LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION celebrating the life and accomplishments of Edwin
Donald "Duke" Snider, distinguished citizen, exceptional athlete and
devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize those individuals within our midst who have contributed great-
ly to the quality of our lives by a commitment to excellence and whose
actions and accomplishments have served to honor and benefit the people
of the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
outstanding athletes who distinguished themselves through their excep-
tional performance, and attained unprecedented success and the highest
level of personal achievement; and
WHEREAS, It is also the custom of this Legislative Body to acknowledge
remarkable individuals whose lifework and civic endeavor served to
enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great State of
New York; the game of baseball, with its origins in New York and so much
of its great history in Brooklyn, has long held a place of honor among
the citizens of New York State; and
WHEREAS, Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider, the Baseball Hall of Fame center
fielder renowned for his home run drives and superb defensive play in
the Brooklyn Dodgers' glory years, died on February 27, 2011, in Escon-
dido, California at the age of 84; and
WHEREAS, During his playing days with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Duke
Snider was a Brooklyn celebrity; he was a prince of New York's golden
age of baseball and lived at 178 Marine Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn;
although he later made his home back in his native California, he always
retained his emotional ties to Brooklyn, New York; and
WHEREAS, Born on September 19, 1926, in Los Angeles, Edwin Donald
Snider was brought up in nearby Compton, California; his father, Ward,
seeing him return proudly from his first day at school, at age 5, called
him the "Duke"; and
WHEREAS, Duke Snider signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers' minor league
system out of Compton Junior College and made his debut in Brooklyn at
Ebbets Field on opening day 1947 with a pinch-hit single against the
Boston Braves on the same day that Jackie Robinson broke the major leag-
ue baseball color barrier; in his first full year as a Brooklyn Dodger
in 1949, Duke Snider hit .292 with 23 home runs and 92 RBIs; and
WHEREAS, From 1949 until 1957, Duke Snider was a New York baseball
colossus, roaming center field with superb skill and grace that placed
him in the illustrious company of his local rivals, Mickey Mantle of the
New York Yankees and Willie Mays of the New York Giants; as celebrated
in the Terry Cashman song, "Willie, Mickey and the Duke," these three
legendary center fielders defined New York baseball in the '50s; and
WHEREAS, Duke Snider's Brooklyn Dodgers, immortalized by the writer
Roger Kahn as "The Boys of Summer," won six National League pennants
during Snider's 11 seasons in Brooklyn; on a team of stellar players,
Duke Snider was a star among stars; as uniformly acknowledged at the
time, "Duke had it all: a sweet swing, a bazooka arm, and springs in his
legs"; and
WHEREAS, Playing for 18 major league seasons, Duke Snider hit 407 home
runs and had 2,116 hits; he batted at least .300 seven times and had a
lifetime batting average of .295; he appeared in eight All-Star games;
and
WHEREAS, Duke Snider became a New York baseball icon as the "Duke of
Flatbush"; he hit 40 or more home runs in five consecutive seasons and
is the only player in major league history to hit four home runs twice

in a World Series, including in 1955 when the Dodgers captured
Brooklyn's only World Series championship; he also hit the last home run
at the Dodgers' famed ballpark, Ebbets Field, at the end of the 1957
season; and
WHEREAS, Duke Snider played for the Brooklyn Dodgers for 11 seasons
and then for the Los Angles Dodgers for five additional seasons; he also
played for the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants prior to his
retirement in 1964; he later managed in the Dodgers' and San Diego
Padres' farm system and served as a broadcaster for the Padres and Mont-
real Expos; and
WHEREAS, Survived by his wife, Beverly, whom he married in 1947; and
by two sons, Kevin and Kurt; and two daughters, Pam and Dawna; Edwin
Donald "Duke" Snider, leaves behind a legacy which will long endure the
passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he enter-
tained, thrilled, served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
celebrate the life and accomplishments of Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider,
distinguished citizen, remarkable athlete and devoted member of his
community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider.