Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 25

1949 Regular Season

Interim manager Bucky Harris and the Yankees won the World Series in 1947, but finished third in 1948, though they were not eliminated until the penultimate day. Harris was fired, allegedly because he would not give George Weiss, head of the Yankees’ player development program since 1932, his home telephone number. MacPhail could no longer block Stengel's hiring, as he had sold his interest in the Yankees after the 1947 season. Weiss, who became general manager after MacPhail's departure, urged his partners in the Yankees to allow the

appointment of Stengel, who aided his own cause by winning the championship with Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League during the time the Yankee job stood open. Del Webb, who owned part of the Yankees, had initial concerns but went along. Yankee scouts on the West Coast recommended Stengel, and Webb's support helped bring around co-owner Dan Topping.

Stengel was introduced as Yankee manager on October 12, 1948, the 25th anniversary of his second World Series home run to beat the Yankees. Joe DiMaggio attended the press conference as a sign of team support. Stengel faced obstacles to being accepted. Harris had been popular with the press and public, and the

businesslike Yankee corporate culture and successful tradition were thought to be ill matched with a manager who had the