Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 305

starting pitchers were matching their 1981 form, and none ever would. The A's finished at 68–94, .420, fifth in the AL West, easily the worst full season record of Martin's managerial career.

On October 20, 1982, three weeks after the season ended, the A's fired him with three years remaining on his contract. Although the Haases did not hold Martin responsible for the on field debacle, they had grown increasingly concerned about his off field behavior and feared he was growing unstable. Incidents included considerable drinking and traveling with a mistress

while on the road. The last straw came when Martin trashed his own office after team officials refused him a loan to pay a tax debt. There has been speculation that Martin had been assured by Steinbrenner that he would be Yankee manager in 1983 if he could get himself fired by Oakland, and he may have been acting to that end.

The Yankees had finished fifth in 1982, their first losing record in the Steinbrenner era, doing so under three managers; Lemon, Gene Michael and Clyde King, all fired by Steinbrenner.

On January 11, 1983, the Yankees announced that Martin had been hired as manager under a long term contract. He would remain on the Yankees' payroll for the rest of his life. Jackson had