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Santiago
Ultra Nomad
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R.I.P. Willie Davis
When I read in this morning's paper that Willie Davis died yesterday a flood of memories overwhelmed me. As a kid I thought Tommy Davis was the
finest outfielder alive but over time I came to appreciate just how good Willie was. I don't think anyone keeps this stat, but I'm positive that
Willie holds the record of scoring from first on a single. Dude could flat out fly. To paraphrase Mr Gibbons, "He had legs, and knew how to use
them...".
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jodiego
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Mood: ever hopeful
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There was nothing more exciting in baseball than watching 3-dog run out a triple. Holds the record for most errors in one inning of a World Series
game---3.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/dodger-great-...
[Edited on 3-10-2010 by jodiego]
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rts551
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did they have some teams in those days
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Martyman
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I too was a Willie Davis fan. For a while he had a huge afro that made his batting helmut look like a toy. Between him and Maury Wills, the Dodgers
had some serious wheels.
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Don Alley
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Yes, those were the days... Koufax, Drysdale and Podres on the mound, Maury Wills, Jim Gilliam, Tommy and Willie manufacturing runs, and the
occasional blast from Frank Howard...
Players we grew up with, and that we knew would be around year after year, not like today's game. Guess it's about time to start checking out the
Dodgers to see what THIS year's team will look like.
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Dave
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Damn
This just makes me feel old...
Really old.
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Hook
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Too bad he still holds that 3 error record. He was much too good an outfielder to have that attached to him. I think I still remember the game. Two of
them were out and out drops of easy flys. It became a mental thing that day.
Looking back, that has to be considered the golden era of the LOS ANGELES Dodgers. All that great pitching (dont forget Perranoski in the pen) and
above average players being described by Vin Scully.
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wessongroup
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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A passing which is not going without notice... and with a lot of very found memories for all..
It just bring back my favorite part of going to a game, something else I can not do anymore...
Used to just love, when you first walked out of the "walkway" into the seating area... and you first see all that beautiful green grass, the smell,
the openness, the largeness of the area that was going to see the game played in... the stadium isn't filled up yet, you get your seats, and then your
refreshments.. man, what a treat that used to be.... then on top of that ... getting to watch a game, with those really good players..
Not many games I like to "watch".... have always like to play, more than watch.. but, in this one case Baseball was one sport I could "relax" and
watch.. it was such a "social event" with all the folks in the stands.. have watched most other sports.. but, Baseball was just different and folks
like Willie just made it that much better to watch..
Thank to all, and Don... the names all bring back good memories.. thanks much.. have a good one everyone.. and it's good to see a fella like Willie
going out with style and grace.. no bad thoughts... that's nice.. it was a good day to die 
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Santiago
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Speaking of Frank Howard and Ron Perranoski: I once heard Vin Scully tell the story of Spring Training batting practice where Ron was on the mound
pitching to Howard. Frank hit a screaming line drive so hard that Ron could do nothing but see, feel and hear it whizz past his head. Everyone was so
shaken with the realization that Ron would be dead had the ball been a foot closer that Walter Alston stopped batting practice and had the grounds
crew build a barrier out of chain link fencing - the first cage that protected the batting practice pitcher.
OK: I'm missing some positions of the mid-1960 Dodgers:
1: Koufax, Drysdale, Osteen, ??
2: Johnny Rosebough
3: Jim Lefever
4: Jim Gilliam
5: ??
6: Maurry Wills
7: Tommy Davis
8: Willie Davis
9: ??
10: short, middle, long, set-up and closer relief - Ron P.
Who was the 4th pitcher, 3rd base and right field?
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lizard lips
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Bob Lee, a pitcher for the Dodgers, took me to a pre-season game against the Chi Cubs at Blair Field in Long Beach a long time ago and I took Willie
Davis's bat that was within arms reach of the stands and still have it today. I was about 12 years old at the time and that bat looked like a friggen
fire log. It was huge. Today of course it doesn't look that big. After the game I was in the parking lot getting autographs and as Leo Durocher, the
manager of the Cubs at the time, was getting into his car I asked him to sign my program. I'll never forget him telling me to "Get the hell away from
my car". A lady nearby started yelling at him saying that these kids look up to you and your nothing more than a big burro. He then got out of his car
and signed for every kid there. Then that same woman got into the front seat with Leo and they drove away. It was his wife! She was the one with the
balz in the family! What a great day and I will NEVER forget it!
[Edited on 10/14/2009 by lizard lips]
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Martyman
Super Nomad
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Wes Parker at first. There was Willie Crawford and Sweet Lou Johnson in the outfield. Frank Howard left around '65?
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Hook
Elite Nomad
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WHAT A GREAT STORY ABOUT LEO THE LIP, LIZARD LIPS!!!!
To Santiago:
Lefebvre didnt come along till around 65. Dick Tracewski played 2nd on the 63 WS team with Gilliam on 3rd. And Ron Fairly played some RF and 1st base.
Also, Moose Skowron played some 1st on the 63 WS team. It was all very fluid as you tried to find a player who could hit over .240 on those teams and
play certain positions. I think they still might hold the record for lowest team batting average to win a pennant and/or WS.
Also, Frank Howard in RF was in the mix.
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Skipjack Joe
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They couldn't get a good 4th pitcher until Don Sutton came along.
Anybody remember Phil Ortega and Joe Moeller? Both were in the mix but didn't last.
I was a big Willy Davis fan as well. Nobody played center field like that man. They would pull double steals with him and Maury Will stealing 2nd and
3rd. I remember once Davis stumbling midway to 2nd and running on all fours to get to the base. He had this deep bass voice that came across the radio
during the post game show (Scully and Doggett). Always preferred him to Tommy Davis.
Didn't think people would react to Willy this way as there were many other great Dodgers.
It was standard procedure in my room to turn on the radio at 7:30 every night and it would all start (KFI radio 560 on your dial).
P.S. Wally Moon had a couple of good years there before fading.
[Edited on 3-10-2010 by Skipjack Joe]
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Mexitron
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Mood: Happy!
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Thanks for the great memories Willie.
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Santiago
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 8-27-2003
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[img] [/img]
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Hook
Elite Nomad
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No big deal, Igor, but KFI was one of the original clear channel stations on 640 AM.
Remember the Blatz Dodger Warm-up show? Blatz beer was a major sponsor of the Dodgers back then.
"I'm from Milwaukee, and I outta know,
that Blatz Beer tastes great,
where ever you go.
All Blatz is draft-brewed,
that's why you'll hear,
Blatz is Milwaukee's finest beer."
I can remember that jingle..................but I will misplace my sunglasses three times today. Go figure.
I shot a video for a guy who played 3rd base for the Dodgers for a short time in 1962. His name was Andy Carey; he also played for the Yankees on a
few of their championship teams of the 50s. Anyway, he had organized a baseball camp where a person could pay to go through a spring training type
experience being coached by former players and managers. It was really big with corporations to send their execs or the sales staff to these for a
week.
Since Carey played for both the Yanks and the Dodgers, his coaches were all from these teams. I worked (and partied afterwards) for a week with Frank
Howard, Ron Perranowski, Tommy Davis, Ralph Houk, Billy Connors and others I cant remember. It was a great experience. I got them all to sign a
baseball that I must have had for 15 years or so.............until I sold it on ebay before I moved to Mexico in 08.
Is that Willie with Don Sutton?
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Santiago
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 8-27-2003
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
Is that Willie with Don Sutton? |
Bingo - I'll buy the first round.
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Ken Bondy
Ultra Nomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Santiago
Speaking of Frank Howard and Ron Perranoski: I once heard Vin Scully tell the story of Spring Training batting practice where Ron was on the mound
pitching to Howard. Frank hit a screaming line drive so hard that Ron could do nothing but see, feel and hear it whizz past his head. Everyone was so
shaken with the realization that Ron would be dead had the ball been a foot closer that Walter Alston stopped batting practice and had the grounds
crew build a barrier out of chain link fencing - the first cage that protected the batting practice pitcher.
OK: I'm missing some positions of the mid-1960 Dodgers:
1: Koufax, Drysdale, Osteen, ??
2: Johnny Rosebough
3: Jim Lefever
4: Jim Gilliam
5: ??
6: Maurry Wills
7: Tommy Davis
8: Willie Davis
9: ??
10: short, middle, long, set-up and closer relief - Ron P.
Who was the 4th pitcher, 3rd base and right field? |
4th pitcher: Jim Brewer, Johnny Podres??
3rd base: Dick Tracewski???
RF: Ron Fairly and Wally Moon??
I think Wes Parker played a lot of first base.
carpe diem!
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Santiago
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3531
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Oh year, Ron Fairly and Podres.
Now Wally Moon - that guy hit the first major league home run I saw - in the Colosseum before they moved into Chavez Ravine. Remember that high
curtain that was in right field as it was only 250' or so? For the three years they played there, Wally got pretty good lifting towering fly palls to
right; about 10 feet over the curtain. Had possibly the bushiest mono-eyebrow ever on a humanoid.
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Russ
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dollar-fifty seats! Lots of family fun too! It was just great to go and not dig into the savings account.
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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