Sept. 30, 1964 - Casey Stengel, the only manager the New York Mets have ever had, will remain in that position with an increase in pay in 1965, the club announced yesterday.
Bing Devine, recently deposed general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, has joined the Mets as assistant to George Weiss, the president of the club. Eddie Stanky has also been hired by the Mets as director of player development. Eddie is an exceptionally sound baseball man and was one of New York’s most popular players with the old Dodger and Giant pennant-winners.
There had been much speculation that Stengel, 74, would either retire or be forced out in favor of a younger man. There were persistent reports that owner Joan Payson favored Alvin Dark, the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Other reports had Stengel going to Los Angeles in an executive capacity (with the Angels) or as a field manager (with the Dodgers).
Stengel, aware of all the talk and, as always, determined not to discuss his business prematurely, had neither denied nor confirmed anything.
On Monday, he discussed the future with Weiss.
“I wanted to get it all straightened out then,” said Stengel yesterday, “because of my going on the road at the end of the season, and why wouldn’t you want it settled so you wouldn’t have to come back?
“I have a one-year contract, as I’ve always had with the Mets, and an increase in pay which makes me very happy that they would want to give it to me.
“It was a very splendid raise. I believe I can use it — this suit’s a little old. I might get a new wardrobe.”
That statement got a big laugh at the Mets’ press conference, as the audience was well aware of Stengel’s affluence in general, his salary of $80,000 or so, and his position as director of a bank in Glendale, Calif.
“That’s right,” he said, “they always mention the bank, but they never put in the paper the name: it’s the Valley National Bank.”
Stengel said the club had made progress this year. “We now have a pitching staff with men who can pitch six, seven, eight, and nine innings. It is now to the point where other ballclubs are desirous of hiring players on the Met roster, particularly pitching, and now maybe something can be done.
“What we need now is rapid advancement for the ballplayers from the minors, and in that men like Devine will help us a lot.”
Devine, 47, is a highly regarded career baseball executive who was chosen “major league executive of the year” last season. The Cardinals, who challenged the Dodgers last September and who are in the thick of the pennant fight now, are primarily his creation.
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