OT: Duke Snider

[rudad02]

With the passing of Willie, a lot of talk about him & Mantle. Snider the other great NYC center fielder of the day doesn't get as much play. He was a terrific ballplayer. Maybe the best fielder of the three. Speed, judgement, angles, could come in on a ball as well as go back, could really climb the walls, excellent arm, very graceful.
Duke was the only guy to hit 4 homers in each of two different World Series. He is also one of maybe five guys who hit 40+ homers in five straight years[that was in 154 game seasons]. He always hit 3rd on those great Dodger teams.

Zappa did your Dad ever mention Snider?

 

[MADHAT1]

Duke, Willie and the Mick made NYC the home of Center Field until the Dodgers and Giants followed Horace Greeley's advice and broke the hearts of many Brooklyn mad Manhattan's baseball fans including a youngster living in Jersey .
The Duke never received the respect he deserved , but until those Bums went to LA Snider could be mentioned in the same breath with the Mick and Say Hey Kid

 

[hoquat63]

Ball parks also made a difference in stats, especially homers. Hitting one out in dead center a the Polo Grounds was nearl impossible. Hitting it one down the line was fairly easy. In his one year as a Met Ashburn had 7, don’t think he ever had more than 3 in any season in Philly

 

[yesrutgers01]

Dukes issue is that after 58 he was never the same power hitter- I don't go back that far but those that do- was it injury or was the move across country just too much for him?

He and Pee Wee Reese and Leo Durocher were the 3 players my Dad talked about. Dad grew up in Flatbush born 1925 and lived there until entering the Ware in 1943, came back for a couple of years in the mid/late 50's when he married my mom and moved upstate. His stories of 50 cents getting to the game, then either going to see a movie or go to Coney Island. Everything at CI was pretty much 1 - 10 cents.

When they moved West- was when my Dad was in Pittsburgh going to school to be a butcher. So- Dad became a Pittsburgh fan. And later when the Met's were formed- he became a Met's fan so he would have a local team to take his kids to and have that baseball experience. But he still always loved the Pirates.

And he would always find a way to argue his Duke over Willie and Mickey

 

[hoquat63]

Just as an aside, only four hr were ever hit to center at the PG. I knew one, but not the others. None were by Giants. One was in Negro league game (by someone who later played a couple of years in the big leagues, the other three were major league games.

 

[yesrutgers01]

Just as an aside, only four hr were ever hit to center at the PG. I knew one, but not the others. None were by Giants. One was in Negro league game (by someone who later played a couple of years in the big leagues, the other three were major league games.

you are going to be accused by a specific yankee fan who is going to say you are trolling the Yankees by pretty much saying he had the easiest field in NY yo hit HR's at lol

 

[rudad02]

Just as an aside, only four hr were ever hit to center at the PG. I knew one, but not the others. None were by Giants. One was in Negro league game (by someone who later played a couple of years in the big leagues, the other three were major league games.

Joe Adcock with Milwaukee did it. You almost needed binoculars to see the wall in center from the plate.

 

[rudad02]

Dukes issue is that after 58 he was never the same power hitter- I don't go back that far but those that do- was it injury or was the move across country just too much for him?

He and Pee Wee Reese and Leo Durocher were the 3 players my Dad talked about. Dad grew up in Flatbush born 1925 and lived there until entering the Ware in 1943, came back for a couple of years in the mid/late 50's when he married my mom and moved upstate. His stories of 50 cents getting to the game, then either going to see a movie or go to Coney Island. Everything at CI was pretty much 1 - 10 cents.

When they moved West- was when my Dad was in Pittsburgh going to school to be a butcher. So- Dad became a Pittsburgh fan. And later when the Met's were formed- he became a Met's fan so he would have a local team to take his kids to and have that baseball experience. But he still always loved the Pirates.

And he would always find a way to argue his Duke over Willie and Mickey

Interesting. Lived eat & slept Dodger when I lived in Brooklyn. Also moved upstate about the same time the Dodgers went West. Picked up the Pirates & rooted for those great Pirate teams. Used to get them on the radio all the way from Pittsburg on KDKA.

 

[mdk01]

you are going to be accused by a specific yankee fan who is going to say you are trolling the Yankees by pretty much saying he had the easiest field in NY yo hit HR's at lol

Dead center at Yankee Stadium was 463 back then. Not the PG but not exactly a short porch. And IIRC, the PG had a short porch along one of the lines just like Yankee Stadium.

 

[MADHAT1]

Just as an aside, only four hr were ever hit to center at the PG. I knew one, but not the others. None were by Giants. One was in Negro league game (by someone who later played a couple of years in the big leagues, the other three were major league games.

Luke Easter hit it out when playing for the Homestead Grays in 1948
He signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1949

 

[yesrutgers01]

Interesting. Lived eat & slept Dodger when I lived in Brooklyn. Also moved upstate about the same time the Dodgers went West. Picked up the Pirates & rooted for those great Pirate teams. Used to get them on the radio all the way from Pittsburg on KDKA.

Where upstate- we were just between the city and Albany- Hyde Park- not of LI but if the Culinary Institute and FDR’s home and Vanderbilt mansion. Great place to grow up

 

[hoquat63]

Luke Easter hit it out when playing for the Homestead Grays in 1948
He signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1949

That’s the really hard one. He also holds record for longest home run in Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Had to look it up since Adcock was the one I remembered.

 

[hoquat63]

you are going to be accused by a specific yankee fan who is going to say you are trolling the Yankees by pretty much saying he had the easiest field in NY yo hit HR's at lol

No Ebbets was easiest

 

[hoquat63]

Dead center at Yankee Stadium was 463 back then. Not the PG but not exactly a short porch. And IIRC, the PG had a short porch along one of the lines just like Yankee Stadium.

Both foul lines were really short at the PG, center I think was around 480?

 

[mdk01]

Dead center at Yankee Stadium was 463 back then. Not the PG but not exactly a short porch. And IIRC, the PG had a short porch along one of the lines just like Yankee Stadium.

Both foul lines were really short at the PG, center I think was around 480?

I think we agree

 

[rudad02]

Dead center at Yankee Stadium was 463 back then. Not the PG but not exactly a short porch. And IIRC, the PG had a short porch along one of the lines just like Yankee Stadium.

Right field down the line at the polo Grounds. Dusty Rhodes used to pull them out down there--they were called "Chinese" home runs.

 

[hoquat63]

Checked dimensions
Polo Grounds Right field line 258, Left279,
Right center 449, left center 450, center 483.
Compared to Ebbets, R 297,L 348, RC 344, LC351, C 399
Other two besides Easter and Adcock were Aaron and Brock

 

[knightfan7]

I saw the Mets play there during their 1st year. One thing I remember about the Polo Grounds was the bullpens were in fair territory in LC and RC.

 

[rudad02]

Checked dimensions
Polo Grounds Right field line 258, Left279,
Right center 449, left center 450, center 483.
Compared to Ebbets, R 297,L 348, RC 344, LC351, C 399
Other two besides Easter and Adcock were Aaron and Brock

Right & RC had a high wall with a big scoreboard over the wall in RC, & Right had a huge screen on top of the wall. It's a wonder that Musial didn't knock the wall down.