1960s Timeline

Mar. 30, 1962 - Billy Martin, who drifted to six major league clubs after the Yankees traded him away in 1957, was released unconditionally today by the Minnesota Twins. Martin said he would try to catch on with another major league club. The development of a second baseman, Bernie Allen, during exhibition games greatly diminished Martin’s usefulness to the Twins. The fiery, hustling Martin often was referred to as “Casey Stengel’s boy” when he played for the Yankees. He fell

Mar. 28, 1962 - Orlando Cepeda (right) and Willie McCovey (left) hit homers today as the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Angels in an exhibition game, 11-6. Cepeda’s clout, his fourth this spring, came in the sixth inning with two aboard. McCovey’s homer came off the first pitch by Ryne Duren in the eighth inning. #MLB #baseball #baseballcap #1960s #baseballlife #baseballislife #baseballplayer #baseballgame #baseballseason #baseballplays #podcast #baseballplay #base

Mar. 23, 1962 - A chagrined Bobby Thomson said today “it positively isn’t so” that a secret signal from center field triggered his famous home run that won the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants. He challenged the man who made the charge to “show some character — come out in the open and reveal yourself.” “It was a high inside fastball and nobody called the pitch,” the former Giant outfielder said. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. If I’d been

Mar. 22, 1962 - Sometime in the distant future, there may be an all-New York world series between the Mets and the Yankees. Until this phenomenon comes to pass, what happened today will stand high among the achievements in the history of the new National League club, which beat the world champion Yankees, 4-3, with a dramatic ninth-inning rally in St. Petersburg, Fla. Crossing paths on a diamond for the first time since one was dismissed as manager and the other became his su

Mar. 22, 1962 - A former member of the New York Giants revealed today that Bobby Thomson’s dramatic pennant-winning homer (pictured) in the 1951 National League playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers was helped by a sign-stealing clubhouse spy. The player, who requested anonymity, now is with another major league team. He said the Giants also used the spy system in 1959, the year the Dodgers beat them out of the pennant in the last week of the season. In 1951, a utility player was

Mar. 17, 1962 - Not even the awesome Dodgers of Los Angeles could halt the amazing spring progress of the Yankees today. The Bombers flattened Walter Alston’s team, 7-5, before 7,365 cheering fans in Fort Lauderdale. It was the seventh exhibition victory against no defeats for the Yanks. To the Dodgers’ regret, six of the seven runs scored by Ralph Houk’s club were unearned. All seven were scored in the first four innings off Don Drysdale (pictured). The Yanks’ starter, Bill

Mar. 15, 1962 - The Yankees turned their guns on the National League today. Lashing into Freddie Hutchinson’s Reds in much the same fashion as they did in the world series last October, the Bombers flattened the Cincinnatians, 8-3, before a crowd of 5,235 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It was the sixth straight triumph for Ralph Houk’s world champions. Mickey Mantle, who didn’t see much action in the 1961 series, lost little time letting the Reds know how lucky they were they hadn’

Mar. 11, 1962 - The Chicago Cubs’ third baseman, Ron Santo (#10), was carried off the field on a stretcher today after colliding with Ernie Banks (#14). Both were chasing a high pop fly hit by Chuck Schilling of the Boston Red Sox in the sixth inning. Santo was knocked to the ground, then got up. A few moments later, he collapsed. A doctor who examined him at a nearby hospital said Santo apparently had been hit in the solar plexus with a knee. The young player was released an

Mar. 10, 1962 - The Mets, playing their first major league exhibition game today, lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-0, and they did not look good doing it. Three Met pitchers — Jay Hook, Clem Labine, and Craig Anderson — gave 12 hits, including 2 home runs. Four of the runs were products of sloppy Met fielding. Only two Mets reached third base. Richie Ashburn was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on a double by Charlie Neal. Don Zimmer hit a triple and staye

Mar. 8, 1962 - Orlando Cepeda (pictured with Willie Mays) came to terms today with the San Francisco Giants, agreeing to a 1962 baseball contract for a reported $46,000 salary. The slugging first baseman, who led the National League last year in home runs (46) and runs batted in (142) sent a wire from his home in Puerto Rico to Chub Feeney, the club’s vice president, saying he would report for spring duty on Monday. Cepeda earned $30,000 in 1961. #MLB #baseball #baseballcap #

Mar. 7, 1962 - Two outstanding question marks in manager Ralph Houk’s pennant plans went on exhibition in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., today as Bob Turley and Robin Roberts took the wraps off their pitching arms. Both survived the test neatly enough, even if Turley did find out what it feels like to get stung for a couple of Yankee homers. The game was the first with an entire cast of front-line infielders and outfielders taking part. Turley, after collecting five successive outs,

Mar. 7, 1962 - The radio premiere of the New York Mets will broadcast Saturday over WABC in New York. The new baseball team’s first exhibition will be played against the St. Louis Cardinals at St. Petersburg, Fla. The station will start its coverage at 1:25 p.m. after a 15-minute sports program with Howard Cosell (pictured center between Duke Snider and Gil Hodges). Mr. Cosell will team with ex-Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca on WABC’s pre- and post-game radio shows fo

Mar. 6, 1962 - Manager Mickey Vernon (left) told the Washington Senators today that stories about favoritism for Jimmy Piersall (center) or anybody else were uncalled for. “I told them we were down here to play baseball and to forget about any petty little gripes,” Vernon said. “That whole thing yesterday was unnecessary.” Gene Woodling (right), the Senators’ player representative, had protested that Piersall was getting special treatment such as a room to himself, meal money

Feb. 28, 1962 - Asked today whether he had set any goal for himself this year, Mickey Mantle said: “Well, just once, I’d like to play every game of a schedule. In 1960, I missed 1 game of our 154-game schedule. Last year, when we played 163 games counting 1 tie, I missed 10.” Does he think he or anyone else will break Maris’s record of 61 homers? “My pick would be Harmon Killebrew,” said Mickey. The Minnesota Twins’ slugger finished with 46 homers. “As for myself,” added Mick

Feb. 27, 1962 - Duke Snider, the 35-year-old outfielder beginning his 15th National League season, today was named captain of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The club has not had a captain since Pee Wee Reese retired after the 1958 campaign. The appointment, which carries with it $500 in additional pay per year, was made by Manager Walter Alston. Snider hit 40 or more home runs in five consecutive seasons (1953–1957), and between 1953 and 1956 he averaged 42 home runs, 124 RBI, 123

Feb. 26, 1962 - The Los Angeles Dodgers came up with an innovation today: they used umpires in batting practice. Manager Walter Alston, pleased with the results of the experiment, plans to continue the practice daily. “We swung at a lot of bad pitches last year, and I hope to correct this,” Alston said. “I think we have a good start.” Three Dodgertown staff umpires called every pitch, even when a batter swung. #dodgers #MLB #baseball #baseballcap #1960s #baseballlife #basebal

Feb. 26, 1962 - Roger Maris today settled for $70,000 as his 1962 salary with the Yankees. Then the man whose 61 home runs in 1961 topped Babe Ruth’s record of 60 in 1927 said he would settle for any number of home runs that fortune brought his way in 1962. “I can only swing and meet the ball, I can’t guide it,” said the 27-year-old Missourian whose leap to prominence figures to net him $200,000 from various commitments this year. “I’ll be thankful for anything I can get.” Al

Feb. 23, 1962 - Second baseman Bobby Richardson (pictured left with Mickey Mantle) signed his 1962 contract with the New York Yankees today for a salary of $25,000. This leaves Roger Maris as the lone Bomber general manager Roy Hamey has yet to bring into the fold. Maris, who has been in Fort Lauderdale principally for the filming of Columbia Picture’s “Safe at Home,” in which he co-stars with Mickey Mantle, said today that his work on the picture is now done. Mantle, who has

Feb. 21, 1962 - A member of the American Rocket Society lectured briefly today to the New York Mets on propulsion, life on other planets, and the problems of re-entry. Then he went out and pitched batting practice. The thinking man’s pitcher was Jay Hook, a 6-foot-1-inch righty who has been working on his master’s degree in mechanical engineering and his earned-run average for the past three years. Hook, who graduated from Northwestern University, was plucked from the Reds th

Feb. 18, 1962 - Salary negotiations between Roger Maris and the Yankees took a turn for the worse today. Actually, Maris does not have to sign his contract until a week from today, when the infielders and outfielders report for spring training. And since Roger has been busy with the motion picture “Safe at Home,” in which he is co-starring with Mickey Mantle, General Manager Roy Hamey has not pressed the matter. However, when asked today whether he expected to come to terms t