The Dodgers, who were on the road when Buzzie Bavasi died last Thursday at age 93, held a poignant pregame tribute to their former general manager (1951-68) and the architect of four championship clubs in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully spoke glowingly from the TV booth of Bavasi's accomplishments, while the video screen displayed a slide show depicting one of the people most responsible for giving Jackie Robinson, Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella a chance to break the color barrier in the major leagues. Newcombe, flanked at home plate by Tommy Davis and Lou Johnson, told the crowd of 44,181: "I'll never forget Buzzie Bavasi and what he did for me. I always thought of Buzzie Bavasi as my father."
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