Interview with Carl D. Erskine, May 25, 1978

Partial Transcript: The following is an unrehearsed interview with Carl D. Erskine, former pitcher with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Segment Synopsis: Erskine talks about his early interest in baseball, and tells how he was scouted by the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Keywords: Anderson (Ind.); Baseball scouts; Draft; Experience; Friends; Graduation; High school; Jack Rector; Scouts; Stanley Fiesel (??)

Subjects: Baseball; Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team); Pitchers (Baseball); United States. Navy

Partial Transcript: Happy Chandler had been named--(Erskine clears throat)--baseball commissioner in April of 1945. Uh,
did you know much about him...

Segment Synopsis: Erskine talks about his aspirations to play Major League baseball, and how the media has changed since he was a child. He also talks about the state of baseball during World War II, and the influence of Judge Landis, who was commissioner at that time.

Keywords: Aspirations; Children; Newspapers; Sports pages

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Povich, Shirley; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: At the end of the 1946 season, which you played with Danville, Illinois in
the 3-I league, Commissioner Chandler called you...

Segment Synopsis: Erskine relates the story of how he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and how Commissioner Chandler rewarded him with free agency because the Dodgers had violated the directive that players could not be signed until they were discharged from military service.

Keywords: Billy Southworth; Bonuses; Free agents; Lou Perini; Money; Parents; Sorjie (??)

Subjects: Boston Braves (Baseball Team); Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team).; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Pitchers (Baseball); Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965; United States. Navy

Partial Transcript: During that week you were in New York working out with the Dodgers, uh, Durocher was manager at that time...

Segment Synopsis: Erskine talks briefly about Leo Durocher and other Dodgers managers. He also discusses why Chandler allowed Erskine, as a free agent, to re-sign with the Dodgers.

Keywords: Charlie Dressen; Clyde Sukeforth; Free agents

Subjects: Baseball managers; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Durocher, Leo, 1906-1991; Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965

Partial Transcript: And I think you’ve, you've already explained why you, you signed again with the Dodgers...

Segment Synopsis: Erskine gives his opinions on Branch Rickey as a person and as a team owner. He also talks about the Minor Leagues, and discusses in particular a quote that former Minor League President Judge Bramham said about Minor League baseball at the time of his presidency.

Keywords: Baseball player trades; Businessmen; Christians; George Trautman; Influence; Innovators; Money; Morality; Player trades; William Bramham

Subjects: Baseball team owners; Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team); Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Major League Baseball (Organization); Minor league baseball; Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965

Partial Transcript: What do you think were some of the most serious problems facing baseball during the time when Chandler was commissioner?

Segment Synopsis: Erskine talks about the early days of television and the debate over what should happen to the money generated from selling the television rights to the World Series.
[there are some distortions in the recording]

Keywords: Baseball commissionerships; Radio rights; Television rights; Travel; Traveling

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Television

Partial Transcript: So, these men, Dixie Walker was one of 'em, a guy named Murphy, and there are others that you’d know about...

Segment Synopsis: Erskine talks about the creation of the player pension plan and the role that Commissioner Chandler had in this event.
[there are some distortions in the recording]

Keywords: Loopholes; Money; Pension plans; Player pension plans; Player representatives; Robert Murphy; World Series (1950)

Subjects: Baseball commissioners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Major League Baseball (Organization); Walker, Dixie, 1910-1982

Partial Transcript: But, the essence of my point is that Chandler, in his foresight for the player, got something accomplished that I think has been far, far reaching...

Segment Synopsis: Erskine gives his opinions on the rights of the team owners, and the rights of the players to be represented. However, he states that at the time he played, most players did not want to unionize. He also talks about Commissioner Chandler's role in creating and enforcing the pension plan.
[there are some distortions in the recording]

Keywords: Collective bargaining; Loopholes; Money; Player representatives; Unions

Subjects: Baseball commissioners; Baseball players; Baseball team owners; Baseball teams; Pensions

Partial Transcript: In April of 1947, Chandler suspended the Dodger manager Leo Durocher from baseball for a year because of, I believe, uh, the wording...

Segment Synopsis: Erskine discusses the reasons for Leo Durocher's suspension, and the sensitivity of baseball as a whole towards potential scandal after the 1919 Black Sox scandal.
[there are some distortions in the recording and a section is repeated]

Keywords: Baseball suspensions; Black Sox Scandal; Burt Shotton; Firing; Suspensions

Subjects: Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team); Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Durocher, Leo, 1906-1991; Gambling

Partial Transcript: What about, uh, Durocher’s claim uh, that uh, and he’d had a meeting with Chandler sometime before this...

Segment Synopsis: Erskine addresses the charges of unfairness that were leveled at Commissioner Chandler when Larry MacPhail was only fined when he was found to be associating with the same people Durocher had been suspended for associating with.
[there are some distortions in the recording]

Keywords: Double standards; Fines; Fining; Standards

Subjects: Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team); Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Durocher, Leo, 1906-1991; Friendship; MacPhail, Larry, 1890-1975; O'Malley, Walter F. (Walter Frank), 1903-1979; Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965

Partial Transcript: ...I see another possibility entering into it is, is knowing Leo Durocher.

Segment Synopsis: Erskine describes Durocher's personality and tells how it affected the way that people treated him, speculating that it may have influenced Commissioner Chandler's decision to suspend him.

Keywords: Character; Encouragement; Personality

Subjects: Baseball coaches; Baseball managers; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Durocher, Leo, 1906-1991; O'Malley, Walter F. (Walter Frank), 1903-1979; Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965

Partial Transcript: --(coughs)--In 1947, uh, I believe it was '47, correct me now if I’m wrong, Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers...

Segment Synopsis: Erskine discusses the role that Happy Chandler and especially Branch Rickey had in bringing in Jackie Robinson to play with the Dodgers.
[there are some distortions in the recording]

Keywords: "Color line"; Baseball scouts; Convictions; Money; Persuasiveness; Scouts

Subjects: Baseball team owners; Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team); Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Landis, Kenesaw Mountain, 1866-1944; Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965; Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972

Partial Transcript: And, also, what nobody wants to remember today, or it’s just obscure now
with our many social changes...

Segment Synopsis: Erskine describes how Branch Rickey originally brought Jackie Robinson in as an "experiment", which he later described as a success. He also talks about some of Robinson's arguments with other players on the field.
[there are some distortions in the recording]

Keywords: Abuse; Ejection; Experiments; Harassment; Larry Jansen; Support

Subjects: Baseball players; Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team); Maglie, Sal, 1917-; Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965; Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972; Segregation

Partial Transcript: How did the, the black players, in general, on the Dodger club, there was Robinson and then Campanella...

Segment Synopsis: Erskine compares the personalities and philosophies of Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella, giving several examples of things they disagreed on.
[there are some distortions in the recording]

Keywords: Insults; Lockers; Personality; Philosophies

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball players; Campanella, Roy, 1921-1993; Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972; Rookie baseball players

Partial Transcript: Were there, uh, how, how long before the black players were able to uh, travel and eat in the same restaurants and so forth?

Segment Synopsis: Erskine describes the separate accommodations that often had to be made for the black players because of segregation. He talks particularly about the Chase Hotel's finally allowing blacks to stay there, though they had to eat their meals in their rooms.
[there are some distortions in the recording]

Keywords: Buses; Chase Hotel; Hotels; Player representatives; Restaurants; Spring training

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball players; Major League Baseball (Organization); Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972; Segregation

Partial Transcript: What, were there some cities that were harder on him than others? Crowds were uh, more abusive?

Segment Synopsis: Erskine describes the relationship that Jackie Robinson had with baseball fans, both black and white.
[there are some distortions in the recording]

Keywords: Black baseball fans; Confederate flags; Friends; Harassment; Outspokenness; Pete Rose; Sensitivity; White baseball fans

Subjects: Baseball fans; Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972

Partial Transcript: What were the uh, general reactions among the players when it was learned that Chandler’s contract was not going to be renewed in 1951?

Segment Synopsis: Erskine gives his opinions on Happy Chandler as both a person and as baseball commissioner. The interview is concluded.
[there are some distortions in the recording]

Keywords: Personality; Phone calls

Subjects: Baseball commissioners; Baseball players; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Frick, Ford C