BY MARK A. LARSON
From other reviews I’ve read, critics have either loved or hated the book “Bums” by Peter Golenbock. I put myself in the category of those who loved it. But then I didn’t know very much about the Dodgers Brooklyn history, so it was all new to me,
“Bums” is the story of the Dodgers from about the mid-1930s to 1957 — their last season before moving to Los Angeles. It tells about the early teams that were known as the “Daffy Dodgers” and later affectionately called “Dem Bums” by Brooklynites. A good portion of the first few chapters deal with Leo “The Lip” Durocher and many other Dodger characters, including Kirby Higbe (who was fond of using the “F” word) and Pete Reiser. Later Carl Furillo, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese, Carl Erskine, Don Newcombe and others are featured.
Durocher could best be described as a scumbag. If, as Leo is supposed to have said, “Nice Guys Finish Last,” then he was A-Number-One. Just as an example, Durocher once used brass knuckles to punch out a Brooklyn fan who had been razzing him. His theory was to win at any – and all – costs. And Leo liked to hang around gamblers and other assorted thugs. He wasn’t just a character, but had a mean streak that wouldn’t quit (and so did his friends).
The book also chronicles Jackie Robinson’s arrival in Brooklyn as the first black to play major league baseball since pre-1900 days. Robinson’s tale, of course, is interwoven with Branch Rickey’s – the Dodgers’ General Manager of the 1940s. Robinson, like Durocher, was a fierce competitor. And not only his color, but also his intense personality, led many to despise him. (Nobody likes a fierce competitor when they’re on the opposing team.)
The emergence of Walter O’Malley and the subsequent fall of Branch Rickey is also explored in detail. So too, are the many seasons when the Buns made it to the World Series, only to lose to the hated Yankees. The rivalry between the Dodgers and the Yankees in the Series, and the Dodgers and the Giants during the regular season is one of not only baseball teams, but the intense loyalty of New York area fans as well. Especially heart-breaking for Brooklyn die-hards was the loss to the Giants in the 1951 playoffs when Bobby Thomson hit the “shot heard ’round the world.”
O’Malley is not portrayed in a very favorable light, yet if you were a live or-die Brooklyn Dodgers fan, you probably wouldn’t think much of O’Malley either. The final chapters dealing with the months before the move to Los Angeles are rather depressing, and O’Malley will be forever hated in Brooklyn.
“Bums” is an oral history. It is a book made up almost entirely of quotes from players, managers, coaches, executives, and fans. Golenbock – who also authored “The Bronx Zoo” with Sparky Lyle and “Balls” with Graig Nettles – has been criticized for several factual errors in the book. This was especially the case in a review by The Sporting News’ so-called sports collecting columnist Bill Madden. (In my opinion, Madden writes extremely dull collecting articles in TSN. It is possible his review of “Bums” was just sour grapes because he obviously dislikes Golenbock.) However, for someone who was not very familiar with the Brooklyn Dodgers past – like myself – “Bums” was informative, sometimes funny, and a little sad too.
• • • • • •
• Originally Published in Mar. 1985 “Twin Times” •
THIS ARTICLE FROM THE “TWIN TIMES” NEWSLETTER – OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TWIN CITIES SPORTS COLLECTORS CLUB – IS REPRINTED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR. IT HAS BEEN RETYPED, BUT NO CONTENT HAS BEEN CHANGED (EXCEPT FOR VERY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS, CORRECTIONS TO ANY TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND THE ADDITION OF GRAPHICS). COMMENTS OR INFORMATION IN THE ARTICLE MAY BE OUT-OF-DATE.
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