Post by tonyo on Mar 14, 2007 6:41:42 GMT -5
The "Dog Days" Of The Yankees.
The New York Yankees dominated baseball in late 1940's, the decade of the 50's and even into the early 60's. It seemed to most that the dynasty would never end.
On closer examination it should have been obvious that the Yankee machine would enevitably grind to a halt. When the Yankees lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1964 World Series little did they know that they would have to wait eleven years to return to the fall classic. No Yankee fan in their right mind would have believed it. Starting in 1965 it became a harsh reality.
During the eleven year hiatus from the Series, close to 180 players wore the famous pinstripes. Some of those players were now worn down remnants of the Yank's glory days. Mantle, Maris, Ford, Elston Howard, Tom Tresh, John Blanchard, Clete Boyer, Bobby Richardson and Tony Kubek were either traded or faded in to the sunset. In 1964 the great Yogi Berra left the playing field to manage the Yanks. When St. Louis took the Series that year, Berra was bounced and the 1964 Cardinal manager Johnny Keane took over in 65. Maris for one had some success on some very good Cardinal teams in the late 60's.
As this group of formidable players moved on, a new wave of Yankees wandered into the clubhouse. It quickly and painfully become obvious that the new Yankees were on the highway to hell better known as last place. Who would have believed that only two years after appearing in the World Series that they would plummet into the cellar.
Looking at the names on the Yankees 1966 roster it is very hard to conceive how they had such a dismal year. Mantle, Maris and Ford were still in the fold but did not have the same impact as in days gone by. Some good looking prospects like Bobby Mercer, Mel Stottlemyre, Fritz Peterson and Roy White were aboard. Even a couple veteran pitchers like Bob Friend and Pedro Ramos could not help. Looking back it is now easy to see that in 1966 the roster was made up of players that were past their primes or young budding players who had yet to reach their potential.
The next eight years were not much better. There were some highs and many lows and alas, no World Series invitation. Mercer, White, Stottlemyre and even Peterson would blossom in to solid Major Leaguers. Still the players they brought up through the Yankee farm system for the most part failed to produce.
The Yankees even brought in some veterans with good reputations to fill in the cracks but they failed to do so. Rocky Colavito, Johnny Callison, Bobby Bonds, Alex Johnson, Ron Swoboda, Jay Johnstone, Dick Howser, Sandy Alomar Sr., Sam McDowell and even Felipe and Matty Alou donned the pinstripes. Still no A.L. flag.
Finally the Yankees were tore down and built back up again. In the mid and late 70's they would again become a baseball powerhouse. As the old saying goes, sometimes you have to hit bottom before you can rise to the top.
The New York Yankees dominated baseball in late 1940's, the decade of the 50's and even into the early 60's. It seemed to most that the dynasty would never end.
On closer examination it should have been obvious that the Yankee machine would enevitably grind to a halt. When the Yankees lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1964 World Series little did they know that they would have to wait eleven years to return to the fall classic. No Yankee fan in their right mind would have believed it. Starting in 1965 it became a harsh reality.
During the eleven year hiatus from the Series, close to 180 players wore the famous pinstripes. Some of those players were now worn down remnants of the Yank's glory days. Mantle, Maris, Ford, Elston Howard, Tom Tresh, John Blanchard, Clete Boyer, Bobby Richardson and Tony Kubek were either traded or faded in to the sunset. In 1964 the great Yogi Berra left the playing field to manage the Yanks. When St. Louis took the Series that year, Berra was bounced and the 1964 Cardinal manager Johnny Keane took over in 65. Maris for one had some success on some very good Cardinal teams in the late 60's.
As this group of formidable players moved on, a new wave of Yankees wandered into the clubhouse. It quickly and painfully become obvious that the new Yankees were on the highway to hell better known as last place. Who would have believed that only two years after appearing in the World Series that they would plummet into the cellar.
Looking at the names on the Yankees 1966 roster it is very hard to conceive how they had such a dismal year. Mantle, Maris and Ford were still in the fold but did not have the same impact as in days gone by. Some good looking prospects like Bobby Mercer, Mel Stottlemyre, Fritz Peterson and Roy White were aboard. Even a couple veteran pitchers like Bob Friend and Pedro Ramos could not help. Looking back it is now easy to see that in 1966 the roster was made up of players that were past their primes or young budding players who had yet to reach their potential.
The next eight years were not much better. There were some highs and many lows and alas, no World Series invitation. Mercer, White, Stottlemyre and even Peterson would blossom in to solid Major Leaguers. Still the players they brought up through the Yankee farm system for the most part failed to produce.
The Yankees even brought in some veterans with good reputations to fill in the cracks but they failed to do so. Rocky Colavito, Johnny Callison, Bobby Bonds, Alex Johnson, Ron Swoboda, Jay Johnstone, Dick Howser, Sandy Alomar Sr., Sam McDowell and even Felipe and Matty Alou donned the pinstripes. Still no A.L. flag.
Finally the Yankees were tore down and built back up again. In the mid and late 70's they would again become a baseball powerhouse. As the old saying goes, sometimes you have to hit bottom before you can rise to the top.