Dodgertown Dates: 1959

The Los Angeles Dodgers are likely to have the largest number of players with the major league club in Spring Training in their history. Vice President Buzzie Bavasi told The Sporting News 41 players on the Dodger roster would be accompanied by 50 players from the Dodgers’ three Triple-A clubs. Bavasi said the action was being done to give the major league players more competition. Bavasi said, “This plan is designed to keep our pitchers and other players busy in competition in the hope that the club will jell and get off to a good start.” Frank Finch, The Sporting News, January 14, 1959

Paul Zimmerman, sports editor of the Los Angeles Times writes of the upcoming Los Angeles Dodger season as they near departure for Spring Training. “This is the year they must prove themselves to the second most loyal following of fans in major league baseball—attendance wise.” Paul Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times, February 17, 1959  The Dodgers would win the 1959 National League pennant and the 1959 World Series over the Chicago White Sox.

Outfielder Frank Howard was seen hitting in batting practice and caught the attention of everyone when one swing by him had the ball tipping the top of the netting on the batting cage and going over the left field fence, 360 feet away. Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, February 2, 1959

Roy Campanella returned to Dodgertown for the first time since the January, 1958 accident that ended his career. Walter O’Malley and Dodger Manager Walter Alston with numerous Dodger players were present for his arrival. Several hundred people who gathered for Roy began an immediate round of applause as the former catcher left the plane. Campanella joked with Duke Snider, “You’re some cowboy,” referring to an episode of The Rifleman television series where Snider made a guest appearance. “Yeah,” Snider said, “but you got to admit I died good.” Campanella was invited as a special instructor for young catcher John Roseboro and was high in his praise for him.  “I took a liking to Johnny when he was up with Brooklyn in 1957,” said Campanella. “I hear talk that he doesn’t want to catch and would rather play the outfield. I think it will be very easy to convince him he can catch, because he can throw, hit, and run….Another thing he has to learn is how to talk to the pitchers so that he can get their respect.  He’s got to take charge. Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 1, 1959    Bob Hunter of the Los Angeles Examiner recorded these additional remarks of Campanella. “I know them all (Dodger players) even the youngsters. I practically brought up (Don) Drysdale. Let’s go into the lobby and say hello to the kids.” Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Examiner, March 1, 1959

The newest baseball gadget utilized in the Dodgertown Spring Training camp was a bazooka-like gun that projected high fly balls for outfield practice. Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 1, 1959  Bob Hunter of the Los Angeles Examiner reported 200 baseball games would be played at Dodgertown in the next six weeks. Also, Los Angeles Councilwoman Rosalind Wyman visited Dodgertown. Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Examiner, March 2, 1959  Mrs. Wyman was the key Los Angeles Councilmember to convince the Dodgers to move to Los Angeles in 1957 for the 1958 season.

Walter O’Malley in Vero Beach, Florida today announced the Los Angeles Dodgers will play the New York Yankees at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in a tribute game to Roy Campanella. The great Dodger catcher said of the game, “It’s the greatest thing that happened to me or for me….It’s certainly a wonderful gesture on the part of Mr. O’Malley and all the fellas, but then baseball’s a wonderful game. And words can’t express my appreciation for what the Yankee management and players are doing for me.” Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 5, 1959

It’s not all baseball at Dodgertown. However, even veteran Spring Training watchers were surprised to see Frank Howard, all six-foot-seven-inches of him, acting as a golf caddy for five-foot-eight inch Dodger coach Charlie Dressen.

Spring Training is a time for instruction and Charlie Park wrote in The Sporting News of practice for pitchers in the sliding pit area under the instruction of new Dodger coach Pee Wee Reese at Dodgertown.  “Reese opened the session with a little talk which was greeted by applause from his ex-teammates,” wrote Park.  “Never mind the talk,” said pitcher Clem Labine, “show us how it should be done.” Charlie Park, The Sporting News, March 11, 1959

Left hand pitcher Tom Lasorda predicted a pennant for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1959. Lasorda won 18 games for Montreal in 1958 and used that as his reasoning for his prediction. “When a guy who wins as many as I did (18 wins) doesn’t even get a chance to make a club it has to be a mortal lock to win it.” Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Examiner, March 11, 1959  The Dodgers proved Lasorda right in 1959 when they won the National League pennant and the 1959 World Series.

Columnist Melvin Durslag of the Los Angeles Examiner spoke to Roy Campanella and how the area behind the Dodgertown kitchen became known as “Campy’s Bullpen.” Campanella said the tradition of him sitting there after dinner started in 1949 and he told Durslag that Dodger Manager Charlie Dressen one Spring Training made the area off-limits for Campanella. Dressen thought the cooks were giving Campanella additional food after dinner. Campanella said it wasn’t so. “To tell you the truth,” said Campanella. “I used to like to talk to the chefs. I’ve always had an interest in cooking and I like to get their ideas.” Mel Durslag, Los Angeles Examiner, March 13, 1959

Screen and recording star Gene Autry is scheduled to be a visitor at Dodgertown.  Autry owned radio station KMPC, the Dodger flagship radio station that season.  He would later be the original owner of the American League Los Angeles Angels club. Walter O’Malley Correspondence, March 13, 1959

The days can be long in Spring Training.  On this date, the Dodgers flew from Vero Beach 131 miles across the state to Sarasota, Florida, where they had hoped to play an exhibition game against the St. Louis Cardinals.  Rain greeted them in Sarasota and washed out the game. No problem for the Dodgers. They got back on the plane, flew back to Vero Beach and played an intra-squad game in order to remain sharp. Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 17, 1959

The Dodgers held their St. Patrick’s Day party in Dodgertown this year with plenty of green to go around.  The camp dog mascot, Taffy, was dyed green, there were green ice cubes, and employee Babe Hamberger and Beansie Kunz, a Dodgertown employee, each painted their nose green. Vice President Buzzie Bavasi and Bert Soliere, sportswriter of La Patrie newspaper in Montreal, sang the French song, “Alouette” for the crowd. Frank Finch, The Sporting News, March 25, 1959

Rain, rain would not go away in Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida.  For the fourth consecutive game, the Dodgers were rained out of an exhibition game.  In their efforts to get their work done, the Dodgers quickly agreed with the Cincinnati Reds to play a three game series in Havana, Cuba.  The Dodgers flew early to Havana on the Dodger Convair 440 airplane. The Reds flew from Tampa, their Spring Training base to Miami.  However, their Pan Am flight to Havana was grounded because of Miami weather. Earl Lawson, The Sporting News, April 1, 1959  So, the Dodgers did the next best thing and played a night intra-squad game and played to a 1-1 tie.   Fans that showed up for the Dodger-Reds game that night were rewarded by being told their tickets would be honored the next night when the Cincinnati Reds would arrive.  The Dodgers attempted to practice and play games in Nassau, British West Indies on a cricket field and Grand Bahama, British West Indies, but those plans fell through because of weather and the team was on their way to Cuba. Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 20, 1959  Rain would not stop the Dodgers from getting in their work.  Walter O’Malley was asked what they would do if they were rained out in Havana.  O’Malley replied, “In that case, we’ll pack up again and go to San Juan, Puerto Rico.   I’m determined not to let the team slip backwards as it did last spring after a good start (in Spring Training).” Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Examiner, March 20, 1959

The Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2 in a game played in Havana, Cuba. Don Drysdale started for the Dodgers and allowed two runs in seven innings. Don Newcombe was the starting pitcher for the Reds. The largest crowd in Cuban history, 7,655 fans, attended the game. Dick Gray and Charlie Neal hit home runs for the Dodgers. Future Hall of Famers who played in the game were Drysdale and Duke Snider for the Dodgers and Frank Robinson for Cincinnati. The Sporting News, April 1, 1959  The Dodger Convair 440 airplane that morning had flown from Havana, Cuba to Tampa to pick up the Reds’ ball club there in order to have them arrive for the game that night. Earl Lawson, The Sporting News, April 1, 1959

The Dodgers scored three runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 4-3 in their second exhibition game played in Havana, Cuba. Sandy Koufax started for the Dodgers and allowed three earned runs in five innings with eight strikeouts. Carl Erskine pitched two scoreless innings. Dodgertown umpire Jesse Collyer umpired the bases in the two games in Havana. The Sporting News, April 1, 1959

The Dodgers were defeated in St. Petersburg by the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-1, but they had a legitimate excuse. The team arrived home from Havana, Cuba at 4 a.m. and six hours later, they were on a 10 a.m. flight to St. Petersburg to play the game. The Sporting News, April 1, 1959

Roy Campanella spoke to reporters just before he left Dodgertown after his visit.  “I don’t understand why people keep fretting about (John Roseboro),” said Campanella. “He’s gonna do all right.” Campy was also asked if the trip to Dodgertown was beneficial. “Yes, I guess it was,” said Campanella, “It helped me to forget a lot of things.” Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 25, 1959

The Dodgers had to endure their sixth exhibition game rainout in Spring Training when they flew to Lakeland to play the Tigers. Rain was expected the next day when the Tigers would play the Dodgers in a doubleheader in Vero Beach, but it was noted the “drainage at Holman Field is so good that a game can be played within an hour after the rain stops.” Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1959  In addition, reporter Frank Finch discussed the plane flight from Vero Beach to Lakeland.  Because of the rainy weather in Florida, Finch wrote, “Pilot Bump Holman had to fly the Dodger plane so low both ways today that the white cranes that populate the Florida swamps were easily discernible from the air.” Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1959

Future Hall of Fame outfielder Al Kaline ran into a Royal Palm tree at Holman Stadium chasing a fly ball hit by John Roseboro. The ball fell for a double and tied the game. In the next inning, Kaline got his revenge and hit a three-run double to drive in the tie breaking runs for the Detroit Tigers. The Sporting News, April 8, 1959

Young Dodger prospect Ron Fairly came to Spring Training early to learn under veteran Carl Furillo. Fairly learned a lot from Furillo, but the early arrival was just as important to him. Fairly said, “He (Furillo) has helped me in every way possible in right field, but we came early for the fishing.” Joe King, The Sporting News, April 1, 1959