"Duke played so great when I pitched," he recalled. His autobiography, The Duke of Flatbush (cowritten with Bill Gilbert), was published in 1988. He got the nickname from his parents as a young boy because of the way he strutted around like he was royalty. Add to Cart . Snider died at the Valle Vista Convalescent Hospital in Escondido, Calif., according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which announced the death on behalf of the family. "He had the grace and the abilities of DiMaggio and Mays and, of course, he was a World Series hero that will forever be remembered in the borough of Brooklyn," Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully said. He was 84. He passed away on Feb. 27, 2011. that Duke Snider hit the last home run at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field on Sept. 22, 1957? Tommy Lasorda, who played with Snider in Brooklyn in 1954 and 1955, recalled: “I was Duke’s teammate and looked up to him with respect. Relive your cherished baseball memories and favorite moments from your team with your personalized membership card. Snider was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1980 on his 11th try. Those team rivalries of yesterday were immortal. He never won an MVP award, although a voting error may have cost him the prize in 1955. Duke Snider Autographed Card 2005 Upper Deck Class of Cooperstown Ltd Ed of 25. In total, Snider hit .286 with 11 home runs and 26 RBI in 36 World Series games, and is the only player to hit at least four home runs in two different Fall Classics (1952 and 1955). Watch later. In 1949, on the season’s final day, he drove in the winning run to clinch the pennant for the Dodgers. Snider was a power-hitting centerfielder for the great Brooklyn Dodgers teams of the 1950s and is immortalized in Terry Cashman's song "Willie, Mickey and the Duke". Well, one of the many iterations of Snider’s baseball card. So did Snider, once he played his first game in the majors in 1947, two days after Jackie Robinson's historic debut. Duke Snider, the Hall of Fame center fielder for the charmed “Boys of Summer†who helped the Dodgers bring their elusive and only World Series crown to Brooklyn, died Sunday. The Duke of Flatbush, a popular book about Snider, was written by Bill Gilbert with an introduction by former Dodger teammate, starting pitcher Carl Erskine. Duke Snider, a Hall of Fame outfielder who helped the Brooklyn Dodgers capture their only World Series title, has died. Duke’s star seemed to have shone brightest when the pressure was on. He gracefully patrolled center field in Brooklyn and was one of the most prolific power hitters of the 1950s, as he hit more home runs and had more RBI in the decade than any other player. "Duke was a fine man, a terrific hitter and a great friend, even though he was a Dodger," Mays said in a statement. Duke Snider, the Hall of Fame center fielder for the charmed "Boys of Summer" who helped the Dodgers bring their elusive and only World Series crown to Brooklyn, died Sunday. Even though his mom preferred Ed, the name stuck. He was 84. Duke never got the credit of being the outfielder that Mays and Mantle were," former teammate Don Zimmer said Sunday. The judge said Snider paid nearly $30,000 in back taxes and noted he had diabetes, hypertension and other illnesses. "He just made so many plays in the World Series for me, and he seemed to play his best when I pitched.". Domestic Shipping Discount--All additional sports cards & … He was a great player.". They were great players in one city, one town. He often launched shots over the short right-field wall at the Brooklyn bandbox, rewarding a waiting throng that gathered on Bedford Avenue. Al Kaline and Duke Snider are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America August 3, 1980 Al Kaline, Chuck Klein, Duke Snider, and Tom Yawkey are inducted into the Hall of Fame … Shopping. He was a broadcaster for the Montreal Expos for several seasons -- he played in the city as a minor leaguer in the Brooklyn farm system -- and later was an announcer with the Dodgers. Snider died at the Valle Vista Convalescent Hospital in Escondido, Calif., said the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which announced the death on behalf of the family. Snider was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1980. $59.99. "When I came to first base, the opening game, he said to me, 'Orlando, good luck, good luck," Cepeda said. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. The 1980 Induction Ceremony saw the coming together of baseball legends, as Al Kaline, Duke Snider, Tom Yawkey, and Chuck Klein were inducted into the Hall of Fame. "It was great playing centerfield in New York in the 1950s, along with Mickey and Duke. On the baseball field, Duke was royalty. Snider hit .295 with 407 career home runs, played in the World Series six times and won two titles. He played his final two years with the Mets and Giants before retiring after the 1964 campaign. "But Duke was a great outfielder. The Hall of Fame must take into account players who have not only great skills as players or managers, … new. But the eight-time All-Star was defined by much more than his stats -- he was, after all, part of the love affair between Brooklyn and "Dem Bums" who lived in the local neighborhoods. He said he began making autograph appearances because he had little in savings and had made several bad business decisions. "The fans were something." It took Duke Snider 11 years before the voters fully recognized his greatness. Duke Snider debuted on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot in 1970 and got 17 percent of the vote. The Duke, however, had some early problems with the boisterous Brooklyn fans. Noticing his son return home from a game with somewhat of a strut, Snider's dad said, "Here comes the Duke.". That October, he hit four homers, drove in seven runs and hit .320 as the Dodgers beat the Yankees in a seven-game Series. ", Born Edwin Donald Snider, he got his nickname at an early age. It's almost like you're meeting a god, a baseball hero for all of us," he said. He was 84. He reached the 40-homer plateau in five straight seasons from 1953-57, becoming just the third big leaguer to hit 40-or-more home runs in five consecutive seasons. Snider was a graceful outfielder with a picture-perfect left-handed swing. Duke Snider Induction Speech - Baseball Hall of Fame. Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1980 As a youngster growing up in Massachusetts, I had his baseball card. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, whom he married in 1947. Duke Snider played center in Ebbets Field and stickball on the streets of Brooklyn. For a team that kept preaching "Wait till next year" after World Series losses to the Yankees in 1953, '52, '49, '47 and '41, it was indeed next year. Snider hit at least 40 homers in five straight seasons and led the NL in total bases three times. To everyone else, he was "The Duke of Flatbush" -- revered by a borough of baseball fans and forever remembered in a song that romanticized a most golden era. Snider had a wild swing that was harnessed by Branch Rickey, who made him practice standing at home plate with a bat on his shoulder calling balls and strikes but forbidden to swing. ", Like many Hall of Famers, Mantle, Mays and Snider overcame adversity to reach the Hall of Fame. "The Duke of Flatbush" is the only player to hit four homers in two different Fall Classics (1952 and 1955), wh… But he was impressive enough to earn election to the Hall of Fame in 1980. 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