The Era, 1947-1957: When the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers Ruled the World by Roger Kahn Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Roger Kahn
episode occurred. Larry MacPhail ordered his publicity man, Arthur E. “Red” Patterson, to leave tickets for a pair of gamblers, Max “Memphis” Engleberg, a bookmaker, and Connie Immerman, a heavy roller who owned the Cotton Club in New York. The two had been visiting the casino at the Hotel Nacional and had met the notorious mobster Lucky Luciano for purposes unknown.
“Don’t you know those guys?” Dick Young of the
Daily News
asked Durocher in the Dodger dugout. He pointed to Engleberg and Immerman.
“Damn right,” Durocher said, “but if I go near them, I’m dead. Where does MacPhail come off flaunting his company with gamblers right in the players’ faces? They’re sitting in his fucking box. If I even spoke to either one of them, MacPhail’s guests, Chandler would have
me
fucking barred.”
Young, a merciless reporter, printed a laundered version of Durocher’s comment.
Early in April, Chandler summoned Branch Rickey to his home in Versailles, Kentucky. As commissioner, Chandler maintained an office in Carew Tower, an early Cincinnati skyscraper. He liked to point across the brown Ohio River toward the Kentucky hills beyond. “God’s Country,” Chandler said.
This meeting was too important for the office. Too private. Chandler led Rickey into his Kentucky study, paneled in walnut. On the desk sat signed photographs from Roosevelt, Churchill, David Ben-Gurion.
Rickey believed that the meeting was to consider integration of the major leagues, now less than a month away. He came prepared to discuss his plans for Robinson and to ask for Chandler’s support. But integration was not on the agenda.
“Branch,” Chandler began, “I’m going to have to sit [suspend] your manager.”
“You can’t do that,” Rickey said.
“I have no choice.”
On April 9, Chandler announced that Durocher was suspended for the balance of 1947 “for [unspecified] conduct detrimental to baseball.”
The Brooklyn ballclub was fined $2,000.
The Yankee ballclub was fined $2,000.
Harold Parrott was fined $500.
By order of the commissioner, all parties were forbidden to discuss crimes, real or alleged, and punishment.
Durocher had been driven out of baseball. He looked at reporters outside a Manhattan hotel suite and told them he had only one thing to say: “Now is the time a man needs a woman.” Then he led Laraine Day into the suite. The couple remained within for forty-eight hours.
On April 11, the Catholic Youth Organization rejoined the Dodger Knothole Gang.
Chandler had kept his promise to Frank Murphy. The Church forgave Baseball for having sinned.
On April 9, a press release announced that Jackie Robinson was being added to the Dodger roster. He would play first base, a new position. But with Durocher exiled, who would lead the team?
Rickey pleaded with the deposed Yankee manager Joe McCarthy to take over. McCarthy declined. Casey Stengel, managing the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League, said he hadn’t been approached and wasn’t really interested. He liked California. Of course, he did have some nice Brooklyn memories. Stengel was never asked.
Clyde Sukeforth ran the Dodgers on Opening Day. Robinson went hitless. The Dodgers defeated the Braves. Then Rickey brought in an old boy from Ohio whom Rickey had known for forty years. Burton Edwin “Barney” Shotton would manage from the dugout in civilian clothes. At sixty-two, Shotton said he was too old to put on a uniform.
The Dodgers started well. Robinson seemed quiet, poised, swift. The Yankees were playing good ball. The Giants looked improved. The weather was cold, but ahead lay a summer of promise.
Then the
Herald Tribune
broke its story. The St. Louis Cardinals, champions of the baseball world, were planning a strike. They were going to strike against Jackie Robinson themselves and they were going to enlist cohorts on every other team in the league.
The strike would last until Robinson was thrown out of baseball.
The boys from
“Don’t you know those guys?” Dick Young of the
Daily News
asked Durocher in the Dodger dugout. He pointed to Engleberg and Immerman.
“Damn right,” Durocher said, “but if I go near them, I’m dead. Where does MacPhail come off flaunting his company with gamblers right in the players’ faces? They’re sitting in his fucking box. If I even spoke to either one of them, MacPhail’s guests, Chandler would have
me
fucking barred.”
Young, a merciless reporter, printed a laundered version of Durocher’s comment.
Early in April, Chandler summoned Branch Rickey to his home in Versailles, Kentucky. As commissioner, Chandler maintained an office in Carew Tower, an early Cincinnati skyscraper. He liked to point across the brown Ohio River toward the Kentucky hills beyond. “God’s Country,” Chandler said.
This meeting was too important for the office. Too private. Chandler led Rickey into his Kentucky study, paneled in walnut. On the desk sat signed photographs from Roosevelt, Churchill, David Ben-Gurion.
Rickey believed that the meeting was to consider integration of the major leagues, now less than a month away. He came prepared to discuss his plans for Robinson and to ask for Chandler’s support. But integration was not on the agenda.
“Branch,” Chandler began, “I’m going to have to sit [suspend] your manager.”
“You can’t do that,” Rickey said.
“I have no choice.”
On April 9, Chandler announced that Durocher was suspended for the balance of 1947 “for [unspecified] conduct detrimental to baseball.”
The Brooklyn ballclub was fined $2,000.
The Yankee ballclub was fined $2,000.
Harold Parrott was fined $500.
By order of the commissioner, all parties were forbidden to discuss crimes, real or alleged, and punishment.
Durocher had been driven out of baseball. He looked at reporters outside a Manhattan hotel suite and told them he had only one thing to say: “Now is the time a man needs a woman.” Then he led Laraine Day into the suite. The couple remained within for forty-eight hours.
On April 11, the Catholic Youth Organization rejoined the Dodger Knothole Gang.
Chandler had kept his promise to Frank Murphy. The Church forgave Baseball for having sinned.
On April 9, a press release announced that Jackie Robinson was being added to the Dodger roster. He would play first base, a new position. But with Durocher exiled, who would lead the team?
Rickey pleaded with the deposed Yankee manager Joe McCarthy to take over. McCarthy declined. Casey Stengel, managing the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League, said he hadn’t been approached and wasn’t really interested. He liked California. Of course, he did have some nice Brooklyn memories. Stengel was never asked.
Clyde Sukeforth ran the Dodgers on Opening Day. Robinson went hitless. The Dodgers defeated the Braves. Then Rickey brought in an old boy from Ohio whom Rickey had known for forty years. Burton Edwin “Barney” Shotton would manage from the dugout in civilian clothes. At sixty-two, Shotton said he was too old to put on a uniform.
The Dodgers started well. Robinson seemed quiet, poised, swift. The Yankees were playing good ball. The Giants looked improved. The weather was cold, but ahead lay a summer of promise.
Then the
Herald Tribune
broke its story. The St. Louis Cardinals, champions of the baseball world, were planning a strike. They were going to strike against Jackie Robinson themselves and they were going to enlist cohorts on every other team in the league.
The strike would last until Robinson was thrown out of baseball.
The boys from
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