More
Things You Probably Didn’t Know
About the Yankees (Part II)
Much terrific reaction to the first piece on this topic has
now resulted in more. There is a world of fascinating sidebars, trivia items,
facts and factoids about the Bronx Bombers. Enjoy another sampling.
Yogi Berra, Mosts, a Partial List
Most
postseason games - Yogi Berra holds the record for appearing in the most
postseason games - 75. In his 19-year career, Berra and the New York Yankees
went to the postseason 14 times. Since Berra played during the years before
divisional play, all of the games he appeared in were World Series games,
meaning he also holds the record for most World Series games appeared in. The
great Yankee also holds the record for most World Series at-bats with 259, and
is third behind Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth in World Series homeruns, with
12.
Yogi Berra,
Everywhere!
Bill Bevens' No-Hitter Broken up By “Cookie”
Lavagetto October 3, 1947; Yogi was there as the Yankees catcher.
Sandy Amoros
catch October 4, 1955; Yogi was there as Yankee catcher and smacked the ball
that Amoros caught down the left field line.
Don
Larsen' perfect game, October 8, 1956; Yogi was the catcher.
Bill
Mazeroski's home run, October 13, 1960; Yogi was there as the Yankees left
fielder.
Home Run Number 61 by
Roger Maris, October 1, 1961; Yogi was there as Yankee left fielder for
part of the game.
Willie
McCovey's line shot to Bobby Richardson, October 16, 1962; Yogi was there
as a part time player on the bench.
Chris Chambliss home run in ALCS, October 14,
1976, Yogi was there as Yankees coach.
Reggie Jackson's three home runs, October 18, 1977;
Yogi was there as a Yankee coach.
The Bucky
Dent Home Run, October 2, 1978; Yogi was there as Yankees coach.
George
Brett battles Goose Gossage, October 10, 1980, Yogi was there as Yankees
coach.
Yogi
Berra was there after the Yankees fired Billy Martin on December 16, 1983 and
took over as Yankee manager.
David Cone's
Perfect Game, July 19, 1999, Yogi was being honored on "Yogi Berra
Day"
On the field, in the dugout, in the clubhouse,
throwing out a first ball, Lawrence Peter Berra did his thing during the 2001
World Series.
Meet Me at the Bat!
BRAD
TURNOW: A traditional meeting place began outside Old Yankee Stadium in 1975. This bat-shaped “smokestack” was constructed in 1975 for the refurbished original Yankee Stadium. Over
the decades, the famous meeting place was the 138-foot high baseball bat with
Babe Ruth’s signature and the Louisville Slugger logo. The old stadium needed a
cover for a boiler stack and the Ruth bat served that purpose. The vent
was an actual exhaust pipe that released steam from the old stadium. The
structure was sponsored by the Hillerich and Bradsby Company.
As
fans approached the stadium, they would seek out the famous knob with the
unraveling tape at the handle and then look for the famous Ruth logo on the
barrel. The bat, located outside of Gate 4 of the old stadium, quickly
became a meeting spots for fans of both teams. The term "Meet Me at
the Bat" became a one-liner for all fans meeting someone at the Stadium.
Chances were, if you were meeting someone at the Old Stadium, you met
them at the bat.
There was a push by fans to have the
iconic bat moved next to the new stadium after it opened in 2009, but that
effort failed. Today the bat still stands near the old parking garage on
153rd Street and the Metro North Station repainted in a plain tan color with no
logo or signature on it. Though is it not used much as a meeting place
anymore, it reminds fans of the historic past of Old Yankee Stadium.
Babe Ruth Birthday
When
applying for a passport for a trip to Japan, a mistake in Ruth’s birthday was
discovered. His father had made an error listing it when the Babe was enrolled
at St. Mary’s school.
"What the hell difference does it
make?" said the great Yankee referring to the date which he continued to
acknowledge as his birthday - February 7. According to the official records in
Baltimore, Maryland, Ruth was born on February 6, 1895.
BOOKENDS, Two swell midsummer
reads:
The
Presidents and the Pastime by Curt
Smith (University of Nebraska Press, $29.95, is as its sub-title proclaims a
history of baseball and the White House. Filled with anecdotes galore the
result of intensive research, this terrific tome tantalizingly teases us with a
new awareness of the subject matter. Just wished there were photos. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
12: THE
INSIDE STORY OF TOM BRADY’S FIGHT FOR REDEMPTION by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge (Little Brown, $27.00,
310 pages) is must read for all fans of the New England Patriots. This is the
total package – a review up the ups, downs, sidebars – all via unlimited access
to the franchise. From front page stories about the national disgrace of a
great football hero to his redemption in what was billed as the greatest Super
Bowl comeback ever. TOP OF YOUR READING LIST
FEARLESS by Doug Pederson with Dan Pompei
(Hatchette, $28.00, 257 pages) is a tell all, gossipy, grand, inside view of
how a true underdog Philadelphia Eagles football team went all the way to win
the Super Bowl. Complete with wonderful images, stories,
stats, this is a book for every football fan.
BUY IT
One of
the most prolific and
respected sports journalists and oral historians in the United States,
author
of the autobiographies of legends Nolan Ryan, Tony Dorsett, and Red
Holzman,
Dr. Harvey Frommer is an expert on the New York Yankees and has
arguably
written more books, articles and reviews on the New York Yankees than
anyone.
In 2010, he was honored by the City of New York to serve as historical
consultant for the re-imagined old Yankee Stadium site, Heritage Field
Material
in this
article was adapted from his THE ULTIMATE
YAKEE BOOK. https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Yankee-Book-Beginning-Today_Essential/dp/1624144330