The Passing of the Duke

The stars of our past continue to leave us. Over the weekend, Duke Snider passed away, one of the stars of the Brooklyn Dodgers and part of the trio of centerfielders who ruled the New York boroughs in the 1950s.

Snider, inducted in baseball's Hall of Fame in 1980, played 18 season in the majors, nearly all with the Dodgers (Brooklyn and L.A.), with the final two years played with the New York Mets in 1963 and the Dan Francisco Giants in 1964. Snider was an eight-time All-star and led the National League in runs three times in his career.

Snider, who batted .295 with 407 home runs and 2,116 hits in his career, played in six World Series, batting .286 with 11 home runs. Injuries took a bite out of Snider in the latter part of his career, but in his prime in the 1950s, nobody was better.

Snider is no stranger to the collectibles market, as he is readily available on signed bats, balls and photos. Snider dove headfirst into the autograph circuit when it became popular, needing the money. He got in some trouble early on for not reporting the income with the IRS, but it didn't do much to affect his reputation.

His signature is quite recognizable and he is a great piece among those great Brooklyn teams of the 1950s.

I'd be interested in hearing some Dodger fans' memories of The Duke, whether it was some of his memorable moment son the field or personal moments from an autograph signing.