(1924-1999) Sources: Baseball Reference, Baseball Historian Former Dodger Dee Fondy Dies
Redlands, Calif. (AP) - Dee Fondy, who played for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds and was the last player to bat in Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, died Thursday of cancer. He was 74. Fondy, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year, died at Plymouth Village retirement center, said his youngest son, Joe Fondy. "Dee Fondy was one of my favorite people,'' baseball commissioner Bud Selig said. "He had a great sense of humor. He and I used to kid each other a lot.''
Fondy grounded out for the last out at Ebbets Field in Pittsburgh's 2-0 loss to the Dodgers on Sept. 24, 1957. The Dodgers moved to Los Angeles the following year. He hit .286 with 1,000 hits in eight seasons in the majors. Following his playing career, Fondy worked as a scout and front office official for the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers. "I ran into Willie Mays once and he said, 'I've still got the bruises from the tags your dad used to give me. He was a hard-nosed player,'" recalled his son, Joe Fondy, a freelance cameraman who has covered major league games.
Signed originally by the Brooklyn Dodgers, Fondy came to spring training in 1949 and competed with Gil Hodges and Chuck Connors for the starting job at first base. The position was won by Hodges, and Connors eventually became a TV star in the Western series, "The Rifleman.''
Fondy played in the Dodgers' farm system until being traded to the Cubs. He won a spot on their roster and his first major-league hit was a bases-loaded triple off St. Louis pitcher Ken Raffsenberger on April 17, 1951, in Wrigley Field. Fondy was traded to Pittsburgh in 1957, where midway through the season he led the National League with a .365 average. The next year he was traded to Cincinnati for Ted Kluszewski, a transaction mentioned by Tom Cruise's character in the 1988 movie "Rainman.''
After his playing career, Fondy worked as a scout for the Mets and the Brewers, where he signed Paul Molitor, who went on to more than 3,000 hits. He retired from baseball in 1995 after serving as a special assistant to the Milwaukee general manager." He was as good a judge of talent as I've ever known,'' Selig said. "He played a great role in the development of the Brewers. I had as much faith in his baseball knowledge as anyone I know.''
Fondy, a native of Slaton, Texas, served in the Army during World War II and was part of the forces that landed on Utah Beach in Normandy in 1944, three months after D-Day. He received the Purple Heart. Fondy's other survivors are twins Jon Fondy and Jan Cornell of Las Vegas. His wife, Jacquelyn, died last year. The funeral is Saturday in San Bernardino. Cubs Sunk 15-5 by Pirates, 2nd Game 5-5 Tie June 27, 1957 - Chicago Sun-Times by Jerry Holtzman
It was nice day for a picnic, so Pittsburgh's Pirates had one Wednesday. They camped out with the Cubs for 6 1/2 hours on the Wrigley Gum Field lawn and when the frolicking ended the Chicagoans were back in the National League cellar. Pittsburgh gorged itself in the doubleheader opener and had a 19-hit feast for a 15-5 victory. Ten of these hits were for extra bases, including two triples and three homers.
The Pirates were still stuffing themselves in the second game. They clubbed four more homers and a doubleheader sweep seemed imminent, but the Cubs and shortstop Ernie Banks stepped up to the table and came from behind to tie the game It was a full afternoon of baseball and the fellow who enjoyed himself the most of all was Dee Fondy, the ex-Cub first baseman. Fondy rapped out seven hits in 11 trips, hiking his average 14 points to .365, good enough for the National League lead.
The first game was no contest. After five innings, the Pirates were ahead 11-0. Pittsburgh's first game homers, all good for two runs, were delivered by left-fielder Frank Thomas off Cubs' starter Tom Poholsky, by second baseman Bill Mazeroski off Dick Littlefield, and Rookie Ramon Meijas, off Littlefield. The Prates had eight extra base hits before the Cubs got more than a single off Pirate starter Vernon Law, who went the route. Chuck Tanner's double and a triple by Ernie Banks featured the Cubs' two-run sixth. Tanner clubbed a bases-empty homer in the eight and the Cubs added their final two runs in the ninth. Catcher Cal Neeman opened with a single and came across on Bob Speake's pinch triple. Speake then scored on an infield out by pinch-hitter Jim Bolger.
Joe Trimble, Pirate rookie making his first major league start, held the Cubs scoreless for the first five innings of the second game. His teammates had given him a 2-0 lead, center-fielder Bill Virdon accounting for one of these runs with a first-inning homer off Myron 'Moe' Drabowsky. The Cubs knocked Trimble out in the sixth. Tanner singled and Banks followed with his season's 14th homer. Pittsburgh tied the score in the sixth on Mazeroski's second homer and routed starter Moe Drabowsky in the ninth when catcher Hank Foiles and pinch-hitter Bob Skinner slugged back-to-back homers.
The Cubs tied the score in their half of the ninth. Pinch-hitter Lee Walls walked, was sacrificed to second, and came home when second baseman Bobby Morgan unloaded his triple high off the left-field wall. Jim Bolger's single followed, but the rally ended when Banks hit into a double play. Don Elston worked the final two innings for the Cubs, and turned in another excellent relief job. The 5-5 tie ended after the 11th inning when the game was called because of darkness. The game will be replayed in its entirety. Dee Fondy was 4-for-5 in the first game and 3-for-6 in the nightcap. Rookie Ramon Meijas went 4-for-6 with 3 RBIs in the opener and did not play in the second game. Mazeroski was 2-for-6 in game one and 2-for-6 in game 2.
Sources and references
- Baseball Reference,: http://www.baseball-reference.com/f/fondyde01.shtml
- Baseball Historian: http://www.baseballhistorian.com/players.cfm?lookie_player=fondyde01
- Chicago Sun-Times: http://www.suntimes.com