Baseball, the Dodgers and World Series (primarily) recollections #1 of ????

OMG, how fucking philosophical I appear to be.  That picture was taken in 2015, in Bangkok. I'm not sure if this picture was taken before or after a photoshoot in the men's room of the most successful bar/whore house on Soi Cowboy.  Two of the 'staff' took pictures with me (with a shirt over the T shirt) but that one picture which became the cover of my 6th book and nearly cost me a divorce........regardless, we'll figure out how to get that picture to follow.....

Sometime during September, 1944 - I am not sure when, exactly - my mother and two of her three sisters went to Ladies Day at Ebbetts Field.  Elder sister Sarah had Barbara, age 12 and Margie, age 3.  Younger Sister Fay had Kenny, age 6.  The St. Louis Cardinals won that day although I have no idea about any of the details other than that it cost none of the three Shumsky sisters anything and they supposedly had a great time.  Obviously I do not remember a thing.

I do remember the day after my 5th birthday, 18 September 1947.  My father and I walked the mile between our home, apartment D-10 at 853 Empire Blvd, Brooklyn 3, New York and Ebbetts Field for the morning portion of a morning/afternoon double header between our team, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Braves.  We lost. We were trounced. 8-0.  Pitcher Johnny Sain of Boston beat Brooklyn's Preacher Roe.  I doubt that we stayed the entire game - Daddy took me home and then went back for the second game.  Regardless, that started me as a fan of the game with a developing appreciation of radio broadcasts that continually provided (especially in a close game) the element of suspense that you simply do not get when watch the action.

Of course we watched the home games televised on WOR in New York City and environs but there were only 13 home night games a year at that time so all other games were on radio and our radio was continuously playing the Dodgers.  Red Barber, with a southern drawl, was the lead Dodger broadcaster.  Connie Desmond was number two. Desmond had a drinking problem and I was fortunate to be listening the night that Desmond, drunk out if his fucking mind, just didn't show up.  It was that night in 1953 that Vin Scully, fresh out of Fordham University, did his first game.  No, I do not remember any of the game details but I definitely remember hearing Vinnie do his first!

And then in 1955, as a 13 year-old, I experienced the thrill of Brooklyn winning its first, ever, World Series.


 

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