Interview with Willard W. Marshall, September 13, 1985

Interview Summary

Willard Marshall, from Virginia, was a right-fielder in Major League Baseball. He was the second outfielder to play an entire season with no errors. In this interview, he talks about playing with the Atlanta Crackers, a Minor League team, his briefly signing with the St. Louis Cardinals as a teenager, his military service in World War II, some of the famous New York Giants players he knew when he played for the team, spring training after he returned from the war, some of his first games playing with the Giants, the defection of some Major League players to the Mexican League, the treatment of rookie players such as Bobby Thomson, adjusting to life in New York City, the player pension plan, and the proposed unionization of baseball. Other topics include Baseball Commissioner Chandler, the breaking of baseball's "color line", Mel Ott's being replaced as the Giants manager by Leo Durocher, the friction between Durocher and Chandler, his (Marshall's) being traded to the Boston Braves, outstanding Major League baseball players, his season without making any errors, and some of the changes in baseball since he was a player, including the advent of free agency for players.

Interview Keyword

Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler Baseball Baseball Commissioner

Interview LC Subject

Baseball Baseball--United States Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991 Marshall, Willard W. Marshall, Willard W.--Interviews

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.