Yes, exactly, quiet contributor. But that was a bit of the spirit that made the Boys of Summer so special. Neal fit right in. Aside from Jackie and Pee Wee, most of them--Hodges, Furillo, Erskine (a bit sardonic), Campy, Amoros, Podres--they were all small town boys or country towheads trying their darndest to play ball and beat the vaunted, mighty Yankees.
A few years ago I purchased (a mistake) a tape of the '55 Series highlights. 90% of the grainy footage is taken from a single camera high above and behind (no dangling rooftop cameras then!) home plate at the Stadium or Ebbets Field. When Duke Snider hit his third homer of the Series, which I think gave the Dodgers the lead in Game 5, he rounded the bases, touched the black delimited thingy and just kept on running at the same pace straight into the dugout. No preening, no celebratory motions, no high fives at home plate or the dugout steps. Different era.
Ahh, yes, Zelmo, where are you now? |
