Duke Snider
From BR Bullpen
Edwin Donald Snider (The Silver Fox)
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 190 lb.
- Debut April 17, 1947
- Final Game October 3, 1964
- Born September 19, 1926 in Los Angeles, CA USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1980
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[edit] Introduction
"There is a helluva ballplayer. You can have Willie Mays. I'll take Snider." - Mayo Smith, 1955
A graceful center fielder with a picture-perfect swing, Duke Snider was the biggest bat in the Brooklyn Dodgers' potent lineup of the 1950's. He hit 40 or more homers five consecutive times and led all batters in home runs and RBIs during the 1950's. "The Duke of Flatbush" is the only player to hit four homers in two different World Series (1952 and 1955), while his 11 Series home runs and 26 RBI are the most ever by a National League player.
[edit] Playing days
Snider came up originally at age 20 in 1947, a year that the Brooklyn Dodgers won the pennant. Carl Furillo and Pete Reiser shared the center field job at the time. By 1949, Snider had the position, and Furillo was in right field. In 1949, Snider was among the leaders in home runs, stolen bases, and runs scored. In 1950, he was again among the leaders in those categories and others, and was named an All Star for the first of eight times in his career.
His best year may have been 1954 at age 27, when he posted averages of .341/.423/.647 with 39 doubles, 10 triples, and 40 home runs along with 130 RBI. He only stole 6 bases though, down from 16 the previous year.
There is a tendency to think that Snider played poorly once he got to Los Angeles, but his Adjusted OPS scores show decent years from 1958-62 in Los Angeles. In 1960, when he hit .243, he nevertheless had a .366 on-base percentage and a .519 slugging percentage.
[edit] As a broadcaster and afterwards
After his playing days, he was a minor league manager for the Dodgers and San Diego Padres and a broadcaster for the Montreal Expos from 1973 through 1986.
Snider wrote an autobiography called "The Duke of Flatbush".
[edit] Career analysis
Snider was not an immediate selection to the Hall of Fame, getting 17% of the vote in his first year of eligibility. But the votes had a steady upward trend, and in his eleventh year of eligibility, he was elected. Why was he not selected immediately? Probably for two reasons. First, he was constantly compared to the other center fielders in New York, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, who were unusually good. Second, he played most of his career in a hitter's park, so his statistics have a little air in them.
Snider never won the MVP award, but he was in the top 10 six times, including # 2 in 1955 (losing in a very close contest to teammate Roy Campanella) and # 3 in 1953 (another year in which Campanella won).
[edit] Duke and Jackie
As a young rookie in 1947, Snider refused to sign the petition circulated by Dixie Walker and other Dodgers in spring training to block Jackie Robinson from joining the Brooklyn team and breaking baseball's color barrier.
Snider has repeatedly said he did so in part because as a youth he had idolized Robinson for his athletic talents. Seven years older than Snider, Robinson grew up in Pasadena, Calif., and Snider in nearby Compton. The Duke recalled seeing some of Jackie's multisport exploits when Robinson starred at Pasadena Junior College before attending UCLA. (See The Duke of Flatbush, Duke Snider with Bill Gilbert, Page 22.) [1]
(Also see a short but good clip with the Duke speaking about Jackie Robinson breaking into ML baseball. [2] If the link doesn't work, go to mlb.com and click Baseball's Best under the tab Audio & Visual.)
[edit] Duke and Gil
Linked together as the Dodger power tandem, Snider and teammate Gil Hodges led all Major League hitters in two statistics for a decade. Duke had the most homers, 326, and most RBIs, 1,031, during the 1950s. Teammate Hodges was second in both categories.
Another note about Duke and Gil: Hodges got his last hit, a single, off Billy Pierce of the San Francisco Giants on May 5, 1963. The Dodger teammates were briefly reunited that year on the New York Mets. Snider singled in the last at bat of his career on Oct. 3, 1964, while playing for the Giants. He was pinch-hitting for Billy Pierce.
Snider promptly scored when former rival Willie Mays homered. A third center fielder from 1950s, Harvey Kuenn, then made the last out of the season.
Lastly, Hodges at 19 played his first and only pre-war game with the Dodgers in 1943. His first Dodger uniform number was 4. After his military service, Hodges became number 14 and Snider wore number 4.
[edit] Duke and Pee Wee
Snider has often credited his friend and teammate Pee Wee Reese as having a calming and beneficial influence on his career. Seven years older, Reese was an established star when Duke joined the Dodgers in 1947 at age 20. Snider, especially in his youth, was talented but tempermental, a perfectionist given to sulking when things were not going well.
When Snider got into one of his moods, Reese would bring him back, pointing out his childish behavior by asking the clubhouse, "Who stole Duke's candy?"
This over the decades this has become an often told story. The two commuted together daily to Ebbets Field from the Bay Ridge area of Long Island. One day the police stopped the car Reese was driving for some traffic infraction. The cop recognized Reese, wished them well in the game and let them pass with no ticket. Soon thereafter, Snider was driving and the same thing happened. Remembering Pee Wee's escape, the Duke identified himself. And the cop said, "I hate baseball."
A graceful and often spectacular outfielder, Snider nonetheless shied away from playing center shallow. And Reese would implore his friend to move closer. And Snider's reply? Big steps or baby steps?
An aging Reese played very briefly in 1958, the team's first year in Los Angeles, but was a Dodger coach for most of that year. After his good friend retired, the Duke became the Dodger captain.
[edit] Miscellany
- Snider was the brother-in-law of Cliff Ditto.
- Got the nickname Duke from his parents, because as a very young child they thought he strutted around like he was royalty.
- Holds the record for the most postseason home runs against a single team, with ten against the Yankees.
- All-time career leader for the National League in World Series home runs, 11; RBIs, 26; and total bases, 79.
- Only player to hit four home runs in two World Series, 1952 and 1955.
- On June 14, 1963 he became the 10th player in MLB history to hit 400 homers.
- 92% of his home runs came against right-handed pitchers: this is the highest figure for anyone with at least 250 HR.
- Second National Leaguer to hit 40 or more homers in five consecutive seasons, 1953-1957. Ralph Kiner was first, his string ending in 1951.
- First batter to hit as many as 40 home runs but not reach 100 RBIs. Snider had 40 home runs and 92 RBIs in 1957.
- Victimized Hall of Famer Robin Roberts to set career record for most home runs off one pitcher, 19.
- On Sept. 22, 1957, Snider hit the last Major League home run ever at fabled Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. He hit two homers that day against the aforementioned Roberts of the Philadelphia Phillies.
- At Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on April 18, 1958, the Duke singled for the first Dodger hit in its new home city. Similarly, Snider's single on April 10, 1962, was the first Dodger hit at the new Dodger Stadium.
- Duke has appeared on televion numerous times, including as the "mystery guest" a couple times on "What's My Line?", as well as on "Simon and Simon", "Father Knows Best", and "The Rifleman" (with Chuck Connors).
- Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 9, 1980 by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
- First Baseball Card appearance 1949 Bowman
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 8-time NL All-Star (1950-1956 & 1963)
- NL On-Base Percentage Leader (1956)
- 2-time NL Slugging Percentage Leader 91953 & 1956)
- 2-time NL OPS Leader (1953 & 1956)
- 3-time NL Runs Scored Leader (1953-1955)
- NL Hits Leader (1950)
- 3-time NL Total Bases Leader (1950, 1953 & 1954)
- NL Home Runs Leader (1956)
- NL RBI Leader (1955)
- NL Bases on Balls Leader (1956)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 10 (1949-1957 & 1959)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 6 (1950 & 1953-1957)
- 40-Home Run Seasons: 5 (1953-1957)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 6 (1950, 1951 & 1953-1956)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 6 (1949, 1950 & 1953-1956)
- Won two World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1955) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1959)
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1980
[edit] Further Reading
- Roger Kahn: "The Duke of Fallbrook", in The Boys of Summer, Perennial Classics, Harper and Collins Publishers, New York, NY, 2000, pp. 374-385 (originally published in 1972).
