The Lip
The 27th of July was the birthday of one of the most successful Dodger managers. Leo the Lip Durocher. Leo Ernest Durocher was born on July 27th, 1905 in West Springfield Massachusetts. His parents had immigrated to the US from Quebec Canada. His mother was a hotel maid and his father worked as a railroad engineer. He died not long after Durocher was born. His family only spoke French, so
The 27th of July was the birthday of one of the most successful Dodger managers. Leo the Lip Durocher. Leo Ernest Durocher was born on July 27th, 1905 in West Springfield Massachusetts. His parents had immigrated to the US from Quebec Canada. His mother was a hotel maid and his father worked as a railroad engineer. He died not long after Durocher was born. His family only spoke French, so when Leo started school, he did not know how to speak English. The Durocher family lived two blocks from Rabbit Maranville. He taught Durocher the game of baseball and gave him a glove.
Durocher became a good athlete in high school and was offered a scholarship to Holy Cross. But he was suspended from school for hitting a teacher, and never returned. Leo became a prominent semi-pro player with many Springfield area company’s competing to have him play on their company teams.
After being scouted by the Yankees, Leo broke in to pro ball with the Hartford Senators of the Eastern League in 1925. He was called up for two games, and then spent 26 and 27 in the minors playing for the Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association, and then the St. Paul Saints of the American Association.
He was called up to the Yankees in 1928. A regular player, he was nicknamed “The All American Out” by team mate, Babe Ruth. Leo was a favorite of Yanks manager, Miller Huggins, who immediately identified him as manager material because of his passion, ego, competitiveness and his capacity to remember situations. But his outspokenness did not endear him to Yankee management, and his habit of passing bad checks to finance his expensive tastes in clothes and nightlife annoyed General Manager, Ed Barrow.
Leo helped the Yanks win their second consecutive title in 1928 and then demanded a raise. He was sold to the Reds on the 5th of February, 1930. Leo played 3 seasons for the Reds, and was traded mid season in 1933 to the St Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals were more Leo’s cup of tea. His fiery style fit right in with the Gas House Gang. He was given #2 and wore that number for the rest of his career. He supposedly inspired the Gas House Gang moniker and helped the Cards win the 34 series. He was a vicious bench jockey and rode his opponents constantly. He was the captain of the team and stayed with the Cardinals through the 1937 season and then was traded to the Dodgers. The Cardinals received Joe Stripp, Roy Henshaw, Johnny Cooney and Jim Bucher for Leo. Durocher was never a great hitter. His career BA is .247 and he hit only 24 HR’s. But he was a leader on the field. In 38 and 39 he was the regular SS for Brooklyn. In 1938 , his first year with the Dodgers, he was named player-manager by team president Larry McPhail. They were a combustible combination, and like Steinbrenner with Martin, McPhail hired and fired Durocher a few times. McPhail was pretty open to spending and trading for stars. He added Dolph Camilli, Kirbe Higby, Billy Herman and he bought a young SS from the Red Sox, Pee Wee Reese. By the end of the 1941 season, Reese had impressed Leo so much at SS that he gave up his regular job so Pee Wee could play. Pee Wee would spend 18 years as a Dodger. McPhail picked up some pretty good pieces for Leo, and they went to the World Series in 1941. First time in 21 years. One of those pickups was free agent OF, Pete Reiser. Reiser was ruled a free agent by MLB because of some mess up by Cardinals president Branch Rickey.
It was during his first year as manager that Durocher came into his own. The most iconic image of Leo is him going toe to toe with an umpire until he was eventually thrown out of the game. He valued this kind of fire in his players, and it was during this time he coined the phrase, ” Nice Guys Finish Last” He honestly believed that. Leo was also notorious for ordering his pitchers to hit opposing batters. If he wanted a batter hit, he would simply yell, ” Stick it in his ear”. Durocher’s relationship with McPhail was tempestuous. McPhail was a heavy drinker, and he and Leo would argue and he would fire him, and then rehire him in the morning. McPhail’s leadership of the Dodgers ended when he joined the Army during WWII. His replacement was Branch Rickey. Rickey retained Durocher and the Dodgers engaged the Cardinals in the first playoff in NL history. Durocher also regularly clashed with commissioner, Happy Chandler. Chandler had taken over in 1945 and warned Durocher to stay away from some of his old friends who were gamblers, bookmakers, and had mob connections. All of these people Leo allowed a free rein at Ebbets Field. Leo was very close to actor George Raft with whom he shared a house in Los Angeles. He also admitted to a nodding acquaintance with mobster Bugsy Seigel. He encouraged card schools in the club house and was something of a pool shark.
Things finally came to a head when his affair with married actress Laraine Day came to light. This drew criticism from the Influential Brooklyn Catholic Youth Organization. In spring of 1947, Leo got into trouble again. He and George Raft supposedly rigged a crap game that Dizzy Trout was in and took Dizzy Trout for a lot of money. Chandler suspended him for association with known gamblers, and the Dodgers had to have Burt Shotton replace him for the 1947 season, which was of course, Jackie Robinson’s rookie year. Leo played an influential part in assimilating Jackie onto the team. He let it be known that he would not tolerate the dissent of players on the Dodgers who were opposed to Jackie’s playing with the Dodgers. He said he did not care what color a player was, if he could help the Dodgers win the pennant, he wanted him on his team. There was a petition going around the clubhouse against having Robinson play. Some of the players who signed that petition were eventually traded by Branch Rickey, most notably, Dixie Walker and Kirbe Higby who were sent to Pittsburgh. In 1948, Leo returned to the Dodgers, but his personality and bad results caused a riff with Rickey and on July 16th, 1948, Durocher and Giant owner Horace Stoneham negotiated a deal that allowed Durocher to manage the Giants.
Leo enjoyed a lot of success with the Giants, exacting some revenge when his 51 team beat Brooklyn in the playoffs. He won his only World Championship in 1954 when the Giants beat the Indians. As Dodger manager Leo went 738-565. close to .570 winning pct. He was 637-523 with the Giants who he managed until 1955. Then in 1966 he was managing the Chicago Cubs after a stint as a coach for Walter Alston’s Dodgers 61to 64, getting another ring in 63. He went 535-526 with the Cubs over a seven year run. In 1972 he managed the last 31 games for the Astros and then the entire 1973 season. He went 82-80. and 98-95 over all and then he retired. Leo’s over all total is 2008-1709. At the time of his retirement he was 5th over all in MLB history.
Leo worked a lot in television. He was a commentator on NBC for the game of the week for a while, he also hosted NBC’s Comedy Hour and Jackpot bowling. He played himself in the Red Skelton movie, “Whistling in Brooklyn”. He also appeared in episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies and The Munster’s. I remember that episode well. Herman wrecks the ball field. One of his line drives knocks the scoreboard down. The last scene in the show, Leo is walking with Crazy Legs Hirsch and a football comes flying into his hands. He asks Leo where the nearest park is, and Leo reply’s, don’t ask.
Leo was the first manager to win 500 plus games with three teams. He died on October 7, 1991 in Palm Springs. He was married 4 times. He is buried in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery. He was posthumously inducted into the Hall in 1994.
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Discussion (235)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I hope the Dodgers extend Trea Turner as quickly as they extended Betts.
I hope Seager moves to third or first next year and is re-signed at a mere mortal salary. But they are over the CBT this year and if they want Kershaw, Scherzer, and Taylor back next year it will be hard to also sign Seager. I assume Jansen won’t be back.
Let’s trade Bauer to the Angels as a salary dump and not expect to get much back.
Starlin Castro suspended 30 days by MLB for violation of the Domestic Abuse clause. He will also be released by the Nats.
Anybody else concerned as to why MLB has not approved this deal? What is holding this up? None of the other deals were held up like this……just wondering. Yes, ever since the Warren report, I’m conspiracy sensitive.
The Dodgers are not going to have a $275 mil payroll next year. Hard to see us re signing Seager. And can we get out of Bauer contract next year.
Pujols
Kershaw
Scherzer
Price
Turner J
Betts
Jansen
Not sure many teams have ever had 7 possible HOF performers at the same time?
I remember Vin getting a thrill out of watching Durocher fire the ball to first from short. Leo had a great arm. Seeing him as an older coach made me think about how hard it is to see a formally athletic young person within an old body.
Bums, hard to platoon a guy hitting .300 with a guy hitting .240 and OPS ing over 150 points higher. I love Joc as well and still wearing his jersey to Dodger games but it’s not gonna happen! No Berrios to Pads! Big blow for them!
Berrios going to the Blue Jays
I like the Scherzer/Turner trade. Pitching is my concern and I wanted Scherzer (and Kimbrel). Not counting Taylor as a regular starter, I always thought 2B was our hole offensively (I think Bellinger will get it together eventually), so Trea Turner is as they say icing on the cake. Plus, out of the 4 guys the Dodgers traded, Ruiz is the only one I am high on. I just hope Friedman can get both Scherzer and Turner to stick around for awhile by extending them.
I don’t know about all of you, but I have seen enough of David Price to conclude he is nothing like he was during his prime and his stats show it too. .289/.352/.428/.780 is not good.
I’m hearing that Seager may be activated today and in the starting lineup. If so that would be great.
Any chance Friedman gets Kimbrel? I hope so because our bullpen in general, more specifically our closer is not very good.
Braves picking up bats – Duvall (would like see in Dodger blue and Rosario -decent pick up with Acuna out.
This trade with The Nats is not final. What is the hold up? Any inside info?
You didn’t disappoint Bear. Great write up on Leo the Lip. Keep em coming. your posts make my mornings.
* I view this latest transaction as as a “fresh start”. We’re at a point where the noise from outside the Club House can’t impact the team, negatively. While the announcers, media and fans focus on how many game we can win at Az and the Astros and where we are in the standings, and all the outside noise, it needs to be much more simple. PLAY BETTER, one day at a time. Each guy needs to refocus and improve his play every pitch, every at bat, every inning. It’s time to stop pissing away games.
* Before Price’s start yesterday, I said I’d be okay with standing pat. Wow, was that a cranial-rectal inversion. My bad.
* Not only will Max help us down the stretch but maybe more importantly, it keeps him from the Giants and Padres. A win on the field and psychologically, said Mr. Obvious.
* V- Gon needs to B-Gone. Along with Graterol. Buy em both a big, nice lunch and send them down the road. Okay, V-Gon might be hurt but Graterol just seems lazy and not committed to reach his potential.
* As I have mentioned before, I’m tired of speculation that a guys is hurt, when he’s playing shitty. Maybe he is. Maybe not. If he’s hurt, go on the IL. If not, I’m going to assume that any player out there is healthy enough to be an improvement over his substitute. And since there is no transparency. I see no reason to assume a guy is hurt because he doesn’t “look right”. It’s like Joe Kelly. If his shoulder was so painful why didn’t;t he get it treated instead of one poor performance after another. So, I’m done with any speculation and excuses for bad play because a guy might be injured.
Or maybe his mental well being is suffering Phil? V-Gon was huge for us last year. I’m not giving up on him just yet. As much rope as Bellinger is getting we can wait on V-Gon. But I’m concerned about how much Graterol wants it!
Can I just say that it’s great to have smart and aggressive GMs in the NL West.
I mean the Giants/Padres/Dodgers are going to be good not only this year, but for years going forward.
It’s awesome.
Farhan is a brilliant talent evaluator!
Gammons:
Deep organizations have prospects at the top well known. The Yanks didn’t touch guys they consider undealable:Vope, Peraza, Dominguez, and have Schmidt up in weeks. Dodgers have Diego Cartaya, Pepiot, Miller, Knack, Jackson they did not want to trade.
Bluto’s comment:
Jackson?!?!?!?!?!!
Kimbrel to White Sox! If not us then good to have him out of the NL.
Take a few minutes to read the whole text and then take the “test” at the end……
The population of Earth is around 7.8 Billion.
For most people, it is a very large figure to imagine.
However, if you condensed 7.8 billion in the world into 100 persons , and then into various percentage statistics,
the resulting analysis below is relatively easy to comprehend.
Out of 100 :
11 are in Europe
5 are in North America
9 are in South America
15 are in Africa
60 are in Asia
49 live in the countryside
51 live in cities
12 speak Chinese
5 speak Spanish
5 speak English
3 speak Arabic
3 speak Hindi
3 speak Bengali
3 speak Portuguese
2 speak Russian
2 speak Japanese
62 speak their own language.
77 have their own houses
23 have no place to live.
21 are over-nourished
63 can eat full
15 are under-nourished
1 ate the last meal, but did not make it to the next meal.
The daily cost of living for 48 is less than $2.00.
87 have clean drinking water
13 either lack clean drinking water or have access to a water source that is polluted.
75 have mobile phones
25 do not.
30 have internet access
70 do not have conditions to go online
7 received university education
93 did not attend college.
83 can read
17 are illiterate.
31 are Christians
25 are Muslims
16 are Hindus
7 are Buddhists
7 are other religions
16 have no religious beliefs.
26 live less than 14 years
66 died between 15 – 64 years of age
8 are over 65 years old.
If you have your own home, eat full meals & drink clean water, have a mobile phone,
Can surf the internet, and have gone to college, You are in the minuscule privileged lot (in the less than 7% category)
Among 100 persons in the world, only 8 can live or exceed the age of 65.
If you are over 65 years old, be content and grateful. Cherish life, grasp the moment.
You did not leave this world before the age of 64 years like the 92 persons who have gone before you. You are already the blessed among mankind.
Take good care of your own health. Cherish every remaining moment. —- How lucky we are.
And, if you think you are suffering memory loss, read this:
Anosognosia….. Very interesting.
In the following analysis the French Professor Bruno Dubois Director of the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease (IMMA) at La Pitié-Salpêtrière – Paris Hospitals addresses this subject in a rather reassuring way:
“If anyone is aware of his memory problems, he does not have Alzheimer’s.”
1. I forget the names of families ..
2. I do not remember where I put some things ..
It often happens in people 60 years and older and they complain that they lack memory. “The information is always in the brain, it is the “processor” that is lacking.”
This is “Anosognosia” or temporary forgetfulness.
Half of all people of 60 and older have some symptoms that are due to age rather than disease.
The most common symptons are:
– forgetting the name of a person,
– going to a room in the house and not remembering why we were going there,
– a blank memory for a movie title or actor, an actress,
– wasting time searching where we left our glasses or keys …
After 60 years most people have such a difficulty, which indicates that it is not a disease but rather a characteristic due to the passage of years …
Many people are concerned about these oversights hence the importance of the following statement:
“Those who are conscious of being forgetful have no serious problem of memory.”
“Those who suffer from a memory illness or Alzheimer’s, are not aware of what is happening.”
Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of IMMA, reassures the majority of people concerned about their oversights:
“The more we complain about memory loss, the less likely we are to suffer from memory sickness.”
Now for a little neurological test. Only use your eyes —- make sure you have your reading glasses on ……. if you can remember where you put them.
1- Find the C in the table below!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
2- If you have already found the C, then find the 6 in the table below.
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999699999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
3- Now find the N in the table below.
Attention, it’s a little more difficult!
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
If you pass these three tests without problem:
– you can cancel your annual visit to the neurologist.
– your brain is in perfect shape!
– you are far from having any relationship with Alzheimer’s.
Kimbel goes to White Sox
Felicitaciones Bear, gran trabajo en esta narración sobre Durocher a mediados de los años 60 comencé a seguir a mis queridos Dodgers con todas las limitaciones en materia de comunicación de aquella época, prácticamente solo era prensa escrita por México, y recuerdo a Leo manejando a los cachorros de Chicago, un equipo eternamente perdedor que a juzgar por la distancia y casi nada de comunicaciones solo tenía tres elementos activos buenos Leo, Ernie Banks y Ron Santo era agradable ver información de ellos en fotografías de la revista deporte ilustrado y despertó en mi mucha simpatía que con tu excelente articulo me recordaste aquellos momentos mágicos de mi adolescencia.
White Sox got Kimbral.
Darn, the Phillies got Kennedy, who is left?
Relief pitchers are going here and there, and we have not gotten any. Are we really going to go into the postseason with this relief corps? Perhaps we did all we could in the Scherzer and Turner trade, and we do not have any left that we would trade and who would have value. I would have liked Hudson, at least, as part of our deal. Right now it looks like we are going to be mixing and matching, as usual.
Baez is a big acquisition for the Mets, as Kimbrel is for the White Sox. Virtually every top team significantly improved their roster.
Bear states above that the players don’t want him back. I assume that is from The Athletic article where an “unauthorized” player made that claim. The article also claims that this is backed up by the “fact” that no player has publicly supported Bauer.
So which is it? By the very definition of “unauthorized” the players have been told NOT to comment, which makes sense. So by not commenting when they are told not to they are not showing support? A lot of mental gymnastics there that could take Simone Biles place in Tokyo for that one.
Some of you probably believed the “reports” that “many” were upset with Justin Turner for coming on the field to celebrate the WS win last year after a positive test. That was bullshit. Only the media guys were “upset” and not the players and this article could be as well.
I agree that many guys may be turned off by the whole thing and the point that many are young guys starting a family and that Bauer may not reflect their values. Who cares though? This is a work environment. Not a group of friends playing Thursday night softball.
I think that those same players, being young, healthy, rich young men know that trappings that are out there in SOME women and also probably know that Bauer fell for it. So maybe some can sympathize. Maybe not.
Bottom line……media is not the Holy Grail and what is written is not necessarily true. It could be. It could not be. WE DON”T KNOW!!!
None of us know the facts of this case. I would assume that the Dodgers have some insight into what is going to happen and planned accordingly with the Max pickup. Who knows though, that move could have been planned before all this with Bauer.
As to Bellinger, has anyone really seen ANY adjustments in his offensive “game”? What he is doing is NOT working and I personally haven’t seen anything that leads me to believe that he even realizes it. I would ASSume that there are coaches and players in his ear offering advice, film study, etc.
I am not going to go study stats but just my eyeball stats tell me that Belli has been more off than on over his career. Of course, his 1st half 2019 was amazing but really is a huge outlier 2+ years later now.
If injury is the excuse/reason, then fine. Sit and heal. With this move the Dodgers are deep enough to sit Belli for as long as he needs and heal. Taylor and T. Turner more than make up for the absence of Bellinger, and quite honestly, Taylor DESERVES to play everyday and not just from an emotional Rah-rah level but from a production level. Taylor is the much better player TODAY. Sorry, but I don’t care what Belli did years ago. By that rational, Pujols should be starting everyday.
With Kimbrell off the board, the Angels are apparently shopping Iglesias. Not sure Arte wants to trade with LA, but that would be a good move for the Dodgers.
I’m a little torn on the White Sox picking up Kimbrel since I’m rooting for them to make it to the World Series. I guess at least we won’t have to face him until then.
So, Starlin Castro gets 30 days for beating his wife, a second offense and Bauer is in limbo for 30 for allegedly being rough with a hooker? Tatis Jr. loosley involved with no bad press and in the lineup every day? That’s fair.
The stretch run will be fun with the super team that AF assembled against the perennially lucky, overachieving arch rivals to the North and the Red Headed, no class, bratty step child to the South.
Now three games back, what’s the over-under in days before we reclaim first place? 1 week, 10 days? 2 weeks?
Talent will be trickling in over the next week. Seager today, Betts on Sunday, Max during the Astros series and hopefully Trea just has a little COVID and will be here soon. I almost forgot that CK will be back a week from today and Knebel some time in between.
For all the worry warts out there. The Scherzer / Turner deal is official.
Once again. Scherzer, Turner, Mookie, Seager, Kershaw and Knebel will all be joining the team within a week.