[SelzShoes]

Slick.

Tailor-made suit and hair fixed just right, Durocher prepared to head to LA for one last night of West Coast carousing. The restaurants and bars would not comp him like New York places did; but unlike New York however, the LA crowd just liked to party. Too much baseball talk when he tried to relax in the city.

Halfway to the car, his suit was already moist. Hopefully a dessert breeze would dry him on the drive. Leo was so worried about the forming sweat stains; he did not notice the fast approaching Dixie Walker.

“Leo, Leo—I need to talk to ya,” the only thing Durocher liked about Dixie Walker was he could hit. The accent, manners, class and general personality was akin to an armful of beestings. The Peoples Cherce was never Leo’s choice.

“I got a lot of ground to cover Dixie, can’t this wait,” Leo hopped into his car to try and get away. He knew what Walker wanted to talk about, and frankly, in Leo’s eyes, there was nothing to discuss.

“There is a mistake in my assignment,” Walker shoved the papers over the door of the convertible. Waiving them in front of Durocher’s face as if Dixie could will him to care.

After feigning a cursory glance, Leo was quick to the point. “No mistakes Dixie, I’ll talk to you in a couple days.”

“Coupla days? I’ll be in Montreal in a coupla days.” The Southerner was almost hyperventilating at the thought of being farmed out. Walker leaned against the car door, still holding the assignment papers high. “Why—haven’t I done everything this club needed?”

“Yeah, but you said you didn’t want to play with blacks. We’re accommodating you.” Durocher pushed the outfielders hand out of his way and started to turn the key.

“You’d rather have that N----r Min-O-so than me?”

Leo blew a laugh through his nose. “Hell yes I’d rather have Minoso than you. He’s a better f-----g player than you ever were.” With that Leo slammed the accelerator causing Walker to jump back startled. Durocher, fairly certain Dixie was no longer any danger of scratching his car, sped away into the Arizona night.