Leo Durocher

[foreverfree]

Leo Durocher may be the only White baseball figure who deliberately (more or less, by his strong personality, feuds with the press, et al) made himself controversial. At least that description fits him more than any other White who was ever in the grand old game.

What is CF's party line on the Lip?

John

 

[sport historian]

Leo Durocher's signature phrase was "Nice Guys Finish Last." He put out a book with that title in the early 1960's. I recall reading the serialized version in, I think, The Saturday Evening Post. In the book, Leo said that if his own mother was rounding third base with the run that would beat his team, if he could, Leo would trip her.

A few years later, in 1966, Durocher became manager of the Chicago Cubs. Where did Leo finish in his first season? Last.

 

[jaxvid]

Durocher had an unusual role in the Jackie Robinson story. He was manager of the Dodgers at that time but in spring training of 1947 he was suspended for association with gamblers. It was the result of a spat he had with Yankees GM Larry McPhail who was a good friend of the Comissioner. It must have been odd to have had such a high profile manager suspended for a season and I'm sure it drew a lot of attention from the Jackie Robinson issue. In fact the more I think of it the more it seems like it was an intentional action to deflect media and public attention away from Jackie Robinson. It might be interesting to research that time in baseball history to see how it all played out.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Good ol' "Leo the Lip"! He was supposedly pretty vicious as a player (ala my favorite Ty Cobb). Legend says he hated Babe Ruth, as Ruth accused Leo of snagging his (Babe's) watch. Leo posted a winning record with each of the four teams he led, and was the first manager to win 500 games with three different clubs.

I'll always remember him guest starring on The Beverly Hillbillies, The Munsters, Mr.Ed and Dean Martin's Comedy Roast!

 

[Don Wassall]

Durocher had an unusual role in the Jackie Robinson story. He was manager of the Dodgers at that time but in spring training of 1947 he was suspended for association with gamblers. It was the result of a spat he had with Yankees GM Larry McPhail who was a good friend of the Comissioner. It must have been odd to have had such a high profile manager suspended for a season and I'm sure it drew a lot of attention from the Jackie Robinson issue. In fact the more I think of it the more it seems like it was an intentional action to deflect media and public attention away from Jackie Robinson. It might be interesting to research that time in baseball history to see how it all played out.

There was a post on here some time back mentioning that Jackie Robinson's breaking of the color barrier didn't result invery much media hype when it occurred. As time went on the media mythologized it more and more after the permanent Cultural Marxist Revolution kicked into high gear in the 1960s.

As for Durocher, he was "colorful" but baseball has always had interesting characters as players and managers -- John McGraw, Babe Ruth, Casey Stengel, Dizzy Dean, Sparky Anderson, and Earl Weaver come quickly to mind. Many more could be cited. White Americans were often unique and interesting people, much less so in these conformist days in which sportsare dominated by something baseball never used to have -- thugs, criminals, and infantile prima donnas.

 

[GWTJ]

In his time as a manager Leo was the most respected field general in the game. He wasn't always liked but everyone respected him. He was a bit of an antagonist but was as good a baseball man as there has ever been. Much respect here for Leo.

 

[foreverfree]

Good responses, all of them. Thanks.

John

 

[bigunreal]

Durocher's contribution to society was summed up by the aforementioned title of his book, "Nice Guys Finish Last." What a wonderful concept. The sports world has duly noted his advice and too many coaches and players have tried to adhere to it.

Durocher absolutely adored Willie Mays. In fact, Durocher was one of the first "old time" players to dismiss the "game was better in my day" credo expressed by the likes of Ty Cobb. Durocher publicly stated many times that Willie Mays was the greatest player he'd ever seen. Considering that he played with and against Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, Jimmie Foxx and many more, this was a (then) controversial comment. To those who truly know baseball, it is one of the most ridiculous, racially pandering comments ever made.

Durocher's previously mentioned appearances on t.v. shows like "The Munsters" and "The Beverly Hillbillies" represent his only positive contribution to society, in my estimation. From his alleged gambling ties, to his crush on Willie Mays, to his absurd tall tale about Babe Ruth backing down from him (Durocher was a scrawny utility infielder) in the Yankee locker room, to his loud affinity for the loathsome, unsportsmanlike "nice guys finish last" principle, this guy was an obnoxious, despicable character.

 

[Realgeorge]

Here's another "colorful" character in the managerial ranks of the "modern" MLB. Leo Durocher was a superb manager. This guy is not

 

[bigunreal]

Durocher was hardly a great manager, in my estimation. During the last few DECADES of his managerial career, his only notable "accomplishment" was his '69 Chicago Cubs blowing a huge lead to the "amazing" New Tork Mets. If I recall correctly, he only won a few World Series, the last one being in '54 with the "amazing" New York Giants.

He did put on a great show arguing with the umpires, however.