View Full Version : OUR JACKIE Retires!
DODGER DEB
12-13-2007, 07:38 AM
On December 13, 1956, in one of his more classless moves, the Big "O" attempted to trade OUR JACKIE, to of all teams, the NY Giants, for Dick Littlefield and $30,000 cash (like he needed that money, right).
Rising totally above this, OUR JACKIE, rather than being humiliated like that, chose, instead, to retire with the dignity and class he had always shown.
Three BROOKLYN Cheers for OUR JACkIE! :applaud::applaud::applaud:
c.
A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.
Jackie Robinson
EdTarbusz
12-13-2007, 09:56 AM
My feeling is that if Robinson had anything left, he would have played for the New York Giants, to stick it to O'Malley, and collect a nice pay check while doing it.
Shotgun Shuba
12-13-2007, 04:21 PM
I am not sure what is wrong with me, but the cat in the picture intrigues me. What's he doing there? Was he a mascot or something? Even he seems to be in awe of a truly great man and the defintion of a sports star to look up to.
dodger dynamo
12-13-2007, 05:59 PM
I'm curious about it to, but If I had a guess, the cat probably wanted one last look at the great dodger. I think jack weighed the two options he had. play for the giants, take the look magazine money and the chock full o' nuts job. together I think the latter two added up to more money for the season and presented an opportunity for the future. maybe if he's not traded he plays 57 in a limited role. maybe if the giants offered enough to make it worthwile, I guess milwaukee or cleveland were places he might have considered. I think his age coupled with the trade helped him make up his mind. the other outside offers didn't hurt. for me it would have been nice to see him play the last brooklyn year, If only as occasional starter.
of course jack made up his own mind, It also would have been nice to know what jack thought of the big o' after his death, alas jack departed before o'malley. wouldn't it have been nice to see jack manage somewhere. we're wit'cha jack. still to this day. battlin bake, the dodger dynamo
tonypug
12-13-2007, 06:21 PM
Jackie had always said that if he were ever traded, it would have to be to a New York team. Jackie had already written the LOOK Magazine article before the trade.He had also accepted the Chock-Full-of-Nuts job just prior to the trade. He didn't announce his retirement until January, because he promised Look they would have an exclusive story. His retirement was supposed to be announced in the story. Some west coast writers were subscribers to Look and received their copies before the magazine hit the news stands, and broke the story first. The owner of Chock- Full- O Nuts said that Jackie could play for the Giants for one year, but Jackie said no. The Giants had offered Jackie $50,000 to play in 1957 plus the promise of a scouting job, when he retired.
dodger dynamo
12-13-2007, 06:41 PM
good info. tp. a 50 yr. old memory needs to be refreshed. battlin bake, the dodger dynamo
I am not sure what is wrong with me, but the cat in the picture intrigues me. What's he doing there? Was he a mascot or something? Even he seems to be in awe of a truly great man and the defintion of a sports star to look up to.
This is the only photo I found with the cat in it, there are many photo's of Jackie posing just like this but not from the floor up. My guess is its just a stray that wandered in.
musial6
12-14-2007, 09:23 AM
Maybe it's a rat that looks like a cat.
Maybe it's a rat that looks like a cat.
We never let four legged rats in our club house.
dodger dynamo
12-14-2007, 12:59 PM
If it was 51 it could have been a giant spy in disguise. you know I alway's wondered where our cat went every day. wonder if he knew the bus route?????? battlin bake, the dodger dynamo
tonypug
12-14-2007, 09:25 PM
And now back to our regularly scheduled thread, "Our Jackie retires." Right after the story broke about Jackie's retirement, Buzzie Bavasi, probably with O'Malleys prodding, started attacking Jackie in the papers. He said among other things that Jackie showed no class in the way he retired and was probably trying to get more money out of the Giants. After hearing that, Jackie said there was no way he would ever play again.
dodger dynamo
12-14-2007, 11:39 PM
I just wonder about the whole strategy, o'malley never did anything for the reported reason alone. either way he gets to attack jack. oh, now he's a giant and a traitor, see the way he leaped at the money, so forth and so on or the way it did play out. I hope jack really did what he truly wanted. rickey, robinson and furillo all diminished because of one guy's need to be in absolute control. robinson was always a bargain salary wise, they could have called jack in and talked to him, come to some understanding, retire, play whatever, but o'malley's word was law he didn't care what jack thought, I'm sure it was mutual. the man who should have remained in baseball in some capacity, didn't. can you imagine jack as a manager going out to argue a call? oh, well it was a long time ago, yet in some ways it seems like yesterday. we will never forget jack roosevelt robinson. he lives on, they all do. battlin bake, the dodger dynamo
I just wonder about the whole strategy, o'malley never did anything for the reported reason alone. either way he gets to attack jack. oh, now he's a giant and a traitor, see the way he leaped at the money, so forth and so on or the way it did play out. I hope jack really did what he truly wanted. rickey, robinson and furillo all diminished because of one guy's need to be in absolute control. robinson was always a bargain salary wise, they could have called jack in and talked to him, come to some understanding, retire, play whatever, but o'malley's word was law he didn't care what jack thought, I'm sure it was mutual. the man who should have remained in baseball in some capacity, didn't. can you imagine jack as a manager going out to argue a call? oh, well it was a long time ago, yet in some ways it seems like yesterday. we will never forget jack roosevelt robinson. he lives on, they all do. battlin bake, the dodger dynamo
JACKIE, THATS JACKIE, only his wife called him Jack,always thought things out before he acted, Jackie was one of Rickey's boys, and took no crap from the O'M, so he had to go. I believe Jackie would have retired after 1956
no matter what.
dodger dynamo
12-15-2007, 01:33 PM
I always called him jackie to. used jack because I was thinking of rachel, no one revered him more than her, it seemed it was her dignified way of showing him respect, which was all I was doing. battlin bake, the dodger dynamo
tonypug
12-15-2007, 03:43 PM
JACKIE, THATS JACKIE, only his wife called him Jack,always thought things out before he acted, Jackie was one of Rickey's boys, and took no crap from the O'M, so he had to go. I believe Jackie would have retired after 1956
no matter what.
LeoD and I have argued this point for many years. I think had he not been traded, Jackie would have played one more year.I know that when opening day came around, Jackie said he could barely get out of bed, but of course he wasn't in shape either. The bottom line was O'Malley knew without Robinson there was no way the Dodgers could win the pennant in 1957. With Jackie there was a chance, and the last thing O'Malley wanted was to win the pennant in 1957. That would have made things very messy. The team tried its best to win, but with management doing nothing to help, the team was too old, and under manned to take on a very strong Milwaukee Braves team.
dodger dynamo
12-15-2007, 04:00 PM
tp, that's a good point, I alway's thought the trade pushed him into retirement. If he stays a dodger, I think 57 is a good bet, then he retires. he may have been the spark they needed. the spark o'malley couldn't afford to take a chance on. I think o'malley resented robinson, bercause of his unique position in base ball and the nations political scene. jackie was also a rickey supporter. battlin bake, the dodger dynamo
I always called him jackie to. used jack because I was thinking of rachel, no one revered him more than her, it seemed it was her dignified way of showing him respect, which was all I was doing. battlin bake, the dodger dynamo
Do you often think of dead ball players wives, even great Brooklyn players, I was right about you.
This seems to back-up Tonys post.
http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/jackie/1956.html
But this backs up mine. you pays your money and takes your choice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Robinson
tonypug
12-15-2007, 05:33 PM
This seems to back-up Tonys post.
http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/jackie/1956.html
But this backs up mine. you pays your money and takes your choice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Robinson
Leo, thank you for presenting both sides of the story. I am always leery of Wikipedia, as it often has mis- information. I have the Look Magazine issue with Jackie's retirement story, it is very general in nature, and was not very final in its statement. I will post the story on my site and you can read it, and see what you think. Jackie was also thinking that the offer O'Malley had made a couple of years earlier, to manage Montreal when he retired would still be honored. O'Malley never had any intention of honoring that offer. The proper way to handle that situation would have been to ask Jackie if he wanted the trade, or if he wanted to retire. O'Malley of course chose the sleazy way, and never gave Jackie a choice.
dodger dynamo
12-15-2007, 07:07 PM
leo d, why must you make an issue of something, where there's nothing to make issue out of. I think about joan hodges, and dottie reese some times when speaking of their husbands. I watched followed and loved baseball, but I always thought of them as people to. what they did on the field was important to us as fans, yet, I don't believe thinking a little bit about them as something other than just ball players is wrong. we're all different, think, feel and reflect in different ways your "do as I do, or your wrong, or too sentimental, or whatever attitude" is something I just can't understand. shouldn't we think of dead Players wives? players we claimed to care about on a personal level beyond base ball. ok, maybe we should just stick to baseball and only the facts. rehashing 50, 60, 70 yr. old numbers and on the field stories. ones that have been dissected and analyzed to death. with out insight reflection or emotion, then it is boring an meaningless for me. I just cannot separate the ball player and the man. nothing we discuss here will change events that happened over 50 yrs. ago. all anyone leaves behind is a memory, as a man or as a ball player, both are important. I haven't lost sight of that. now I apologise to everyone who wants to discuss robinsons retirement. battlin bake, the dodger dynamo
leo d, why must you make an issue of something, where there's nothing to make issue out of. I think about joan hodges, and dottie reese some times when speaking of their husbands. I watched followed and loved baseball, but I always thought of them as people to. what they did on the field was important to us as fans, yet, I don't believe thinking a little bit about them as something other than just ball players is wrong. we're all different, think, feel and reflect in different ways your "do as I do, or your wrong, or too sentimental, or whatever attitude" is something I just can't understand. shouldn't we think of dead Players wives? players we claimed to care about on a personal level beyond base ball. ok, maybe we should just stick to baseball and only the facts. rehashing 50, 60, 70 yr. old numbers and on the field stories. ones that have been dissected and analyzed to death. with out insight reflection or emotion, then it is boring an meaningless for me. I just cannot separate the ball player and the man. nothing we discuss here will change events that happened over 50 yrs. ago. all anyone leaves behind is a memory, as a man or as a ball player, both are important. I haven't lost sight of that. now I apologise to everyone who wants to discuss robinsons retirement. battlin bake, the dodger dynamo
I think you should be given an Academy award for acting. No body calls Jackie, Jack at this forum ever, thats what caught my attention, I don't care if you even dream of all the teams wives, its your dramatics that annoy me, but thats just me.
dodger dynamo
12-15-2007, 08:26 PM
just re-read rachel robinsons book and thought about why she called him jack instead of jackie, she thought of him not just as a man playing a boy's game, but as an adult. then I posted it using "jack" not jackie. it's that simple. no monumental earth shaking reason. that's all. battlin bake, the dodger dynamo
tonypug
12-16-2007, 06:40 AM
Jackie must have been very uncomfortable, from when the trade was announced in mid December until the retirement story came out in early January. Willie Mays asked to be his roommate on the road, and the Giants sold many tickets after the trade was announced, yet all along Jackie knew he wasn't going to play for the Giants. When Bavasi notified Jackie of the trade, Jackie asked Bavasi and Stoneham not to announce the trade until after the new year.That request was refused.
DODGER DEB
12-16-2007, 07:29 AM
Jackie must have been very uncomfortable, from when the trade was announced in mid December until the retirement story came out in early January. Willie Mays asked to be his roommate on the road, and the Giants sold many tickets after the trade was announced, yet all along Jackie knew he wasn't going to play for the Giants. When Bavasi notified Jackie of the trade, Jackie asked Bavasi and Stoneham not to announce the trade until after the new year.That request was refused.
Please note, tonyp, I didn't edit anything in the above post. I accidentally hit the wrong thread.
c.
Mattingly
12-16-2007, 10:21 AM
Please consider me very green on the matter, dear Brooklynites (I've lived there for 34 years, but 10 years after Dem Bums left.
My question is, what exactly prompted the Big O to want to trade one of his best players and a fan favorite in Jackie Robinson in the first place? I've always wondered about this.
If there are threads about this, as I'm sure there are, I would greatly appreciate knowing about this.
Thx. :)
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE4DC113CF936A25757C0A9619482 60
tonypug
12-16-2007, 01:26 PM
AS I have stated many times, one of the reasons O'Malley went to LA was to escape the ghost of Branch Rickey. As long as O'Malley remained in Brooklyn the Dodgers would always be thought of as Rickey's team. Robinson was always talked about in tandem with Rickey. The last thing O'Malley wanted was to bring Robinson to LA. O'Malley wanted to cut all ties with Robinson and Rickey.
EdTarbusz
12-16-2007, 01:31 PM
AS I have stated many times, one of the reasons O'Malley went to LA was to escape the ghost of Branch Rickey. As long as O'Malley remained in Brooklyn the Dodgers would always be thought of as Rickey's team. Robinson was always talked about in tandem with Rickey. The last thing O'Malley wanted was to bring Robinson to LA. O'Malley wanted to cut all ties with Robinson and Rickey.
I don't think that O'Malley needed to have worried. I think that Robinson would have retired rather than have to return to California.
Mattingly
12-16-2007, 01:51 PM
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE4DC113CF936A25757C0A9619482 60
That was a very nice article, LeoD. I knew that Branch Rickey was the one who'd called up Jackie Robinson, but hadn't realized that it was their being linked together which factored into Jackie's being traded. From the article, it seemed like Jackie had the tools to manage had he been given a chance.
Was there anyone else somewhat closely associated with Branch Rickey that may have been shunned by Walter O'Malley?
tonypug
12-16-2007, 01:58 PM
That was a very nice article, LeoD. I knew that Branch Rickey was the one who'd called up Jackie Robinson, but hadn't realized that it was their being linked together which factored into Jackie's being traded. From the article, it seemed like Jackie had the tools to manage had he been given a chance.
Was there anyone else somewhat closely associated with Branch Rickey that may have been shunned by Walter O'Malley?
When O'Malley took over the Dodgers, the mere mention of Rickey's name in the Dodgers offices caused the offender to be fined a dollar. Anyone who went against O'Malley felt the fat mans wrath. Red Barber, Chuck Dressen, Carl Furillo to name a few. You will notice no former Dodger player other then Furillo ever has said anything negative about O'Malley in public.
EdTarbusz
12-16-2007, 02:37 PM
Was there anyone else somewhat closely associated with Branch Rickey that may have been shunned by Walter O'Malley?
Burt Shotton for one.
I don't think that O'Malley needed to have worried. I think that Robinson would have retired rather than have to return to California.
I believe your right.
I can't prove it but I'll bet Pee Wee, hated the O'M, no former Brooklyn player who made a living working for the team after their playing days were over would naturally not say any thing bad about him, you don't bite the hand that feeds you. I can't see Gil liking the O'M either.
Mattingly
12-16-2007, 09:38 PM
When O'Malley took over the Dodgers, the mere mention of Rickey's name in the Dodgers offices caused the offender to be fined a dollar. Anyone who went against O'Malley felt the fat mans wrath. Red Barber, Chuck Dressen, Carl Furillo to name a few. You will notice no former Dodger player other then Furillo ever has said anything negative about O'Malley in public.
Wow. Any particular reason for this? Jealous that Rickey had gotten so much attention and likely praise for having brought up Jackie Robinson?
Carl Furillo was "Skoonj", right? What did he say about O'Malley in public? According to O'Malley's Wiki page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_O%27Malley), he lived until 1979 and was in power until that same year. That's 21 years of his power that nobody was able to say anything negative about him or mention Branch Rickey's name? Wow.
Anyone say anything about W O'Malley from 1980 onward that his son or someone else did or didn't lash out against them for?
Mattingly
12-16-2007, 09:44 PM
Burt Shotton for one.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/shottbu01.shtml
Interestingly, he was the manager in Jackie's 1st year, managing from 1947-50. Was he supportive of Jackie? I do know that Pee Wee Reese (captain of the team, I believe) famously befriended Jackie. I've never heard of how the manager felt about Jackie Robinson and/or Branch Rickey.
Any info you can provide would be very much appreciated. :)
EdTarbusz
12-16-2007, 09:51 PM
Shotton and Rickey were close. When Rickey managed in the Majors, Shotton would serve as his Sunday manager. After reading Opening Day by Eig, I don't think any of the Dodgers were especially close to Robinson in 1947. The book made it sound like Robinson was pretty isolated that years.
I don't know what Shotton thought of having Robinson that year. I think that Leo Durocher would have been a great supporter of Robinson, and they may not have become enemies if Durocher got to manage Robinson in 1947, instead of 1948.
EdTarbusz
12-18-2007, 06:16 AM
Wow. Any particular reason for this? Jealous that Rickey had gotten so much attention and likely praise for having brought up Jackie Robinson?
Carl Furillo was "Skoonj", right? What did he say about O'Malley in public? According to O'Malley's Wiki page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_O%27Malley), he lived until 1979 and was in power until that same year. That's 21 years of his power that nobody was able to say anything negative about him or mention Branch Rickey's name? Wow.
Anyone say anything about W O'Malley from 1980 onward that his son or someone else did or didn't lash out against them for?
I don't know what Furillo's feelings about O'Malley were, but I doubt if he was a Rickey advocate. Furillo is considered to one of the Dodgers that was pasing the anti-Robinson petition in 1947. In Bums, he sounded bitter about a thinly disguised portrayal of him in the Jackie Robinson Story.
There was some controversy about the ending of his career. Furillo claimed that he was released and then black-balled from the game to reduce the amount of his pension.
Bill Burgess
01-02-2008, 10:18 AM
I, or one, have always wondered how Branch Rickey let the fat slob out-manuever him, in the controlling Brooklyn team interest.
We know that O'Malley came aboard the Brooklyn team as team attorney, and started off buying small amounts of team stock.
In 1942, he was appointed the attorney for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and he became the president and chief stockholder (owner) on October 26, 1950.
After Ed McKeever’s death, just 11 days following the passing of Ebbets, the shares went into a family trust. O’Malley said on November 1, 1944, "It has been known for some time that the Ed McKeever block was for sale to anybody acceptable, and we just thought it was a good idea to pick it up now."
What other blocks of stock did O'Malley pick up, which allowed him to gain the controlling interest, on October 26, 1950?
I suspect that before that, O'Malley was cunning enough to con Rickey into thinking they were 'partners'. Rickey likely looked upon him as a partner, while the fat slob looked at Rickey as a competitor.
Alas, too late, Rickey realized 'his partner', was a shark in the swimming pool. And by then, it was legally too late.
Does anyone have the inside scoop of which blocks of stock O'Malley bought, which allowed him to muscle Rickey out of the controlling interest? Was it the Stephan McGeever block of stock? Or the Charles Ebbets, Jr. block of stock? Charles, Jr. died May 15, 1944.
EdTarbusz
01-03-2008, 03:26 PM
O'Malley picked the stock of the John L Smith estate. Smith died sometime in 1949, I believe. It doesn't sound to me like Rickey was exactly beloved in Brooklyn and I don't know if Brooklyn fandom would have rallied around El Cheapo. I also think that Rickey wouldn't have been dumb evough to be duped by O'Malley. O'Malley was smarter by cultivating the McKeever and Smith interests.
EdTarbusz
01-03-2008, 03:38 PM
My question is, what exactly prompted the Big O to want to trade one of his best players and a fan favorite in Jackie Robinson in the first place? I've always wondered about this.
Thx. :)
By the time Robinson was traded, he was no longer one the Dodgers best players. Robinson had three guys in the Dodgers organization who wanted him gone: Walter O'Malley, Buzzie Bavasi and Water Alston.
MattM
01-03-2008, 10:52 PM
Shotton and Rickey were close. When Rickey managed in the Majors, Shotton would serve as his Sunday manager. After reading Opening Day by Eig, I don't think any of the Dodgers were especially close to Robinson in 1947. The book made it sound like Robinson was pretty isolated that years.
I don't know what Shotton thought of having Robinson that year. I think that Leo Durocher would have been a great supporter of Robinson, and they may not have become enemies if Durocher got to manage Robinson in 1947, instead of 1948.
Leo and Jackie werent friendly in the least, but Leo was the one who told the players that he didnt' give a flying [insert explitive], and that he didn't care what color the man was, just as long as he was able to play for him. Funny thing is, seems like Leo and Jackie had similar personalities. Both knew how to get on the opponents nerves, and would do it frequently. Yet they never seemed to see eye to eye.
What was Bavasi and Alstons resons for not wanting Jackie on the team? I know Alston was O'Malleys own, but Bavasi always seemed to speak highly of Jackie.
I'm convinced that a significant reason why Walter O' Malley traded Jackie Robinson to the arch rival NY Giants was to help aid in his plan to hijack the Dodgers out of Brooklyn. O' Malley knew that many Dodgers fans would be angry about the trade. Especially to the Giants! O' Malley wanted nothing to do with Brooklyn beyond 1957. His mind was on solely on maximizing the Los Angeles " opportunity".
Walter O' Malley didn't want the Dodgers to repeat as National League Champions in 1957, let alone win their 2nd World Series in 3 years. All that would have done was make it more difficult for him to win the P.R. battle in his attempt to justify the move. By continuing to play games in Jersey City and by basically giving away arguably the most popular player in franchise history, O' Malley was using a strategy that was similar to what the owner in the movie " Major League" attempted to do with the Cleveland Indians. Doing everything possible to alienate the fan base. Sadly, there wasn't a happy ending in the real life travesty that O' Malley created.
tonypug
01-04-2008, 07:45 PM
I'm convinced that a significant reason why Walter O' Malley traded Jackie Robinson to the arch rival NY Giants was to help aid in his plan to hijack the Dodgers out of Brooklyn. O' Malley knew that many Dodgers fans would be angry about the trade. Especially to the Giants! O' Malley wanted nothing to do with Brooklyn beyond 1957. His mind was on solely on maximizing the Los Angeles " opportunity".
Walter O' Malley didn't want the Dodgers to repeat as National League Champions in 1957, let alone win their 2nd World Series in 3 years. All that would have done was make it more difficult for him to win the P.R. battle in his attempt to justify the move. By continuing to play games in Jersey City and by basically giving away arguably the most popular player in franchise history, O' Malley was using a strategy that was similar to what the owner in the movie " Major League" attempted to do with the Cleveland Indians. Doing everything possible to alienate the fan base. Sadly, there wasn't a happy ending in the real life travesty that O' Malley created.
Excellent post. Jackie Robinson wasthe Brooklyn Dodgers, and Jackie Robinson brought memories of Branch Rickey. O'Malley wanted none of those memories with him when he went to LA. I totally agree with you and have repeated many times, O'Malley did everything he could not to win the pennant in 1957.Trading Robinson was just another way of insuring the pennant would not be won.
Ralph Zig Tyko
01-04-2008, 08:43 PM
"Excellent post. Jackie Robinson was the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Jackie Robinson brought memories of Branch Rickey. O'Malley wanted none of those memories with him when he went to LA. I totally agree with you and have repeated many times, O'Malley did everything he could not to win the pennant in 1957.Trading Robinson was just another way of insuring the pennant would not be won."
I agree with everything, except the involvement of Jackie in some conspiracy to not win the pennant. By 1956 Jackie was so terribly over the hill that it became a case of "addition by subtraction" [a Branch Rickey expression, of course] for the "Brooklyns" [Red Barber also hated the Fat Slob O] when he left. No disgrace to have not won that last year.The Braves of '57 are, in my opinion, one of the best, deepest teams in history. Here's a link to a blog I wrote about that Milwaukee team when Lou Burdette died, a while back.
http://pushpull.wordpress.com/2007/02/06/rip-selva-lou-burdette/
"Excellent post. Jackie Robinson was the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Jackie Robinson brought memories of Branch Rickey. O'Malley wanted none of those memories with him when he went to LA. I totally agree with you and have repeated many times, O'Malley did everything he could not to win the pennant in 1957.Trading Robinson was just another way of insuring the pennant would not be won."
I agree with everything, except the involvement of Jackie in some conspiracy to not win the pennant. By 1956 Jackie was so terribly over the hill that it became a case of "addition by subtraction" [a Branch Rickey expression, of course] for the "Brooklyns" [Red Barber also hated the Fat Slob O] when he left. No disgrace to have not won that last year.The Braves of '57 are, in my opinion, one of the best, deepest teams in history. Here's a link to a blog I wrote about that Milwaukee team when Lou Burdette died, a while back.
http://pushpull.wordpress.com/2007/02/06/rip-selva-lou-burdette/
Thanks, tonypug.
Ralph Zig Tyko, though I'm not disputing what you expressed about Jackie Robinson's physical skills in 1956, I don't think the Dodgers came close to maximizing Jackie Robinson's trade value. Dick Littlefield was at best a middle of the road pitcher. Though $ 30,000 was worth much more in 1956-1957 than it is today, even back then it wasn't a huge amount of money in the grand scheme of things.
A diminished skilled Jackie Robinson, just from a marketing and intangible standpoint, was worth much more than what the Dodgers received for him from the Giants. If Walter O' Malley was remotely serious about competing for a World Championship in 1957 and staying in Brooklyn beyond 1957, he wouldn't have made that trade. It would have been worth more to the Dodgers to keep Jackie Robinson on the roster in 1957, even if he would have had a limited playing role.
Regarding the 1957 Milwaukee Braves, they certainly proved to be a great team when all was said and done that season. Yet, going into the 1957 season, the Dodgers were still the two time defending National League Champions. The Milwaukee Braves still needed to prove themselves on the field over the course of an entire season. A strong case can be made that Milwaukee would have won the pennant under normal circumstances. However, their task was made much easier by the lack of commitment of Walter O' Malley to make a concerted effort to defend the National League Championship.
Ralph Zig Tyko
01-04-2008, 09:35 PM
"A strong case can be made that Milwaukee would have won the pennant under normal circumstances. However, their task was made much easier by the lack of commitment of Walter O' Malley to make a concerted effort to defend the National League Championship."
The topic is so subjective,we'll never know for sure.
Me, I spend hours recreating those great seasons on my computer simulation game. Gawd I miss those days.