Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 267

Yankee. On October 13, 1949, Martin and fellow Oak Jackie Jensen were acquired by the Yankees.

He was among those younger Yankees players, including Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle, who reported in February 1950 to a pre-spring training instructional camp in Phoenix to work on fundamentals under Stengel's eye. Martin hoped to become the starting second baseman for the defending world champion Yankees, but the incumbent, Jerry Coleman, had just won the American League Rookie of the League award. On reporting to spring training in St. Petersburg, Florida, he stood out for his

brashness if nothing else, taking care to correct the press on how to refer to him.

Confident of Stengel's protection, Martin sometimes defied

Yankee coaches such as Frank Crosetti and Jim Turner, but won over most of his teammates as he showed his desire to learn and win, goals consistent with the "Yankee Way," that individual achievement was insignificant compared to team victory. Martin made his major league debut on April 18, 1950, Opening Day, for the Yankees as they visited the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, as a pinch hitter inserted in the eighth inning with the Yankees down 9–4, with two men on base. Martin doubled off the Green

Monster in left field to drive in the runners. The Yankees batted around and in his second at bat of the inning, he singled