On Yankees Managers & Champions
ALSO: DAN'S FAVORITE ALL-STAR GAME MEMORIES
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
Atlanta All-Star lefty Chris Sale averages 7.9 strikeouts per start for his career, trailing only fellow southpaw Randy Johnson (8.0) in baseball history . . .
With the season past the halfway mark, Matt Olson is on pace to hit less than half as many home runs as he had when he led the majors with a career-peak 54 in 2023 . . .
Veteran Detroit starter Jack Flaherty could keep Max Fried, his old high school teammate, from leaving Atlanta if the Braves succeed in acquiring him . . .
Kudos to first-year Pittsburgh pitcher Paul Skeenes on his selection to start the 93rd All-Star Game in Arlington, TX Tuesday night . . .
With five pitchers picked for the NL team, the Phillies broke a record previously shared by the 2021 Brewers, 2011 Giants, 2010 Yankees, 2008 Cubs, 2001 Yankees, 1996 Braves and 1942 Reds . . .
Speaking of All-Stars, Juan Soto (Yankees) and Luis Arraez (Padres) made the Midsummer Classic with three different teams in as many years . . .
Less fortunate was 2023 All-Star Whit Merrifield, a versatile infielder-outfielder released by the Phillies Friday after failing to get untracked this season.
Leading Off
A Quick Study of Yankees Managers and World Championships
By Paul Semendinger
Once the Yankees started winning championships in the 1920s, they developed an insatiable appetite to win more and more (and more). And, for the most part, they have won, a lot. No team has won more World Series than the New York Yankees.
Along with this desire to be the best, the franchise has not been very patient with their managers. The managers of the Yankees have not always been given a lot of time to win it all. For much of Yankees' history, it has been "Win (quickly), or Go Home" for the managers.
What follows is a short history of all the Yankees' managers since 1920, and the total amount of time they managed before winning a World Series or getting fired.
Miller Huggins - Huggins won the World Series in 1923 after reaching the World Series in 1921 and 1922. He started as the Yankees manager in 1918. He would win three World Series as manager of the Yankees.
Art Fletcher - Following Miller Huggins' death, Fletcher finished out the 1929 season as manager. He managed a total of 11 games.
Bob Shawkey - One season, 1930. 154 games. No American League pennant. No World Series.
Joe McCarthy - The Yankees were World Champions in McCarthy's second season as Yankees manager (1932). He would win seven World Series as manager of the Yankees.
Bill Dickey - The bulk of one season, 1946. 105 games. No American League pennant. No World Series.
Johnny Neun - 14 games.
He finished out the 1946 season.
Bucky Harris - The Yankees won the World Series in Harris' first season (1947). He was replaced after the next season nonetheless.
Casey Stengel - The Yankees were World Champions in Stengel's first season as Yankees manager (1949). He would win seven World Series in 12 years as manager of the Yankees.
Ralph Houk - The Yankees were World Champions in Houk's first season as Yankees manager (1961). He would win two World Series as manager of the Yankees.
Yogi Berra won 10 World Series rings as a player but none with the Yankees or Mets as a manager, though he won pennants with both teams. Credit: Topps Yogi Berra - One season, 1964. 154 games. He won the American League Pennant, but lost the World Series.
Johnny Keane - One season, plus -- 1965 and part of 1966. 182 games. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Ralph Houk II - In 1966, Ralph Houk became the first person to manage the Yankees a second time. He managed 1,271 games in his second stint -- through the 1973 season never winning a pennant or reaching a World Series in that time.
Bill Virdon - Just under two seasons - 1974 and 1975. 266 games. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Billy Martin - The Yankees reached the World Series in Martin's first full season (1976) and won the World Series the year after (1977). The 1977 World Series was the only one Martin would win. He was fired the next year.
Bob Lemon - The Yankees won the World Series in Lemon's first year as manager after he took over the team mid-season (1978). The 1978 World Series was the only one Lemon would win. He was fired the next year.
Billy Martin II - Billy Martin's second try as Yankees' manager lasted 95 games. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Dick Howser - One season, 1980. 162 games. He won the American League East, but lost the ALCS.
Gene Michael - A partial season, 1981. 82 games. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Bob Lemon II - Bob Lemon's second stint lasted all of 39 games over two seasons, 1981-82. The 1981 Yankees reached but lost the World Series.
Gene Michael II - A partial season, 86 games in 1982. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Clyde King - A partial season, 62 games in 1982. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Billy Martin III - Martin's third tenure lasted one full season, 162 games in 1983. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Yogi Berra II - Berra's second stint as manager, came twenty years after his first time and lasted just over one season from 1984-84. He managed 178 games. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Billy Martin IV - Martin's forth time at the helm did not last a full season, 145 games in 1985. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Lou Piniella - Two seasons, 324 games in 1986-87. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Billy Martin V - One final time, one final partial season, 1988. 68 games. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Lou Piniella II - 93 games to complete the 1988 season. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Dallas Green - A partial season, 121 games in 1989. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Bucky Dent - Two partial seasons, 89 games between 1989-90. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Stump Merrill - One season plus over 1990-91. 275 games. No American League pennants. No World Series.
Buck Showalter - Four seasons, 582 games from 1992-95. He had one playoff appearance. Showalter's 582 games was the most anyone had managed to that point without ever taking the team to the World Series.
Joe Torre - The Yankees were World Champions in Torre's first season as Yankees manager (1996). He would win four World Series as manager of the Yankees.
Joe Girardi - The Yankees were World Champions in Girardi's second season as Yankees manager (2009). That World Series was the only one Girardi would win as the manager of the Yankees. He would manage another 1,296 games without reaching the World Series. Girardi was fired after the 2017 season.
Aaron Boone - Six-plus seasons, from 2018 to the present. Through June 30, 2024, Aaron Boone has managed the Yankees for 956 games without bringing them to a World Series. This is now the most games managed in Yankees history without taking the team to the World Series.
Dr. Paul Semendinger is a retired principal. He is the author of The Least Among Them, Scattering the Ashes, and (with Roy White) From Compton to the Bronx in addition to other titles. Paul's first book on the Battle of Gettysburg will be out this fall.
Cleaning Up
My Favorite All-Star Game Memories
By Dan Schlossberg
Contrary to critics who contend the All-Star Game is a meaningless exhibition, I retain many marvelous memories of games I have covered.
That streak began in 1972, when I covered my first Midsummer Classic, and extended all the way through 2023, the most recent. This year’s game will contain a touch of pixie dust too, since it will be played in Globe Life Field, the only active ballpark I have never seen in person.
That being said, here are my 10 top All-Star memories:
Aaron Thrills Hometown Fans (1972) — Though chosen as an All-Star a record 25 times, Hank Aaron never did particularly well on that stage. He hit his first All-Star home run as late as 1971 but hit his most dramatic a year later, when he socked a serve from Gaylord Perry into the Atlanta Stadium crowd. Writers prematurely voted him the All-Star MVP award but then changed their mind after the American League tied the game, sending it into extra innings. Joe Morgan got the trophy for hitting the RBI single that gave the Nationals a 4-3 win.
Lynn Slams Senior Circuit (1983) — Fred Lynn’s grand-slam against Atlee Hammaker in a seven-run third inning paved the way for the AL to score 13 runs, an All-Star record later tied during the Denver game of 1998, in a 13-3 romp at Chicago’s Comiskey Park.
The Night It Rained Home Runs (2018) — Maybe it was the humidity that helped balls fly into the Washington night at Nationals Park. The leagues combined for 10 home runs, an All-Star Game record, by 10 different players, also a record. The National League tied it with two runs in the ninth but the AL’s three-run tenth turned the tide in an 8-6 win.
Ichiro Goes Inside the Park (2007) — In a stunning display of power plus speed, the soon-to-be-immortal Ichiro smacked the only All-Star Game inside-the-park home run in the San Francisco game, played in a scenic bayside ballpark then called AT&T Park. The fleet Seattle outfielder went 3-for-3 with two RBI in a game the NL nearly tied with a two-run outburst in the bottom of the ninth. The AL held on, 5-4.
Clemens Clocked Early (2004) — Too much pre-game partying took an obvious toll on NL starter Roger Clemens, who yielded homers to Manny Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano in a six-run first. The AL cruised, 9-4, as Clemens was humiliated in front of his hometown Houston fans at Minute Maid Park.
Tie Goes To The Loser (2002) — In addition to the leaky roof at domed Miller Park, the game ended in a 7-7 tie when called after 11 innings because both managers foolishly used all their pitchers (and all 30 players). It therefore rained on Bud Selig’s parade twice, as the owner-turned-commissioner touted the Milwaukee ballpark for years before the Brewers actually hosted the game.
Parity Prevails (2017) — While the Miami game itself was a boring, 2-1, 10-inning win for the American League, the all-time series deadlocked at 43-43-2 with each league scoring exactly 361 runs. The 12th extra-inning game in All-Star history, it was also the fifth time in a row the Junior Circuit won.
The Coors Field Factor (1998) — Thanks to hitter-friendly Coors Field, the leagues combined for an All-Star record 21 runs. It was the first time since 1954 that a league scored eight runs and lost. Future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine of the Braves held the AL scoreless over the first three innings before the roof fell in against Kevin Brown in the fourth. Robby Alomar, who hit one of three homers, joined Sandy Alomar, Jr. (1997) in becoming the first brother tandem to win All-Star Game MVP honors.
Legends and Strikeouts (1999) — In addition to the buzz created by the pre-game appearance of Ted Williams on a golf cart, the Fenway Park festivities featured the introduction of 41 baseball legends and a record 22 strikeouts, thanks in part to AL starter Pedro Martinez of the Red Sox fanning the first four men he faced and five out of six. The AL won, 4-1, in a game expected to produce more offense.
Piazza Party (1996) — Game MVP Mike Piazza of nearby Norristown, PA became the first man to homer in consecutive All-Star Games since Fred Lynn in 1979-80 as the Nationals rolled to a 6-0 win at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium. The first game in All-Star history with no walks allowed zipped along at a crisp two-and-a-half hours.
Former AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is the author of Home Run King: the Remarkable Record of Hank Aaron and 40 other baseball books. His email is ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia: on All-Star Game Pitchers
Chris Sale, going for his MLB-best 13th win tomorrow, has been disqualified from pitching in Tuesday’s All-Star Game and could have been replaced by teammate and fellow Atlanta lefty Max Fried, who should have been chosen in the first place . . .
Sale tied a record when he served as the American League’s starting pitcher three years in a row from 2016-18. The only other pitchers to start three straight All-Star Games were Lefty Gomez, the AL starter in the first three years of the Midsummer Classic (1933-35), and Robin Roberts, National League starter from 1953-55 . . .
Pitchers with at least four All-Star starts are: Gomez (5), Roberts (5), Don Drysdale (5), Jim Palmer (4), Randy Johnson (4) and Max Scherzer (4) . . .
Warren Spahn, with the most wins (363) by a left-hander and the most by any pitcher after the Second World War, had three All-Star starts but was the only man to start games in three different decades (1949, 1958, 1961) . . .
Dean Stone picked up an All-Star Game win in 1954 without getting an out. A runner tried to steal home two pitches after he entered and Stone was pitcher of record when the American League won.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles Monday and Tuesday editions, Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] does Wednesday and Thursday, and Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com] edits the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HTP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.