Brooklyn Dodgers All Time Great
One of the famous trio of New York center fielders to play in the 1950's; Mantle, Mays and Snider
(1926-2011) Born Edwin Donald Snider in Los Angeles, California, he was given the nickname of Duke by his father at the age of 5, and it stuck with him for the rest of his life. Growing up in Southern California, Snider was a gifted all-around athlete, playing basketball, football, and baseball at Compton High School. Primarily a center fielder, he was spotted by one of Branch Rickey's scouts in the early 1940s, and was signed to a baseball contract by the Brooklyn Dodgers right out of high school. He made his major league debut on April 17, 1947, becoming a teammate and friend of Jackie Robinson, the same year that Robinson broke the color barrier in MLB. Snider played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1947-62, and with the New York Mets in 1963, and the San Francisco Giants in 1964. Snider made the National All Star team 8 times, he was a two time world champion, 1955 & 1959, led the National League in Home Runs in 1956, was the National League Leader in R.B.I.'s in 1955, and his uniform number 4 was retired by the Dodgers. He was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980. He died on February 27, 2011, at the age of 84 in Escondido, California. He was the last living Brooklyn Dodger who was on the field for the final out of the 1955 World Series victory against the New York Yankees. In 2013, the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award honored Snider as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Navy during World War II. Snider's final MLB stats included a career .295 batting average; 2,116 hits; 407 home runs; and 1,333 runs batted in.
Card Signature: 5 x 3 index card, signed boldly in black felt tip pen on blank side, "Duke Snider." Signed in person. Choice condition.
Very desirable part of 1950's New York City baseball history when 3 of the game's greatest center fielders all played in New York at the same time. The big question of the day was, who is the best? Willie, Mickey or the Duke? This of course is referring to Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider. The iconic trio were also the subject of a 1981 hit song titled, Talkin' Baseball, Willie, Mickey and the Duke." This memorable tune was written and sung by Terry Cashman. What a great time to be a New York baseball fan!
Duke Snider anecdote
I have a funny personal story to tell you relating to one of my several visits with Mr. Edwin D. Snider. My Dad's favorite team was the Brooklyn Dodgers, and his favorite player was the "Duke of Flatbush." One time when I was with Duke I brought a beautiful 8 x 10 photo of him as a Brooklyn Dodger and asked him if he would please sign it to my Dad. He said of course and asked me what my Dad's name was. At that particular time my father was into his urban cowboy phase and he wore cowboy hats, cowboy boots, big fancy western themed belt buckles, and a bolo tie. He even had custom plates on his Cadillac with his well known nickname, "KOWBOY." When I asked the Duke to sign it to my Dad's sobriquet, cowboy, but to please spell it with a "K" Duke stopped cold and looked me dead pan in the eyes and said, "what's the matter with your father, doesn't he know how to spell?" He kept that very serious look on his face for a moment or two and then we both starting laughing out loud. My first comment was "NO, he graduated from Lyndhurst High School, in New Jersey." My boyhood buddies from Lyndhurst should get a chuckle out of that. I then went on to explain that he choose to spell it with a "K" just to be different. Dad always said anybody could spell it "COWBOY, with a "C" but he wanted to spell it with a "K" instead. Duke thought that our encounter had become a funny anecdote and every time I saw him afterwards he always asked me how is "Mr. K" doing?
On another personal note concerning my family, those of you who grew up in the NYC metropolitan area pre 1957, know very well that we had 3 NYC baseball teams to root for. There were two National League clubs, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the New York Giants, and of course there was the American League dynasty, the New York Yankees! Loyalties to your favorite baseball team were fierce in those days, and like many other area families mine was split. My Dad and 2 of his brothers were die hard Brooklyn fans, while the odd duck out, his 4th brother, went with the Giants. But my Dad's Uncle Pietro Marinacci, the patriarch of the family, and several of my Dad's other uncles and even some aunts were big time Yankee rooters. That is all except Aunt Irene Sanfillipo who was with Dad and the Dodgers. Her husband Salvatore was with the Yanks too! To make things even more complicated my Mom was born in Brooklyn putting my Dad in an awkward situation to say the least. Boy those were the days when television was in its infancy and baseball was America's pastime at that moment, and it was mainly heard on the old, cool looking table top radios, and newspapers mattered back then as we all couldn't wait to check next day's box scores! Wonderful memories! |
