- 3 weeks ago
Hall of Fame baseball manager Leo Durocher provided one of the funniest early roasts, despite the small cast of 7 guests on the dais.
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00:00The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, coming to you from the MGM Grand Hotel in the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada.
00:23Ladies and gentlemen, from the beautiful Siegfeld Room, tonight's star-studded roast has brought together some of the world's greatest entertainers.
00:33They've come from all over the world to be here tonight, here in Las Vegas, in person.
00:41The Man of the Week
00:44Your Roastmaster, Dean Martin.
00:47And tonight's very special Man of the Week, Leo DeRosio.
00:53Okay there, Leo boy.
01:08Well, what a thrill it is to have in our presence this evening a man who has contributed so much to baseball.
01:18A man who is loved by everybody, but enough about Maury Wills.
01:25Let's talk about Leo DeRosio.
01:28This is the kind of evening that brings happiness to so many people, especially those that didn't show up.
01:37Looking at this audience tonight, Leo realizes you can't buy friends.
01:42All these people tonight are not bought.
01:45They're rented.
01:48Although Leo is retired, he'll remain a legend in baseball.
01:59He's done more good for baseball players than Mamie Van Doren.
02:06Baseball was the only thing Leo ever knew.
02:09As a matter of fact, Leo's father was a baseball player.
02:12Leo was his first heir.
02:14Leo started his career as a shortstop for the New York Yankees in 1925.
02:24And the very first year, he set a record that has never been broken.
02:28Not once did he cut himself during a shaving commercial.
02:31In 1940, he was named manager of the Brooklyn Ball Club.
02:37It was Leo who brought real togetherness to the Dodgers.
02:42Sometimes you'd find three base runners on second base.
02:45I wouldn't say Leo's...
02:52Well, Leo did a bad job down in Houston, but the Astro fans have a new slogan.
02:59Remember the Alamo and forget Leo.
03:04Tonight's place looks like the Hall of Fame of the sports world.
03:08So let's kick off with the great Maury Wills.
03:11Maury's the number one base runner in history.
03:14Statistics show that he's been thrown out at home four times, three times by his wife.
03:21Ladies and gentlemen, the candidate for the Baseball's Hall of Fame, Mr. Maury Wills.
03:26Thank you, Dean.
03:37Not you, Dizzy.
03:40I'm doing the NBC Baseball Games of the Week now, partner.
03:43It's a pleasure to be here tonight to honor Leo LaRocha,
03:46a man who makes Howard Cosell look like an introvert.
03:51You know, people oftentimes accuse Leo of being cruel and cold-hearted.
03:56But let me tell you a little story that I think illustrates the warmth of this man.
04:01I was just a young player with the Dodgers at the time, and we were on the road down south.
04:06And one night, Leo decided to take some of the guys out for dinner.
04:11When we arrived at the restaurant, we were informed that blacks were not served.
04:17But Leo took care of that right away.
04:20Leo turned to me, and I'll never forget his words.
04:22He said, boy, you went out in the car, and we'll bring your doggie back when we're through.
04:35No, of course, I'm only kidding.
04:37When Leo was manager, there were no prejudices on his ball club.
04:41Leo treated blacks and whites the same.
04:44Miserably.
04:44Leo was a shortstop just like me.
04:48We played the same position.
04:49When I was a kid, he was really my idol.
04:52And unlike a lot of players today, believe me, Leo was a rough and tumble ball player.
04:58I remember one time Leo ran home, and the umpire didn't like the way he slid into the plate.
05:03It was his upper.
05:03But I can say one thing, honestly, though.
05:10Leo has, except for a few things here and there, he's always been kind to his players.
05:16Take Willie Mays, for instance.
05:18Leo's always treated Willie like a son.
05:20In fact, the paternity suit proved it.
05:22Is Leo laughing, or is he coming up here?
05:32But I'd like to go on record as saying in closing, Leo, that I honestly feel that in baseball,
05:38you're the greatest manager in the history of the game.
05:40In baseball, and I owe you a lot.
05:52Thank you, Maury.
05:54Now, here's the guy who's responsible for making tennis so popular, Mr. Bobby Riggs.
05:59There's been a story on Bobby in every magazine recently, and he made the cover of Time,
06:06and years ago, life gave him a big spread.
06:10At his age, life has a way of doing that.
06:14Ladies and gentlemen, the king of women's tennis, Mr. Bobby Riggs.
06:22Thanks, Dean.
06:30Normally, I don't do functions like this.
06:33But yesterday, I received this letter from Leo DeRocher.
06:38Leo doesn't know I'm going to read this,
06:41but I thought it would shed some kind of light on the man that you're honoring tonight.
06:47Here goes for the letter.
06:48Dear Bobby, you and I have been friends for a long time,
06:53and I hate to ask a favor of you, but I'm desperate.
06:57The Dean Martin Show is roasting me as their man of the week,
07:01and you've got to bail me out.
07:04I'm only doing it because I need the money after betting on you.
07:10I just received a list of the people on the dais,
07:13and you wouldn't have believed who they stuck me with.
07:16Now, get this.
07:17Jack Carter.
07:18I didn't know that guy was still alive.
07:22So you can see I really need you, Bobby.
07:26Not that you'll add any class to the evening,
07:29but you're such a loser,
07:31you'll make all the other guys look better by comparison.
07:34So here I am, Leo.
07:36Well, here is truly a legend in baseball, Mr. Dizzy Dean.
07:50Dizzy was one of Leo's teammates with the old St. Louis Cardinals Gas House Gang,
07:55and he was one of baseball's greatest pitchers.
07:58Not only could he pitch a fastball, but he could pitch a ball so slow
08:03that the players could autograph it before it reached the plate.
08:08Ladies and gentlemen, a big name in baseball's Hall of Fame, Mr. Dizzy Dean.
08:13Thank you, Dean.
08:26Thank you very much.
08:27Boy, the way you put that booze away,
08:29I bet I'm not the only Dean who's Dizzy around here tonight.
08:32I remember his first game with the cards.
08:39Leo was playing shortstop,
08:41and the runner was caught between second and third.
08:44The third baseman threw Leo the ball and yelled,
08:48tag him, tag him.
08:50Leo yelled back,
08:51why, I'm not it.
08:53Leo really has a great arm, though.
09:04There's no question about that.
09:06I don't know how many times I've seen him throw the ball into the right field stands.
09:12But nobody cared about Leo's feeling,
09:14because he really knew how to hit the ball.
09:17He was a switch hitter,
09:19and in his very first year, he hit 400,
09:22200 right-handed,
09:24and 200 left-handed.
09:27Leo was a real clutch player.
09:30In fact, he was arrested three times in the subway for it.
09:35He was absolutely fearless at the plate.
09:39Once Carl Hubble threw a fastball
09:41that bounced right off of Leo's head,
09:44and Leo just stood there and smiled.
09:47Naturally, it was the furthest he'd hit the ball all season.
09:54And did you know that it was because of Leo DeRosa
09:57that they had to adopt the infield fly ball?
10:00Whenever an infielder was trying to catch the ball Leo hit,
10:04Leo would yell out,
10:06hey, buddy, your fly is open.
10:11But the thing I'll always remember most about Leo
10:13was his competitive spirit.
10:14One time when he was at shortstop,
10:18there was a high-bouncing ball.
10:20And I swear Leo leaped eight feet in the air.
10:23And if I told you where the ball hit him,
10:26you'd know why.
10:27Ladies and gentlemen,
10:45a former major league ball player,
10:47and now a great actor,
10:49Mr. Chuck Connors.
10:51Oh, thank you, Dean.
11:01It is a pleasure to be here again
11:02at the end of the lineup
11:04with all the bad jokes.
11:07Anyway, as some of you may or may not know
11:09and probably don't know,
11:10I was with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949.
11:13Now, this is not funny, lady.
11:15This is true.
11:15I was a few years after Leo left.
11:19See, I'm a lot younger than he is.
11:21But the players on the team
11:22who were still there remembered Leo,
11:24and they were always talking about you, Leo.
11:26But the most interesting thing
11:27they told me about Leo DeRoche
11:29was the unique system of signals
11:31he used when he was coaching third base.
11:33I'm going to see if I can remember something.
11:34This one means hit away.
11:38This one means take the pitch.
11:40This one means...
11:42Oh, I'm sorry.
11:43I ate that whole heap.
11:47This means, let's see, bunt.
11:50This means hit away again.
11:53And this means, ooh,
11:5517 less hairs than yesterday morning.
12:00None today.
12:01Let's see now.
12:02This means, uh, slide.
12:06This means, uh, head for home.
12:09And, uh, this means, uh,
12:11hey, your zipper's open.
12:16Finally, this one signal that Leo originated
12:19that's being used by every coach
12:20on third base in Major League Baseball today.
12:23And it's this.
12:23Watch.
12:26And it means,
12:26oh, get this damn inning over with.
12:28I got to go to the john.
12:29Ladies and gentlemen,
12:43a man who made history
12:45with the Detroit Lions,
12:46Mr. Alex Carey.
12:48If I have a reputation for anything
13:01outside of my obvious
13:03physical charms
13:05and
13:05my overpowering sex appeal
13:08and my
13:09my intelligence
13:11is for being totally candid.
13:18If I were to tell you that
13:20I'm not too thrilled
13:21about being asked to speak
13:22on behalf of Leo DeRocha tonight,
13:25that would be a little short of the truth.
13:29Matter of fact,
13:30I'm sick about it.
13:31But I only had two other offers this week.
13:38One to speak at a Republican rally.
13:43And the other to appear on a,
13:46in a movie.
13:47They're doing a retake of
13:48The Naked and the Dead.
13:53And they want me to play both parts.
13:55It's very difficult
14:04to say something nice about Leo
14:06and
14:06and maintain my
14:07my own impeccable
14:09reputation for honesty, Leo.
14:12Let's face it, Leo.
14:13It's
14:13it's hard to compliment you.
14:16You busted out in Chicago,
14:18busted out in Houston.
14:20You want to talk about
14:21the records as a player, Leo?
14:23How about the records
14:23as you had as a player?
14:25He played in major leagues
14:26from 1925 to 1945.
14:28That's 10 years.
14:33He had a lifetime batting average
14:35of 247.
14:38Hell, I played it that way, Leo.
14:42You heard of the Ted Williams ship?
14:44Well, they had one for Leo.
14:46The pitcher played in.
14:50I like that joke,
14:51regardless if anyone else does.
14:53Leo, you were small.
14:57But you were slow.
15:04If you put Leo into a race
15:06against a tree,
15:07you'd have to bet odds
15:08on the tree.
15:10Especially after a dog league.
15:13We were playing with the old
15:14gas house gang,
15:15but I'll tell you,
15:16they could do everything
15:16with the baseball.
15:17Right, Leo?
15:18Except autographed.
15:22A lot of them said
15:24and written about Leo's
15:24reported run-ins
15:25with the players.
15:26And, you know,
15:27I'm from Chicago.
15:28I understand these things.
15:29Throughout my great career,
15:30I've always believed
15:31in showing the proper
15:32respect for coaches, Leo.
15:33I mean, I can't understand,
15:35you know, when they say,
15:35let's hang them in effergy.
15:38Is that the right word?
15:41I mean, if you're going to
15:42have a hanging, Leo,
15:42let's have a hanging.
15:43I thought probably
15:48a lot of these reports
15:49were blown out of proportion
15:50about the players
15:51not getting along with you.
15:52Excuse me.
15:54So I've researched
15:55the issue thoroughly
15:56and just let me say
15:57that this to you, Leo,
15:58and I mean this
15:59in honest sincerity,
16:00face-to-face,
16:01man-to-man.
16:03No matter how many
16:04nasty things have been
16:06said about you, Leo,
16:07by writers and by
16:08broadcasters,
16:09players and owners,
16:11vending machine operators,
16:12jock-supporter manufacturers,
16:18and fans and umpires
16:21and vending,
16:21I said that.
16:23I'd like to say this
16:24to you, Leo,
16:24in all sincerity.
16:26You could count
16:27your real enemies
16:28on the fingers
16:30of the Mormon
16:32Tabernacle Choir.
16:42Leo, a lot of your
16:48friends and admirers
16:49couldn't be here tonight,
16:51but they sent
16:52a load of telegrams,
16:53and I'd like to read
16:54a few of them
16:55right now here.
16:57The first one reads,
17:01Dear Leo,
17:02I understand you once said
17:03that nice guys
17:04finish last.
17:06I couldn't agree more.
17:07Signed, Mae West.
17:08Dear Mr. DeRocher,
17:17we wish to thank you
17:18for advertising
17:19our product
17:20every time you
17:21disagree with an umpire.
17:22Signed,
17:23the Acme Natural
17:24Fertilizing Company.
17:29Jack Carter
17:30really needs
17:31no introduction.
17:32What he needs
17:32is an act.
17:35Ladies and gentlemen,
17:36a man who's done
17:37for comedy
17:38what Charlie Finley
17:39has done for baseball,
17:40Mr. Jack Carter.
17:49And, Alex,
17:49that was a great speech.
17:51We'll invite you again
17:52when Nixon gives a dinner
17:53for Judge Sirica.
17:57I am so choked up
17:59to be here.
18:00What a night
18:01between Leo DeRocher
18:03and Dean Martin.
18:04Here they are,
18:05lippy and nippy.
18:06Huh?
18:09Incidentally,
18:10you know,
18:10Dean just willed
18:11his body to science,
18:12but I got a feeling
18:13that the Gallo brothers
18:14will get it first.
18:17Oh, my goodness,
18:17I'm so choked up.
18:18All of my idols are here.
18:20Look at these athletes,
18:21Dizzy Dean
18:21and Chuck Connors
18:23and Maury Wills.
18:24I haven't seen
18:25such great bodies
18:26since I won
18:26Truman Capote
18:27on the dating game.
18:30And I love baseball.
18:31I've followed it
18:32all my life
18:33as a kid in Brooklyn,
18:34the Dodgers,
18:35the Giants,
18:36the Yankees.
18:36I remember
18:37when they had
18:37white outfielders.
18:45And Leo's
18:49a champion
18:50of the black cause.
18:50He brought a lot
18:51of Negroes
18:52in the baseball
18:52and it wasn't easy.
18:54First time he put
18:54Maury Wills
18:55in the outfield,
18:55he kept rolling up
18:56the grass
18:56and smoking it.
19:01That's why
19:02they put him
19:02in the infield.
19:03He couldn't hold
19:03onto a fly
19:04if his zipper
19:04was caught.
19:05Maury Wills.
19:09Mr. Holdout.
19:09Every year,
19:10I'm holding out,
19:10I'm holding out.
19:11He could hold out
19:12longer than
19:12Doris Day would
19:13in a movie.
19:18And I didn't get
19:19to mention my boy
19:20Chuckie Connors,
19:21the big tall one,
19:22the odd couple
19:22all by himself.
19:25I just made that up.
19:27Chuck Connors,
19:28there he is,
19:28a Dodger,
19:29former Dodger,
19:30tax and draft.
19:31All the big,
19:35and my man,
19:37Dean,
19:37Dizzy Dean,
19:38I love him.
19:39Son of a gun,
19:4020 years with
19:40the old Cardinals
19:41and it ain't easy
19:42running on the
19:43baseball field
19:43in those long robes,
19:44I'll tell you.
19:46Remember that one?
19:47I loved him.
19:48And then he became
19:49a sportscaster.
19:50When I was a kid,
19:51turned on just to
19:51hear Dizzy going,
19:52oh well,
19:53by North,
19:53I'm on.
19:54Yeah,
19:54it's flooding
19:55the third base,
19:55I'm on.
19:56Hit the ball,
19:56and feed you down
19:57the one,
19:58down both sides.
19:59Down both,
19:59and down both sides,
20:00and never going
20:01down both sides.
20:02Oh,
20:02I was in the army
20:11at the time,
20:12I thought we were
20:12captured,
20:12you know?
20:16He was a white
20:17negro,
20:17I'll tell you that.
20:21Bobby Riggs,
20:22laugh,
20:22you idiot,
20:23I laugh when you play.
20:23I laugh when you play.
20:31But we're here
20:35to talk about
20:35my man,
20:36Leo,
20:36Leo the Lip.
20:38Leo de Rocha,
20:38a man who's been
20:39maligned,
20:40punched,
20:40beaten,
20:41spit out,
20:41and rightly so.
20:46Two words
20:46describe this man's life,
20:48assault and battery.
20:50Always loud-mouthing.
20:52He came back
20:52from Texas,
20:53he was mad.
20:53He was in a polo lounge
20:54at the Beverly Hills Hotel,
20:55saying,
20:56boy,
20:56it's going to be
20:56back in Beverly Hills.
20:57I hate that
20:58crummy Texas
20:58and that Houston.
20:59Ain't nothing there
21:00but football heroes
21:01and hookers.
21:02Big guy grabbed him.
21:03Listen,
21:03buddy boy,
21:04my wife comes from Texas.
21:05Leo said,
21:06oh really?
21:06What position does she play?
21:07In final closing,
21:12I'd like to repeat
21:12the words of Howard Cosell,
21:14a great sportcaster.
21:15A couple of weeks ago
21:16at a big sports writer's dinner,
21:17he said this about Leo.
21:18Ladies and gentlemen,
21:19our subject to Rocha,
21:21a maudlin relic
21:22of a bygone era,
21:24but a living legend.
21:25When giants
21:26trot the earth
21:27and Dodgers
21:27cut them down,
21:28the maniacal,
21:29masochistic
21:30de Rocha
21:31played the game.
21:32He could go to his left,
21:33he could go to his right,
21:35but he never went
21:36to his pocket.
21:38As a leader of men,
21:39one word describes
21:40a man who would be
21:41senile.
21:43But that's the Rocha,
21:44a big talker
21:45and no batting average.
21:47My wife's got more runs
21:48than her pantyhose.
21:51But seriously,
21:52I've said some horrendous
21:53things about Leo,
21:55but he is a living monument
21:57to baseball,
21:58and you all know
21:59what pigeons do
22:00to monuments.
22:07Beautiful, Jack.
22:15Oh, that was beautiful.
22:18He emptied you real good.
22:20I love to listen.
22:21Never could understand you,
22:22but I love you.
22:26And now, Leo,
22:27we are pleased
22:28to have with us
22:28one of the most
22:29respected umpires
22:30in the National League.
22:32He worked behind the plate
22:34in many of the games
22:35your teams played.
22:36Ladies and gentlemen,
22:37would you all please
22:38welcome Mr. Foster Brooks?
22:40Thank you very much,
23:02Dune.
23:03Dune.
23:03Dune.
23:03Thank you, Dune.
23:06Friends,
23:06it is indeed
23:07a pleasure
23:08for me
23:09to be here tonight
23:10to honor
23:12the one and only
23:14Leo de Cockroach.
23:24What's that?
23:25What's that?
23:28DeRocher?
23:30Well, I knew
23:31it was some sort
23:31of a little bugger.
23:32It's also
23:37a real thrill
23:39for me
23:39to be here
23:40on the same day
23:42on
23:44be here
23:45on the same day
23:46speaker's platform
23:49with the great
23:53Hank Aaron.
23:54Well,
24:02Mark,
24:03Mark Will?
24:06Well,
24:06you'll have to
24:07excuse me
24:07because all those
24:08Puerto Rican
24:09ballplayers
24:09look at things.
24:17Yes?
24:18Leo de...
24:18Leo de Rocher
24:33is a truly
24:33fine
24:34baseball manager.
24:37Probably one
24:38of the three
24:39or four
24:39hundred
24:40best of all time.
24:44Leo
24:45doesn't scare me
24:46once
24:47when Sandy
24:48Koufax
24:50was pitching
24:57against his team.
25:00Leo came
25:00running out
25:01of the dugout
25:01and said,
25:02grease ball,
25:03grease ball.
25:05I told him,
25:05don't be ridiculous.
25:06Sandy is Jewish.
25:16And he's a man
25:19of very diverse
25:20interests.
25:22He's especially
25:23interested in
25:24genealogy,
25:27the study of
25:28people's family
25:30trees.
25:32Until I first
25:33met Leo,
25:34I always thought
25:34I was a son
25:35of a wapress.
25:47Because as Leo
25:49well knows,
25:49there's one cardinal
25:51rule in baseball.
25:53And I'm like,
25:54I'm for her.
25:56Never changes
25:57his call.
25:59Unless there's
26:00a broad in it
26:01for her.
26:01He always puts me
26:20away.
26:22Ladies and gentlemen,
26:23nice guys don't always
26:25finish last because
26:26our man of the week
26:28is right up on top
26:29one of the great
26:30managers of all
26:32baseball,
26:33Mr. Leo
26:34DeRoche.
26:41This evening's been
26:51about as exciting
26:52as watching
26:52Marcus Welby
26:53sidestep a bedpan.
26:55I'd like to correct
26:59one impression
27:00you may have
27:00gotten tonight.
27:01I'm retired,
27:03not deceased.
27:06As a matter of fact,
27:08they wanted me to
27:09manage the Oakland
27:10Aids next year.
27:12But I hired a lawyer
27:13and I beat the rap.
27:17However,
27:17it's nice being here
27:18and it's nice to see
27:20a few people on the
27:21dais who aren't
27:21in show business.
27:23Maury Wills,
27:25Dizzy Dean,
27:26Jack Carter.
27:30I don't know
27:31whether many of you
27:31are aware of this,
27:33but Chuck Connors,
27:34who is now an actor,
27:35used to be a big
27:36league ball player.
27:37And he's just as
27:38good an actor
27:39as he was a ball player.
27:44He struck out
27:45in both.
27:47Chuck was with the Dodgers
27:48for a short time
27:49and he did for baseball
27:50what he did for TV.
27:52He never had a hit.
27:54And it's nice to see
27:57Maury Wills.
27:59Well,
27:59the first time I met
28:00Maury,
28:01he was just a kid
28:01hanging around the ghetto
28:02in the playground
28:04and so I put a bat
28:05in his hand
28:06and I said,
28:06do you know
28:06what this is for?
28:07He said,
28:08yes, sir.
28:09And he hit me over the head
28:10and stole my wallet.
28:14And it surely
28:15looked through
28:15hiding my old buddy
28:16Dizzy Dean with us.
28:18Baseball fans
28:19will never forget him.
28:21Dizzy couldn't hit,
28:22but he sure
28:23could throw it.
28:26And I'm glad
28:27that Alex Carr
28:28showed tonight.
28:29One of the greatest
28:30defensive tackles
28:31football's ever known.
28:33He started out
28:34as an offensive tackle.
28:36Then he learned
28:37about deodorant pads.
28:40And what can I say
28:42about Dean?
28:44You don't run
28:45into guys like Dean
28:45too often.
28:47You generally
28:48trip over them.
28:52In conclusion,
28:54I'd just like to say
28:55I've enjoyed
28:56every minute
28:57I ever spent
28:57in baseball.
28:59Baseball is truly
29:00the great American
29:01pastime.
29:02Now all we've got to do
29:03is convince
29:04Frank Sinatra.
29:05I want to thank
29:18all my wonderful guests
29:19for being with us
29:20tonight and my
29:21special thanks
29:21to Leo DeRocher.
29:23All of us here
29:23tonight chipped in
29:24and laid a new car
29:26on Leo.
29:27It took him three hours
29:28to get out
29:28from under it.
29:30Hello, everybody.
29:31Welcome,
29:32warm up,
29:33hot chocolate,
29:34be home soon.
29:34Bye.
30:04Bye.
30:05Bye.
30:06Bye.
30:07Bye.
30:08Bye.
30:09Bye.
30:09Bye.
30:10Bye.
30:10Bye.
30:10Bye.
30:10Bye.
30:10Bye.
30:10Bye.
30:10Bye.
30:10Bye.
30:11Bye.
30:11Bye.
30:11Bye.
30:11Bye.
30:11Bye.
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