1955 Yankee Prospect of the Past: Jim Robertson

 MY FAVORITE BASEBALL MEMORIES

"My biggest thrill in baseball was my first major league game. The best fielding play I've seen involved the 1949 Yankees. There was a ground ball to Phil Rizzuto in the hole. He flipped to Billy Johnson at second, who threw the runner out at first. The funniest incident in a game also involved Rizzuto, when he was caught in a run-down.

My advice to youngsters: play ball, don't watch it on TV. And to me, the most important part of baseball is pitching."

-Jim Robertson, 1955 Bowman No. 5

"Although Jim saw only part-time duty with the Athletics last year, he's staging a big battle to take over the 1st string catching job this season.

Starting with Grand Forks in 1949, he moved up to Binghamton in '52 where he hit .303 and led the league in putouts. The following season he hit .264 for Syracuse and while at Kansas City in '53 was transferred to the Athletics."

-1955 Topps No. 177

1955 Yankee Farmhand of the Past: Johnny Riddle

"This will be Johnny's fourth season in the coaching box for the Cardinals. Before joining the Redbirds in '52, he coached Pittsburgh for three years, and before that was the pilot of Birmingham.

As a player, John saw 21 years of service and played for the Braves, Redlegs, Pirates and White Sox. His greatest season as a player was in 1943 when he caught for Indianapolis and hit .330."

-1955 Topps No. 98

1955 Yankee of the Past: Bill Renna

"After starring in the Orange Bowl with Santa Clara College in 1949, Bill set out to make baseball his career.

He started out in great style at Twin Falls by leading the league in homers and posting a .385 batting average. In '51 at Quincy, he topped the sluggers with 26 round-trippers.

Called up by the Yankees, Bill hit .314 in '53 and was traded to the A's for '54 in an 11-man deal."

-1955 Topps No. 121

"Bill is a powerhouse who belts a long ball. At Sioux Falls in '49 he hit 29 homers and drove in 96 runs in only 76 games. He came through the Yankee chain."

-1955 Topps Doubleheader No. 99 

1955 Yankee of the Past: Vic Raschi

 THE BEST HITTER I'VE EVER SEEN

"The best hitter I've ever seen was Joe DiMaggio. His ability to hit any type of pitch was matched by few. To me, Joe's greatest asset was his magnificent reflex action.

After hitting, his get away from the box was as quick as the best. Finally, in my opinion, Joe did all phases of hitting better than any other ball player I've ever seen."

-Vic Raschi, 1955 Bowman No. 185

1955 Yankee of the Past: Bob Porterfield

 MY BIGGEST THRILL

"Baseball is a game of many thrills, but my own came on May 5, 1953. You know how they say a pitcher always remembers his hits; well, this is the day I hit a home run with the bases loaded. Not only was it a thrill hitting my first homer, but there was also the added thrill of having it a grand slam. I'll never forget it."

-Bob Porterfield, 1955 Bowman No. 104

"Bob is a hard worker on the mound, and a most efficient one. He tied for the most complete games in the American League in 1954 with 21, starting 32. With a weak-hitting team behind him, his won-lost record was 13-15.

1953 was Bob's most successful year in the majors and an indication of what he can accomplish on the mound. His 22 wins led the league and he lost 10 games."

-1955 Red Man No. AL-10

1955 Yankee of the Past: Duane Pillette

 "Dee is a mighty good pitcher. His record for the 1954 season was the best of any Oriole pitcher. He appeared in 25 games, winning 10 and losing 14. His earned run average, a good measure of a pitcher's effectiveness, was a low 3.12, ranking him 12th in the League.

He began in baseball in 1946 with the Yankees' Newark farm and first came to the majors with the Yankees in 1949, after starting the season with Newark. He was traded to the Browns in 1950."

-1955 Bowman No. 244

"Duane posted the best E.R.A. of any Oriole hurler last year and enjoyed his finest season since breaking into Baseball in 1946. The son of a former major league hurler, he was originally a Yankee farmhand seeing action with Newark, Portland and Kansas City before joining New York and moving to St. Louis in 1950. In '52 with the Browns, he won 10 games with a 3.60 ERA."

-1955 Topps No. 168

1955 Yankee of the Past: Willy Miranda

 "When the Orioles acquired Willy from the Yankees in a big off-season deal, they got one of baseball's snappiest fielders. He appeared in 92 games for the Yankees in 1954, batting .250.

Willy has been in organized baseball since 1948. He was a much traveled athlete in 1952. He began the season with the White Sox and was traded to the Browns on June 15. On June 28, the Browns asked waivers and the White Sox claimed him. He was traded back to the Browns for the 1953 season, then was sold to the Yankees."

-1955 Bowman No. 79

"One of the biggest trades in Baseball history bought Willy to Baltimore last fall. His terrific speed helps him to cover plenty of infield ground and make the 'impossible plays.'

Breaking into baseball in '48, he played at Chattanooga from '49 til '51 before joining the White Sox. Willy went to New York in '53 and became a favorite with the fans because of his spectacular fielding."

-1955 Topps No. 154

1955 Yankee of the Past: Bill Miller

 "Bill came to the Orioles in 1955 from the New York Yankees. With New York in 1954, he appeared in only two games, winning none and losing one.

He's been in organized ball since 1945, and he first came to the majors in 1952 with the Yankees. The Orioles are the 12th team Bill has been with in pro ball.

With Syracuse in 1951, he had a 16-10 record and led the International League in strikeouts with 131."

-1955 Bowman No. 245

1955 Yankee Prospect of the Past: Clyde McCullough

 "A veteran of many years service, Clyde was in 31 games for the Cubs in 1954, hitting .259. This is his second time with the Cubs, Clyde's first major league team.

He began in organized baseball in 1935 and came to the majors at the end of the 1940 season with the Cubs. He was with them until December 1948 when he went to the Pirates. Clyde was traded back to Chicago in December 1952."

-1955 Bowman No. 280