Dodgers expected to wear patch this season honoring Duke Snider
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Duke Snider was the Dodgers’ greatest position player of all time. He is their career leader in home runs, RBI and extra-base hits. He is second in doubles and total bases, third in runs and fourth in hits and slugging percentage.
It should come as no surprise that the team is making plans to pay tribute to Snider this season by adding a memorial patch to players’ uniform sleeves. Snider died last Sunday at age 84.
[Update:] This would mark only the sixth time in the Dodgers’ 121-year history they have worn a memorial patch and the first in 11 years.
Previously they wore patches for Jim Gilliam, Don McMahon, Tim Crews, a combination patch for Don Drysdale and Roy Campanella, and for Pee Wee Reese in 2000.
‘We’re still in the process of determining how we’ll honor Duke’s memory,’ said Josh Rawitch, team vice president of communications.
A private memorial service for Snider is scheduled March 12. The team is not expected to formally announce how it plans to honor the Hall of Famer until after the service.
Snider’s family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Fallbrook Union High School Baseball Program, c/o Fallbrook Baseball ASB, 2234 S. Stage Coach Lane, Fallbrook, CA 92028.
Major League Baseball ran a full-page ad in Thursday’s Times honoring Snider and calling him one of the greatest center fielders of all time.
-- Steve Dilbeck