"He's a major league fielder - the only question is his hitting. Frank batted .257 at Syracuse, where he was the International League's All-Star shortstop and had a .239 average in a brief trial with the Yankees. He has a fine opportunity this year since the incumbent, Gene Michael, will be 33 in June and doesn't hit much either. He has a lot of range and graceful movements, not unlike Mark Belanger.
'Baker has soft hands,' Ralph Houk says. 'The ball just melts in his glove.'
A former basketball at Southern Mississippi in his home state, Frank was born in Meridian on October 29, 1946."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
"Glowing scouting reports on Syracuse's International League All-Star shortstop Frank Baker were proved accurate last August when, with Gene Michael and Ron Hansen both disabled, the young infielder made his debut in a long, tough doubleheader with the Orioles. In the second game he had a single and a triple. In his third game, he had three hits, his first two RBIs and a stolen base.
'He certainly performed like a major leaguer in his first three games,' said Ralph Houk. 'There was nothing to fault him on. Frank made all the plays in the field and showed he could wait for his pitch.'
Baker had earlier shown himself to be an outstanding shortstop with an improving bat. In his Yankee preview year he hit a very creditable .231 and convinced the Yankees that their high hopes for him to become a great Yankee shortstop were well-founded.
Frank, a native of Meridian, Mississippi, was the father of twins last year. In the off-season, he worked for his father's oil company."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Long regarded as the Yankees' top shortstop prospect, Frank was the International League's All-Star shortstop in 1970. He reached the parent club last year on August 7 when he was recalled from Syracuse to replace the injured Ron Hansen who was placed on the disabled list with a pulled left hamstring muscle. Baker got off to a great start at the plate collecting five hits in his first ten at-bats. He appeared in 35 games with the Yanks, mostly alternating with Gene Michael at short.
Baker has all the tools of a major league shortstop: good speed, a quick and strong arm, range and good hands. Only his hitting has been suspect to date; however, Frank has improved each year in this department.
A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, he works in his father's oil company during the off-season. His hobbies are hunting and golf. His brother John was a linebacker for Houston and San Diego (1963-67) in the American Football League."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
Thursday, June 5, 2014
1971 Profile: Jack Aker
"The other half of the best right-handed bullpen in baseball, Jack throws a sidearm sinker that's poison to right-handed hitters.
He's the sloppiest tobacco chewer on a team of avid tobacco chewers. He leaves brown puddles on the floor of the dugout, the dirt of the bullpen and the pinstripes of his uniform.
'I can chew it,' he says, 'but I can't spit a lick.'
Of Indian descent, Jack was the best relief pitcher in baseball with the Kansas City A's in 1966. As player representative, he took the brunt of the blows in the feud between Charles Finley and his players which eventually cost Alvin Dark his job as manager and Hawk Harrelson his position as star. His pitching suffered and it wasn't until he reached the Yankees, via Seattle, the touch came back.
Born July 13, 1940 in Tulare, California, he's nicknamed Chief. Jack is married, with five children."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
"When the Yankees acquired him two years ago, Aker had suffered through a couple of bad seasons. Earlier, the big right-handed relief hurler had been A.L. Fireman of the Year in 1966 when he had 26 saves. When he joined New York he was 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA. But Ralph Houk and the Yankees changed that. In 1969 Aker saved 11 games to lead the bullpen, even though he hadn't been with the team the entire season.
In 1970 Jack was having a tremendous season until he was slowed up by back trouble. But toward the end of the season he was able to pitch regularly and effectively. He was 4-2 in 70 innings pitched, with a wonderful 2.06 ERA and 16 saves.
Jack is of American Indian ancestry and the father of five children. He succeeded Steve Hamilton as Yankee player representative and American League representative on the player pension committee. The man chosen for this job is highly regarded by his teammates."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Only a recurring back injury prevented Aker from having perhaps the finest season of his career. Despite this handicap, he was the Yankees' second top relief ace, right behind Lindy McDaniel, as he had 16 saves, second to Lindy's 29, a 2.06 ERA (only Lindy's 2.01 mark was lower), and won four games while losing two.
He had as many as ten saves through June 3, the Yanks' 52nd game of the year, with a 1.87 ERA. Shortly thereafter he suffered a pulled muscle in his back and appeared in only one game for the rest of the month. Jack reached his peak again on July 7; from that point until the end of the season he allowed a run in just three of his last 19 appearances, and then only one at a time. As a matter of fact, he allowed an earned run in just nine of his 41 total appearances.
The Yanks have now received two straight productive years from this hard-throwing sidearmer, as in 1969 he led the club in saves (11) and had the lowest ERA (2.06) while compiling a won-loss mark of 8-4. All this is not strange to Jack, however, as he was named the American League's Fireman of the Year in 1966 while he was with the Kansas City Athletics.
Popular among his teammates, Aker is the Yankees' new player representative. Of Indian extraction, his mother being of the Pottawotimic tribe, his nickname is 'Chief.'"
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
He's the sloppiest tobacco chewer on a team of avid tobacco chewers. He leaves brown puddles on the floor of the dugout, the dirt of the bullpen and the pinstripes of his uniform.
'I can chew it,' he says, 'but I can't spit a lick.'
Of Indian descent, Jack was the best relief pitcher in baseball with the Kansas City A's in 1966. As player representative, he took the brunt of the blows in the feud between Charles Finley and his players which eventually cost Alvin Dark his job as manager and Hawk Harrelson his position as star. His pitching suffered and it wasn't until he reached the Yankees, via Seattle, the touch came back.
Born July 13, 1940 in Tulare, California, he's nicknamed Chief. Jack is married, with five children."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
"When the Yankees acquired him two years ago, Aker had suffered through a couple of bad seasons. Earlier, the big right-handed relief hurler had been A.L. Fireman of the Year in 1966 when he had 26 saves. When he joined New York he was 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA. But Ralph Houk and the Yankees changed that. In 1969 Aker saved 11 games to lead the bullpen, even though he hadn't been with the team the entire season.
In 1970 Jack was having a tremendous season until he was slowed up by back trouble. But toward the end of the season he was able to pitch regularly and effectively. He was 4-2 in 70 innings pitched, with a wonderful 2.06 ERA and 16 saves.
Jack is of American Indian ancestry and the father of five children. He succeeded Steve Hamilton as Yankee player representative and American League representative on the player pension committee. The man chosen for this job is highly regarded by his teammates."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Only a recurring back injury prevented Aker from having perhaps the finest season of his career. Despite this handicap, he was the Yankees' second top relief ace, right behind Lindy McDaniel, as he had 16 saves, second to Lindy's 29, a 2.06 ERA (only Lindy's 2.01 mark was lower), and won four games while losing two.
He had as many as ten saves through June 3, the Yanks' 52nd game of the year, with a 1.87 ERA. Shortly thereafter he suffered a pulled muscle in his back and appeared in only one game for the rest of the month. Jack reached his peak again on July 7; from that point until the end of the season he allowed a run in just three of his last 19 appearances, and then only one at a time. As a matter of fact, he allowed an earned run in just nine of his 41 total appearances.
The Yanks have now received two straight productive years from this hard-throwing sidearmer, as in 1969 he led the club in saves (11) and had the lowest ERA (2.06) while compiling a won-loss mark of 8-4. All this is not strange to Jack, however, as he was named the American League's Fireman of the Year in 1966 while he was with the Kansas City Athletics.
Popular among his teammates, Aker is the Yankees' new player representative. Of Indian extraction, his mother being of the Pottawotimic tribe, his nickname is 'Chief.'"
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
1971 Profile: Thurman Munson
1971 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR
"From early last season through the end of the campaign, Thurman Munson was being touted as the Rookie of the Year in the AL. After a dreadful start (he went 1 for 30), the 22-year-old catcher began to prove he could hit major league pitching. Thurman wound up with a .302 average and 53 RBI's.
He knows how to hit to the opposite field, how to bunt and how to move runners up. And the stocky 5-11, 190-pounder is hard to catch in a double play, too. Munson has a superb arm and gets his throws off fast. An aggressive personality, he takes charge behind the plate, though he still has to learn the fine points of calling a game and handling pitchers.
He didn't start catching until his second year in college and the Yankees signed him the following season. Thurman spent one season (1968) at Binghamton, where he hit .301, and he might have stuck with the Yankees in '69 if he hadn't been called up for six months of military duty.
Many think he is the best all-around catcher in the league already."
-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971
"He's shaped like a chest protector and born to be a catcher.
'I don't have to squat down as far as some of the others,' he says. One of the best things to happen to the Yankees in years. Thurman has the quickest arm of any catcher in the majors and remarkable agility behind the plate - he's at his best on topped rollers and bunts. He batted second much of the season and is an aggressive baserunner.
'I like to run after being cooped up behind the plate,' Thurman says. He stole six bases.
Thurman has a cocksure attitude and leadership instincts. He began the season with a woeful 1-for-30 stretch, yet recovered to hit .300 and was named AL Rookie of the Year.
Born June 7, 1947 in Akron, Ohio, Thurman was the Yankees' first choice in the June 1968 free agent draft after attaining All-America status at Kent State.
An intense competitor nicknamed Turtle by his teammates, Thurman in married."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
"Thurman Munson, the Yankees' first choice in the June 1968 Free Agent Draft, was named American League Rookie of the Year in 1970 by a landslide margin, becoming the first A.L. catcher ever to win to the coveted award. Munson's first season started out as anything but award-winning. In April the 22-year-old backstop, who'd had only 99 games of minor league baseball before becoming the Yankees' starting catcher, was in a 1-for-30 slump that at one point was an 0-for-24 string.
'On our first homestand in Yankee Stadium I couldn't even see the ball,' Munson recalls. 'But I knew I could hit and Ralph Houk assured me he had confidence in me and that it was only a matter of time.'
On April 20 at Washington, Munson got three hits and raised his average from .033 to .118 in one night. For the balance of the season, he hit at a .322 pace with 136 for 423. Thurm drove in 53 runs, hit six homers in 132 games and ended the season with a club-leading average of .302. Thurman led all major league catchers with 80 assists and his lightning-quick release nailed 40 of 69 runners attempting to steal. He caught more games (125) than anyone in either league, although he was often absent for military service.
During the second game of an exciting doubleheader with Baltimore at the Stadium on August 9, the fans paid Munson a spontaneous tribute. Thurm was away on military service but, unknown to the fans and Yankee management, had finished drill at 5:00 P.M. and raced from Fort Dix to the Stadium. When he suddenly emerged from the dugout to pinch-hit, the place exploded. The roar that greeted his appearance was a striking tribute to a dedicated young ball player and a popular rising star.
Baltimore's Frank Robinson has no doubts: 'That boy will lead the A.L. in hitting one day,' says Frank. 'He'll be a good one, especially since he is a good breaking ball hitter.'
When he was named Rookie of the Year, Munson was asked about the '71 season.
'Everyone knows what a young ball club we have,' he said, 'but they don't realize how good we can be. I'm going to hit more and we'll have more pitching, so I think we could win it all. Don't forget, we have the best manager in baseball.'"
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Rated as one of the coming stars in baseball, this fiery youngster not only became a Yankee regular in only his third year of professional baseball but also their leading hitter with a .302 average and was named American League Rookie of the Year. Highly competitive and confident, not even a horrendous start last season with just one hit in his first 30 at-bats, including an 0-for-24 streak, dimmed his spirits. Munson came on strong, hitting .322 for the rest of the year and .370 from July 21 on.
Munson has a strong, quick and accurate arm. He threw out 40 of 69 baserunners who attempted to steal while he was behind the plate, and also picked a runner off first base. A line drive type of hitter with good power who sprays the ball to all fields, Thurman hit in the second slot in the lineup and is adept at bunting and hitting behind the runner.
Thurman attended Kent State where he was named to the All-American Baseball Team of 1968. He is an avid and accomplished golfer."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
MUNSON WINS AABC AWARD
"Thurman Munson, the Yankees' American League Rookie of the Year in 1970, will be the recipient of the American Amateur Baseball Congress Graduate of the Year award, it was announced by Lincoln Hackim, president of the AABC.
A graduate of the Stark County (Canton, Ohio) sandlots, Munson played in the Stan Musial and Connie Mack divisions of the AABC before being selected by the Yankees after starring at Kent State U."
-1971 New York Yankees Scorecard and Official Program
"From early last season through the end of the campaign, Thurman Munson was being touted as the Rookie of the Year in the AL. After a dreadful start (he went 1 for 30), the 22-year-old catcher began to prove he could hit major league pitching. Thurman wound up with a .302 average and 53 RBI's.
He knows how to hit to the opposite field, how to bunt and how to move runners up. And the stocky 5-11, 190-pounder is hard to catch in a double play, too. Munson has a superb arm and gets his throws off fast. An aggressive personality, he takes charge behind the plate, though he still has to learn the fine points of calling a game and handling pitchers.
He didn't start catching until his second year in college and the Yankees signed him the following season. Thurman spent one season (1968) at Binghamton, where he hit .301, and he might have stuck with the Yankees in '69 if he hadn't been called up for six months of military duty.
Many think he is the best all-around catcher in the league already."
-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971
"He's shaped like a chest protector and born to be a catcher.
'I don't have to squat down as far as some of the others,' he says. One of the best things to happen to the Yankees in years. Thurman has the quickest arm of any catcher in the majors and remarkable agility behind the plate - he's at his best on topped rollers and bunts. He batted second much of the season and is an aggressive baserunner.
'I like to run after being cooped up behind the plate,' Thurman says. He stole six bases.
Thurman has a cocksure attitude and leadership instincts. He began the season with a woeful 1-for-30 stretch, yet recovered to hit .300 and was named AL Rookie of the Year.
Born June 7, 1947 in Akron, Ohio, Thurman was the Yankees' first choice in the June 1968 free agent draft after attaining All-America status at Kent State.
An intense competitor nicknamed Turtle by his teammates, Thurman in married."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
"Thurman Munson, the Yankees' first choice in the June 1968 Free Agent Draft, was named American League Rookie of the Year in 1970 by a landslide margin, becoming the first A.L. catcher ever to win to the coveted award. Munson's first season started out as anything but award-winning. In April the 22-year-old backstop, who'd had only 99 games of minor league baseball before becoming the Yankees' starting catcher, was in a 1-for-30 slump that at one point was an 0-for-24 string.
'On our first homestand in Yankee Stadium I couldn't even see the ball,' Munson recalls. 'But I knew I could hit and Ralph Houk assured me he had confidence in me and that it was only a matter of time.'
On April 20 at Washington, Munson got three hits and raised his average from .033 to .118 in one night. For the balance of the season, he hit at a .322 pace with 136 for 423. Thurm drove in 53 runs, hit six homers in 132 games and ended the season with a club-leading average of .302. Thurman led all major league catchers with 80 assists and his lightning-quick release nailed 40 of 69 runners attempting to steal. He caught more games (125) than anyone in either league, although he was often absent for military service.
During the second game of an exciting doubleheader with Baltimore at the Stadium on August 9, the fans paid Munson a spontaneous tribute. Thurm was away on military service but, unknown to the fans and Yankee management, had finished drill at 5:00 P.M. and raced from Fort Dix to the Stadium. When he suddenly emerged from the dugout to pinch-hit, the place exploded. The roar that greeted his appearance was a striking tribute to a dedicated young ball player and a popular rising star.
Baltimore's Frank Robinson has no doubts: 'That boy will lead the A.L. in hitting one day,' says Frank. 'He'll be a good one, especially since he is a good breaking ball hitter.'
When he was named Rookie of the Year, Munson was asked about the '71 season.
'Everyone knows what a young ball club we have,' he said, 'but they don't realize how good we can be. I'm going to hit more and we'll have more pitching, so I think we could win it all. Don't forget, we have the best manager in baseball.'"
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Rated as one of the coming stars in baseball, this fiery youngster not only became a Yankee regular in only his third year of professional baseball but also their leading hitter with a .302 average and was named American League Rookie of the Year. Highly competitive and confident, not even a horrendous start last season with just one hit in his first 30 at-bats, including an 0-for-24 streak, dimmed his spirits. Munson came on strong, hitting .322 for the rest of the year and .370 from July 21 on.
Munson has a strong, quick and accurate arm. He threw out 40 of 69 baserunners who attempted to steal while he was behind the plate, and also picked a runner off first base. A line drive type of hitter with good power who sprays the ball to all fields, Thurman hit in the second slot in the lineup and is adept at bunting and hitting behind the runner.
Thurman attended Kent State where he was named to the All-American Baseball Team of 1968. He is an avid and accomplished golfer."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
MUNSON WINS AABC AWARD
"Thurman Munson, the Yankees' American League Rookie of the Year in 1970, will be the recipient of the American Amateur Baseball Congress Graduate of the Year award, it was announced by Lincoln Hackim, president of the AABC.
A graduate of the Stark County (Canton, Ohio) sandlots, Munson played in the Stan Musial and Connie Mack divisions of the AABC before being selected by the Yankees after starring at Kent State U."
-1971 New York Yankees Scorecard and Official Program
1971 Profile: Mel Stottlemyre
"The records for 1970 might have said that Mel Stottlemyre was a 22-game winner. There was a stretch of seven games last year in which Stottlemyre held the opposition to two runs or less, but lost anyway. But the Yankees' ace righthander wound up with only a 15-13 record and an ERA of 3.09. That's a fine ERA for most pitchers, but Mel's poorest since 1966 when he was a 20-game loser.
At 29, Stott is the elder statesman of the Yanks' pitching staff and the only link to the team's past days of glory. He got off to a slow start in 1970, losing his first three games, then struggled to pitch .500 ball throughout the season. But he pitched 14 complete games, most on the staff. Mel has won 20 games three times (1965, '68 and '69) since joining the club in 1964.
His best pitch is a sinker. He must keep the ball low to be effective."
-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971
"A quiet, disciplined pitcher whose trademark is a ground ball, his best pitch is a sinking fastball. A typical Stottlemyre game, according to Thurman Munson, is 'no pitch above the waist and a fastball that weighs about a hundred pounds.'
Mel is an avid hunter who once appeared on The American Sportsman television series. A native of Hazleton, Missouri (born November 13, 1941), he now lives in Grandview, Washington, population 5000. He's married, with three children."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
"Dean of the Yankee pitching staff, the only active player on the club left from the championship era, three times a 20-game winner, Stottlemyre was 15-13 last season. He had a very creditable 3.09 ERA despite some shoulder trouble early in the season. His 14 complete games led the Yankee staff. He was a member of the All-Star team for the fifth time, and the third consecutive year.
While it was a disappointing season for Mel, it is a measure of the man that he started in 37 games, pitched 271 innings - most on the staff - and has had no relief assignments since 1966. Although only 29 and in the majors only a little more than six years, Stott has reached all-time status in many pitching categories. He is eighth in total innings pitched for the Yanks, eleventh in games won, fifteenth in games pitched, ninth in strikeouts, eighth in shutouts and seventh in ERA.
Mel has a lot of cool which he acquired in his first days with the Yankees in the summer of 1964. With only a half-season in the majors under his belt, the 22-year-old rookie started three World Series games. It was the first Series he had ever seen. Among his memorable high spots are: pitching the seventh game of the 1964 Series; getting five hits in five at-bats in Washington, September 26, 1964; hitting an inside-the-park grand slam against Boston, July 20, 1965; and hurling a one-hitter in Detroit, April 12, 1969.
For younger members of the club, Stottlemyre is the pride and class of the championship Yankees; they admire him and they're fast acquiring his cool confidence."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"The All-Star right-hander continued to be recognized as one of the all-time great Yankee pitchers last year. Going into the 1971 season, he ranks eleventh among the all-time Yankee leaders with 112 wins, fourteenth in games with 235, eighth in innings pitched with 1746, ninth in strikeouts with 880, eighth in shutouts with 22, thirteenth in complete games with 99, seventh in lifetime ERA with a 2.89 mark, and eighteenth in winning percentage with a .566 mark.
After winning 20 games for two straight years, Mel slipped to 15 last year, as he suffered many rough losses. Among the toughest was at Detroit on May 26 when Willie Horton beat him with a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth in a game which had been scoreless to that point- it was the only time in his career that Mel lost by a homer in the last inning. He was the victim of another shutout at Detroit when Joe Niekro hurled a 1-hitter against the Yanks on July 2. Six other losses came by one or two runs.
Mel led the club in innings pitched for the sixth straight year, a club record. He was eleventh in the American League with a 3.09 mark and thirteenth in wins with 15, the fifth straight year in which he ranked among the top 15 in both these categories.
An all-around athlete, he lettered in baseball, basketball and football in high school, and was signed to a contract by Yankees Pacific Northwest scout Eddie Taylor. Mel spends his off-seasons fishing and hunting.
Mel is one of the better hitting pitchers in baseball. He had two home runs last year and now has five lifetime, including an inside-the-park grand slam. He went five-for-five at Washington on September 26, 1964. Mel also has a 1-hitter to his credit, on April 12, 1969- at Detroit."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
At 29, Stott is the elder statesman of the Yanks' pitching staff and the only link to the team's past days of glory. He got off to a slow start in 1970, losing his first three games, then struggled to pitch .500 ball throughout the season. But he pitched 14 complete games, most on the staff. Mel has won 20 games three times (1965, '68 and '69) since joining the club in 1964.
His best pitch is a sinker. He must keep the ball low to be effective."
-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971
"A quiet, disciplined pitcher whose trademark is a ground ball, his best pitch is a sinking fastball. A typical Stottlemyre game, according to Thurman Munson, is 'no pitch above the waist and a fastball that weighs about a hundred pounds.'
Mel is an avid hunter who once appeared on The American Sportsman television series. A native of Hazleton, Missouri (born November 13, 1941), he now lives in Grandview, Washington, population 5000. He's married, with three children."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
"Dean of the Yankee pitching staff, the only active player on the club left from the championship era, three times a 20-game winner, Stottlemyre was 15-13 last season. He had a very creditable 3.09 ERA despite some shoulder trouble early in the season. His 14 complete games led the Yankee staff. He was a member of the All-Star team for the fifth time, and the third consecutive year.
While it was a disappointing season for Mel, it is a measure of the man that he started in 37 games, pitched 271 innings - most on the staff - and has had no relief assignments since 1966. Although only 29 and in the majors only a little more than six years, Stott has reached all-time status in many pitching categories. He is eighth in total innings pitched for the Yanks, eleventh in games won, fifteenth in games pitched, ninth in strikeouts, eighth in shutouts and seventh in ERA.
Mel has a lot of cool which he acquired in his first days with the Yankees in the summer of 1964. With only a half-season in the majors under his belt, the 22-year-old rookie started three World Series games. It was the first Series he had ever seen. Among his memorable high spots are: pitching the seventh game of the 1964 Series; getting five hits in five at-bats in Washington, September 26, 1964; hitting an inside-the-park grand slam against Boston, July 20, 1965; and hurling a one-hitter in Detroit, April 12, 1969.
For younger members of the club, Stottlemyre is the pride and class of the championship Yankees; they admire him and they're fast acquiring his cool confidence."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"The All-Star right-hander continued to be recognized as one of the all-time great Yankee pitchers last year. Going into the 1971 season, he ranks eleventh among the all-time Yankee leaders with 112 wins, fourteenth in games with 235, eighth in innings pitched with 1746, ninth in strikeouts with 880, eighth in shutouts with 22, thirteenth in complete games with 99, seventh in lifetime ERA with a 2.89 mark, and eighteenth in winning percentage with a .566 mark.
After winning 20 games for two straight years, Mel slipped to 15 last year, as he suffered many rough losses. Among the toughest was at Detroit on May 26 when Willie Horton beat him with a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth in a game which had been scoreless to that point- it was the only time in his career that Mel lost by a homer in the last inning. He was the victim of another shutout at Detroit when Joe Niekro hurled a 1-hitter against the Yanks on July 2. Six other losses came by one or two runs.
Mel led the club in innings pitched for the sixth straight year, a club record. He was eleventh in the American League with a 3.09 mark and thirteenth in wins with 15, the fifth straight year in which he ranked among the top 15 in both these categories.
An all-around athlete, he lettered in baseball, basketball and football in high school, and was signed to a contract by Yankees Pacific Northwest scout Eddie Taylor. Mel spends his off-seasons fishing and hunting.
Mel is one of the better hitting pitchers in baseball. He had two home runs last year and now has five lifetime, including an inside-the-park grand slam. He went five-for-five at Washington on September 26, 1964. Mel also has a 1-hitter to his credit, on April 12, 1969- at Detroit."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
1971 New York Yankees Manager and Coaches Profiles
RALPH HOUK (Manager)
"The reason Ralph Houk was honored last year as Manager of the Year in the American League, instead of Earl Weaver of the Orioles, is very clear. Weaver simply led a superior ball club of established stars to its second consecutive pennant. Houk manipulated and experimented less talented personnel to a surprising second-place finish in the AL East. (The Yankees were really the fourth-best team in the majors since they won four more games than Pittsburgh.) Ralph had to contend with many disappointments - Mel Stottlemyre's struggle to pitch .500 ball, Jerry Kenney's and Curt Blefary's complete fizzle at bat, and Bobby Murcer's inconsistent hitting. But by wringing the most out of talented newcomers, wisely handling the Yankee bullpen and rallying the club from a July slump, Ralph shaped a contending ball club. And right on schedule, too.
The Yankees are entering the fifth year of their five-year plan, which set 1971 as the year in which the former Bronx Bombers would be serious contenders. What makes the task possible for Houk is that he has the respect and confidence of his players - plus sound baseball knowledge and long experience, as a player and manager.
Ralph has spent his entire career with the Yankees, first as a reserve catcher, then as a coach and then as manager. He was honored as Manager of the Year in 1961, his first season of managing in the majors, after winning the pennant and World Series. In 1964 Ralph left the playing field to become the Yanks' general manager, a job at which he was less successful, but returned to uniform in 1966 and has been leading the team up the steps ever since."
-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971
"One of the most respected managers in the game, the 51-year-old Houk, out of Lawrence, Kansas, starts the sixth year of his second term as Yankee manager.
Boosted to the front office in 1964 after winning three consecutive pennants, Ralph stepped down as general manager in 1966, replacing Johnny Keane as field manager. He was a journeyman catcher who spent most of his playing time with the Yankees in the bullpen warming up the pitchers. Ralph began his managerial career in the Yanks' chain at Denver in 1955.
He has a fiery temper and is a spectacular dirt kicker. Ralph served in he European theatre during World War II and received several commendations for bravery, advancing to the rank of major.
An avid fisherman, he lives in Florida."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
"Manager of the Year in 1970, the second time in his career, Ralph Houk takes his place among the all-time great Yankee managers: Miller Huggins, Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel. He received the award in 1961 in his first year as a youthful manager, when the Yankees had one of their greatest teams. But never has Houk's skill been more apparent than last year when he molded a young team, seasoned with a few experienced players from other clubs, into a second place finisher with 93 wins - more victories than any major league club other than Baltimore, Cincinnati and Minnesota. When some players had disappointing years, it took masterful skill in manipulating players and developing newcomers to bring the club home second in the tough A.L. East Division.
Clearly evident last season was Houk's great touch in handling pitchers. The bullpen had a very productive year; Lindy McDaniel had 29 saves, Jack Aker had 16. But the big 'save' was made by Ralph when he built the confidence of two pitchers who had not reached maturity. In mid-August, Ralph inserted Mike Kekich and Steve Kline into the regular rotation and both measured up to the faith the manager had in them. Both turned in several good efforts in a row and as a result, the Yankees started this season much stronger in pitching. The confidence Ralph inspires in men like Bahnsen and Stottlemyre helped them mature rapidly. Last year it helped make Fritz Peterson a 20-game winner.
In this space last year, Ralph predicted that such Yankees as Thurman Munson, John Ellis, Frank Baker and Jim Lyttle would figure prominently in the season ahead. That surprised everyone but the Yankees themselves. Munson walked off with Rookie of the Year honors, Ellis proved himself an explosive hitter, Baker's better bat was added to his acknowledged defensive skills, and Jim Lyttle came off the bench to hit .310. It proved again that the resident manager at Yankee Stadium says a lot in a few words.
Houk signed on with the Yankees in 1939 as a catcher. Awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in the Battle of the Bulge, the Major, as he's called by friends, was sent to the Denver farm club in 1955 as player-manager. He led them to victory in the American Association playoffs and to the Little World Series championship before returning as a coach on Casey Stengel's staff in 1958.
Ralph succeeded Stengel in 1961, won three straight pennants and two World Series, moved up to General Manager and helped Yogi Berra win the pennant in 1964. When the club ran into dark days in 1966, Ralph was eager to get back on the field - where he is most at home.
When Ralph learned that he had been named Manager of the Year, his comment was characteristic of the man: 'If the Yankees deserve it, it belongs to the ballplayers and not to me.'
Since every man on the club says he owes a major part of the progress he's made to his manager, Ralph may be right; there's a lot of him in every Yankee."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Houk was named American League Manager of the Year in 1970 for the second time in his career (also in 1961) ... to take his place among the great Yankee managers- Miller Huggins, Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel. He led the Yanks to pennants in his first three years of managing in 1961, 1962 and 1963.
Ralph has run the full cycle of jobs in baseball, all with the Yankee organization. He signed with them in 1939 and remained as an active player until 1954. He became a minor league manager at Denver in 1955, then returned to the Yanks as first base coach in 1958.
He was named Yankee manager in 1961, then was elevated to General Manager in 1964; Ralph returned to the field, however, in May 1966.
Ralph was a war hero during World War II in the European Theatre, advancing to the rank of major in the 9th Armored Division. He is an avid fisherman."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
COACHES
"The Yankees have a five-man coaching staff since last year's return to uniform of Mickey Mantle. Mantle, who retired as a player in 1969, found he missed the game (and the money?) and became a first base coach, alternating with Elston Howard, another former Yankee star. Peppery Dick Howser returns as third base coach for the third consecutive year. The bullpen is run again by former catcher Jim Hegan, who has held the job since 1960, and the pitching coach is Jim Turner, who is in his second tour of duty as a Yankee coach. He was with the team from 1949 to 1959 and returned in 1966 after five years with the Reds."
-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971
"Manager Ralph Houk meets daily, going over plans and details, with his coaching staff: pitching coach Jim Turner, third base signalman and infield coach Dick Howser, bullpen and catching coach Jim Hegan and Elston Howard, the first base coach and batting instructor. Turner has been a Yankee coach since 1966 and served in a similar capacity from 1949 through 1959. Hegan has served continuously since 1960, and Howard and Howser have been Yankee coaches since 1969, following the close of their playing careers."
-1971 New York Yankees Scorecard and Official Program
JIM TURNER (Coach)
"Pitching coach Jim Turner's close association with Ralph Houk dates from 1946 when Turner was manager of the Beaumont, Texas club and Houk was catching for Beaumont following his return from World War II. As a coach, Turner has remarkable staying power. The dean of the staff is in his seventeenth year as a Yankee and has brought along such great pitchers as Whitey Ford, Vic Raschi, Allie Reynolds, Eddie Lopat, Mel Stottlemyre, Fritz Peterson and Stan Bahnsen.
Jim broke into the majors as a 'senior citizen' of 33 and had nine years in the big leagues before he wound up his active career as a Yankee. At 67, the man who handled the pitchers when the Yankees won five consecutive World Championships (between 1949 and 1953) can still work wonders. For the last two years, Yankee pitching has been second only to Baltimore in the A.L. East."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Turner first became pitching coach for the Yankees under Casey Stengel in 1949 and stayed until 1959, the Yankee era of five consecutive World Championships (1949-53). Under Jim's tutelage were such Yankee pitching greats as Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi, Whitey Ford and Eddie Lopat ... and lately, Fritz Peterson. Jim went to Cincinnati in 1961 and returned as Yankee pitching coach in 1966.
As a player, he spent 14 years in the minor leagues and didn't reach the majors until he was 33. Jim lasted nine years and concluded his active career with the Yankees. Players refer to him as 'The Colonel.'"
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
JIM HEGAN (Coach)
"Jim Hegan, in his twelfth year as bullpen and catching coach, came to the Yankees after 18 years behind the plate. He played in the World Series of 1948 and 1954 with the Cleveland Indians and was named to the All-Star team in 1950 and 1951. His son, Mike, a long-time Yankee prospect is now a first baseman-outfielder with the Milwaukee Brewers."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Entering his 12th season as a Yankee coach, making him dean of the staff, Hegan was a classic receiver who played 18 years in the major leagues. He made the American League All-Star team twice, in 1950 and 1951 with Cleveland.
His son, Mike, plays for the Milwaukee Brewers."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
ELSTON HOWARD (Coach)
"Elston Howard, whose distinguished career with the Yankees included winning the American League's Most Valuable Player award in 1963, followed Yogi Berra in the long line of great Yankee catchers. Early in his career, Ellie played some outfield to utilize his strong bat while Yogi was still at the top of his game. Ellie went on to become an American League All-Star 10 times. He closed his active career helping the Red Sox to the 1967 pennant.
Now in his third year as a Yankee coach, Ellie also works for WLIB as a sports commentator."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"An outstanding player with the Yankee for 13 seasons, Howard was MVP of the American League in 1963. Originally signed as an outfielder, he was converted to a catcher where he spent most of his time, although he played the outfield as well as first base.
Elston made the All-Star team nine times and played in ten World Series, nine with the Yankees and one with the Red Sox. He won the Babe Ruth Award (top World Series player) in 1958. A .274 lifetime hitter, Elston was regarded as one of the top receivers around and led American League catchers in fielding in 1962, 1963 and 1964. The Red Sox acquired him for their pennant drive of 1967.
Elston became the first black player on the Yankees and the first black coach in the American League."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
DICK HOWSER (Coach)
"Dick Howser retired as a Yankee utility infielder - and a very good one - three years ago. He was American League Rookie of the Year in 1961 with Kansas City and joined the Yankees in 1967. Tough breaks, including a broken arm, handicapped him but he was a brainy player and the ideal choice for the third base coaching job.
As the signal-caller at third, Dick flashes Ralph Houk's signs and the players read him on and off the field because he's a youthful 33."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Entering his third year as third base coach, Howser was selected by Houk to join his staff for the 1969 season after spending two seasons with the Yanks as a utility infielder and pinch hitter.
Dick reached the major leagues as a shortstop with Kansas City in 1961 and was named Rookie of the Year as well as being selected to the All-Star team. He was an outstanding baserunner."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
MICKEY MANTLE (Special Instructor)
"The Magnificent Yankee returned to the playing field as a special coach for the Yanks on August 30, 1970 ... he had been retired since the close of the 1968 season. He remains the most popular figure in the game today, receiving applause whenever and wherever he is introduced.
His 18 years with the Yankees produced one of the greatest careers in baseball history. He has taken his place among Yankee immortals Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio. This became official when the Mick's famous number 7 was retired on Mickey Mantle Day- June 8, 1969.
He ranks high among all-time Yankees in many offensive categories: third in runs scored (1,677), third in hits (2,415), fourth in doubles (344), second in home runs (536) and fourth in RBIs (1,509). Mickey played in more games (2,401) and had more at-bats (8,102) than any Yankee ever. The most powerful switch-hitter the game has ever produced, he hit home runs from both sides of the plate in one game ten times, a major league record, and hit 18 home runs in World Series play, another record.
Mickey was MVP in the American League in 1956, 1957 and 1962, and winner of the Hickok Belt as the Top Professional Athlete of 1956. He's acclaimed by fans and players as one of the most courageous and competitive players ever to set foot on the diamond as he accomplished these feats despite being plagued by injuries throughout his entire career."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
"The reason Ralph Houk was honored last year as Manager of the Year in the American League, instead of Earl Weaver of the Orioles, is very clear. Weaver simply led a superior ball club of established stars to its second consecutive pennant. Houk manipulated and experimented less talented personnel to a surprising second-place finish in the AL East. (The Yankees were really the fourth-best team in the majors since they won four more games than Pittsburgh.) Ralph had to contend with many disappointments - Mel Stottlemyre's struggle to pitch .500 ball, Jerry Kenney's and Curt Blefary's complete fizzle at bat, and Bobby Murcer's inconsistent hitting. But by wringing the most out of talented newcomers, wisely handling the Yankee bullpen and rallying the club from a July slump, Ralph shaped a contending ball club. And right on schedule, too.
The Yankees are entering the fifth year of their five-year plan, which set 1971 as the year in which the former Bronx Bombers would be serious contenders. What makes the task possible for Houk is that he has the respect and confidence of his players - plus sound baseball knowledge and long experience, as a player and manager.
Ralph has spent his entire career with the Yankees, first as a reserve catcher, then as a coach and then as manager. He was honored as Manager of the Year in 1961, his first season of managing in the majors, after winning the pennant and World Series. In 1964 Ralph left the playing field to become the Yanks' general manager, a job at which he was less successful, but returned to uniform in 1966 and has been leading the team up the steps ever since."
-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971
"One of the most respected managers in the game, the 51-year-old Houk, out of Lawrence, Kansas, starts the sixth year of his second term as Yankee manager.
Boosted to the front office in 1964 after winning three consecutive pennants, Ralph stepped down as general manager in 1966, replacing Johnny Keane as field manager. He was a journeyman catcher who spent most of his playing time with the Yankees in the bullpen warming up the pitchers. Ralph began his managerial career in the Yanks' chain at Denver in 1955.
He has a fiery temper and is a spectacular dirt kicker. Ralph served in he European theatre during World War II and received several commendations for bravery, advancing to the rank of major.
An avid fisherman, he lives in Florida."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
"Manager of the Year in 1970, the second time in his career, Ralph Houk takes his place among the all-time great Yankee managers: Miller Huggins, Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel. He received the award in 1961 in his first year as a youthful manager, when the Yankees had one of their greatest teams. But never has Houk's skill been more apparent than last year when he molded a young team, seasoned with a few experienced players from other clubs, into a second place finisher with 93 wins - more victories than any major league club other than Baltimore, Cincinnati and Minnesota. When some players had disappointing years, it took masterful skill in manipulating players and developing newcomers to bring the club home second in the tough A.L. East Division.
Clearly evident last season was Houk's great touch in handling pitchers. The bullpen had a very productive year; Lindy McDaniel had 29 saves, Jack Aker had 16. But the big 'save' was made by Ralph when he built the confidence of two pitchers who had not reached maturity. In mid-August, Ralph inserted Mike Kekich and Steve Kline into the regular rotation and both measured up to the faith the manager had in them. Both turned in several good efforts in a row and as a result, the Yankees started this season much stronger in pitching. The confidence Ralph inspires in men like Bahnsen and Stottlemyre helped them mature rapidly. Last year it helped make Fritz Peterson a 20-game winner.
In this space last year, Ralph predicted that such Yankees as Thurman Munson, John Ellis, Frank Baker and Jim Lyttle would figure prominently in the season ahead. That surprised everyone but the Yankees themselves. Munson walked off with Rookie of the Year honors, Ellis proved himself an explosive hitter, Baker's better bat was added to his acknowledged defensive skills, and Jim Lyttle came off the bench to hit .310. It proved again that the resident manager at Yankee Stadium says a lot in a few words.
Houk signed on with the Yankees in 1939 as a catcher. Awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in the Battle of the Bulge, the Major, as he's called by friends, was sent to the Denver farm club in 1955 as player-manager. He led them to victory in the American Association playoffs and to the Little World Series championship before returning as a coach on Casey Stengel's staff in 1958.
Ralph succeeded Stengel in 1961, won three straight pennants and two World Series, moved up to General Manager and helped Yogi Berra win the pennant in 1964. When the club ran into dark days in 1966, Ralph was eager to get back on the field - where he is most at home.
When Ralph learned that he had been named Manager of the Year, his comment was characteristic of the man: 'If the Yankees deserve it, it belongs to the ballplayers and not to me.'
Since every man on the club says he owes a major part of the progress he's made to his manager, Ralph may be right; there's a lot of him in every Yankee."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Houk was named American League Manager of the Year in 1970 for the second time in his career (also in 1961) ... to take his place among the great Yankee managers- Miller Huggins, Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel. He led the Yanks to pennants in his first three years of managing in 1961, 1962 and 1963.
Ralph has run the full cycle of jobs in baseball, all with the Yankee organization. He signed with them in 1939 and remained as an active player until 1954. He became a minor league manager at Denver in 1955, then returned to the Yanks as first base coach in 1958.
He was named Yankee manager in 1961, then was elevated to General Manager in 1964; Ralph returned to the field, however, in May 1966.
Ralph was a war hero during World War II in the European Theatre, advancing to the rank of major in the 9th Armored Division. He is an avid fisherman."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
COACHES
"The Yankees have a five-man coaching staff since last year's return to uniform of Mickey Mantle. Mantle, who retired as a player in 1969, found he missed the game (and the money?) and became a first base coach, alternating with Elston Howard, another former Yankee star. Peppery Dick Howser returns as third base coach for the third consecutive year. The bullpen is run again by former catcher Jim Hegan, who has held the job since 1960, and the pitching coach is Jim Turner, who is in his second tour of duty as a Yankee coach. He was with the team from 1949 to 1959 and returned in 1966 after five years with the Reds."
-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971
"Manager Ralph Houk meets daily, going over plans and details, with his coaching staff: pitching coach Jim Turner, third base signalman and infield coach Dick Howser, bullpen and catching coach Jim Hegan and Elston Howard, the first base coach and batting instructor. Turner has been a Yankee coach since 1966 and served in a similar capacity from 1949 through 1959. Hegan has served continuously since 1960, and Howard and Howser have been Yankee coaches since 1969, following the close of their playing careers."
-1971 New York Yankees Scorecard and Official Program
JIM TURNER (Coach)
"Pitching coach Jim Turner's close association with Ralph Houk dates from 1946 when Turner was manager of the Beaumont, Texas club and Houk was catching for Beaumont following his return from World War II. As a coach, Turner has remarkable staying power. The dean of the staff is in his seventeenth year as a Yankee and has brought along such great pitchers as Whitey Ford, Vic Raschi, Allie Reynolds, Eddie Lopat, Mel Stottlemyre, Fritz Peterson and Stan Bahnsen.
Jim broke into the majors as a 'senior citizen' of 33 and had nine years in the big leagues before he wound up his active career as a Yankee. At 67, the man who handled the pitchers when the Yankees won five consecutive World Championships (between 1949 and 1953) can still work wonders. For the last two years, Yankee pitching has been second only to Baltimore in the A.L. East."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Turner first became pitching coach for the Yankees under Casey Stengel in 1949 and stayed until 1959, the Yankee era of five consecutive World Championships (1949-53). Under Jim's tutelage were such Yankee pitching greats as Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi, Whitey Ford and Eddie Lopat ... and lately, Fritz Peterson. Jim went to Cincinnati in 1961 and returned as Yankee pitching coach in 1966.
As a player, he spent 14 years in the minor leagues and didn't reach the majors until he was 33. Jim lasted nine years and concluded his active career with the Yankees. Players refer to him as 'The Colonel.'"
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
JIM HEGAN (Coach)
"Jim Hegan, in his twelfth year as bullpen and catching coach, came to the Yankees after 18 years behind the plate. He played in the World Series of 1948 and 1954 with the Cleveland Indians and was named to the All-Star team in 1950 and 1951. His son, Mike, a long-time Yankee prospect is now a first baseman-outfielder with the Milwaukee Brewers."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Entering his 12th season as a Yankee coach, making him dean of the staff, Hegan was a classic receiver who played 18 years in the major leagues. He made the American League All-Star team twice, in 1950 and 1951 with Cleveland.
His son, Mike, plays for the Milwaukee Brewers."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
ELSTON HOWARD (Coach)
"Elston Howard, whose distinguished career with the Yankees included winning the American League's Most Valuable Player award in 1963, followed Yogi Berra in the long line of great Yankee catchers. Early in his career, Ellie played some outfield to utilize his strong bat while Yogi was still at the top of his game. Ellie went on to become an American League All-Star 10 times. He closed his active career helping the Red Sox to the 1967 pennant.
Now in his third year as a Yankee coach, Ellie also works for WLIB as a sports commentator."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"An outstanding player with the Yankee for 13 seasons, Howard was MVP of the American League in 1963. Originally signed as an outfielder, he was converted to a catcher where he spent most of his time, although he played the outfield as well as first base.
Elston made the All-Star team nine times and played in ten World Series, nine with the Yankees and one with the Red Sox. He won the Babe Ruth Award (top World Series player) in 1958. A .274 lifetime hitter, Elston was regarded as one of the top receivers around and led American League catchers in fielding in 1962, 1963 and 1964. The Red Sox acquired him for their pennant drive of 1967.
Elston became the first black player on the Yankees and the first black coach in the American League."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
DICK HOWSER (Coach)
"Dick Howser retired as a Yankee utility infielder - and a very good one - three years ago. He was American League Rookie of the Year in 1961 with Kansas City and joined the Yankees in 1967. Tough breaks, including a broken arm, handicapped him but he was a brainy player and the ideal choice for the third base coaching job.
As the signal-caller at third, Dick flashes Ralph Houk's signs and the players read him on and off the field because he's a youthful 33."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"Entering his third year as third base coach, Howser was selected by Houk to join his staff for the 1969 season after spending two seasons with the Yanks as a utility infielder and pinch hitter.
Dick reached the major leagues as a shortstop with Kansas City in 1961 and was named Rookie of the Year as well as being selected to the All-Star team. He was an outstanding baserunner."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
MICKEY MANTLE (Special Instructor)
"The Magnificent Yankee returned to the playing field as a special coach for the Yanks on August 30, 1970 ... he had been retired since the close of the 1968 season. He remains the most popular figure in the game today, receiving applause whenever and wherever he is introduced.
His 18 years with the Yankees produced one of the greatest careers in baseball history. He has taken his place among Yankee immortals Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio. This became official when the Mick's famous number 7 was retired on Mickey Mantle Day- June 8, 1969.
He ranks high among all-time Yankees in many offensive categories: third in runs scored (1,677), third in hits (2,415), fourth in doubles (344), second in home runs (536) and fourth in RBIs (1,509). Mickey played in more games (2,401) and had more at-bats (8,102) than any Yankee ever. The most powerful switch-hitter the game has ever produced, he hit home runs from both sides of the plate in one game ten times, a major league record, and hit 18 home runs in World Series play, another record.
Mickey was MVP in the American League in 1956, 1957 and 1962, and winner of the Hickok Belt as the Top Professional Athlete of 1956. He's acclaimed by fans and players as one of the most courageous and competitive players ever to set foot on the diamond as he accomplished these feats despite being plagued by injuries throughout his entire career."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
Monday, June 2, 2014
1971 New York Yankees Management Profiles
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
"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
Sunday, June 1, 2014
1971 New York Yankees Outlook
"'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
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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