"A succession of injuries and never being able to get untracked contributed to Tony Kubek's sub-par year. A lifetime .275 hitter, Tony's average dipped to .229 last year when he was only able to get into 105 games. The American League's Rookie of the Year in 1957, Tony has played every infield and outfield position and is regarded as a thinking man's ballplayer. When he's in the lineup every day, he hits righties and lefties with equal effectiveness and prefers going with the pitch rather than for the long ball."
-Jack Zanger, Major League Baseball 1965
" 'The ball player's ball player' may be a trite and somewhat worn out baseball expression, but it certainly applies to Yankee shortstop Tony Kubek.
He has never hit .300 over a full season; he's not a league leader in the fielding averages; he's never hit more than 14 homers in a season and his top RBI year was 62. But he has been the Yankees' most efficient regular shortstop since 1957. And he's a 'good one.'
The Milwaukee-born Kubek is now in his ninth season as a Yankee regular. A key performer in the infield, and a quiet though influential personality in the clubhouse, Tony has been teamed up with his road roommate, Bobby Richardson, since the two first worked together at Denver in 1956. Kubek is effective at short without being graceful in the traditional, classic style. He gets a great jump on the ball and makes difficult plays look simple. Kubek hit .297 in his 1957 freshman season when he won the Longines Watch as the top rookie in spring training and then went on to American League Rookie of the Year honors.
Tony would just as soon forget the 1964 season. It was a frustrating one as he suffered a series of injuries from the first to the last day of the season.
But this is another year and Tony is in shape to return as the regular shortstop and attempt to improve on his more than adequate lifetime batting average of .270."
-The New York Yankees Official 1965 Yearbook
"Tony Kubek had the worst season of his career during 1964, but he did not suffer financially for it. According to General Manager Ralph Houk, no member of the American League champions was asked to take a cut, so Kubek will receive the same $37,000 salary he took home in 1964.
Tony's sad figures, as injuries limited him to 106 games, were a .229 batting average and 31 runs batted in. He missed the first nine games of the campaign with an inflamed back. Then, in May, he was sidelined for 12 contests due to a strained muscle in his left side. In late June and the early part of July, Tony sat out 16 games because of a pulled leg muscle. An upset stomach was the cause of his missing three contests in early August, while a jammed right hip muscle forced him out of the lineup again for five games later that month.
To cap off the dismal season, Tony jammed his right hand during a slide two weeks before the end of the campaign. It was such a severe injury that he was unable to play anymore, being removed from the World Series eligibility list prior to the Fall Classic.
The 28-year-old Kubek has a lifetime batting mark of .270 for his eight Yankee seasons. He also has collected 1,035 hits. Perhaps the only bright spot of '64 occurred when he went along playing errorless ball until June 6, finishing with a fielding mark of .978.
A member of the Bomber organization since his signing on September 1, 1953, Tony prepped at Owensboro, Quincy and Denver before reporting to the Yankee camp in the spring of 1957. After the grind, he was voted the James P. Dawson Award as the outstanding rookie in camp for the season. Tony was also named the American League Rookie of the Year for '57, due to his skillful performance at bat and in the field.
This all-arounder has played every position as a Yankee except pitcher and catcher. It wouldn't surprise anyone if he could make good in those spots, too. But Tony is concentrating strictly on a good year at shortstop."
-Jay Publishing 1965 New York Yankees 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.
-1965 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
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