I NEED YOUR HELP! WHO IS THIS YANKEE?

This isn't a contest, but I did want to reach out to my BYB readers because my Uncle is having a helluva time trying to figure out who this New York Yankee is.

You see, he's has had this picture for years, and for years, he's been racking his brain trying to figure out which player it is.  Sadly, I can't tell either, but here's what I was thinking when I was looking at it.

For one, the player looks like he's swinging a bat. Doesn't he? To me, he looks like he's a left-handed batter swinging through, and the only reason why I say that is because of his grimace.  You know that grimace... it's right around the moment your eyes get big enough and you connect with the sweet spot to the ball.

 
I was searching the web. I thought MAYBE, it's Mickey Mantle.  In this picture of Mickey Mantle, the grimace looks similar, but from the opposite side of the plate.  Remember, Mantle was a switch hitter.  Plus, look at those forearms. Similar. That's what I think at least. What do you think?

Then I thought maybe the player isn't swinging at all.  Maybe it's a skipper like Joe McCarthy, the former manager of the Yankees.  Maybe he's in a dugout. His arms are out. Are they leaning on the railing or something. Hey, maybe Ralph Houk? Ahh! It's driving me crazy!

I showed my buddy yesterday. He looked at it and immediately said, Yogi Berra ... and he's swinging a bat. But after further review, it just doesn't look like Yogi.  Look at the way the arms are coming toward the ball. Look at the picture above. To me, and them to my buddy, it just didn't look like a "Yogi-type" swing.

So, I... and my Uncle are wondering... who the hell is this guy?  Is it a Yankee?  The uniform sort of looks like a Yankee uniform.  Could it be Mickey Mantle? Have you ever seen the photo before? What do you think?

I'll tell you what... In an event to put this thing to bed once and for all, I am willing to part with a Bleeding Yankee Blue, size LARGE T-shirt if you can help us find the identity of this baseball player.  I'd love if someone could find the exact photo and description online so we can get a link to it.  Maybe, if you can find it in a history book, take a picture of it.  We really want to know who this athlete is, and like I said, I'll give you a Large Bleeding Yankee Blue T-shirt! I'll even throw in a few wristbands.

Help us out! Thanks!



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THE IRISH, DEREK JETER & AN AWARD NAMED AFTER PETE CALDERA

I thought this was cool and not just because it’s Foley’s NY and not just because it has something to do with Derek Jeter.  I also thought it was a great story because Pete Caldera’s involved… you know I love reading that guy!  Anyway… don’t know what I mean? Check this out:

Back on St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame announced the names of the nominees on the 2014 induction ballot.  They include:

• Derek Jeter 

• David Cone 

• Mike Sweeney

• Kevin Millar

• Roger Bresnahan

• "Big Ed" Delahanty

• Tom Gorman

• Joe McCarthy

• Jack McKeon

• Bill Shea        

• Bill Murray

• Hal McCoy: Cincinnati Reds beat writer 

• Ed Coleman: New York Mets broadcaster

Now here’s where it gets more interesting. This year, The Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame will introduce a new award: The Pete Caldera-Duke Castiglione “I Didn’t Know He Was Irish” Award, which will be presented to an honoree whose Irish roots are not well known. Did you see that? It's the PETE CALDERA-DUKE CASTIGLIONE "I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS IRISH" AWARD.

I mean seriously? I know one thing, when an award is named after me... I know I've pretty much accomplished everything! Congrats to Pete and Duke for that little honor! 

So why the new award? Shaun Clancy, the owner of Foley’s said this of the award: “We all recognize Garvey, O’Malley and O’Neill as Irish surnames, but there are plenty of folks with maternal Irish roots or ancestors whose last names changed through marriage or other reasons.  For this reason, we have created this new award to honor people whose heritage might not be obvious but who are proud of their Irish heritage.” Nice!

Results of the voting will be announced in April.  The induction ceremonies will take place this summer at Foley’s NY Pub & Restaurant (18 W. 33rd St.), which also houses the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame.  If you've never been... you need to go!

When it happens, we’ll tell you all about it. Meanwhile, congratulations to the nominees!

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RACISM KEPT BABE RUTH FROM MANAGING

One of the greatest mysteries in baseball to me has always been why a player like Babe Ruth was never a manager. It seems like a complete no brainer to me. The Sultan of Swat. It's just one of those things that we always wonder about. It's always been assumed that Babe's lifestyle is the reason why owners looked him over. He had a love for food, late nights and women. But when he met and married his wife, Clarie, that all changed. So why, you have to wonder, did the owners still fail to consider him as a manager?

Well, according to the Babe's daughter, Julia Ruth Stevens, the cause for him being blackballed is racism. In an interview with The New York Times, Julia speaks about her father.

"'Daddy really wanted to manage,' she said.

She has a theory different from the commonly held belief as to why her father never had that opportunity. It was believed that Ruth's once-unrestrained lifestyle scared owners. But, after his marriage to Claire seems to calm him, the Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert said: 'I think Ruth will make a splendid manager. He's settled down and he's very serious about his future.'

Stevens said that what truly prevented Ruth from a shot at managing was the fear that he would have brought in black players, years before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. 

'Daddy would have had blacks on his team, definitely,' Stevens said."

I don't know why the idea surprises me. I know what this country was like back then. I am well versed in the struggles that Jackie had to overcome as the first black man in professional baseball. So why does the idea that an entire group of owners would overlook Babe as manager bother me? It is well known that Babe frequented New York City's Cotton Club, and being friends with Bill Robinson, the tap dancer known as Bojangles. He also brought Robinson into the Yankees clubhouse with him in 1932 World Series. 

Stevens also mentioned that her father loved Satchel Paige. Satchel, who had 15-pitch arsenal, did not make it to the majors until he was 42. How different would history be if it were Satchel who broke the color barrier, with Babe pulling for him? Satchel, the hot-tempered pitcher may have also been the first minority to take a bat to someone's head, not Juan Marichal. 

"He really thought he deserved to manage. Daddy knew baseball. He felt he would be a better manager than Joe McCarthy. He always talked about it."

Maybe history was not ready for baseball to be integrated when Babe was around. Maybe a hot-head like Satchel wouldn't have been able to handle the pressure like Jackie did. All things happen in their time, but the idea that the reason that the Babe was overlooked is complete, and utter ignorance is disappointing. I feel robbed! Robbed by not having a baseball history that reflects Babe as an incredible player, and a historic manager. Robbed because Babe never had the chance to lead a team like he wanted to.

I believe this is an excellent lesson for my kids. Always do the right thing. Even when people dislike or overlook you for it, always do the right thing. Your legacy is more important than the judgement of a few small minds. And this just further solidified Babe's legacy of greatness. The game we enjoy now is incredible. In part because men like Babe believed it should be a game for everyone. Because men like Jackie, and Satchel helped fight to make that a reality. And because men like Curtis Granderson, and even Mariano Rivera continue to be leaders by example. 

I hope the Babe is proud of what the game has become.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer

Twitter: @e_morales1804

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!