Here we have a circa 1962 edition of one of the most significant books in baseball history, autographed by author Al Campanis and all of the Dodgers players and coaches, 28 signatures in all! A Beckett LOA accompanies the book.
There was a time when "The Dodger Way" for HOW TO PLAY BASEBALL was considered the blueprint for success in baseball, and the title of the book given out to players in the organization. It was prepared by Al Campanis, the team’s Director of Player Personnel, and it eventually made its way to the public in 1954. Al Campanis, who passed away in 1998, was a shortstop in the Dodger organization and a teammate of Jackie Robinson’s in Montreal in 1946. Campanis played only 20 games in the Major Leagues, but he became the club’s Scouting Director before moving up the ranks. Campanis was a proud “Rickey Man” in the tradition of Branch Rickey’s teachings, and one of the most respected men in the game. In this book Campanis captured the wisdom of Rickey and many other baseball legends.
Even though all major league franchises now had access to the Dodgers formula for success, these other teams did not have a Koufax, Drysdale, Snider, Wills, Podres, Tommy Davis, Walter Alston and a host of others to execute it to near perfection on the field. They have all signed the book on the inside cover page in sharp period ballpoint. Other significant signatures here include the likes of Leo Durocher, Pete Reiser, Frank Howard, Wally Moon and John Roseboro. All the signatures rate a 7-9/10.
What a sweet piece of Dodger and baseball history, signed by the author and those who carried out "The Dodger Way"!