This insert set has always confused me. It is called "Monikers" and is a 2004 Donruss Leaf Limited card. Nowhere on the card does it actually provide a nickname or moniker for the player shown- even though the set is called "Monikers." They could have put in "Speedy" or some other similar name for Maury Wills since I'm not aware of an actual pseudonym for him. Maybe the "Banjo Man" would be best. Anyway, here is Maury's card from my collection. It is numbered 66 out of 100.
This is a great little auction item I ran into on eBay over the weekend. It is a cardboard advertising sign promoting a Dodgers/ Ebbets Field promotion geared towards residents of the Glendale neighborhood in Queens, New York. The promotion includes a free ride to the game on a chartered bus. In fact, according to the auction seller the ride was a large part of the thrill. The chartered buses were actually "beer buses." There were kegs, sodas and snacks to occupy the appetites of the Glendale revelers who would be coming directly from their favorite watering holes. Heck, even the famous Dodgers "Sym-Phony" band would be on hand to accompany the Glendale crowd.
Who'd a thunk that a sporting event that occurred 55 years ago would continue to hold the attention of fans today. Heck, you'd have thought that everything to be seen about the showdown would have already been presented for fans to gawk at. Not so, says LIFE. They have uncovered a group of 27 never-published photos of the 1955 World Series. Go here to see them all.Fans nicknamed him "Ducky" and "Ducky Wucky" because of his waddle, but his build led to the nickname of "Muscles," which meant that none of his teammates dared to use the name "Ducky" to his face. His hard-charging style of play got him pulled out of the seventh game of the 1934 World Series by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, when Detroit Tigers fans started pelting him with garbage after he slid hard into third on a triple. Medwick helped lead the Dodgers to a pennant in 1941, but had lost much of his dominance after being nearly killed by a beanball thrown at him by a former Cardinal teammate 6 days after his 1940 trade. He eventually returned to finish his career with the Cardinals in 1947 and 1948. During a USO tour by a number of players in 1944, Medwick was among several individuals given an audience by Pope Pius XII. Upon being asked by the Pope what his vocation was, Medwick replied, "Your Holiness, I'm Joe Medwick. I, too, used to be a Cardinal."
(Auction Link)After his discharge from the military in 1946, Owen expected to return to Brooklyn, but he failed to reach an agreement with the Dodgers and signed a contract to be a player-manager in the Mexican League. There were others several big leaguers that fled to Mexico, attracted by good salaries. In retaliation for the defections, Commissioner Happy Chandler sought a lifetime suspension for them, but his penalty was later reduced to three years.
I love the concept of these letterman autograph patch cards. Basically, they are non-game used letter patches that are signed and placed in a super thick card. Every letter in the players name is used creating a great set if you can track them all down. Above and below is my Chad Billingsley 2006 Upper Deck SP "By the Letters" autographed card.
You can't go wrong with these two vintage former Dodgers. Bob Welch was drafted by the Dodgers in the 1st round of the 1977 draft. Then went on to pitch 10 glorious years for the team, compiling a 115-86 record and a 3.14 ERA. Before the magical 1988 season he was a part of a 3 team trade that netted us some needed pieces for that improbable World Series win- Jesse Orosco, Afredo Griffin and Jay Howell.
