Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 165

outside his glove, a style that most other catchers eventually emulated. Tom Sturdivant, who pitched for the Yankees from 1955 to 1959, said "I can't say enough for Yogi Berra. It gives a young pitcher a lot of confidence to have a fellow like Berra calling the pitches. No one could set up the hitters better."

At age 37 in June 1962, Berra showed his superb physical endurance by catching an entire 22 inning, seven hour game against the Detroit Tigers. Casey Stengel, Berra's manager during most of his playing career with the Yankees and with the Mets in 1965, once said; "I never play a game without my man."

Later in his career, Berra became a good defensive outfielder in Yankee Stadium's notoriously difficult left field.

After spending 1963 as a player-coach; he appeared in 64 games,

35 as a catcher and 29 as a pinch hitter, batting .293 in 164 at bats, and held down the Yankee's first base coaching job otherwise, Berra retired as an active player after the 1963 World Series and was immediately named to succeed Ralph Houk as manager of the Yankees.

The so called Harmonica Incident occurred aboard the team bus in August 1964. Following a loss, infielder Phil Linz was playing his harmonica, and Berra ordered him to stop. Seated on the other end of the bus, Linz could not hear what Berra had said,