Willie, Mickey and the Duke

Terry Cashman wrote a popular song in the 1980's about his childhood baseball memories of New York baseball in the 50's.

The New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees divided the baseball loyalties of the city then.  Cashman's chorus was Willie, Mickey and the Duke.  He was referring to the New York Giants centerfielder, Willie Mays.  The Yankees young star Mickey Mantle and the Dodgers favorite in the Flatbush neighborhood, Duke Snider.

After today, Mays is the only one left.

Snider died today at the age of 84 in Escondido, California.  He started his career about two days after Jackie Robinson, who broke the "color barrier" in the major leagues as the first black player.  Snider became a Brooklyn icon and was still with the team when they left Brooklyn for sunny Los Angeles.

Dusty Baker grew up a huge Dodger fan.

Baker's reaction, "Oh no. He was one of the first Dodgers (in Los Angeles).  He was managing Albuquerque when I came through my first year with the Dodgers.  I had a lot of conversations after that in Dodgertown (where the Dodgers trained in Vero Beach, Florida.  Jim Gilliam and Roy Campanella talked about him all the time.  He was a fine man. I have his picture up on my wall."