O/T: Willie Davis dead

[Brian-Chidester]

Here's a great link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8UBQezEDc

The New York Times has the best obit on Davis so far, and if you notice, they print A BUNCH of corrections at the end... because... on a phony L.A. self-promotion level, the Dodgers put out BOGUS information on his career, saying that he was the all-time Dodger leader in many statistic departments. Problem was, THEY DON'T COUNT BROOKLYN!!! This "phenomenon" about the Dodger office pretending the bums, and the bum image, didn't exist is so prevalent in SoCal. Immediately Dodger fans in New York slammed the L.A. Times with facts and figures about Zack Wheat, etc. The L.A. Dodgers only promote L.A. Dodger history, not Dodger history, and this shit don't fly in New York, no fuckin' way. That said, it is also why that damn World Series DVD with all the Dodger Wold Series victories on it, from the World Series Films, lacks 1955! Ugh!

That said, I've looked at the L.A. Times and I can write better memories of Koufax than they have in there, this one I read is totally bogus, some kid who grew up in Garden Grove, whose parents were Angels fans, trying to talk Willie D. and almost having nothing to say.

The vid above has a GREAT interview with Willie about his Boyle Heights days, getting drafted right out of Roosevelt High, replacing Duke Snider and sweeping the Yanks. He doesn't talk about his personal best years, 1969-1971, when he was a golden glove and hit over .300 every year, though. But it is an unselfish interview.

I did notice one of the obits said he stole something like 44 bases in 1964. There is a video of Joe Torre talking about how Wills was faster from first to second, but if Davis was at first, and a ball was hit to the outfield, it was much tougher to catch Willie going from first to third. There is another thing about him tagging up from second base and scoring, and... how often in the minors he scored from first base on a single.

[Orioles1954]

Originally Posted by Brian-Chidester

Here's a great link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8UBQezEDc

The New York Times has the best obit on Davis so far, and if you notice, they print A BUNCH of corrections at the end... because... on a phony L.A. self-promotion level, the Dodgers put out BOGUS information on his career, saying that he was the all-time Dodger leader in many statistic departments. Problem was, THEY DON'T COUNT BROOKLYN!!! This "phenomenon" about the Dodger office pretending the bums, and the bum image, didn't exist is so prevalent in SoCal. Immediately Dodger fans in New York slammed the L.A. Times with facts and figures about Zack Wheat, etc. The L.A. Dodgers only promote L.A. Dodger history, not Dodger history, and this shit don't fly in New York, no fuckin' way. That said, it is also why that damn World Series DVD with all the Dodger Wold Series victories on it, from the World Series Films, lacks 1955! Ugh!

That said, I've looked at the L.A. Times and I can write better memories of Koufax than they have in there, this one I read is totally bogus, some kid who grew up in Garden Grove, whose parents were Angels fans, trying to talk Willie D. and almost having nothing to say.

The vid above has a GREAT interview with Willie about his Boyle Heights days, getting drafted right out of Roosevelt High, replacing Duke Snider and sweeping the Yanks. He doesn't talk about his personal best years, 1969-1971, when he was a golden glove and hit over .300 every year, though. But it is an unselfish interview.

I did notice one of the obits said he stole something like 44 bases in 1964. There is a video of Joe Torre talking about how Wills was faster from first to second, but if Davis was at first, and a ball was hit to the outfield, it was much tougher to catch Willie going from first to third. There is another thing about him tagging up from second base and scoring, and... how often in the minors he scored from first base on a single.

I wouldn't expect L.A. fans to care about Brooklyn history, completely different city and time. I can see why Brooklyn fans are a bit sensitive about it though. It's much the same situation here in Baltimore with the Colts and Indianapolis. Losing a franchise that you love kind of breeds an inferiority complex of sorts.

[Brian-Chidester]

Well, one reason is that many of those early L.A. Dodgers players started out in Brooklyn, so if you are a fan of the actual players, Brooklyn counts. Also, the Dodgers franchise was the first to integrate black players. If you look at a team like the 1963 Dodgers, who swept the Yankees in the World Series that year, the style of play was a direct continuation of the Jackie Robinson integration. The Yankees had not made the same leap, and therefore, the Negro League style of play that was a part of the 1963 Dodgers lineup, plus the Drysdale/Koufax dominance, made them the better team by far.

No one ever sees the lineage of playing style from Robinson up through Wills/Davis/Davis, but it's there.

[Brian-Chidester]

Besides, as a journalist, the story is beyond your own backyard.