Monday, February 17, 2014

1964 Profile: Phil Linz

"Perhaps the finest utility player in the majors, Phil Linz can fill in anywhere in the Yankee lineup - either infield or outfield, as he proved last season in his second year with the AL champions. He batted a solid .269 in 72 games but his ability is best illustrated by the constant requests for him in trade talk with other teams.
One of the best-humored players in baseball, he always has a ready quip for any situation.He's a big reason why the Yankee bench is so highly rated in the AL."

-Dave Anderson, 1964 Major League Baseball Handbook

"A refreshingly frank ball player with a sense of humor and confidence in his own ability, Phil Linz is the perfect infield utility man for a championship club like the Yankees. He led two minor leagues in hitting on his way to the Bombers and topped the Yanks in pinch-hitting in his freshman 1962 season. His average slipped from .287 to .269 last season, but his valued versatility was proved again as Phil played second, third and short in addition to all the outfield positions last year.
This spring, Phil played at each of several positions where Manager Yogi Berra thinks he can help the club this season. The super-sub, as he is frequently termed by the press, calls this life of filling in anywhere in the infield or outfield 'the great adventure.' "

-The New York Yankees Official 1964 Yearbook

"Another of the Yankees' seemingly endless number of jack-of-all-trades is Phil Linz, the bespectacled speedster from Baltimore.
Linz, originally a shortstop, has been seen at practically every position but short, it seems, since coming up to the big show in 1962.
During his five-season minor league career, Linz paced two leagues in batting. In 1960, Phil hit .321 for Greensboro of the Carolina circuit. The following campaign saw him belt Texas League pitching for a .349 mark at Amarillo.
In Phil's rookie year in the majors, he batted .287 in 71 contests. Last season, he hit .269 in 72 games.
The 25-year-old utilityman connected for a home run for his first major league hit, May 23, 1962, against the Kansas City A's."

-1964 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

Signed by Yankee organization, June 9, 1957.
Leading hitter in Carolina League (.321), 1960.
Leading hitter in Texas League (.349), 1961.
First major league hit was a home run, against Kansas City, May 23, 1962.

-1964 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

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