Talking about our Dodgers

Something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time now and I don’t know if I ever get around to it, is interviewing Brooklynites about what they remember from the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Just ask older people in the street, in Prospect Park, at Coney Island. Did they go to games a lot at Ebbets Field? Did their dad take them or did they sneak in? Do they remember how they felt when the Dodgers finally won the World Series for the first time in 1955?
Then montage them together, just older people against a black background, telling stories about the Brooklyn Dodgers. Like I said, I don’t know if I ever get around to it, but I got a little taste of it when someone I know from out of nowhere messaged me and told me the Brooklyn Dodgers were his favourite team growing up.

Well, you got my attention at Dodgers so we got to talking.
David was born in 1942 and he started following baseball in grade school in Ashdown, Arkansas. Apparently it was common practice to let kids listen to baseball games on the radio in that school. I’m not sure about other schools allowing regular games to be listened to, but I DO know of schools who let their kids listen to the World Series.

The strange thing is... he was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. I asked him why and he told me he has always wondered about that himself. He did read a magazine in which articles were written about the best teams around, including the Dodgers. David knew all the names on the roster: Hodges, Reese, Robinson, Campanella, Newcombe, Erskine but his favorite player was The Duke. Most of his friends rooted for the Cardinals from (relatively) nearby St. Louis. Which was a more logical choice. The Cards were amazing in the 1940's, winning three World Series titles in five years.

The Dodgers, though, were starting to get to World Series as well. For a kid born in '42 the 1947 World Series were the first chance to hear about them Bums on the radio. A great series where they came back from 2-0 and 3-2 in the end losing a game 7 decider against the Yankees.
Then came 1949, Dodgers and Yankees, 1952 Dodgers... Yankees, 1953 Dodgers and yes... those Damn Yankees! All those World Series losses started to wear little David down. When you're eleven and your favorite team makes it to the World Series four times without winning, can't have been easy.

But then came 1955, yes the Yankees won the first two at home, but the Dodgers took the next three at Ebbets Field. Back in the Bronx the Yankees won again. All square, a deciding game 7 was forced. Behind a complete game by Johnny Podres two runs scored and the Brooklyn Dodgers had done it. They finally beat the Yankees.
It turned out to be the only World Series win for Brooklyn. Two years later the Dodgers moved west and David never listened to or watched another Dodgers game.

I love to hear about the boys of summer, I really hope I can go to Brooklyn one day and hear more.