|
|
Post by chiyankee on Jan 7, 2024 13:43:46 GMT -5
God, yes. I remember a story that he punched Billy Crystal in the gut for failing to introduce him as "the greatest living baseball player" at an event, a requirement Billy was unfortunately unaware of. So strange, since as great as Joe D was, I'd take Willie Mays over him and Willie is still with us, so that title carries no weight with me. |
|
|
|
Post by pippsheadache on Jan 7, 2024 13:51:07 GMT -5
Kaybli, as you know I had my share as a kid because I just made it my business, but I did want to chime in on a few things here (although writing a few hours before I have to catch a flight and be gone for nearly two months is probably not an ideal condition.) For all the Yankee players I was able to hound for an autograph, one I could never get near was the one I most wanted, Mickey Mantle. Wherever he was, there was a mob, yelling, pulling at his shirt, blocking his path. When I read about negative encounters people had with him -- and I read them even as a kid, Mantle being short with fans -- he was in a different category from almost any other baseball player. So many fans acted as if they had a pre-emptive right to his time, and unlike today he wasn't as shielded from fans as a guy of his stature could be. It's tough to compare what he was dealing with to what say Clete Boyer or Moose Skowron or Tom Tresh was dealing with. Nobody could ever make the claim that Mantle lived the kind of life you would want from your father or husband or son. Mantle himself acknowledged this, I think with great sincerity, later in his life. But there had to be some reason the people who presumably knew him best -- his teammates -- were nearly unanimous in their affection and admiration for him. And that includes absolute straight arrows like Bobby Richardson and Tony Kubek and Elston Howard and Al Downing. They led lives almost the polar opposite of Mantle's, but they were still drawn to him and he sought to improve himself by drawing from them as well. You don't get anymore upright than Bobby Richardson, but those guys were very close. There was clearly something compelling about Mickey Mantle -- why his plaque says "A Great Teammate." He was known for going out of his way to welcome and help the 25th man on the roster and make them feel like a part of the team. If he were nothing more than a drunken, entitled, surly jerk, it wouldn't matter if he were a great player, and he would not be worthy of our admiration. But obviously there was more to it than that. I'm pretty sure we all have people in our lives whose flaws are maddening and destructive, but we care for them nonetheless. I think Mantle was one of those people. He was not naturally gregarious, like Babe Ruth, who was energized by mobs and having kids crawl over him. Not many people are that way, and of course Babe himself had many of the sins that Mick gets called out for -- a drinker, temperamental, unfaithful to his first wife. But virtually everybody loved Babe, and understandably so. I wouldn't care how good he was, if all the negative portrayals of Mickey Mantle told the whole story, he sure wouldn't be my favorite player. But he is, not just because at the end he became remorseful and heartbreakingly honest about his many mistakes, but because he was such a compelling and at times even courageous figure. Mick will always get my vote, warts and all. BTW I thought Jane Leavy's book was trash. She emphasized only the worst in Mantle and attempted to make herself a central figure in his life. I didn't like her book on Koufax either, for some of the same reasons. Quick note on Whitey Ford, with whom I spent roughly 20 seconds in 1961. I evaded security long enough to work my way down to the Yankee dugout when I saw him in the corner before the game. I leaned over the fence and tried to hand him my yearbook to sign. Right about then a security guard caught up with me, but Ford motioned him off, and signed his page in the yearbook and said "there you go." I already was a huge fan, but that sealed the deal. That's a great story on Whitey! Do you still have that autographed yearbook? I think I do Kaybli. Sixty years and maybe 20 moves and a house-destroying flood later, there are a couple of water-warped boxes full of papers where it may be hiding. I'm almost afraid to check. I also had an 8×12 autographed Joe DiMaggio photograph that I am afraid was destroyed. I never met him or even saw him in person, but when I was about 10 I wrote to him in care of the Yankees and somehow it was forwarded to him and he (or more likely his secretary) responded. But it was definitely his autograph unless she was an expert forger. |
|
|
|
Post by nw on Jan 7, 2024 15:19:25 GMT -5
The first game I have a recollection seeing in my parents' basement was in 1978. I didn't know what I was watching then, but I started getting to "know" the players in the early 80's. Here's my top 5 in no particular order:
Mariano Rivera
Jorge Posada
Don Mattingly
Willie Randolph
Ron Guidry
|
|
|
|
Post by donniebaseball23 on Jan 7, 2024 16:02:56 GMT -5
God, yes. I remember a story that he punched Billy Crystal in the gut for failing to introduce him as "the greatest living baseball player" at an event, a requirement Billy was unfortunately unaware of. So strange, since as great as Joe D was, I'd take Willie Mays over him and Willie is still with us, so that title carries no weight with me. Ted Williams was still alive. Now, eff the Red Sox til I die, but Ted could certainly put up an argument for that title. (He was better *ducks*) |
|
|
|
Post by inger on Jan 7, 2024 16:24:33 GMT -5
God, yes. I remember a story that he punched Billy Crystal in the gut for failing to introduce him as "the greatest living baseball player" at an event, a requirement Billy was unfortunately unaware of. So strange, since as great as Joe D was, I'd take Willie Mays over him and Willie is still with us, so that title carries no weight with me. And what a slap in the face to any other still living player at the time. If d do one one wished to give him that accolade, that’s okay. But to insist on it? That’s actually quite undignified… |
|
|
|
Post by fwclipper51 on Jan 7, 2024 16:29:49 GMT -5
God, yes. I remember a story that he punched Billy Crystal in the gut for failing to introduce him as "the greatest living baseball player" at an event, a requirement Billy was unfortunately unaware of. So strange, since as great as Joe D was, I'd take Willie Mays over him and Willie is still with us, so that title carries no weight with me. Actually Babe Ruth was named Greatest MLB Player in 1969, during the games 100th anniversary, meanwhile Joe D and Willie Mays were named No. 1 and No. 2 in the living players award category. Clipper |
|
|
|
Post by inger on Jan 7, 2024 16:31:04 GMT -5
So strange, since as great as Joe D was, I'd take Willie Mays over him and Willie is still with us, so that title carries no weight with me. Ted Williams was still alive. Now, eff the Red Sox til I die, but Ted could certainly put up an argument for that title. (He was better *ducks*) It’s closer than just the batting stats because DiMaggio was an excellent CF and Williams was never much more than just “capable” in LF, treating fielding like it was a necessity than a part of the game to be emphasized. But it’s certainly an example of slapping Williams in the face. At least he said “living” so he didn’t drag Ruth, Cobb, Wagner through the mud… No need to duck on that one, friend… |
|
|
|
Post by fwclipper51 on Jan 7, 2024 16:55:00 GMT -5
Ted Williams was still alive. Now, eff the Red Sox til I die, but Ted could certainly put up an argument for that title. (He was better *ducks*) It’s closer than just the batting stats because DiMaggio was an excellent CF and Williams was never much more than just “capable” in LF, treating fielding like it was a necessity than a part of the game to be emphasized. But it’s certainly an example of slapping Williams in the face. At least he said “living” so he didn’t drag Ruth, Cobb, Wagner through the mud… No need to duck on that one, friend… The Yankees had offered Ted Williams a players contract in 1961 to only play for the Yankees at home games, but he decided against it. Playing LF at the original Yankee Stadium wasn't easy task, especially during day games. The late Yankees LF Norm Seibren, who was the 1st Yankees regular position player to win an AL Golden Glove as an outfielder in 1958, would run into trouble in LF during the 1958 World Series against the Braves, costing the Yankees a game. He would remain in Yankees Manager Casey Stengel's doghouse until he was traded to the A's for Roger Maris in December of 1959. Clipper |
|
|
|
Post by chiyankee on Jan 7, 2024 17:03:55 GMT -5
Ted Williams was still alive. Now, eff the Red Sox til I die, but Ted could certainly put up an argument for that title. (He was better *ducks*) It’s closer than just the batting stats because DiMaggio was an excellent CF and Williams was never much more than just “capable” in LF, treating fielding like it was a necessity than a part of the game to be emphasized. But it’s certainly an example of slapping Williams in the face. At least he said “living” so he didn’t drag Ruth, Cobb, Wagner through the mud… No need to duck on that one, friend… That debate about who should have won the 1941 MVP will go on forever and it's a good one. I do wonder what it would have been like if their careers were reversed with Williams playing half is games at Yankee Stadium and DiMaggio at Fenway. |
|
|
|
Post by ypaterson on Jan 7, 2024 17:14:24 GMT -5
Anyone else had any encounters with Yankee players past or present they'd like to share? In retirement Yogi Berra lived in Montclair New Jersey and for several years operated a racquet club in Fairfield. I played at the club regularly for several years and got to know Yogi. He frequently worked the front desk booking courts and handing out towels. He was as friendly and approachable as his public image. And if you were lucky, he'd talk battng and catching. That was in the 1980s. In July of 1999 I visited the Berra Museum and bought tickets for Yogi's return to the Stadium. Through some mix up, I got seated on the VIP ferry with him, his family and the bigs. During the trip my wife and I stayed off to the side and watched. About halfway to the Bronx Yogi walked towards us and with a big smile thanked us for spending the day with him. He said he remembered me from the Club...but he was probably just being polite. We talked for a several minutes until he was called away to greet Rudy Giuliani. It was a great day for us made even better when David Cone pitched his perfect game. |
|
|
|
Post by donniebaseball23 on Jan 7, 2024 17:14:51 GMT -5
Ted Williams was still alive. Now, eff the Red Sox til I die, but Ted could certainly put up an argument for that title. (He was better *ducks*) It’s closer than just the batting stats because DiMaggio was an excellent CF and Williams was never much more than just “capable” in LF, treating fielding like it was a necessity than a part of the game to be emphasized. But it’s certainly an example of slapping Williams in the face. At least he said “living” so he didn’t drag Ruth, Cobb, Wagner through the mud… No need to duck on that one, friend… That's definitely fair. Joe D was quite graceful in the field whereas Ted was...adequate. In a weighted competition between the two I'd say Ted was a further ahead as a batter than behind as an outfielder...though he did play 6 more seasons in MLB. Of course, Joe did have 9 rings and 10 pennants to Ted's 0 rings and 1 pennant which is still unbelievable to me. |
|
|
|
Post by inger on Jan 7, 2024 17:26:13 GMT -5
Anyone else had any encounters with Yankee players past or present they'd like to share? In retirement Yogi Berra lived in Montclair New Jersey and for several years operated a racquet club in Fairfield. I played at the club regularly for several years and got to know Yogi. He frequently worked the front desk booking courts and handing out towels. He was as friendly and approachable as his public image. And if you were lucky, he'd talk battng and catching. That was in the 1980s. In July of 1999 I visited the Berra Museum and bought tickets for Yogi's return to the Stadium. Through some mix up, I got seated on the VIP ferry with him, his family and the bigs. During the trip my wife and I stayed off to the side and watched. About halfway to the Bronx Yogi walked towards us and with a big smile thanked us for spending the day with him. He said he remembered me from the Club...but he was probably just being polite. We talked for a several minutes until he was called away to greet Rudy Giuliani. It was a great day for us made even better when David Cone pitched his perfect game. Quite a day for you and the wife, I’d say. Add the delicious topping of that perfect game and I’d have been pinching myself to make certain it wasn’t a dream. I wonder if Yogi might have been behind that “mix up” that got you on the VIP list? Almost too coincidental… |
|
|
|
Post by azbob643 on Jan 7, 2024 17:27:12 GMT -5
There are some similarities there for me the day I met Joe Cocker. It was at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison near Crawford, CO, where he lived. I was aware he lived there, but not expecting to run into him. I’m looking into an over look and it’s just breath-taking when I see a fellow nearby. I say “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”. He replied “Yes, it is.” I glance up and notice who it is. I see that same fear in his eyes, so go back to looking. Next time I look up it’s like he vanished into thin air. I’m sure he knew of a secret trail nearby that he could duck into. I had read of his love for the peace and serenity of that canyon. I had a similar experience with Ginger Baker. Knowing how "surly" he was, never said a word to him. |
|
|
|
Post by fwclipper51 on Jan 7, 2024 17:28:09 GMT -5
It’s closer than just the batting stats because DiMaggio was an excellent CF and Williams was never much more than just “capable” in LF, treating fielding like it was a necessity than a part of the game to be emphasized. But it’s certainly an example of slapping Williams in the face. At least he said “living” so he didn’t drag Ruth, Cobb, Wagner through the mud… No need to duck on that one, friend… That debate about who should have won the 1941 MVP will go on forever and it's a good one. I do wonder what it would have been like if their careers were reversed with Williams playing half is games at Yankee Stadium and DiMaggio at Fenway. It almost came to be true, after a night drinking between the Yankees and Red Sox Management, they had agreed to a trade of Joltin' Joe for Teddy, but in the morning, the Red Sox wanted a young Yankees Catching prospect added to the deal, Yogi Berra. The Yankees reply was no deal. Joe would have ended his MLB playing career with more HRs playing at Fenway Park, remember a lot of his long fly balls hit were outs because of Yankee Stadium's Death Valley in LF-CF. Also Ted was robbed in 1941, 1947 and 1957 Clipper |
|
|
|
Post by azbob643 on Jan 7, 2024 17:30:19 GMT -5
Anyone else had any encounters with Yankee players past or present they'd like to share? In retirement Yogi Berra lived in Montclair New Jersey and for several years operated a racquet club in Fairfield. I played at the club regularly for several years and got to know Yogi. He frequently worked the front desk booking courts and handing out towels. He was as friendly and approachable as his public image. And if you were lucky, he'd talk battng and catching. That was in the 1980s. In July of 1999 I visited the Berra Museum and bought tickets for Yogi's return to the Stadium. Through some mix up, I got seated on the VIP ferry with him, his family and the bigs. During the trip my wife and I stayed off to the side and watched. About halfway to the Bronx Yogi walked towards us and with a big smile thanked us for spending the day with him. He said he remembered me from the Club...but he was probably just being polite. We talked for a several minutes until he was called away to greet Rudy Giuliani. It was a great day for us made even better when David Cone pitched his perfect game. There's a really good documentary "It Ain't Over" re Yogi's life streaming on Netflix... |
|
