My golden moments were in the 1952-1957 years when the Dodgers were an outstanding team, winning pennants in '52, '53 and '55. Unfortunately they played against the Yankees those years, losing the first two world series, but finally beating them in the memorable seven game series in 1955. I still can visualize Johnny Podres getting the last out. After so may frustrating years "the Bums" had beaten the mighty Yankees!
I probably attended fifty or more games during
that era, Living in Park Slope, I walked to Ebbitts [sic] Field, admission was 75
cents for bleacher seats, hot dogs were 10 cents, Coke 10 cents, candy bars were
5 cents. So you could have a wonderful afternoon or evening for one
dollar.
I remember the night we played the Boston
Braves! before they moved South! Gil Hodges hit 4 home runs, and we
won 18-2 or something. Another night Duke Snider hit 3 home runs, come up to bat
in the 9th inning, everyone was up yelling for him to hit another, he made
contact, the ball missed going over the right field fence by maybe 2 or 3 feet,
so he had to settle for a double.
They were a special team,
most players lived in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn.
When it was announced that they were leaving
Brooklyn after the '57 season, grown men were seen crying in the streets. Most
blamed club owner Walter O'Malley, but he tried to get the city to build a new
stadium at Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues, where the new Barclays Center now
stands. Robert Moses, who wielded too much power in those days, refused, he
wanted it built in Flushing Meadows where the 1939 World Fair was held. Moses "stone walled" the deal, then a city official from Los Angles saw an article in
the newspaper, flew to Brooklyn and offered O'Malley Chevas [sic] Revine for
practically nothing. It made O'Malley a very rich man, and denied Brooklyn from
keeping their baseball team.
In 1962, Moses got his wish when the New York Mets
located to Flushing. Undoubtedly, Moses had financial interest in that
property...
I'm so pleased that Brooklyn has transitioned to
being a fine place to live. When I left for th Navy in the fall of 1960, Park
Slope was going down hill. Its revival is amazing.
Didn't mean to get so long winded, but I have very
fond memories of growing up in Brooklyn.
