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They Didn't Always Hit Home Runs

© Harold Friend

When fans think of the Brooklyn Dodgers they usually think of Ebbets Field and Brooklyn's devastating home run power. Ebbets Field was opened on April 9, 1913 and was the Brooklyn Dodgers' home until owner Walter O'Malley abandoned Brooklyn following the 1957 season. The Brooklyn Dodgers' last decade, the decade of Jackie Robinson, PeeWee Reese, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella, Carl Furillo, and Don Newcombe has left an indelible association between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the home run, but it was not always so.

When Ebbets Field became the Brooklyn Dodgers' home in 1913, it was during the dead ball era. Players just didn't hit many home runs. In their first seven seasons at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn averaged under 25 home runs, with a low of 10 in the World War I shortened 1918 season. There was an interesting, much discussed World Series in 1919 and the lively ball era began the following season. From 1920 until right after the end of World War II in 1946, Brooklyn averaged 65 home runs a season, but from 1947, when Mr. Robinson joined the team until their last season, they averaged 162 home runs a season.

An incredible, almost unbelievable fact is that in 1936, the year that Lou Gehrig led the majors with 49 home runs, the year that the Indians' Hal Trosky and the Red Sox' Jimmy Foxx hit 42 and 41 home runs respectively and the Giants' Mel Ott led the National League with 33, the leading Brooklyn home run hitter was Babe Phelps with 5 five home runs. Even more astounding is the fact that from 1913 until 1950, Babe Herman, with 35 in 1930, and Dolph Camilli, with 34 in 1941, were the ONLY two Brooklyn players to ever hit over thirty home runs in a season.

Ebbets Field had a reputation as a hitters' park, which it deserved, but until the late 1940s, Brooklyn didn't have the power hitters needed to take advantage of the short distances to the fences. In 1948, the distance to the right field foul line was 297 feet, the distance to right center field was 352 feet, the distance to the left field foul line was 343 feet, and the distance to left center field was 351 feet. Brooklyn won a few times before its golden era, but not because it hit home runs.

Pitching is the name of the game, and even in the modern era of the designated hitter, lowered pitching mound, undefined strike zone and lively ball, good pitching STILL stops good hitting. Every spring, the same reporters ask Yankees' manager Joe Torre the same question. "How far will the Yankees go this year Joe?" Brooklyn born Joseph Paul Torre always gives the same answer. "We'll go as far as out pitching takes us."

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