"'If I ever start a season not expecting to win a pennant, then it will be time for me to stop managing,' Ralph Houk said last fall. Houk's thinking may have been a bit over-optimistic in the past, but this season the Yankees have to be considered serious contenders. If they weren't competing against the Orioles in the AL East, the Yanks could be a shoo-in for the division championship. Even so, New York is in a position to make the division race a lot more suspenseful than it has been the past two years.
Leading the attack is Thurman Munson, who emerged last year as a potential Yankee super star - something the club hasn't had since Mickey Mantle retired in '69. After an abysmal start, Munson wound up the seventh-best hitter in the AL in 1970 with a .302 average. He became the first catcher to be named the AL's Rookie of the Year, missing unanimous selection by only one vote. The backup catcher is 32-year-old, left-handed hitting Jake Gibbs, who batted .301 in 49 games last season. If a third receiver is needed, there is husky John Ellis, the second-year man who will also be given a shot at first and third - positions he played in winter ball. Ellis has one thing the Yankees need: power. Outfielder Curt Blefary (remember Curt Blefary?) can also catch in a pinch.
New York's pitching could be its strongest asset. Mel Stottlemyre, a 20-game winner in '68 and '69, won only 15 games last year. But if the 29-year-old right-hander is at his best this season, he and left-hander Fritz Peterson, the Yanks' only 20-game winner in 1970, will provide that needed one-two punch. The third starter is Stan Bahnsen, who it is hoped will return to his 1968 Rookie of the Year form. Some people say Bahnsen's fastball isn't what it used to be. Right-hander Steve Kline and left-hander Mike Kekich will alternate in the fourth slot. They each won six games last year.
The bullpen is anchored by right-handers Lindy McDaniel and Jack Aker, who in 1970 combined to win 13 games and save 45 more. Left-hander Mike McCormick, traded by San Francisco to New York during the '70 season, wasn't effective with the Yankees, but with a fresh start this year could be a key man in the bullpen, as well as a spot starter. Still needed, however, is a strong lefty reliever since Steve Hamilton was traded to White Sox late last year. Candidates for the job are ex-Met Rob Gardner, a starter with Syracuse in '70 who led the International League with a 16-5 record and 2.53 ERA, and Gary Jones, 7-5 with Syracuse in '70. Others available for pitching duty are Ron Klimkowski, Gary Waslewski, Bill Burbach and Loyd Colson, who has been strictly a relief man in the minors and has the scouts glowing.
The infield is in a state of uncertainty. The only spot the Yankees assumed to be filled is second base, where Horace Clarke will be in charge for the fifth straight year. But the double play is still troublesome for Clarke, and Gene Michael, who had an off-year at shortstop last season, could give Horace some competition for the job. But Michael would have to start hitting again if he is to make any waves. The backup man is Ron Hansen, who can also play short and third. First base, manned by Danny Cater last season, could go to either Cater, one of the best hitters on the club - and in the league, Ellis, the catcher turned infielder, or Frank Tepedino, the 5-11, 185-pound lefty hitter who had done well in the minors. Ralph Houk wants to squeeze Tepedino into the lineup somewhere. Tony Solaita, the Samoan who hit .308 at Syracuse last season, is also available. Cater is in the running for the third base job, too, along with Jerry Kenney, the 25-year-old lefty hitter who was the poorest hitter on the club last year (.193). Houk says Jerry batted in back luck last year and will give him a fair shot at retaining the job in 1971. Ellis is also a candidate for third base, but he didn't play the position well in winter ball. Michael had a hot year in 1969 (.272) but slowed down last season (.214), and Frank Baker is the front-runner for the shortstop job this time. Baker, a left-handed hitter, doesn't swing much of a bat but he has a good fielding reputation from the minors, although he was inconsistent at short in the time he spent with New York last year. Along with Hansen and Michael the reserves include first baseman Pete Ward.
The outfield is not quite as unsettled, but that may be because there are only three jobs to fill instead of four. The left fielder is Roy White, and Bobby Murcer is in center. These two were the Yankees' only long ball threats in '70 as they combined for 45 homers. The problem spot is right field where there are a lot of candidates for the job and a lot of indecision. Danny Cater could wind up in right by default if Tepedino or Ellis takes over at first. Or Tepedino could land in right himself. Others available are left-handed hitters Jimmy Lyttle and Curt Blefary, and righty hitters Bobby Mitchell, who spent a month and a half with New York last year, and Ron Woods. Or perhaps 22-year-old Ron Blomberg, the Yanks' number-one selection in the 1967 free agent draft. Ron has developed slower than expected, though, and may still be another year away. But he'll get a shot at the job anyway - he has good power. The entire problem would have been solved easily had the Yankees been able to work out a deal for Frank Robinson. The tried, but the Orioles wanted too much in return."
-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971
IN BRIEF
Probable 1971 Finish: 2nd (East)
Strengths: the hitting of Munson, White and Cater, the pitching of Peterson and Stottlemyre, and Munson's defense behind the plate.
Biggest Needs: a left-handed reliever and a few more hitters who can drive in runs.
1970 finish: 2nd (East)
-Brenda Zanger, Major League Baseball 1971
1971 Yankees Depth Chart
C Thurman Munson
1B Danny Cater/Frank Tepedino
2B Horace Clarke
3B Jerry Kenney
SS Frank Baker
LF Roy White
CF Bobby Murcer
RF Jim Lyttle/Ron Woods
UTILITY:
Gene Michael
Ron Hansen
Pete Ward
Curt Blefary
John Ellis
Jake Gibbs
PITCHERS:
Mel Stottlemyre Lindy McDaniel
Fritz Peterson Jack Aker
Stan Bahnsen Bill Burbach
Mike Kekich Ron Klimkowski
Steve Kline Gary Waslewski
Mike McCormick
-Brenda Zanger, Major League Baseball 1971
PITCHING
"It isn't so much what they throw as where there they throw it. Collectively, no team in baseball throws slower fastballs than the Yankees. To them a strikeout is something dreamed up by the Players Association. Yet, the staff ranked as the third most effective in baseball last season with a 3.25 earned run average.
The Yankees are a team of control pitchers. A sinker at the knees, a slider on the inside corner, a forkball low and away. Here a ground ball, there a ground ball, everywhere a ground ball. It is not difficult to tell when a Yankee pitcher is throwing well. The game usually resembles infield practice.
The Yankee nucleus of Mel Stottlemyre (15-13), Fritz Peterson (20-11) and Stan Bahnsen (14-11) ranks with any three-man rotation in the league once you concede the fact Baltimore is in some other league. Stottlemyre had a poor season (for him) and is due to win 20 again. Manager Ralph Houk spent much of 1970 shopping around for a fourth starter. He may have found two in Steve Kline (6-6) and Mike Kekich (6-3), who finished the season strongly.
If one of those falters, Rob Gardner will be given an opportunity. Gardner, who was once a Met of all things, won 16 games for Syracuse, three in the International League playoffs and one with the Yankees for a 20-game season. He could also fit in as a left-handed relief pitcher, a position held for eight years by departed Steve Hamilton. Gary Jones and Bill Olsen are other candidates for the job.
Right-handers Lindy McDaniel and Jack Aker are outstanding short men, and Ron Klimkowski was a fine long reliever and spot starter in his rookie season. Veterans Mike McCormick and Gary Waslewski and rookie Loyd Colson will compete for the final spot in the bullpen.
'It may look as if our pitching staff is set,' Houk said, 'but I'd be only too happy if the newcomers force changes.'"
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
HITTING
"Base hits and runs are back in style in Yankee Stadium. The team batting average zoomed from .235 to .252 last season and productivity increased by 118 runs to 680.
It wasn't difficult to pinpoint the reason. A rookie named Thurman Munson batted .302 and a newcomer named Danny Cater batted .301. They combined with Roy White (.296) and Bobby Murcer (23 homers) to make line drive noises all around the league.
The Yankee lineup still has its deficiencies. Whoever plays second base or shortstop (last year it was Horace Clarke and Gene Michael) won't scare anyone at the plate. Semi-regulars Curt Blefary (.212) and Jerry Kenney (.193) positively embarrassed themselves with bats in their hands.
Frank Tepedino, who batted .355 at Syracuse, could help out and if Jim Lyttle's .310 in infrequent appearances is a true indication, the Yankees will be sounder. John Ellis has awesome power, a rare commodity at the Stadium. Ron Blomberg and Tony Solaita are probably a year away."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
FIELDING
"Ah, there's the rub. For a team whose pitchers do not strike out many batters, the defense isn't particularly good.
Munson makes catching look easy, which it is not, White can cover a lot of ground in left field and both Michael and Frank Baker have good range at shortstop. Cater plays first base very well, but he is being moved to right where Blefary played so badly. Ellis plays first base well, but he is being tried at third where Kenney didn't like to get in front of hard ground balls. The two moves can be labeled spectacular successes if Cater and Ellis attain mediocrity at their new positions.
Bobby Murcer made some astounding catches in his first full season as a center fielder. He also made several gaffes. He should be better this year. Not so Horace Clarke, the second baseman who abhors violence at second base and frequently makes his double-play pivot from short left field."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
OUTLOOK
"The Yankees are, for the most part, a team on the rise. Unfortunately, the one team ahead of them is almost out of sight.
'The Orioles are the better club, I'll admit,' said Yankee general manager Lee MacPhail."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
"The Yankees are back in the title picture, and although we pick them third instead of second where they finished last season, we think they have a better team and a shot at taking the division title. Ralph Houk is just about the best manager in baseball and the team is young and aggressive. Mel Stottlemyre should win twenty games again, with Fritz Peterson still strong and Lindy McDaniel the ace of the bullpen. But the big name is still Houk."
-Bill Shannon, Baseball Sports Special, Spring 1971
"Last season the Yankees bolted from a fifth-place finish to a contending second in the American League East. There is a strong likelihood that they will be right up there again this season, although the 15-game gap between the Yanks and the Orioles is quite likely to diminish substantially. And should Baltimore falter slightly, the Yanks are poised and ready to take over the top spot to which their fans became so accustomed during the previous four decades. A three-way scramble involving Baltimore, Boston and New York is quite likely.
It has become almost traditional for a decade to open with a Yankee championship team in the American League. The Bronx ball club won its first A.L. flag in 1921, missed in 1931 (winning in 1932 instead) and then took pennants in 1941, 1951 and 1961. Ralph Houk would love nothing more than perpetuating that skein with a 1971 pennant win.
The startling upsurge of the Yankees last season was a rude awakening for many American League watchers who had seen the once-proud New Yorkers stagger and collapse, dropping deep in the standings after winning their last championship in 1964.
But, slowly, the team was being rebuilt and now only Manager Ralph Houk and pitcher Mel Stottlemyre remain from that 1964 club which dropped the World Series to the Cardinals. Stottlemyre, who had been the Yanks' most consistent performer during the dark days which followed the collapse, had a strange season a year ago, winning 15 and losing 13 despite a 3.08 earned run mark. The fact that the team did as well as it did despite Mel's spotty performance was a tribute to the overall stability of the club and a warning to other American League clubs to beware of the Yankees.
A strong comeback by Stottlemyre (who's only 29) could make things rough for the opposition. Though his earned run mark was a respectable one (eleventh-best in the circuit), it was the second-highest of Mel's career and only the second time he's been over the magic 3.00 level. He had won 20 games or more each of the previous two years and three times in the past five since joining the Yankees midway through the 1964 campaign when he finished 9-3. In 1970 he managed 14 complete games (sixth-best in the A.L.) and 271 innings (tops on the team).
Lefty Fritz Peterson finally found himself last season and became a 20-game winner for the first time (20-11) with a 2.91 ERA. He won his twentieth the hard way - at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox, who had the league's highest slugging percentage and are historically murder against southpaws by virtue of the Fenway Friendly Fence.
Pitching, despite Stottlemyre's off-year, was a long suit for the Yanks and figures to remain so. Among the starters, Peterson had his best season and should become a consistent winner, although perhaps not of the 20-game-victory status, young Steve Kline (6-6) showed plenty of promise with five complete games in 16 appearances, and Stan Bahnsen, the A.L. Rookie of the Year in 1968 when he was 17-12, appears to have found the groove again and worked 233 innings last year, finishing with a 14-12 record.
The bullpen was another big plus for the Yanks but might be a question mark this season. Lindy McDaniel and Jack Aker were the backbone of the relief squad, so much so that old reliable Steve Hamilton was traded off to Chicago late in the season. McDaniel and Aker appeared in 103 games between them, winning a combined total of 13 games while losing only 7. McDaniel's earned run mark was 2.01, Aker's 2.06. But both are veteran pros, having stopped at Yankee Stadium after numerous layovers elsewhere. McDaniel is 36, Aker will turn 31 in July. For the Yanks to be a solid contender they must stay healthy and stamp out the fires as consistently as they did in 1970.
There will be some new faces competing for berths on the Yankee staff this season, including one who was formerly a member of the Yanks' cross-town rivals, the Mets. Rob Gardner, the one-time Met, had a brilliant season at Syracuse where the Chiefs ran away with everything worth grabbing in the minors, including the Little World Series and the International League title. Gardner was one of the sparks for the Chiefs, winning 16 and losing 5 with a 2.53 earned run average, striking out 126 men in 192 innings. Another Chief standout, Alan Closter (8-3) has merited a shot at the Bomber roster.
The major deficiency for the Yankees in recent years has been a lack of power. The Yanks finished seventh in slugging percentage in the league last season and hit 111 home runs, less than any team in the circuit except the Kansas City Royals.
Some of the talent which carried Syracuse to the sweep of Triple-A honors will be looked to in 1971 to improve on the long ball situation. Frank Tepedino, a line-drive hitter who was the Chiefs' top batter (.355), promising young Ron Blomberg and Tony Solaita (.308 at Syracuse) will be among the candidates fighting for spots this season. All three are left-handed hitters, which makes the short right-field stands at Yankee Stadium prime territory for them.
The top long-ball threats on the Yankee roster last season were Bobby Murcer (23 homers) and switch-hitting Roy White (22). To make a real run at the Orioles, the Yanks must find at least one man capable of reaching the 35-homer mark. The three top average hitters for New York were Rookie of the Year catcher Thurman Munson (.302), Danny Cater (.301) and Roy White (.296).
With Munson set at catcher, the Yankee infield will probably have young Johnny Ellis, a strong 22-year-old player, at first base, veteran Horace Clarke at second, rookie Frank Baker at shortstop and Jerry Kenney the probable third baseman. Cater will probably start the season in right field with Murcer in center and White in left.
Depending on which rookies do well, Tepedino could alternate with Ellis (a righty swinger) at first or play right if Kenney doesn't improve over his .193 batting of 1970. Should Kenney fail at third, Cater could play there with Solaita alternating with Ellis at first.
In any case, though they aren't crying 'Break up the Yankees' just yet, that old familiar war-cry might not be too far in the future."
-Bill Shannon, Baseball Sports Special, Spring 1971
"The Yankees had a party last September that could have been unique among the baseball celebrations. They broke out the champagne when they clinched second place in the American League East, and those who recalled when they bubbled over 29 pennants during a 44-year stretch, from 1921 to 1964, might regard the exuberance as being grateful for small favors.
But these ballplayers in the pinstripes aren't inclined to look back. They weren't present during the glory days in the Bronx. Mel Stottlemyre is the sole link to the last championship club, and the 29-year-old right-hander is surrounded by young men who were jubilant over the fact they finally had made a move in the right direction.
For the triumvirate that controls the club' destinies, president Mike Burke, general manager Lee MacPhail and manager Ralph Houk, the 93-69 record was worth celebrating. It represented an improvement of 13 victories, an advance to the runner-up slot, and while a 15-game gap remained between the Orioles and Yankees, it was a lot better than the 28 1/2 lengths by which the Yankees trailed the Birds in 1969.
For Burke, MacPhail and Houk, 1970 provided a view of some blue sky after the club's leanest seasons in half a century, including 10th and ninth-place in 1966 and '67 before the league expanded from 10 to 12 teams [and to divisional play]. With bright hopes for the future, the executives point out that only three of the 24 major league entries had better records last season.
Around the American League, observers aren't so certain the Yankees have 'arrived.' They credit Houk for doing a remarkable job by manipulating fringe players and by judicious use of a bullpen crew that salvaged a pitching staff that completed only 36 games.
The solid performers were Thurman Munson, the rookie catcher who batted .302, and Danny Cater, who hit .301 while alternating between first and third bases. They were the first .300 hitters in the Yankee lineup since Elston Howard (.313) and Mickey Mantle (.303) in 1964.
Fritz Peterson soared to a 20-11 record and became the club's first left-hander since Whitey Ford to reach the 20-game level. He achieved it in his last start, at Fenway Park, a death valley for southpaws, and Lindy McDaniel came on to protect a 4-3 margin with two men on the bases and one out in the ninth inning.
That was typical of the pitching operation throughout the season. Stottlemyre, a 20-game winner in the two previous campaigns, struggled to a 15-13 record [but] Stan Bahnsen [rebounded] to a 14-11 mark, and day after day, McDaniel, Jack Aker and Steve Hamilton, subsequently traded to the White Sox, trudged out of the bullpen. McDaniel with 62 appearances and Aker with 41 were credited with 45 saves between them, McDaniel's 29 tying a club record established by Luis Arroyo.
Throughout the year, Houk searched for a fourth starting pitcher, and he believes he might have found one at the end, for Steve Kline (6-6), brought up from the minors at mid-season, and Mike Kekich (6-3), the ex-Dodger lefty, both finished well. Ron Klimkowski was used as a spot starter and reliever, and Gary Waslewski and the aging Mike McCormick were acquired in trades, but the strongest possibility for 1971 is Rob Gardner, who had trials with the Mets, Cubs and Indians. He won 19 games for the Yankees' Syracuse farm club.
A year [ago], Houk insisted his team could muster a serious challenge if it could improve its offense, say add one run per game. The Yankees didn't quite reach that average. They did add 118 runs, and they did it in a manner that would have been strange to the old Bombers. They had 111 homers, and only one other American League club, Kansas City, had fewer. But they stole 105 bases, second in the circuit.
In addition to Munson and Cater, Roy White was a vital contributor. He was well over .300 for most of the year, and a July slump dropped him to a final .296. He attained personal peaks with 22 homers and 94 RBIs. Bobby Murcer, who was tabbed to follow in the center field tradition of DiMaggio and Mantle, had an ordinary year with a .251 mark, although his 23 homers led the team and he drove in 78 runs.
Curt Blefary, obtained from Houston in a swap for Joe Pepitone, hit a disappointing .212, which gave the Yankees a .500 average in major winter trades, for Cater was acquired from the A's for pitcher Al Downing and catcher Frank Fernandez. The part-time performers who made such vital contributions were outfielder Jim Lyttle; catcher Jake Gibbs, subbing occasionally for Munson; and John Ellis. Lyttle batted .310 in 87 games, Gibbs hit .301 and won at least half a dozen games with key hits, and while Ellis finished with .248, the strapping catcher-first baseman is a great prospect.
In addition to a fourth starting pitcher, the Yankees appear to lack a No. 4 hitter, and Houk apparently believes the 220-pound, right-handed hitting Ellis could fill the cleanup role, in which Munson and White alternated last season. But the manager will have to find a place for Ellis in the regular lineup, and the possibility is third base, where the youngster played briefly late in the season.
That would keep Cater on first base and could dictate a switch of Jerry Kenney to second base, where Horace Clarke has been a fixture for four seasons. Clarke batted .251 while Kenney's mark was a meager .193. Frank Baker, International League All-Star, appears to have settled down at shortstop, and the pennant won by Syracuse indicates additional farm products are on the way."
-Dell Baseball 1971
THE YANKEES LOOK GOOD TO ME by Ralph Houk
"Preparing this evaluation of the 1971 Yankees and the American League East is a pleasurable task this year. And I confidently believe Yankee fans have a lot to look forward to this season.
True, the Yankees have made no major changes over the winter to date. We simply did not want to sacrifice the young talent we have been developing these last two years. We think many of our young stars are about ready to put all together.
The year's experience gained by Thurman Munson, John Ellis, Jim Lyttle and Ron Klimkowski ... and the half-year of Frank Baker, Steve Kline and Frank Tepedino, plus the additional seasons gained by Roy White, Bobby Murcer, Jerry Kenney and Mike Kekich gives our young club assurance. With youthful veterans such as Danny Cater, Jake Gibbs, Curt Blefary, Horace Clarke, Gene Michael, plus our first three starting pitchers- Mel Stottlemyre, Fritz Peterson and Stan Bahnsen, we think we have reason for high hopes.
These reports have been optimistic these last couple of years as the Yankees moved up. I think we surprised fans and experts alike in 1970, but I know our players, coaches and front office staff believed in our club last spring. We went on to win 93 games, more than any club in baseball other than Baltimore, Minnesota and Cincinnati.
And now we've matured and still, the average of the 1971 Yankees probably won't be much over 25 years this summer. And in addition to the fine young veterans I've mentioned, we have some new faces who just may make our roster this season.
But before detailing our club, let's look at the rest of the American League East for a moment. It's still the top division in all sports, I think.
Baltimore obviously remains 'the team to beat.' The Orioles are strong and deep and have added pitching depth. Both Detroit and Boston have helped their clubs a lot through trades. Cleveland, of course, is a young club on the way up ... like the Yankees. And the Indians could be the division dark horse with their strong pitching. They played well in the last half of 1970. Washington has made a lot of moves and it will be interesting to see what Ted Williams can do with Denny McLain and Curt Flood. Our division should have a close and tough race.
Minnesota figures to have some pretty serious competition this year and probably will battle it out with the revamped California Angels and Oakland A's for the American League West crown. But I'm not taking Kansas City, Chicago or Milwaukee lightly. All have improved over the winter.
Getting back to the Yankees of 1971- I repeat that I think our added experience ... much added experience ... will help us immeasurably. I believe the difference between winning and losing is a thin line. We have much potential.
Going over the Yankees, position by position, gives me confidence. Our catching literally is in good hands. Munson won the Rookie of the Year award in the American League, the first catcher ever to win the honor in our league. And only Johnny Bench has been so honored in the National League. While Munson hit .302 to lead the club, Gibbs had his biggest season in the majors with a .301 average and a fine job behind the plate. Between them they drove in 79 runs. And to back them up we have Ellis and Blefary, both of whom can do an adequate job back of the plate.
Our infield did a competent job last year and should be better this year. Baker won All-Star honors as the best International League shortstop, and he put in some valuable time with us the last part of 1970. With Gene Micheal and Baker we should be set at shortstop. I look for Jerry Kenney to bounce back at bat this season. His speed and his glove are his greatest assets and he always hit well before last summer.
I think Clarke is one of the league's most underrated players at second base. He played 158 games for us and is always ready to play. Horace steals important bases for us and should be among the club's all-time leaders in that department in another year.
First base again is wide open. Danny Cater did a fine job for us in '70, but I am considering playing him regularly in right field. So if Danny goes to right field, John Ellis, Frank Tepedino, Curt Blefary and rookie Tony Solaita (19 homers and 87 RBIs with a .308 average at Syracuse) will battle it out at first base. And we have a streamlined Pete Ward also available at first base and for pinch-hitting duties. Ron Hansen, who hit .297 in limited service for us last year, also is ready to fill in wherever needed.
Incidentally, during the early spring games, we'll take a look at Ellis at third base, too.
Our outfield should read something like this ... All-Star Roy White in left, Bobby Murcer in center (and he came along fast in the field last year and should continue his overall improvement). In right field, the battle will be between Lyttle, who came along strongly when he got his chance last year; Blefary, rookie speedster Bobby Mitchell, Ron Woods, a fine fielder with some power, and Cater, who had his best major league season as a Yankee last summer.
Blefary, incidentally, always wanted to be a Yankee and he just may have tried too hard when he finally got his chance. I'm sure he'll help us somewhere this year.
We have three rookie outfielders who will be in camp this spring. Ronnie Blomberg, one of our top prospects, is only 22 and showing improvement. One of these days, he's going to put it all together. Rich Bladt will be up from Syracuse's AAA champions and young slugger Joe Pactwa, up from Manchester, where he hit 25 homers and .285, will also get a shot.
Pitching, which most baseball people think is the name of the game, should be one of our strongest assets. There should be a battle for the first five spots. Twenty-game winner Fritz Peterson, reliable Mel Stottlemyre and Stan Bahnsen probably will start it off. All three are under 30 years of age. Kline pitched very well the latter part of '70 and he's only 23. Kekich, the promising left-hander, came fast the last few weeks of the 1970 season. Rob Gardner, the lefty star at Syracuse, won 20 games all told last season. Gary Waslewski, youthful veteran, and former Cy Young winner Mike McCormick and Bill Burbach also should be in the fight for a starting job.
Ron Klimkowski did a fine job in the middle innings for us and a year's experience should prove valuable to him. Our bullpen was outstanding- topped by Lindy McDaniel and Jack Aker, and with Gary Jones, Loyd Colson and Bill Olsen in the running for one job. I really can't say enough about what McDaniel did for us last year- he seems to get better each year.
My great coaching staff of Jim Turner, Jim Hegan, Elston Howard, Dick Howser and Mickey Mantle feel as I do that we can go all the way this year after our fine 1970.
We're going to be a 'go-go' club, our 'road runners.' We have speed, pitching, youth and depth. It should make for an exciting season."
-Ralph Houk, 1971 New York Yankees Official Spring Guidebook Program
1971 Yankees Spring Training Depth Chart
C Thurman Munson
1B Danny Cater
2B Horace Clarke
3B John Ellis
SS Gene Michael
LF Roy White
CF Bobby Murcer
RF Jim Lyttle
UTILITY:
C Jake Gibbs
3B Jerry Kenney
SS Frank Baker
CF Ron Woods (LF)
RF Curt Blefary (C)
PH Pete Ward (1B)
PH Ron Hansen (2B)
PITCHERS:
Mel Stottlemyre
Fritz Peterson
Stan Bahnsen
Mike Kekich
Steve Kline
Ron Klimkowski
RELIEF PITCHERS:
Lindy McDaniel
Jack Aker
Gary Waslewski
Mike McCormick
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