5
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2022 10:26 am
I don't know if this will work, but I am inspired by Joe Posnanski's book (Folks, you have got to read this book if loving baseball) titled 'The Baseball 100'.
I'm going to do something a little different than Mr. Posnanski and hope it works.
If not, nothing lost.
Paul O'Neill will have his number retired this year.
Nobody retires numbers like the Yankees.
Would O'Neill have had his number retired had he played elsewhere? I don't know.
A lot of folks still question other numbers retired by the Yankees.
Especially, number One.
Billy Martin would never have been drafted by NFBC drafters. He played 11 years.
His best year, he had 15 homers and 75 RBI while playing a rough second base.
In today's terms, think of a positionally-challenged Tyler Wade with no speed.
Martin would Manage the Yankees....4 times. Won a World Series.
His claim to fame included...
1. Just being a Yankee
2. Being both a fiery player and Manager
3. Teaching Mickey Mantle the 'high life'
4. Fighting marshmallow man.
5. Pulling Reggie Jackson in the middle of a game
6. Feuding and getting fired by George Steinbrenner
But, there's another story.
It happened while Martin and Mantle were playing for the Yankees.
They both loved hunting and Mantle invited Martin to go hunting deer on a friends property.
They drove three or four hours and upon reaching the Mick's friends house, Mantle told Martin to stay in the car while Mantle would go up to the house to greet the owner and let him know that he'd be hunting on his property that day.
The owner invited Mickey inside.
"Mick, I'm hoping you can do me a favor before you and Billy go hunting."
"You probably saw him in the barnyard while walking up here. I've got a 20 year old mule who has been retired for a number of years. He's like a friend to me. He needs to be put down, but I just don't have the heart. Would you shoot him for me?"
After a few "I really don't want to's", Mantle acquiesced and agreed to shoot the mule.
On the way back to the car, Mantle thought about it and wanted to play a joke on Martin.
When reaching the car, Mantle acted annoyed.
"Give me my rifle, Billy", he shouted.
Martin handed him the rifle and asked him what was wrong.
"We drove three or four hours to get here and now he's not going to let us hunt on his property. I'm so mad, I'm going to shoot his mule!"
Billy grabs at the rifle, begging Mantle not to do it.
Mantle wrestles the rifle away and says, "Nope, I'm going to do it!"
So Mickey goes over with the rifle and shoots the mule.
Seconds later, he hears BAM! BAM! BAM!
Mantle turns around and says, "Billy, what are you doing?"
Billy lowers his gun and says, "I got three cows too!"
I'm going to do something a little different than Mr. Posnanski and hope it works.
If not, nothing lost.
Paul O'Neill will have his number retired this year.
Nobody retires numbers like the Yankees.
Would O'Neill have had his number retired had he played elsewhere? I don't know.
A lot of folks still question other numbers retired by the Yankees.
Especially, number One.
Billy Martin would never have been drafted by NFBC drafters. He played 11 years.
His best year, he had 15 homers and 75 RBI while playing a rough second base.
In today's terms, think of a positionally-challenged Tyler Wade with no speed.
Martin would Manage the Yankees....4 times. Won a World Series.
His claim to fame included...
1. Just being a Yankee
2. Being both a fiery player and Manager
3. Teaching Mickey Mantle the 'high life'
4. Fighting marshmallow man.
5. Pulling Reggie Jackson in the middle of a game
6. Feuding and getting fired by George Steinbrenner
But, there's another story.
It happened while Martin and Mantle were playing for the Yankees.
They both loved hunting and Mantle invited Martin to go hunting deer on a friends property.
They drove three or four hours and upon reaching the Mick's friends house, Mantle told Martin to stay in the car while Mantle would go up to the house to greet the owner and let him know that he'd be hunting on his property that day.
The owner invited Mickey inside.
"Mick, I'm hoping you can do me a favor before you and Billy go hunting."
"You probably saw him in the barnyard while walking up here. I've got a 20 year old mule who has been retired for a number of years. He's like a friend to me. He needs to be put down, but I just don't have the heart. Would you shoot him for me?"
After a few "I really don't want to's", Mantle acquiesced and agreed to shoot the mule.
On the way back to the car, Mantle thought about it and wanted to play a joke on Martin.
When reaching the car, Mantle acted annoyed.
"Give me my rifle, Billy", he shouted.
Martin handed him the rifle and asked him what was wrong.
"We drove three or four hours to get here and now he's not going to let us hunt on his property. I'm so mad, I'm going to shoot his mule!"
Billy grabs at the rifle, begging Mantle not to do it.
Mantle wrestles the rifle away and says, "Nope, I'm going to do it!"
So Mickey goes over with the rifle and shoots the mule.
Seconds later, he hears BAM! BAM! BAM!
Mantle turns around and says, "Billy, what are you doing?"
Billy lowers his gun and says, "I got three cows too!"