RIP: Duke Snider

[Robextend]

Very sad news. I had the pleasure to meet Duke a couple times, and he was a true gentleman. He will be missed!

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=6164805


http://photos.imageevent.com/vanslykefan/autographsmemoribilia/hofautos/websize/Snider.jpg

[prewarsports]

Great player and underrated as he was always the third best centerfielder in NY behind Mantle and Mays. I had always heard nothing but good things about the Duke.

[Pup6913]

Sad news. My condolences to the family

[Griffins]

A class act, on and off the field.
http://photos.imageevent.com/griffins/autographsets/perezsteelegreatmoments/large/PSMickWillieDuke.jpg

[barrysloate]

Very sad indeed. Duke was one of the giants of baseball.

[slidekellyslide]

RIP Duke...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkQNut9DUrs

[823dek]

Duke Snider passes away sadly and Norm Duke wins a Masters Bowling Championship in the10th frame (while on the bench) by a blown 10 pin by Mika Koivumeni.

May God comfort the Snider family.

[Bugsy]

Truly one of baseball's good guys. We'll miss you Duke!

[J.McMurry]

I credit his book, "The Duke of Flatbush" for turning me into a Brooklyn Dodger fan and collector of vintage cards/material.

RIP

[Kenny Cole]

A great baseball player and, more importantly, a genuinely nice person. RIP Duke.

[kcohen]

I met Mr. Snider a couple of years ago. Such a wonderful man. I heard the news on the radio coming home from work. I had a gut punch feeling like I had lost someone close. May he rest in peace.

[E93]

RIP,
JimB

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/5224/52dukesnider2.jpg (http://img819.imageshack.us/i/52dukesnider2.jpg/)

[Hoy4HOF]

I, too, had the privilege of meeting Duke. Several times, I sent cards to his Fallbrook, CA address to be autographed in the late 70s-early 80s, and got them back signed every time, often with a nice note accompanying them. I can still remember as a kid opening a pack of 1960 Topps and finding his card on top. Thanks for the memories Duke!

[quinnsryche]

I also had the pleasure of the Duke's company one afternoon at a card show my father hosted. Great guy and a complete gentleman. Very sorry to hear of his passing, my condolences to his family.

[Fuddjcal]

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/audio/talkin_baseball.mp3

I remember hearing this song with Gramps back in the early 80's. As a Dodger fan, This song will always bring a tear to my eye when I think of what it means to me. ;)

To see what has become of the Dodgers with the McLouses in charge already makes me sick enough. It's bad enough that they have beat my heart with golf spikes and now this. This is a sad day for Dodger Fans and for our National Pastime.

[geor952]

Thanks for posting this. Tim Kurkijan's video tribute was nicely done and a nice way to remember the Duke this evening. Very sad news, but a wonderful life to celebrate!

[SteveMitchell]

A great baseball player and, more importantly, a genuinely nice person. RIP Duke.

Can't improve on Kenny Cole's remarks.

Here is a scan of an advertisement from the December 1982 issue (Volume 1 Number 1) of Renata Galasso's The Baseball-Hobby Card Report for a 2-by-3 foot poster depicting three great New York center-fielders of the 1950's. In late 1982 one could buy it SIGNED by all three all-time greats and the artist, too, for just $75 plus $5 shipping. It is a numbered limited edition of 1,603 - one print for each home run made by the trio.

[Orioles1954]

Great player and underrated as he was always the third best centerfielder in NY behind Mantle and Mays. I had always heard nothing but good things about the Duke.

I would place him second.

[GasHouseGang]

Very sad to hear the news of Duke's passing. I met him one time back in the 1980's. He was such a gentleman, and talked to my wife for some time like they were old friends. She had no idea who he was, but he was so nice. One of the true class acts in baseball.

[ethicsprof]

very sad, indeed.
i've kept his autograph since i got it as a little leaguer in '61.
a great player and an all time favorite of mine.
my deepest condolences to family,friends, fans

barry

[Bigb13]

Very sad indeed, one of Brooklyn's best

[Rickyy]

:( Sad day for all of baseball.

[53Browns]

R.I.P. Duke...

[joeadcock]

To be missed. Seemed like a nice person with a great history.

F. L.

[Vol]

Thanks for posting this. Tim Kurkijan's video tribute was nicely done and a nice way to remember the Duke this evening. Very sad news, but a wonderful life to celebrate!

Thanks for mentioning it. Wonderful.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6165386

[mr2686]

Duke was the first player I got an autograph from when I got back in to collecting in the mid 80's. A very nice man who let everyone in line try on his HOF ring. He always gets the short end of the stick when talking about Mantle, Mays and Snider, but I recently heard he had more homeruns and RBI's in the 50's than the other two. Pretty impressive.

[tedzan]

The "Duke of Flatbush" was one of the best BB players of the 1950's....I say this even though I was an avid Mickey Mantle fan as a kid back then.
And as many have already said in this thread, a fine gentleman when signing at BB card shows. Always with a smile and a twinkle in his blue eyes.



<img src="http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt113/zanted86/1949bowmansnider50b53b.jpg" alt="[linked image]">


In 1942 at Compton (CA) High School, the Duke played center field and pitched. In his first pitching performance (vs Beverly Hills HS), he pitched a
No-Hitter, striking out 15 batters.
Snider also starred at basketball and football while in HS. In fact, Pete Rozelle (Compton classmate of Snider's) paid Snider the ultimate compliment
some years later when he was the Commisioner of the NFL ...... "The most amazing football game" Rozelle had ever seen was the HS game in which
a young tailback named Edwin Snider threw a 63-yard pass in the closing seconds of the game to beat Compton's strongest rival.



<img src="http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt113/zanted86/dukesnider1953redman.jpg" alt="[linked image]">



GOD BLESS your soul Duke, and may GOD comfort your family and all the sports fans that have loved you throughout the years.



TED Z

[tjb1952tjb]

A neighbor in San Diego County...........will be missed.