Brooklyn Dodgers: 50th Anniversary of "Next Year"

Brooklyn Dodgers: 50th Anniversary of "Next Year"

Brooklyn's Championship Dodgers

There's no cryin' in Baseball.....

That's Tom Hanks's famous line from the baseball film, "A league of their Own". But the game plays on the emotions of its fans endlessly.  Sometimes we scream, shout, giggle, bellow, and yes weep and cry uncontrollably out of joy or disappointment.

We do this for the love of the game. More often than not, though, a  baseball fan is to know more heartache than jubilation.  The fans of the Brooklyn Dodgers knew their share and then some.

How is it that I have come to know this?   Well it all comes back to becoming a baseball fan. As a kid growing up in the early 70's, I loved the Mets mostly because they were the hot young exciting team in the afterglow of one of Baseball's greatest World Series upsets. As I've said elsewhere on this site, my sister's love and enthusiasm for the Mets was contageous and I was caught up in that and became a fan too.

Baseball is about Father's and Son's and as i approached my teen age years, Dad shared his love of the game with me especially tales of his favorite team, The Brooklyn Dodgers. Often he would tell me stories of the spirited Jackie Robinson. the clutch Carl Furillo, and Campy Campanella. And what about those nicknames?! "Pee Wee", "Duke" and "Oisk"! So i took to reading as many baseball biographies as I could about these guys - and still do. I fell in love with this team, these characters and the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

So lets go back....back in time! Back before STEROIDS, back before INTERLEAGUE play, back before there was a a Major League team in CANADA or in CALIFORNIA, and only Spring Training games were played in Florida. Lets go back before EXPANSION, DIVISIONAL PLAY, and most certainly, WILD CARDS!  Back before the DESIGNATED HITTER, and back to a time when there was only 16 Major League teams. And yes back to the day when New York was home to 3 of those teams: The Yankees of the Bronx, the Giants of Manhattan, and of course the Dodgers in the borough of brooklyn!

My father grew up with his Dodgers during the years of the "Great Depression", right up until they left for California in 1957. Fans of the Dodgers endured years of losing as they finished often in the 'second division' (lower portion of the National League) or in the cellar!  But the Brooklyn fan wasn't like any other. Their faith and love for their beloved 'bums' only grew stronger. They were rewarded with teams that that towards the end of the 40's and 50's were contenders every year. Even though they suffered devestating losses at the hands of crosstown rivals the Giants and Dodgers, Dodgers fans like my Dad kept cryin' out....."Wait till next year"!!

On this page I will try to share some of the lore of Dodgers.

I came to know the Dodgers through my Dad who was a die-hard Dodgers fan when they played in Brooklyn. From the time I was about 12 and was getting into baseball, Dad shared story after story of his Dodgers to the point that I found many comparisons to my Mets and embraced the old team in the same manner as I have the Mets.

After the Dodgers departed Brooklyn (and the Giants left NY)after the 1957 season, Dad was a man lost without a baseball team. He could never appreciate the magic that is the New York Mets. Today he is a Yankees fan! This is something that even after all these years I can barely fathom considering so many Dodgers seasons were spoiled at the hands of those damn Yankees - auughh!

Gil Hodges - First base

In my early teens I began reading every book I could find on baseball. Especially books about players from the Mets, Dodgers, NY Giants, and Yankees. So much of the joy in baseball is from its history and traditions. In grade school I had to do a book report and had just read a biography on Dodgers first baseman, Gil Hodges. Gil was an interesting subject for many reasons but at the time probably because he had managed the Mets to the world championship in 1969.

Back in the 70's the teachers were getting away from mandatory 'written' reports and allowing students to make such reports using some form of art. I was learning how to play the organ at the time - very elementry organ I might add - heck I played by the numbers! I wrote a song about Gil Hodges for the report called, "Gil Hodges you baseball miracle Man". This is the closest I will probably ever have to a top 10 record as kids in school remembered and taumented me with the song right on up through high-school and beyond!

Jackie Robinson - Second base/Infield

Jackie Robinson was more than just the first African American man to ever play Major League Baseball. He had to be the most exciting player up to that time. Teammate Duke Snider wrote once that Jackie could beat you with his bat, his legs, and by his yelling! He was a fierce competitor. I have so much respect for the courage he had to endure the taunting insults he received on a daily basis, and yet still perform as great as he did. His number 42 has been retired by not only the Dodgers, but by every Major League baseball team.

Jackie had SPEED! He stole bases with abandon - including home plate on occasion. He tormented pitchers with his yelling as if he was a heckler in a nightclub. It was his style of 'play' that revolutionized the game. He was also vesatile defensively playing the infielld.

Pee Wee Reese "The Captain" - Shortstop

"Duke Snider - "Duke of Flatbush" - Centerfielder

Roy "Campy" Campenella - Catcher

Campy, Gil, and Duke

Roy Campanella was one of the finest catchers in baseball history. A threat at the plate, Roy won 2 MVP awards during his career with the Dodgers. This was after having established himself one of the finest players in the Negro leagues.

Carl "Oisk" Erskine - Pitcher

Clem Labine, Roger Craig, Johnny Podres - Pitchers

Don "Newk" Newcombe - Pitcher

Battery mates:

Branca, Erskine, Roe, Labine & Campy.

ALL TIME BROOKLYN DODGERS

25 man Roster

C - Roy Campanella

C- Mickey Owen

1B - Gil Hodges

1B - Dolph Camilli

2B - Jackie Robinson

SS - Pee Wee Reese

3B - Billy Cox

1B-C - Babe Phelps

INF - Jim Gilliam

INF - Cookie Lavagetto

LF - Pete Reiser

CF- Duke Snider

RF - Carl Furillo

OF - Dixie Walker

OF - Zack Wheat

PITCHING

RHP Carl Erskine

RHP Don Newcombe

RHP Burleigh Grimes

LHP Preacher Roe

RHP Hugh Casey

RHP Clem Labine

LHP Johnny Podres

RHP Ralph Branca

RHP Dazzy Vance

RHP Jim Hughes

LINKS, STATS & MORE

Dedicated to the memory of two of our most ardent believers, Tug McGraw and Bob Murphy