1963 Profile: Clete Boyer

"The man who uses a built-in snapping turtle as a glove is Clete Boyer, the Cassville (MO) native who is so sensational on defense. He reached career highs for average (.272), homers (18) and RBIs (68) in '62 and has good power to all fields, but shows a definite weakness against right-hand curve ballers.

Boyer was nursed in the Yankee system and then traded to the Athletics. He was dealt back to New York without ever playing in K.C."

-Don Schiffer, 1963 Major League Baseball Handbook

"Improvement is a word clearly understood by Clete Boyer. The "Fancy Dan" third baseman put in a claim as the top fielding third baseman in all of baseball in 1961. Last year, Clete worked hard on his hitting and upped his batting average some 48 points to .272. But in so doing, the lithe third sacker slipped a bit in the field. This spring Boyer concentrated on his fielding and gave every indication that this would be his biggest major league season yet.

Last year, the 26-year-old Boyer set personal highs with home runs with 18 and in runs batted in with 68.

Clete is one of seven ball-playing brothers, six of whom already have taken a fling at pro baseball. Ken, the Cardinals' great slugging third sacker, was the first successful Boyer. Cloyd, former Cardinal and Kansas City Athletic, is a minor league pitching coach for the Yankees. Young Ronnie, in his first spring training with the World Champions, made a fine showing as an infielder.

In the World Series against the Giants, Clete pounded out a .318 average, second only to teammate Tom Tresh. Clete has recently moved to New Jersey and he will become a Yankee of the first flight. He's made great strides, but the future of Clete Boyer is still ahead of him."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Acquired along with Art Ditmar, Bobby Shantz, Jack McMahon and Wayne Belardi from Kansas City Athletics in exchange for Rip Coleman, Tom Morgan, Maury McDermott, Billy Hunter, Milt Graff and Irv Noren, February 19, 1957.

Brother of Ken Boyer of the Cardinals, Cloyd Boyer, former pitcher for the Cardinals and currently a pitching coach in the Yankee farm system, and Ronnie Boyer, who signed a Yankee contract on May 30, 1962.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"Already rated a magician around third base due to his tremendous fielding ability, Clete Boyer is also maturing as a batsman.

The 1962 campaign was Boyer's best at the dish since he's been in the majors. During his first two full years with the Bombers - 1960 and 1961 - Clete's batting averages were an anemic .242 and .224., respectively. Last year, however, he zoomed to .272.

Boyer's home run production rose from 11 to 18 and his RBI from 55 to 68. Why, he even batted .318 in the World Series, connecting for his first Fall Classic round-tripper in the process.

Boyer, a member of a true baseball family, is a native of Cassville, MO. His brother, Ken, is the star third baseman of the St. Louis Cardinals. Another brother, Cloyd, formerly hurled for the Cards and Kansas City A's and is currently the pitching coach at Richmond. Still another brother, Ronnie, was signed to a Bomber contract in May 1962.

Clete was signed to a big bonus contract by the A's in 1955 and sat on the bench with them for two seasons before being acquired by the Yanks in a huge deal on February 19, 1957. In the trade, Boyer, along with pitchers Art Ditmar, Bobby Shantz and Jack McMahon and first baseman Wayne Belardi, came to New York in exchange for hurlers Rip Coleman, Tom Morgan and Maurice McDermott, infielders Billy Hunter and Milt Graff and outfielder Irv Noren.

Through a ruling by Commissioner Ford Frick, however, Boyer wasn't permitted to become Yankee property until June, having to serve out his bonus term with the A's."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

1963 Profile: Tony Kubek

"Tony Kubek is proof that it's possible to continue to improve each year. The master of many positions is now permanently established at shortstop, reclaiming his post after returning from the service late last year.

 Born in Milwaukee, he had three brilliant campaigns in the minors, averaging .333. Kubek joined the Yanks in 1957 and has been a regular at one position or another ever since. His best power year was 1960 with 14 homers and 62 RBIs."

-Don Schiffer, 1963 Major League Baseball Handbook

"Last August 7th wasn't like any other day in the 1962 pennant race. The Yankees were playing in Minnesota and beat the strong runner-up club by a 14-1 score. But the significant event was the return of shortstop Tony Kubek to the lineup. After nine months of service with the Wisconsin National Guard (on his second tour of duty), Tony stepped to the plate and belted a home run. From there he went on to hit a neat .314 in 45 games, the first time he's been over the .300 mark. But Manager Ralph Houk and his teammates think it will happen again often in the future ... batting .300 and hitting home runs, that is.

Kubek first joined the Bombers in 1957 as a 20-year-old shortstop. He won the Longines Watch as the top rookie in spring training and went on to win Rookie of the Year designation, while hitting a robust .297. In the World Series that fall in his native Milwaukee, Tony hit two homers in one game. In the intervening years, the personable and talented shortstop has played seven positions (all except the battery). But now he's back at shortstop to stay unless an emergency should dictate otherwise, although he's an excellent outfielder.

Tony was married just before going back into service in 1961. On road trips, Tony appropriately rooms with his keystone mate and good friend, Bobby Richardson."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Signed by Yankee organization, September 1, 1953.

Winner of James P. Dawson Award as outstanding Yankee rookie in spring training, 1957.

American League Rookie of the Year, 1957.

Shares record for most home runs in a World Series game by a rookie (2), October 5, 1957.

Recalled to active military duty with his Wisconsin Army Reserve unit, November 3, 1961- rejoined Yankees, August 4, 1962, hitting a home run his first time at bat, against Minnesota, August 7, 1962.

Has played every position except pitcher and catcher for the Yankees.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"One of the most valuable of all the Yankees is steady Tony Kubek. He proved it last year by the kind of ball he played upon his return to the club after serving nine months of Army duty.

Kubek reported to the Yanks on August 4. He played his first game - in left field - on August 7. On his first time at bat, he socked a three-run homer against the Minnesota Twins. Manager Houk reinstalled Tony at his old shortstop position 10 days later. With Kubek back, most of Houk's worries were over. In 45 games, Kubek ended up a .314 mark with four homers and 17 RBI.

The 26-year-old Kubek was signed by the Bomber organization in September of 1953, advancing through the chain with Owensboro, Quincy and Denver until his big chance came with the Yanks in 1957.

After annexing the James P. Dawson Award as the outstanding Yankee rookie in Spring Training, Tony's first-year performance was such that he was named American League Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News.

Against the Milwaukee Braves in the World Series that Fall, Kubek tied a record by hitting two homers in a single game.

Besides performing in five Series, Tony has represented the American League in two All-Star Games."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

1963 Profile: Bobby Richardson

1963 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR

"A change from a stand-up stance to a crouch and a harder swing have made a better hitter of Bobby Richardson, the steadying influence of the Yankee infield. The solid man out of Sumter, South Carolina hit .302 in 1962 and collected more hits (209) than all others in the American League.  Pitchers respect his ability to manipulate the bat and hit to all fields.

Richardson spends his winters teaching sports to boys."

-Don Schiffer, 1963 Major League Baseball Handbook

"At 27, Robert Clinton Richardson is the dean of the Yankee infield. He was up briefly in 1955 and 1956 but came to stay in 1957 along with his shortstop sidekick, Tony Kubek. Bobby, at 5'9", may be the smallest man on the club, but he has become an increasingly big man in the Yankee scheme of things.

His sixth full season as a Yankee was easily Bob's best. He was the iron man of the team, playing in 161 games and setting an American League seasonal record with 692 times at bat. Richardson led the league in total hits with 209, the first American Leaguer to get 200 hits since Al Kaline turned the trick in 1955 and the first Yankee since Phil Rizzuto's MVP season of 1950.

Bobby completed a tremendous season in 1962 by snaring Willie McCovey's hot smash with men on second and third to close out a thrilling and victorious World Series. "Rich" gained much support for the Most Valuable Player award and ran a strong second to teammate Mickey Mantle.

Richardson, a brilliant fielder and double-play pivot man, took some advice from Wally Moses after last year's Old Timers' Game. The Hillerich & Bradsby people (makers of the Louisville Slugger bat) sent original model bats to each old-timer at the Yankee classic. Moses brought his bat to Bobby and suggested he try it. He did and hit .302. "

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Signed by Yankee organization, June 12, 1953.

One of ten players to hit grand slam in World Series game, connecting in 1st inning off Clem Labine of Pittsburgh at Yankee Stadium, October 8, 1960.

Set World Series record for most runs batted in, one game (6), against Pittsburgh, October 8, 1960.

Set record for most runs batted in, one World Series (12), against Pittsburgh, 1960.

Tied World Series record for most triples, one game (2), against Pittsburgh, October 12, 1960.

Tied record for most runs scored, one World Series (8), against Pittsburgh, 1960.

Won Sport Magazine Corvette as outstanding performer, 1960 World Series.

Tied record for most hits, five-game World Series (9), against Cincinnati, 1961.

Set American League record, most at-bats, one season (692), 1962.

Led American League in hits (209), 1962.

Placed second to Mickey Mantle in American League MVP voting, 1962.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"One of the hardest things for a major league player to do is to improve on the best season he's ever had. That's the problem Bobby Richardson faces this year.

In 1962 the little South Carolinian not only batted .302 but led the American League in hits with 209, set a junior loop mark for most times at bat - 692 - and finished second to Mickey Mantle in the A.L. Most Valuable Player poll.

It is needless to mention that he was also outstanding in the field.

Bobby, who has been a member of the Yankee organization since June 1953, has other top moments as a Bomber.

He hit a grand slam homer in the World Series off Pittsburgh's Clem Labine on October 8, 1960, the same contest in which he set a record by batting six runs. He also batted in a total of 12 runs for the entire Classic for another record.

Richardson tied two other marks in the same Series by scoring eight runs and hitting two triples in one contest.

As a result of his top-notch work, he was awarded the Sport Magazine Corvette as the outstanding performer [Babe Ruth Award] in the '60 Series.

In the 1961 Classic against the Cincinnati Reds, Bobby again tied a Series mark by collecting nine hits in the five-game set.

Richardson has appeared in five Series, averaging .282, and one All-Star game.

For a little guy, he sure carries a lot of weight."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

"For a baseball player who never drinks, smokes, swears or argues, and who rarely hits home runs, Robert Clinton Richardson of Sumter, South Carolina and the New York Yankees leads an exciting life. Remember last October 16 in San Francisco's Candlestick Park. In front of 49 players, 43,948 fans and 55 million televiewers, second baseman Richardson ended the split-second suspense by throwing his hands chest high and catching Willie McCovey's line drive that ended the seven-game World Series.

Remember the 1961 World Series? Richardson tied a Series record with nine hits in five games, and his .391 batting average helped crush the Cincinnati Reds.

Remember the 1960 World Series? Richardson, who had a .252 average, one home run and 26 runs batted in all season, turned Tiger against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In seven games, with six singles, two doubles, two triples and a grand slam home run, he hit .367 and drove in a record 12 runs.

'I always thought records like this belonged to men such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio,' explained the 5-foot-9, soft-speaking singles hitter. 'I certainly shouldn't be classified in their category.'

Two years earlier, Richardson had rated himself much lower- in the failure range. 'Early in 1958, I was considering quitting baseball,' he admitted last season. 'I didn't feel as though my future was too solid as I had played only on a part-time basis in 1956 and 1957. I was thinking of going to school to get myself prepared for youth work.'

Now, limiting his youth work to the off-season, Richardson is the best all-around second baseman in the American League. 'He has wonderful hands, so quick and so sure,' says Yankee manager Ralph Houk. 'He can make the double play on the pivot and he can make it on the starting end.' As a hitter, Richardson improved immensely in 1962. Aided by his fastest start in six major league seasons, he finished with .302 and 209 hits in 161 games."

-Bill Wise, 1963 Official Baseball Almanac

"It seems merely the day before yesterday that Richardson came to the Yankees from Sumter, South Carolina via their farm operations in Binghamton and Denver (where he played for Ralph Houk). He was a chunky, quiet, bright-eyed youth in search of a job in a championship infield. Jerry  Coleman had gone past his peak; Billy Martin was a half-step slower than before. The job was waiting.

Could Bobby fill it? Said Coleman: 'Just a little polishing, like getting the ball away quicker, and he's your Yankee second baseman for the next 10 years.' Said Casey Stengel, in the midst of the most prosperous period ever enjoyed by a Yankee manager: 'This young fella makes the play toward first base better than any man I've ever seen. He's going to be great.'

Both prophecies have been more than fulfilled. Neither said anything about Bobby's becoming one of the game's most dangerous hitters, holder of a World Series batting record and a dynamic threat as the Yankee leadoff man.

In the company of such as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Elston Howard and Tony Kubek, Richardson radiates his own brilliance, not a reflected glory. Last season he was the second-best hitter on the Yankee club behind Mantle. He batted at a .302 clip, topping his previous high of 1959 by one percentage point. He collected 209 hits, most in the American League.

In company with the majority of Yankee hitters, Richardson had a poor '62 Series [until the final out of Game 7]. Pitching won for the Yankees, just as pitching almost beat them. But in the previous two Series, the Yankees had good plate performances, and Bobby contributed more than his share. In the five-game crushing of the Reds in '61, he was the outstanding hitter with a .391 average. The year before he came up with such records as six RBI's in a single game, and 12 RBI's in a seven-game Series. He was the outstanding performer despite the Yankees' loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he got a shiny new sports car as evidence.

The 209 hits Bobby collected en route to his fifth World Series represent the first over-200 performance on the club since Phil Rizzuto had a Most Valuable Player year in '50 and hit 200 right on the nose. Richardson has come along in the traditional Yankee mold: quiet, confident, and kill-you-if-you-make-a-mistake, buddy."

-Harold Rosenthal, Sports All-Stars 1963 Baseball

1963 Proifle: Tom Tresh

1963 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR

"Tom Tresh proved that sons of big-leaguers can improve on Daddy. Cracking 20 homers and sending in 93 runs, he also sparkled enough at shortstop and left field to earn Rookie of the Year laurels.

Born in Detroit, his father, Mike, was a meek-hitting catcher with the White Sox. Tom's training took him to New Orleans, St. Petersburg, Greensboro, Binghamton, Amarillo and Richmond. He attends Central Michigan U. between seasons."

-Don Schiffer, 1963 Major League Baseball Handbook

"When Tom Tresh won the coveted James Dawson Memorial Award (Longines watch) as the outstanding rookie in the Yankee spring training camp in 1962, it was obvious he was to become a top candidate for American League Rookie of the Year honors. He became the fourth Yankee to win the Rookie award, following Gil McDougald, Bob Grim and Tony Kubek. But no one, probably least of all himself, could have imagined that Tom would be the league's runner-up shortstop on the All-Star team, then move to left field to become the defensive star of the World Series.

Tom had a tremendous freshman season, filling in for Kubek at short until Tony returned from service. When Tresh moved to the outfield for the first time in his professional career, he played it as though it were second nature. He hit 20 homers, most in his pro career, 15 of these as a shortstop. He was third in club batting at .286, second to Roger Maris in RBIs at 93, and third in runs scored. Ten times Tommy knocked in the winning run, batting .356 in late-inning clutch situations. Tresh hit .307 right-handed, .287 lefty with 13 homers as a southpaw swinger.

He reported early to spring training this year to perfect his outfield play. During the winter, this fine young competitor resumed his college courses at Central Michigan University."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

"Son of former major league catcher Mike Tresh.

Signed by Yankee organization, January 14, 1958.

Named Rookie of the Year in International League, 1961.

Winner of James P. Dawson Award as outstanding Yankee rookie in spring training, 1962.

Named American League Rookie of the Year, 1962.

Attends Central Michigan University during off-season."

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"Tom Tresh, the American League Rookie of the Year in 1962, is ready to make his mark in 1963 as an equal partner in a Mantle-Maris-Tresh outfield, a combination that could blend into one of the top trios of the big time.

Tresh enjoyed a fabulous first year as a Yankee. Named by Manager Houk as the team's regular shortstop after a Spring battle for the spot with Phil Linz, Tresh took over the position like an old pro. His timely hitting, sharp fielding and all-around savvy quickly earned praise from players and fans alike.

When Tony Kubek returned from military service in August, Manager Houk had himself a problem. Kubek had been the Yanks' ace shortfielder before he went away. But Tresh was too good to sit on the bench.

So Houk moved young Tom to left field, a position he was unfamiliar with. Tresh solved the problem, though, as Houk felt he would, by performing in fine style as if he'd been New York's left fielder for years.

But the 24-year-old Tresh's finest hour was yet to come. It occurred in the fifth game of the World Series before 63,000 people at the Stadium. The Yanks and Giants were deadlocked at two games apiece, and this pivotal contest was tied at 2-2 as Tresh faced tough Jack Sanford in the eighth inning with two Yanks on base.

Batting left-handed, the switch-hitting rookie tied into one of Sanford's shots, lining it into the right field stands to clinch the victory.

Keep your eye on this son of former A.L. catcher Mike Tresh. He's going to be around for a long, long time."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

"He uses a Mickey Mantle model glove. He wears T-shirts with the portraits and autographs of Roger Maris and Yogi Berra printed on them. And he clips and saves New York Yankee box scores from the newspapers. At 24, Tom Tresh, a blond All-America boy type, is one of the Yankees' biggest fans. He is also a Yankee star and the American League's Rookie of 1962.

'We expected Tommy to have a good rookie season, but he surprised us,' says New York manager Ralph Houk. 'He did an exceptional job at shortstop for us until Tony Kubek came back from the Army. Then he did an even better job in left field. Tommy's got quite a future.'

In the 1962 World Series, Tresh, who batted .286 with 20 home runs and 93 runs batted in (four more than hero Mantle and only seven less than Yankee leader Maris) during the regular season, was sensational. He had nine hits (including a three-run homer to win the fifth game), more than anyone else in the Series, and made a spectacular catch to save the seventh game.

Yet as late as the last two weeks of spring training, Tresh, a $30,000 Yankee bonus boy and son of one-time Chicago White Sox catcher Mike Tresh, was one of two New York rookies (the other: Phil Linz) competing for the job left open by Kubek's recall to service. 'Even when I went to a game when my father was catching, I always dreamed of one day being a Yankee,' said Tresh last spring. 'I'd rather sit on the Yankee bench than play for any other team.'

After the Series, Tresh returned to his home in Taylor, Michigan and his physical education studies at Central Michigan University. 'It's still a little dreamlike,' said folk singing, guitar playing Tresh last winter. 'You want something so much for so long and then suddenly it all happens in one season. Making the Yankees, playing in the World Series, and winning the award. I don't think I'll be getting over this season for a long, long time.'"

-1963 Official Baseball Almanac

"Tom Tresh, the American League's prize rookie, hits second behind Bobby Richardson [Sports All-Stars 1963 Baseball all-star batting order]. In a number of games in the '62 season, Tom batted third. It has been many a year since a Yankee rookie has been accorded this distinction.

Tresh was equal to the spot, just as he was equal to Houk's decision to switch him from shortstop to left field, traditional Yankee trouble spot, when Tony Kubek returned from Army service. In the World Series, Tresh won a game with a homer and saved the finale with an almost-forgotten heart-stopping catch. Had the longest Series in a half-century dragged on even further, the crew-cut young man from Michigan would undoubtedly have found more ways to show his talents.

These he comes by naturally. Tom's father, Mike, was a catcher with the White Sox and Indians a couple of decades ago. He helped his son toward a major league career, taught him to become a switch-hitter. The Yankees can give the opposition successive switch-hitters in Tresh and Mantle, an awesome handicap for rival [pitching] staffs.

Tresh is a Yankee all the way, from the $30,000 investment spread over a three-year period as bonus and salary to his Rookie of the Year selection. He climbed the ladder from Class D with stops at St. Petersburg, New Orleans, Greensboro, N.C., Binghamton, N.Y., and finally Richmond before coming up to the big leagues.

In St. Pete he came close to changing his batting style, and he smiles when he recalls it: 'A day or two before the season started we played an exhibition game and I asked our manager if it was all right if I batted right-handed against this right-handed pitcher they had going.

' 'Okay,' he said, so I did, and hit two home runs and got two other hits for a [4-for-4] game. Afterward, I got to feeling pretty good. I asked him if it was all right if I forgot about being a switch-hitter.

' 'I'll call New York and let you know,' he said. The next day, in the clubhouse I asked about it. The manager almost jumped. 'Hey,' he shouted, 'you should have heard what they said when I suggested it. The answer is 'NO!' '

Does Tresh's future lie in the outfield or infield? The question was first spotlighted the August night Houk moved him into left field.

'Let's face it,' offered Tom. 'As an outfielder, I'll have to hit a lot more than .280 to do well. With that kind of hitting, a shortstop in demand, but a .280 outfielder isn't as valuable, so I may not make as much money.

'On the other hand, I realize that if I do hit well enough I can have a longer and better career as an outfielder. I'm pretty big and pounding those hard infields takes something out of your legs.'

He took the sting out of the initial Giant bid in the final game of the World Series with a tremendous catch on a Willie Mays drive curving into the left field corner. Willie hit it so hard the gusty wind in Candlestick Park had scant effect on the ball.

Tresh chased it into the corner, realizing it was going to be a one-hander. He gloved the ball, reached over with his bare hand to keep it from falling out, then smashed into the wall.

This momentous catch set the stage for Bobby Richardson's equally dramatic one on Willie McCovey for the final out two innings later.

He's in our all-star lineup at short to put extra power in the infield. Come to think of it, 20 homers and 93 runs batted in doesn't constitute any  powder-puff performance for an outfielder, either."

-Harold Rosenthal, Sports All-Stars 1963 Baseball

1963 Profile: Roger Maris

"For those who expected too much of him, Roger Maris disappointed in 1962 with 33 homers and 100 RBIs. Few gave him credit, however, for his outstanding defensive play and superior team spirit in a year when he was hampered by a lame shoulder.

The Fargo (ND) fireball, who exploded a record 61 homers in 1961, has led the club in driving home runs in his three years in New York. He was with the Indians and Athletics and has yet to hit .300 in six seasons."

-Don Schiffer, 1963 Major League Baseball Handbook

"The other half of the legendary M & M outfield duo, Roger Maris has had three highly productive seasons as a Yankee. The all-time home run champion (61 in 1961) retained his Yankee laurels last season with a reduced output of 33 to bring his three-season total to 133. Roger is famed for his home run production, but it is his all-around play that has contributed to the last three pennants and two World Series triumphs scored by the Yanks. A fine outfielder and a good baserunner, Rog is still aiming at that .300 batting mark for a season. He has totaled 100 or more runs batted in a year for all three Yankee seasons and twice has won the American League's Most Valuable Player award (1960 and 1961). Winner of the coveted Hickock Belt as the Top Professional Athlete of 1961 and a host of other awards, Roger Maris at 28 should still have his most productive seasons ahead of him.

But despite his personal accomplishments, the right fielder aims to contribute to another successful pennant drive for the Yankees."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Traded to New York Yankees with first baseman Kent Hadley and shortstop Joe DeMaestri for pitcher Don Larsen, first baseman Marv Throneberry and outfielders Hank Bauer and Norm Siebern, December 1959.

Led American League in runs batted in (112), 1960.

Led American League in slugging percentage (.581), 1960.

Hit home run in first World Series at-bat, October 5, 1960.

American League Most Valuable Player, 1960.

Hit 61 home runs in 1961- more than any player in one season.

Combined with Mickey Mantle to break Babe Ruth's and Lou Gehrig's 1927 home run record for teammates (107) with 115.

Set American League record for most home runs in six consecutive games (7), 1961.

Led American League in runs batted in (142), 1961.

Tied for American League lead in runs scored (132), 1961.

Winner of Hickok Belt as Top Professional Athlete of the Year, 1961.

American League Most Valuable Player, 1961.

Associated Press Athlete of the Year, 1961.

Led Yankees in runs batted in (100), 1962.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"Although Roger Maris dropped off greatly from his 1961 performance of 61 home runs and 142 runs batted to 33 HR and 100 RBI for 1962, he still was an important factor in the Yankee pennant victory.

On many occasions, he contributed the key hit or game-winning round-tripper that kept the Bombers going in the right direction.

True, with his .256 average and forced benching for a short period, Rog lost much prestige, as witnessed by his not getting a single vote in the MVP poll in which Mantle and Richardson ran one-two. Maris had won that prize two years running, in 1960 and 1961.

So you can be sure he's really out to bounce back to the top of the heap in 1963.

Rog began his major league career with the Cleveland Indians in 1957 after four years of minor league experience. He was swapped by the Tribe on June 15, 1958 to the Kansas City A's, along with pitcher Dick Tomanek and infielder Preston Ward, in exchange for first baseman Vic Power and shortstop Woody Held.

After a fair-to-middling 1959 campaign, the A's traded Maris to the Yanks that December, along with first sacker Kent Hadley and shortstop Joe DeMaestri, for outfielders Hank Bauer and Norm Siebern, first baseman Marv Throneberry and pitcher Don Larsen.

Since he became a member of the Stadium crew, Rog has done many things and won many honors. Here are a few:

Won the Hickock Belt as Top Pro Athlete of 1961; A.L. MVP 1960-61; AP Pro Athlete of the Year, 1961; set A.L. mark with seven homers in six straight games in '61; led A.L. in slugging percentage, 1960; hit home run in first time at bat in World Series, October 5, 1960; named Player of the Year by The Sporting News in 1961.

The 28-year-old Maris, who resides in Independence, MO, has appeared in three World Series with the Bombers and has represented the junior loop in seven All-Star contests."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

"In 1960 when he came to the New York Yankees from Kansas City, Roger Maris was criticized for not being as good as his teammate Mickey Mantle. That season, Maris drove in 112 runs to lead the American League and won the Most Valuable Player award.

In 1961, Maris was criticized for not being as good as Babe Ruth. That season Maris hit 61 home runs, surpassing Ruth's record of 60, and again won the MVP award.

In 1962, Maris finally met his match. He hit 33 home runs and drove in 100 runs, but to everyone, including the outfielder himself, it was obvious that Maris was not as good as Roger Maris and probably never would be. 'Even when he hit 61, Roger knew he wasn't that good,' says one Yankee. 'He's a fine ballplayer, but when people know you've done it once and when they're paying you $100,000 to do it again, they expect perfection.'

By mid-season, he was barely batting over .200 and was the favorite target of every sniping writer and booing fan in every American League city, including New York. 'After a while, I just tried to forget about everything and just try to salvage something out of the season,' he says. Though he hit only .256, he still led the club in homers and RBIs, and he still was one of the best defensive right fielders in baseball."

-Bill Wise, 1963 Official Baseball Almanac

1963 Profile: Mickey Mantle

1963 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR

"Neither tape nor aches could prevent Mickey Mantle from gaining the Most Valuable award for the third time. The Spavinaw (OK) switcher was the second-best hitter (.321) and rapped 30 circuits to go to 404 in the lifetime tables. Experts claim he would be the greatest of all if blessed with freedom from physical ailments.

Mantle  joined Yankees in 1951, has bettered .300 in eight seasons and has hit .309 lifetime."

-Don Schiffer, 1963 Major League Baseball Handbook

"No man has won more Most Valuable Player Awards than Yankee star Mickey Mantle. Last summer, despite physical handicaps, Mickey captured his third MVP. He is one of the most honored men in baseball history.

Today he ranks seventh on the all-time home run list with 404 at the start of the season. He needs just one more homer to equal Babe Ruth's still standing World Series record of 15. One of the game's more dynamic figures, Mantle is a versatile player on the field. A great outfielder and brilliant switch-hitter, Mantle is also a fine base runner. He stole nine bases last year without being tossed out. For his career, he has swiped 133 bases and been thrown out only 30 times, a remarkable .816 average.

Mantle was the last player to win the Triple Crown. He is a past Hickock Belt winner and won the Sporting News designation as Player of the Year 1956. For 12 seasons Mickey Mantle has been a truly great Yankee, in the tradition of his predecessor, Joe DiMaggio. Mickey, too, is a team man as 10 American League pennants since he joined the club would testify."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Signed by Yankee organization, June 13, 1949.

One of eight to hit grand slam home run in World Series game, thereby tying record for most RBIs, one inning (4), October 4, 1953.

Hit three home runs in one game, May 13, 1955.

Led American League in home runs (37), 1955.

Led majors in slugging percentage (.611), 1955.

Led American League in home runs (52), 1956.

Led majors in slugging percentage (.705), 1956.

Last player to win Triple Crown, 1956.

Winner of Hickok Belt as Top Professional Athlete, 1956.

Most Valuable Player in American League, 1956.

Named Major League Player of the Year by The Sporting News, 1956.

Most Valuable Player in American League, 1957.

Led American League in home runs (42), 1958.

One of four to twice hit two home runs in one World Series game, October 2, 1958, and October 6, 1960.

Led American League in home runs (40), 1960.

Shares World Series record for most hits in one game (4), October 8, 1960.

Shares World Series record for most runs scored, seven-game World Series (8), 1960.

Led majors in slugging percentage (.687), 1961.

Tied major league record by hitting four home runs in four consecutive at-bats, July 4-6, 1962.

Led majors in slugging percentage (.605), 1962.

Most Valuable Player in American League, 1962.

Needs one more World Series home run to equal Babe Ruth's all-time record (15).

Has hit homers righty and lefty in the same game nine times, a major league record.

Ranks seventh on all-time home run list (404).

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"Mickey Mantle is being paid $100,000 by the Yankees this year. If he again leads them to the American League flag, he'll be cheap at the price.

A very crippled Mr. Mantle paced the Bombers to the 1962 pennant while appearing in only 123 games. When he was in the lineup, the Bombers were at their best. Without Mickey, the Yankees were, well, just not quite the same ball club. That's why he was voted the American League's Most Valuable award for the third time in his spectacular career.

Compared to other seasons, 1962 wasn't one of his best statistically. He made only 121 hits, hit 30 homers and knocked in 89 runs.

But he was the clutch man when the going got rough.

To wit:

On May 17, he scored the winning run in the ninth against the Boston Red Sox on a walk, stolen base, wild throw and sacrifice. The next night, against the Minnesota Twins, his leg buckled under him, tearing a thigh muscle and sidelining him for a month.

On June 16, in his first time up since the injury, he hit a three-run pinch-homer against the Cleveland Indians.

He tied a major league mark by hitting four homers in four consecutive times at bat on July 4 and 6.

On July 20, his two-run round-tripper and a pair of singles downed the Washington Senators, 3-2.

On August 19, he batted in seven runs against the A's, one of his hits being a grand slam.

On August 28, his two-run homer nipped the Tribe.

After being out a week with a strained rib muscle, he belted the 400th homer of his career on September 10 to beat the Tigers.

On September 12, his three-run home run downed the Indians, 5-2.

On September 18, his two boundary blasts accounted for five RBI in a 7-1 triumph over the Nats.

For the curious, the switch-hitting slugger batted .325 left-handed (83-for-255 with 26 HR) and .311 righty (38-for-122 with four HR).

On May 6, 1962, Mickey switch-hit two homers in a contest against Washington, the ninth time he has performed that feat, which is a major league record.

Mantle also stole nine bases in nine attempts. Since he joined the Bombers in 1951, Mantle has stolen 133 bases in 163 attempts for a neat .816 percentage.

Among the highlights of Mantle's career have been:

Most Valuable Player, AL 1956-57-62; seventh in all-time home run derby with 404 at the beginning of the 1963 campaign; last player to win the Triple Crown (BA, HR, RBI titles) in 1956; won the Hickock Belt as Top Pro Athlete of 1956; Sporting News Major League Player of the Year, 1956; American League home run king, 1955-56-58-60; hit three homers in one game, May 13, 1955; hit grand slam in the World Series twice; made four hits in one Series game in 1960; hit two HR in a Series game twice and has 14 Series homers, one short of Babe Ruth's all-time mark."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

"In the spring of 1951, New York Yankee scout Bill Essick was asked about a very promising 19-year-old rookie named Mickey Mantle. 'This is the kind of kid a scout dreams of,' said the scout who had signed Tony Lazzeri, Lefty Gomez, Frank Crosetti and Joe DiMaggio. 'If you come up with one like this in your lifetime, you're lucky.'

In the fall of 1951, after center fielder DiMaggio retired, Yankee manager Casey Stengel named Mantle the probable successor. 'I could never begin to fill the shoes of Joe DiMaggio,' said Mantle, humbly but hopefully. 'All I can do is my best, and I'll sure give that. It's a great break for me.'

The change also worked out well for New York. The Yankees, who had won ten pennants in thirteen years with DiMaggio, won nine pennants in eleven years with Mantle. DiMaggio won the American League's Most Valuable Player award three times; Mantle, after losing to teammate Roger Maris by four points in 1960 and three points in 1961, finally won his third MVP award in 1962- by a landslide over teammate Bobby Richardson.

'It really was a big surprise,' said Mantle, who, in 123 games, hit .321 [.486 OBP, .605 SA, 1.091 OPS] with 30 home runs and 89 runs batted in. 'I thought Bobby would win. I'm happy to receive the award, and I'd like to be the first (major leaguer ever) to win it four times.'

He will be, if last season is any criterion. The blond, 6-foot, 200-pound muscleman, who in previous seasons had missed games because of a tonsillectomy, a cyst, an abscess, and injuries to his right knee, right thigh, right shoulder and right index finger, tore a muscle in his upper right thigh on May 18. The Yankees split their next 30 games and tumbled to fourth place. Mantle, called B and G (for Blood and Guts) by some teammates, limped back into the starting lineup on June 22. Ten days later, the Yankees were back in first place."

-Bill Wise, 1963 Official Baseball Almanac

"Mickey Charles Mantle, the No. 1 star of the American League, has the position of honor in the all-star batting order, fourth [Sports All-Stars 1963 Baseball all-star batting order]. The Yankees' ace, three times Most Valuable Player, twice runner-up, stroked 30 homers, drove in 89 runs, won his fourth slugging title and rose from tenth to seventh on the all-time home run list. He and Stan Musial are the only active players who have topped the 400-homer mark. (Eddie Mathews has 399).

Mantle came up to the Yankees in 1951 as Joe DiMaggio was fading from the picture. Desperate for a new box office hero, the club ordered a full head of steam on promotion and publicity about the 19-year-old Oklahoma country boy. Some of the cacophony sounded almost as silly as it did raucous. 'DiMaggio? Mickey will be greater,' was the incredible assertion. 'The kid can do everything.'

Red were the faces of the front office tub-thumpers when the youth was sent down to Kansas City for further seasoning. 'See,' said the scoffers, 'now they'll have to go find someone else.'

But Mantle was back the next year and gained No. 3 honors in the Most Valuable Player balloting. His showing in the MVP competition placed him far beyond any other player once Yogi Berra, the Yankees' senior citizen, dropped out of the running.

Just as ballplayers rate the MVP award as a true measure of a player's value, they rate the Yankees as just another ball club without Mickey.

'They [the Yankees] might be able to make it without someone else; they can't do it without Mantle,' is the word around the A.L.

Hurt attempting to beat out a game-ending roller against the Twins on May 18, Mickey missed 28 games with a combination of a pulled groin muscle and an injured knee. During that time the Yankees lost exactly half their games, a non-pennant pace.

The New Yorkers finally won the flag in the last week of the season after surprising opposition from the Twins and the Angels. They won with a .593 rate. (The year before, crushing a Detroit bid, they racked up a .673 percentage.) Without Mantle, they played at a .500 pace- with him they were .625. Even if his career record wasn't there for all to see, 1962's statistics would prove his value.

In the last decade, the Yankees have been pretty much made over. Only three survivors of the 1951 club- Mantle, Berra and Whitey Ford- played in last year's Series. (Whitey was in the Army in '51, but he had been a member of the championship 1950 club.)

The fat part of Mickey's career is behind him. With friends, he discusses how much more time he has left in the majors. Four years, three years?

There are two Yankee immortals ahead of the Mick among the all-time hitters, Ruth and Gehrig, both lefty swingers. Mickey is the only switch-hitter who has come this far.

Like Musial and one or two others, Mickey is ticketed for certain Hall of Fame distinction when his playing days are over. Unlike Musial and the others, he has overcome a series of injuries and ailments that would have floored a player less determined. The Yankees list eight major medical crises in his life just before the 1961 World Series. They've thrown out the countless 'pulls, twists and aches' as inconsequential, just as Mickey has.

One of these seasons some bright, eager-eyed youth is going to step into center field for the Yankees, pound his glove in anticipation, and embark on a star career, just as Mantle did in 1951. When that time comes, Mantle's memory will diminish, as it must. But it will fade slowly."

-Harold Rosenthal, Sports All-Stars 1963 Baseball

1963 Yankees Manager and Coaches Profiles

RALPH HOUK (Manager)

1963 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR (Manager)

"Ralph Houk is for his men, right or wrong. Never known to criticize, unless directly to the player, he's tactful and discreet but goes into uncontrollable rages when disagreeing with umpires. Born in Lawrence, Kansas, he was a Yankee catcher for parts of eight years and set some sort of record by never hitting a home run.

He managed three years at Denver, molding some of Yankees who later helped win pennants. A combat officer in World II, he's affectionately called Major."

-Don Schiffer, 1963 Major League Baseball Handbook

"Ralph Houk has been a man of destiny in the New York Yankee organization. Through perseverance, aggressiveness and intelligent application, Ralph Houk succeeded to the most glamorous and yet most challenging position in sports - manager of the Yankees. To term his first two years an unqualified success is to say the obvious.

Only three managers in the game's history ever won a World Series in their first year as pilot. Houk is the first ever to win in his first two seasons at the helm. It would be hard to improve on "two for two."

But Ralph had to do it the hard way, and maybe that's why his success has been so rewarding and so gratifying.

Houk first signed with the Yankee organization in 1939. He worked his way up through the minor league system with stops at Neosho, Joplin, Binghamton, Augusta, Beaumont and Kansas City before he was finally assigned to the Yankee club in 1947. He had spent four full seasons in military service and came out a decorated combat hero with the rank of Major.

Now, after eight long years, he was a Yankee. But there were more disappointments. There was a young catcher by the name of Berra who was just starting to make it big with the Bombers. And so, Ralph went back to the K.C. Blues for most of the 1948 and '49 seasons. He came close to quitting, but his desire to be a Yankee kept him in baseball. He was a sub catcher from 1950 through 1954 and served also as a coach in 1953 and '54.

Then the Major got his opportunity to manage in the minors, taking over the Yanks' top farm club at Denver. His clubs always were in the race and he piloted the Bears to a Little World Series triumph in 1957. This was an indication of things to come. He returned to the Yankees as first base coach in 1958 and was fully prepared for the manager's post when the opportunity came after the 1960 season.

In 1961, he won The Sporting News designation as American League Manager of the Year. He has earned the confidence and respect of his players and the admiration of his opponents. Ralph Houk today is manager of the World Champions in the truest tradition of his Yankee predecessors."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Coach, New York Yankees, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959 and 1960.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"Bomber Boss Ralph Houk is out to tie an old record this season. Not since Hughie Jennings guided the Detroit Tigers to successive pennants in 1907-08-09 has a major league manager won flags during his first three seasons as a big-time pilot. Houk has two to his credit thus far. There's one big difference between Houk's and Jennings' marks. The old Tiger manager never captured a World Series, while Ralph has yet to drop one.

Though a veteran of only 91 major league games as a catcher spread over eight active years with the Yankees, Houk has long been regarded as one of the game's best brains.

Discovered by the late Bomber scout Bill Essick, Houk began his pro career with Neosho of the Arkansas-Missouri loop in 1939. He also performed with Joplin, Binghamton and Augusta before enlisting in the army as a private. He came out of the service a major in the Rangers, receiving a battlefield commission. He was awarded, among other citations, the Silver Star for heroic action in Luxembourg in 1944.

After catching for Kansas City and Beaumont, Houk joined the Yanks in 1947, remaining with the parent club through the '54 campaign, except for short tenures with the KC American Association farm in '48 and '49.

Ralph piloted Denver for three seasons, 1955-56-57, finishing second twice and third once, before returning to the stadium as a coach under Casey Stengel in 1958.

The Bomber pilot resides in Saddle River, New Jersey, with his wife, Bette, and two of his three children - Dick, 19 and Bobby, 13. Donna, 21, is married.

Houk's favorite hobbies are hunting, fishing and winning pennants."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

YOGI BERRA (Coach)

"It may seem a bit strange to read of Yogi Berra on the coaching page but the indomitable Berra now serves as first base signalman along with his catching and pinch-hitting duties. After 17 seasons in the Yankee pinstripes, no one could be better qualified to handle the coaching reins than the popular Yogi."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Signed by Yankee organization, November 11, 1942.

First player to hit pinch homer in World Series, accomplishing feat against Brooklyn, October 2, 1947.

Named American League's Most Valuable Player, 1951.

Tied with Gus Triandos, most home runs in one season by American League catcher (30), 1952 and 1956.

Named American League's Most Valuable Player, 1954.

Named American League's Most Valuable Player, 1955.

One of eight players, six of whom are Yankees, to hit a grand slam in a World Series game, October 5, 1956, against Brooklyn.

Has hit more home runs than any major league catcher in history (305) while hitting 45 as an outfielder.

Has played in most World Series games (74) in major league history.

Has most hits in World Series (71) in major league history.

Has most RBIs in World Series (39) in major league history.

Has most chances, catcher in World Series, lifetime

Has most putouts, catcher in World Series, lifetime

Has most assists, catcher in World Series, lifetme.

Signed dual contract as player-coach, January 17, 1963.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

FRANKIE CROSETTI (Coach)

"After 111 World Series games as a player and coach in 21 of the Yankees' record 27 classics, Frank Crosetti still has the enthusiasm of a young player. Cro has been third base coach since 1949 after playing shortstop for 17 years. Crosetti is now in his 32nd consecutive year as a Yankee."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

"The familiar figure of Frank Crosetti will man the third base coaching box at the Stadium once again this season, the 32nd straight campaign he has worn a Bomber uniform.

Frank was one of the game's top shortstops by the time he came to New York from the San Francisco Seals in 1932. He stepped aside for Phil Rizzuto in 1941.

Crosetti, 51, is a father of two. A Yank coach since 1947, he appeared in seven World Series and one All-Star game. He holds several major league and Series marks."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

Has appeared on 21 of the 27 Yankee pennant-winning clubs.

Played or coached in record 111 World Series games.

Coach, New York Yankees, 1947 through 1962.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

JIM HEGAN (Coach)

"Jim now is in his fourth season as Yankee catching and bullpen coach, after a distinguished career of 18 seasons behind the plate, most of them in Cleveland. He was in two Series with the Indians and twice played in the All-Star game. Jim's son, Mike, is an outstanding first base prospect in the Yankee farm system."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

"Head man of the Bomber bullpen brigade is rangy Jim Hegan, a Yankee aide since July 1960. Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, Hegan is married and has two children.

A fine defensive catcher during his playing days, Hegan caught three no-hit games for the Cleveland Indians: Don Black's triumph over Philadelphia, July 10, 1947; Lemon's gem against Detroit, June 30, 1948; and Bob Feller's third no-hitter, July 1, 1951, against Detroit."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

Coach, New York Yankees, 1960 through 1962.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

JOHNNY SAIN (Coach)

"Johnny is credited with an important contribution to the improvement of the Yankee pitching staff. This is his third season in that capacity. He was a standout pitcher for the Boston Braves, winning 20 games four times. Late in his career he was a relief ace for the Yankees."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

"Launching his third season as Yankee pitching mentor is 43-year-old Johnny Sain, Yankee relief ace of 1952-53-54.

Sain, a major league hurler from 1942 through 1955 with the Boston Braves, Yanks and Kansas City A's, coached for KC briefly in 1959.

A 20-game winner four times, Sain led the NL in complete games twice, teaming with Warren Spahn in 1948 to pitch the Braves to the pennant.

Sain is married and has four children."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

Coach, Kansas City Athletics, 1959.

Coach, New York Yankees, 1961 and 1962.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

DALE LONG

"Dale Long won't be seen in action too often at Yankee Stadium this year, but he plays a vital role nevertheless. The 37-year-old veteran from Massachusetts is an important left-handed pinch-hitter and utility first baseman. In the latter category, Dale will fill in at first whenever Manager Houk thinks it advisable. And he'll do a competent job in both duties.

His first 1963 game will be Dale's 1,000th as a major leaguer. He won early recognition as a first baseman in the National League, serving with six other clubs before getting to the Yanks. In 1956 with the Pirates, Dale hit eight home runs in eight consecutive games, a major league record. Lifetime, Dale has hit .267 (.270 in the National League and .257 in the American)."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Established major league record with eight home runs in eight consecutive games, with Pirates, May 19-28, 1956.

Tied major league record with two consecutive pinch-hit home runs, August 13-14, 1959.

Released to New York Yankees from San Francisco Giants, August 22, 1960.

Tied major league record by scoring three men on a single, September 21, 1960.

Selected by Washington Senators from Yankees in American League Expansion Draft, December 1960.

Purchased by Yankees from Senators on waivers, July 11, 1962.

His first game in 1963 will be his 1,000th in the majors.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"Handy to Manager Ralph Houk to beckon for spot duty at the initial sack or for late-inning pinch-hit calls is Dale Long, the 37-year-old veteran now in his second stint with the Bombers.

Long, purchased on waivers by the Yanks from the San Francisco Giants on August 22, 1960, was selected by the Washington Senators in the A.L. expansion draft in December of 1960. The Yanks didn't feel too good about losing Long, either, for in 26 games with the club, he compiled a .366 average. Seven of his 15 hits were for extra bases, three being home runs. He also had 10 RBI.

Thus, when the Nats put Long on waivers last July, the Yanks brought him back.

Long established a major league mark in May 1956 while with the Pirates, by clouting eight homers in eight consecutive games. He tied big-time marks with two straight pinch-hit round-trippers in August of 1959, and by scoring three men on a single, September 21, 1960."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

1963 Profile: Harry Bright

Born September 22, 1929, Kansas City, Mo., resides in Sacramento, Cal. Ht.: 6-0, Wt.: 190. Bats right, throws right.

Pennsylvania Dutch, married.

Veteran of 12 seasons in minors, last four with AAA Sacramento. In '58 hit .309 in 94 games; previously hit .305, .284, .263.

Led Class C West Texas-New Mexico League with .413 in 95 games in '50. Managed Class D Janesville in '52. Voted outstanding Pacific Coast League third baseman in '56.

Scouting report: "Hits from open stance. Seldom pulls. Below average power. Ordinary range in field. Fair utility man. Twilight zone [sic] major leaguer."

-from Scouting Reports, Baseball Digest, March 1959

IS THIS BRIGHT?

"They tell a funny one on Harry Bright, one-time Pirate utility hand, now playing in the same capacity with Mickey Vernon in Washington.

Bright, a resident of Sacramento, played for that club in the Pacific Coast League. 'It was Opening Day and we had a full house on hand,' our storyteller recalls. 'Harry was playing third base. The other club got a man on first in the opening inning. The next batter hit a grounder to Bright. Harry grabbed the ball and walked over and stepped on third base. He was quite embarrassed and didn't get over that skull for a long while.' "

-Jack Hernon, Pittsburgh Gazette (Baseball Digest, October 1961)

HE MAY BE BRIGHT BUT- IT TOOK HIM 16 YEARS TO FIND FIRST BASE

"On the morning last February when Harry James Bright reported to the Washington Senators' training camp at Pompano Beach, Fla., he walked into the clubhouse and placed three catchers' mitts on the top shelf of his locker. He hadn't caught for ten years, or since he was the boy manager of Janesville in 1952, when he also played shortstop, third base and the outfield.

'Not even one finger mitt this year?' a baseball writer asked, because when Harry first came to the Senators in 1961 it was as a third baseman.

'Not one,' Bright smiled. 'I either make it this way,' pointing to his catcher's tools, 'or I'm out of the big leagues- again.'

'I told Mickey Vernon that I never wanted to see Harry wearing a finger mitt again,' President Pete Quesada explained. 'He was one of the worst third basemen I ever saw. I liked his bat, and so did Mickey, but he made me shudder at third base.'

If the pun will be pardoned (it seems almost unavoidable, anyway), things didn't look too bright for Harry Bright in spring training. The Senators had picked up Ken Retzer and Bob Schmidt and still had Pete Daley. It was up to a rusty 32-year-old jack-of-all-trades to beat out one of them.

As the days rolled by and Dale Long held out it seemed as if manager Vernon himself might have to play first base during the exhibition games. Bud Zipfel, the only other first baseman, was still in the Marine Corps. Mickey announced that Chuck Hinton, an outfielder, would play first base in the interim.

'You're not going to do much catching,' a baseball scribe said to Bright. 'Why don't you declare your eligibility as a first baseman? You've done everything else during a weird career, including taking tickets and getting released by the Yankees, Tigers, Cubs and Pirates, some of these clubs after more than one look.'

The Cubs, ten years ago, told Harry that Class A was as high as he could go and he would do well to play and manage in the Wisconsin State League, which he did at age of 22 ... after, at the age of 18, 'retiring' from pro ball in favor of the furniture business as a salesman.

'I can't very well ask Mickey to play at first base,' Harry replied, 'but I'd appreciate it if you'd put a bug in his ear some day. You know, casual-like.'

'I've been thinking about it,' Vernon said, when the matter was duly brought up, and so Bright appeared with a first baseman's mitt (possibly hidden in his locker all the time). When Long ended his holdout Hinton returned to the outfield.

Now, until Zipfel was sprung from the Marines, Bright was the No. 2 first baseman. But his status was as precarious as when he was considered a catching candidate.

This is all leading up to something, so be patient. Long was finally signed and was a fireball during spring training. Zipfel reported and was deemed not ready for the majors. Then Dale tailed off badly and, suddenly, the Senators' first baseman was Harry James Bright, who during all of his 16 years in pro ball had never paid any attention to first base, except to tag it.

'Frankly, I don't think I played first more than ten games in my life,' Harry said recently. 'But I think it agrees with me, don't you?'

To that president Quesada and Vernon would have to say yes. Indeed, Quesada put it this way: 'I'm tempted to use the phrase 'star of the team,' except that we really don't have a star at the moment. But Harry Bright has been the consistent plugger ... the spark of the ball club. It's amazing to me the way he's learned to use the first baseman's mitt. He makes the plays on the opposite side of the infield that he couldn't make at third base. If Harry had started at first base ten years ago he would have made himself a lot of money.'

Quesada is the first to admit that the Senators were blindly lucky to have landed Bright, who not only was one of their leading hitters but also the top man in every department that Hinton wasn't heading up. And Hinton had played in 20 more games than Bright.

'As soon as we returned to Washington after the American League expansion draft in Boston,' Pete was saying, 'we got an offer from Pittsburgh for Bobby Shantz, whom we drafted for $75,000.

'I guess we sort of had the Pirates over a barrel. They had just won the World Series in 1960 and wanted a relief pitcher to insure a second pennant. We wanted Bennie Daniels because of his potential. Next, we wanted R.C. Stevens, a right-handed hitting first baseman. We got both but I think it was Mickey (Vernon) who insisted on a throw-in.

'The throw-in was Harry Bright. I'd never heard of him. I don't think that Ed Doherty had ever heard of him, either. But Vernon had been a coach for the Pirates and he must have seen Bright swing a bat somewhere along the line. Well, I guess Mickey must have insisted on a three-for-one trade for Shantz, and the low man on the totem pole, Bright, wound up on top.'

Harry, even in a minor key, is what Stymie and Seabiscuit and Carry Back were in horse racing. He epitomizes what Rafer Johnson, a one-time cripple, was to track and field. They were all once regarded as losers.

Harry Bright, once regarded as a loser, has become a winner. For how long, nobody knows."

-Francis Stann, Washington Starr (Baseball Digest, October-November 1962)

"Perhaps Harry has changed the minds of those who tabbed him for the big league ash pile. Power and concentration are his most admirable factors, and his .273 and 17 homers for Washington in 1962 are worthy credentials.

Born in Kansas City, Bright played for 14 teams in the minors over 13 years and spent time in Pittsburgh in 1959. He can play first or third base and will be a helpful utility figure in Cincy."

-Don Schiffer, 1963 Major League Baseball Handbook

"Last year Harry Bright had a remarkably good season with the Washington Senators for whom he hit 17 homers as a part-time first baseman. During the off-season he was traded to Cincinnati and was purchased by the Yankees from the Reds on April 21. The Bombers felt the need for more right-handed bench power and an occasional right-handed replacement for Joe Pepitone at first.

That Harry would get into 27 games in his first two months as a Yankee was not anticipated. Neither was his .316 batting average and 12 RBIs in that brief span of time.

Harry has been a productive jack-of-all-trades to date. He's played first acceptably, filled at third base when Clete Boyer was forced to move to shortstop for a spell, has served ably as a pinch hitter and will catch or play the outfield if he's asked to do so.

Originally signed by the Yankee organization in 1946, Bright has wandered the baseball trail, playing for 17 different clubs in his 17 pro seasons. He smiles at being a Yankee now and most certainly making the most of it!"

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Harry James Bright (1B-OF)     #14

Born September 22, 1929, in Kansas City, Mo., resides in Sacramento, Cal. Ht.: 6-0, Wt.: 195. Bats right, throws right.

Married and father of one girl, Linda (11).

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

1963 Profile: Jack Reed

"A member of the Yankee organization for 10 years, popular Jack Reed made it with the champions as an outfield defensive specialist. Last season he often served as Mickey Mantle's "legs," replacing the Bomber star in late innings. 

But it was as the offensive hero that Jack made the headlines a year ago. It was a game he'll never forget. He hit his first major league homer in the 22nd inning at Detroit to win the longest game in baseball history, seven hours. Later in the season, with more frequent use, Reed upped his batting average to .302.

During the off-season in Mississippi, Jack took special exercises to strengthen his arms and wrists and came to spring training determined to provide offensive as well as defensive help to manager Ralph Houk. He hit well in spring, and with more regular season work (caused by a flock of early season Yankee injuries), Reed fulfilled his promise. After two months he was hitting .286."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

John Burwell Reed (OF)     #27

Born February 2, 1933, in Silver City, Miss., where he resides. Height: 6-1, weight: 194. Bats right, throws right.

Married and father of one son, John Jr. (7), and two girls, Gai (2) and Rae Anne (3 months).

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Was defensive halfback alongside All-Pro Jimmy Patton of New York Giants at University of Mississippi, 1952.

Signed by Yankee organization, August 11, 1953.

Has played in both the Sugar Bowl (January 1, 1953) the World Series (1961).

Hit game-winning home run in longest baseball game in history (7 hours, 22 minutes) at Detroit, Yankees winning 9-7, June 24, 1962.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"A 30-year-old native of Silver City, Miss., Jack Reed has been used mainly by manager Ralph Houk as a late-inning defensive replacement or as a pinch-runner when needed.

But Jack really became a hero last season when he connected for the game-winning homer in the longest game in major league annals (22 innings and seven hours) in which the Yanks topped the Tigers at Detroit 9-7.

Reed, who played alongside All-Pro Jimmy Patton of the grid Giants in the Ole Miss defensive backfield in 1952, was inked by the Yankee organization in August of 1953.

He enjoyed his best season in the minors with New Orleans in 1958 when he connected with Southern Association hurling for a .309 average and 19 homers, besides pacing the circuit in at-bats, runs scored and hits."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

1963 Profile: Bill Kunkel

Born Hoboken, New Jersey, July 7, 1936. Ht. 6-2, Wt.: 174. Bats right, throws right.

Appeared in 51 games for AAA Montreal for 8-19, 3,86, suffering most losses in International League. '60 was his fourth pro year.

Scouting Report: "Fast ball: good. Curve ball: needs refinement. Fields: well. Prospects: good."

from Scouting Reports on Major League Rookies, Baseball Digest, March 1961

"Bill Kunkel, the hard-throwing kid from Hoboken, New Jersey, escaped the Dodger organization and became an Athletic in 1961 after posting but one winning season after four years in the minors. He dropped 19 games at Montreal in '60, although maintaining a respectable ERA.

Kunkel makes good use of his fast ball and doesn't hesitate to use it in a jam. Born July 7, 1936, he was 3-4 in '61 and has a 31-46 minor league log."

-Don Schiffer, The 1962 Major League Baseball Handbook

"The first player to be drafted by the Yankees in 11 years, Bill Kunkel is making a strong bid for a spot as a late-inning reliever. He had impressed the Yankees with his heroics in Kansas City in 1961, when he was the workhorse of the A's staff, appearing in 58 games. Bill was a big factor in the late-season rise of Toronto last year. After coming over from K.C., Bill posted a 6-1 record and a sparkling 2.35 ERA."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

William Kunkel (P)     #20

Born July 7, 1936, in Hoboken, New Jersey, where he resides. Ht.: 6-1, Wt.: 180. Bats right, throws right.

Married and the father of one boy, Jeffery (1).

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Drafted by Yankees from Toronto, November 1962.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

1963 Profile: Al Downing

"Trenton, New Jersey's contribution to the Yankees is southpaw Al Downing. The 22-year-old was called up by manager Ralph Houk in June to fill a void in the club's starting ranks. After two brief earlier Yankee trials, Al hoped to make it with the parent club this time.

His first start on June 10 at Washington resulted in his first major league victory, a brilliant nine-strikeout shutout win. He followed this with his first win in Yankee Stadium, a complete game 9-2 victory over archrival Detroit. Again, Downing posted nine strikeouts and, as this was written, he was still maintaining a better than one strikeout per inning pace."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Alfonso Erwin Downing (P)     #24

Born June 28, 1941, in Trenton, N.J., where he resides. Height: 5-11, weight: 173. Bats right, throws left.

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

KID WITH THE K-ARM

Downing Looks Like Up-And-Coming Yankee

"They're one-in-a-thousand, kids with K in their arms. They're one in a generation when it's their left arm that throws a strikeout pitch.* Al Downing has a south paw that fires a pitch that explodes. During the first six weeks after he reported to the New York Yankees from their Richmond farm in June, he rifled 91 strikeouts in 77.1 innings, with totals of 10, 14, 10, 10 and 9 in five successive games, including three shutouts and a one-hitter. By mid-August he had won eight while losing only three and had an earned run average of 2.62.

Of course, Downing could be a flash in the pan, for it takes more than a few games and even more than a few seasons to get up there with Lefty Grove and Sandy Koufax as a cannonball star. But, in the estimation of seasoned baseball men, the Trenton kid, age 22, can't miss.

'He's the best I've seen since I left the National League,' said Birdie Tebbetts, after Al struck out 14 of his Indians. 'He looks like the American League's answer to Sandy Koufax,' says Ralph Houk, Yankee manager. 'He pitches a little like Whitey Ford, a little like Warren Spahn,' says Johnny Sain, the Yankee pitching coach. Your Baseball Digest reporter firmly believes Downing will be Whitey Ford's successor as the Yankee southpaw ace for the next ten years or so, provided his arm holds out.

Most fireball flingers are big men who put poundage-power into their fast hard one. Al is a little fellow, baseballically speaking: five-eleven, 173 pounds, one inch taller but five pounds lighter than his idol, Ford. Like Ford, the extra ingredient in his pitching is savvy, or, as Johnny Sain puts it, 'The kid's a thinker, not a thrower.' How Al got that way is the guts of his story, the story of a young man who seriously studied the game of baseball from the time he was 14 years old.

Al was born and grew up in Trenton, New Jersey, an industrial city with a cosmopolitan population. There were eight children in the Downing family; they lived comfortably on the $9,000 annual income of Al's father, a construction superintendent. Al's mother died when he was six and an aunt took care of the younger Downings.

Al first played team ball when he was eight. 'A bunch of us kids on our street would get together and challenge kids from other streets or nearby project houses. We played on sandlots or in the school playground, or wherever we could stake out a diamond. We'd bring along an older boy to act as umpire but otherwise we were unsupervised. We had no uniforms; we bought our own balls, bats and gloves and we learned the game the way the oldtimers used to. It was great fun, discovering new things you could do.

'The neighborhood had a mix of Italians, Jews and Negroes. The fact that Al was a Negro was no handicap in Trenton. 'I never gave it a thought,' he says. 'We kids played together, went to the movies and seashore together, never mentioned any differences in race, religion or color.'

At 11 Al joined a Little League club. 'It was still fun, because playing baseball has always been fun to me. But we only played once a week, instead of almost every day. We had to wear uniforms and play under a manager- it was almost like being in the big leagues. And when that season ended and I was a year older I was past the age limit for Little League ball, and too small to play on a Babe Ruth League team.'

To a 12-year-old less passionately interested in baseball than Al, this gap between boy-ball and adolescent-ball might have turned his energies toward another sport. 'Not me. I went looking for games in the municipal and recreational leagues and found 'em. I played first, the outfield and pitched, mostly pitched. I'd always wanted to be a pitcher. I wanted to be the one who ran the game: if I'd ever played football, I'd have wanted to be the quarterback.'

Al was still a little fellow at 14, but his love for the game was so great that he joined the Babe Ruth League team in his vicinity, fighting for a regular starting assignment on a six-man pitching staff. 'I was No. 6,' he relates. 'I wasn't used much the first year but had a 2-2 record. It wasn't until the next year that I had the first inkling I might make good as a ballplayer, even though I was the smallest kid on the squad. We entered the regional tournament that year. I went in as a relief pitcher in the third inning of a championship game and won it. That gave me confidence. If you haven't got confidence in your ability to win, you won't get anywhere in baseball or anywhere else.'

In 1956, when Al was 15, he entered Trenton Union High School and pitched with a hard ball with organized baseball rules for the first time. And for the first time he fell under the eye of a competent coach. 'Carl Palumbo was a strict disciplinarian who impressed us fellows with the necessity of disciplining ourselves. He insisted that I do a lot of running to harden my legs and improve my wind, and I've done it ever since. I think that's why I can throw hard from start to finish in a nine-inning game. Mr. Palumbo kept us working on fielding, too, breaking the squad into infield and outfield units who would work together smoothly.'

Al needed no one to tell him to keep working on his pitching. He was a veteran of hundreds of games by the time he was 16. He had acquired a curve and taught himself how to throw a change-up from the same motion as his fastball, a remarkable feat for a lad of his age.

'I used to practice control, too, throwing at a target until I could hit it any time. Mr. Palumbo didn't tinker with my pitching. He argued that self-control was as important as control of the ball. A boy can be taught how to throw but unless he has confidence in his knowledge of what he is throwing, he won't be much good. My record in the Babe Ruth League hadn't been so hot at first, but after I got confidence it zoomed. I pitched five of our ten games that last season, four shutouts and a seven-inning no-hitter for five victories. The other teams scored only two runs off me all season. I also pitched the opening and closing games of the Babe Ruth World Series, winning both, including a shutout in the last game. That's when I decided that I might be a big leaguer one day.'

The other Al Downing, the young man who went to high school classes five days a week, was equally earnest in his search for higher knowledge. 'I took an academic course, I got plenty of A's and B's, but very few C's. I had fantasies of maybe being a doctor or lawyer, but when I started thinking about it, heck, I'd go back to baseball, that's where I wanted to be.

'My favorite subject was European history because it dealt with all those dynasties and rambled around from country to country, like I want to do someday. My heroes were the Lafitte brothers, Jean and Pierre, the pirates, because they were daring and whole men. It wasn't the same old stuff about Lafayette riding onto a battlefield on a white horse, you know, and saving everybody. Not all the heroes were good guys, as our teachers tried to get us to believe.

'But my real hero was Whitey Ford and No. 2 was Warren Spahn. I started to follow Whitey's career in 1950 when he came up to the Yankees. I was only nine then but he was a lefty like me and small like me, and the way he went right in and won big games inspired me. I never dreamed then that I'd be on the Yankees with him.'

When the baseball season ended in high school, Al still an itch for a ball in his hands and went out for basketball. He learned the court game quickly, won a spot as a guard in his junior year, became a co-captain and won All-State honors as a senior, and was rewarded with a basketball scholarship to Muhlenberg College.

But basketball could not lure him away from his first love, baseball. After he was graduated from high school in 1959 he organized a semipro team which battled its way into a national tournament in Wichita, Kansas. On that trip he pitched against a pickup team composed of minor leaguers, some in AAA ball- and faced Satchell Paige. 'I did fairly good against them, pitching five innings and losing, 5-3, and striking out 12, and only giving up four hits, which were sandwiched around four or five walks. After the game Satch said, 'Kid, you threw the ball hard. If you learn to get the ball over the plate more consistently, you'll be a pretty good pitcher. Here's my philosophy of pitching- throw the ball hard but keep it down around the knees. Then when I get men on base I just throw the old snakey and make 'em and make 'em hit it on the ground.' '

During that tournament, Frank O'Rourke, Yankee scout in southern New Jersey, saw Al fire his fastball and started the train of events that was to bring the Trenton youth to the Stadium two years later. The Yankees played it cool, O'Rourke expressing no more than a polite interest but with typical efficiency they placed a 'round-the-clock watch on Fireball Al. Their private eye was Bill Yancey, former star of the Negro professional leagues and famous as an all-time basketball star with the peerless New York Rens.

Yancey, who lives in Moorestown, N.J., was already acquainted with the Trenton southpaw, who he had first espied in his capacity as a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies. Now there were conferences in the Yankee front office, and Bill Skiff, chief scout and inheritor of the policy which had brought scores of great players to the Stadium, approached Yancey, signing as a full-time ferreter of Negro talent.

When it comes to scouting future Yankees, the House of Champions is choosy. A Yankee must be well-bred, mannerly, capable of wearing custom-made clothes and the right tie; he must be abstemious, serious and a heck of a ballplayer. Yancey visited the Downing home, became acquainted with Al's father, his brothers and sisters. He filed as many personnel reports as details of Al's mound techniques.

Al met the requirements in every respect, privately and on the diamond. His college marks were above average. As a freshman he was unable to play varsity ball at Muhlenberg; he went to work under his father's supervision after the spring term ended and enrolled at Temple University's nighttime courses in the fall of 1960. 'I pulled nails out of wood, picked up bricks, you know, that sort of thing,' Al laughs. 'But I was getting sick for baseball that summer and when Bill Yancey called me up and asked me to sign a contract with the Yankees I was the happiest kid alive.'

Al signed his contract in December 1960. He was assigned to Binghamton in the Eastern League. He had speed, control, a curve, a change-up and that super-fast ball. He was a 150-pounder, a miniature as pitchers go. But he had enthusiasm, confidence and a clear, level head. By July, he was leading the league in victories, with nine, against only one loss.

The Yanks, under Ralph Houk's freshman leadership, were suddenly strapped for front-line pitching, what with Art Ditmar fading fast and Bob Turley suffering from the arm troubles that were to result in an elbow operation at the season's end. With but three months' pro experience behind him, Al received a summons from the Big Team.

He was just 21. The press and broadcasting commentators made a big fuss about him. Camermen chased him around the ball park. And Ralph Houk said, 'Ordinarily I'd put you in the bullpen for a few weeks but I'm so short of pitching that I'll have to start you soon.'

Elston Howard helped Al find a room in a hotel near the Stadium. Whitey Ford, his boyhood idol, told him about enemy batters. Hector Lopez gave him tips on how big leaguers act. On a hot July afternoon he faced the Washington Senators in the nightcap of a double-header. He struck out the first three batters to face him, using his lively fastball, his sweeping curve and blooping change-up.

But in the second inning, Gene Green singled. Al kept one eye on Green, the other on the plate. It couldn't be done. Before the carnage ended, Washington had scored seven runs. It was a case of too much, too soon.

Neither Al nor the Yankees were discouraged. A less stable pitcher, a less wise organization, might have made mistakes that would have ruined him as a rare prospect. Al sat on the bench for the remainder of the season, learning something each day. No one advised him to change his style or delivery. The key bit of advice he received came from Johnny Sain: 'With men on bases, Al, throw extra hard. Dig into the rubber with your back foot, rear up and let go.'

Last year Al reared back and let go with men on bases at Richmond. He also practiced pick-off moves until he could give a reasonable facsimile of Whitey Ford in action with men on bases. He fanned 180 men, tops for the AAA International League. 'I had plenty of opportunities to find out how to pitch with men on bases,' grins Al. 'I started 31 games, which was also high for the league.'

With a full professional season behind him, Al put the finishing touches to his form at Richmond in the spring of '63. 'Al pitches like an old-time overhander now,' says Johnny Sain. 'His left leg goes high as his arm comes down, breaking the batter's line of vision long enough to make it impossible to pick up the ball until it is on its way. This accounts for a large degree for his strikeout record, for his speed is great enough to get the ball over before the batter can complete his swing.

Al fanned 64 batters in 57 innings at Richmond before being called up to the Yankees. He gave up 17 earned runs for a 2.68 average. In June the Yankees were again in need of mound aid. Stan Williams, traded from the Dodgers, had started shakily and was on the shelf. Bill Stafford came up with an inexclipable spell of wildness. For a second time Big Al boarded a plane to New York and the Big Team.

'I'm faster than two years ago,' he says, 'because I've picked up extra weight. My curve isn't as good as it should be but I've got better control of my change-of-pace. I try to study batters; I don't change styles to left-handers or right-handers, just throw the same stuff.'

It's slick stuff, that K-pitch of Al Downing's. Quiet and discreet as he is in the traditional Yankee style, he has won many fans during his brief career at Yankee Stadium. He owns no automobile; his fans chase him after games, catching up to him as he walks to his hotel one half-mile from the ballpark. Many are his age or younger and he delights in signing his name for them.

It isn't so long ago, after watching Whitey Ford perform, he went hunting for Whitey's signature. 'I still get a kick from being on the same team as Whitey,' he says."

*K stands for strikeout in most scorekeepers' shorthand.

-Charles Dexter, Baseball Digest, October-November 1963

1963 Profile: Hal Reniff

"Last year the Army and a sore arm detoured Hal Reniff's Yankee career that had been off to an auspicious start in mid-1961. He was undefeated in his first half season with the Yankees when called up two years ago and posted a neat 2.60 earned run average for his 25 appearances and 45 innings.

Only 23, Hal was trained for his present assignment, serving his minor league apprenticeship as a relief pitcher. Healthy again this spring, Reniff may give the Yankees the strongest bullpen in baseball.

Then in 1962 Hal was in military service and apparently rushed himself to get back in playing shape. At any rate he came up with a sore shoulder and went back to Richmond briefly and then rested most of the season. He reported early to spring training this year and won manager Houk's approval and confidence as a late inning relief specialist.

Hal, a big man physically, has been a big man in game saving, too. He had five 'saves' credited to him in the first two months of the season and kept his career ERA well under 3.00.

If he continues his strong early-season performances throughout 1963, Hal Reniff will contribute materially to a strong Yankee bullpen for the remainder of the season."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Harold Eugene Reniff (P)     #18

Born July 2, 1938, in Warren, Ohio, resides in Ontario, California. Height: 6-0, weight: 200. Bats right, throws right.

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Signed by Yankee Organization, June 23, 1956.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"A sore arm prevented Hal Reniff from doing his best work last season. But manager Ralph Houk is hoping Hal returns to his form of 1961 when he was one of the club's bullpen mainstays over the last half of that campaign after being called up from the Richmond farm.

Hal was in the Army during the first half of the '62 season. Upon his return, he was unable to get going with the Bombers due to the condition of his arm. After only two appearances, he was sent to Richmond but was able to work only six innings there.

In the Yanks' organization since 1956, Reniff's best season was in 1959 when he was 21-7 for Modesto of the California League."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

1963 Profile: Steve Hamilton

Bats left, throws left. 6-7, 190. Born November 30, 1935, in Columbia, Kentucky, resides in Charlestown, Indiana. Married.

10-12 with a 3.77 ERA in Salt Lake City of the AAA Pacific Coast League, he completed 11 of 25 starts. Has won 52 games in four years.

Scouting Report: "Best seems to be Triple. Average curve and control; fast ball not even average."

Scouting Reports on Major League Rookies, Baseball Digest, March 1962

"At 6' 7", Steve Hamilton looks more like a basketball player than he does a major league pitcher. And a basketball player he was. Steve was a major league cager for two seasons with the Minneapolis Lakers, and prior to this he received Little All-America honorable mention from both A.P. and U.P.I. while attending Morehead State. But he figured his diamond career held out more promise.

Now, that promise is being realized as a Yankee middle relief specialist. Steve was obtained from Washington in a straight-up trade for Jim Coates on April 21. After the Senators obtained him from the Cleveland organization, he had an undistinguished record (3-8) for them in 1962. However, Yankee hitters always liked what they saw of Big Steve and told manager Houk about his ability.

When long relief, of the southpaw variety, appeared to be a Yankee need, general manager Roy Hamey and manager Houk went out to get their man. No one in the Yankee organization has been sorry.

His first Yankee victory was an impressive one. He came in as a relief man at Baltimore with two on and two out and struck out Boog Powell. Thereafter, he pitched 3-hit relief ball, fanned 11 and walked no one in 8 1/3 innings. He's averaged better than a strikeout an inning ever since."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Steve Absher Hamilton (P)     #39

Born November 30, 1936, in Columbia, Kentucky, resides in Moohead, Kentucky. Height: 6-7, weight: 205. Bats left, throws left.

Married and the father of two girls, Stephanie (5) and Elizabeth (3).

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

1963 Profile: Marshall Bridges

"All's well in the bullpen when Marshall Bridges, 'The Sheriff,' is available to put the padlock on enemy uprisings. A first-time Yankee in 1962, he took over for the injured Luis Arroyo and kept the staff from falling apart at critical times. A crackling fastball and a low breaking curve gave him an 8-4 figure and 20-10 lifetime.

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Bridges worked at St. Louis and Cincy from 1959 to '61."

-Don Schiffer, 1963 Major League Baseball Handbook

"A year ago, Marshall Bridges was an unknown quantity, a newcomer to the American League. But that indefinite status was quickly erased as the 'Sheriff' developed into the early-season bullpen ace of the Yankees. Overall, he appeared in 52 games (all in relief) to top the staff in total mound appearances. He posted a 3.13 ERA, second only to Whitey Ford's 2.90.

By the end of June, the big Mississippi southpaw had an amazing 1.22 ERA. Actually, he didn't allow a run in his first 14 appearances last year. He topped the staff in strikeout average with 8.25 whiffs per nine-inning game. And the Sheriff was lowest among the Yanks in allowing home runs, granting only four all season (one in every 18 innings).

Overall, Bridges has a .667 won-lost record (20 and 10), with 212 strikeouts and only 119 walks in 226 major league innings pitched. Before coming to the Yankees from Cincinnati, Marshall had scored a moderate success but was never able to maintain a place on a major league roster for a full season.

An elaborate storyteller, Bridges was the butt of several well-intentioned Yankee pranksters this spring following his unfortunate shooting in a Florida club on the second day of training. Marshall has completely recovered from the leg injury and hopes to make another notable contribution to a Yankee pennant campaign."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Marshall Bridges (P)     #30

Born June 2, 1931, in Jackson, Mississippi, where he resides. Height: 6-1, Weight: 190. Bats right, throws left.

Married and father of two girls, Vivian (7) and Deborah (5), and one boy, Marshall (4).

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Acquired from Cincinnati Reds in exchange for catcher Jesse Gonder, December 1961.

Led Yankee pitchers in games saved (18), 1962.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"One of the most valuable Yankees in their successful 1962 pennant drive was left-handed relief hurler Marshall Bridges, who led Bomber moundsmen in games saved with 11, not to mention his eight victories.

With Luis Arroyo, the relief ace of 1961, sidelined with elbow trouble, Manager Ralph Houk turned to Bridges. 'The Fox' didn't disappoint him.

An accident prior to spring training this year hampered Bridges' conditioning in his attempt to repeat his top-notch work of '62. Bridges was shot in the calf of his left leg in a Fort Lauderdale nightclub, February 12 by a woman who was arrested by police on a charge of aggravated assault. The bullet damaged a calf muscle and broke a bone, but wasn't regarded as too serious an injury by physicians.

Bridges was acquired by the Yanks on December 14, 1961, from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for catcher Jesse Gonder. 'The Fox,' who started his diamond career in 1953 with Sioux City as a first baseman, first appeared in the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959. He had begun that campaign with Rochester after having starred for Sacramento in 1957 and '58.

Bridges spent the 1960 season with the Cards and Reds, finishing with a 6-2 mark and a 2.37 ERA in 57 innings. He split '61 with the Reds and Jersey City before coming to New York."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

1963 Profile: Jim Bouton

1963 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR

"As the 1962 baseball season approached, Jim Bouton was on the roster of an AA club, getting a "look" in training by Manager Ralph Houk. The manager obviously liked what he saw, because the young right-hander from Ridgewood, New Jersey, was added to the Yankee roster at the start of the season, and remained all year to make a growing contribution to the Yanks' pennant success.

Posting a 7-7 record and a 3.99 ERA, 24-year-old Jim yielded only 124 hits in the 133 innings he pitched in 36 games. There certainly are two contests in his freshman year that Bouton will never forget. One was his first major league start in which he threw a seven-hit shutout at the Washington Senators. The other game that Jim will recall to his children at some distant date will be the June 24th contest at Detroit ... the longest game in major league annals (seven hours). Jim came on in relief in the 16th inning and finished the 22-inning contest, pitching shutout ball over the last seven frames. He became the winning pitcher when Jack Reed hit his first homer with a man aboard in the 22nd.

Bouton spent the past winter in military service, being released during the training season. Just before Christmas, he got married. Normally in the off-season, Bouton is a student at Western Michigan University, one of several present Yankees still attending college.

Now, in his second full season, Jim has blossomed into a consistent winner and was the first right-hander on the Champs' staff to win 10 games. And Bouton had a 2.12 ERA when he captured his tenth win, lowest among American League starting pitchers."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

James Alan Bouton (P)     #56

Born March 8, 1939, in Newark, N.J., resides in Ridgewood, N.J. Height: 6-0, weight: 174. Bats right, throws right.

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Signed by Yankee organization, November 11, 1958.

Pitched 7-hit shutout in first major league start, winning 8-0 over Washington, May 6, 1962.

Winning pitcher of longest game in American League (7 hours, 22 innings), final score 9-7, at Detroit, June 24, 1962.

Attends Western Michigan University in off-season.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"One of the brightest young pitchers on the Yankee mound staff, judging from his rookie year performance of 1962, is 24-year-old Jim Bouton.

Showing unusual poise and savvy for a newcomer, Bouton finished with a 7-7 won-lost mark and a 3.99 ERA.

His outstanding performance, one that will be remembered by those who witnessed it, occurred last June 24 in Detroit. All Bouton did that afternoon was to shut out the Tigers on three hits over the last seven innings to receive credit for the victory in the longest game in baseball annals - seven hours. The final score of the 22-inning marathon was 9-7.

Bouton was signed by the Yankee organization in November of 1958 while a student at Western Michigan U. He still attends that school during the off-season.

After compiling a 13-7 record for Amarillo in 1961, Jim was invited to train with the Yanks in '62, his name not being on the Bombers' roster, however. He made quite an impression on Manager Ralph Houk, though, being retained when the championship season opened.

The promise of things to come by Bouton was displayed when, on May 6, in his first major league start, he blanked Washington 8-0, scattering seven hits."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook