"The jury's still out on 25-year-old Jim Mason. In 1974, he was handed the Yankee shortstop job and kept getting better as the season went on, both at bat and in the field. He was a highly regarded infielder, and a .250 hitter who cracked four doubles in one game against his old teammates, the Texas Rangers.
But in 1975, he lost the job, never getting untracked from the start of the season. The year was a nightmare for the sensitive Alabamian.
So this is year number three in the Yankee organization for Jim - the rubber year, so to speak. Will it be a return to the promise he showed in '74? The Yankees have confidence in Jim, and hope he rewards that trust by regaining his magic touch."
-The New York Yankees Official 1976 Yearbook
"The jury's still out on Jim - he's had one good year for the Yankees and one he'd rather forget. But the way he manned shortstop in 1974, getting better at the plate as the season progressed, still offers hope for a return to form for the young Alabamian.
Jim broke in with Washington in 1971 and played in the famous 'finale' at DC Stadium when the Senators forfeited to the Yankees. He played for Billy Martin in Texas before the Yankees bought him in December 1973.
One of seven children in the Mason family, Jim played Little League and Babe Ruth League ball in Mobile. He pitched a perfect game in the Alabama State Babe Ruth tourney.
Capable of playing second base as well as short, Jim hit four doubles in one game in Texas in 1974, tying a record."
-1976 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide
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