Tag Archives: New York Yankees

Yankees Old-Timers’ Day – Yesterday Versus Today

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1965  – The All-Time Greats Show Up, A Game Is Played & History Is On Display

Today – Only Ex-Yankees, A Few Notable Players Attending, A Lot Of “Who’s He?” & No Old-Timers’ Game, With A Scofflaw Sponsor

Will The Yankees PLEASE Stop Holding “Old-Timers’ Day”

1965 New York Yankees Old Timers’ Day program

The Yankees Old-Timers’ game on Saturday, July 31, 1965 honored All-Time Award Winners.

The players were names that every person knew. Either by seeing them play or having their fathers or grandfathers talk about them. The ballplayers attending represented what made Old-Timers’ Day a special day.

The master of ceremonies, Yankees broadcaster and former Cardinals catcher Joe Garagiola began announcing the players over the public address system. A dizzying assortment of former superstars names echoed within the vast Yankee Stadium: Bob Feller, Pee Wee Reese, Continue reading →

James Caan’s First Wife Dee Jay & Yankees Manager Ralph Houk – 1962

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Ralph Houk & Dee Jay Mattis At Yankee Stadium – 1962

DIAMOND DOINGS
Dee Jay Mattis, dancer on Sing Along With Mitch over NBC-TV, shows manager Ralph Houk of the New York Yankees that in addition to dancing she can also swing a bat. Dee Jay has been named honorary mascot of the team. photo: July 5, 1962, Hazleton-Standard Speaker staff photo / Milburn McCarty Associates Public Relations

Dee Jay (Dorothy Jeanne) Mattis of Union, NJ main claim to fame is being the first wife of actor James Caan. The two married In Halifax, NC on July 8, 1961 when Dee Jay was 19.

Mattis quit Mitch Miller’s show in 1963 to join her husband in California as his acting career was getting busy with roles in television series such as Route 66, The Untouchables, Wide Country and  Dr. Kildare to name a few.

The pair had a daughter Tara Alisa in 1964. Caan described the marriage as turbulent. On January 16, 1966 Mattis and Caan divorced. Mattis said it was more important for Caan to go out with his friends than being with her or their year-old daughter. She also complained Caan swore at her, struck her several times and belittled her in the presence of his friends. Continue reading →

Yankees Billy Martin & Browns Clint Courtney Get Into A Brawl

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Billy Martin And Clint Courtney Fight At Yankee Stadium 1952

Yankees second baseman Alfred Manuel “Billy” Martin had a tough childhood growing up in Berkeley, California. A small boy with a large nose, Billy was picked on by the other kids. Billy learned to fight back and hit hard and never back down. But it would cost Martin. He was thrown off his high school basketball and baseball teams for fighting.

Martin’s toughness carried over to the major leagues, fighting players such as Cubs pitcher Jim Brewer, Red Sox outfielder Jimmy Piersall and others who he felt had  provoked him. Martin’s most famous fights were with Clint Courtney, a fiery scrapper and the first major league catcher to wear eyeglasses.

This photo above shows their first confrontation, as the news slug describes:

Cut-Up On The Diamond
New York: After a heated exchange of punches, Clint Courtney (right) and Billy Martin of the Yanks continue their brawl in close-quarter action as Joe Collins (41) rushes to break up the fracas. The Brownie catcher, claiming he had been tagged hard on the head, charged at Martin after being thrown out at second base on an attempted steal in the 8th inning of the July 12th game at the stadium. Courtney was ejected from the game after the fight was broken up, but Martin was allowed to remain. Yanks scored a 5-4 victory. photo: Arthur Rickerby United Press International 7-12-1952

Though it’s not mentioned in the news slug, Yankees starting pitcher Allie Reynolds knocked Continue reading →

October 8. 1956 World Series Game 5 Don Larsen’s Perfect Game

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” I Still Can’t Believe It Happened To Me,”

Don Larsen Post-game Interview October 8, 1956

Don Larsen perfect game photo International News Photos Frank Jurkoski

Immortal Pitching Yankee Stadium, New York- This sequence of three photos shows Don Larsen 1) cocking for the pitch 2) delivering, and 3) following through on the mound during his historic perfect no-hitter. Don pitched to only 27 Dodgers in posting his 2-0 victory for the books. His triumph put the Bombers ahead 3-2 in games. photo: 10/8/1956 International News Photos – Frank Juroski

For all the accomplishments that have happened in the history of baseball, there is one that has never been duplicated.

Don Larsen’s masterpiece of pitching in game five of the 1956 World Series. 27 men up. 27 men down. A perfect game in the World Series.

After The Game

With his hands still shaking after the game Larsen told reporters, ” I was so damn nervous Continue reading →

Before The Trade Deadline Philadelphia Athletics Acquire 6 New Players -1951

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Philadelphia Athletics Trade For 6 Players – 1951

ATHLETICS SHOW OFF THEIR SIX NEW PLAYERS
Phila, PA – Obtained in trades with the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox in the last two weeks, these husky ballplayers are shown in the uniform of the Philadelphia Athletics for the first time as they turned out for the game against the New York Yankees on Saturday. From left they are: Allie Clark, from the Indians; Gus Zernial from the White Sox; catcher Ray Murray from the Indians; outfielder Dave Philley from the White Sox, and infielder Lou Klein and pitcher Sam Zoldak from the Indians. May 14, 1951 Photo: International News Photos-  Sonnee Gottlieb

With the major league trade deadline now August 1, teams have to decide if they are in contention or not. With expanded playoffs it makes it a lot harder for a general manager to stay the course or improve the team while possibly mortgaging the future by trading away potential assets.

The Philadelphia Athletics in 1951 did improve in the standings Continue reading →

1945 – The Future Is Television, Including Home Shopping

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Post WWII – Television Is Coming To Your Home

In late Summer 1945, with total victory secured, manufacturers could soon begin producing consumer products rather than armaments. With the transition would come amazing technological advances. Continue reading →

1963 Los Angeles Dodgers Ask “Who’s On First?”

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At Spring Training Five Dodgers Try Out At First Base- 1963

Vero Beach, FL – (l-r) Bill Haas, Dick Nen, Ron Fairly, Bill “Moose” Skowron and Lee Walls compete for the Los Angeles Dodgers first base position at spring training. photo: The Sporting News 1963

Of the five players shown above, 24-year-old Ron Fairly Continue reading →

Reds Pitcher Bob Purkey Has A Lot Of Balls

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Bob Purkey Holds 10 Baseballs – 1961

photo UPI TelephotoTampa, FL – Pitcher Bob Purkey of the Cincinnati Reds has another claim to fame besides the 17-11 won lost record he had with the club last year. Here he holds ten baseballs, five in each hand as the team opened spring training with batterymen reporting. photo: UPI Telephoto 2/22/1961

Holding ten baseballs is some sort of accomplishment, but Bob Purkey’s 1961 season would culminate in the Reds reaching the World Series. For the year, the six foot two righty posted 16 wins against 12 losses with a 3.73 ERA. Continue reading →

Lou Gehrig, Joe McCarthy & Babe Ruth At Spring Training 1931

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Gehrig & Ruth – The Great Hitting Duo Pose At Spring Training With Their New Manager Joe McCarthy, 1931

A Pair Of Heavy Hitters And A Manager
The New York Yankees are preparing for the coming baseball season at St. Petersburg, Florida. Shown above left to right, are, Lou Gehrig, first baseman who swats homers, now and then, manager McCarthy and George Herman “Babe” Ruth, sometimes described as “The King of Swat.” photo: Associated Press March 5, 1931

1931 would not turn out to be a pennant winning season for the Yankees. But you could not blame Lou Gehrig or Babe Ruth. Gehrig led the league with 46 home runs and 185 RBI’s. Gehrig’s batting average Continue reading →

October 13, 1960 Pirates Celebrate Beating Yankees In The World Series

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Pittsburgh Pirates Clubhouse Celebration After Stunning Game 7 Defeat of Yankees

Pirates pitcher Clem Labine pours champagne into coach Frank Oceak’s mouth after the Pirates game seven victory.

One of the most dramatic World Series victories occurred 62 years ago today when Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski Continue reading →