Nov. 16, 1964 - Lawrence Peter (Yogi) Berra, the focal point of more classified information than the files of the Central Intelligence Agency, is expected to shed his shroud of secrecy tomorrow and emerge as a player-coach for the New York Mets.
The Mets announced today they would hold a news conference at Shea Stadium tomorrow, and if it isn’t devoted to the installation of Yogi as Casey Stengel’s newest assistant, the baseball world will be even more shocked than it was by two other Berra stories during the last 13 months.
In October 1963, baseball workers and fans were equally astonished when Berra was named manager of the Yankees, succeeding Ralph Houk, who was simultaneously promoted to general manager.
In October 1964, one day after his Yankees lost the deciding game of the World Series to the Cardinals, Berra was discharged in an even more astounding move. A few days later, he was replaced by Johnny Keane, who had just resigned from the Cardinals.
At the time of Yogi’s dismissal, the Yankees offered him a two-year contract at $25,000 a year to fill a newly created position of “field consultant” under Houk.
Yogi accepted it, with the provision that he was free to take any other offer that came along.
For the last two weeks, Yogi has been “making up his mind,” while details of the Met offer have been leaking out piecemeal. He has been offered a two-year contract calling for $35,000 a year; he is to try to work into shape during spring training to return to the active list as a pinch hitter; if he doesn’t feel he can, he is to remain strictly a coach; and he is not being promised anything in regard to succeeding Stengel, although he isn’t forbidden to hope.
Even if he accepts the Met offer, Berra will still collect $25,000 from the Yankees as a sort of severance pay or farewell bonus. Houk, who is in Florida scouting Yankee minor league prospects, explained the payment today:
“When we drew up the contract with Yogi, we put in the escape clause at my insistence. Then the owner [Dan Topping] felt, and I certainly agreed, that Yogi had something more coming to him if he decided to go somewhere else.
“He’s been with the Yanks a long time. He took a cut in salary when he became manager, and we felt he was entitled to something extra if he decided to leave the organization.”
As a player, late in his career, Berra commanded a salary of up to $55,000. As a player-coach in 1962, he still made about $50,000. When he became manager and was no longer active as a player, he dropped to about $40,000.
Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s
Comentários