BILLY MARTIN (Manager)
"Unsinkable Martin returns for his fifth term as Yankee manager. He previously served in that capacity from 1975-78 and in 1979, 1983 and 1985. He's a winner who tends to quickly wear out his welcome and self-destruct.
Billy sports a 1,213-988 managerial record and owns a glittering 516-358 mark as Yankees' skipper, a .590 winning percentage. He extended his own record for most times as manager of one club. Billy has managed five teams and taken four to postseason play (1969 Twins, 1972 Tigers, 1976 and '77 Yankees, and 1981 A's); the other club, Texas, placed second in 1974.
Better known for his troubles off the field than his success in the dugout, Billy's last term as Yankee manager was marred by a brawl with pitcher Ed Whitson that left the aging manager with a broken arm and cracked ribs. His pugilistic record also includes a bout with a marshmallow salesman.
Martin played on six Yankee pennant winners from 1950-57 and still idolizes Casey Stengel, who was his manager. He had a .333 lifetime World Series average and made a famous catch off Jackie Robinson in the 1952 Series. He also played for the A's, Tigers, Indians, Reds, Braves and Twins in his 12-year major league career.
Born in Berkeley, California, the four-time Manager of the Year has a rare feel for the game. He stimulates his players and the fans with Billy Ball, a daring style that forces opponents into mistakes.
Billy must show he can control himself as well as he does the game."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1988 Edition
"'I got married in January, I feel good. I feel healthy, I'm very happy and I'm anxious to return as manager of the Yankees.'
An old familiar face with a new look, Billy Martin. Well, somewhat new. Martin points out that he has not mellowed and will be more determined in 1988. Before the start of spring training, the manager vowed, 'We will have a club Yankee fans can be proud of and we're going to kick some butt.'
Indeed, Billy the Kid has played a prominent role in Yankee history. As a player under mentor Casey Stengel, Martin was a key player on several Yankee pennant winners in the 1950s and was the recipient of the Babe Ruth Award for his play in the 1953 World Series. After retiring as a player in 1962, he continued working his magic as a manager, turning losers into instant winners. An acknowledged master of strategy, Martin is known for his fiery and exciting style. He has managed five different AL clubs, tying a modern-day record, and has taken four of them to postseason play. He is also a four-time winner of the Manager of the Year Award.
Martin first joined the Yankees as manager in mid-1975, and when he started his first full term the following year it had been 12 years since the last Yankee pennant, the longest drought in team history since their first pennant in 1921. He led the Yankees to the 1976 pennant and in 1977 guided them to their first World Championship in 15 years. The '78 squad also went on to a World Series title and, while Martin resigned in July of that year, he played a major role in the last major league team to win back-to-back championships.
Billy returned to manage the Yankees in 1979 and then it was on to Oakland for three years. He was back in New York again in 1983 and 1985 as the Yankees fell just a bit short in the AL East title drives. However, after the Yankees retired his famous number one jersey on August 10, 1986, Billy knew he would be back as the Yankees field general before too long.
He spent the last two years observing the team closely as a Special Advisor to Yankee Principal Owner George Steinbrenner and an as an analyst on the club's telecasts on WPIX-TV. Now Billy's back and ready for action.
'I've been a Yankee at heart all of my life,' he explains. 'I'm happy to be back and I'm ready to accept the challenge."
-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook
"Martin returns for his fifth stint as Yankee manager. He was named to replace Lou Piniella on October 19, 1987, when Piniella was elevated to Yankee general manager. Known for his fiery and exciting managerial style, Billy is considered a master of baseball strategy and [is known for] his ability to dictate the tempo of his team and the game.
He had his uniform number (#1) retired by the Yankees on August 10, 1986 on Billy Martin Day at Yankee Stadium, when a plaque in his honor was placed in Monument Park. A four-time Manager of the Year winner (1974, 1976, 1980, 1981), Martin is one of 27 men to have managed the Yankees, but one of only seven to have led the Yankees to a World Championship (1977), joining Huggins, McCarthy, Harris, Stengel, Houk and Lemon.
Billy first joined the Yankees as manager in mid-1975, and the next season led the team to their first AL pennant in 12 years. He guided the Yankees to a repeat pennant in 1977 and a World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first Yankee World Championship since 1962. Four days after his first term as Yankee manager came to an end, it was revealed in a surprise announcement on July 29, 1978 (Old Timers' Day) that he would manage the Yankees again in 1980; he began his second term as Yankee skipper earlier than expected, however, on July 19, 1979, replacing Bob Lemon.
He returned for his third term for the entire 1983 season and led the Yankees to a second place finish with a 91-71 record. He began his fourth term on April 28, 1985, replacing Yogi Berra; the team was 6-10 at the time, but he guided them to a second place finish with an overall mark of 97-64. Billy spent the past two seasons as a Special Advisor to Yankee Principal Owner George Steinbrenner and as an analyst on the club's telecasts on WPIX-TV.
With his return this season he sets a major league record for most times as manager of one club (5). He had been tied with Danny Murtaugh, who managed the Pittsburgh Pirates on four different occasions. Martin has managed five different American League clubs, taking four of them to postseason play (1969 Twins, 1972 Tigers, 1976 and '77 Yankees, 1981 A's) and the other club to a second place finish (1974 Rangers [after consecutive last-place finishes before Martin's arrival]), tying him with Jimmy Dykes for the modern-day major league record for most clubs managed in one league.
Martin has managed three American League All-Star teams (1977, 1978, 1982). Among active managers, he ranks second in winning percentage (.551) behind only Sparky Anderson and stands fifth in career victories (1,215). In the all-time career listings of managers with five or more years of experience since 1900, Martin ranks among the top twenty in both career wins and winning percentage.
He began his non-playing career by serving as a scout for the Minnesota Twins from 1962 through 1964 and as a coach with the Twins from 1965 through May 26, 1968. He was named to his first managerial position the following day when he replaced John Goryl as manager of Denver in the Pacific Coast League, going 65-50 the rest of the season, and was promoted to manager of the Twins the following season.
Billy was an outstanding major league player and a member of six Yankee pennant winners (1950-53, 1955-56) playing for Casey Stengel. He was a favorite of Casey, with whom he had a father-son type of relationship. Billy had a .333 lifetime World Series batting average. He made a famous catch in the 1952 Series off Jackie Robinson in the seventh inning of Game Seven, with the bases loaded and two out, to preserve the Yankees' 4-2 win. He batted .500 in the 1953 Series, winning the Babe Ruth Award while establishing a World Series record for most hits (12) in a six-game Series. Billy was named to the 1956 AL All-Star team and during his 12-year major league career also played for the A's, Tigers, Indians, Reds, Braves and Twins.
Born and raised in Berkeley, California, Billy graduated from Berkeley High School in 1946. In his second season of professional ball, with Phoenix in 1947, he batted .392 (230-for-586) and drove in 174 runs.
Billy maintains his permanent residence in Blackhawk, California."
-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide
ART FOWLER (Coach)
"Once Billy Martin was named as manager of the Yankees, Art Fowler was considered a likely candidate to be the next pitching coach, and with good reason. Martin has managed five different AL clubs, with Fowler on his staff at every stop.
Fowler's playing career included 25 pro seasons, nine in the majors. He spent the last of his playing days (1965-68, 1970) with Denver in the Twins organization, where he first joined forces with Martin. Fowler pitched for him at 1968 at Denver, and was a coach under him in 1969 when Martin took over as manager of the Twins. At 48 Fowler returned to pitch for Denver in 1970, before joining Martin the next year in Detroit as pitching coach.
The two worked together in Detroit (1971-73), Texas (1974-75), New York and in 1980 at Oakland. Fowler returns to the Yankees where he coached from 1977-79 and in 1983.
Fowler is back under Martin, back with the Yankees, and expected to get Yankee hurlers pitching in the Fall Classic."
-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook
"Fowler returns to the Yankees as pitching coach for the third time and is reunited with manager Billy Martin. He has worked under Martin as pitching coach in Minnesota, Detroit, Texas, New York and Oakland, and was previously with the Yankees from 1977-78 [until Martin's firing], in 1979 [after Martin's return] and in 1983.
His professional playing career spanned 25 years, starting in 1944 at Bristol of the Appalachian League. He won 54 games in his nine major league seasons, seeing time with the Reds, Dodgers and Angels. Art had his best year with the Reds in 1954, winning 12 games with a 3.83 ERA, and won 11 games in each of his next two years in Cincinnati. He was traded to the Dodgers organization in June of 1958, pitched for the Dodgers in 1959, then was sold to the Angels in May of 1961. At the age of 41 in 1963, Art pitched in 57 games for the Angels for a 5-3 record and 2.43 ERA, being used in relief.
Art was released by the Angels in May of 1964 and signed as a free agent with Denver in February of 1965. He joined forces with Billy Martin for the first time in 1968 when Billy was sent to manage Denver for the Twins, and coached at Minnesota for Billy in 1969. Art then went back to Denver as a player-coach in 1970 and was still pitching at age 48. He coached for Billy at Detroit in 1971-73, Texas in 1974-75, New York twice, Oakland in 1980-82 and New York again.
Art won 205 games in his minor league career."
-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide
MIKE FERRARO (Coach)
"The versatile Mike Ferraro has sported a number of different hats during his many years of service with the Yankees, so accepting another job presents no real problems for this coach. Ferraro will serve as first base coach on the 1988 coaching staff, moving across the field after spending last season as the club's third base coach. Just another day at the office for Ferraro and his affiliation with the organization.
He played two of his four major league seasons with the Yankees. Ferraro then showed what he could do as a manager in the Yankee farm system for five seasons (1974-78). He never had a losing season while posting an impressive 331-221 record (.600). His next role was that of a big league coach with the Yankees from 1979 to 1982.
He served as manager of the Indians for part of the 1982 season, and two and a half years as third base coach for the Royals before serving as interim manager of that club for the second half of the 1986 season. Ferraro rejoined the Yankees last season and is ready to continue his winning ways with the organization this year."
-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook
"Ferraro will be the Yankees' first base coach in 1988 after spending last season as the club's third base coach. He rejoined the Yankees on October 21, 1986, having previously served as a Yankee coach for four seasons from 1979 through 1982.
He was named manager of the Cleveland Indians in 1983 and posted a record of 40-60 with the Tribe through July 31, 1983, before being relieved of his duties. Mike spent two and a half seasons as Dick Howser's third base coach with the Kansas City Royals until being named their interim manager on July 17, 1986. He continued in that role through the completion of the 1986 season.
Prior to his major league coaching and managing experience, he managed five seasons (1974-78) in the Yankee farm system, compiling a 331-221 (.600) record and never had a losing year. Mike led Oneonta (Class-A) to the New York-Penn League title in 1974 and concluded his minor league managing career with a Pacific Coast League championship at Tacoma in 1978.
Mike was the 1964 Player of the Year in the Florida State League (.317, 158 hits, 77 RBIs in 139 games). He played four seasons in the majors, including parts of the 1966 and 1968 seasons with the Yankees. Mike has a career .232 batting average with a pair of home runs and 30 RBIs in 162 games. He tied a major league record on September 14, 1968, for most assists by a third baseman, 11, while playing for the Yankees against the Washington Senators. Mike retired in 1972 following a season with Milwaukee.
A standout high school athlete, Mike scored a school record 53 points, shooting 24-for-30 from the floor, for the Kingston (NY) High School basketball team in 1961."
-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide
CLETE BOYER (Coach)
"When Clete Boyer puts on the Pinstripes in 1988 as the Yankee third base coach, it will make for two familiar scenes.
In the first, he will be reunited with Billy Martin. In 1980 Martin took over as manager of the Oakland A's, and one of his first moves was to make Boyer, who was a coach for the Atlanta Braves for three seasons, his third base coach. Boyer stayed with the A's in that capacity for six seasons, three under Martin.
In the second scene, Boyer will again be working in the vicinity of third base, where he excelled with the Yankees during eight (1959-66) of his 15 seasons as a major leaguer. He became the Yankees' regular third baseman in 1960 and played in five World Series with New York. His best season in Pinstripes came in 1962 when he batted .318 in helping the Yankees to a World Series victory."
-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook
"After serving as a Yankee minor league instructor last season, Boyer is reunited with Billy Martin and will serve as third base coach this year. He has spent nine years as a coach, including six years as third base coach for the Oakland A's, joining Martin's staff at Oakland in 1980 after a three-year coaching stint with the Atlanta Braves.
Boyer played 16 years in the major leagues, starting his career in 1955 with the Kansas City A's. He played with the A's from 1955 to 1957, then was traded to the Yankees along with Art Ditmar, Bobby Shantz, Jack McMahon and Wayne Belardi in exchange for Rip Coleman, Tom Morgan, Mickey McDermott, Billy Hunter, Milt Graff and Irv Noren. Clete became the Yankees' regular third baseman in 1960, and he played in five World Series for New York.
His seventh inning home run in the of the first game of the 1962 World Series against the San Francisco Giants broke a 2-2 tie and gave Whitey Ford his 10th World Series victory. Boyer batted .318 in the '62 Series, following his best year with the Yankees when he batted a career high .272 with 18 home runs and 68 runs batted in while playing in 157 games, all at third base. He set a World Series record for most assists by a third baseman in Series play (65) that stood until Graig Nettles broke it in 1984, and is tied with five others for most double plays started by a third baseman in a nine-inning Series game (2).
Clete was traded to the Atlanta Braves in November 1966 for Bill Robinson and Chi Chi Olivo. He played five years for the Braves and had his most productive year for Atlanta in 1967, with career highs in home runs (26) and RBIs (96). He led National League third basemen in fielding in 1967 and 1969 and is fifth on the all-time fielding list for third basemen. Clete has also played shortstop and second base during his career, along with one game in the outfield in 1961. He banged out five grand slams during his career.
After leaving Atlanta in 1971 Clete spent time playing in Japan, then rejoined the Braves prior to the 1977 season. He is a member of a great baseball family, including brothers Ken and Cloyd."
-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide
JEFF TORBORG (Coach)
"In 1979 Billy Martin became Yankee manager for the second time, taking over for Bob Lemon on July 19. One of his first moves was to make Jeff Torborg a member of the Yankee coaching staff.
The many talents and attributes of Torborg that were recognized by Martin have since been appreciated by six other Yankee managers, keeping him in Pinstripes for over eight seasons and making him the senior member of the staff. This quiet professional brings several looks [sic] to his job in the Yankee bullpen.
In college he hit .537 his senior year for Rutgers, an NCAA record that still stands. He played for ten years in the majors as a catcher and was on a World Series champion and a National League pennant winner, caught three no-hitters and caught two single-season strikeout records. Couple these facts with his experience as a big league coach and manager, and you have a proven winner who has the ability to show what it takes to be a champion to today's Yankee relief corps."
-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook
"Torborg serves as Yankee bullpen coach. He joined the Yankee coaching staff on August 1, 1979, after his dismissal as manager of the Indians on July 23. He had managed the Tribe since June 19, 1977, compiling a record of 157-201, and prior to that was a coach for the Indians beginning with the 1975 season, serving under Frank Robinson.
He played 10 years in the majors, seven with the Dodgers and three with the Angels. He played on the World Champion Dodgers in 1965 and on their NL pennant winner in 1966. Jeff caught two no-hitters with the Dodgers, by Sandy Koufax in 1965 and Bill Singer in 1970, and also caught a Nolan Ryan no-hitter with the Angels in 1973; the major league record for no-hitters caught is four by Ray Schalk. He was also behind the plate when Don Drysdale threw his fifth consecutive shutout in 1968, and caught Koufax and Ryan when they set single-season strikeout records. Jeff retired after the 1973 season.
A native of northern Jersey, Jeff earned a B.S. in education from Rutgers and has a Masters degree in athletic administration from Montclair State. His thesis was on the effects of platooning in baseball. In his senior year at Rutgers, Jeff hit .537 to lead the NCAA in batting and set a record that still stands.
He is a contributing author to a variety of baseball publications and recently was appointed to the New Jersey Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. His son Doug is a pitching prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirate organization."
-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide
CHRIS CHAMBLISS (Coach)
"The Yankees are determined to get back on top in 1988 and are counting on a few familiar faces to get them there. Billy Martin ended the team's 12-year drought when he managed them to the AL pennant in 1976, and Chris Chambliss was a key player on that club. Martin has brought back Chambliss to once again help him make winners of the Yankees.
Chambliss, who serves as the batting coach, played six of his 16 major league seasons as a first baseman with the Yankees (1974-79). He was a prominent member of the Yankee clubs that dominated the late seventies. Chambliss' career was highlighted by a dramatic ninth-inning home run in the final game of the 1976 ALCS that beat the Royals and propelled the Yankees into the World Series for the first time since 1964.
After his playing career ended in 1986, he rejoined the Yankees in the front office in July of 1987. Chambliss will now teach clutch hitting to the 1988 Yankees."
-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook
"Chris was named as hitting coach in November 1987 after having rejoined the Yankees in July 1987 in a front office (player development) capacity. The former Yankee first baseman spent six years with the team (1974-79) and played an instrumental role in the club's two World Championships and three American League pennants during that time. Chris may be best remembered for his ninth-inning home run in the final game of the 1976 American League Championship Series off Mark Littell that beat the Kansas City Royals and propelled the Yankees into the World Series for the first time since 1964.
He began his professional career in 1970 by hitting .342 at Wichita to become the first pro rookie to win a Triple-A batting title. The following season, after only one full year in the minors, he batted .275 in 111 games with the Cleveland Indians and was named the 1971 AL Rookie of the Year. After two more seasons in Cleveland, Chris was traded to the Yankees along with Dick Tidrow and Cecil Upshaw on April 26, 1974 in exchange for Fritz Peterson, Steve Kline, Fred Beene and Tom Buskey.
Chris had perhaps his best season in 1976, batting .293 with 17 home runs and a career high 96 runs batted in and was named to the American League All-Star team. He finished fifth in the AL Most Valuable Player voting that year. A model of consistency in his five full seasons with the Yankees, his batting average ranged from .274 to .304, and in those seasons he drove in 72, 96, 90, 90 and 63 runs, respectively. Chris won a Gold Glove in 1978, committing just four errors in 1,481 total chances, a .997 percentage which tied him with Joe Pepitone for the all-time Yankee first baseman single-season record, a mark that still stands.
He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays with Damaso Garcia and Paul Mirabella in November 1979 in exchange for Rick Cerone, Tom Underwood and Ted Wilborn. A month later, he was traded with Luis Gomez to the Atlanta Braves for Barry Bonnell and Joey McLaughlin. Chris played seven years with the Braves and batted .272 and hit a career high 20 home runs twice for Atlanta, in 1982 and 1983. He finished his professional career in 1986 with the Braves and rejoined the Yankees in his front office role the next season.
Chris played a season of college baseball at UCLA, where he set school records with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs. He previously played both football and baseball at Mira Costa Junior College, where he was all-league in each sport. He was a football and basketball standout at Oceanside High School.
The son of a Navy Chaplain, Chris traveled much of his youth and is a former member of the Air National Guard. He is a cousin of basketball standout Jo Jo White."
-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide
GEORGE MITTERWALD (Coach)
"In 1969 Billy Martin took his first managing job with the Minnesota Twins. On that team was a promising young catcher named George Mitterwald, who helped Martin guide the Twins to the '69 playoffs. He no doubt made a lasting impression on his manager, who has now asked him to help lead the Yankees to the playoffs as a member of his coaching staff.
Mitterwald played more than 10 years in the majors, with the Twins and Cubs, highlighted by two trips to the playoffs with the Twins (1969-70) where he posted a .333 average in ALCS play. He became a coach with the A's in 1979 (a player/coach for five days) and stayed on the staff as bullpen coach when Martin became manager in 1980. In 1981 he again aided Martin in steering [their] club to the playoffs.
He went on to manage Oakland's Modesto farm club for three seasons (1983-85), winning the California League Championship in 1984. For the past two years he managed Minnesota's Orlando farm team.
Mitterwald dons the Pinstripes for the first time but is again reunited with Martin, a combination with a proven track record."
-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook
"Mitterwald joined the Yankees for the first time on November 6, 1987 as a coach, but is reunited with manager Billy Martin. He previously worked under Martin during his tenure as the bullpen coach of the Oakland A's from 1979-82. For the next three seasons, 1983-85, George managed the Oakland's Modesto farm club, winning the California League championship in 1984. For the past two seasons he managed the Minnesota's Orlando farm club, going 70-73 in 1986 and 61-82 last year.
He started his pro career in 1965 at Wisconsin Rapids after being signed by the Twins two days before the first draft that year. He made his major league debut in 1966, appearing in three games for the Twins.
George came up to stay in 1968 and was an outstanding defensive catcher for Minnesota during some of that team's great years. He played on their championship teams in 1969 and 1970 and had a .333 batting average in League Championship Series play. He had his best year in Minnesota in 1973, batting .259 with a career high 16 homers and 64 runs batted in.
The Twins then traded him to the Chicago Cubs in December 1973 in exchange for Randy Hundley. On April 17, 1974, against the Pirates, he went 4-for-4 with three home runs, a double and eight RBIs. Mitterwald was granted free agency by the Cubs after the 1977 season and elected to stay with them as their bullpen coach in 1978 before joining the A's staff in '79.
Mitterwald graduated from Mt. Eden High School in Hayward, California where he was all-conference in baseball and basketball. He then went to Chabot Junior College, where he also played baseball and basketball and was a physical education major.
A Tiger and Brave fan growing up, George enjoys golfing and fishing."
-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide
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