Roscoe Cook ties world record.

Fashion note: Even in 1959, some men still wore boaters. And not just at Shakey's.

Darla Hood has grown up!

Moral Rearmament …  next, Up With People!

The Dodgers made a roster move to shore up their infield and speed up their offense.

Maury Wills would replace Bob Lillis at shortstop, becoming a key factor in the Dodgers' 1959 season. Willis hit .260 in 83 games with 27 steals.

It's incredible to consider the Dodgers let him go to the Detroit Tigers, who conditionally drafted him but returned him after they gave the shortstop job to Rocky Bridges. Now I'm sure Bridges was a fine ballplayer in his day, but my only memory of him was as an Angels coach. He did not look like someone you'd keep instead of Maury Wills.

The Times described Wills as a "speed-burning Negro shortstop"  and noted his long service in the Pacific Coast League, so Los Angeles fans would be familiar with him. In a June 6 story, Frank Finch's lead referred to Wills as a "26-year-old Dodger rookie who supports his five children as a shortstop." Bizarre.

And not everyone was sure this was the right move. Sports Editor Paul Zimmerman noted in a June 5 column: "How good is Wills? Well, he's been in the organization since 1951. The Dodgers sent him to Detroit on a 'look' basis and the Tigers gave him back."

Wills had an extraordinary impact on the Dodgers. His best season by far was 1962 when he stole 104 bases and was named the league's most valuable player.He started and finished his career with the Dodgers, playing for Pittsburgh and Montreal in between. Since one of the Daily Mirror's special features is the ability to time travel, later this month we'll check in with Wills a decade after his debut.

–Keith Thursby