MICHAEL BURKE (President)
"The young Yankees are coming on - ready now to challenge the best and to reward your loyalty in full."
-Michael Burke, The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"When Michael Burke took over as President of the New York Yankees on a gray day in September of 1966, with the club mired in the American League cellar, it marked the dawn of a new era rather than the end of an old one.
It was a steep new challenge for Mike Burke, who had already experienced his share of challenges. The road back for the Yankees was to be a rough one, to be sure, for Burke and the other members of his management team: General Manager Lee MacPhail and Manager Ralph Houk.
Mike grew up in sports, starring in baseball, basketball and football. As a halfback at the University of Pennsylvania when Penn was a powerhouse, he learned that 'tough going' is what losers hear when they lose, but 'rough going' is the good bone-deep feeling winners have on their way to a win.
Commissioned an Ensign in the Navy in World War II, he was assigned to duty with the OSS, Wild Bill Donovan's secret intelligence service. His first clandestine mission was carried out in German-held Italy for which he was awarded the Silver Star 'for gallantry.' Then, in 1944, Burke was parachuted into occupied France to operate behind German lines with the French Resistance movement for which he received the Navy Cross 'for extraordinary heroism.' Warner Brothers film 'Cloak and Dagger,' starring Gary Cooper, was based on Mike's Italian war venture. After serving as Special Advisor to U.S. High Commissioner for Germany, he returned to the U.S. to become General Manager of Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Mr. Burke brought the sum of these experiences to CBS where he held a variety of executive positions in New York and Europe. When CBS acquired the Yankees, Mr. Burke was singularly well-suited to take over a one-of-a-kind job of rebuilding the Yankees.
Mike has always maintained that the Yankees are more than a Ball Club. They remain in good years and bad the most splendid tradition in sports history. There is a certain quality that is indelibly Yankee. There is a pride in the standards set and in the standards to be upheld. There is a sense of identity as a Ball Club and as a member of the community. The latter carries with it an obligation which means Yankee players visiting schools in poverty areas and urging kids not to drop out; it is the whole Yankee team showing up when help is needed for a good cause; and it is the hundreds of thousands of free admissions for deprived youngsters in the hope that 'if it helps only one boy or only assures one parent that someone gives a damn, it is worth it.'
Burke sets the style and pace of his Club in the best Yankee tradition."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Michael Burke has been President of the Yankees since September 19, 1966. Prior to that date, he served as Vice-President of Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. and was directly involved in negotiations to purchase the club in 1964 when CBS acquired the Yankees.
Born in Enfield, Connecticut, Burke spent his early years in Ireland and received his secondary schooling in Hartford, Connecticut. He's a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he was an outstanding halfback on the Penn grid squad. Burke was offered a pro contract by Bert Bell of the Eagles, but stayed with the club only for a short time.
Commissioned an Ensign in the Navy, he was assigned to duty with General Wild Bill Donovan's Office of Strategic Services. Burke's first clandestine mission was to subvert the Italian fleet, and he was awarded the Silver Star 'for gallantry.' Then in 1944 he joined the French resistance movement and was awarded the Navy Cross 'for heroism.'
In the early '50s he served as an advisor to the U.S. High Commissioner for Germany, John J. McCloy. Burke was later General Manager of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, then joined CBS in 1956. He was President of CBS Europe with headquarters in London, returning to New York in 1962 as Vice-President in charge of developing new areas of business for the broadcasting company.
His full time since September 1966 has been spent with the Yankees. Burke also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center. He resides in Manhattan."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
LEE MACPHAIL (Executive Vice-President and General Manager)
"When Lee MacPhail returned to the Yankees as General Manager at the end of the 1966 season, the club had fallen to tenth and last place. Michael Burke had become President and Ralph Houk had taken charge on the field. Asked by the press about plans for a Yankee comeback, Lee replied:
'There are no shortcuts to building a ball club. I would say it will take a minimum of five years to put the Yankees back in contention.'
The 'five year plan' was received with a tolerant smile by the sports writers and a low growl from unhappy fans. But MacPhail was being realistic. With Burke and Houk he laid out a long range 'go young' rebuilding program. Last season, the fourth year of rebuilding - with an easy second-place finish and more wins than any Yankee team since 1964 - the Bombers were ahead of schedule. In this fifth year of the plan, the Yankees are solid contenders for the Eastern title. Rival managers and scouts know this, and - more important - every Yankee player knows it. No one can ever guarantee a pennant, of course, but Lee's promise to give the fans a legitimate, fully qualified pennant contender in five years has been met - on schedule.
In year five, the new Yankees have power, depth and experience.
There is the power of Thurman Munson, Bobby Murcer, Roy White and John Ellis; the offensive punch of Danny Cater, Jim Lyttle, Frank Tepedino and Horace Clarke. And the versatility of Ellis, Cater and Gene Michael (who can play three positions), and the Frank Baker-Michael combination at shortstop offers offensive platooning options.
There is depth in the Yankee pitching staff, with Mel Stottlemyre and Fritz Peterson already in the 20-game class and Stan Bahnsen in the number three spot developing into a consistent winner. Steve Kline and Mike Kekich are starting pitchers of great promise. Ron Klimkowski is the long relief ace in the bullpen and Lindy McDaniel and Jack Aker head up an outstanding bullpen.
Add to this the major league experience acquired last year by the youngsters - Baker, Ellis, Lyttle, Munson, Kline and Tepedino and you have a club that is equal to the pressure of a pennant race.
The Yankees' basic policy is to grow their own talent; executing this policy, Lee MacPhail laid the foundation for the 70s by strengthening the farm system and scouting staff. Three quarters of the players on the Yankees' spring roster were developed in the Yankee farm system.
Lee also made some significant player moves to strengthen the club, obtaining McDaniel, Aker, Kekich, Klimkowski, Cater, Blefary, Woods and others via trades.
Quietly, and without fanfare, Lee MacPhail has delivered in his promise that the Yankees would be back in contention. The players are here ... and more are on the way.
Earlier in his career, Lee had been Farm Director and Director of Player Development for the Yankees. He left after the '58 season to become General Manager and later President of the Baltimore Orioles, the team he built to championship calibre. Before returning to the Yankees, he served a year as Administrator in the Baseball Commissioner's Office."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"MacPhail is in his second tour of duty with the Yankees, the first occurring in 1948-58, when he served as Co-Farm Director, then Director of Player Personnel. He went to Baltimore for the 1959 season as General Manager and spent seven years there, serving primarily as club President. Lee helped develop the Oriole World Championship winner of 1966, which was basically the team that also won pennants in 1969 and '70. His trade for Frank Robinson ranks as one of baseball's best.
He served as Baseball Administrator in the Commissioner's Office in 1966, the year he was named Executive of the Year by the Sporting News. Returning to the Yankees in 1967, Lee has teamed with Michael Burke and Ralph Houk to restore a last place club into one of pennant contention.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Lee is the son of former Yankee and Dodger President Larry MacPhail. A graduate of Swarthmore College, Lee began his baseball career as Business Manager of the Reading club in 1941 and also served as General Manager of Toronto, Business Manager of the Kansas City Blues, General Manager at Kansas City and the Midwest Farm Director of the Yankees.
He served as a Lieutenant in the Navy during World War II and currently resides in Hartsdale, New York."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
No comments:
Post a Comment