October 6, 1947: The Triumph and Tragedy of Larry MacPhail

Left to right: Joe DiMaggio, Joe Page, Larry MacPhail.

At the moment, MacPhail seems to be happy to celebrate with Page.

October 6, 1947: This was a day for goodbyes, as the 1947 World Series came to an end with the Yankees beating the Dodgers in Game 7. Three of the heroes of the Series -- Bill Bevens of the Yankees, and Cookie Lavagetto and Al Gionfriddo of the Dodgers -- never appeared in another big-league game, although Lavagetto would become a big-league coach for years to come, including with the early Mets.

But it was at the postgame celebration that the fireworks really started. At the time, the Yankees had 3 owners: Dan Topping, 35, a wealthy playboy (translation: He spent the tin-industry millions made by his father); Del Webb, 48, a construction magnate who'd made his fortune building Army bases in World War II, casino-hotels in Las Vegas (with the help of men involved in organized crime), and retirement communities in Arizona; and Larry MacPhail, 57, who had previously built Pennant winners as general manager with the Dodgers and, before that, the Cincinnati Reds.

As general manager of the Yankees, MacPhail did with them what he'd done with the Reds and the Dodgers: He modernized the ballpark (giving Yankee Stadium lights and expanding the clubhouses), favorably renegotiated the broadcasting contracts (including putting the team on television starting with the next season), and making roster moves to revitalize the team (although they had won the World Series in 1943 and fallen just 1 game short of the Pennant in 1944, the year before the triumvirate bought the team from the heirs of the late Jacob Ruppert).

But MacPhail had a thin skin and a big ego. Presaging George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin on the Yankees by more than a generation, he fired and rehired Dodger manager Leo Durocher within a span of a few hours, several times. And he was an alcoholic: It was said that with no drinks he was brilliant, with one he was wonderful, with two he was impossible, and he rarely stopped at two.

The Reds had won the Pennant in 1939, but lost the World Series to the Yankees. In 1940, they won the Series, beating the Detroit Tigers. But, by that point, MacPhail was already in Brooklyn. The Dodgers won the Pennant in 1941, but was already feuding with the team's owners. After the 1942 season, accepting an officer's commission for the U.S. Army in World War II enabled MacPhail, a genuine hero in World War I, a quiet way out that made him look good.

In just 3 seasons, MacPhail had built the Yankees into World Champions. A scrappy Dodger team, built in the image of their since-suspended manager, Durocher (replaced for this season by Burt Shotton), and led by barrier-breaker and National League Rookie of the Year Jackie Robinson, had extended the World Series to a Game 7 at Yankee Stadium. It would be the last gasp for the Dodger team built by MacPhail and managed by Durocher: Over the next year, MacPhail's replacement, Branch Rickey, built the team that would become known as "The Boys of Summer."

Neither starter, Yankee rookie Frank "Spec" Shea or Dodger Hal Gregg, got out of the 4th inning. The Dodgers scored 2 runs in the top of the 2nd inning, driven in by singles by Bruce Edwards and Johnny "Spider" Jorgensen. Phil Rizzuto got a run back in the bottom of the 1st with an RBI single.

Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you. With 1 out in the bottom of the 4th, Gregg walked Billy Johnson. He struck Aaron Robinson out, but Rizzuto singled. Pinch-hitting for Bevens, who had replaced Shea, Bobby Brown doubled Johnson home to tie the game. Reliever Hank Behrman walked George "Snuffy" Stirnweiss, and then Tommy Henrich -- once again, victimizing the Dodgers and earning the nickname bestowed on him by Yankee broadcaster Mel Allen, "Old Reliable" -- singled Rizzuto home to give the Yankees the lead.

The Yankees added a run in the 6th, Rizzuto scoring again on a single by Allie Clark; and another in the 7th, on a sacrifice fly by Robinson that scored Johnson. Joe Page got Fred "Dixie" Walker to ground out to start the top of the 9th, but he allowed a single to Eddie Miksis. Edwards grounded to Rizzuto, who started a season-ending double play, throwing to Stirnweiss to eliminate Miksis, and over to George McQuinn at 1st base to eliminate Edwards.

Yankees 5, Dodgers 2. Bucky Harris was a World Series-winning manager for the 2nd time, 23 years after doing it as the "Boy Wonder" manager of the Washington Senators.

This remains the only World Series where the Yankees have won Game 7 on their home field. They lost Game 7s at the old Yankee Stadium in 1926, 1955 and 1957; won Game 7s at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn in 1956, Milwaukee County Stadium in 1958, Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1962; and lost Game 7s at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh in 1960, Busch Stadium (formerly Sportsman's Park) in St. Louis in 1964, and Bank One Ballpark (now named Chase Field) in Phoenix in 2001.

One of the best World Series ever came to an end with a Game 7 that was a little anticlimactic. If it was drama that anyone was looking for, it came after the game. First, MacPhail went into the Dodger clubhouse to congratulate Rickey for the job he'd done assembling that Pennant-winning team.

But Rickey was a hyper-moralist, who only put up with shenanigans when people made him money. He told MacPhail, "I am taking your hand only because people are watching us." He launched into reasons for his disappointment in MacPhail as a man, and ended their relationship once and for all: "Don't you ever speak to me again."

That ticked MacPhail off. He went into the Yankee clubhouse, starting insulting people, punched a sporswriter, and announced his resignation. Then came the team's official celebration, a formal affair at the Cascades Ballroom of the Biltmore Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. In between, MacPhail had had plenty of time to drink.

MacPhail walked into the Ballroom, and the sportswriters, knowing he was a quote machine, rushed up to him. He gave them a quote, all right: "Stay away or get punched!" He found the Yankees' farm system director, George Weiss, cursed him out, and fired him.

He found John McDonald, a friend from his Dodger tenure, and called Rickey "That Bible-quoting, hypocritical, tightwad son of a bitch!" While Rickey was cheap and, in some ways, a hypocrite, McDonald stood up for him. MacPhail called McDonald, "You Judas!" and punched him. (Using a Biblical reference? Who's a hypocrite now?)

Topping saw this, and got between them. MacPhail said, "Hey, Topping, do you know what you are? A guy born with a silver spoon in your mouth, who never made a dollar in your life!" This wasn't true: Topping had made some money running a bank.

Like a lot of rich guys, Topping couldn't handle it when people questioned his money management. Unlike a lot of rich guys, Topping was no coddled wimp, unable to stand up to a physical challenge: He was a prep-school athlete, and had served in combat as a Colonel in the Marine Corps, as one of World War II's "island-hoppers" in the Pacific. He grabbed MacPhail, pulled him to the nearest door, and threw him into the kitchen, saying, "I've heard enough from you. We've taking everything from you we're going to take. If you act up again, Larry, I'm going to knock your head off."

Half an hour later, MacPhail came back. He walked up to Joe Page and his wife Kay, and said, "What were you, Joe, before I picked you up? A bum! You and this broad here, you were nothing!" Joe, 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, stood up. So did Topping. MacPhail knew he had crossed the line into "I deserve to get knocked out" territory. He backed off, and walked out of the room.

It became known as the Battle of the Biltmore. The next day, MacPhail met with his partners for the last time. Topping and Webb each put up a million dollars, and bought out MacPhail's share. MacPhail never worked in baseball again, at any level. He died in 1975.

His son Lee, grandson Andy and great-grandson Leland Stanford MacPhail IV (also called Lee) have all worked in major league front offices. Larry and Lee are the only father and son both elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Topping and Webb promoted Weiss to the GM's slot, and he built the most dynastic Yankee team of them all, until his resignation in 1960. Dan Topping Jr. was briefly Yankee GM in 1966, while his father and Webb were in the process of selling the team to CBS. Dan Topping III was briefly a catcher in the San Francisco Giants' minor-league system. Del Webb was the only member of his family involved in baseball.

The Biltmore Hotel was at 355 Madison Avenue, at 45th Street. Built in 1913, it was closed in 1981, gutted, and converted into an office building.

Although he only played for the Dodgers, in 2007, on the 60th Anniversary of his debut, the Yankees placed a plaque in Monument Park to honor Jackie Robinson, and, in general, the contributions of nonwhite players to baseball.

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October 6, 1947 was a Monday. There were no other scores on this historic day.

August 20, 1964: The Harmonica Incident

Phil Linz (left) and Yogi Berra. Winning solves everything.

At least for a while.

August 20, 1964: An incident on the New York Yankees' team bus wakes the team up, and leads to a Pennant.

In 1959, catcher Yogi Berra and left fielder Elston Howard had their positions switched by manager Casey Stengel. Talking about how the Sun combined with the old Stadium's roof, making it difficult to see a fly ball from left field, Yogi said, "It gets late early out there."

He was still a key figure on Pennant-winning teams. But after the 1963 season, Yogi was 38 and clearly slowing down. And, with Ralph Houk, his former backup catcher, being moved up from field manager to general manager, Yogi was offered the job of managing the Yankees for the 1964 season.

There were those who thought that Yogi was too much of a softie to manage, especially players he'd played with. On August 20, the Yankees lost to the Chicago White Sox, 5-0 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. John Buzhardt went the distance for the ChiSox, while Whitey Ford got knocked out of the box in the 4th inning.

Former Yankee Bill "Moose" Skowron went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the ChiSox. The Yankees only got 7 hits, all singles: 3 by shortstop Tony Kubek, 2 by right fielder Roger Maris, 1 by Howard, and 1 by backup catcher Johnny Blanchard, who started in left field on this day. Usual center fielder Mickey Mantle was once again battling an injury, and did not play.

The loss completed a 4-game sweep by the Pale Hose over the Bronx Bombers, and left them 4 1/2 games behind Chicago with 23 to go. The Baltimore Orioles were just half a game behind the White Sox.

The tension on the team bus to O'Hare International Airport was so thick, it could have been cut with a knife. Reserve infielder Phil Linz pulled out a harmonica he'd begun learning how to play, and began to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb," the traditional song for anyone learning how to play an instrument to start with.

Yogi, sitting at the head of the bus, heard it, and yelled back, "Whoever's playing that thing, shove it up your ass!" (Yogi was old-school even by the standards of the Sixties, but he was no prude when it came to language.) Linz didn't hear what he said, and asked Mantle what it was. Being a wisenheimer, Mickey said, "He said, 'Play it louder.'" So Linz did.

Yogi wasn't having it. He got up, walked down the aisle of the bus, saw Linz, and said, "I thought I told you to shove that thing up your ass." Linz said, "If you want it shoved up my ass, why don't you shove it there?" He flipped the instrument to Yogi... who slapped it down.

There are 2 versions of what happened next. One is that everyone saw that Yogi could mean business, and that the respect for him as a manager suddenly grew by leaps and bounds. That's the version that Yankee management, in the years since, would have fans believe.

The other version, which is more believable, is included in Peter Golenbock's book Dynasty, and has been backed up by the surviving '64 Yanks, all of whom said that respect for Yogi was never an issue. This version says that the slapped-down harmonica bounced off 1st baseman Joe Pepitone's leg. Pepi then fell into the aisle in mock agony, rolling around on the floor of the bus like a Spanish soccer player (with the bad hair to match). Everyone cracked up -- and loosened up.

With respect for Yogi restored, or the tension shattered, whichever is true, the Yankees went on a tear. They flew to Boston and lost 2 more, then won 28 of their last 39, including an 11-game winning streak from September 16 to 26, and won the Pennant, winning 99 games, beating the White Sox by 1 game and the O's by 2. Yogi had won his 1st Pennant as a manager, and he wasn't even 40.

But they lost the World Series -- ironically, to Yogi's boyhood team, the St. Louis Cardinals. This was in spite of Linz, substituting for an injured Kubek, playing in all 7 games, and hitting home runs in Games 2 and 7, both off Bob Gibson. Yankee management fired Yogi, anyway, which they were determined to do even if he won the Series. If he was upset, he never let on: When people would ask him about it, he'd just say, "That's baseball."

At least they told him to his face. That would not be the case the 2nd time he was fired as Yankee manager.

With Stengel now managing the Mets, he hired Yogi was one of his coaches, and Yogi even played a few more games. In 1966, with Stengel having retired and Wes Westrum having been hired as Mets manager, the Yankees traded Linz to the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1967, the Phils traded Linz to the Mets, reuniting him with Berra.

Linz's playing career ended after the 1968 season, and he ran a restaurant in Manhattan, before retiring to Leesburg, Virginia. He died in 2020. (Not from COVID.)

Berra was on the coaching staff of Gil Hodges as the Mets won the 1969 World Series. In 1972, Hodges died at the end of Spring Training, and Yogi was named manager, winning the National League Pennant in 1973. He was fired in 1975, and brought back to the Yankees as a coach.

He was named manager for the 1984 season, but was fired early in 1985. Team owner George Steinbrenner, instead of telling Yogi face-to-face, sent a team official to do it. Furious over this lack of courtesy, not over the firing itself, Yogi said he would never set foot in Yankee Stadium again as long as Steinbrenner owned the team. He kept that promise for 14 years, until peace between them was negotiated, including a face-to-face apology from George to Yogi. Yogi was brought back into the Yankee fold, and remained there until his death in 2015.

 

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August 20, 1964 was a Thursday. These other baseball games were played that day:

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles, 4-3 at Fenway Park in Boston. Carl Yastrzemski went 2-for-4. Brooks Robinson went 0-for-4.

* The Philadelphia Phillies swept a doubleheader from the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-0 and 3-2 at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. Art Mahaffey pitched a 2-hit shutout in the opener, allowing a single each to both of the Bucs' eventual Hall-of-Famers, Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski. Frank Thomas -- not the later White Sox slugger -- won it with a home run off Bob Friend in the bottom of the 9th. Clemente and Willie Stargell each got 2 hits in the nightcap, but a home run by Johnny Callison helped give the Phils the win.

* The Kansas City Athletics beat the Cleveland Indians, 7-4 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

* The Los Angeles Angels beat the Detroit Tigers, 4-3 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Al Kaline went 1-for-4 with a walk.

* The Milwaukee Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-2 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Hank Aaron went 4-for-5, although none of his hits was a home run.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the San Francisco Giants, 10-7 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

* And the New York Mets, the Chicago Cubs, the Houston Colt .45s, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Washington Senators and the Minnesota Twins were not scheduled.