Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 265

Giants had sought to learn from their manager, John McGraw. Stengel and Martin grew closer in what has sometimes been described as a father-son relationship, as Stengel had no children, and Martin had been abandoned by his father. According to Martin biographer Peter Golenbock; "The two men, the punk kid and the old time ballplayer, would develop a bond that would not be broken for a decade. Binding them was their deep love for the game of baseball."

Martin made the Oaks' roster in 1948, but was slow to get regular playing time, as the Oaks had a former major leaguer at

each position and Stengel did not want to use Martin until the young ballplayer was ready. Instead, the manager had Martin sit on the bench next to him as he pointed out nuances of the game. Martin also learned about life on and off the field from his teammates.

Stengel assigned veteran players to work with Martin and be his roommate on road trips; at first Mel Duezabou, a student of the art of hitting with a lifetime minor league batting average over .300, who improved Martin at the plate. Later in the season, Duezabou was replaced with Cookie Lavagetto, a fellow infielder and former Dodgers star who was able to help Martin with

fielding and advise him on what to expect in the major leagues. As injuries depleted the Oaks' regulars, Martin got increasing