Gotham Baseball, Fall 2005 by Heals

Special Commemorative Issue!

Baseball Gotham

T h e P a s t , P r e s e n t & F u t u r e o f t h e N e w Yo r k G a m e Vol. 1, No. 2

Fall 2005

50th Anniversary:

The Day Brooklyn Won It All

Gil Hodges, heart and soul of the champion Dodgers

Also:

The Kids are All Right: Yanks Youth To The Rescue Mets, Yankees, Top-10 Prospects

Gotham Baseball,Fall 2005 $5.95US $7.95 CN

Baseball Gotham

From The Top Step

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From The Top Step

The On-Deck Circle Chip Shots: Chip Armonaitis

The Leadoff Spot Mike Jacobs: Making an Impression

The Kids Are All ‘Striped

Cover Story The Day Brooklyn Won It All

Giants ’54 Win Overshadowed

Yanks ’55 Loss Still Haunts

Baseball Blooms Again in Brooklyn

Organizational Reports Yankees

Mets

Etcetera The Atlantic League Report

Gotham Baseball Quiz

The BullPen Going Nine: Mark Healey

Editor In Chief:

Mike McGann

mike@gothambaseball.com

Executive Editor:

Mark Healey

heals@gothambaseball.com

Publisher:

Gene Berardelli

gene@gothambaseball.com

Managing Editor:

Greg W. Prince

greg@gothambaseball.com

CFO/Controller:

George Armonaitis

chip@gothambaseball.com

Dir. Online Marketing:

Stephanie McGann stephanie@gothambaseball.com Senior Contributing Editors: Bryan Hoch, Joe McDonald, John Sickels. Ed Shakespeare, Cecilia Tan Editorial Assistants: Linda Berardelli, Josh Landsburg

Gotham Baseball is published four times a year. Subscriptions are $14.95 US, higher rates for international subscriptions. Advertising rates sent on request. All inquiries should be directed to:

And now, a word from the Editor In Chief of Gotham Baseball magazine.

y the time you read this, the minor league season and playoffs will be over and the big leagues will be well into their playoffs. The good news was that both New York teams were in contention at the end of August — even if the Mets’ September swoon dulled the sheen of a good season. Somehow, it hardly seems possible. It was only a couple of weeks ago that I was in Hagerstown, Md., for a cool, rainy opening night. Well, it seems like a couple of weeks ago until I review my expense reports and see the games in Binghamton, Charleston, Tampa, Brooklyn, Scranton and so on. Each game a piece of the mosaic that was the 2005 season. Careers were made, stars emerged — and a surprisingly large number of guys will never pull on a uniform in organized baseball again. So there’s a sense of endings and beginnings — the end of the season and, in some cases, careers, and start of the off-season, which in recent years has become nearly as exciting as the regular season. If it seems like this spring and summer flew by, one can only imagine the feeling for those who were Brooklyn Dodgers fans — and sense that the 1955 championship couldn’t have been 50 years ago. The Bums won the title nine years before I was born, but their accomplishment reverberated from that day forward. There isn’t the same wistful remembrance of the 1954 Giants or the 1956 Yankees — unfairly — but for so many it became the high point before the loss of innocence, which started with the departure of the Dodgers and Giants west following the 1957 season (leading to the creation of the Mets five years later) and in a greater sense, the turbulent, wrenching decade that the 1960s would prove to be. Because of the rich tapestry of baseball’s history, we tend to link the game to events in our lives or events in the world. So for me, whether New York finds success in the playoffs — this season will always be tied to the horrific events of August and September in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Conservative estimates at this point suggest thousands may be dead. I hope that turns out not to be correct, but I fear it might. Reading these words a month or more later than I write them, you likely know the answer. As so many people reached out to help those in New York after 9/11, we must all do what we can to help the people of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. If you haven’t donated already, please go to http://www.redcross.org or call 1-800-HELP NOW, because even now, weeks or a month after the fact, the needs of displaced people remain real. Finally, as this is our second issue, I wanted to first thank so many people for the kind comments about issue one. There were a few flaws — which we hope we’ve addressed in this issue (it’s our rookie year, so please bear with us). Let us know what you think — or if you have comments, thoughts or suggestions for our new Letters section, which will debut in our third issue. In that issue, we’ll look back at the season and offer our post-season awards — and that issue should hit newsstands just after Thanksgiving. —Mike McGann

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

The On-Deck Circle

The Hall Isn’t Whole Without Hodges G

il Hodges is the dividing line be(and the Yankees’ incessant campaigning.) tween induction to the Hall of Fame What is interesting is the comparison and being left on the outside looking in. with former Brooklyn and Los Angeles No player has been as close as often and teammate Duke Snider. Coming onto the missed election. ballot one year later, it took Snider seven He has enjoyed the support of approxiyears to get to a level of support that Hodgmately 60% of both the writers and the es had on every ballot after his first, and two versions of the Veterans Committees, eight tries to pass Hodges in the balloting, yet cannot seem to vault over that hurdle. finally accomplishing it in 1978. In 1980, He also has racked up consistent support, Hall of Fame. This is significant because Snider was elected to the Hall of Famer in as he never dipped much below 50% in years ago many writers would withhold his 10th year on the ballot. any writers’ election (after year one) and votes from first-year candidates. Only Obviously many writers took their time is always among the top few considered by Marty Marion, Allie Reynolds, Joe Gor- determining that the Duke of Flatbush the Veterans Committee. don and Johnny Vander Meer finished was a Hall of Famer. Makes you wonder The case for Gil Hodges being enshrined ahead of him in year one and did not make what made them change their mind. Snidis both statistical and emotional and points it. Marion and Gordon are also considered er seemed to burn brighter, Hodges more out all of the inconsistencies that go into by many to be deserving players who have consistently. So what happened? Numerous the process of choosing Hall of Famers. been slighted. factors could have hurt Hodges candidacy. Considered by many to be the finest fieldThose whom Hodges was deemed more His untimely death in 1972 removed him ing right-handed first baseman in the his- deserving than by the voters but were se- from the public eye, and after an initial tory of baseball, and certainly among the lected by the Veterans Committee include spike in the voting, Hodges did not pick top five ever, Gil Hodges is the best player Johnny Mize, Red Schoendienst, Richie up much more additional support. eligible for the Hall of Fame who is not in. Ashburn, Bobby Doerr and Brooklyn teamFew argued how Hodges stacked up After Hodges’ first year on the ballot, no mate Pee Wee Reese. Yankee shortstop and with Whitey Lockman, Joe Collins, Moose player who ever finished ahead of Hodges broadcaster Phil Rizzuto seemed to go in Skowron, Bill White and Orlando Cepeda in the balloting has not been elected to the as an eventual result of Reese’s induction at first base. Hodges was clearly the best. But Reese-Rizzuto (both in) and Willie, Mickey and The Duke (all three in) were Name E l e c t i o n s B e a t H odges How Elected emotional debates that continued into the 1970s and beyond, keeping all in the front of voters minds. Only Mays and Mantle Red S c h o e n d i e n s t 1 5 0 Veterans Committee Richie A s h b u r n 1 4 0 Veterans Committee were unquestionably better than Hodges. Nellie F o x 1 3 0 Veterans Committee The bitterness over George Steinbrenner Enos S l a u g h t e r 1 1 3 Veterans Committee and the Yankees heavy-handed tactics in Duke S n i d e r 1 0 3 Writers getting Rizzuto in may have also backfired Georg e K e l l 9 0 Veterans Committee against Hodges, particularly with nonPee We e R e e s e 8 1 Veterans Committee New York based voters. A backlash against Don D r y s d a l e 8 4 Writers a perception of too many Dodgers, YanHal Ne w h o u s e r 7 0 Veterans Committee kees and Giants in the Hall could have also Phil Ri z z u t o 7 0 Veterans Committee contributed. Jim Bu n n i n g 7 0 Veterans Committee The Gold Glove award was not awarded Bob Le m o n 7 1 Writers until 1957, and Hodges won the first three. Bill Ma z e ro s k i 6 0 Veterans Committee But his career was winding down by that Luis A p a r i c i o 6 2 Writers point. There is no telling how many he Johnn y M i z e 5 1 Veterans Committee would have won earlier in his career. Hoyt W i l h e l m 5 1 Writers Lastly, the turmoil that was Shea StadiOrland o C e p e d a 4 0 Veterans Committee um from the death of Joan Payson in 1975 Early W y n n 4 3 Writers into the early ’80s certainly didn’t help Robin R o b e r t s 4 3 Writers Hodges. The Dodgers have been criticized Bobby D o e r r 3 0 Veterans Committee by many for abandoning their Brooklyn Eddie M a t h e w s 3 2 Writers stars during that era, concentrating on Juan M a r i c h a l 3 2 Writers those who went west. The Mets, who reBilly W i l l i a m s 2 0 Writers tired Hodges’ No. 14 after his death and Harmo n K i l l e b re w 2 1 Writers in recognition of his role as manager of the Minnie M i n o s o 1 0 Veterans Committee ’69 champs, could have been expected to Continued on Page 6

Chip s Shot

Chip Armonaitis

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

Gotham Baseball 窶認all 2005

Hodges Continued from Page 4 carry the ball on his candidacy. Like most other things in that era, they dropped it. Statistically, Hodges is borderline as an offensive player. Injuries limited the end of his career, keeping him at 370 home runs, short of the 400 that was a magic number for players of his era. After playing at Ebbets, which favored left-handed hitters for most of his career, the righthanded hitting Hodges put up numbers in a park that kept his numbers down in LA. When the Dodgers moved to LA, Hodges’ power did not desert him like it did Snider in their first few seasons there. While his post-season history has on it one of the worst Octobers ever (an 0-for-21 in 1952) he bounced back to post solid numbers in 1953, 1955, 1956 and 1959, raising his career postseason average to .267. Few in baseball were ever held in as high esteem as Hodges, both as a player and a manager. Brooklyn fans flocked to their churches to pray for him during his slump

record as manager to win him i n -

d u c tion à la Earl Weaver, whom he beat in the ’69 World Series, but there is no denying he turned around not just one, but two franchises. H e raised t h e p e re n nial

Few in baseball were ever held in as high esteem as Hodges.

in the 1952 Series (it’s no accident that a d o o r m a t memoir was published in 2005 under the Wa s h i n g t o n title Praying for Gil Hodges). As a manager, Senators to he inspired such respect that Hall of Fame s o m e t h i n g pitcher Tom Seaver still refers to him as a p p r o a c h i n g “Mr. Hodges.” re s p e c t a b i l i t y Bill James, baseball’s foremost rater of before returning players, stated in his book that Hodges to New York and was one of the truly beloved players in working miracles baseball, an honor that only a few play- with the Mets. ers in each era can claim. That, while not Logic would dicmeasurable on paper, should count for tate that an something in the balloting as well. Being excellent beloved is a part of greatness (as is being despised. No one cares that much about mediocrity.) Hodges didn’t have enough of a track

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

playing career coupled with a distinguished managing record would get Hall voters’ attention. Alas, Cooperstown inducts a man as a player or a manager, not both. Baseball needs to induct Hodges as soon as possible. While his 370 home runs are no longer eye-popping in comparison to the numbers of Rafael Palmiero and Mark McGwire, the contrasts between the modern slugger and Hodges could not be greater. No suggestion of steroids, amphetamines, corked bats, or cheating of any kind where Hodges was concerned. If Joe Morgan is truly as outraged by the modern player and the influences of performance-enhancing substances, then he should join Seaver in publicly championing for Hodges’ inclusion. The Hall could use a man whose numbers are untainted by suspicion, whose character is unquestioned. Offensively, Hodges’ numbers are on par with Snider, Cepeda and a more modern contemporary, Tony Perez. Defensively, Hodges is to first base what Ozzie Smith is to shortstop, Bill Mazeroski to second base, Brooks Robinson to third — all Hall of Famers, and far superior offensively to each of them. Gil Hodges was, as a fielder, a hitter, a manager and a person, always among the best in the game. So why is he missing from the Hall of Fame?

T h e L e a d - O f f S p ot

Mike Ja c o b s was onl y suppose d t o stay wit h t h e Mets fo r a f e w days — a f t e r a historic h o m e run bar r a g e , it’s safe t o s a y he’s.. .

M aking An I m pression

By Ed Shakespeare and M a r k H e a l e y

wo years ago, Mike Jacobs was being promoted as the New York Mets’ best prospect. At the start of 2005, he was overcoming injuries and coping with a demotion to Double-A as well as a position switch. Talk about climbing Jacobs’ ladder — first up, then down. But the 24-year-old lefty swinger kept his attitude level. Look where it got him. Not only did Jacobs successfully navigate an unwelcomed detour and make it to the big leagues in late August, but there was a point this past season when nobody anywhere in baseball stood any higher than him. His first at-bat, against the Nationals’ Esteban Loaiza on August 21, produced a pinch-hit, three-run homer at Shea, making him only the fourth Met ever to enter the Majors with a trot. (Benny Ayala, Mike Fitzgerald and Kaz Matsui were the others.) “Obviously you dream like that and hope something like that could happen,” said Jacobs. “Even getting here and getting a base hit would have been awesome. To be able to do that was amazing, you know. I can’t even put it into words.” After rounding the bases, he was engulfed by his teammates in the dugout and, with the crowd of 42,412 still roaring, went out for a curtain call. “That was just another first,” Jacobs said. “I don’t know who it was, but they said, ‘They want you out there, kid,’ so I went up and took my hat off. It was cool.”

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

Two nights later, in Phoenix, Jacobs stayed hot. He started at first base and blasted his second round-tripper. And the night after that, he put two more over the fence at Bank One Ballpark. Talk about announcing your presence with authority (to say nothing of offering a powerful twist on the old game of “Hi BOB!”). Before the Mets left Arizona, Jacobs had notched four home runs in his first four games. The Elias Sports Bureau sent word that nobody — not Aaron, not Ruth, not Bonds — had done that in the history of baseball. “To have an impact like that on the game so soon was something I couldn’t have dreamed,” Jacobs said. “Maybe I can stick around and do something else.” Better late than never. Jacobs was on track to get at least a serious look in 2004, as he reported to spring training fresh off the best season of his minor league career. Then a series of injuries, one in particular, interrupted that development. A persistent ache in his right arm was diagnosed as a 35-percent tear of the labrum in his right shoulder. Playing through pain, Jacobs hit just .177 with two home runs and six RBI in 96 at-bats for the Tides before shutting his season down for surgery in mid-May. This season, he showed up in St. Lucie determined to make a difference. “There are coaches here now who have never seen me play,” Jacobs said in March. “I’m just coming in and trying to open up some eyes.” Jacobs followed up his talk with results, hitting .321 with 37 doubles, 25 homers and 93 RBI in 117 games with the B-Mets,

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T h e N e w Yo r k G a m e

transitioning during the year from catcher of making it to The Show after parts of sevto first base – and then back (and winning en seasons in the minors. Approaching his another Sterling Award). 25th birthday, he offers a bit of philosophy What made the legend of Mike Jacobs so for other players trying make a successful instantly stirring in August is he sat on the climb: “Just keep plugging, no matter what Mets’ bench for four days as nothing more than an emergency callup while the team determined the severity of an injury to Mike Piazza. Even his ovation-inspiring pinchhomer wasn’t necessarily going to keep him with the club. Jacobs was initially told he’d be sent back to the minors and his luggage was actually removed from the team bus before the flight to Arizona. Fortunately for him and the Mets, he opened up enough eyes to open up his own page in the record books. His Major League bow wasn’t the first time Mike Jacobs had gotten the attention of New York fans in a hurry. This is the same Mike Jacobs who drove in the winning run with a sac fly to secure the Cyclones’ first victory on the night baseball returned to Brooklyn in 2001. For that matter, this is the same Mike Jacobs who grew up ‘To have an impact like that in Chula Vista, Caon the game so soon was lif.; the same Mike Jacobs who, as a something I couldn’t have catcher, earned the dreamed. Maybe I can stick Mets’ Sterling Award as the organization’s your situaaround and do something top minor leaguer in tion is and else.’ 2003; and the same try to open Mike Jacobs who — Mike Jacobs somebody’s persevered despite eyes.” the labrum injury Of course that put a damper on his progress in 2004. it helps to have Mike Jacobs’ kind of abilJacobs’ exploits may be dramatic, but he ity. His Sterling season of 2003, when he himself is better described as determined. batted .329 with 17 homers and 81 RBI at “If your heart’s in it and you’re dedicated, Binghamton, was typical of what the Mets this is where you’ll hopefully be,” Jacobs said came to expect after they drafted him out of

Prospect Watch:

Anderson Hernandez

California’s Grossmount Junior College in the 38th round of 1999’s free agent draft. “We’ve always thought Mike was an exceptional offensive player,” former assistant general manager Gary LaRocque said as Jacobs put a wrap on his 2005 journey. “Mike had the kind of year at the plate that every player dreams about. He keeps getting better each year. He’s even playing well at first base. So his season has been a twofold success, both offensively and defensively.” Jacobs, who now lives in San Diego, hasn’t forgotten how he’s gotten to where he is in baseball. He credits the time he spent with the Cyclones’ ‘01 manager Edgar Alfonzo for constructing his swing (“I think of him as a father figure”) and the overall experience in Brooklyn as a factor that prepared him for Queens. “Brooklyn was different because there were 8,000 fans there every night,” Jacobs said. “It was an awesome place to play. The fan support is great, and with the message boards and stuff, my mom [who grew up in Rockaway, N.Y.] gets to find out what I’m doing. I’m sure being around all those people in Brooklyn helped me when I came up to the Mets.” If Jacobs hits in the long-term as he did in his splashy debut, he’ll no doubt find thousands of fans at Shea will be volunteering their vocal assistance from the stands every time he steps to the plate.

Gotham Baseball’s Top 10 Mets Prospects 1............................. Yusmeiro Petit 2.........................Lastings Milledge

Upside: Speed, above-average defense at short and 2B, emerging as high-average hitter. Described as “Jose Reyes-lite” by some. Downside: Projects at second base — because of club need. Conversion from shortstop has been smooth, but, will remain a concern until he proves able to play in the majors. New offensive skills emerged in 2005. Will they continue?

3............................Brian Bannister 4................... Anderson Hernandez 5.......................... Gaby Hernandez 6................................ Mike Jacobs 7.................................. Nick Evans 8.............................Aarom Baldiris

ETA: 2006 Tradeability:- 3 of 10. Hernandez has emerged as a real candidate to start at second for the Mets in 2006. With holes at C, 1B and in the cleanup spot in the lineup, it’s unlikely team can afford to deal for another 2B — and are more likely to deal Kaz Matsui in the offseason — MM

9............................... Derran Watts 10........................... Chase Lambin

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

T h e L e a d O f f S p ot

The K i ds A re All ’ S t ripe d

B y B r ya n Ho c h

t was a sleepy, early morning in the bowels be nothing wrong with this picture. After years of dealing of Yankee Stadium, a few hours before the Yankee kids are here. Don’t fear. Get used prospects for veterans, the to it. Yankees would sweep away the perennially somnambulant Kansas City Royals. Only The old “I’m just happy to be here” is a Yankees are now using a one of these teams woke up that morning redundant cliché for Cano, who need not youth movement to rebuild fill reporters’ notebooks with the phrase; he with a chance to play baseball in October. And the one that did was waking up to the embodies it, from his infectious grin to the while staying in contention possibility of something generally associated high-fives he exchanges with team officials with the other: a youth movement. to the way his lively chatter spices up the You could see it in an otherwise unremarkdormant air of the sterile, librarylike clubable home clubhouse snapshot. Look in one corner, and there are bleary- house. eyed reporters chatting away the slow moments. Look in another and “Things have changed,” Cano said, a fact evidenced when he screams there are clubhouse boys shining batting helmets and comparing notes on something joyously and hugs a Japanese television reporter — taboo in summer movies and cute girls. Yankee clubhouses of old. But it was somewhere in the middle of that picture that something For some Yankees, this is an office, the place they go to toil and collect a worth examining was taking place. So it was around the Joe Torre-man- seven-or-eight figure paycheck. For Cano, with a few more additions, this dated 11:30 a.m. report time when the two faces of the 2005 Yankees just could be his frat house. happened to cross paths — a snapshot summing up the organization’s “There’s a lot of different faces,” he said. “You can see it. We’ve got to summer of change, one that’s worth framing as a keepsake. take this chance and do our job so people will realize we’ve got something Strolling through from one direction was the team captain, Derek Jeter. in the minors.” He dragged a expensive luggage and sipped a Starbucks Frappuccino careFor an organization long known for swapping out promising talent for fully, so as to not spill it on the four-figure suit draped over his unmistak- proven veterans — even Frank Costanza once berated Boss Steinbrenner able, World Series-tested frame. for dealing away Jay Buhner — 2005 has been an eye-opening experiAnd from the other direction, already wearing his standard-issue pin- ence, a season in which not only Cano but other rising prospects have striped pants, came rookie Robinson Cano, looking every bit as young as played significant roles on the major league roster. the 22 years on his birth certificate reveal him to be. Forget the usual shuttle of players from Triple-A to the big league troops; Yankee past met Yankee future in one of the most unlikely places imag- young players like Cano, pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, 25, pitcher Sean inable...in the Yankee present. For a team that has not trusted rookies to Henn, 24, and outfielder Melky Cabrera, 20, have been used not as filler, do much except report to wherever they’ve just been traded, there might but as starting players with postseason hopes on the line.

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

www.gothambaseball.com “It’s not our signature,” Torre admitted earlier this season. “But all the time I’ve been here, the criticism has been that the farm system hasn’t helped us. It’s refreshing.” Sure, the Yankees aren’t anywhere near the top of baseball’s most prized systems — Baseball America ranked the Yankees 24th out of 30 clubs this spring — but how could they be, surrendering top draft picks to sign marquee talent each year? Regardless, the braintrust has done the overlooked job of assembling talent who, with proper care and guidance, could make an impact in the Bronx. “We concede we’re not as strong as in the past,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman was telling reporters this summer, “[but] all the unnamed scouts out there who have been quoted saying that we have nothing are revising their reports to their clubs so they don’t have egg on their face.” Take a ride down the New Jersey Turnpike from the Bronx, and you can see the wheels in motion with the Trenton Thunder, the Yankees’ Double-A farm club. Trenton’s Waterfront Park used to play host to the Red Sox Eastern League club, and Boston’s fingerprints are still all over the yard – the color scheme is deliciously Fenway, right down to the hand-operated Green Monster replica that separates the outfield grass from the Delaware River. No matter. This is where the potential Red Sox tormentors of tomorrow cut their teeth, realizing now that they have a very real shot at actually wearing pinstripes in New York — not moving as a chip in a deal for the next Kevin Brown. “The thing is that New York is an older team now,” Trenton manager Bill Masse says. “And there are going to be some guys in the next couple of years whose contracts are going to run out, and it’s going to be time for some of these young kids to step up. I only hope that they let these kids jump in there and get their shots.” By all indications, a Thunder roster that regularly makes use of top third base prospect Eric Duncan, the centerfielder Cabrera and

T h e N e w Yo r k G a m e

pitching prospect Matt DeSalvo could have a chance. After all, it was only three summers ago that Wang was toiling for the Baby Bombers in Staten Island, looking longingly at the New York skyline that sat across the water. Like Cano explains it, echoing the 1980s philosophy of Ferris Bueller, “life moves fast for us.” The Ballpark at St. George was but a distant memory as, for a few fleeting weeks, Wang was the toast of the Gotham spotlight: his chance in the rotation opened by injuries to the crew

‘It’s not our signature. But all the time I’ve been here, the criticism has been that the farm system hasn’t helped us. It’s refreshing.’ — Joe Torre. of nearly middle-aged arms before his youthful shoulder also succumbed, to a right rotator cuff injury. But once a candidate for season-ending surgery, Wang instead was advised to try rehabilitation in Tampa in the hopes that it would salvage his chances at pitching in October. In his absence, the Yankees loaded back up on veteran talent, signing free agent Al Leiter, trading for Shawn Chacon and pulling Aaron Small out of a hat, but getting Wang’s gifted right arm back to the staff became a priority. After all, perhaps the best compliment anyone could pay Wang came from catcher Jorge Posada, who said that the hurler “seems like he’s been here forever.” A rookie, with the New York Yankees, coolly running ice water through his veins? Stop the presses. Torre called it “refreshing,” and it’s something we may not have seen since…well, suffice it to say that the Yankees’ dynasty of World Series titles all began with letting a

Prospect Watch:

M e l k y C a b re r a

group of kids named Jeter, Williams, Pettitte, Posada and Rivera grow into their own. Watching Cabrera’s first day in New York, Bernie Williams — 36 and relegated to parttime duty, the sweat of his best years sprinkled all over Yankee Stadium’s outfield turf — softly told a reporter, “That’s me 14 years ago.” This year, Cabrera became a headline and then a punchline, when his outfield defense didn’t live up to the billing. Get the laughs in now, though — for all of his rawness, Cabrera actually played in a Yankees–Red Sox game before he’d even appeared in a major league spring training camp. “These kids are finally getting their chances,” Masse said, “and they are doing well so it is opening the door for others. Now you’ve got kids in the lower parts of the system that may not just be trade bait anymore.” The summer of change has set the tone from the top all the way down, seeping through minor league clubhouses like some ooze of inspiration. One of those kids Masse might be referring to is Kyle Larsen, a hulking 22-year-old from a town called Sammamish, Wash. Larsen’s summer job this year just happened to be playing first base for Andy Stankiewicz’s top-ranked Staten Island club, and he did it well, earning honors as a New York-Penn League All-Star. Larsen might have designs on snatching Jason Giambi’s job away someday. Is it likely? Of course not. But even on the ground floor of the Yankees’ system, playing in a short-season league designed for collegiate draft picks and late free-agent signees, the dream is alive for Larsen and other Bronx farmhands. That, in itself, is a major victory. “You think of the Yankees,” Larsen said, his voice echoing in a dugout runway somewhere, “and you don’t see them call a lot of guys up. They usually trade for the good guys. They’re the Evil Empire. “It’s great to see this year that new guys like Melky got a chance to play, because it lifts your spirits to see young guys get in there. I’d love to play professional baseball for them. It’d be awesome to play in Yankee Stadium.”

Gotham Baseball’s Top 10 Yankee Prospects 1.................................Eric Duncan 2................................. Phil Hughes

Upside: Speed, power, strong arm, and great baseball instincts.

3.............................Melky Cabrera

Downside: Early callup to New York may have set him back, as he clearly was not ready to play CF at that high of a level. Better suited to a corner spot than center.

5............................... Matt DeSalvo

4...................................Sean Henn 6.....................Marcos Vechionacci 7...........................Christian Garcia

ETA: 2007 Tradeability: 5 of 10. The Yankees did not deal Cabrera at the deadline and probably will not do so this offseason, as the team’s front office appears committed to re-supplying some of its need areas through the farm system. However, his talent is such that many teams will (and have repeatedly) call about his availability.—MH

8..............................Tyler Clippard 9............................... Steven White 10..........................Shelley Duncan

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

C o v e r S to r y : T h e D a y B r oo k l y n W o n I t A l l

thsary 0 5 er niv

1955

World Series Championship

Paintings counter clockwise from top left: “Ebbets Field Matinee,” Andy Jurinko; “Duke of Flatbush,” Bill Purdom; “Sunlit Ebbets Field,” William Feldman; “Amazing Ebbets Steal,” Bill Purdom; “Ebbets Field 1955” Andy Jurinko. All courtesy Bill Goff Inc/GoodsportsArt.com

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

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T h e N e w Yo r k G a m e

Now Fifty, Forever Nifty

The glow of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ 1955 championship refuses to dim. By Ed Shakespeare

t 3:43 pm on October 4, 2005, a group of people were determined to gather outside a housing project in Brooklyn. They don’t reside there. But their souls do. These are the dedicated fans of the Brooklyn Dodgers and they planned to plant themselves on the sidewalk outside the spot where a little place called Ebbets Field used to stand. As they have done every year for many years, they would use the space and the time to celebrate the anniversary of the Dodgers’ only World Series victory. The Brooklyn Dodgers, that is. It was 50 years ago that day that the Dodgers, in the parlance of their era and their borough, “dood it.” October 4, 1955 remain a red-letter day for those diehards, for Dodgers fans everywhere and for all of Brooklyn. It was no ordinary day and this is no ordinary anniversary. To the fans, the ballpark was the heart of the borough. Marty Bromberger, now a season-ticket holder for the Brooklyn Cyclones, but then a young fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers summed up the prevailing devotion: “We didn’t just go to Ebbets Field, we lived there.” To understand what the 1955 Series meant to Brooklyn fans, it’s necessary to understand the culture of that time and place. Baseball players then made good, but not great, salaries, so the Dodger stars lived in the same neighborhoods as their adoring fans. Carl Erskine lived on Lafayette Walk in Bay Ridge. Nearby were Duke Snider, Clem Labine, Rube Walker, and Pee Wee Reese among other Dodgers. No chauffeurs for these players. Instead, the 1950s Dodgers usually had only one car for the family, so they would carpool from Bay Ridge and other neighborhoods to Ebbets Field. Just like “regular” families. “We lived in a predominately Italian neighborhood, so pasta was

always forthcoming,” remembers pitcher Clem Labine. “My wife could go to the ballpark almost any time she wanted to, and we knew we had safe sitters because most of the time they were mother and father, and they’d say, ‘Bring the kids over.’ And they’d never charge you, either. They’d say, ‘Go to the ball game. Go to the ball game.’” In the movies, Brooklynites were objects of derision, always accorded second fiddle status to the supposedly more urbane Manhattanites. “Manhattan, with Broadway, had its glitter; the Bronx had its sophistication; Brooklyn had its Dodgers,” Erskine says. For many, that was plenty. Several factors make 1950s Brooklyn special in the annals of baseball and perhaps unrecognizable from the vantage point of the 21st century. Without free agency, the core players of teams stayed together for years. Branch Rickey has assembled a team that deserved to stay together, signing every good player he could find for his vast farm system. He was, of course the first baseball executive who dared to sign black players — first Jackie Robinson, then Roy Campanella, then Don Newcombe. (Alas, Rickey was forced out of Brooklyn before 1955 in a power grab by owner Walter O’Malley.) The team Rickey assembled, the Boys of Summer as Roger Kahn later immortalized them, matched their hometown. Brooklyn represented a unique mix of ethnicities, with first- and second- generation Americans from predominately Jewish, Italian, Irish, AfricanAmerican, and German roots sharing the same streets for a very long while. The Dodgers were something that all these groups had in common. Rooting for the team united the borough. Brooklyn was largely residential and middle-class, and the playContinued on Page 24

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

th 50iversary

C o v e r S to r y : T h e D a y B r oo k l y n W o n I t A l l

1955

World Series Championship

Manhattan’s Last Champions Think of the 1954 Giants as The Boys of The Summer Before. By Greg W. Prince

erhaps the date is the first clue. The World Series could hardly have started any sooner, and given the course of events that quickly unfolded, there was no way it was going to end any later. In its time, that was a good thing. But a half-century and change down the road, you have to wonder: What was the rush? Leo Durocher’s New York Giants swept Al Lopez’s Cleveland Indians four straight to capture the 1954 World Series, a quartet of contests that commenced the afternoon of September 29 and wound up well ahead of supper October 2. In terms of the calendar, no Fall Classic has ended so soon since. October, which nowadays hosts three tiers and typically three weeks of playoffs, wasn’t even 40 hours old when the Giants became champions of the world. Maybe if it could have been imagined that they’d never win another one — that in fact the New York Giants would cease to exist within three years of the final Indian out -— the Jints would have strung the Tribe along a little longer. Maybe, but not likely. When you are an underdog of historic proportions taking out the legs of an overwhelming favorite, you don’t stop and think about posterity’s ramifications. Still, maybe there was a harbinger hidden in the four-game sweep. In 1954, the Giants took care of business in short order as if they couldn’t wait to leave the stage. One year later, the Brooklyn Dodgers, having waited their fair share of Next Years, jumped into the spotlight, prevailing in their perennial struggle for a championship across seven games. Yes, the Bums left Brooklyn, but the ’55 Dodgers have never exited the popular consciousness. One year, one borough apart, but the respective legacies left behind by what transpired in Manhattan in 1954 and Brooklyn in 1955 seem leagues apart. The Dodgers are perpetually romanticized. The Giants are mostly gone. Despite receiving a New York City ticker-tape parade (something the Yankees during their run of five straight championships between 1949 and 1953 never got), it feels as if history’s parade has passed the 1954 Giants by. How come? Well, for one, the Dodgers of the 1950s instantly became the Good Old Days to a lot of people who made like O’Malley and left Brooklyn themselves. By then, the Giants’ prime was already past; really, they represented the Good Old Days long before 1950 rolled around. Also, Brooklyn would be mourned post-1957 as no longer big-league. Take away a team, take away an identity. New York, on the other hand, was and is New York. The Giants, in a sense, got replaced. But, the thinking went, there could never be substitute for Dem Bums. If that’s indeed what’s happened, it doesn’t make it right. Manhattan’s last champions need to be held in higher regard. Team ’54, where are you? “Nothing compares to the Giants’ comeback in 1951,” reasons New York Daily News columnist Vic Ziegel, one of the few local scribes who continues to carry a torch in print for the Jints of yore. “What I remember about the Giants’ regular season in 1954 is next to nothing. Giant fans, like myself, were thrilled to finish ahead of the Dodgers.” Ah, priorities. Beating the Dodgers was always first and foremost for Giants fans and vice-versa. What Bobby Thomson wrought in

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’51 was avenged pretty neatly over the next two years when the Dodgers won the National League by comfortable margins, yet ’52 and ’53 aren’t nearly as relished by the Brooks’ faithful as ’51 is rued. 1951 was a hard emotional act to follow for both franchises no matter what happened on the field. Perhaps the difference between the fiercely feuding neighbors in the four-season stretch that was bracketed by Giant pennants was uncovered by Uncle Sam. That was the only fella who could stop Willie Mays in those days. Willie was on loan to the United States Army for two years starting in May of 1952. When Willie went marching off, so did the Giants’ chances. When Willie came marching home again in ’54, the Polo Grounds was back in business. “He was so extraordinary,” fondly recalls Larry Shedlin of Nanuet — then a twentysomething Giants rooter from the Bronx. “The finest all-around ballplayer that ever was. Maybe not the best in any single category, but the best when all things are considered.” While many remember what Willie did during Giants games, Shedlin can still see him simply getting ready to play. “We’d go out to ballpark,” he says, “and at that time you could see him taking batting practice and fielding practice. He’d be playing shortstop! He was a star, but instead of sitting in the dugout, he was taking ground balls. I never knew of a guy who loved the game so much.” For a franchise that began play in 1883, the New York Giants never had a guy who played the game so well. Willie Mays may have come to Harlem late in its baseball life, but it seems fair to say the Giants saved their best for their last decade. In 1954, Willie Mays was just reaching his personal best: • 41 home runs • 119 runs scored • 110 runs batted in • .345 batting average to lead the league • .667 slugging percentage to lead the league • 13 triples to lead the league It wasn’t necessarily Willie’s greatest individual season. Just one year later, he hit 10 more homers, drove in 17 more runs and collected just as many triples (he led the Senior Circuit in three-baggers and fourbaggers...think about that). But 1954 was Willie’s MVP year because

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Paintings counter clockwise from top left: “Polo Grounds Matinee,” Andy Jurinko; “Amazing Polo Catch,” Bill Purdom; “Polo Grounds 1954” Andy Jurinko. All courtesy Bill Goff Inc/GoodsportsArt.com

1954 belonged to the Giants — not just to Willie. As late as August 15, it was a dogfight between the Giants and Dodgers. Swept in Ebbets Field, New York’s lead had shrunk to a half-game. But there was to be no replay of ’51. The Giants pulled away and topped Brooklyn by 5 games. And Bobby Thomson did play a large role again. This time, it wasn’t through a Shot Heard ‘Round the World but rather a trade that was felt acutely at the corner of 157th Street and Eighth Avenue. The playoff hero of three years earlier was swapped for Braves’ starter Johnny Antonelli. The 24-year-old lefty had compiled an unremarkable 17-22 record across parts of four seasons in Boston and Milwaukee. But if history keeps teaching us anything, it’s that 24-year-old lefties should only be traded with extreme caution. Antonelli blossomed into the Giant ace in ’54, going 21-7 with a 2.30 ERA. The Cy Young had yet to be invented, so Antonelli had to be satisfied with finishing third in the Most Valuable Player voting that fall. The Giants finished the 1954 season with 97 wins, their most in a 154-game season since 1913. Very nice. Their World Series opponent would be the Cleveland Indians. They won 111, the most in American League history to date. Very daunting. How good were those Indians? Consider that they beat the dynasty of the ages, the New York Yankees, by eight games. They were the only team between 1949 and 1957 not named the Yankees to win an A.L. flag. In fact, the Yankees had their best record of the’ decade in ’54, but in those pre-Wild Card days, all it got them was a seat on t h e couch to watch the World Series on NBC. The 1954 Indians were led by their pitching. They had five Giants Manager Leo Durocher. starters. Courtesy Baseball Hall of Fame.

Three of them are in the Hall of Fame. Bob of a mile from where the bat hit the ball and Lemon and Early Wynn each won 23 games. he caught Wertz’s drive. Then he spun and Bob Feller was the fifth starter. He went 13- threw with such force that he kept Doby 3. Mike Garcia registered 19 victories. Art from tagging up and scoring from second. Houtemann was good for a 15-7 mark. And It should not have been difficult to make it the offense was no piker. Larry Doby led the home but Willie made it just that. The score league in homers and ribbies. Bobby Avila hit stayed tied. The Giants won in ten. Three .341. Al Rosen chipped in 102 RBIs. more New York wins followed and that, so it Bookmakers set the odds against the Gi- seems, was that. ants, picking the Tribe as a 17-10 favorite. It seems a little unfair that the rest of the Vic Ziegel didn’t care. “I bet a friend $5 the 1954 Giants – Antonelli; Ruben Gomez (17Giants would win it all and people thought I 9); Sal Maglie (14-6); Hoyt Wilhelm (12-4 was crazy,” he says. “Probably was. Just a fan, in relief ); Don Mueller (.342 in right); and who had never seen his team win the Series, Dusty Rhodes (whose magic pinch-hitting hoping for the seemingly impossible. But I wand did as much to conjure the four-game honestly believed that 111 wins in the soft sweep as anything did) – are often reduced American League didn’t give them a real ad- to parenthetical status when this team is disvantage over the Giants.” cussed. When ‘54 does come up, it’s all in During the first game in the Polo Grounds, shorthand: Willie Mays’ catch. He did have Cleveland made Zieteammates and gel’s five bucks begin Next Year WASN’T Here they do deserve to look like a mem- 1 9 0 8 : T h e B e s t G I A N T S Te a m t o M i s s P o s t credit, but it’s ory. Knotted at two, S e a s o n not their fault W GOOD? 98-56 there was an Indian HH O they haven’t OW CLOSE? 1 Game Back uprising in the top W H Y N O T ? Tw o w o rd s : M e r k l e ’s B o n e r. O n e o f gotten more of the eighth. Doby b a s e b a l l ’s m o s t i n f a m o u s p l a y s e n s u e d w h e n of it. The only walked and Rosen c a l l o w G i a n t b a s e r u n n e r F re d M e r k l e d i d n ’ t thing they did nd on the hit that singled. Up to bat as cd ov arendc et hferowmi nfni ri ns gt trou ns ef croom wrong was wear t h i rd a g a i n s t t h e stepped Vic Wertz. C u b s i n l a t e S e p t e m b e r. I t w a s a r u l e b o o k the same uniIn to pitch came v i o l a t i o n u s u a l l y n o t c a l l e d b u t i n t h i s c a s e , form as Willie amid chaos, it was. After much wrangling, Don Liddle. Mays. l L e a g u e d e c re e d t h e g a m e w o u l d Liddle threw. Wertz thhaev eN taot i obneare New York Gip l a y e d a t s e a s o n ’s e n d i f n e e d e d swung. It was, all t o d e t e r m i n e a c h a m p i o n . I t d i d , i t w a s a n d ants fans reagree, a deep fly to i t w e n t t o t h e C u b s ( w h o h a v e n ’ t h a d a b re a k member The the deepest cen- l i k e t h a t s i n c e ) . Catch the way H AT N E X T ? J o h n M c G r a w ’s c l u b s t a y e d terfield in the big W Texans remems t ro n g b u t d i d n ’ t f l y a f l a g o v e r t h e P o l o leagues. The Polo G ro u n d s a g a i n u n t i l 1 9 1 1 , t h e f i r s t o f ber the AlaGrounds extended, t h re e s t r a i g h t O c t o b e r s t o s e e mo...forevat its furthest point, a c t i o n a l o n g t h e b a n k s o f t h e er and with s! p m Cha 505 feet from home H a r l e m R i v e r. reverence that plate, and Wertz’s could choke a ball appeared determined to soar over almost horse. all of it. “Willie Mays’ catch was probably the most It was a bad choice by Mr. Wertz, because outstanding occurrence I’ve seen in all my there was an obstacle in center that day and baseball days,” says Bill Kent, an unreconmost days in the Polo Grounds. There was stituted Giants fan who snuck into the Polo Willie Mays. Grounds not a few times as a kid. “That and Worse yet for Cleveland, he brought his the throw after the catch.” glove. Willie Mays’ glove was, said the long“Willie catching that ball,” says Larry Shedtime Dodger executive Fresco Thompson, lin, “just broke the Indians’ spirit.” where triples went to die. On September 29, “It was every bit as big then,” Vic Ziegel af1954 in the first game of the World Series, it firms, “as we remember it now.” was also where a legend came to be born. Remember it now. We won’t see its likes Mays ran and ran until he was nearly a tenth again.

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

C o v e r S to r y : T h e D a y B r oo k l y n W o n I t A l l

A Bronx Tale:

th 50iversary n

1955

World Series Championship

1955 Offers First Hint of the End of A Dynasty Loss to Dodgers after five-year ’49-’53 title streak showed the first cracks in the Bombers’ armor By Cecilia Tan

n 1955, the Dodgers did the unthinkable. The impossible. They beat the New York Yankees. Prior to ’55, Dodgers had appeared in seven previous Fall Classics, and had lost every one. Their opponents’ record was quite a contrast. Since 1936 the Yankees had appeared in 13 World Series and won 12 of them. Only the Cardinals had been able to beat New York, in 1942, but the Yankees had won the rematch the following year. They won five titles in a row under Casey Stengel from 1949 to 1953. But in 1954, despite finishing with their best record ever under Stengel (103-51), they were outpaced by Cleveland’s 111 wins. That left the Bronx Bombers itching to return to October play and having reloaded in the offseason, they did so in ’55, topping Cleveland by three games for the pennant. Going by odds and history, Brooklyn looked to be in for another Next Year wait. The ’55 Yankees were, per usual, a strong team. Its pitching staff was led by Whitey Ford but anchored by a reborn Tommy Byrne. Byrne, whose earlier stint with the club was marred my wildness, had endured stops in St. Louis (the Browns), Venezuela and the minor leagues before discovering the secret of control was in not throwing too hard. In ’55, the New York boasted the league’s best ERA (3.23), and Bullet Bob Turley, Ford and Byrne combined to go 5125. Stengel, the professor of platooning and the pioneer of relief pitching, eked another 28 wins out of newcomer Don Larsen, Eddie Lopat, and swingmen Johnny Kucks and ’54’s Rookie of the Year Bob Grim. The offense was powered by Mickey Mantle, who led the league in most offensive categories, including on-base percentage (.431), slugging percentage (.611), triples (tied with 11), home runs (37) and walks (113). The other offensive superstar was Yogi Berra, who drove in 108 runs (leading the team, 3rd in the A.L.), hit 27 homers, and struck out only once or twice a week. Berra took A.L. MVP honors for his effort. The Yankees also integrated their lineup for the first time, adding Elston Howard to the outfield (catcher was Berra’s position, though the two would switch a few years down the road). The defense was also the best in the league. With Phil Rizzuto and Gil McDougald turning the double play, the Yankees led the league in twin-killings with 180, and by most measures of defensive excellence, w e r e the class of the A.L. overall. So what went wrong in October? The biggest blow was the hobbling of Mantle, not by Dodger pitching, but a bad leg that limited him to 10 at-bats (two hits, one of them a homer) in the Series. He had torn a hamstring in the season’s final weeks and sat out trying — and failing — to heal.

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But even with that irreplaceable bat out of the lineup (Irv Noren, a light-hitting glove man, subbed for The Mick), the Yankees still managed to win the first two games. Then Hank Bauer, who homered 20 times

duri n g the regular season, sat out Game Three with a muscle pull, and the Yankees lost 8-3. Tied at three games apiece, 1955 was clearly a Series of sluggers on both sides. Together the two teams had hit a record 17 home runs in the first six games, 9 by Brooklyn, 8 by New York. The composite score on the eve of Game Seven w a s Dodgers 29 Ya n kees 26.

Yankee Manager Casey Stengel. Courtesy Baseball Hall of Fame.

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A healthy Mantle might have tipped the balance New York’s way. two games, only to lose the Series. In ‘56, the Dodgers jumped out Even then, Game Seven hinged on luck. Rizzuto was hit by a rally- to the 2-0 lead. And this time instead of Podres turning in the gem, it killing ball while sliding into third. Sandy Amoros speared a sure extra would be journeyman Don Larsen. Though Larsen was rocked in his base-hit catch off the bat of Berra. The Brooks scored two measly runs on a series of what A Yankees Century terms “fist hits, infield rollers, bunts, and bobbles”. And blonde Johnny Podres, who had struggled during the season but who shone in October, outpitched Byrne by pitching the game of his life. Looking back on the Dodgers’ 98-win season, in which they led the pack by 13-1/2 games at the end, all these little things look less like luck and more like destiny. By 1956, of course, customary good fortune had returned to the Bronx, and October magic was successfully resummoned. The 1956 Yankees were not vastly better than the team of the year before. A healthy Mickey Mantle hit 52 home runs and won the Triple Crown, and the team as a whole batted .270, ten points higher than in ’55, but the staff ERA was also markedly higher at 3.63. Another way of looking at it: they scored 857 runs, 95 more than in ‘55, but they gave up 631, 62 more than before. They won one m o r e Next Ye a r W A S N ’ T H e re g a m e 1954: The Best YANKEES Te a m t o M i s s P o s t than the Season HOW GOOD? 103-51 previous “Yankee Stadium Revisited,” HOW CLOSE? 8 Games B a c k year, goWHY NOT? Sometimes gre a t n e s s i s n ’ t e n o u g h . William Feldman. Courtesy ing 97Baseball’s version of U.S . S t e e l h a d i t s d y n a sBill Goff Inc/GoodsportsArt. 57. ty dented when the Cleve l a n d I n d i a n s f o rg e d com a historic campaign, com p i l i n g 1 1 1 w i n s . I t B u t was a victory total that w o u l d g o u n m a t c h e d pitching would Game Two start, he would return in the pivotal Game Five with the i n American League anna l s u n t i l t h e 1 9 9 8 turn out to be Series tied a two games apiece. As everyone knows, he pitched the only Yankees beat it by three . the difference perfect game in World Series history. Though the Yankees lost a tough WHAT NEXT? ’54 was jus t a b l i p . T h e Ya n k e e s , i mperiou s winners of five s t r a i g h t S e r i e s in this October Game Six, 1-0 in extra innings, they came back to hit four homers in between ‘49 and ‘53, we re i n n i n e o f t h e t e n as the fates re- Game Seven to drive the nail into the coffin — two by Berra, one by next Fall Classics, prev a i l i n g f o u r t i m e s versed. In Elston Howard and a grand slam by Moose Skowron. and ensuring Billy Cry s t a l w o u l d h a v e ’55, it was Even the best teams need the lucky breaks and twists of fate on their something on which t o d w e l l well into the 21st c e n t u r y. the Yan- side to win it all. In 1955, the Dodgers had what it took. In 1956, the ! s p kees who Yankees had what it took to take it back. Cham won the first

The Yankees In Their Own Words on 1955:

Tommy Byrne on winning Game Two:

“It was good for me at my age. I had waited a long time to win a game in a World Series. I felt like I was supposed to be there all the time, but nobody knew it but me.”

Yogi Berra on the Game Seven pitching matchup: “Tommy Byrne used to be hard to catch — at the beginning [of his career]. Then he got control. He was a tough man. We thought he’d never get there because of his control, but he came a long way. Podres threw a little bit harder. He had a good change and a good curveball. Tommy that day was pretty good, though. Tommy had learned to throw a slider and he did a good job. I’ve seen a lot of pitchers snakebit in my time.”

Jerry Coleman on facing Johnny Podres:

“Podres beat us on changeups. He had a great changeup and a good-enough fastball. We had a fastball-hitting ballclub. But get a guy with an off-speed pitch like Podres had that day and we didn’t know what to do with him. He was a real pitcher that day. He wasn’t a power pitcher. He just changed

speeds and hit his spots.”

Byrne on leaving Game Seven:

“I believe if they had left me in there, we would have got some runs. Later Casey came by my locker and said ‘I don’t think I shoulda taken you out.’ Casey might have forgotten that I struck out Hodges in the previous game. I wasn’t walking guys that much then, I wasn’t tired or anything. But it was a percentage move on his part. Maybe Grim gets a ball down and hits a grounder to somebody.”

Ford on Game Seven:

“I thought Tommy Byrne was a great pitcher. We called him ‘The Wild Man’ because he worked a lot. He pitched an excellent game that day. That was... (shakes his head) I remember that game very well. Oh, it was terrible. I had pitched the day before, and we had evened the series at 3-3. Tommy Byrne pitched a great game, but that’s the one where Johnny Podres pitched a shutout. And from there we had to go to Japan!” –CT

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

C o v e r S to r y : T h e D a y B r oo k l y n W o n I t A l l

th 50iversary n

1955

World Series Championship

A Whole New Ballgame ‘There are 8,000 people there every night cheering for you. They don’t care how much you make, they don’t care if they’ve ever heard of you before. They just want to see baseball.’ – former Brooklyn Cyclones pitcher Kevin Deaton By Mark Healey

ifty years later, Brooklyn summer nights are still a thing of magic, because over the last five years, the smell of a stadium hot dog, the crack of a bat, and the roar of a crowd have returned to the Borough of Churches. Some things have changed irrevocably. Royal blue has been replaced by splashes of red, yellow and navy. Instead of a cozy ballpark off Bedford Avenue, there’s an even cozier diamond by the beach. And short-season Single-A baseball will never be the big leagues. But what was once a faded memory is now an explosion of reality, as the Brooklyn Cyclones have brought baseball back, returning the game to a population that never wanted it to leave in the first place. Though the loss of the Dodgers will always haunt “America’s Fourth Largest City,” the kids that play New York’s game in Coney Island have taken some of the salt out of that wound. The brainchild of Mets owner Fred Wilpon and former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani, the Cyclones are a way for Brooklyn baseball fans — old and new — to unite in a way they never could before. Wilpon, who grew up in Bensonhurst, spent many childhood days attending games at Ebbets Field. When he was offered a sweetheart deal by Giuliani — let the Yankees put a team in Staten Island, and we’ll give you one in Brooklyn — it was one he couldn’t refuse. He now had the perfect opportunity to at last replace his beloved team, and at the same time give his son, Jeff, a chance to run the dayto-day operations of a franchise. The younger Wilpon did so exceedingly well, as the team has shattered attendance records in the nearly century-old New York-Penn

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League. Cyclones merchandise is more popular nationally than that of many Major League teams. Baseball is indeed “back in Brooklyn,” as was dramatically stated by team broadcaster Warner Fusselle during the team’s inaugural radio broadcast. Like Red Barber before him, Fusselle is the voice of Brooklyn baseball. Known best for his work on This Week in Baseball, Fusselle’s brilliance in the “Catbird Seat” is a result of a longtime love affair with the New York Game. “Growing up in the Deep South, I heard so many stories of [Red] Barber being the voice of baseball in Brooklyn,” says Fusselle. “That was an incredible time. It was sad that baseball had to go all these years without a team in Brooklyn.” Well, now they have one, and it has been embraced by the fans. Thought to be a big drawback for the “big city” — short-season Single-A teams rarely see players return - having a slew of new faces every year has been a boon for the KeySpan faithful. That feeling, according to many of the patrons one speaks to during every home game, has been returned tenfold. “Sometimes I feel like I’m watching my own kids grow up again,” 56-year old Eileen Hogan says. “I love the way they play the game, but I also really love how they interact with us. Always smiling, always signing an autograph, or hat or something.” The 2001 group - the first Cyclones team — was a special one, the crew that set the bar high. It included future major leaguers Danny Garcia, Lenny DiNardo and Mike Jacobs, but it also featured guys like Frank Corr.

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T h e N e w Yo r k G a m e

At 5-foot-9 and a stocky 195 pounds, “the Bus” as he was affectionately called by his teammates, was the Mets’ 17th round pick out of Stetson University in 2001. His scrappy style, hustling after every ball to the outfield and taking the extra base whenever possible, endeared him to the Coney Island crowds. “He’s not slow, and he’s not real fast,” said then-Cyclones manager Edgar Alfonzo. “But Frank is a smart player, and that’s why we win ballgames.” Another fan favorite was catcher Brett Kay, who may have enjoyed the best game in Cyclones history, the series-clinching win over the Staten Island Yankees that September. It was Kay, with a pair of brilliant defensive plays and a two-run homer, who sealed the game and set off a celebration that saw players and fans rejoicing in a Brooklyn win together. As after any home game — even now — hundreds of fans pack around the players’ entrance. But on that night — and no night since — players and fans were exchanging high-fives, laughing and hugging. It was the essence of the special link people always spoke about when they remembered Brooklyn baseball but now it was actually happening. In the middle of it all were Corr — spraying the crowd with champagne — and Kay. “These guys are awesome,” Kay said of the fans that night. “The way they yell, the way they get on the umps and the other team. I’ll never forget playing here.” It was also the last time the fans would see the 2001 players as a group, as after just one

Championship Series was canceled in defer- a wonderful stage for them, and they’ve reence to the attack on the World Trade Center sponded quite well.” and the Cyclones awarded a co-championA good example would be the 2004 edition ship. that was led by Tony Tijernia, who led the In the years that have followed, Brooklyn Pittsfield Mets to the 1997 NYPL title and has been less overwhelming in terms of wins is now the Mets’ minor league coordinator. and losses. No matter, the fans Tijernia was not the celebrity that other Cykeep coming back in droves. clone skippers were, but he got his team to The Brooklyn managers, post-season. And in true Brooklyn tradition, coaches and guest instructors they were a fun-bunch team that thrilled — whose ranks change nearly ev- Brooklyn fans all season. ery year, have been primarily alumni Cyclone fans who were on hand will rememof the 1986 World Series champion ber Ambiorix Concepcion was “The Man” Mets. Their collective presence has across that summer, leading the Cyclones in been promoted by the younger Wil- home runs, stolen bases and outfield assists. pon’s passion for that team’s yet-to-be- One of his throws was so breathtaking, it matched success and the hope that their leg- made ESPN’s Top Ten Plays. endary winning attitude can be passed along “Oh my God. Whoooo, he’s got a cannon,” to another Met generation. said Mets shortstop and fellow Dominican Howard Johnson, Tim Teufel and, most re- Jose Reyes, after seeing Concepcion’s throw. cently, Mookie Wilson have served as skipper This year’s team narrowly missed making it of the ’Clones, while Bobby Ojeda, Gary Carter and even Darryl Strawberry have spent time in Coney Island passing along their wisdom. But as it should be, the tale of Brooklyn baseball is told by the emerging players, and some have been pretty special. One of them, glimpsed briefly, was Tampa Bay rookie lefthander Scott Kazmir. He was a shooting star across the Brooklyn sky late in the 2002 season. That cameo, made so close to Shea, likely inspired at least a bit of the ire that Mets’ fans continue to harbor over KeySpan Park, home of his being traded in Nex t Ye a r W A S N ’ T H e re the Brooklyn Cyclones. 1985: The Best METS Te a m t o M i s s P o s t ‘04. On the other Courtesy Jack L. Gordon Season hand, those folks Architects. HOW GOOD? 98-64 can always say they HOW CLOSE? 3 Games B a c k saw Scott Kazmir WHY NOT? Dwight Goo d e n w e n t 2 4 - 4 . I t w a s joked at the time that i f i t h a d n ’ t b e e n f o r h i s before he became four losses, the Mets w o u l d ’ v e g o n e a l l t h e the Scott Kazmir. back to the postseason, but when you listen way. But seriously, th e 1 0 1 - w i n C a rd i n a l s r a n However, as hard as it is to believe to first-year Cyclones’ pitching coach Steve opponents into the gro u n d d o w n t h e s t re t c h , amid the good vibes of KeySpan Park, Merriman was particularly proud of the way coming through with a c l u t c h w i n i n t h e l a s t game of a three-game s e t a g a i n s t N e w Yo r k i n the Cyclones have had their detrac- his young charges — who, like the big club, St. Louis to essential l y e n d t h e r a c e . tors, particularly those who charge had to deal with a less-than-reliable offense in WHAT NEXT? On the h e e l s o f t w o s e c o n d that having Brooklyn as a minor 2005 — responded to the high-octane atmoplace finishes, Davey J o h n s o n p ro m i s e d t h e league franchise has put “winning sphere of Brooklyn. Mets would dominate i n 1 9 8 6 a n d t h e y d i d just that, having the t e a m w o r k t o m a k e t h e ahead of player development.” “Every day that you come out here you dream work against a l l c o m e r s , p a r t i cNot so, insists Mets’ assistant GM know that the fans are going to be energized, ularly Houston in the N L C S a n d Gary LaRocque, who until recent- you know that people are going to want to see Boston in the World S e r i e s . ly served as the Mets’ director of good hard hustling baseball and you have to ps! Cham scouting. be ready to give that,” Merriman said as the “If anything, having a team in Brook- Cyclones’ fifth season unfolded. “I think it game in the final round, a 7-4 Cylyn excites the players we draft, and there is a only adds to the players ability to progress.” clones win at Williamsport on September real desire to want to play there,” LaRocque Desire, passion, fun. That’s pretty much 10, New York City and the world changed said. “It’s an unbelievable environment for sums up what Brooklyn baseball has always the next day. A few days later, the rest of the our young players. Brooklyn has provided been about. It was then and it is now.

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

N e w Yo r k Ya n k e e s ’ Organizational Report Columbus Clippers

International League (AAA) 77-67, 3rd Place, West Division -

The express shuttle between Columbus and the Bronx was busy this season as Alex Graman, Scott Proctor, Sean Henn, and Melky Cabrera have all gotten the call to don the Pinstripes, and all were sent back to the minors for further seasoning. Henn remained consistent, maintaining his ERA under 4 (3.23) for most of the season, even pitching a complete game shutout. Proctor was solid out of the bullpen as the closer, amassing 14 saves while striking out 54 in 42.2 innings. Once again, Mitch Jones led the Columbus offense in home runs with 27, but as has been his tendency throughout his career, he also led the team far and away with 174 SO. Kevin Thompson earned a mid-season promotion for his efforts in Trenton, and continued to turn heads with a .335 OBP, 17 doubles and 18 SB in 23 attempts.

Tampa Yankees

Florida State League (A) 24-44,5th Place, West Division

Tyler Clippard (10-9, 3.18) added to his impressive strikeout total, fanning a total of 169 batters. But perhaps the bigger story in Tampa was the promotion, and eventual injury, of Philip Hughes, who was enjoying a breakout year in Charleston until he was shut down for shoulder tendonitis. Paul Thorp (2-4, 4.10) was a workhorse out of the bullpen, making 50 appearances, and 25 saves. On the offensive end, Justin Christian was Mr. Everything in Tampa. In less than 100 games in the FSL, Christian slugged .306, with 27 doubles, 6 triples, 8 home runs, 37 RBIs, 52 runs scored, and 38 stolen bases.

Staten Island Yankees NY-Penn League (A)

52-24, 1st Place, League Champions –

The “Baby Bombers” were the class of the NY-Penn League, boasting the best record in the league and decisively captured the League Championship, sweeping both playoffs series. Manager Andy Stankiewicz had the honor of being named a Manager in the Inaugural League All-Star game. Yankee All-Stars included Kyle Larsen (.308, 6 HR, 49 RBIs), Eduardo Nunez (.313, 3 HR, 46 RBI) Josh Schmidt (5-1, 0.27 ERA, 13 SV) and All-Star game Starter David Seccombe (8-2, 2.15). First baseman Kyle Larsen was extremely impressive, pacing the Yankee attack and in the League’s top 10 in RBIs and Doubles. Outfielder Brett Gardner set the table at the top of the lineup, leading the team with 19 SB and has an OBP of .377. David Seccombe and James Conroy (5-1, 12.04 ERA) were both locked into the top 10 in the league pitching statistics and Garrett Patterson (1-2, 3.71) ranked 8th in the league in strikeouts with 71.

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

Trenton Thunder Eastern League (AA) 74-68, 2nd Place, North Division

As Trenton rumbled its way into the Eastern League’s post-season, the real “Thunder” was coming out of the bats of Shelly Duncan and the Yankee’s top prospect Eric Duncan. Shelly mashed the competition, hitting 28 doubles, 34 home runs and 92 RBIs, while Eric showed that he belonged at this level at a young age, smashing 15 doubles, 3 triples, 19 home runs and 61 RBIs. After brief stints in Columbus and with the Yankees, Melky Cabrera returned to the lineup and picked up where he left off. Overall, Cabrera batted .275 with 10 homers and 60 RBIs and 11 SB. Matt DeSalvo (9-5, 3.02) bounced back from injury, leading the team in strikeouts with 151 in 149 innings. Jeffrey Karstens led the team in wins with 12, and struck out 147. Justin Pope (6-4, 2.81) continued to anchor the bullpen, far and away leading the team with 29 saves.

Charleston Riverdogs South Atlantic League (A) 37-22, 3rd Place - Second Half, Southern Division , lost in playoffs .

Charleston clinched the Sally League South First Half Championship with almost ease. The second half was more of a struggle, and the River Dogs were eventually eliminated in the first round of the SAL Playoffs. Designated Hitter Ben Jones shined offensively with an average of .288, 33 doubles, 2 triples, 14 home runs, and 77 RBIs. Outfielder Tim Battle held his own offensively, leading the team in both home runs (16) and stolen bases (40). Chase Wright (10-4, 3.75) picked up the slack left in Philip Hughes’ absence, pacing the team in strikeouts with 110. Closer Mike Martinez performed well all season long – leading the Yankee minor league system with 30 saves.

Gulf Coast Yankees

Gulf Coast League (Rookie) 33-20, 1st Place, League Champions

The GCL Yanks (33-20) took the League title this season, defeating the GCL Mets. Yankee first round selection C.J. Henry debuted in fine fashion. In less than 50 games, Henry batted .249 with 9 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs, 17 RBIs and 17 SB. Jose Tabata had an impressive season, batting .314 with five doubles, a triple, three home runs, 25 RBIs and 22 SB. Domingo Cabrera (4-1, 2.30 ERA) led the team with 37 strikeouts and Francisco Castillo (3-1, 1.76 ERA) logged in a team high 41 innings while only allowing 8 earned runs.

N e w Yo r k M e t s ’ Organizational Report Norfolk Tides

Binghamton Mets

International League (AAA) 79-65, 1st Place, South Division.

The Tides dominated the South Division, winning the title by 14.0 games over the Durham Bulls. Norfolk advanced to the Governors’ Cup playoffs, but were eliminated by the eventual IL champion Toledo Mud Hens in the first round. Manager Ken Oberkfell and his staff of Howard Johnson and Dan Warthen led a talented and experienced team. Second baseman Anderson Hernandez averaged .303 with 79 hits and 24 stolen bases. Utiltyman Chase Lambin also stepped up, playing in 61 games while posting a .289 average, 61 hits, 16 doubles, 10 home runs, 34 RBI, a .526 slugging percentage and a team-high five intentional walks. The Tides pitching staff did their part as well, finishing second in the International League in ERA (3.73). Jason Scobie paced the rotation, starting 26 games with a 15-7 record and a 3.34 ERA in 167 innings. Eric Junge joined the team after a promotion from AA in late April and showed good control with 114 strikeouts in 135 IP. In 26 games, Junge had a 10-7 record with a 3.50 ERA. a 10-6 record with a 3.50 ERA.

Eastern League (AA)

Binghamton (AA) 63-79, Last Place, Northern Division-

Although it had been a rough season for the B-Mets, there were several individual breakthrough performances. Catcher/first baseman Mike Jacobs was named the Eastern League MVP, and earned a promotion to the majors. Outfielder Lastings Milledge, who was promoted from Single-A St.Lucie, hit .337 with 65 hits, 17 doubles,and 11 stolen bases in 48 games. Another mid-season promotee that played well was Brett Harper who posted a .273 average with 62 hits, 11 doubles, and 16 homeruns and 42 RBI. Infielder Aarom Baldiris played 131 games, hitting .275 with 136 hits, 35 doubles, and 11 homeruns. Starters Brian Bannister (9-4, 2.56) and Yusmeiro Petit (9-3, 2.91) got the job done in Binghamton until their subsequent promotions to AAA. Attempting to fill the gap that Bannister and Petit left behind was Orlando Roman who stepped out of the bullpen. Roman (4-4, 4.95) started 18 games and overall pitched 120 innings while showing a good deal of control, striking out 136 batters.

St. Lucie Mets

Hagerstown Suns

Florida State League (A) 36-33, 4th Place, East Division

South Atlantic League (A)

The St. Lucie Mets lost two of their offensive gems when Milledge and Harper were sent to AA in the middle of the season. Fortunately, their absence has allowed other players to emerge. Catcher Andy Wilson continued to turn heads with a .284 average, 132 hits, 25 doubles, 28 homeruns and 89 RBI in 127 games. Infielder Wilson Batista also impressed, hitting .274 average with a .327 OBP, 68 hits and 12 stolen bases. Promotions of Evan MacLane and Philip Humber (who was later injured and underwent Tommy John surgery) opened the door for Gaby Hernandez (2-5, 5.74), who struggled in his half season in Florida. Starting pitcher Vince Cordova (8-9, 4.01) threw two complete game shutouts, and Eddie Camacho (2-4, 2.74) led the team with 10 saves.

Brooklyn Cyclones NY-Penn League (A)

40-36, 3rd Place, McNamara Division

The Brooklyn Cyclones season can be characterized as inconsistent at best as they battled all season for a playoff spot. As a team, the Cyclones were terrors on the basepaths, leading the NY-Penn League with 107 stolen bases. Joe Holden had an All-Star season setting the table at the top of the order with a .291 average and a .361 OBP with seven doubles, five triples, and 22 stolen bases. The power of the Cyclones attack was supplied by Caleb Stewart (10 HRs, 45 RBIs), and Nick Evans (6 HRs, 33 RBIs). The pitching staff was anchored by Robert Parnell (2-3 1.73), who was selected to start the first ever NY-Penn League All-Star Game, and Jeff Landing (5-6, 2.87 ERA). Sal Aguilar (5-0, 2.24 ERA) and Aristides Almenar (0-2, 1.76 ERA, 4 SV) were solid out of the bullpen.

29-38, last place - second half, North Division Playoff Champions -

After clinching the Sally League North First Half Championship, many players were promoted to St. Lucie (A), allowing others to step forward and win the overall North Division Title. Outfielder Carlos Gomez batted .275 with 134 hits, 13 doubles, and 64 stolen bases in 120 games. As the weather warmed, so did Ambiorix Concepcion, slugging 15 home runs, driving in 61 and swiping 35 bases. Grant Psomas earned a brief stay in St. Lucie, but returned to anchor the Suns’ offense, hitting .300, with 19 home runs, 54 RBIs, with a whopping .551 slugging percentage. While Jose Sanchez (11-5, 4.20) somewhat cooled off from his torrid first half, Mike Devaney (10-4, 3.88) continued to impress, striking out 121 in 137 innings, and Marcelo Perez emerged as the closer out of the bullpen, leading the team with 13 saves

Kingsport Mets

Gulf Coast Mets

28-40, Last Place, West Division

37-16, 1st Place, East Div. Champs

Appalachian League (Rookie) The K-Mets had a tough time of things in their 2005 campaign. Offensively, Sean Henry stood out in the lineup, batting .255 with 5 home runs, 31 RBIs and 15 SB, and DJ Wabick led the team with a .303 average. Starting pitcher Johnathan Castillo (2-3, 2.04) was a bright spot in the rotation, pitching a complete game, and striking out 41 in 53 innings. St John’s product Jim Wladyka (2-2, 1.98) made 18 appearances out of the bullpen striking out 40 in 50 innings.

Gulf Coast League (Rookie)

Gary Carter’s managerial debut proved more successful than anyone could have predicted as the GCL Mets earned a playoff berth with a first place finish, and Carter was named Manager of the Year. Junior Contreras showed a big stick, batting .291 with seven doubles, eight home runs and 31 RBIs, and Leivi Ventura added seven home runs and 33 RBIs of his own. Emmanuel Garcia was extremely versatile, hitting .339 with seven doubles, 2 home runs, 30 RBIs, 43 runs scored and 17 SB. Robert Manuel (8-1 2.06) was impressive in his first professional season, leading the team with 49 Ks. An interesting story out of the Mets’ pitching staff was the re-tooling of SS Robert McIntyre as a pitcher, posting a record of 4-2 with a 4.54 ERA, striking out 38 in 41.2 innings..

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

The Atlantic League Report By Joe McDonald

Lyle’s Odometer Still Turning Back in the late 1990s, Sparky Lyle went into one of Steve Kalafer’s car dealerships in New Jersey to buy a new truck. What he came out with was a new career, running Kalafer’s new venture, the Somerset Patriots. “I never considered managing,” Lyle said before his team prepared to play the Long Island Ducks in Bridgewater. “This all happened because I bought a truck from Steve Kalafer. While I was waiting for the truck, he had bought this franchise. When it, finally, did come in, he offered me this job. That’s really how I got back into the game.” That was 1998 and Lyle was given a lifetime contract to manage the Patriots. The former Yankee accepted the job, because he believed in the Atlantic League philosophy. “The purpose of the Atlantic League, I was told, had to do with getting these guys back into [Major League] organizations,” Lyle said. “I became very interested because that meant the league was player-friendly. I thought — if it could stay like that — it would be great.” So far, the Atlantic League has been very successful in placing its talent with affiliated ballclubs. Through the years, more than 90 players were placed with organizations with 13 reaching the big leagues. Ten of those players came through Commerce Bank Park, the Patriots’ home field. “Be assured.” Lyle said, “if it had changed at any time, I would’ve quit. What we’re doing right now is so good for these players. We’ve put many guys back into organizations. And as long as we continue to do that, I’m a happy camper.” At 61, Lyle considers himself too old to make t h e jump into affiliated ball himself. So staying at Somerset is his calling for the near future. But because this is the independent leagues, sometimes the talent tries his patience. “Some days, this can be tough,” Lyle said. “I’d look out there and see silly pitches and stupid hits and that would aggravate me. Over time, I’ve learned that it’s just a matter of being heads-up and not asking players to do something they can’t do very well.” Yet that has been a minor problem over the years since Lyle has won over 500 games,

been the Atlantic League Manager of the Year twice (1999 and 2003) and Somerset is the only team to win two Atlantic League Championships (2001 and 2003). Much like the truck Lyle bought, Kalafer has gotten a lot of mileage out of his investment as well. ***

Much like his counterpart in B r i d g e w a t e r, Newark’s rookie manager Chris Jones learned a lesson in patience this season as well. “Sometimes I need to push the issue with my players, but I want them to be compared to the Long Islands and Somersets,” Jones said. “In this league, we are known as the team that can’t do anything. They need to get that [thought] out of their heads.” Even with a sub-.500 record, Jones says he enjoys his new job and finds it a perfect fit for him as his son, Chris, Jr., goes through high school. The former outfielder, who played for the New York Mets in 1995 and 1996, is trying to instill a sense of discipline in his players to make them more consistent. “It’s keeping these guys, who are doing a good thing on a Monday, doing the same thing [the rest of the week],” Jones said. “But sometimes that doesn’t happen. And they go back to the bad habits.” *** Atlantic League grads in pennant races: Former Atlantic Leaguers Chris Widger (Riversharks), Carlos Baerga (Ducks) and Jose Offerman (Bluefish) chipped in to the White Sox’, Nationals’ and Mets’ respective hunts for October.

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

***

Sparky Lyle Long Island’s offense was rejuvenated by the signing of former San Francisco Giants outfielder Armando Rios, whose hot hitting helped the defending champs in their late-season playoff push. *** With his mid-season trade to the Newark Bears, Norm Hutchins now has played for five Atlantic League teams. Pennsylvania, Long Island, Somerset and Lancaster were the others. *** Long Island hero Doug Jennings returned to the Flock and took the role of player/ coach. He hopes to parlay that into a managing career. Joe McDonald is Publisher of NYSportsDay. com and a regular contributor to Gotham Baseball.

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C o v e r S to r y : T h e D a y B r oo k l y n W o n I t A l l

Broo k l y n Continued from Page 13 ers became part of the community. Brooklyn had, in its collective memory, a recollection of a time (up until 1898) when it was a distinct city, not just part of New York City. That vestigial span, as long as the Brooklyn Bridge itself, lingered for not a few Brooklynites. Johnny Podres remembers the feeling as, “Brooklyn and New York — so close, but Brooklyn is Brooklyn, and New York is New York.” New York also had two teams, the hated Giants and the aloof Yankees. Conquering both helps explain why 1955 continues to stir Dem Hearts of Dem Bums. The Dodgers won National League pennants in 1941, ’47, ’49, ’52, and ’53. And in each of those ensuing World Series, the team lost to the Yankees. Throw in that on three other occasions following World War II (’46, ’50 and ’51), the Dodgers lost pennants on the last day of the season. The most heartbreaking defeat resulted from “The Shot Heard ’Round the World,” Bobby Thomson’s homer for the Giants in the final game of the pennant playoff in 1951, but it certainly wasn’t the only one. Is it any wonder they were always waiting for next year? The calendar was not a benign factor entering 1955. The heart and soul of the team, the everyday lineup that had been more or less in place throughout the years following V-J Day was aging. Like all things, it was getting older every day. • Reese: Shortstop since 1940; 36 on Opening Day. • Robinson: Now at third, a Dodger since ’47; 36. • Campanella: Catcher since ’48; 33. • Carl Furillo: Rightfielder since ’46; 33. • Gil Hodges: Up since ’47, regular first sacker since ’48; 31. • Snider: Came to Brooklyn in ’47, took over center for good in ’49; 29. The only starters who could be called young in baseball terms (remember that players were considered past their prime at 30 in those days) were second baseman Jim “Junior” Gilliam, 26 and leftfielder Sandy Amoros, 25. Given the relatively senior citizenship of the Dodger lineup, the business about Next Year was taking on a now-or-never urgency. “By 1955,” reflects World Series MVP Johnny Podres, “we were getting old.” Perhaps that sense pervaded the Dodgers’ lightning-fast bolt from the gate, a 22-2 start from which Brooklyn never looked back. After all those breathtaking pennant races, 1955 was a cakewalk. The Dodgers clinched the pennant on September 10. Though they were on their way to a pinnacle to which no other Brooklyn team had ascended, many of the Dodger players recall 1953, World Series loss and all, as their greatest year. Indeed, that team won 105 games, seven more than their world champion successors did. “That 1953 club was our best,” Podres believes.

th 0 5

But it’s not how many, but what you win. of the sar r e And only ’55 brought home to Brooklyn the third iv nn elusive brass ring. when A When the World Series started, however, it C a m appeared that it would be the Yankees who p a n e l l a would, per usual, do all the grabbing. The d o u b l e d American League champs took the first two with one out, World Series games. moved to third Championship But Brooklyn won the next game in Brook- on a groundlyn as Podres went the distance. The Dodgers out, and then scored then captured Games Four and Five, return- on Gil Hodges’ single. Hodges also drove in ing the affair to the Bronx with a long-awaited the second Brooklyn run, with a bases-loaded Brooklyn world championship just one game sacrifice fly in the sixth. away. But the Dodgers being the Dodgers, it The last out of the inning was made when wasn’t that easy. The Yankees won Game Six George “Shotgun” Shuba pinch-hit for secand the Series ond baseman was knotted at Don Zimmer three apiece. and grounded It all came out. That’s more down to Game than trivial beSeven in the cause it set in Bronx. Podres, motion what who had just would become turned 23, the decisive botfaced Tommy tom of the sixth. Byrne with evZimmer needed ery marble in to be replaced. the city on the Gilliam, who had line. Brooklyn started in left, held its colmoved to the inlective breath. field. To take his Podres inhaled place, Brooklyn pretty deeply skipper Walter himself. Alston sent in “I was nerSandy Amoros. vous before Billy Martin the game,” he started the Yanadmits. “But kees’ sixth off not once the with a walk. game started.” Gil McDougald The game followed with Dodger Captain Pee Wee Reese was scoreless a bunt single, Courtesy Baseball Hall of Fame. until the top sending Martin

1955

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Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

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In the next issue:

•Will the Jets join the Mets in Queens? •Our annual player and team awards. •The Holiday Gift Guide: what to buy the baseball nut in your life. Plus: columns, player updates and more!

On Newsstands in December

www.gothambaseball.com to second. Yogi Berra, a notorious bad-ball hitter, and a dead pull hitter, was up next. Podres, 50 years after the fact, remembers that he didn’t want Berra to pull an inside pitch into the short right field stands. “I wasn’t going to pitch him inside,” he says. So Podres pitched him outside — way outside. “In fact,” he says, “it was a ball.” Berra hit the pitch on a slice to the left field corner. Amoros, never expecting Berra slice that ball, was way over toward center. But he knew enough to be left-handed, meaning his glove was on his right hand. That, along with

his speed, faster than that of Gilliam (the man he replaced), enabled Amoros to run a hundred feet and barely make a one-handed grab. Then Amoros threw the ball toward Reese. “Pee Wee wasn’t just waiting for the ball,” Podres says. “He turned his head and peeked behind to see that McDougald was too far from first.” Hence, Reese threw to Hodges at first to double up McDougald. That play, like Amoros’ presence in left, changed the complexion of the game. The dominos necessary to cause it — the rally in the Brooklyn sixth...Shuba pinchhitting for Zimmer...Gilliam moving Nex t Ye a r W A S N ’ T H e re over to replace Zimmer at second... Amoros then replacing Gilliam in left 1942: The Best DODG E R S Te a m t o M i s s P o s t Season — each tumbled just perfectly enough HOW GOOD? 104-50 so that a World Series would, at least, HOW CLOSE? 2 Game s B a c k fall in Brooklyn’s favor. WHY NOT? Brooklyn b u i l t a d o u b l e - d i g i t l e a d Was Alston that smart? Or was there by early August, but a n i n j u r y t o P i s t o l P e t e Reiser (he fought the w a l l a n d t h e w a l l w o n ) , another manager guiding his hand comb ined with conten t i o u s b i c k e r i n g b e t w e e n across the lineup card? front-of fice whiz Larry M a c P h a i l a n d s k i pAt a 50th anniversary event in August per Leo Durocher, co n s p i re d w i t h a n u n g o d l y at 215 Montague Street in Brooklyn, Cardinal surge to kee p t h e D o d g e r s f ro m t h e i r first back-to-back pen n a n t s s i n c e 1 8 9 9 - 1 9 0 0 . the site of the old Dodger offices, PoWHAT NEXT? World Wa r I I s a p p e d t h e B ro o k l y n dres remarked to a fan about Alston’s roster. An integrated D o d g e r s t e a m re t u r n e d decision to send Amoros into left to po st-season in 194 7 , t h e f i r s t field, “Now, how did he know to do of six league champio n s h i p s i n a legendary ten-year s p a n . that?” ps! m a Ch The fan replied, “It must have been

T h e N e w Yo r k G a m e

the Man Upstairs.” “It must have been the Man Upstairs,” Podres agreed. In the ninth, the final Yankee batter was Elston Howard. Podres threw him a changeup and Howard grounded to Reese, who threw to Hodges. And in the time it took for Gil Hodges to wrap his mitt around that ball, the Bums of Brooklyn became champions of the world. The Dodgers’ celebration on the Yankee Stadium field was wild. The mood changed, however, as they headed down into the visitors’ dressing room. “We went into the clubhouse,” Erskine reflects, “and it was almost a moment of reverence. [Dodger pitcher] Roger Craig recently told me, ‘I looked over and I actually saw tears in the eyes of Pee Wee, and Jackie and Gil, and you.’ Just for a moment there, we felt we had accomplished for our fans this World Championship. It was a moment that was deeply felt.” It’s no wonder people who experienced it and people who’ve only heard about it keep making pilgrimages to relive it over and over again, even 50 years after the fact. “We’re so remembered because it can never happen again,” Podres says. “We’re the only Brooklyn Dodger team that can ever win the World Series.”

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T h e N e w Yo r k G a m e

The Gotham Baseball Quiz 1. Before winning in 1955, how many World Series did the Brooklyn Dodgers compete in? 2. How many times did the Brooklyn Dodgers lose to the Yankees in the World Series prior to 1955? 3. How many players who saw action in the 1955 Series are in the Baseball Hall of Fame as a player?

major leagues.

10 ABs) in batting in the Series?

9. True or False: Don Newcombe, a threetime 20-game winner with the Dodgers (including 1955), never won a World Series game.

16. The Dodgers’ victory gave the National League consecutive World Series wins for the first time since when?

10. Duke Snider hit four home runs in the 1955 Series, the fourth time one player slugged that many in one World Series. Name two of the other three to accomplish this feat.

4. 1955 was the first year the MVP was awarded in the World Series. Who won it?

11. The New York Giants won the 1954 Series. Where did they finish in 1955?

5. Who did Sandy Amoros replace in left field for the Dodgers in the sixth inning of Game 7?

12. True or False: The Yankees won more games in 1955 than 1954.

6. What was the Dodgers’ regular-season record?

13. Who made the last out in the 1955 Series?

7. What was the Yankees’ regular-season record? 8. Name the players who competed in the 1955 Series and then managed a team in the

14. Who led Yankee regulars (minimum 10 ABs) in batting in the Series?

17. The Dodgers won the NL pennant by 13-1/2 games. Which team finished second in the NL? 18. Who managed the Dodgers in 1955? a) Burt Shotton b) Leo Durocher c) Chuck Dressen d) Walter Alston 19. In Game 7 the Yankees managed eight hits against Johnny Podres. Which Yankee had three of those hits? 20. Johnny Podres’ whitewash of the Yankees in Game 7 was the third Brooklyn complete game shutout in their World Series history. Who pitched the first two?

15. Who led the Dodger regulars (minimum

Answers on Page 29

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1. 1. Seven. 2. Five times. 3. Eight players: Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider from the Dodgers and Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle and Phil Rizzuto from the Yankees. Both managers, Walter Alston and Casey Stengel, are also in the Hall of Fame. 4. Johnny Podres, Brooklyn. 5. Jim Gilliam who replaced Don Zimmer at second. 6. Dodgers went 98-55. 7. Yankees went 96-58. 8. Seven players: Roger Craig, Gil Hodges and Don Zimmer from the Dodgers and Hank Bauer, Yogi Berra, Jerry Coleman and Billy Martin from the Yankees. 9. True. Newcombe was 0-4 in five starts. 10. Babe Ruth, 1926; Lou Gehrig, 1928; Duke Snider, 1952. Snider is the only player to accomplish this feat twice. 11. Third place with a record of 80-74. 12. False. The Yankees won 103 games in 1954, but finished 8 games behind the Cleveland Indians. 13. Elston Howard grounded out to shortstop. 14. Hank Bauer batted .429 with six singles in 14 at bats. 15. Sandy Amoros batted .333 with four hits, including a home run, in 12 at-bats. 16. It was the first time since 1933 (Giants) and 1934 (Cardinals) that the senior circuit had successive series winners. 17. Milwaukee Braves. 18. d) Walter Alston. It was his second year as Dodger skipper. 19. Gil McDougald had three singles. 20. Burleigh Grimes, 1920, against the Indians and Preacher Roe, 1949, against the Yankees. Clem Labine pitched the fourth and final World Series shutout for Brooklyn in 1956.

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Missing the @#$%! in the Bleeping New York Game “What’s my opinion of Kingman’s performance!? What the BLEEP do you think is my opinion of it? I think it was BLEEPING BLEEP. Put that in, I don’t give a BLEEP. Opinion of his performance!!? BLEEP, he beat us with three BLEEPING home runs! What the BLEEP do you mean, ‘What is my opinion of his performance?’ How could you ask me a question like that, ‘What is my opinion of his performance?’ BLEEP, he hit three home runs! BLEEP. I’m BLEEPING pissed off to lose that BLEEPING game. And you ask me my opinion of his performance! BLEEP.” —Tommy Lasorda

g Goin Nine Mark Healey

people can write in to tell you what a complete idiot you and I both are. We all need to hear that here’s nothing like a profanity-laced post- now and again.” game tirade. It serves more than a few purBobby, obviously no dummy, also knew he poses. It lets you know the manager or player had a very little chance of getting the job, even in question is as pissed as you are that the team if it was the perfect place for him. Kansas City lost, makes the smart-ass reporter look like a has young kids and a general manager who’s dope and, lastly, it’s funny as hell. an even worse talent-evaluator than Steve Hell of a lot better than the hometown TV Phillips. The last Met manager to manage truinterviewing the guy who just hit a homer to ly meaningful games in September predicted beat your team in the bottom of the ninth, he wouldn’t get it “because they don’t know no? me. And generally, if they don’t know me, they Of course in New York, with supersmooth probably don’t like me.” Joe Torre and perplexingly stiff Willie RanMarty Noble and Murray Chass, the codolph, we get none of that. Just a lot of clichés chairs of the “I hate Bobby V” club, certainly and variations on “Well, we’re not worried never cared for Bobby. How would they have about his velocity, just his location.” handled Leo Durocher? In Torre’s case, he’s been around the block Dick Young, barred from the clubhouse for quite a few times in his career in the major writing that Leo was “managing with fear for leagues, as a player, broadcaster and manager. his job” after Durocher’s suspension in 1947 He’s got his rings, his green tea and his house and subsequent reinstatement in ‘48, certainly in Hawaii. So it very unlikely that f-bombs had no love for the Lip. “You and [Leo] Durocher are on a raft,” Young said later. “A wave comes The closest thing we’ve had like that in this and knocks him into the ocean. You dive in and town is Bobby Valentine’s Groucho glassessave his life. A shark comes and takes your leg. Next you and Leo start out n’-mustache routine, which for some reason day, even.” Durocher was like Valentine, too smart for his own was ridiculed by the NY media. good, constantly battling with the front office and will be escaping his lips any time soon. disliked by most of his peers. Unlike, say, ex-Cubs manager Lee Elia: Despite winning more than 500 games with “Those BLEEP’n fans who come out here and three different clubs (and collecting three pensay they’re Cub fans that are supposed to be be- nants and one world championship), he wasn’t hind you rippin’ every BLEEP’n thing you do. enshrined in the Hall of Fame until 1994, I’ll tell you one BLEEP’n thing, I hope we get three years after his death. His response to his BLEEP’n hotter than BLEEP, just to stuff it up being denied each year until his death? them 3,000 BLEEP’n people that show up every “I don’t want to achieve immortality by beBLEEP’n day, because if they’re the real Chicago ing inducted into the Hall of Fame. I want to BLEEP’n fans, they can kiss my BLEEP’n BEEP achieve immortality by not dying.” right downtown and PRINT IT. [...]All right, Where are guys like this today? they don’t show because we’re 5-14...and unSome think the hard-boiled New York sportsfortunately, that’s the criteria of them dumb 15 writer beats it out of them. Old-school guys BLEEP’n percent that come out to day baseball. like Young always gave as good as they got. The other 85 percent are earning a living.” Though Mets fans still harbor resentment That’s classic stuff. The closest thing we’ve toward Young for how he took management’s had like that in this town is Bobby Valentine’s side in the very public spat with Tom Seaver Groucho glasses-n’-mustache routine, which that led to the Franchise’s trade to the Reds, for some reason was ridiculed by the NY me- are there writers today who have his guts? dia. “When a club official comes to you and says, Valentine was equally entertaining when ‘Why don’t you be a nice fellow; after all, asked recently about the Kansas City Royals you’re like one of us,’ never for a moment beopening that eventually went to Buddy Bell: lieve that you are one of them, because you are “Would I be interested? Possibly. […]I’ll tell you merely tolerated—and then for only as long as one thing. You go ahead and write it. That way, they feel they can use you and your paper. You

Gotham Baseball —Fall 2005

belong to your readers, and to them alone.” Three guys in particular are worthy of praise as New York baseball writers: Newsday’s Dave Lennon, the Daily News’ Adam Rubin and the New York Post’s Mark Hale. Each is well-informed, possesses a great handle on major and minor league personnel and reports in a decidedly straightforward manner. Fans—and certain writers as well—get their money’s worth when they read those guys. But when you’re forced to cover Gotham’s players, who don’t exactly shake things up much, how entertaining can you possibly be? Derek Jeter? No chance, there. Mr. Class Act has taken his persona cues from Joe DiMaggio, not Reggie Jackson. Nobody wants to win more than him, but you’ll never see him gripe. Ditto for Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez, all guys who can be counted on to say nothing more creative than “We’ll play them one game at a time.” The Mets are no better. Even Pedro Martinez. Remember the polarizing lunatic who was as likely to take aim at Zimmer’s head as he was Jeter’s (you always knew some Yankee was going down)? He went out of business after signing with the Mets. The Met version of Pedro Martinez may be a swell teammate and quite the clubhouse leader, but let’s face it... he’s nowhere near as interesting as he was in Boston. Despite the occasional memorable quote from Cliff Floyd (who coined the phrase “courtesy run” a year after declaring there was “no light at the end of the tunnel”), the rest of the Met roster isn’t exactly dripping with characters either. Others believe the day of the ballplayer-ascharacter has simply passed. GB’s own Greg Prince figures “today’s great New York ballplayers are thoroughly demystified by exposure. Jeter, A-Rod and Piazza are/were covered relentlessly so there’s nothing left to wonder about. Piazza at least gives honest (as far as we can tell) quotes but they’re about politics and heavy metal. It’s just not the same as in those halcyon days. Those other guys are programmed by their PR people to not say too much and in general none of them wants to be bothered. And what ballplayer spends his evenings at a Toots Shor’s type establishment and is lionized for it? Who has his own chronicler the way DiMaggio had Jimmy Cannon? “Let’s face it, ballplayers are businessmen and for the most part they act like it. When one of them doesn’t—David Wells, for example, they’re not hailed as colorful, they’re derided as sociopaths.” So I guess all of this yearning for a “Stick it in his ear!” coming from the Lip in the dugout; “The Giants is dead” from Chuck Dressen; “Is Brooklyn still in the league” from Bill Terry; and “Reggie Jackson would give you the shirt off his back—of course he’d call a press conference to announce it” from Catfish Hunter is wishful and romanticized thinking on my part. Listening to Tommy Lasorda’s buddy Frank Sinatra when writing my columns tends to bring out the romantic in me. Mark Healey is Executive Editor of Gotham Baseball

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