GaryMrMets
11-25-2003, 10:04 PM
http://www.yesnetwork.com/announcers/index.cfm?cont_id=215700&page_type=wide
Pep Talk: White was an underrated Yankee
http://www.yesnetwork.com/photos/pepes_small.jpgBy Phil Pepe
Special to YES Network Online
November 24, 2003
His full name suggests that Roy Hilton White was to the manor born, the scion of a hotel dynasty.
On the contrary. There was no silver spoon protruding from Roy White's mouth when he entered the world two days after Christmas, 1943, two years and 20 days after Pearl Harbor. Years later, as a Yankee, he was the epitome of a blue-collar player.
White signed with the Yankees in July of 1961, and came up through the ranks: Greensboro, Fort Lauderdale and Columbus, reaching the Bronx at the end of the 1965 season.
Bad timing. Terrible timing.
The Yankees had just completed a run of five consecutive pennants, but in 1965 they were at the start of a free fall that would last a dozen years -- White's most productive years. And White, signed as a second baseman, would find that position in the capable hands of Bobby Richardson.
After a horrendous rookie season, White was optioned to Spokane, where he first demonstrated the resiliency and resourcefulness that would define his career. He moved to the outfield and batted .343 in 84 games in Spokane, and returned to the Yankees in 1968 as the centerpiece of some pretty bad teams. There was White, Bobby Murcer, Mel Stottlemyre and not much else, until Thurman Munson, Ron Guidry, Lou Piniella, Chris Chambliss, Catfish Hunter, Graig Nettles, Mickey Rivers, Willie Randolph and Reggie Jackson came along.
Throughout the late 1960s and early '70s, White was the Yankees' cleanup hitter -- a 5-10, 172-pound cleanup hitter who choked up on the bat! Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig must have rolled over in their graves. Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle must have been horrified.
But White and Murcer were all the Yankees had at the time, and White earned his status with two outstanding seasons, a .296 average, 22 home runs, 94 RBIs in 1970, and a .292 average, 19 homers, 84 ribbies in '71.
By the time the Yankees got good again in the late '70s, Roy White was still around; the only one remaining from those awful teams. His best days were behind him, but he was a vital part of three straight pennant winners and two world championships from 1976-78. And he contributed some big hits and memorable moments to Yankees history:
* June 24, 1977: A game-tying two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth in the opener of a three-game series with the Red Sox, who had opened a five-game lead in the AL East.
* October 9, 1977: A key single in the ninth inning to spark a three-run rally and help the Yankees come from behind to beat Kansas City in the climactic Game 5 of the ALCS.
* October 2, 1978: A single in the seventh inning of the one-game playoff in Boston to decide the AL East title. He would score on Bucky Dent's home run.
* October 7, 1978: A home run in the sixth inning of Game 4 of the ALCS. It broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Yankees a 2-1 victory and their third straight AL pennant.
* October 14, 1978: A one-out single in the sixth inning of Game 4 of the World Series with the Dodgers leading the Series, two games to one, and leading the game, 3-0. It started a two-run rally. The Yankees tied the score in the eighth and won it in the 10th when White walked with one out and scored the winning run on Piniella's single. The Yankees would win the next two games for their second consecutive world championship.
When White retired after the 1979 season, having played his entire 15-year career with the Yankees, he left an impressive resume. He was fifth on the all-time Yankees list of games played (behind Mantle, Gehrig, Berra and Ruth), sixth in at-bats (6,650), eighth in runs (964), eighth in hits (1,803), 10th in doubles (300), 11th in RBIs (758) and second in stolen bases (233).
White was a consistent and durable player who twice played in 162 games in a season, hammered switch-hit home runs in a game five times and switch-hit triples in a game once, is the only Yankees outfielder to field 1.000 for a season (1971), stole home six times, and set an American League record for sacrifice flies with 17 in 1971.
When he first came to the Yankees, White was assigned uniform number 48. After he had established himself as a key player in 1968, Pete Sheehy, the wise old clubhouse man, gave Roy No. 6. The implication was obvious. Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 8 were retired. Number 7 eventually would be. Roy White had earned that superstar distinction.
Joe Torre wears No. 6 now. White will have to get another number. Whatever it is, it's certain he will wear it as he always did, with pride, dignity and class.
Acclaimed author and former Yankees beat writer Phil Pepe is a regular contributor to YES Network Online. His latest work, "The Yankees: An Authorized History of the New York Yankees Centennial Edition," is in bookstores now.
Pep Talk: White was an underrated Yankee
http://www.yesnetwork.com/photos/pepes_small.jpgBy Phil Pepe
Special to YES Network Online
November 24, 2003
His full name suggests that Roy Hilton White was to the manor born, the scion of a hotel dynasty.
On the contrary. There was no silver spoon protruding from Roy White's mouth when he entered the world two days after Christmas, 1943, two years and 20 days after Pearl Harbor. Years later, as a Yankee, he was the epitome of a blue-collar player.
White signed with the Yankees in July of 1961, and came up through the ranks: Greensboro, Fort Lauderdale and Columbus, reaching the Bronx at the end of the 1965 season.
Bad timing. Terrible timing.
The Yankees had just completed a run of five consecutive pennants, but in 1965 they were at the start of a free fall that would last a dozen years -- White's most productive years. And White, signed as a second baseman, would find that position in the capable hands of Bobby Richardson.
After a horrendous rookie season, White was optioned to Spokane, where he first demonstrated the resiliency and resourcefulness that would define his career. He moved to the outfield and batted .343 in 84 games in Spokane, and returned to the Yankees in 1968 as the centerpiece of some pretty bad teams. There was White, Bobby Murcer, Mel Stottlemyre and not much else, until Thurman Munson, Ron Guidry, Lou Piniella, Chris Chambliss, Catfish Hunter, Graig Nettles, Mickey Rivers, Willie Randolph and Reggie Jackson came along.
Throughout the late 1960s and early '70s, White was the Yankees' cleanup hitter -- a 5-10, 172-pound cleanup hitter who choked up on the bat! Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig must have rolled over in their graves. Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle must have been horrified.
But White and Murcer were all the Yankees had at the time, and White earned his status with two outstanding seasons, a .296 average, 22 home runs, 94 RBIs in 1970, and a .292 average, 19 homers, 84 ribbies in '71.
By the time the Yankees got good again in the late '70s, Roy White was still around; the only one remaining from those awful teams. His best days were behind him, but he was a vital part of three straight pennant winners and two world championships from 1976-78. And he contributed some big hits and memorable moments to Yankees history:
* June 24, 1977: A game-tying two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth in the opener of a three-game series with the Red Sox, who had opened a five-game lead in the AL East.
* October 9, 1977: A key single in the ninth inning to spark a three-run rally and help the Yankees come from behind to beat Kansas City in the climactic Game 5 of the ALCS.
* October 2, 1978: A single in the seventh inning of the one-game playoff in Boston to decide the AL East title. He would score on Bucky Dent's home run.
* October 7, 1978: A home run in the sixth inning of Game 4 of the ALCS. It broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Yankees a 2-1 victory and their third straight AL pennant.
* October 14, 1978: A one-out single in the sixth inning of Game 4 of the World Series with the Dodgers leading the Series, two games to one, and leading the game, 3-0. It started a two-run rally. The Yankees tied the score in the eighth and won it in the 10th when White walked with one out and scored the winning run on Piniella's single. The Yankees would win the next two games for their second consecutive world championship.
When White retired after the 1979 season, having played his entire 15-year career with the Yankees, he left an impressive resume. He was fifth on the all-time Yankees list of games played (behind Mantle, Gehrig, Berra and Ruth), sixth in at-bats (6,650), eighth in runs (964), eighth in hits (1,803), 10th in doubles (300), 11th in RBIs (758) and second in stolen bases (233).
White was a consistent and durable player who twice played in 162 games in a season, hammered switch-hit home runs in a game five times and switch-hit triples in a game once, is the only Yankees outfielder to field 1.000 for a season (1971), stole home six times, and set an American League record for sacrifice flies with 17 in 1971.
When he first came to the Yankees, White was assigned uniform number 48. After he had established himself as a key player in 1968, Pete Sheehy, the wise old clubhouse man, gave Roy No. 6. The implication was obvious. Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 8 were retired. Number 7 eventually would be. Roy White had earned that superstar distinction.
Joe Torre wears No. 6 now. White will have to get another number. Whatever it is, it's certain he will wear it as he always did, with pride, dignity and class.
Acclaimed author and former Yankees beat writer Phil Pepe is a regular contributor to YES Network Online. His latest work, "The Yankees: An Authorized History of the New York Yankees Centennial Edition," is in bookstores now.