July 12, 1977 – Yankees 5, Brewers 2
- Sal Maiorana
- Jul 12, 2017
- 3 min read
MILWAUKEE – There is basically a zero percent chance that Billy Martin could have been a baseball manager in 2017. With social media permeating and polluting the world, with TMZ and Deadspin lurking, with mainstream writers and bloggers banging out stories or blurbs all day, every day, there is no way the combustible Martin would have survived.
He barely got through the 1970s when the voracious New York media – mainly just newspaper writers with a few broadcast journalists sprinkled in - drove him batty throughout his stints with the Twins, Tigers and Yankees.
Martin was livid on the first night in Milwaukee when it was reported in The New York Times that an unnamed player made the claim that owner George Steinbrenner was actually making the lineup card, and not Martin.
“He’s telling him who to play,” said the player who, if I had to guess, was probably Graig Nettles, Sparky Lyle, Thurman Munson or Carlos May. “He’s giving him the lineup.”
Both Martin and Steinbrenner denied this was happening, Steinbrenner saying, “Absolutely not! It’s a lie and any player who says it is a liar. I’ve made one suggestion to Billy and that was to use Lou Piniella as the designated hitter. I put together some statistics on Carlos May recently and they are horrendous. I wasn’t ordering Billy to play Piniella, I suggested it.”
Martin was so pissed by the accusation – “The day I let an owner or general manager tell me how to manage, I will quit,” he said - he laid down the new law in his pre-game meeting with the reporters.
“Managing this ballclub is a tough enough job without picking up the newspapers and reading about the manager vs. the owner and the owner vs. the players vs. the manager,” Martin said. “So, I’ve got to take a stand. If this type of writing continues, you leave us no alternative. If you write after hearing off-the-cuff comments on the bus or plane, I’m going to have to eliminate you from the bus, the plane and the clubhouse. Not everyone, just certain writers. You’re going to have to get your stories on the field. Now I know this is a strong stand to take, and I’m not saying I will, but the first thing is for the Yankees to win. I know you guys have a job to do, but so do I, and when your job hurts mine, I have to do something.”
The player in the Times felt that Steinbrenner was hurting the ballclub with his heavy-handed meddling. “George doesn’t want competition, he wants a slaughter,” said the anonymous player. “To win you need nine good players plus some utility players and a pitching staff. George wants 25 superstars. George doesn’t care about anyone’s feelings. To him we’re not professionals, we’re employees. He’s done something to everybody, he’s destroyed Billy. He’s made him nothing. Not a single guy is happy except Willie (Randolph).”
Before the Yankees defeated the Brewers to end their losing streak, Martin met with the players to try to get them pulling in the same direction after losing three straight to the Orioles. “I thought it was necessary,” Martin said. “This was the time to talk to them. We didn’t play very well (all weekend). I told them about things I want to see them do more. The world’s full of quitters; you have to battle back.”
The Yankees managed to put this latest distraction behind them as Don Gullett and Dick Tidrow combined on a four-hitter while Randolph hit a game-breaking two-run homer in the eighth. The Yankees banged out 11 hits, but left 11 men on base thanks to a 2-for-11 performance with runners in scoring position.
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