Who is Dave Koslo and why would someone from Georgia State care?
Dave Koslo was a 12-year Major League Baseball player with the N.Y. Giants, Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Braves. Koslo is remembered now as the first pitcher to give up a home run to Jackie Robinson on April 18, 1947, thanks to the movie “42” about Robinson. Koslo finished 15-10 in that 1947 season and later led the National League in lowest ERA in 1949.
But, Georgia State cares because current baseball graduate assistant Brandon Kersey was chosen to play Dave Koslo in the recent movie. In real life, Koslo was a 5-foot-11, 180-pound left-handed pitcher who was age 27 when he gave up his home run to Robinson. GSU's Brandon Kersey is a 5-foot-11, 175-pound left-handed pitcher who turns 26 in August.
Fresh off his private screening and cast party on Thursday, April 11, here in Atlanta (because he was too busy at GSU to get to Los Angeles for the April 2 premiere), Kersey tells his story of how he got the part.
“Last April, I learned from one of the coaches of another travel team I was coaching against that the movie was having an open casting call in this area, because they were going to be filming a lot in this area,” Kersey said. “I passed the appearance interview probably in a minute. Then, they invited about 250 of us baseball players for tryouts at the East Cobb Baseball Complex. I was one of about 30 players chosen, and they sent the other 200-plus home.
“Honestly, my biggest advantage was being left-handed and being a pitcher. That cut the competition way down,” he chuckled. “We did about a month of spring training to get ready for the filming.”
Kersey was in two scenes in the film and traveled to Chattanooga to old Engel Stadium for the Robinson home run scene. “I went back and forth several times in May and June to pitch those scenes,” he said. “We'd have to be there at 6 a.m. every day and go 12 hours most times. Obviously, we had a lot of down time, and I got to meet and get to know a lot of the real actors and cast.”
When asked what pitch he threw to Robinson actor Chadwick Boseman, Kersey noted: “nothing but fastballs down the middle.” Kersey also pitched in several other scenes during practice, even though he was not the pitcher for those scenes in the film.
His second scene in the movie was filmed in Macon at Luther Williams Field in June. “That was easier because all I had to do was stand in the dugout as a teammate of Jackie Robinson on the Montreal Royals.”
Kersey saw a touch of irony in him being selected as a player in the movie. “When I was in elementary school, I had to pick a bio of someone, read it and then do a report,” he recalled. “I picked Jackie Robinson. So, the historical significance of this movie wasn't lost on me.”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for me, and it is still soaking in,” Kersey says of the movie that made its debut this weekend with $27.3 million dollars and the #1 box office ranking. “Meeting the actors like Chadwick, Lucas Black (who played Pee Wee Reese) and Ryan Merriman (who played Dixie Walker) was an incredible experience. And, having director Brian Helgeland and actor Brett Cullen (who played Clay Hopper) here at the premiere was exciting.”
The private screening party at Atlantic Station was the culmination of many different events over the last year, including a pre-production event at Halo Lounge and a post-production event at STATS. “I knew several people involved in the movie, including my former East Cobb coach Chance Beam and several other players I grew up competing against.”
“Obviously, I've been a huge baseball fan my entire life,” Kersey added. The southpaw played his early days in the East Cobb League and went on to Harrison High. Kersey led Harrison with a 5-2 record and a 2.10 ERA as a senior. He had a no-hitter through 6.1 innings against South Forsyth that helped Harrison advance to the first round of the state playoffs.
He came to Georgia State, wearing No. 14 for the Panthers under Coach Mike Hurst. Kersey got his picture on the sports page of the Marietta Daily Journal when he pitched two innings against the University of Georgia in a neutral site game at East Cobb. Kersey eventually transferred to Georgia to finish his college degree, but did not play baseball. Then, he came back to Georgia State as a graduate assistant to earn his master's degree that he will complete in May.
Now anyone from Georgia State heading out to see “42” about Jackie Robinson can look for pitcher Dave Koslo of the NY Giants and know who played that role,
