Hollywood legend Danny Kaye was known for his red hair, facial expressions, physical comedy, pantomime, and singing novelty songs. He was also a sportsman and fan, including co-owning a Major League Baseball team.
Born David Daniel Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York, Kaye attended Thomas Jefferson High School, where he played baseball and basketball and swam competitively. Playing sports built coordination and timing, which helped Kaye become a physical comedian.
Graphic courtesy of Oldster Magazine
A lifelong fan of the Brooklyn, and later Los Angeles, Dodgers, Kaye attended games, often with Gary Grant, another popular actor of the time. He was also good friends with manager Leo Durocher, who let him travel with the Dodgers.
In 1962, Kaye recorded a popular comedic baseball anthem called D-O-D-G-E-R-S Song (Oh, Really? No, O’Malley). O’Malley refers to Walter O’Malley, the longtime sports executive of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. The song honored the team and its legendary players, which included pitcher Sandy Koufax.
Photo courtesy of Danny Kaye King of Jesters on Facebook
Kaye was also an outspoken baseball advocate. He publicly supported the National League’s established strategy over the American League’s designated hitter rule. That concern carried over to the business side of the game. Kaye and business partner Lester Smith were the inaugural co-owners (1977) of the Seattle Mariners. Kaye even participated in spring training with manager Darrell Johnson and his players, which included (at the time) Craig Reynolds, Jose Baez, Steve Braun, Ruppert Jones, and Leroy Stanton.
Kaye also married his passion for baseball to his philanthropic efforts. As a UNICEF ambassador-at-large, he led a group of children in throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Kingdome for the 50th MLB All-Star Game (1979).
Kaye co-owned the Mariners for about five years, and then sold his share of the franchise to George Argyros. But his relationship with Smith didn’t end there. In 1985, Kaye sold the rest of his business to the Smith estate.
On the participation side of sports, Kaye enjoyed golf and ping-pong and maintained a high skill level in both into adulthood.
But acting was Kaye’s first love and career pursuit. He appeared in many films during the 1940s and 1950s, which include Up in Arms (1944), Wonder Man (1945), The Kid from Brooklyn (1946), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), A Song is Born (1948), It’s a Great Feeling (1949), Hans Christian Andersen (1952), White Christmas (1954), The Court Jester (1956), and The Five Pennies (1959). He also hosted a variety show, The Danny Kaye Show, which ran on CBS from 1963 to 1967.
Danny Kaye, who lived a full and productive life. died in 1987 at the age of 76.
