Today I met A legand

[seesred]

Very rarly do you get to met someone you watched as akid and admired when it's 40years later. Today at my Rotary club I met Harmon Killerbrew. He spoke to the club about guys like Ted Williams and Sandy K. in the 65 WS. HE talked of all the knee injuries and how when you had an acl in thoise days they just took iout the bone. WE don't have players like tthat anymore. Come to the park play hard and play well. Didn't have all the money, didn't have all the muscle builders, just played the game they loved and played it well.

It was a true pleasure to meet this man living in our valley and looking trim at 68 years old. I think the closest player we have on our team is probably Gonzo and certainly The Big unit. I don't come here that often, haven't really followed baseball since 1955 when the Dodgers won their only WS in Brooklyn. THen moved and broke my heart in 58. I like the D-Backs but not with the same passion. But I'm rooting for them this year along with my Cardinals(football).

 

[BC867]

Originally posted by seesred
... when the Dodgers won their only WS in Brooklyn. Then moved and broke my heart in 58.

I was a teenager in New Jersey when Walter O'Malley took the Dodgers (and led the Giants) to the West Coast. Moving my 'Bums' might have been the first step in my deciding that I would not spend the rest of my life on the East Coast. If they could go West, so could I!

Of course I became a Mets fan when they were born, and was pleased that our ex-Dodger, the great Gil Hodges, managed the '69 Miracle Mets to the World Championship.

When I moved to Phoenix 26 years ago, I was once again a Dodger fan. Until our Diamondbacks were born. I'm happy that the D'backs originated as, and have stayed, a NL team.

My favorite batting order of all time was the '53 Dodgers. Gilliam/Reese/Snider/Robinson/Campanella/Hodges/Furillo/Cox.

3 through 7 each hit over .300, with our 7th place hitter as the Batting Champion. Cox hit .291, Gilliam (rookie-of-the-year) .278, and Reese .271.

The first six batters in the lineup each scored at least 100 runs. The first four finished in the top 5 in stolen bases. I believe 3-7 each drove in at least 90 runs, with 3 over 100. Snider and Campy had over 40 HR's and Hodges had in the 30's.

And you could count on that lineup every day (except when Snider--the only LH hitter) was moved to 7th whenever a lefty started against us. Or when Shuba started in LF, moving Jackie Robinson in to 3B to rest Billy Cox.

But even those substitutions were consistent all season long. It's why I get so pissed at Brenly for using over 140 different starting lineups haphazardly last season. Made a decision, pick the best combination, and let it gell.

It's too bad that the Dodgers pitching staff had ERA's in the 4.00's or higher (when that was not normal). Russ Meyer was 15-15 with Philly the year before. He came to the Dodgers, had about the same ERA, and finished 15-5, as the #2 starter behind Oisk! And the hated Yankees beat us in the Series.

Whenever I saw the Dodgers logo (which, at the time, they wore on both their home and away uniforms) with their red numerals on the front, it was magical.

My dream was to replace Alan Roth as the Dodgers (and Major League's best) statistician. Oh well!