RIP Preacher Roe

[buckweaver]

One of the great Boys of Summer died Sunday at age 92. A five-time All-Star who won two World Series games for Da Bums, in '49 and '52. Would've won the Cy Young if it existed in 1951, when he went 22-3 for the Dodgers. Retired in 1954, a year before Brooklyn finally won its only World Series.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11112008/sports/moresports/preacher_roe_dead_at_92_138156.htm

(with Reese and Robinson after his complete-game win in Game 3, 1952 WS.)

 

[Tom Petty]

i always felt bad that he didn't get a ring. he was a dodger great.

 

[buckweaver]

A few years back, ESPN named him as an honorable mention on its list of "biggest cheaters in baseball." He admitted to SI after he retired that he had used the spitball for most of his career.

One of the great quotes attributed to him was, "I got three pitches: my change; my change off my change; and my change off my change off my change."

 

[Tom Petty]

A few years back, ESPN named him as an honorable mention on its list of "biggest cheaters in baseball." He admitted to SI after he retired that he had used the spitball for most of his career.

One of the great quotes attributed to him was, "I got three pitches: my change; my change off my change; and my change off my change off my change."

great quote.

and everybody threw the damn spitter back in the day. what year did mlb officially "outlaw" the spitter, buck?

 

[buckweaver]

Officially, they outlawed it beginning in 1920 (contrary to popular opinion, it wasn't because Ray Chapman got killed. The move toward "cleaner" baseballs was already in full force.) Seventeen pitchers were grandfathered in. Burleigh Grimes was the last of those to retire (in 1933.)

Of course, Gaylord Perry, Whitey Ford and a host of others will tell you that the spitter has never really gone away ...

 

[Tom Petty]

awwwww, man. i forgot about the grandfathered pitchers. thanks. that's great stuff, even if you have to refresh an old man's memory.

and i just went over an looked at my podres-roe signed 8x10 on a pic taken in vero. there's not many of the old brooklyn guard remaining ... kinda sad.

 

[buckweaver]

and i just went over an looked at my podres-roe signed 8x10 on a pic taken in vero. there's not many of the old brooklyn guard remaining ... kinda sad.

Very cool. The ones who are still left aren't looking too good, either. Especially Branca and Snider, who made a few appearances at Dodger Stadium (and that Coliseum game) recently.

Man, Podres was also this year, wasn't he? Damn, damn, damn.

 

[Tom Petty]

clem labine also died about a year and a half ago.

as i'm sure you know, he helped pave the way for relievers as we know 'em.

the man had some great stories about the old dodger days. i loved listening to him speak. we'll have lost a huge chunck of baseball history once all the brooklyn players pass.

 

[spnited]

The team of my childhood--my father's team -- is all but gone.

And tomas, my man, I hate you for having that podres-roe signed pic. .. because I want it!

 

[Tom Petty]

The team of my childhood--my father's team -- is all but gone.

And tomas, my man, I hate you for having that podres-roe signed pic. .. because I want it!

and, an fyi, preacher came over to the dodgers in the dixie walker trade. not a bad trade.

 

[Tom Petty]

my signed pic looks something like this:

 

[buckweaver]

and, an fyi, preacher came over to the dodgers in the dixie walker trade. not a bad trade.

Along with Billy Cox, a pretty fair third baseman who missed four seasons because of the war. That was the trade where the Dodgers cast off Dixie Walker after his failed revolt in the spring of 1947 when Jackie Robinson was called up from Montreal.

 

[Tom Petty]

and, an fyi, preacher came over to the dodgers in the dixie walker trade. not a bad trade.

Along with Billy Cox, a pretty fair third baseman who missed four seasons because of the war. That was the trade where the Dodgers cast off Dixie Walker after his failed revolt in the spring of 1947 when Jackie Robinson was called up from Montreal.

the funny thing is, our boy stuck it right back up the dodgers' ... you know what, a few years later when he went to the pirates and stole clemente for $5k.

 

[buckweaver]

You should read Maraniss' book on Clemente. It's incredible. Chapter about the plane crash will blow your mind and break your heart.

Rickey had his eye on Clemente all along. Dodgers were fools for hiding him.

 

[friend of a friend]

You should read Maraniss' book on Clemente. It's incredible. Chapter about the plane crash will blow your mind and break your heart.

wfw

 

[Tom Petty]

fools? i can think of a few other adjectives, but yours works just fine.

hiding clemente because they had some solid outfielders was, well, foolish. sit him on the bench up north or give him a bit of PT in brooklyn? doesn't seem like a difficult choice.

and i thought i'd read most everything on clemente. that's a great suggestion simply because i've never read it. if the book is as solid as you say it is, that's a serious bonus.

and the plane crash chapter ... is it told through manny's eyes?

 

[buckweaver]

and i thought i'd read most everything on clemente. that's a great suggestion simply because i've never read it. if the book is as solid as you say it is, that's a serious bonus.

and the plane crash chapter ... is it told through manny's eyes?

Nope. Told partly through Vera's eyes, though. That's the part that'll break your heart: the crash.

The part that'll blow your mind is the part about the plane.

Only sports book I'd ever read that challenged everything I thought I knew about a specific portion of a man's life was Eig's book on Lou Gehrig, "Luckiest Man." ... Then I read "Clemente." They both deserve every word of praise they get.

 

[Tom Petty]

thanks, buck. i'll give it a read.

 

[old_tony]

You should read Maraniss' book on Clemente. It's incredible. Chapter about the plane crash will blow your mind and break your heart.

Rickey had his eye on Clemente all along. Dodgers were fools for hiding him.

I still remember being 11 years old and completely heartbroken when I heard the Clemente news on the radio that morning, and then being in church that day and the priest mentioning it and leading a prayer for Clemente.

 

[Birdscribe]

You should read Maraniss' book on Clemente. It's incredible. Chapter about the plane crash will blow your mind and break your heart.

wfw

What they said.

Amazing chronicling of both the Dodgers' brain-dead attempt to hide Clemente in Montreal and of the circumstances surrounding the plane crash.

TP, you need to read Maraniss' book, posthaste.