Tag Archives: Brooklyn Dodgers
Dick Young
Dick Young (Sportswriter. Born, New York, NY, Oct. 17, 1917; died, New York, NY, Aug. 31, 1987.) From the day he started to cover baseball in 1943 until just before his death 44 years later, Richard Leonard Young was the most quoted, controversial, and widely-read sportswriter in New York for the better part of four […]
Whit Wyatt
Whit Wyatt (Baseball. Born, Kensington, GA, Sept. 27, 1907; died, Buchanan, GA, July 16, 1999.) In a nine-year A.L. career during which he was 26-43 (1929-37), John Whitlow Wyatt was at best a journeyman righthander. But after a 23-7 season at Triple-A (Milwaukee of the American Association) in 1938, Wyatt was sold to Brooklyn and […]
Harry Wismer
Harry Wismer (Sportscaster and club owner. Born, Port Huron, MI, June 30, 1913; died, New York, NY, Dec. 4, 1967.) From his start at WJR in Detroit in 1935, Harry Wismer was one of America’s leading sportscasters. In 1941, Wismer became the sports director and lead announcer for NBC’s second radio network (“Blue”), which shortly […]
Zack Wheat
Zack Wheat (Baseball. Born, Hamilton, MO, May 23, 1886; died, Sedalia, MO, Mar. 11, 1972.) For 18 seasons, Zachary Davis (Buck) Wheat was the pride of Brooklyn. Wheat was a lifetime .317 hitter, a steady leftfielder, and the cleanup hitter for Dodgers teams that contended often and twice won N.L. pennants (1916 and 1920). He […]
Irving Rudd
Irving Rudd (Public relations. Born, New York, NY, Oct. 13, 1917; died, Manhasset, NY, June 2, 2000.) It was perhaps natural that Irving Rudd would be attracted to the boxing business, even if as a publicist rather than as a pugilist. He grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn that was prime boxing territory […]
Wilbert Robinson
Wilbert Robinson (Baseball. Born, Hudson, MA, June 29, 1864; died, Atlanta, GA, Aug. 8, 1934.) After a distinguished playing career as a catcher with Philadelphia (1886-90), Baltimore (1890-99), St. Louis (1900), and Baltimore again (for the new American League franchise, 1901-02), Wilbert Robinson became known to a whole new generation of baseball fans as manager […]
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson (Baseball. Born, Cairo, GA, Jan. 31, 1919; died, Stamford, CT, Oct. 24, 1972.) Jack Roosevelt Robinson is more than a baseball figure. He is a goliath among Americans. Introduced by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 as the first black man to play in the modern history of the major leagues, Robinson accomplished astounding […]
Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey (Baseball. Born, Stockdale, OH, Dec. 20, 1881; died, Columbia, MO, Dec. 9, 1965.) When Branch Rickey came to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942, he inherited a club that had won the 1941 National League championship. The team, however, was soon to yield to the ravages of age, accelerated by the onset of World […]
Allie Reynolds
Allie Reynolds (Baseball. Born, Bethany, OK, Feb. 10, 1915; died, Oklahoma City, OK, Dec. 27, 1994.) One of the great money pitchers of his era, Allie Pierce Reynolds appeared in 15 World Series games for the Yankees. He had a 7-2 record with a 2.79 e.r.a. and four saves. Among those saves was a memorable […]
Pee Wee Reese
Pee Wee Reese (Baseball. Born, Ekron, KY, July 23, 1919; died, Louisville, KY, Aug. 14, 1999.) Harold Henry Reese was the acknowledged leader of the Brooklyn Dodgers during their glory years after World War II. After two seasons with Louisville, the Red Sox’s American Association club, Reese was purchased by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an […]