A photo of a young Clyde Sukeforth was purchased in 1948 by a young fan for 25 cents at one of the games in Brooklyn. Eugene purchased the photo in 2003 on eBay from the fan. |
By Charlotte Boynton
With the baseball season now in progress, and the recent commemoration of the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier on April 15, Wiscasset resident Eugene Sukeforth fondly remembered his distant cousin, the late Clyde Sukeforth, of Waldoboro.
Best known as the man who scouted Robinson for then the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, Clyde Sukeforth also scouted Roberto Clemente for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954. Before becoming a scout, Clyde also had an impressive playing career himself, catching for the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
During his baseball career Clyde Sukeforth scouted, coached and managed for the Dodgers, the Pirates and the Braves, before retiring in Waldoboro, where he passed away at the age of 98 in 2000.
Eugene did not meet Clyde until after long after Clyde had retired from baseball, but Eugene’s father, Cedric Sukeforth, often spoke about his “buttonhole cousin” when Eugene was growing up.
During a recent interview, Eugene said his father was about 14 years younger than Clyde. Cedric told Eugene when he was young and living in Washington, Clyde and his family lived nearby. Clyde would pick up all the kids in the neighborhood put them in the back of an old pick-up truck and take them to a baseball game somewhere.
“In those days, the late ’20s, early ’30s, there wasn’t much else to do but play baseball,” Eugene said. “Clyde always had a strong interest in baseball and an eye to recognize talent in players.”
Wiscasset resident Eugene Sukeforth holds several newspaper clippings about his distant cousin Clyde Sukeforth. The newspaper clipping on the left is the Sept. 26 issue of the Maine Sunday Telegram with a photo of Clyde Sukeforth, center, and Jackie Robinson, right, pleading with umpire Walter Hemline on a call to take Robinson out of the game. The photo was taken in 1948. The newspaper in the center is an issue of the Maine Sunday Telegram dated June 24, 1984 with a photo of Sukeforth. The small clipping on the right is a photo of Sukeforth and Robinson during a luncheon honoring Robinson in New York in 1972. (Charlotte Boynton photo) |
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According to Eugene, Clyde would come back to Waldoboro during the off season and work in a hardware store in town.
Eugene did not meet Clyde until many years later. Prior to retirement, Eugene Sukeforth owned and operated the Wiscasset Lawn and Garden Center on the Gardiner Road. One day a gentleman came into the business and purchased a piece of garden equipment.
The customer told Eugene that his neighbor was Clyde Sukeforth, and that Clyde would like to meet him.
“I didn’t take long getting in touch with him,” Eugene said. “I took my sons down to meet him, and Clyde appeared to be as excited to meet them as they were to meet him.”
Eugene said that Clyde joked about the time that he was interim manager for the Dodgers in 1947, because Leo Durocher was suspended for the season by Commissioner Happy Chandler.
Branch Rickey, the Dodgers’ president named Clyde as the interim manager. Clyde was manager for the first two games of the season; the Dodgers won both games. Clyde would later claim, with as smile, that he had posted a perfect record “2 for 2″ as manager,” according to Eugene.
Clyde also talked about being at Fenway Park when the Red Sox won the World Series against the Chicago Cubs in 1918. He commented on the fact that he bought his ticket right at the park the same day as the game.
According to Eugene, Clyde was a humble man that downplayed his role in major league baseball. He enjoyed his home in Waldoboro with his wife Grethel. He told Eugene, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”