Billy Martin often claimed he could see everything that was going on from a single glance at the field. On April 10, 1976, no one argued the point with him strongly, if at all.
Billy Martin: Baseball’s Flawed Genius
That’s the title that New York Times award-winning writer Bill Pennington gave to his 2015 biography of the late Billy Martin, a beautifully written and researched work based on the author’s experience as a New York Yankees beat writer from the start of Martin’s high profile play as a several times manager for owner George Steinbrenner in 1976. Donald Trump may have become television-famous for shouting “You’re fired”, but the late Yankee owner sort off used that statement daily on somebody handy back in the day – just to clear his throat from all that overnight mucous glop.
The Martin Game Persona
Billy Martin was much more than the sand-kicking manager who sucker-punched people who made him mad, although he claims he never started fights, he simply finished them. By Billy’s definition, that meant he was capable of restraining himself until the other person either made him mad or also appeared ready to throw a punch. That’s when the kid from West Oakland struck first and fast, often ending the rising rancor with a one or two punch knockout of the sometimes anonymous, but always in the end, unconscious foe. – Other people, including umpires, knew about this trait in Martin and they knew that no one was beyond Billy’s reach, once he got close enough – and mad enough. Billy also baited umpires from the dugouts, disagreeing with close calls, and yelling the idea back to them, “You owe me”, not because he thought it would change a ruling this time, but always hopefully – that it might win the next tough call for Billy’s team.
It Only Took Two Yankee Games for Billy’s Style to Shine
Billy Martin also knew the baseball rules as well or better than anyone, as George Brett would come to later learn angrily in the famous “pine tar incident”. In fact, it only took Martin two games deep into his first full-season 1976 debut as the Yankees manager to win over his boss, his players, and the Yankee fans to his way of bully-whipping the umpires against all odds with the rule book, turning a heartbreaking New York road loss into a second chance – and a recaptured Yankee comeback win.
Here’s the deal: On April 10, 1976 at Milwaukee, and after losing on Opening Day, 5-0, to the 2 hit/3 RBI game of Hank Aaron, the Yankees were down again to the Brewers, this time, by 6-0 through six innings. All of the home team’s runs were off Yankee starter Ed Figueroa in 5.1 innings of work, but the Yankees weren’t dead. They scored 4 in the 7th and another 5 in the 9th, taking the script for a 9-6 comeback win into Milwaukee’s last chance in the bottom of the 9th.
As most of you know, things often aren’t easy in baseball.
Although the Yankees still led with two outs, the Brewers already had scored one run in the 9th and now had the bases loaded with two outs – and Yankee reliever Dave Pagan pitching to Brewer third baseman Don Money. – A 9-7 Yankee lead was in grave danger with the tying run now standing on 2nd base.
Wouldn’t you just know it?
Money lifted a high fly to left. The ball had power and arch, as brief silence was quickly slain by the roar of home town jubilation. – It was a Grand Slam! – The Milwaukee Brewers had done the improbable, realizing every sandlot kid’s favorite dream of winning a game with a bases-loaded homer in the bottom of the 9th. – What was left to doubt? – The Brewers were going to win this game over the Yankees by 11-9, and Don Money could go to sleep this night reliving his heroic act in every dream that floated his way.
Oh, really? – Then why is Billy Martin running across the diamond from the third base dugout in rapid rage mode? And why is Yankee pitcher Pagan running from the mound to left field? Does he fear for his life from his own manager?
Pagan was safe from Billy. Martin was after first base umpire Jim McKean.
“You called timeout before the pitch,” Martin screamed above the roar of the home crowd. “He said it over and over, stridently moving quickly into McKean’s face, with hands on hips, stridently repeating his claim in violent bursts – and without even adding its intended meaning. The umpire is supposed to know these things: If an umpire raises his hands and gives the time out sign, no play that results from a pitch thrown after that signal is given, even if the pitcher innocently throws it with no advance knowledge of the time out call, counts for anything. – A home run can not result from a non-pitch thrown during a timeout on the field.
From his dugout, Billy Martin had seen Yankee first baseman Chris Chambliss speaking over his shoulder to umpire McKean – and he had seen McKean give the time out signal in response – with both occurring prior to the time that Yankee pitcher Pagan delivered the pitch that Money had blasted out of the park.
Umpire McKean did not verbally respond to Martin’s incessant and voice-above-the-crowd shouts, but he did finally huddle with his fellow umpires as the public address announcer apprised the crowd that something had arisen that needed to be settled before everyone went home.
Apparently, Billy Martin was the only one in the stadium that had seen the time out signal that umpire McKean knew he had given – and then, after the HR was contested, he had honestly reported it to his fellow arbiters as occurring prior to the “home run” pitch. The umpiring crew had no other choice. The Money grand slam was disallowed. In spite of the loud crowd rage over this reversal of fortune, Money would need to bat again with two outs, the bases loaded, and the Yankees still leading, 9-7.
In slight irony, Martin brought in reliever Ken Brett, the brother of George Brett to finish pitching to Money. Brett got Money on a fly ball out to end the game as a save for himself in the Yankees’ 9-7 win over the Brewers. Sparky Lyle (1-0) got the win; Tom Murphy (0-1) took the loss.
And Billy Martin captured the hearts of all those “New York state of mind” Yankee fans.
And, yes, The Pecan Park Eagle definitely recommends this Martin biography.
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Bill McCurdy
Houston, Baseball, & Other Musings.
The Pecan Park Eagle 