Leo Durocher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leo Durocher
Durocher in 1948
Shortstop / Manager
Born: (1905-07-27)July 27, 1905 West Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died: October 7, 1991(1991-10-07) (aged 86) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
October 2, 1925, for the New York Yankees
Last appearance
April 18, 1945, for the Brooklyn Dodgers
MLB statistics
Batting average	.247
Home runs	24
Runs batted in	567
Managerial record	2,008–1,709
Winning %	.540
Teams
As player New York Yankees (1925, 1928–1929) Cincinnati Reds (1930–1933) St. Louis Cardinals (1933–1937) Brooklyn Dodgers (1938–1941, 1943, 1945) As manager Brooklyn Dodgers (1939–1946, 1948) New York Giants (1948–1955) Chicago Cubs (1966–1972) Houston Astros (1972–1973) Taiheiyo Club Lions (1976) As coach Los Angeles Dodgers (1961–1964)
Career highlights and awards
3× All-Star (1936, 1938, 1940) 4× World Series champion (1928, 1934, 1954, 1963) Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1994
Election Method	Veterans Committee

Leo Ernest Durocher (born July 27, 1905 – died October 7, 1991) was an American professional baseball player, manager, and coach. People often called him "Leo the Lip" or "Lippy" because he was very outspoken. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder. When he retired, he was one of the top managers with 2,008 career wins. Durocher was known for his strong opinions and often argued with umpires. He was put into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994 after he passed away.

Early Life and Baseball Start

Leo Durocher was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts, on July 27, 1905. He was the youngest of four sons. His parents were from Quebec, Canada, and spoke French. Leo learned to speak English when he started elementary school.

A famous baseball player named Rabbit Maranville lived near Leo and taught him how to play baseball. Leo was a good athlete in high school. He even got a scholarship offer for college, but he left school after some trouble. Later, he became a well-known semi-professional athlete in his area.

Playing Baseball Career

Leo Durocher started playing professional baseball in 1925 with the Hartford Senators. Soon after, he joined the New York Yankees for two games. He spent two more seasons in minor league teams before rejoining the Yankees in 1928.

As a regular player for the Yankees, Babe Ruth nicknamed him "The All-American Out." This was because Leo was a good fielder but not a strong hitter. The Yankees' manager, Miller Huggins, liked Leo's competitive spirit and thought he could be a manager one day. However, Leo's outspoken nature and expensive lifestyle sometimes caused problems with the team's owners.

Durocher's 1933 Goudey baseball card

Durocher helped the Yankees win the 1928 World Series. After that, he was sold to the Cincinnati Reds in 1930. He then played for the St. Louis Cardinals starting in 1933. He wore uniform number 2 for the rest of his career. The Cardinals team was known as the "Gashouse Gang" because they played with a lot of energy and passion, much like Leo. He captained the team and won the 1934 World Series.

In 1938, he was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Leo played mostly as a shortstop until 1945. He was known for being a great fielder but not a great hitter. His career batting average was .247, with 24 home runs and 567 runs batted in.

Durocher was chosen for the All-Star team three times. In the 1938 All-Star game, he hit a rare "Little League Home Run." He also made the final out in Johnny Vander Meer's second no-hitter in 1938.

Managing Baseball Teams

Becoming a Manager

After the 1938 season, Leo Durocher became the player-manager for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He worked with the Dodgers' new president, Larry MacPhail. MacPhail spent money to get talented players like Dolph Camilli and Pee Wee Reese. Durocher eventually gave up his shortstop position so Reese could play more.

Durocher became famous for his fiery personality as a manager. He was known for arguing strongly with umpires. He believed in players who showed the same competitive spirit. His most famous saying, often misquoted, was "Nice guys finish last." He actually said, "The nice guys are all over there, in seventh place," talking about a team that wasn't doing well.

In 1939, the Dodgers had been losing for six seasons. But Durocher quickly turned them around. In 1941, he led the Dodgers to win the National League pennant, their first in 21 years. They lost the 1941 World Series to the Yankees. In 1942, they won even more games but just missed winning the pennant again.

In 1947, Durocher married actress Laraine Day. She later wrote a book about being a manager's wife.

A Season Away from the Game

During spring training in 1947, Durocher had a disagreement with Larry MacPhail, who was now part-owner of the Yankees. This led to some tension.

The baseball commissioner, Happy Chandler, suspended Durocher for the entire 1947 season. This was due to Durocher's connections with certain people that the commissioner did not approve of.

Before his suspension, Durocher played an important role in helping to end baseball's color line. He greatly admired Jackie Robinson for his talent and competitive spirit. Durocher called Robinson "a Durocher with talent."

While Durocher was suspended, the Dodgers won the National League pennant. They then lost the 1947 World Series to the Yankees.

Leading the New York Giants

Durocher with the Giants in 1948.

Durocher returned to managing in 1948. He moved from the Dodgers to their cross-town rivals, the New York Giants. He had great success with the Giants. In 1951, the Giants won the National League pennant in a playoff against the Dodgers. This win included Bobby Thomson's famous "Shot 'Heard 'Round The World" home run.

In 1954, Durocher led the Giants to win the 1954 World Series. They beat the Cleveland Indians, who were expected to win. This was Durocher's only World Series championship as a manager.

Players who played for Durocher, like Alvin Dark, admired him. They felt he let experienced players play to their strengths and supported them. Durocher was an aggressive manager who either got the best out of his players or nothing at all.

After leaving the Giants in 1955, Durocher worked for NBC as a sports commentator and host. He also coached for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1961 to 1964. During this time, he appeared in several TV shows, often playing himself.

Managing the Chicago Cubs

Durocher returned to managing in 1966 with the Chicago Cubs. He famously said, "I am not the manager of an eighth place team." He was right; the Cubs finished tenth in his first season. However, the team steadily improved.

In 1969, the Cubs started the season very strong and led their division for a long time. They seemed sure to make the postseason. But they struggled at the end of the season, losing many games. They finished behind the "Miracle Mets."

Durocher was fired midway through the 1972 season. He later said his biggest regret was not winning a pennant for the Cubs' owner, Philip K. Wrigley.

Later Career and Retirement

Durocher managed the Houston Astros for the end of the 1972 season and all of 1973. He then retired, saying he wanted to play golf. He made a brief comeback in 1976 to manage a team in Japan, but he retired again due to illness.

Alvin Dark believed Durocher's managing style changed later in his career. He thought Durocher became more cautious after players started openly criticizing him.

Durocher finished his managerial career with 2,008 wins and 1,709 losses. He had a winning record with all four teams he managed. He also wrote a book about his life called Nice Guys Finish Last.

Leo Durocher passed away in 1991 at age 86. He is buried in Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. He was put into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.

Managerial Record

Personal Life

Leo Durocher was married four times. He had a daughter named Barbara from his first marriage. With his third wife, actress Laraine Day, he adopted two children, Melinda and Chris. Baseball legend Willie Mays used to babysit Chris when the Giants were traveling.

In 1943, Durocher was not able to serve in World War II because of a medical condition.

Leo Durocher had a talent for comedy. He played himself in several TV shows, including The Munsters and The Beverly Hillbillies. In the 2013 movie 42, which is about Jackie Robinson, Leo Durocher was played by actor Christopher Meloni.

See also

In Spanish: Leo Durocher para niños

• List of Major League Baseball player–managers
• List of Major League Baseball managers by wins
• The Victory Season: The End of World War II and the Birth of Baseball's Golden Age