1973 Profile: Matty Alou

"Swept out by the Cardinals in a youth movement, Alou was a valuable late-season addition for the A's. He became the starting right fielder for Oakland after his acquisition from St. Louis and was traded to the Yanks during the winter.
'Matty's a magician at bat,' says Joe Torre. A master of bat control, Alou can hit line drives to right field, punch the ball to left field, bunt and hit choppers over encroaching infielders.
'We just scatter nine guys and pray,' former Braves' manager Lum Harris once said.
Regarded as the least talented of the three Alou brothers when the Giants traded him to Pittsburgh, Matty became National League batting champion under the tutelage of Harry Walker.
'He gave me the idea about hitting,' Alou says.
Born December 22, 1938 in Haina, Dominican Republic, Matty pitched two scoreless innings for the Giants in a 1965 pinch."

-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1973 Edition

"Two years ago, the Yankees acquired Felipe Alou. Not only did the club acquire a superior professional ball player, but a man of quality as well. Once again this past winter, the Yankees reached to Oakland for another Alou: Felipe's younger brother Matty.
Mateo Rojas Alou has a lifetime batting average of .310, stretched over 11 seasons in the major leagues - fourth highest average of all active major leaguers. Since 1966 when he was with Pittsburgh, Matty has hit a truly remarkable seven-year average of .322.
There is more to a ball player and to a man than cold statistics, especially if you are Matty Alou. When he first joined the Pirates, the Spanish-speaking Matty struck up a player-fan friendship with a Cuban gentleman who shouted encouragement from the right field seats. Learning that his friend had been burned out of his apartment, Manny invited him and his entire homeless family of five to move in with the Alous, who fed and clothed them.
Complimented on this generous act of charity, Matty shrugged and said, 'Wouldn't anyone do this for a family in need?'
With two Alous, the Yankees are twice blessed."

-The New York Yankees Official 1973 Yearbook

"Matty, sought by the Yanks last season before the Cardinals dealt him to the A's, was finally nabbed in the first deal of the 1972 Winter Meetings. He becomes reunited with his older brother, Felipe.
Matty will be a welcome addition to the Yankee attack. He is the fourth leading lifetime hitter among active major leaguers with 500 or more games, with a .310 average.
Matty didn't realize his full potential as a batsman, however, until he was traded by the Giants to the Pirates in 1966 after five years in the majors. Pirate Manager Harry Walker took him in tow, switched him to a heavier bat and had him choke up and meet the ball to take full advantage of his speed. He promptly won the NL batting title with a .342 average, beating Felipe, who finished second with a .327 average. This marked the first time in major league history that brothers came in one-two in a batting race. Matty followed with seasons of .338, .332 and .331 and has hit under .300 only once since then."

-1973 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide