Duke Snider passes away
Show Notes & Featured Audio
February 27, 2011 — The “Duke of Flatbush”, Hall of Famer Duke Snider dies in Escondido, CA at age 84. Snider was a power-hitting centerfielder for the great Brooklyn Dodgers teams of the 1950s and is immortalized in Terry Cashman’s song “Willie, Mickey and the Duke”.
Snider was Brooklyn’s entry into one of the most passionate debates in baseball history. New York sportswriter Red Smith once wrote, “(Duke) Snider, (Mickey) Mantle, and (Willie) Mays. You could get a fat lip in any saloon by starting an argument as to which was the best.”
Sharing the big city spotlight with fellow future Hall of Fame centerfielders Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, Snider was part of a magical period in New York baseball that saw a team from the nation’s largest city win the World Series in nine out of the 10 seasons between 1949 and 1958.
The Dodgers appeared in the Fall Classic five times during that time, winning their only championship in Brooklyn in 1955. Although the Dodger lineup also featured other outstanding performers such as Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and Gil Hodges throughout much of the period, no one on the team wielded a more potent bat than Snider. And, even though the Brooklyn centerfielder usually came out third best in comparisons to Mays and Mantle, Snider hit more home runs during the 1950s (326) than any other player in baseball.
Snider is the only man in baseball history to twice hit four homers in a World Series. He did it in 1952 and 1955 and on September 22, 1957 he hit last homerun at Ebbets Field.
Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner once noted, “I’d say Duke covers more ground, wastes less motion, and is more consistent than anyone since DiMaggio.” And Stan Musial named Snider, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron as his all-time National League outfield.
Lets take a deeper dive!
Yankee fans loved Mickey Mantle, and Giant fans had Willie Mays, but Dodger fans wouldn’t have traded Duke Snider for either of those star center fielders. Snider was a five-tool player, finishing in the top three in stolen bases twice, leading the NL in homers, RBI, total bases (three times), runs (three times), hits, walks, slugging, and OBP. He led the Dodgers to six pennants in his first 11 seasons as a regular player, supplying power from the left side of the plate. Of all the great center fielders, Snider may be the most unappreciated. He slugged the final homer in Ebbets Field and followed the Dodgers to LA, where he collected the first hit in Dodger Stadium history.
Played For
Brooklyn Dodgers (1947-1957)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-1962)
New York Mets (1963)
San Francisco Giants (1964)
Similar: Reggie Smith, Ken Griffey Jr.
Linked: Al Kaline and Chuck Klein were inducted to the Hall of Fame with Snider in 1980… Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays
Best Season, 1956
Though his batting average dipped below .300, Snider still paced the National League in both slugging and OBP. He led in OPS, and blasted 43 homers. He scored and drove in 100 runs for the fourth straight season. The Dodgers won their fourth pennant in five years in 1956, yet Snider finished a disappointing 10th in the MVP voting for some reason.
Post-Season Appearances
1949 World Series
1952 World Series
1953 World Series
1955 World Series
1956 World Series
1959 World Series
Factoid
Duke Snider hit two home runs off Phillies’ ace Robin Roberts on September 22, 1957, the last homers ever hit in Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field.
Post-Season Notes
Snider is the only man in baseball history to twice hit four homers in a World Series. He did it in 1952 and 1955. He holds the NL record for most Series homers (11), and RBI (26).
Feats: Snider twice hit two home runs in a single World Series game, on October 6, 1952, and October 2, 1955. Each time he did it against the Yankees.
Milestones
July 24, 1952: 100th HR… A walk-off, 11th-inning homer against Frank Smith in the second game of a doubleheader.
May 10, 1955: 200th HR… Off Warren Hecker at Wrigley Field.
July 20, 1957: 300th HR… Off Dick Drott
June 14, 1963: 400th HR… Off Bob Purkey, the homer came in his 6,783rd at-bat… The ball was retrieved in the Met bullpen by Roger Craig, who gave it to coach Solly Hemus, who gave it to Snider… Became the ninth player to reach 400 homers, and along with Eddie Mathews earlier, Snider became part of the first duo to reach the 400-plateau in the same season.
Batting Feats
October 6, 1952: 2 HR in WS Game
October 2, 1955: 2 HR in WS Game
Notes
Snider finished in the top ten in MVP voting six times, but never won the award… The Sporting News named Snider the Major League Player of the Year in 1955 and selected him for its All-Star team in 1950 and 1952-1955… He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980… Snider entered the final day of the season trailing Don Mueller .3426 to .3425, with Willie Mays at .3422. Mays collected three hits off Robin Roberts and won the title as Snider fell to third (.341).
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
On April 23, 1958, Gil Hodges hit his 300th home run and Pee Wee Reese played his 2,000th game on the same day that Snider injured his arm before the game trying to throw a ball out of the Los Angeles Coliseum. Not impressed, the Dodgers’ front office fined Snider one day’s pay… On April 17, 1961, Snider hit his 370th career home run, moving him into 7th place on the all-time list. In that game Snider later suffered a broken elbow when he was hit by a Bob Gibson pitch
Hitting Streaks
27 games (1953)
22 games (1950)
Transactions
Before 1944 Season: Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent; April 1, 1963: Purchased by the New York Mets from the Los Angeles Dodgers; April 14, 1964: Purchased by the San Francisco Giants from the New York Mets; October 6, 1964: Released by the San Francisco Giants.
Willie, Mickey and the Duke
For four seasons (1954-1957), Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Duke Snider starred for their New York teams in center field. During that stretch, Snider hit more homers and drove in more runs than either of the other two celebrated stars.
Factoid
From 1947 to 1961, a span of 15 seasons, Duke Snider and Gil Hodges combined for 745 home runs, the fourth highest mark in baseball history by teammates at the time.
Factoid
Duke Snider’s first two career homers came in the same game.
Home Run Facts
According to The Sporting News, Snider belted 16 home runs off relief pitchers who had just entered the game, good for second all-time when he retired. The record was held by Gil Hodges (17), but has probably been surpassed since Snider retired.
All-Star Selections
1950 NL
1951 NL
1952 NL
1953 NL
1954 NL
1955 NL
1956 NL
1963 NL
Replaced
Carl Furillo in center field, in 1949. (Furillo was moved to right.)
Replaced By
Joe Christopher
Best Strength as a Player
Power
The Duke Snider All Time Teammate Team
C: Roy Campanella
1B: Gil Hodges
2B: Jackie Robinson
3B: Arky Vaughan
SS: Maury Wills
LF: Frank Howard
CF: Willie Mays
RF: Carl Furillo
SP: Carl Erskine
SP: Don Newcombe
SP: Preacher Roe
SP: Sandy Koufax
RP: Joe Black
M: Walt Alston
Nine Players Who Debuted in 1947
Nellie Fox
Duke Snider
Larry Doby
Jackie Robinson
Curt Simmons
Mel Parnell
Vic Wertz
Ted Kluszewski
Ferris Fain