50 years and lot of Dodger memories

EDITOR’S NOTEo7: The following is a guest column by Tom Battaglia. A

19-year Burbank resident, Battaglia grew up in Brooklyn rooting for

his beloved Dodgers. He reminisces about the Dodgers winning the 1955

World Series championship. Oct. 4 was the 50th anniversary of that

title.f7

Aug. 28 was not only my twin brother John and sister-in-law

Carol’s 34th wedding anniversary, but it was the most thrilling day

that I have ever had at Dodger Stadium, except, perhaps, my first

visit in 1986, when my daughter Judy and I met Roy and Roxie

Campanella.

[On Aug. 28], my brother, Paul, was at a professional baseball

game as well, 3,000 miles away. He took his daughters Jess, Kris and

Laurie to see the Brooklyn Cyclones play the Staten Island Yankees.

How fitting is that?

Sunday the 28th was the day that the Dodger Family commemorated

and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Dodger championship,

won by the 1955 Brooklyn team.

I was 7 years old, a loyal Dodger fan and living in beautiful

downtown Brooklyn. This was next year. We finally beat the damn

Yankees. Who’s a bum now? When the term “fabulous 50s” is mentioned,

for it me it conjures up images of the frenzied Dodger fans, savoring

their ultimate and long-awaited just desserts. “We were the Champs!”

It was a glorious time if you lived in New York and you were not

distracted by girls, schoolwork or Elvis. Somehow Davy Crockett, and

OK, Annette and a few other lovely Mousekateers were acceptable

divergences on rainy days between stick-ball, or fist-ball games.

Baseball was everything.

Lord knows how many Mantle, Ford and Berra cards I flipped and

traded to acquire Hodges, Newcombe, and Sniders. I can still smell

the gum.

In 1957 we were devastated. The Dodgers and the stupid Giants (

who cares?) were moving out west to Los Angeles and San Francisco,

respectively. “They’re moving out there to better themselves ...” my

mom and dad -- Nellie and Paul -- my aunt Theresa, uncles Frank,

Jack, John and Carm explained so compassionately. I was 9 and I was

crushed. Millions of Dodger fans never recovered. We could never be

Yankees fans.

In 1986, we moved to beautiful downtown Burbank for the same

reason I guess, “to better ourselves.”

My love of baseball and the understanding of the most supportive

wife in the world enabled me to become fortunate enough to enjoy a

career as a sports memorabilia dealer and sports card-show promoter.

Many shows featured players, usually retirees, who signed

autographs and enjoyed the love that their fans bestowed upon them.

“I ain’t payin’ nobody for no signature!,” [a fan would say] “Fine,

don’t,” I would retort to a show attendee. “By the way, what did you

do last night. Oh, great, you went bowling.” “I saved my $30 and got

six autographs of Ted Williams and just had to shake his hand or I

never would have forgiven myself.”

I guess we all have our passions.

It was wonderful meeting all the venerated athletes, heroes of the

games. But the fans, my customers, in the long run, were the true

fruits of my labors. Mark Langhill, Dodger historian, author and

feature writer in “Dodger Magazine,” helped coordinate the 1955

celebration and was one of the first mends I made here in 1986.

Thanks again Mark for all you have done for all of us.

[The] opening ceremony was so very special.

Vin Scully, Hall of Famer, and the heart and soul of the Dodgers,

introduced the present members of the 1955 team. Duke Snider, Johnny

Podres, Carl Erskine, Clem Labine, Tommy Lasorda, Don Newcombe, Sandy

Koufax, George Shuba, Roger Craig, Billy Loes (all of whom I met at

shows), Don Zimmer, Bob Borkowski and Ed Roebuck.

Loes was too ill to attend. It was great seeing Podres throw out

the ceremonial first pitch and “Oisk” (Carl Erskine) pleasing the

crowd with his harmonica rendition of The National Anthem. Koufax was

embarrassed by the tumultuous ovation that he received.

Scully, although he did not take a bow, was the greatest Dodger

present and there is nobody who can ever argue with that. He has

meant so much to so many. “Oh, my what a play.”

During the game, our boys of summer wore their Brooklyn uniforms

and donned their cap with the “B” on it, as did the Los Angeles

Dodgers. I had my old Brooklyn hat on too. My son, Mike, who shares

my enthusiasm for the game, wore his cap with a “B” on it, but the

“B” stands for Burbank -- the Burbank High Bulldogs -- where he

played on the baseball team for four fantastic years. He played

football, the French horn and was editor of the Bulldog [school

newspaper]. I could not be more proud of the legacy he and Judy left

behind at Burbank High School.

Unfortunately, my daughter Judy, Honor Society, choir at Burbank

High -- professor Battaglia now at Cal State Northridge -- could not

attend due to the preparations she had to make for her first day of

teaching graduate studies. My wife Sima, had prior commitments.

The ladies were missed along with the many Brooklyn Dodgers that I

have met along the way: Roy and Roxie Campanella, Sandy Amoros,

Charlie Neal, Pee Wee Reese, AI Gionfriddo, Jim Hughes, Joe Black,

Billy Hennail, Gene Hennanski, Clyde King, Ralph Branca, Vic

Lombardi, Spider Jorgensen, Joe Pignatano, Don Demeter, Chuck

Connors, Norm Larker, Frenchy Bordagaray, Pete Coscarart, Jim

Gentile, Randy Jackson, Gino Cimoli, Gene Mauch, Ben Wade, Dick

Whitman, Eddie Basinski, Rene Valdez, Herman Franks, Fred Kipp, Mike

Sandlock, Cal McLish, Bobby Morgan, Dick Williams, Cal Abrams, Andy

Patko, Don Thompson and Don Drysdale.

It was nice seeing Anne Myers Drysdale at the game. There were few

words. Oil Hodges, my favorite Dodger -- sorry Jackie -- passed away

in 1972, two days before his 48th birthday. I met his wife in 1999 at

the 1959 World Series 40th reunion show in New Jersey, featuring the

Dodgers and White Sox.

Fifty Years! Fifty Years?

To quote Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel Paige, “Age is a question of

mind over matter, if you don’t mind, age don’t matter.”

By the way, we beat the Astros, 1-0. Weaver and Clemens were in

great form, and it was all the 46,000 fans could have wanted --

perhaps in 50 years.

How many games do we have left?

Get out to the ballpark soon, you will be glad that you did. Save

me a Dodger Dog, will ya?

* TOM BATTAGLIA can be reached at (818) 843-3913.