Originally written by Carl White.
Meeting Mike Sandlock
When my youngest daughter Christina was in middle school several years ago, I drove her to a house on Rockland Place in Old Greenwich. I went inside and found an elderly man sitting in front of a tv screen, having a ball watching the Yankees. His name was Mike Sandlock. I sat with him for a while. He was really enjoying himself. Every once in a while he would just yell at the players on TV. When we finally left, I thanked the man for letting me sit in his living room. Several months later, my daughter mentioned that her friend’s grandfather had played baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was later recognized at Citi Field (home of the Mets) for being the oldest living Brooklyn Dodger player.
Mike Sandlock’s Background
The Old Greenwich resident was born on October 17, 1915. Mike’s parents were Stanley and Katherine Sandlock. They were Polish immigrants. Mike attended the Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church School in Stamford. He then attended JM Wright Technical School where he learned carpentry. He was able to start his own business. During the Depression, he worked as an electrician and made $200/month.
When he was a teenager, he went to see a Yankees game and decided he wanted to play baseball. Sandy became a batboy for the local fire department team, but this only temporarily satisfied his dream. Sandlock quit his day job in 1938 to pursue baseball. His friends thought he was crazy to give up his high-paying job; but in the end, Mike played on 3 National League teams – mostly in the minor leagues. He was an infielder until he settled in as catcher.
In 1940, Mike married his wife Victoria Suchocki. They had two sons – Michael and Damon. There were numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Vicki died in 1985.
Sandlock’s Baseball Career
Mike played for the Boston Braves in 1942 and 1944, stopping to work building P-47 Thunderbird fighter planes in Evanston ILL in 1943. In 1945, he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Mike went on USO Tours with the Dodgers in the Pacific Theater. As a result, he got to meet some important actors and actresses.
As a Dodger, his batting average was .282 in 80 games, and he hit the only two home runs of his career. He joined the Montreal minor league team in 1947, where he mentored pitcher Roy Campanella. Then from 1949 to 1952, Sandlock played for Hollywood Stars of the Pacific League. He said he made twice as much money playing for the minor league team than he did the majors. During his career, he played for the Dodgers, Phillies, Pirates, Boston Braves, and minor league teams in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Hartford, and Indiana. He ended his career in the Phillies system. Mike batted .240 with 31 RBIs in 195 games. His career lasted 16 years. Sandlock batted over .300 in several of those years.
After Baseball
Sandlock went back to carpentry in Old Greenwich after his baseball career ended. He took up golf in his later life. He was so good that he won 5 Club Championships at Innis Garden Golf Club in Old Greenwich. Sandlock played in several other tournaments. He was known to play with Stamford resident Jackie Robinson on occasion at Hubbard Heights Golf Course in Stamford.
He died on April 4, 2016, at the age of 100. It was the day after opening day. He was the oldest living Brave, Pirate, and Philly alumni. Ironically, Mike was cut by his high school team two times in the 1930s. He didn’t give up on his dream, though, and ended up doing the thing he loved – playing baseball.
Rest in peace, Mike Sandlock.
SOURCES
Cavanaugh, J.; Old-Timer Gets His Day; Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles CA; July 20, 2012.
Weber, B.; Mike Sandlock Dies at 100: Was Oldest Living Big Leaguer; New York Times, April 5, 2016; accessed on 12/1/2017.
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