Leo durocher baseball almanac book

The baseball guru did leo durocher once give ty cobb. But it was durochers banter with umpires, executives and players that earned him his eternal. The devil at shortstop leo the lip was a brawler, a womanizer, a vicious prankster, an umpire baiter, a compulsive gamblerand a hall of famer. Durochers professional baseball career began in 1925 playing with the new york yankees and continued on with the cincinnati reds from 1930 to 1933, st. July 27, 1905 october 7, 1991, nicknamed leo the lip and lippy, was an american professional baseball player, manager and coach. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth alltime among managers with 2,008 career victories, second only to john mcgraw in national league history.

The book doesnt really go into much depth into how the fued really started. Leo durocher 19061991 was baseballs alltime leading cocky, flamboyant, and galvanizing character, casting a shadow across several. The leo durocher world series stats seen below include his world series yearbyyear hitting stats, world series fielding stats, and world series pitching stats where applicable. This article originally appeared in sabrs the team that forever changed baseball and america. Dicksons book tries to cover a lot of ground in just about 300 pages.

Durocher played minorleague baseball for three years before joining the new york yankees in 1928. The baseball field was just another stage for durocher to perform on. Nice guys finish last leo durocher, 06091975 buy a steak for a player on another club after the game, but dont even speak to him on the field. Both are likely to have substantial errors and will not match perfectly. Originally titled magic moments in sports, each weekly show featured commentary by durocher on a sports memory from the pathe film vault. Published the day before jackie robinson broke into the major leagues with the brooklyn dodgers, the time article did not cast the.

Harvey frommers the ultimate yankee book is the perfect compilation of everything a yankee fan wants to have at his or her elbowmilestones, quotations, personalities, quizzes and more. The statistics used were obtained free of charge from the baseball databank. Leo durocher coined one of the most famous terms used in every major sport around the world, even to this day nice guys finish last. At the outset of the 1936 baseball season, ford frick, the president of the national league, admonished. As of march 2008, durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by a manager. Uniform images used with permission from marc okkonen, author of baseball uniforms of the 20th century. If you are the type of fan who truly enjoys intelligent debate and thinks you can teach others why leo durocher did or did not deserve the sporting news manager of the year award in 1939, join us on baseball. Aug 14, 2014 nicknamed leo the lip, durocher was a controversial figure in the sport, known for being outspoken. One of the minor anecdotes from this book involves leo durocher and ty cobb. As he did with bill veeck, paul dickson explores durochers life and times through primary source materials, interviews with those who knew him, and original newspaper files. For more than 40 years, leo durocher was at the forefront of the game, with a zeliglike ability to be present as a player or manager for some of the greatest teams and defining baseball moments of the 20th century. Did you know that leo durocher was often referred to as scrappy and his allout attitude earned him the nickname the all american out leo the lip durocher was elected to the national baseball hall of fame in 1994 and is one of the only managers. This article was published in the 2014 the national pastime on july 23, 1972, leo durocher stepped down as manager of the chicago cubs.

Magic moments in baseball vintage baseball videos sports. He was an excellent tactician, chub feeney, an executive with durocher s giants, said in gerald eskenazis book the lip. Baseballs prodigal son is in the class of the boys of summer, a false spring and the echoing green. Leo durocher july 27, 1905 october 7, 1991, nicknamed leo the lip, was an american infielder and manager in major league baseball. Its an excellent book and the chapters focusing on durochers handling of jackie robinson and his overall tenure with the dodgers are mustread for dodgers fans. Win shares are calculated using the formula in the book win shares by bill james. Leo durocher, hall of fame baseball manager and enfant terrible, is hardly the only leader of men machiavelli and yogi berra come to mind whose words have outlived their triumphs or failures nor, for that matter, is he the only one see the aforementioned individuals who never actually uttered the line for which hes best known at least, not in the form attributed to him. Known as one of baseballs fieriest personalities who would do anything to win, leo durocher did just that. Were interviewing author paul dickson on his new book, leo durocher baseballs prodigal son on the.

Baseballs prodigal son, author paul dickson offers an audacious proposition. However, commissioner chandler had, upon pain of further suspension. Finally, durocher reached the national baseball hall of fame in 1994. Images can also be viewed at the hall of fame online exhibit dressed to the nines. Meet one of baseballs most famous and infamous personalities. However leo claims he did like him, but once he became manager of the giants he the relationship changed, but only because they became rivals. Baseballs prodigal son by paul dickson as a baseball player leo durocher was an allstar shortstop, a degenerate gambler and troublemaker, a profane, vicious umpire baiter and bench jockey nonpareil who very much earned the moniker leo the lip. Mar 31, 2017 leo durocher baseballs prodigal son by paul dickson illustrated. The subject of this book, he asserts, is nothing less than the sports alltime leading character.

Leo durocher american baseball player and manager britannica. Aptly subtitled, durocher was the definition of prodigal son in the true sense of the phrase. Leo durocher stats by baseball almanac leo the lip durocher was a threetime allstar infielder 1936, 1938, 1940, who as a playermanager, finished his career as a skipper ranked fifth alltime amongst managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to john mcgraw in national league history. Most of the emphasis is on durocher s turbulent offfield life. Durocher, with ed linn, wrote a memoir titled nice guys finish last, a book that was recently republished by the university of chicago press. Baseballs greatest maverick, the first full biography of leo durocher, one of the most colorful and important figures in baseball history. If you are aware of any other unusual, less known, not as publicized baseball awards won by leo durocher please contact us with details. Leo durocher the official licensing website of leo durocher. As long as ive got a chance to beat you im going to take it.

How dizzy dean, leo durocher, branch rickey, pepper martin, and their colorful, comefrombehind ball club won the world seriesand america s heartduring the great depression. Baseball manager leo durocher leading the 1945 brooklyn. Leo durocher 19061991 was baseballs alltime leading cocky, flamboyant, and galvanizing character, casting a shadow across several eras, from the time of babe ruth to the space age astrodome, from. A playing career that ran from 1925 to 1945 saw him in the uniforms of the yankees, reds, cardinals and dodgers. Leo ernest durocher july 27, 1905 october 7, 1991, nicknamed leo the lip, was an american professional baseball player and manager. Leo durocher, american professional baseball player and manager. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth alltime among managers with 2,009 career victories, and second only to john mcgraw in national league history. Leaving spring training in havana in 1947, leo durocher had penciled him in as their opening day starter, beating out five other first baseman in the process. Then, having challenged himself with an outlandish and bold statement, dickson backs it up with a compelling and. In leo durocher baseballs prodigal son, we follow the career of a man who lived his life with gusto and at. Usually considered to be one of the best baseball autobiographies ever written by that small subset of us who actually consider the quality of such books, nice guys finish last is a terrific window onto 50 years of baseball history. Oct 08, 1991 leo ernest durocher was born in west springfield, mass.

Leo durocher baseball stats with batting stats, pitching stats and fielding stats, along with uniform numbers, salaries, quotes, career stats and biographical data presented by baseball almanac. Leo ernest durocher july 27, 1905 october 7, 1991 was a decent player, but made his name at the helm as manager of the brooklyn dodgers 19391946, 1948, the new york giants 19481955, the chicago cubs 19661972 and the houston astros 19721973. The dayton daily news in his new biography, leo durocher. Fielding stats are a combination of official records and retrosheet records. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth alltime among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to john mcgraw in national league history. Leo durocher world series stats by baseball almanac. He reached the major leagues briefly in 1925 and then for good in 1928 with the yankees.

Leo durocher special edition the baseball talk radio. Ed stevens was the starting first baseman for the brooklyn dodgers in 1946, finishing second on the team in home runs and was looking forward to cementing his feet in the first base position for years to come. View leo durocher s page at the baseball hall of fame plaque, photos, videos. Leo durocher is an outsized figure in baseball history. This 1953 tv show stars former dodger and giant manager leo durocher.

Did you know that during the physical, if a team finds out that the player received during a trade is injured they may return the player to the originating team within ten days from the date the trade was made and void the entire contract. He played in major league baseball as an infielder. Leo used to be a carls manager with the dodgers im sure people already know that though. Durocher had taken over an underachieving cubs team in 1966 and in two years, turned them into a contender, but durochers abrasive style of managing alienated many of his players. Paul dickson, author of the dickson baseball dictionary and leo durocher. Leo durocher began his career riding the bench in the shadow of babe ruth, and ended it as the manager of the glorious 1973 houston astros, led by their star. Below are references indicating presence of this name in another database or other reference material. Baseball s greatest maverick, the first full biography of leo durocher, one of the most colorful and important figures in baseball history leo durocher 19061991 was baseball s alltime leading cocky, flamboyant, and galvanizing character, casting a shadow across several eras, from the time of babe ruth to the space age astrodome, from. Most of the sources listed are encyclopedic in nature but might be limited to a specific field, such as musicians or film directors. The controversial durocher, known as leo the lip, had a knack for ticking off virtually everyone he encountered. The transaction and player splits data used here was obtained free of charge from and is ed by retrosheet. Leo durocher 19051991 was one of the most colorful characters in baseballs storied history.

Share leo durocher quotations about baseball, winning and coaches. Dicksons biography of leo durocher captures the bright sunshine and optimism of baseball but also its dark side, which is revealed through a man with an inferiority complex and a gambling problem. Leo ernest durocher, nicknamed leo the lip and lippy, was an american professional baseball player, manager and coach. Exceeded rookie limits during 1928 season full name. Baseballs prodigal son from the worlds largest community of readers. Leo durocher was more than a baseball player and manager, he was a gradea personality, always colorful. Lindsey nelson, who for a time teamed with durocher in the. He was an actor, known for matinee theatre 1955, main street to broadway 1953 and campbell summer soundstage 1952.

Over 24 years as a skipper for the brooklyn dodgers, new york giants, chicago cubs and houston astros, durocher won 2,008 total games, three pennants and a world series. He was posthumously inducted into the baseball hall of fame. Durocher is also famous for having said he would trip his own mother if she were rounding third base and he could prevent her from scoring a run. Baseballs leo durocher managed to overcome the odds. Around once a week well give you a quick update on all the things weve been up to. Most of the emphasis is on durochers turbulent offfield life. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Apr 07, 2017 as a manager, durocher won more games 2,008 to stengels 1,905, but stengel was far superior in the postseason, winning 10 pennants and seven world series titles, while durocher claimed only. Leo ernest durocher july 27, 1905 october 7, 1991, nicknamed leo the lip, was an american infielder and manager in major league baseball. Leo durocher, perhaps major league baseballs best example of the winatallcosts manager, one who viewed the game not as a challenging pastime for talented athletes but as a sports relative of guerilla warfare, died yesterday in palm springs, calif. Leo durocher 19061991 was baseballs alltime leading cocky, flamboyant, and galvanizing character, casting a shadow across several eras, from the. Leo durocher was born on july 27, 1905 in west springfield, massachusetts, usa as leo ernest durocher. He was married to lynne walker goldblatt, laraine day, grace dozier and ruby hartley. Its the baseball talk radio show featuring a special edition talking about leo durocher.

Defensive regression analysis data used here was obtained with permission from michael humphreys, author of wizardry. The 1947 brooklyn dodgers university of nebraska press, 2012, edited by lyle spatz leo durocher made the cover of time magazine just once. He is the prototype for the angry, dirtkicking umpire. Leo durocher 19061991 was baseballs alltime leading cocky, flamboyant, and galvanizing character, casting a shadow across several eras, from the time of babe. From paul dickson, the casey awardwinning author of bill veeck. He was a superb fielder at shortstop but a mediocre hitter, and he was sold to the cincinnati reds in 1930. Here are 12 different shows, all baseball and showing scenes from the early 1930s thru 1953.

Leo durocher 19061991 was baseballs alltime leading cocky, flamboyant, and galvanizing character, casting a shadow across several eras, from the time of babe ruth to the space age. Such was leo durochers first response to the news on april 9, 1947, that commissioner albert happy chandler had suspended him from baseball for the 1947 season. Baseballs prodigal son, dickson profiles a man who was constantly getting in trouble on and off the field. Leo durocher trades and transactions by baseball almanac. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by a manager. Durocher was a loudmouthed brawler, ladys man, fine coach, and coiner of the expression. Durocher had taken over an underachieving cubs team in 1966 and in two years, turned them into a contender, but durochers abrasive.

As a leading lady, she was paired opposite major film stars including robert mitchum, lana turner, cary grant, ronald reagan, kirk douglas, and john wayne. Baseballs prodigal son is an unflinching portrait of a brilliant bastard. In his latest effort dickson takes one mighty biographical swing at leo durocher, a colorful baseball player and manager. Leo durocher 19061991 was baseballs alltime leading cocky, flamboyant, and galvanizing character, casting a shadow across several eras, from the time of babe ruth to the space. Leo the lip durocher will be forever identified with the phrase nice guys finish last, which was the title of his autobiography and is in bartletts familiar quotations. Baseballs greatest maverick returns with another excellent remembrance of a largerthanlife persona, legendary baseball manager leo durocher.