Dodgertown Dates: 1950

Harold Burr writes a feature on a promising young first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Kevin Connors.  Connors would spent time in the major leagues for the Dodgers and Cubs, but it would be in Hollywood that Kevin “Chuck” Connors would achieve fame.  Connors achieved his greatest fame as the lead character in the TV show “The Rifleman” and he had a 40-year career in motion pictures and television. Burr writes of Connors’ reputation for humor.  “But old Barney (Burt Shotton) ought to find some way to keep Kevin on the squad for laughs alone; and the Bay Ridge boy’s wisecracks render him practically priceless as a bench jockey.  He’s as funny as a barrel of Al Schacht, Nick Altrocks, and Andy Lotshaws.”  Connors, recently returned from playing winter ball in Cuba, said he took rhumba lessons there and paid for them by saying the baseball poem “Casey at the Bat” to his dance teacher. Harold Burr, The Sporting News, February 8, 1950    In October of 1950 Bill Roeder would write that Kevin Connors had his own business card he presented to Branch Rickey.  The card read “Kevin 'Chuck' Connors Recitations, After Dinner Speaker, Home Recordings for Any Occasion, Free Lance Writing.” Bill Roeder, The Sporting News, October 25, 1950

Columnist Frank Graham of the New York Journal-American writes about the Dodgers’ spring training base in Vero Beach, Florida.  “Vero Beach and the first glimpse of the Dodgers’ almost fantastic set-up, which someone described as a Giants fan’s nightmare: ‘Two hundred guys in Brooklyn uniforms running all over the place.’  It was the fulfillment of a plan devised long ago by Branch Rickey when he was the boss of the Cardinals and they trained at Bradenton.” Frank Graham, New York Journal-American, The Sporting News, February 22, 1950

Jackie Robinson was completing scenes of the film, “The Jackie Robinson Story” and had permission from Dodger President Branch Rickey to report after the remainder of the club.  “I told him to stay in Hollywood” said Rickey “until all his picture work is completed, so that he wouldn’t have to return.  Of course from the club’s standpoint, we have a great interest in the picture.” Roscoe McGowen, New York Times, March 4, 1950

J.G. Taylor Spink writes a column of Chicago Cub baseball official Wid Matthews and his experience in baseball.  “In his 14 years with Rickey, Matthews ran most of the Mahatma’s trial and instruction camps.  And that includes the biggest baseball factory every assembled, the Dodger layout at Vero Beach, Florida.  Every Dodger team from Class D on up to the Brooklyn club, except for three on the West Coast, has trained there the past two years.  There were 585 players in 1948 and 620 players last year. J.G. Taylor Spink, The Sporting News, March 15, 1950

Dodger players in spring training were advised not to make a visit to the beach.  This is due in part to an incident from 1949 when rookie infielder Bobby Morgan, was caught in an undertow and escaped serious injury.  Also, sportswriter Oscar Ruhl speculated the Dodgers’ major league club would move spring training to Miami and Vero Beach would host minor league players. Oscar Ruhl, The Sporting News, March 15, 1950

Rex Barney earned extra money from Branch Rickey during an infield drill.  Dodger players were engaged in instruction on an experimental six-man infield against a bunt that is meant to move the runner to third base.  Barney was the hitter and over a loudspeaker, Rickey challenged, “With this particular hitter, I will bet one dollar to a dime he cannot beat this defense.”  Barney agreed.  On the next pitch, the pitcher almost picked the runner off second base.  “Of course” said Rickey, “the hitter loses if the runner is picked off.”  As they did the drill, Barney succeeded in getting the runner over to third base in four of five tries, and Rickey promptly paid up to Barney $3.90 for his winnings.” The Sporting News, March 22, 1950

An “Electronic Umpire” was showcased in Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Florida that was invented by a Dodger minor league pitcher, Charlie Lare, a Princeton graduate.  The device can also measure the speed of a thrown ball along with the accuracy of the pitch.  Engineers from General Electric were present for the demonstration and explained the measurements are derived from three electric eyes.  In order for a pitch to be a strike, the ball had to pass through three separate zones in space, front, back, and a diagonal from the back to the front part of the strike zone. Harold Burr, The Sporting News, March 22, 1950

A sign on the door on the front of the Dodgertown dining room has this legend, “Through these portals passes three times daily the greatest and hungriest collection of diamond talent in the world.” Oscar Ruhl, The Sporting News, March 22, 1950

A group of sports writers from Los Angeles visited Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida.  One of the Dodgers’ AAA teams in 1950 was the Hollywood club, owned by Brown Derby restaurateur Bob Cobb.  Among the writers at Dodgertown were those who would later cover the Dodgers’ beat when they went to Los Angeles; John B. Old of the Los Angeles Herald-Express, Braven Dyer of the Los Angeles Times, and Bob Hunter, the Los Angeles Examiner.  Hunter would later earn the J.G. Taylor Spink Award from Baseball’s Hall of Fame. The Sporting News, March 29, 1950

A bull left his grazing area and broke a fence to stroll in a practice field with the Dodgers at Vero Beach, Florida.  Pitchers Joe Hatten and Ralph Branca and Dodger Manager Burt Shotton were part of a group to herd the bull to a quieter spot. The Sporting News, March 29, 1950

First year Dodger rookie players competed for the “Fladgit Grover Zunk Memorial Futurity”, a contest for the most unusual name for Dodger rookies.  Zunk was judged the winner in 1949 and the name for the contest memorialized him.  Only first-year players were eligible for the award.  The 1950 winner was Odbert Herman Hamric, later known as Bert Hamric, who would have one at bat for the 1955 Dodgers.  Hamric was judged the winner over outfielder Eugene Depperschmidt and Edsel Privette.  Runner-up from 1949 was Gaylord Lernish was not eligible because he was in his second pro season. The Sporting News, March 29, 1950

Branch Rickey conducted a series of baseball clinics for minor league players.  One lecture was called “Managerial Absurdities” as Rickey lectured on fallacies in baseball strategy and techniques such as the claim by Rickey the third baseman stays in too close to the hitter 50% of plate appearances. Harold Burr, The Sporting News, March 29, 1950

A review of baseball instruction in the three areas of batting practice is demonstrated at Dodgertown and reported by Oscar Ruhl of The Sporting News.  Ruhl visited the section with the batting tee, the batting cage, and the pitching machine.  Branch Rickey said his pitchers would get all the hitting and bunting practice they wanted.  “I couldn’t give them that kind of practice without the machines.  I just wouldn’t have pitchers enough in camp!  Their arms wouldn’t hold out,” said Rickey. Harold Burr, The Sporting News, August 29, 1950

The Sporting News writes Hollywood Stars Manager Fred Haney of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ AAA club came to Dodgertown in late March to show President Branch Rickey a sample of the uniform short pants to be worn this season. Haney said at the time the short uniform pants were revealed to the public, “This isn’t a gag, nor are we going Hollywood.   We think these suits will give us more speed.”  The Sporting News said it ranked among the most unusual changes in baseball uniforms in 43 seasons.  Hollywood Stars owner Bob Cobb said, “It’s the first change among baseball uniforms in 111 years.” Among the Hollywood Stars that season who wore the shorts was right hand pitcher Ben Wade, who later pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers and would be the team’s scouting director. Braven Dye The Sporting News, April 12, 1950

Branch Rickey gave an inspirational speech to minor league Dodger players after the major league club left spring training to begin the season.  “You are the future of the Dodger organization”, said Rickey.  “Don’t think there’s going to be a letdown in this camp because the glamour boys are gone, the big-name athletes, who are followed by the writers, radio men and commentators.  No, I am staying here ten days longer than I ever stayed before, and we will all work harder.  What is our job?  To bring you to the major leagues faster.  We will cut a whole year off your apprentice period, and increase your lifetime earnings in baseball as a result, if you will learn eagerly the things that are given to you here.” Harold Burr, The Sporting News, April 12, 1950