1951 Yankee of the Past: Clark Griffith

GRIFFITH'S INGENIOUS TRADE FOR A DAY: MORIARTY FOR COBB
"Some of the very young might not have heard of a type of 'trading' that doesn't involve the exchange of players between teams. A good trade of this type, though, often is worth a couple of runs in a ball game.
In the early years of the American League, for instance, rival club owners and managers always were accusing Clark Griffith, among others, of 'trading.'
It was during Griffith's last, bitter years as manager of the New York Highlanders- now the Yankees- that Uncle Clark, the current Washington owner, became less than a popular figure, particularly when the Highlanders were hooked up with the Detroit Tigers, featuring a hotheaded young outfielder named Ty Cobb.
Almost from the moment Cobb came up to the majors, it was evident he was destined for greatness as a hitter and base runner, a ball player capable of breaking any game wide open. It was also evident that Cobb had a quick temper, a fact not lost on the wily Griffith, who also reasoned it was far easier to beat the Tigers if they were minus Cobb.
Griff had some pretty fair ball players, including the immortal Hal Chase. He also had a pugnacious rookie infielder named George Moriarty, later to become an umpire. Moriarty was ever ready for fight or frolic and, while third base was his position, he found himself, on occasion, starting games at first base while the catlike, peerless Chase remained in the dugout.
Moriarty was expendable. He played first base with all the grace of a water buffalo, but he rarely had to play for long. His job was to get Cobb out of the ball game and, since Cobb was high in the Detroit batting order, fireworks usually started in the first inning.
Cobb was almost certain to hit the ball and, inasmuch as he wasn't an out-of-the-park hitter, he always was hell-bent-for-action going down to first base, or rounding the bag. It was Moriarty's chore to stick out his hip and, if possible, rack up Cobb in the field boxes. This was an assignment for which George was both physically and temperamentally qualified.
The result was invariably a fight, Cobb being no man to stand still for such shenanigans. That Moriarty was more than his match in fistic encounter mattered little to the prideful Cobb, and the almost inevitable result was that both combatants were thrown out.
To Detroit it was a catastrophe, losing the great Cobb, but for the Highlanders it was wonderful. They not only reduced the potentiality of the Tigers but they increased their own by substituting Hal Chase for the banished Moriarty."

-Francis Stann, condensed from the Washington Star (Baseball Digest, April 1951)

1951 Yankee of the Past: Jack Phillips

GET THREE!
"First baseman Jack Phillips of the Pittsburgh Pirates still laughs over some of his experiences playing service ball during World War II.
'It's funny how so many officers thought they knew all about baseball when they were assigned as managers,' Phillips says. 'I'll never forget playing one afternoon and relaxing on the bench, watching the opposing manager hit to the infield.
'The first time around he hollered 'get one,' then 'get two' and the boys would practice the double play. But when he took the ball in his hand and bellowed 'get three,' I had enough. Imagine practicing a triple play.' "

-Jack Hernon in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Baseball Digest, May 1951)

1951 Yankee of the Past: Babe Ruth

RUTH-LESS
"Oakland President Clarence 'Brick' Laws, who conducts quite a bit of his baseball business on impulse, once almost signed the late and great Babe Ruth as manager of Oakland.
It was in 1945, Brick's second year as club president. Laws wanted a new manager and he wanted a name. What baseball name was greater than Babe Ruth? None, reasoned the Bricker- so let's grab him.
Laws called the Bambino in New York and told him he could have the Oakland manager's job.
'Fine,' said the Babe. 'I'll take it.'
'Okay,' okayed Brick. 'How much ya' want?'
'Oh,' answered Ruth, 'let's say $25,000.'
'It's a deal,' Brick said.
'And another $5,000 to bring my wife to Oakland,' threw in the Babe as an afterthought.
'Can't hear you all of a sudden, Babe. Must be a bad connection.'
Brick decided he might end up working for the Babe and canceled negotiations."

-Joe Wilmot in the San Francisco Chronicle (Baseball Digest, February 1951)

Stengel Recalls: THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM
"In the spring of 1914, while heading North, the Brooklyn Robins stopped in Baltimore to play Jack Dunn's famous Orioles.
The Brooklyn right fielder was a knobby Dutchman with a big beak and ears- the same Casey Stengel whose New York Yankees have won the world championship the last two years.
The Baltimore pitcher was a tall boy with square shoulders and cornstalk shanks. When he took his cap off, Stengel could see that, although the boy parted his hair in the middle, small black curls hung rebelliously over his forehead. He was just out of high school, they said.
A left-hander, the boy threw very hard. Among the Robins he annoyed were Zach Wheat and Stengel.
The first time this young pitcher batted, Stengel, being a smart outfielder, shorted his position. The youth promptly belted the ball over Stengel's head for a triple.
'Where were you playing the kid?' Wilbert Robinson, Brooklyn manager, asked Stengel when the inning ended.
'In,' said Stengel. 'Where would I play a pitcher?'
'Out,' replied Robby, 'if he swung like this one. Anybody could see he could hit a ball.'
The next time the young pitcher batted, Stengel backed up twenty yards. He yelled sarcastically to Hy Myers, Brooklyn center fielder, 'I wonder if I'm back far enough this time.'
'What game you think you're in?' shouted Myers.
Stengel was still chuckling when the young pitcher hit the ball over his head- another triple. When Stengel entered the dugout, Robinson said nothing but spat expressively on the floor.
'What did say that's kid name was?' Stengel whispered to a teammate.
'Ruth- Babe Ruth,' was the answer."

-Harold Kaese, condensed from the Boston Globe (Baseball Digest, July 1951)