Duke Snider

Played For
Brooklyn Dodgers (1947-1957)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-1962)
New York Mets (1963)
San Francisco Giants (1964)

All-Time Rankings
Duke Snider ranks #7 among the Top 50 all-time at CF. Rankings ⇒

Best Season: 1956
Though his batting average dipped below .300, Snider still paced the National League in both slugging and OBP. He led in OPS, and blasted 43 homers. He scored and drove in 100 runs for the fourth straight season. The Dodgers won their fourth pennant in five years in 1956, yet Snider finished a disappointing 10th in the MVP voting for some reason.

Factoids
Duke Snider hit two home runs off Phillies' ace Robin Roberts on September 22, 1957, the last homers ever hit in Brooklyn's Ebbets Field.

From 1947 to 1961, a span of 15 seasons, Duke Snider and Gil Hodges combined for 745 home runs, the fourth highest mark in baseball history by teammates.

Duke Snider's first two career homers came in the same game.

Willie, Mickey and the Duke
For four seasons (1954-1957), Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Duke Snider starred for their New York teams in center field. During that stretch, Snider hit more homers and drove in more runs than either of the other two celebrated stars.

Born
Edwin Donald Snider was born on September 19, 1926, in Los Angeles, CA.

Batted:  Left
Threw:  Right

Primary Position:  OF

Primary Team:  BRO

Major League Debut
April 17, 1947

Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1947
Nellie Fox
Duke Snider
Larry Doby
Jackie Robinson
Curt Simmons
Mel Parnell
Vic Wertz
Ted Kluszewski
Ferris Fain

Nicknames
The Silver Fox, The Duke of Flatbush

Uniform Numbers
#4 (1947-1963), #11 (1963), #28 (1964)

Similar Players
Reggie Smith, Ken Griffey Jr.

Related Players
Al Kaline and Chuck Klein were inducted to the Hall of Fame with Snider in 1980... Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays

Hall of Fame Voting Year Election Votes Pct 1970 BBWAA 51 17.0% 1971 BBWAA 89 24.7% 1972 BBWAA 84 21.2% 1973 BBWAA 101 26.6% 1974 BBWAA 111 30.4% 1975 BBWAA 129 35.6% 1976 BBWAA 159 41.0% 1977 BBWAA 212 55.4% 1978 BBWAA 254 67.0% 1979 BBWAA 308 71.3% 1980 BBWAA 333 86.5%

Post-Season Appearances
1949 World Series
1952 World Series
1953 World Series
1955 World Series
1956 World Series
1959 World Series

Post-Season Notes
Snider is the only man in baseball history to twice hit four homers in a World Series. He did it in 1952 and 1955. He holds the NL record for most Series homers (11), and RBI (26).

Feats
Snider twice hit two home runs in a single World Sereis game, on October 6, 1952, and October 2, 1955. Each time he did it against the Yankees.

Milestones

• July 24, 1952: 100th HR... A walk-off, 11th-inning homer against Frank Smith in the second game of a doubleheader.


• May 10, 1955: 200th HR... Off Warren Hecker at Wrigley Field.


• July 20, 1957: 300th HR... Off Dick Drott


• June 14, 1963: 400th HR... Off Bob Purkey, the homer came in his 6,783rd at-bat… The ball was retrieved in the Met bullpen by Roger Craig, who gave it to coach Solly Hemus, who gave it to Snider… Became the ninth player to reach 400 homers, and along with Eddie Mathews earlier, Snider became part of the first duo to reach the 400-plateau in the same season.

Batting Feats

• October 6, 1952: 2 HR in WS Game...


• October 2, 1955: 2 HR in WS Game...

Notes
Snider finished in the top ten in MVP voting six times, but never won the award... The Sporting News named Snider the Major League Player of the Year in 1955 and selected him for its All-Star team in 1950 and 1952-1955... He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980... Snider entered the final day of the season trailing Don Mueller .3426 to .3425, with Willie Mays at .3422. Mays collected three hits off Robin Roberts and won the title as Snider fell to third (.341).

Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
On April 23, 1958, Gil Hodges hit his 300th home run and Pee Wee Reese played his 2,000th game on the same day that Snider injured his arm before the game trying to throw a ball out of the Los Angeles Coliseum. Not impressed, the Dodgers' front office fined Snider one day's pay... On April 17, 1961, Snider hit his 370th career home run, moving him into 7th place on the all-time list. In that game Snider later suffered a broken elbow when he was hit by a Bob Gibson pitch

Hitting Streaks
27 games (1953)
22 games (1950)

Transactions
Before 1944 Season: Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent; April 1, 1963: Purchased by the New York Mets from the Los Angeles Dodgers; April 14, 1964: Purchased by the San Francisco Giants from the New York Mets; October 6, 1964: Released by the San Francisco Giants.

Home Run Facts
According to The Sporting News, Snider belted 16 home runs off relief pitchers who had just entered the game, good for second all-time when he retired. The record was held by Gil Hodges (17), but has probably been surpassed since Snider retired.

All-Star Selections
1950 NL
1951 NL
1952 NL
1953 NL
1954 NL
1955 NL
1956 NL
1963 NL

Replaced
Carl Furillo in center field, in 1949. (Furillo was moved to right.)

Replaced By
Joe Christopher

Best Strength as a Player
Power

Largest Weakness as a Player
Snider had no glaring weaknesses.

Learn More about Duke Snider
Search Amazon.com for Books about Duke Snider ⇒
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