Yankee Harmonicat Phil Linz Gets a Raise

Feb. 16, 1965 - Phil Linz, the modest Yankee who last August made harmonicas noteworthy, received an increase in pay today and a $200 bonus earmarked for music lessons as he signed his 1965 contract. 

It was Phil’s tootling on a $2.25 harmonica that caused the biggest discord of recent years among the Yankees. He did it on a bus, en route to the airport in Chicago, right after the Yanks had lost four straight to the White Sox and fallen 4½ games behind the leaders with the pennant race entering its final weeks.

Manager Yogi Berra ordered Phil to stop; Phil didn’t, and in the ensuing eruption of Yogi’s temper, Berra advanced on Phil, who tossed the harmonica to him. The instrument glanced off Berra’s hand and scratched Joe Pepitone’s knee. The episode unleashed violent emotions, and harsh words filled the air for a brief time. The incident made headlines from coast to coast. The next day, Yogi fined Linz $200.

Linz immediately was offered that amount, and more, by the Hohner harmonica people, who were delighted by the unexpected publicity given their instrument. Linz had to refuse to avoid an even more serious breach of baseball discipline and protocol. But today, he got the money back, with a raise that put him in the $13,000-a-year bracket.

“I want it clearly understood,” general manager Ralph Houk told him severely, “that this extra $200 is not in any sense repayment of your fine — you have to use it specifically for music lessons so that you can play that thing better.”

Last year, Linz appeared in 112 games, most of them at third base and shortstop, and batted .250.

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