Category: Brooklyn Dodgers
Honoring the Brooklyn Dodgers Alive as of January 3, 2015
An annual tradition in this blog is to update the list of Brooklyn Dodger players alive.
In 2014, we lost the following Brooklyn Dodgers: Charlie Osgood, Charlie kress, Don Zimmer, Dick Teed, George Shuba, Pat McGlothin and John Pierre Roy.
We now have 31 surviving Broklyn Dodger players. Mike Sandlock is the oldest one. He will turn 100 on October 17. The youngest one is now Bob Aspromonte who will turn 76 on June 19. I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Aspromonte at the SABR convention in Houston in 2014.
Here is the list of the 31 surviving Brooklyn Dodger players:
| Name | Birthplace. | Born | Uni# |
| Mike Sandlock | Old Greenwich, CT | 10/17/1915 | 1, 4 |
| Ray Hathaway | Grinville, OH | 10/13/1916 | 22 |
| Lee Pfund | Oakpark, IL | 10/10/1919 | 14 |
| Luis Olmo | Puerto Rico | 10/11/1919 | 21 |
| Marv Rackley | Seneca, SC | 7/25/1921 | 35 |
| Eddie Basinksi | Buffalo, NY | 11/4/1922 | 3 |
| Tim Thompson | Coalport, PA | 3/1/1924 | 21 |
| Johnny Rutherford | Ontario, CN. | 5/5/1925 | 15 |
| Wayne Terwilliger | Clare, Mi. | 6/27/1925 | 34 |
| Chris Haughey | Astoria, NY. | 10/3/1925 | 14 |
| Ralph Branca | Mount Vernon, NY | 1/6/1926 | 13,20,28 |
| Bob Borkowski | Dayton, OH | 1/27/1926 | 27 |
| Randy Jackson | Little Rock, AR | 2/10/1926 | 2 |
| Don Newcombe | Madison, NJ | 6/14/1926 | 36 |
| Bobby Morgan | Oklahoma city. OK | 6/29/1926 | 2 |
| Carl Erskine | Anderson, IN | 12/13/1926 | 17 |
| Rocky Bridges | Refugio, TX | 8/7/1927 | 9 |
| Tommy Lasorda | Norristown, PA | 9/22/1927 | 2,27,29 |
| Tommy Brown | Brooklyn, NY | 12/6/1927 | 9 |
| Joe Landrum | Columbia, SC | 12/13/1928 | 19 |
| Joe Pignatano | Brooklyn, NY | 8/4/1929 | 58 |
| Roger Craig | Durham, NC | 2/17/1930 | 38 |
| Ron Negray | Akron, OH | 2/26/1930 | 38 |
| Glenn Mickens | Wilman, CA | 7/26/1930 | 46 |
| Ed Roebuck | East Millboro, PA. | 7/3/1931 | 37 |
| Fred Kipp | Iqua, KS | 10/1/1931 | 26 |
| Chico Fernandez | Cuba | 3/2/1932 | 3 |
| Jim Gentile | San Francisco, CA | 6/3/1934 | 38 |
| Don Demeter | Oklahoma City. OK | 6/25/1935 | 2 |
| Sandy Koufax | Brooklyn, NY | 12/30/1935 | 32 |
| Bob Aspromonte | Brooklyn, NY | 6/19/1938 | 28. 34 |
Gentlemen: May you have a healthy 2015!
What’s My Line Jackie Robinson
It was 42 years ago today, October 24, 2014, that Jackie Robinson passed away.
Jackie Robinson was honored in a ceremony during the 1972 World Series. Two weeks later, on October 24, 1972, the legendary ball player died at his home in Stamford, Connecticut from a second heart attack.
Three days after Robinson’s death, Reverend Jesse Jackson gave a stirring eulogy to friends and family members who had gathered at the Cypress Hill Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
| Today we must balance the tears of sorrow with the tears of joy. Mix the bitter with the sweet in death and life.Jackie as a figure in history was a rock in the water, creating concentric circles and ripples of new possibility. He was medicine. He was immunized by God from catching the diseases that he fought. The Lord’s arms of protection enabled him to go through dangers seen and unseen, and he had the capacity to wear glory with grace.Jackie’s body was a temple of God. An instrument of peace. We would watch him disappear into nothingness and stand back as spectators, and watch the suffering from afar.The mercy of God intercepted this process Tuesday and permitted him to steal away home, where referees are out of place, and only the supreme judge of the universe speaks. |
| Jackie Robinson Eulogy by Reverend Jesse Jackson |
Here is a youtube video from the show “What’s My Line:
Thank you Mr. Jackie Robinson!
No Jackie Robinson Day at Dodger Stadium for 2014
Initiated for the first time on April 15, 2004, Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated each year on that day. In 2004, The Dodgers were playing in San Diego. but starting in 2005, the Dodgers have been celebrating Jackie Robinson Day at Dodger Stadium. That tradition has been broken as the Dodgers will be in San Francisco on April 15, 2014.
I had taken it for granted that the Dodgers would always play at Dodger Stadium on April 15. Needless to say I am disappointed at the people who create the schedule and at the Dodgers that they did not push for this day to always be played at Dodger Stadium.
Just like many other Dodger fans, we will miss celebrating at Dodger Stadium. On that day, through Dodger Stadium, you could see fans sporting their Jackie Robison jerseys or t-shirts. One year I spotted the guy below wearing a Pasadena College jersey with Jackie’s number in the back. I also spotted a similar jersey from UCLA
We are very proud that Jackie Robinson went to Pasadena College and that he went to UCLA. Also that he broke the color barrier wearing a Brooklyn Dodger uniform.
I will wear my Jackie Robinson jersey at work since I won’t be going to San Francisco.
Honoring the Brooklyn Dodgers Players Alive as of January 6, 2014
Here is my annual post of updating this list of the Brooklyn Dodgers players alive. From the Brooklyn Dodger players, we lost Andy Pafko, Don Lund, Preston Ward and the youngest one, Don Miller.
We now have 38 surviving Broklyn Dodger players with Mike Sandlock who continues to be the oldest one. Mr. Sandlock will turn 99 on October 17. The youngest one is now Bob Aspromonte who will turn 75 on June 19.
Happy birthday to Ralph Branca who turns 88 today January 6, Dia de Los Reyes, Day of the Kings.
| Name | Birthplace. | Born | Uni# |
| Mike Sandlock | Old Greenwich, CT | 10/17/1915 | 1, 4 |
| Ray Hathaway | Grinville, OH | 10/13/1916 | 22 |
| Lee Pfund | Oakpark, IL | 10/10/1919 | 14 |
| Luis Olmo | Puerto Rico | 10/11/1919 | 21 |
| Jean-Pierre Roy | Canada. | 6/26/1920 | 34 |
| Pat McGlothin | Coalfield, TN | 10/20/1920 | 23 |
| Marv Rackley | Seneca, SC | 7/25/1921 | 35 |
| Chuck Kress | Philadelphia, PA | 12/9/1921 | 5 |
| Eddie Basinksi | Buffalo, NY | 11/4/1922 | 3 |
| Tim Thompson | Coalport, PA | 3/1/1924 | 21 |
| George Shuba | Youngstown, OH | 12/13/1924 | 8 |
| Johnny Rutherford | Ontario, CN. | 5/5/1925 | 15 |
| Wayne Terwilliger | Clare, Mi. | 6/27/1925 | 34 |
| Chris Haughey | Astoria, NY. | 10/3/1925 | 14 |
| Ralph Branca | Mount Vernon, NY | 1/6/1926 | 13,20,28 |
| Bob Borkowski | Dayton, OH | 1/27/1926 | 27 |
| Randy Jackson | Little Rock, AR | 2/10/1926 | 2 |
| Dick Teed | Springfield, MA | 3/8/1926 | 37 |
| Don Newcombe | Madison, NJ | 6/14/1926 | 36 |
| Bobby Morgan | Oklahoma city. OK | 6/29/1926 | 2 |
| Charlie Osgood | Sommerville, MA | 11/23/1926 | 20 |
| Carl Erskine | Anderson, IN | 12/13/1926 | 17 |
| Rocky Bridges | Refugio, TX | 8/7/1927 | 9 |
| Tommy Lasorda | Norristown, PA | 9/22/1927 | 2,27,29 |
| Tommy Brown | Brooklyn, NY | 12/6/1927 | 9 |
| Joe Landrum | Columbia, SC | 12/13/1928 | 19 |
| Joe Pignatano | Brooklyn, NY | 8/4/1929 | 58 |
| Roger Craig | Durham, NC | 2/17/1930 | 38 |
| Ron Negray | Akron, OH | 2/26/1930 | 38 |
| Glenn Mickens | Wilman, CA | 7/26/1930 | 46 |
| Don Zimmer | Cincinnati, OH | 1/17/1931 | 23 |
| Ed Roebuck | East Millboro, PA. | 7/3/1931 | 37 |
| Fred Kipp | Iqua, KS | 10/1/1931 | 26 |
| Chico Fernandez | Cuba | 3/2/1932 | 3 |
| Jim Gentile | San Francisco, CA | 6/3/1934 | 38 |
| Don Demeter | Oklahoma City. OK | 6/25/1935 | 2 |
| Sandy Koufax | Brooklyn, NY | 12/30/1935 | 32 |
| Bob Aspromonte | Brooklyn, NY | 6/19/1938 | 28. 34 |
Don Lund (May 18, 1923 – December 10, 2013)
I am sad to hear that another one of our Brooklyn Dodgers passed away. Mr. Don Lund passed away of natural causes Tuesday December 10, 2013. He was 90.
Mr. Lund played for the St Louis Browns and the Detroit Tigers. The SABR chapter in Michigan is named The Don Lund Chapter.
Here is what I posted earlier this year on Mr. Lund
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/2013/03/04/brooklyn-dodgers-where-are-they-now-don-lund/
![[Don Lund]](https://i0.wp.com/www.brooklynvisualheritage.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/fullsize/externals/79cfaee500a775544aec624a4b180cd7&ext=.jpg)
Rest in peace Mr. Lund.
Ref: Detroitnews.com, Baseball Players passing group, pictures: Brooklynvisualheritage.org, Mvictors.com
Brooklyn Dodgers. Then and Now: Ralph Branca
Ralph Branca then
Ralph Theodore Joseph Branca was born on January 6, 1926 in Mount Vernon. He was the fifteenth of seventeen children. He was signed by the Dodgers after a local tryout.
Ralph’s father, John Branca, came to America from Italy. Ralph’s mother, Katherine Berger, was born in Hungary. Ralph married Ann Mulvey in 1951. Her parents owned a share of the Dodgers, and her maternal grandfather had been president of the Brooklyn Club.
The Brooklyn Dodgers signed Branca out of the New York University in 1943, when he was just seventeen years old.
In 1947 the twenty-one-year-old Branca became the second-youngest National Leaguer to win 20 games.
Branca was involved in two of the biggest moments in baseball history. One was the integration of baseball by Jackie Robinson in 1947, and the other was as the man who threw the pitch hit for a home run by Bobby Thompson that won the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants.
In January 2001, joshua Praeger, a reporter for the Wall Street journal published the details of a sign-stealing scheme the Giants rigged in the Polo Grounds. The scheme involved a telescope from windows in the center-field clubhouse, a buzzer rigged under dirt in the bullpen, and a reserve catcher positioning his body and equipment to tip-off the batter as to which pitch was coming.
Branca said his friendship with Jackie Robinson continued after baseball. They played golf together when they worked in Manhattan and saw each other a lot while Jackie was with Chock Full of Nuts.
Ralph Branca now
Check out Ralph’s website at http://www.ralphbranca.com/ and his book:
Ref: SABR.org, book: ‘The Team that forever Changed Baseball and America The 1947 Brooklyn dodgers” Note: I am loving this book!
Brooklyn Dodgers. Then and Now: Chris Haughey
Chris Haughey Then
Chris Haughey was born in Astoria, New York on October 3, 1925. he was pitching in the Queens CYO League when the Dodgers signed him midway through the 1943 season.
Without throwing a ball in the minors, Haughey made his major league debut on October 3, 1943 against the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field – the last day of the season and Haughey’s 18th birthday. He hurled seven innings in the 6-1 loss but only three of those runs were earned.
Before the start of the next season, on February 15, 1944, Haughey entered military service with the Army. Here is this from Baseballinwartimes.com:
He was assigned to a Cavalry Replacement Company at Fort Riley, Kansas, but a dispute with a commanding officer ruined his chances of playing with other professional players on the base team. For the next three years, Haughey was a communications instructor, training radio operators.
When he was discharged from the Army in 1946, Haughey was out of practice and his arm was out of shape. He was assigned to Montreal of the International League but released to Asheville of the Tri-State League in May where he was 0-2.
Chris Haughey Now
Haughey later obtained a degree in engineering from FordhamUniversity and worked as an operations manager for a New York oil company. He later spent 20 years as part owner of a men’s clothing store in Salinas, California before moving to Fremont where he continues to live.
I could not find a current picture.
Ref: Baseballinwartime.com, Baseball-fever.com, Baseball Prospectus
Brooklyn Dodgers. Then and Now. Wayne Terwilliger
Wayne Terwilliger then and now.
Wayne Terwilliger then.
I love that picture with Maury Wills!
He signed his first professional baseball contract, with the Cubs, in September, 1948, one month after Babe Ruth died. He reported to Des Moines Cubs.
In 1949, Twig reported to spring training with the Los Angeles Cubs of the Triple A Pacific Coast League. By August he was the Chicago Cubs starting second baseman.
Terwilliger played nine seasons with five major league teams, mostly as a second baseman. He also played for six minor league teams, and managed 11 minor league teams. During his 12 years as a coach in the majors, he received World Series rings from the Minnesota Twins in 1987 and 1991.
When Terwilliger was 18, he saw action with the Marines in the Pacific during World War II.
Wayne Terwilliger now
Wayne Terwilliger now (as of 2005)
In 2005, Twig became the second man ever to manage at age 80, led the Ft Worth Cats to a league championship, posted a franchise record for wins, was Manager of the Year, got an earring (really?), and published his autobiography “Terwilliger Bunts One”
Player: Cubs (1949-51), Dodgers (1951), Senators (1953-54), Giants (1955-56), KC Athletics (1959-60), and 6 teams in the minors. DETAILS
Coach: Senators (1969-71), Rangers (1972, 1981-85), Twins (1986-94), St. Paul Saints (1995-2002), Ft. Worth Cats (2006-2010). DETAILS
Manager: Managed 12 minor-league teams; 1,224-1,089 record including 2005 Central League championship
As with all the living Brooklyn Dodger players that I have been researching and writing the Then and Now, this was also lots of fun reading about Twig. At the same time I learning about our Boys of Summer.
Twig make a pact with Jim Hollars -the Cats’ chaplain, that if they won the championship, they’d both have their ears pierced. Well Jim’s wife said “Not on your life” but Twig said his wife (Lin) had always joked about him getting his ear pierced.
If you like to get his book look on online or for an autographed copy, send $20 to Terwilliger Bunts One, 1909 Clear Creek Drive, Weatherford, TX 76087
ref: New York Times, www.terwilliger.com
Brooklyn Dodger Players Alive. Updated List with new data
Thankfully the list of Brooklyn players alive is still the same number as when I updated the list as of January 2013. The only thing is that I updated the list to include the years the players played for the Dodgers. I got a comment asking me if I knew who of the Dodger players that are alive played with Jackie Robinson in 1947. Robert knew Ralph Branca did, but he wanted to know who else. The other two are Don Lund and Marv Rackley.
So here is the updated list with what years each of these players played for the Dodgers.
Clike on the following link to open the worksheet.
Brooklyn players Alive as of Jan 2013 New.xls
the list was not lining up correctly here so I added the link but if anyone can’t open the above link, here is the way is showing up here:
Name Birthplace. Born Uni# Played for Dodgers
Mike Sandlock Old Greenwich, CT. 10/17/1915 1,4 1945 – 1946
Ray Hathaway Grinville, OH. 10/13/1916 22 1945
Lee Pfund Oak Park ILL. 10/10/1919 14 1945
Luis Olmo Puerto Rico. 10/11/1919 21 1943-1945.1949
Jean-Pierre Roy Canada. 6/26/1920 34 1946
Pat McGlothin Coalfield, TN. 10/20/1920 23 1949-1950
Andy Pafko Boiceville, IL. 2/25/1921 22,48 1951-1952
Marv Rackley Seneca, SC. 7/25/1921 35 1947-1949
Chuck Kress Philadelphia. 12/9/1921 5 1954
Eddie Basinksi Buffalo, NY. 11/4/1922 3 1944-1945
Don Lund Detroit, Mi. 5/18/1923 40 1945,1947-1948
Tim Thompson Coalport, PA. 3/1/1924 21 1954
George Shuba Youngstown, OH. 12/13/1924 8 1948-1950,1952-1955
Johnny Rutherford Ontario, CN. 5/5/1925 15 1952
Wayne Terwilliger Clare, Mi. 6/27/1925 34 1951
Chris Haughey Astoria, NY. 10/3/1925 14 1943
Ralph Branca Mount Vernon, NY. 1/6/1926 13,20,28 1944-1953, 1956
Bob Borkowski Dayton, OH. 1/27/1926 27 1955
Randy Jackson Little Rock, AR. 2/10/1926 2 1956-1958
Dick Teed Springfield, MA. 3/8/1926 37 1953 One At Bat
Don Newcombe Madison, NJ. 6/14/1926 36 1949-1951, 1954-1958
Bobby Morgan Oklahoma city. 6/29/1926 2 1950, 1952-1953
Charlie Osgood Sommerville, MA 11/23/1926 20 1944
Carl Erskine Anderson, IN. 12/13/1926 17 1948-1959
Preston Ward Columbia, MO. 7/24/1927 36 1948
Rocky Bridges Refugio, TX. 8/7/1927 9 1951-1952
Tommy Lasorda Norristown, PA. 9/22/1927 2,27,29 1954-1955
Tommy Brown Brooklyn, NY. 12/6/1927 9 1944-1945. 1947- 1951
Joe Landrum Columbia, SC. 12/13/1928 19 1950, 1952
Joe Pignatano Brooklyn, NY. 8/4/1929 58 1957-1960
Roger Craig Durham, NC. 2/17/1930 38 1955-1961
Ron Negray Akron, OH. 2/26/1930 38 1952, 1958
Glenn Mickens Wilman, CA 7/26/1930 46 1953
Don Zimmer Cincinnati, OH. 1/17/1931 23 1954-1959, 1963
Ed Roebuck East Millboro, PA 7/3/1931 37 1956-1958, 1960-1963
Fred Kipp Iqua, KS. 10/1/1931 26 1957-1959
Chico Fernandez Cuba. SS. 3/2/1932 3 1956
Jim Gentile San Francisco, CA 6/3/1934 38 1957-1958
Don Demeter Oklahoma City. OK 6/25/1935 2 1956, 1958-1961
Sandy Koufax Brooklyn, NY. 12/30/1935 32 1955-1966
Bob Aspromonte Brooklyn, NY. 6/19/1938 28, 34 1956, 1960-1961
Rod Miller Portland, OR. 1/16/1940 50 1957 One at Bat
P.S. The next Brooklyn Dodger from this list that I will post about is Wayne Terwilliger.
Brooklyn Dodgers. Then and Now. Johnny Rutherford
Johnny Rutherford then
Johnny Rutherford was born on Tuesday, May 5, 1925, in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. Rutherford was 26 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 30, 1952, with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Rutherford pitched both as a starter and reliever for the pennant-winning 1952 Dodgers. He made his major league debut in relief against the Cardinals at Sportsman Park. His first major league win came a week later, also in relief, in a 5–4 decision over the Cincinnati Reds at Ebbets Field.
At the plate, he batted .290 (9-for-31) with 3 runs batted in and 3 runs scored.
Rutherford made one appearance in the 1952 World Series He pitched one inning in Game # 4 and gave up one hit (a Mickey Mantle triple) and one earned turn.
Johnny Rutherford now
I looked everywhere for a current picture of Johnny Rutherford but I could not find one 😦
Dodger Blue World 