The Oddest Oddball in My Odd Collection

How weird is my Dodger collection?

It's so weird it includes two empty envelopes.

Of course, they aren't your run-of-the-mill envelope that you can purchase at your local stationary store. Instead, these are old and yellowing, and were originally used by the Montreal Royals ballclub in the 50's -- the Dodgers top minor league affiliate at the time.

Although, that in itself doesn't really warrant a blog post on its own. After all, these envelopes are kinda boring... until you notice a peculiar postmark on one of them (as seen below).

It was the 75th Anniversary of the First Organ Appearing at an MLB Game

There's really no rhyme or reason for this post other than to share some information tweeted out by Dodgers organist Dieter Ruehle yesterday afternoon.  It was the 75th anniversary of the day when an organ first appeared at a Major League Baseball game.  This happened on Sunday, April 26, 1941 at Wrigley Field in Chicago in a game between the Cubs and Cardinals.  It is assumed that a gentleman by the name of Roy Nelson maned the keys that day.

As for the Dodgers, their first maestro at the ballpark was Gladys Goodding in 1942.  Since that time there have only been six other organist for the franchise.  Dieter, who became the Dodgers seventh official organ player just this season, helpfully tweeted out a list of all those who had come before him.  See it below:

I also thought I would point to an fantastic paper written by Dr. Matthew Mihalka at University of Arkansas entitled "From Town Hall to “Play Ball!”: The Origins of the Baseball Organ."  (Link Here) It was originally presented at a meeting of the American Musicological Society in 2012.  In it he writes a bit about Gladys Goodding:

Vintage Photo of Pregame Festivites of a Navy Relief Game at Ebbets Field

In addition to the photo I shared last week (a Sandy Koufax Hickock Belt photo), I also added a photo from 1942 featuring the May 8th exhibition Baseball game between the Dodgers and Giants to my collection.

As you know, our country was embroiled in WWII, and this game (along with many others throughout the country) was organized to generate funds for the care of returning injured servicemen.  This particular game was to help the Navy Relief Fund.  All attendees payed an admission ticket price; including all participating ballplayers, coaches and umpires.  Then, all proceeds from the game were donated.  In all, they were able to collect $60,000. A photo of a used ticket stub from the event is shown on the right.

In the vintage press photo you can see they are in the midst of the pregame flag raising ceremony.  Per the description attached to the reverse of the photo:

General view during flag-raising ceremony which preceeded today's Navy Relief twilight game between the Dodgers and Giants at Ebbets Field.  Members of the home team stand at attention in foreground.  Some 40,000 fans, all paying an admission price, saw the game.

BTW, the photo is a ACME News Pictures/NEA Type I press photo.  Also, this particular game is notable, besides its assistance to the Navy, for several reasons.  It was the first twilight game in Baseball in 24 years, and it marked the debut of soon-to-be long-time Ebbets Field organist Gladys Gooding.  Gladys was the second organ player ever in a Major League stadium, and would quickly become an important part of the team.

As for who won the game, it was the Dodgers.  They defeated the Giants 7 to 6 on a 7th inning home run by Dolph Camilli.

Below is a scan of the reverse of the press photo.

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Sunday Dodger Videos: 1950 Full Brooklyn Dodgers Game Radio Recording and Matt Kemp at the Kingdom Day Parade

Here are todays Sunday Dodger Videos.  We stars off with a couple of clips of Matt Kemp at the Kingdom Day Parade.

From KABC7.

Video Link:

The Dodgers at MLB.com has their own video from the Kingdom Day Parade.

Video Link:

And here is the most recent edition of the Think Blue Review: 1/18/2013.

Video Link:

This next video is very special.  Below is an original and complete April 20, 1950 radio broadcast recording of a ballgame between the Brooklyn Dodgers versus the New York Giants at Ebbets Field.  Red Barber announces the game, and this is the very first Brooklyn game heard on a national radio network.  Awesome!  A special bonus is an actual recording of Dodgers organist Gladys Gooding signing the National Anthem, and the voice of Brooklyn stadium announcer Tex Rickards.

Video Link:

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Bitter Brooklyn

With the Dodgers set to wear vintage throwback Brooklyn Dodger uniforms this season the screams, whines and catcalls from some of the old Brooklyn faithful have gotten louder. They certainly know how to hold a grudge, eh?

Of course, this is nothing new. Who can forget Neil Diamond's live performance of "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway last year while wearing a jacket with the words "Keep the Dodgers in Brooklyn" emblazoned on his back.

(pic link: Bleacher Report)

Well, now we have a article from the NY Daily News that continues to push the meme that Brooklyn belongs to them and not the team in Los Angeles.

"Are they nuts?" asked Nick Fiore, 81, of Brooklyn, a member of the Dodgers' Sym-Phony that used play at Ebbets Field.

"So they're going to be the Los Angeles-Brooklyn Dodgers?" Fiore asked mockingly. "These days, anything will happen."

I guess I can't blame them. I'd be pissed too. Heck, I hate the Rams for leaving and have been totally turned off by football as a result. Of course, I doubt I'd still harbor a grudge after 50 years. After all, at a certain point you have to let bygones be bygones.

On the other hand, the Brooklyn situation has been described as entirely different. That the team and the borough had a special relationship, much like the love of a husband and wife, and when the team left many felt it was like a lover leaving you for another man. If you listen closely to the Brooklyn faithful you sense that kind of frustration- sounds of a jilted lover.

To emphasize that point I came across two articles that describe the very last Dodger game played at Ebbets Field. From NPR:

To celebrate his 21st birthday, Sherman decided to go to the game. He asked a few friends to come along, but they thought he was crazy.

"You're going to be the only one there," he says they told him. "They're leaving us. The heck with them. We're not interested."

So he went to the game alone.

"The lights were on, the grass was as beautiful as it was the first day of the season," he says. "The players were on the field, but there was no one in the stands. The place was vacant. It was eerie. I could have sat anyplace in the ballpark I wanted.

Gladys Goodding was the organist, and "everything she played was a blue song about losing a lover. And after the game, I remember leaving and she was playing 'Auld Lang Syne,' and then they cut her off in the middle and they put the Dodgers theme song on.

"When I walked out of the Ebbets Field, I stood a block away and just looked back. The lights were still on and I said goodbye. It was over."

Then from the LA Times:

Setting the depressing tone, Vin Scully recalls, was the song selection of organist Gladys Goodding, whose music infused the maudlin mood.

"Gladys was a very nice lady, known to take a drink or three," the longtime Dodgers announcer says. "And Gladys showed up with a paper bag -- and there wasn't any doubt what was in it. It was too late for lunch. . . .

"If I remember correctly, the very first song she played was 'My Buddy,' a pretty down song, and it went down from there. All of us in listening to the music were aware of her mental state, and I'm sure she was dipping into the brown bag, and the music kept getting more depressing every third out.

"It really did have an effect on you. If you had any idea of songs, you knew what she was playing and you also knew what she was doing."

That is some pretty depressing stuff. But, as stated by Jon Weisman the other day, this is about remembering and celebrating the past. We have no interest in bringing up those bad memories, we just want to create new ones.

More Vintage Organ from Gladys Goodding

As many of you know already, Gladys Goodding was the organist for the Dodgers at Ebbets Field. The other day I posted up an original recording of hers and thought it would be neat to see if there might be other recordings of her out there. I've been told that there is a recording of her singing the National Anthem, which she consistently performed at many ballgames. Unfortunately, I have yet to find it. I did, on the other hand, find a couple of 1940's recordings of her playing some familiar tunes.

Here are two separate recordings featuring her playing on a V-Disc. For those who don't know, a V-Disc was a recording made in cooperation with the US Military during WWII. They were used by military personnel as a morale booster while overseas. Enjoy them below.

Baseball Medley

YouTube Link:

Mood Music

YouTube Link:

Follow The Dodgers

With Spring around the corner and the new Baseball season upon us I suddenly felt the desire to listen to that old Brooklyn Dodger fight song played by organist Gladys Goodding that I had written about last year. It is called "Follow the Dodgers." Unfortunately, the link I had in my original post to a recording is now defunct so I crossed my fingers in hope that some benevolent fan had put it up on YouTube. To my joy and surprise, someone had. Check it out below and sing along. A great amount of thanks to drakghoulie for putting it up.

YouTube Link:

"Follow the Dodgers" by Gladys Goodding

Before there was Nancy Bea Hefley there was Gladys Goodding. She was the onetime organist for the Brooklyn Dodgers and is famous for playing a song called "Follow the Dodgers" as the team took to the field to start a game at Ebbets Field.

Below is a record of the song found on eBay. Even better is that I found a recording of the song online here at BaseballRecordings.com. Go and check it out. Heck, sing along.

UPDATE: Here is more information about Gladys. She joined the Dodgers at Ebbets Field in 1942 and stayed until the team moved west. Originally, she was discovered by Larry McPhail as she played the organ at Madison Square Garden for New York Rangers hockey games. She would later on play at Knicks games. In addition to playing the organ she often sang the National Anthem at Dodger games. When opposing teams came out for batting practice she would often play the following tunes, per a commentator at Baseball-fever.com.

Giants - "We're Calling All Fans, All You Giant Ball Fans"
Phillies - "Pennsylvania Polka"
Pirates - "Pennsylvania Polka"
Cardinals - "St. Louis Blues"
Cubs - "Chicago"
Reds - "Down By the O-hi-o"

UPDATE II:  Unfortunately, the BaseballRecordings link is now dead.   Have no fear, though.  Youtube has the song available for you to enjoy.  Watch it at the very bottom of this post, or go to youtube here.

eBay Auction Link:

YouTube Link: