on New Year's Eve 1910-1911.  While they were celebrating Sarah Greenberg was ensuring the future of baseball.  Five minutes into the new year Sarah Greenberg gave birth to Henry Benjamin Greenberg.  The Greenbergs were Romanian immigrants who settled in the Greenwich Village section of New York.  The same Greenwich Village that would give birth to the career of Bob Dylan decades later. Similar to the story of Yogi Berra, Hank's father could not comprehend what good could come out of playing ball.  Hank didn't care.  It was all he thought of.  He would spend all day at the ball field.  No matter what time of year.  Regardless of snow, rain, cold.  Hank focused on all aspects of his game.  Fielding, hitting, even sliding.  He built himself a sliding pit to work on sliding like the major leaguers he read about in the papers.  He was a great athlete all around.  Tall for his age, he excelled at basketball.  As a freshman in high school Greenberg made the varsity baseball team.  His biggest problem was also his biggest attribute.  He was a perfectionist.  When he wasn't perfect he would get down on himself.  If he struck out, didn't advance a runner, missed a shot, committed a dumb foul or made any normal everyday mistake he would get angry and frustrated.  Then he would use that frustration to push himself harder.  Like all young boys Hank wanted to be a Major League Baseball player.  He was also aware of how difficult it was.  Hank would spend hours with the neighborhood kids hitting balls until it was too dark to see anymore.  His High School Basketball coach would later say "Hank never played games, he worked at them.  He was not the natural athlete."  Sharing that field with the kids was a local Irish policeman named Pat McDonald, who was also an Olympic Hammer Tosser.  They shared the same field and the local kids were terrified of him.  Often he would wind up to practice a hammer toss and would see one of those damn punks out of the corner of his eye and have to stop his throw.  One day he saw Hank as they were both leaving the park and called him over.  Hank froze.  Terrified.  This was not only a policeman, he was a very very large man.  Hank approached him with caution: "Young man, I just came from watching the Yankees play and, by god, you can hit a ball better than Lou Gehrig."  A compliment telling Hank he hit better than the man he idolized, especially coming from the man he called his mortal enemy, made Hank even more determined to be a big league ballplayer.

Playing for the Home Town Team?
Paul Krichell had been a scout for the Yankees for years.  He had discovered Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri and would later discover Phil Rizzuto and Whitey Ford.  Greenberg's high school teammate Rudy Herzog caught Krichell's attention.  Krichell went to the game to scout Herzog.  Instead he saw something he had least expected.  A tall first baseman.  So tall and gangly it almost didn't make sense that he could have the coordination to swing a bat.  Krichell liked what he saw but didn't say anything.  He couldn't risk tipping anyone off to this amazing find.  When he saw Lou Gehrig he had told the Yankees he had found another Babe Ruth.  He may very well have told them now that he had found another Lou Gehrig.  Krichell started to scout Greenberg.  He and Hank went to see a game together.  Hank asked the obvious question.  If you have Gehrig why do you want a first baseman.  Krichell quietly told Greenberg that Gehrig was washed up.  "In a few years you'll be the Yankees' First Baseman."  Greenberg knew better.  He hoped to play for the Giants but he was getting offers from the Pirates, Nationals and others as well.  Hank wanted to test his skills so he was able to line up some work as a semi-pro player, thanks to the help of Tigers scout Jean Dubuc.  This small bit of help gave the Tigers the inside track and in September 1929 Greenberg  signed with the Tigers for $9000 ($3000 for the season and $6000 signing bonus) with the caveat that Hank be allowed to attend college for four years and join the Tigers after the school year and full time after four years.  A great student, Hank had a scholarship to attend NYU.  Krichell upped his offer to $10,000 but Hank knew he would be stuck behind Lou Gehrig and knew he would never reach the big leagues.  "That was the primary reason I signed with Detroit.  It certainly was not the glamour of playing in Detroit, since I knew nothing about the town, nothing about the ballpark...It was my good fortune to sign with the Tigers because the Detroit ballpark turned out to be perfect for a right handed hitter and Detroit was a great baseball town.

The Long Road to Detroit
Greeneberg's father, although happy with the extra income that the Tiger's contract added to the household, still had doubts about Hank's future.  He was worried that Hank would be done in a year or two and have no fall back.  He insisted that Hank go to college.  Hank agreed.  So did the Tigers.    "My contract with the Tigers had a provision that I wouldn't be farmed out any lower than AAA ball.  But the Tigers permitted me to join them at Spring Training."  Articles in Detroit started to pop up about the prospect at First base but when the season started, instead of heading back north for school, Greenberg was sent to the A Ball affiliate in Newark.  Following in Gehrig's steps, Greenberg tried to fill the shoes that Gehrig had left when he had played in Newark for the Yankees.  Greenberg waived the AAA level clause and got started.  A young Jewish kid, far from home with great pressure and expectations for the first time Hank struggled and was optioned to Level C ball in Raleigh, NC.  The south was not the most welcome place for a Jewish kid at the time and Hank felt more awkward and out of place.  He continued to struggle and was hitting .151 when a pitcher on the team started to point out that he was hitting .155.  The taunt ignited the competitive fire in Greenberg and got him hitting.  Greenberg played 122 games for the 1930 Raleigh team and hit a total of 19 Home Runs with a .314 average.  Not bad for a young kid who was supposed to be in college. His numbers were enough to get him called up at the end of the season and get some big league experience.  "I got in one game as a pinch hitter against the Yankees in a game that was hopelessly lost.  The pitcher was Red Ruffing and I was as good as out before I even reached the plate."  Expecting to get some sort of playing time, Hank sat on the bench for the rest of the year.  Growing more and more frustrated with every inning he was inactive, Hank could not wait for the end of the year.  Finally in the bottom of the eighth inning of the last game of the year, Greenberg was told it was his chance.  Standing up he hit his head on the roof of the dugout.  Frustrated, self-conscious and now embarrassed Hank yelled out "I'm not going to play for this team." and stormed out.  As a 19 year old kid Hank did not look long term.  When he was sent to Spring Training 1931 he was designated a B League player, Hank then tried to invoke the clause requiring him to be at AAA or higher.  Tiger Owner Frank Navin was not someone to be trifled with.  Navin told Hank in a letter:  "You were given a $9000 bonus to sign with the understanding you were to go to college for four years and play baseball in college...Instead you cut the four years entirely....we took you to Detroit so you could get acquainted with Major League surroundings and not play ball, thinking it might help you." The stay in B League with Beaumont lasted only 3 games.  He was dropped lower to the III league and played the year at Evanston, IN hitting .318 with 15 HR.  The next year he played the whole year in Beaumont.  Greenberg often tried to downplay the anti semitism he faced.  In one game he collided on the base paths with Zeke Bonura, an opposing first baseman.  There was a near riot over a Jewish man colliding with a white man.  Extra security was ordered for the next day.  Despite the challenges, Hank hit 81 extra base hits (including 39 Home Runs) and hit .290 in his full year in Beaumont.  With these numbers he would never need to spend another day below AAA.

Photo of Young Hank Greenberg Courtesy of Indiana Military.org

The Climb to the Near Top
The Tigers organization was not in the best of shape compared to other organizations when Hank joined them in 1933.  Although the days of Cobb, Crawford, Schaeffer and Jennings were not that far in the past, the team had not reached a World Series since 1909.  The team was not terrible but it was usually a 6th place team and out of contention.  1933 was no different, except that the future looked bright.  The team had slowly brought in young players like Gehringer, Owen, Rogell, Jo-Jo White (nicknamed because of his distinct way of telling people he was from Georgia), Auker, Rowe and of course Hank.  The team finished fifth in 1933, behind Joe Cronin and his Washington "Wrecking Crew".  Hank had a solid rookie year.  He hit .301, drove in 87 but hit only 12 Home Runs.  The Tigers saw that the youth would serve them well.  What they needed was some veteran leadership.  They found a way to deal for it (which was closer to stealing it).  On 12/12/1933 they traded Catcher Johnny Pasek and $100,000 to Connie Mack's A's and in return they got one of the greatest Catchers in history in his prime: Mickey Cochrane.  (Cochrane was so popular that a coal miner in Oklahoma, nicknamed Mutt, would name his son Mickey after the Catcher.  Cochrane's namesake would go on to become the legendary Yankee who replaced Joe DiMaggio in center field.  You might have heard the name Mickey Mantle once or twice.)  The Tigers weren't done.  Coming off their World Series appearance the Senators Clark Griffith could not afford to give raises to the players who had earned them.  The result was he traded Goose Goslin to the Tigers for outfielder John Stone.  The Tigers were now solid everywhere.  With Cochrane in the lead and Greenberg in the clean up spot, the Tigers roared in 1934.  The '34 Tigers started fast but by May 10 they had fallen to 6th.  Hank was hitting only .226 but things were about to change  As the Yankees learned what life would be like without Ruth and the Senators struggled to replicate their magical pennant of the previous year, the G-Men (Greenberg, Gehringer and Goslin) started an assault and Schoolboy Rowe, Eldon Auker and Tommy Bridges blew people away from the mound.  The Tigers climbed to the top and clawed their way to the American League pennant.  Greenberg became a beloved player in Detroit based on this year alone.  He hit .339, hit 63 doubles and 26 Home Runs and drove in 139 RBI. The Tigers faced the famous "Gashouse Gang" Cardinals in the World Series and Hank was taunted terribly by the Cardinals, most viciously by Dizzy Dean.  Dean repeatedly yelled to Hank "Hey Mose" referring to his Jewish heritage.  Dean yelled to another Cardinal pitcher "Throw him a pork chop.  He can't touch it."  Hank struggled in the series and was devastated by the disappointment.  Dean even yelled to him  "Hey Mose, come on into our clubhouse and get your meal money. You're the best player we got."  The series went seven games, although the Cardinals routed the Tigers in a feisty game 7.  The Tigers were angry at the loss.

Photo of Hank Greenberg Courtesy of Wikipedia

Reaching the Top and Becoming a Hero
During the 1934 pennant race, which was still tight at the time, Hank had to make a serious decision.  The baseball season, designed decades before, did not take into consideration any holidays.  Baseball was non-denominational in theory.  In 1934 the Tigers needed Hank for every game and every at bat.  Hank had to make a choice of his own.  With his team in a pennant race the Jewish Holiday of Rosh Hashanah approached.  Uncertain of how to approach the problem, Hank played on a holiday when all are supposed to rest and reflect.  The controversy erupted.  How could he be a Jewish hero when he defied his religion.  Rabbi's around the country defended him but his parents were furious.  Even worse, the holiest holiday, Yom Kipur, was quickly approaching.  Hank had little to think about.  While he could defend playing on Rosh Hashanah there was no wiggle room on this.  He sat out.  His teammates were worried but they respected his decision.  Hank's decision was heralded and he set the standard for all who followed.

Hank made 1935 his own personal answer to the taunting of Dean from the previous year's World Series.  Greenberg won his first MVP award hitting 46 doubles, 36 Home Runs, driving in an amazing 170 and hitting .339.  In July Hank was on pace to match Babe Ruth's Home Run record but his focus was always Lou Gehrig and the RBI record.  His 170 was well better than anyone in the league.  He put up tremendous numbers.  Even better, the Tigers won the AL pennant again.  Their opponents this year were the Chicago Cubs.  Hank again suffered torment from the NL bench.  "They were all on me with 'Jew this' and 'Jew that'."  It got bad enough that umpire George Moriarty stopped the game and told the Cubs to stop.  Cubs first baseman Phil Cavaretta remembered "the language was pretty rough.  Detroit was on some of our players.  We tried to retaliate."  Cavaretta does not appear to have joined in the yelling though he did say some of the things that were said should never be printed.  Greenberg hit a Home Run in Game 2 and was hit by a pitch his next time up.  While on first base, Charlie Gehringer lined a base hit and Greenberg decided he would score no matter what.  He hit third and turned for home.  Waiting at the plate was Gabby Hartnett with the ball and when the two collided Greenberg broke his wrist.  It swelled up over night and he was done for the series.  He watched from the bench as the Tigers won their first World Series.

Photo of Hank Greenberg Courtesy of Sports Illustrated

The next season was a disaster as well.  In the 12th game of the year, a collision at first base was all it took to break the same wrist and make the year a wash.  Hank trained hard, harder than ever if possible, and came back with a vengeance.  Always a fan of Gehrig, Greenberg held himself  to the Iron Horse's standards.  Greenberg idolized Gehrig and loved the chance to play with him.  Both naturally shy men, Greenberg would always say hello to Gehrig when they traded positions at first base.  Gehrig never responded.  Feeling shunned Greenberg stopped saying hello.  The next inning Gehrig asked him "You didn't say hello to me last inning.  Are you mad at me?"  In 1937, Greenberg did more than say hello to Gehrig's record 184 RBI for a season.  He chased, it clawed at it, fought it and craved it all year.  He ended the year with 183 RBI and 40 Home Runs.  "1937 was, personally, my best year.  I say this because ballplayers appreciate that runs batted in are all that's important to a ball club."  He was just warming up because 1938 would be Hank's big year.

It was clear by now that Hank was head and shoulders (literally) above every other first baseman and maybe every player in general.  With the exception of DiMaggio there were few who could challenge him.  1938 would prove it.  It quickly became clear that Hank was ahead of Babe Ruth's single season Home Run pace and as the summer moved on the press started to believe that someone might actually be capable of catching the Babe.  The pressure Hank felt was comparable to the pressure that Maris would face in 1961 but the attention was possibly even more focused.  In the era when nicknames were a must Hank's Home Runs gained him the nickname of "Hammerin' Hank".  In Detroit at the time two of the biggest personalities were Henry Ford and Father Charles Coughlan.  Ford was allegedly an Anti-Semite and Coughlan was vocally an anti-Semite.  In one of the most ironic twists of fate, the two were Tigers fans meaning they were cheering for the "Hebrew Hammer", another of the many nicknames Greenberg was given.  Hank certainly faced attention for his religion.  "Ben Chapman played for the Yankees.  He was a genuine Jew-baiter.  Whenever he would have a bad day in the outfield the Jews at Yankee Stadium would get after him because he had made remarks about Jews...I knew and still know that men like Ben Chapman, and there were a lot of them, hated my guts and resented my success all the more because I am a Jew."  As the year progressed Hank kept pace with the Babe.  On August 1 he was still ahead of the pace and the attention became more intense.  The reaction was various.  Some were elated.  Some were angry.  Some were skeptical.  Some thought he could do it because he was just too damned good not to.  Some thought he couldn't because the anti-Semitic pitchers in the league wouldn't give him the chance (he would walk a carer high 119 times).  "What if I do break it?  It will be just like the guys who flew the Atlantic after Lindbergh.  The Babe was the first to do it."   At the end of August he had 46.  Still ahead of Ruth.  An early September slump put him slightly behind but not out of it.  He kept hitting and was followed closely by Jimmy Foxx for most of the year.  There has always been a theory that pitchers were avoiding the plate with Hank because he was Jewish.  Hank never felt so.  He felt that the pressure on him was equally on the pitchers.  They didn't want to walk him but the nerves caused them to miss the plate.  He also felt that having young players called up for the end of the season hurt.  He felt some off these pitchers were wild and unused to the focus.  The numbers show that in the last month of the year, as he chased the record, he walked 28 times.  In the earlier months of the season, well before the focus of the race was intense, he walked 20-23 times per month.  Not much more.  In the end the dramatic chase ended with 58 Home Runs, two shy of Ruth.  Despite all that, the Tigers would finish in 4th and Mickey Cochrane would lose his job.

1939 was worse, with a fifth place finish.  The Tigers needed something to change their fortunes.  They approached Hank Greenberg, one of the best players in the game,  with the idea of switching positions.  How would the player feel about moving to Left Field.  Left Field?  The Tigers wanted young first baseman Rudy York to take over there and the Tigers could not afford to lose Hank's production.  So Hank did it.  What Michael Young has been lauded for doing when he helped the Rangers by switching positions to help the team, Greenberg did in the 1940 season.  How did he do?  He led the league with 50 doubles, 41 Home Runs and 150 RBI.  He also scored 129 and hit .340.  He won his second MVP (the first player to win an MVP at two different positions) and led the Tigers to the World Series.  The Tigers lost to the Reds in seven games.  "What a disappointed lot we were coming back from Cincinnati on that train, losing that final game after a long hard season."  With the continent of Europe engulfed in war and fears that the United States might be dragged into it, Greenberg registered for the draft on his way home to New York.  It would be an important part of his legacy.

War Time Hero
In January of 1941 Greenberg's draft number was called.  He was sent for a physical and, amazingly, he failed.  It was not yet war time and the army could still afford to be selective with who served.  The reason he didn't pass:  he had flat feet.  His poor arches were enough to have him disqualified from service.  There was an immediate and angry backlash.  While others were being sent for basic training a professional athlete, capable of winning an MVP, was not fit for wartime duty.  The assumption was that Greenberg had bought his way out of the army.  Greenberg voluntarily submitted himself for a second physical with another doctor and this time he passed.  After 12 games of the 1941 season Greenberg was off to the army.  This was still pre-Pearl Harbor so there was little chance of combat.  Hank put in his time and shortly after he was inducted a law was passed limiting the drafting age at 28.  Hank, at 30, would have been exempt.  On Friday, December 5, 1941 Hank was discharged from the army.  He returned to New York for a restful weekend.  It was a nice one day weekend.  Hank thought of how he would need to get back into playing shape and planned out his exercise routine.  Then Sunday everything changed.  December 7, 1941. Hank knew exactly what he needed to do.  "I'm going back in.  We are in trouble and there is only one thing to do - return to service.  I have not been called back.  I am going back of my own accord."  He was the first player to volunteer for service.  Hank was first stationed in Ft. Worth, TX.  His room mate during his stay there was none other than actor William Holden.

Photo of Hank Greenberg in military courtesy of ESPN.com

Not satisfied with remaining state side, Greenberg requested a transfer closer to the action.  He served in the air force and was stationed in India.  He saw little combat but was in several moments where he "didn't wonder whether or not I'd be able to return to baseball.  I was quite satisfied just to be alive."  On June 9, 1945 Greenberg was discharged he had now missed all of three seasons and parts of two others in the prime of his career.  Now he was trying to do what no one had done before.  Skip nearly five years and return at a high level of play.

The Hero Returns
Hank returned to the Tigers' lineup on July 1.  The Tigers had won the day before putting them a game and a half in front of the league.  With DiMaggio, Feller and Williams still in the service there was no reason for anyone to believe the Tigers couldn't stay there.  This was any one's year for the taking.  Greenberg took the field in left.  "In my first game back, on July 1, I came out in front of 55,000 people, the largest crowd of the year in Briggs Stadium.  Everybody was cheering like mad.  After four years in the service, the greeting was nice, but it didn't matter all that much to me.  I was just glad to be back alive.  I just went out there to do my job. I went right back out to left field.  We were playing Philadelphia in a double header and I hit a home run in the eighth inning of the first game."
Greenberg was able to play in 78 games that year and hit .311 with 13 Home Runs and 60 RBI.  His most important hit won the pennant.  With the pennant on the line and rain pouring down on the last day of the season Greenberg stepped to the plate and launched a Grand Slam to send the Tigers back to the fall classic.  Even better, the Tigers would face the Cubs.  While Hank had missed the end of the 1935 World Series against the Cubs because of his broken wrist, he was excited to get another chance.  Hank played well but he was blamed for allowing the series to reach the 7th game.  With runners on base Hank went to field a ball hit to left.  In an odd change of events, the type that would normally go against the Cubs, the ball hit a sprinkler head and bounced over Hank's head.  It led to a Cubs win and a Game 7.  What was worse, Hank injured his wrist again and it looked like he would miss the crucial game 7 again.  The Cubs had their MVP Hank Borowy, a new addition from the Yankees, on the mound for Game 7.  Greenberg went to batting practice once but really couldn't even grip the bat.  The Cubs didn't notice.  Maybe they were too entertained by the ruckus in the crowd.  Some crazy Cubs fan had brought a Billy Goat to the game and was arguing with security who were trying to escort him and the goat out.  The fan cursed the team and it seems to have taken effect immediately.  The Tigers started the game with three straight singles and a run.  That brought Hank to the plate with two on, no one out and a one run lead already.  This would be the time for the big man to swing away. The Cubs pulled the infield back hoping for just a fly ball at worst.  Instead Hank laid down a bunt.  Something no one saw coming and the Cubs seemed to unravel.  Four more runs and the Tigers' second World Series title followed and the Cubs have not been back to a World Series since.

Playing for Bing
Hank's 1946 season was a mixture of success.  He was able to play 142 games and hit 44 Home Runs but the team fell badly and Hank had only a .277 average.  With many of the older players like Gehringer, Auker and White gone it was time for the Tigers to rebuild.  They did what was unthinkable just a year and a half after the conquering hero returned.  They sold his contract to Pittsburgh for $75,000.  Hank would not dream of playing in Pittsburgh.  The team was a joke and what the hell did he know about National League pitchers, ball parks or umpires?  He was ready to retire.  The problem was the Pirates needed him.  The team had recently been purchased by, among others, Bing Crosby who owned 25% of the team.  The team had not been to a World Series since 1927 and had very few seasons where they were competitive.  When fans learned that the new ownership was willing to go out and get a player like Greenberg, the team sold $400,000 worth of advanced tickets.  The ownership begged him to play one more year.  Bing wrote him several letters begging him to play and the Pirates GM met with Hank repeatedly to talk him into it.  Fate has a way of putting people where they are needed most.  Hank agreed and it was a good thing he did.  This was Jackie Robinson's first season in the major leagues and when the Dodgers came to Pittsburgh for the first time several Pirates players tried to get to Jackie.  In a close play at first Hank and Jackie collided. It was not a dirty play by either.  It was just part of the game.  A little later as Hank covered first and Jackie was a base runner, Hank casually asked "I didn't get a chance to ask if you were hurt on that play."  Jackie said he was fine and Hank told him not to let the haters get to him.  He told him "keep your head up. You're doing fine."  Hank also invited Jackie to dinner after the game.  Jackie declined thinking it would put Hank in an awkward position but he let several people know how important that interaction was for him.  Hank's kindness came at the right time  Hank's kindness also helped mentor a young Ralph Kiner in the early part of his career.  The young Kiner was struggling and the Pirates were concerned he might not make it.  Greenberg had insisted on a clause in his contract that he not have a room mate on the road.  He waived that clause and took Kiner under his wing.  After one year in Pittsburgh Hank officially retired and had no idea what was next.

Moving on Up
Just as fate put Hank on first base to encourage Jackie, in the World Series that year fate sat him next to the man that would launch Hank on the second career of this life. He took his seat next to Bill Veeck, former owner of the St.Louis Browns and a man looking to take over a new team.  The two hit it off, had similar views on the game and when Veeck bought the Cleveland Indians he brought Hank along with him.  Hank started by running the farm system and moved up to General Manager.  While General Manager Hank shocked the Cleveland Press by firing fan favorite manager Lou Boudreau and hiring Al Lopez as the manager.  All Lopez did was lead the Indians to a World Series in 1954.

Veeck moved on and bought the Chicago White Sox and eventually brought Greenberg with him.  Hank, in turn, brought Lopez with him to Chicago and the team again reached a World Series, though they never won the whole thing.

Possible Owner
Many times at the winter meetings while Hank was the GM, the topic of shifting teams came up.  Hank made the suggestion that the league explore the west coast.  He was laughed at.  Clark Griffith, owner of the Washington Senators, told Hank "It's cold and it's damp out there."  Griffith had pitched in Portland in 1905 and had not been west since.  Griffith decided to move to Minnesota instead.  When the league was forced to expand in 1961 they were originally going to give a team to Washington (to replace the now Twins) and Toronto.  At the last minute Hank brought in some financial power and convinced the league that baseball in Southern California, competing with the NL Dodgers, would work.  The league looked at his plan and agreed.  Then his financial backers backed out and Hank was left without a team.  Instead Walt Disney convinced Gene Autry to buy into the team and the Los Angeles Angels were born.

The Toughest Fight
Hank was not broken up terribly about missing out on the team.  Greenberg had a great life.  He wisely invested his money. He had been elected into the Hall of Fame in 1956 (seriously, it took him nine years to make the Hall of Fame?), he was happily married, had a wonderful relationship with his kids and was happily retired.  Greenberg became known as a Jewish legend, an idol of the religious community, although he never truly identified with the Jewish religion.  He understood the good that came out of this connection but he never played up the fact that he was Jewish.  Because of the legendary status he had attained throughout the years he was approached by Ira Berkow to work on an autobiography that would eventually become "Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life".  In 1985 Hank started to have some pains in his leg.  At first he ignored it but after a while decided to get it checked.  It was cancer and it was spreading.  Few knew that Hank was suffering.  He was notoriously a private person and he felt that this was something he could fight and beat.  Even Hammerin' Hank could not beat this.  On September 3, 1986 the Tigers finished a series with the Seattle Mariners. They blew a two run lead and lost when Ken Phelps hit a bottom of the ninth Home Run to defeat the Tigers.  Less than twelve hours later, at 8:50 A.M., the Tigers organization had an even bigger loss. Hank passed away on Thursday, September 4, 1986.  At his prayer service Walter Matthau, the great comedic actor, was one of the speakers.  He told his favorite story of Hank.  According to Matthau when Hank was in the army a drunken sailor was looking for a fight and felt he would pick an "easy target".  The sailor yelled out "Anybody here named Goldberg or Ginsburg? I'll kick the livin' daylights out of him."  Hank stood up, all 6'4 of him, and said "My name is Greenberg."  The sailor looked at him and thought about it for a second.  "I didn't say nothin' about Greenberg.  I said Goldberg or Ginsburg."  Hank had already told Matthau this story was false.  Matthau told him "I don't care, I'm going to continue to tell the story anyways."

*This is not intended as a full biography and due to space I have done my best to summarize the life of the players in this series.  For further information on Hank Greenberg please check out:

Videos:
Ken Burns Baseball

Websites:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/
http://sabr.org/

Books:
Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life By Hank Greenberg and Ira Berkow
Al Lopez: The Life of Baseball's El Senor  By Wes Singletary
Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes by John Rosengren
Hammerin' Hank Greenberg: The Jewish Babe Ruth by Adam Pfeffer
Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms: A Lifetime of Memories from Striking Out Babe Ruth to Teeing It Up With the President. by Elden Auer with Tom Keegan
The Gashouse Gang:  How Dizzy Dean, Leo Durocher, Branch Rickey, Pepper Martin and their Colorful, Come From Behind Ballclub Won the World Serie's and America's Heart During the Great Depression by John Heidenry

TRIVIA QUESTION:

Mentioned in today's article was Bing Crosby's ownership of the Pittsburgh Pirtates.  Bing partnered with future Seattle Mariners owner Danny Kaye in the movie White Christmas but his more famous partner was Bob Hope.  Hope also owned a Major League team.  Who was it and on what classic television show did his ownership play a part in an episode plot?

Answer to Last Week's Trivia Question:
Congratulations to Hope on Answering Last Week's Question Correctly.

The Yankees have retired the number 8 twice.  Catcher Bill Dickey originally wore the number 10 in his rookie 1929 season.  From 1930-1946 he sat behind the plate with a number 8 on his back.  Yogi wore the number 38 for the 1946 season.  He then switched to number 35 for the 1947 season.  Beginning in 1948 Berra switched to to the number 8.