Tales from the Dodgers Dugout
Tommy Davis with Paul Gutierrez
2005
The Pitch
As a kid, I was introduced to the Dodgers during the era of Garvey, Lopes, Russell and Cey. Those teams of the mid to late ‘70’s were very familiar to me. As the 80’s approached, I watched in awe as Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Sax, and Mike Scioscia changed the face of the team. Of course, the World Series wins in ’81 and ’88 made a most significant impression on me and I consider those teams from 1977-88 “my era.” Naturally, being a Dodgers fan, I have learned about the history and lore of the great Brooklyn teams from the 1940’s and 1950’s through Vin Scully and others. But when I picked up Tommy Davis’ book on the Dodgers, I wasn’t terribly inspired. The Dodgers of the 1960’s were not “my team” nor were they the storybook teams of decades earlier. So with a “ho” and a “hum” I began reading about a period of Dodgers history that I never knew much about.Tommy Davis, writing alongside Paul Gutierrez, paints a wonderful picture of the first generation of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball, which might have been better named the Hollywood Dodgers for their celebrity-like stature. Tommy writes about his growing up a Dodgers fan in Brooklyn, how Jackie Robinson convinced him to sign with the Dodgers, and provides in-depth account of the 1963 World Series. Often witty and frequently insightful, Davis describes his observations and relationships with such greats as Willie Davis, Maury Wills, Sandy Koufax, and Lou Johnson as only a teammate can.Best Quote
"Willie Stargell once said that hitting against Sandy Koufax
was like trying to drink coffee with a fork." (page 88)
Things I didn’t know, or just forgot
- The famous ceremony at the Coliseum in 1959 to honor Roy Campanella was before an exhibition game against the Yankees – on May 7th.
- The Dodgers were such a bad team in 1958 that a joke was going around that L.A. meant “Lost Again.”
- Leo Durocher coined the phrase “nice guys finish last.”
- Willie Davis would impersonate players of the opposite team during his at-bats. When in Pittsburgh, he’d act like Roberto Clemente. While in Milwaukee or Atlanta, he’d become Hank Aaron at the plate.
- Tommy Davis was almost traded to Kansas City in the winter of 1961. He then led the league in hitting in 1962 and 1963 – with the Dodgers.
- Vin Scully actually managed the Dodgers for one game – from the broadcast booth.
Overall Rating: Triple!
Tales from the Dodgers Dugout earns a triple for casting a bright light on the Golden Age of Dodgers baseball in Los Angeles. Tommy Davis tells his tales with intimacy, honesty, and passion. It is an education on the Dodgers of the Sixties, without reading an encyclopedia. This is a must read for serious Dodgers fans.-Robert Timm
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