His Place in Baseball History
A look at the life of Clyde Sukeforth
Olde-Tyme baseball by C. Philip Francis – July 1, 2006
One can never chose a time or place to become a part of history. Years ago our family minister had seen the German dirigible, The Hindenburg, explode and burn as it landed in Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 6, 1937. He was sitting on his father’s shoulder when the airship’s trip from Germany to New Jersey abruptly ended in tragedy as did the future of lighter-than-air craft.
On May 2, 1939 I went to school as usual while a very good friend’s father took him out of school to see the Detroit Tigers play the New York Yankees at Briggs Stadium. Just a routine ballgame? Not at all as Charles and his dad were in the stands that day when Lou Gehrig took himself out of the lineup ending his “untouchable” record of 2130 consecutive games played.
On a sunny November in the early 1960’s in Dallas, Texas people went to a little grassy park to watch the President and his wife motor by. All of those then and there must have had their lives touched or even changed on that day.
While most of us never become involved in historical incidents there is one baseball player who happened to be in the right place at the right time not once, not twice, not three times, but four times. That man is Clyde Sukeforth, and his place in baseball events is remarkable.
Clyde LeRoy “Sukey” Sukeforth was born in Washington, Maine on November 30, 1901, and made his major league debut on May 23, 1926 with the Cincinnati Reds. He spent his 10 big league years with Cincinnati and the Brooklyn Dodgers as reserve catcher from 1926 to 1934, and then another 18 games with the Dodgers in 1945. His career stats are a .264 batting average, two home runs, and 96 RBI’s. His best year was 1929 when he hit .354 in 84 games, and one of his two long balls reached the stands.
After his decade in the big leagues Sukeforth managed in the minors before going to work for Branch Rickey who had been the general manager for 42 consecutive years with the Browns, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Pirates. Although the man from Maine preferred to be in the background, he found himself involved four notable baseball occasions.
1. HELPING BREAK BASEBALL’S COLOR LINE: In 1945 Rickey sent Sukeforth to scout Jackie Robinson who played shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League. Clyde did not see Robinson play ball due to a shoulder injury, but in a long discussion Sukeforth was so impressed by the black player he gave the Brooklyn GM his full approval on hiring Jackie.
No black man had played ball in the major leagues for 50 years yet Rickey knew there were many fine ballplayers in the Negro leagues. After the death of Kenesaw Mountain Landis, baseball’s first commissioner, on November 11, 1944, Rickey knew it was the time to make a move. Robinson quietly went to Montreal where he signed a contract to play for the Montreal Royals, a Dodger farm club, in 1946. The Royals were in the International League, one spot below the majors, and the French-speaking city would be more tolerant of a black player.
On April 15, 1947 Jackie Robinson walked onto the field wearing Brooklyn Dodgers uniform Number 42, and the rest is history.
2. MANAGER OF THE FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE BLACK BALLPLAYER: Leo Durocher had led the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939 through 1946, but when Jackie Robinson was about to enter the major leagues in 1947 as the first black player in 50 years Leo was not there. (Note: It is possible that some black players had played in the majors as “Cubans”.) Durocher had been suspended from baseball by the commissioner for one year so Rickey selected Burt Shotten to take over the Dodger reins for the season. Shotten, however, now had to leave his home in Florida where he had retired.
Rickey asked Clyde Sukeforth to take over the team until Shotten showed up, therefore Sukey not only became Robinson’s first big league manager, he also has a perfect managerial record of 2 wins and 0 losses.
3. THE SHOT HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLD: In 1951 Leo Durocher was now piloting the New York Giants who were 13 ½ games behind the first place Dodgers in mid-August, but the impossible happened. The Giants couldn’t lose, and tied Brooklyn on the final day forced a three-game playoff. With New York winning the first game and Brooklyn taking the next, the final contest became what may be the most exciting and climatic baseball game in history. The pennant race would be decided on October 3 in the Giants’ Polo Grounds, and who was in the middle of it all, Clyde Sukeforth, of course.
When the Dodgers took a 4-1 lead in the top of the eighth inning it appeared to be all over. Sukeforth was in Brooklyn bull pen watching three pitchers warming up: Carl Erskine, Clem Labine, and Ralph Branca, and when the Dodgers’ 20-game winner Don Newcombe wilted in the last of the ninth, coach Sukeforth told skipper Charlie Dressen that Branca was throwing well.
Branca came in to face Bobby Thomson, and again the rest is baseball history. Thomson hit the winning home run and the New York Giants had won the 1951 National League flag. Sukey later said that Dressen always denied any part of choosing Branca.
4. RECOMMENDING PITTSBURGH’S MOST POPULAR BALLPLAYER: In 1954 Rickey and Sukeforth were now with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Coach Sukeforth was sent to Richmond, Virginia to see minor league series with Richmond and Montreal, and report on pitcher, Joe Black. Sukey was never able to see Black play ball, but recommend another player, a 20-year old Puerto Rican outfielder.
That man was Roberto Clemente who went on to become one of the game’s great players, was elected to the Hall of Fame, and who died on a mercy trip to help others.
Clyde Sukeforth retired to his home state of Maine, and died on September 3, 2000 at the age of 98.