The Maury Wills 1961 Union Oil Dodger Family Booklet

Here is my last post featuring the 1961 Union Oil Dodger Family Booklet set.  Go here to see my past post showcasing this set; including complete scans of both the Vin Scully/Jerry Doggett and Sandy Koufax booklets.  This time I share the Maury Wills Booklet.

As I said, this is the very last booklet in the 1961 Union Oil set that I am sharing.  Since I started this series in early February I've scanned all 24 booklets in the set (that's 216 total pages scanned), and you can check them all out here.  My favorite of the bunch was Dick Farrell booklet since I had a chance to learn about a Dodger player I had no knowledge of.  A close second was the Vin Scully/Jerry Doggett booklet.

Besides the player biographies, I really enjoyed the little snippets of information found in individual boxes throughout the booklets.  There was always something new to find out about a player; as well as, interesting quotes.  For instance, here are some snippets from the Maury Wills booklet.

• Wills said, early in June last year, "I'm still learning on the left side.  This is only my second year of switching, and I'm not a natural hitter to begin with.  I'm a natural pitcher and runner, but I had to learn hitting.  I'm bound to get better."
• Let all who feel rejected at one time or another in their lives take heart.  Wills was sold conditionally to Detroit in 1958 for $35,000.  The Tigers sent him back.  Now look at him.
• Manager Walt Alston, when he feels extra approbation for Maury's good deeds, calls Will "Little Man."  He once said to his shortstop, "You get such a beautiful jump, little man.  Why don't you steal first base a few times?"

Below are complete scans of every page from Maury Wills' 1961 Union Oil Dodger Family Booklet.  Click any pic to embiggen. 

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Blog Kiosk: 4/24/2014 - Dodger Links - Kershaw to Pitch Tomorrow in Rancho Cucamonga

Clayton Kershaw was hanging out with Jordan Farmar and Nick Young of the Lakers yesterday.  Pic above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.

• "Vin Scully’s ode to Wrigley Field," via Dodger Insider.
• Via Eno Sarris at FanGraphs, "Zack Greinke on Curveballs."

He felt the pitch was a good change of pace because it was a slow curve — it averages just over 70 mph these days — and it caused the batter to be out in front of the pitch. But he wasn’t sure if that was why curves turn into grounders. “The number one thing for curves and grounders — they are low in the zone,” said Greinke of the pairing. 

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Kershaw to start rehab assignment Friday."

"He'll be making more than one, for sure," Mattingly said, an indication that Kershaw likely would make another Minor League start next Wednesday before possibly rejoining the Dodgers in Washington on May 5.

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Fielding an issue, but will it matter?"

As this first month of Dodgers baseball has played out -- remember, the season started way back on March 22, way over in Australia -- you can sometimes find yourself wondering whether this team is so good in two phases of the game as to make the third practically irrelevant. You can also find yourself wondering whether the third, at some critical point, might undo all the good the first two compiled. 

• Via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA, "Matt Kemp’s performance lost in Wednesday night’s win."

But lost in all of the pomp and circumstance on Wednesday night was another 2 for 4 performance which, for the most part, went completely unnoticed – the 2 for 4 night of Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp.

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