1952 Yankee of the Past: Tommy Henrich

TOMMY HENRICH
HENRICH FIDGETY AS A COACH
No Thought of Trying a Comeback
"You couldn't help spotting the fidgety form of Tommy Henrich in the New York Yankee dugout- he was the guy with the tense and tortured look.
'Sitting around always was kind of tough for me,' observed the popular thirty-seven-year-old Yankee coach, who formally retired last year after eleven historic seasons in the big leagues.
'Sometimes,' he admitted with a faraway look in his light blue eyes, 'I feel like getting there again, for a little while anyway, but don't you go and write that I'm looking to break up any ball games.'
Picking up his faded brown glove, the former outfielder walked out in front of the dugout to throw with catcher Charlie Silvera.
'No sir,' he said, making the first toss, 'I'm too far along to want to jump up there to the plate with the winning run looking to charge in from third. I'll leave that to some of the younger fellows.
'Why, I'd have to go through spring training all over again before I'd be ready to hit in a ball game. You know how it is, you lay off awhile and your timing gets awful rusty.'
Henrich kept throwing to Silvera and occasionally he would grunt from the effort he exerted.
'I think I got my stuff today,' he smiled, gloving the return from the catcher.
'Here comes my blazer!' Tommy called out, then spanked a sizzling fastball into Silvera's poised mitt.
The only time Henrich swung a bat this year was during the early workouts at Yankee Stadium when he 'took a quick turn' just for old time's sake.
What he did he do in the dugout during the actual ball games? Just sat, mostly.
'I helped the outfielders a little,' he admitted in his usual unassuming manner.
'Once in a while Casey (Stengel) would say to me, 'Are the outfielders moved over enough toward left?' Occasionally, I'd move 'em a little bit ... you know, the outfield has to shift around for the hitters ... but Joe (DiMaggio) out there takes care of showing'em where to play, also. He knows a whole lot about where to play all the hitters in the league.'
Henrich signaled Silvera that he had enough and then sauntered out to the mound to relieve Coach Jim Turner, who had thrown the first portion of batting practice.
'C'mon Yogi,' Henrich called eagerly, 'get in there and see if you can hit my curve ball.'
'I can hit your curve ball any day in the week,' replied the deadpanned Berra, stepping up to the plate.'
'Never mind any day in the week; let's see if you can hit it today.'
But that, more or less, was the extent of Henrich's daily activity because when his pre-game chores were done, he shuffled back for the somber loneliness of the dugout.
And there he sat in silent restlessness."

-Milton Richman, United Press (Baseball Digest, November 1951)