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163: Bill Virdon - MLB · Sports History Network

0:58
This
0:58
podcast
0:59
is
0:59
part
0:59
of
0:59
the
0:59
Sports
1:00
History
1:00
Network,
1:00
your
1:01
headquarters
1:01
for
1:01
the
1:01
yesteryear
1:02
of
1:02
your
1:02
favorite
1:03
sport.
1:03
You
1:03
can
1:04
learn
1:04
more@sportshistorynetwork.com
1:07
Bill
1:07
Verdon
1:08
had.
1:08
A
1:08
terrific
1:09
career
1:09
as
1:09
a
1:09
baseball
1:10
manager
1:10
for
1:11
several
1:11
teams.
1:12
The
1:12
Pittsburgh
1:13
Pirates,
1:13
New
1:14
York
1:14
Yankees,
1:15
Houston
1:16
Astros
1:16
and
1:16
the
1:17
Montreal
1:17
Expos.
1:18
He
1:19
took
1:19
teams
1:19
that
1:20
were
1:20
on
1:20
the
1:20
cusp
1:21
of
1:21
doing
1:22
something
1:22
great
1:23
and
1:24
helped
1:24
them
1:24
get
1:24
over
1:24
the
1:25
top.
1:26
He
1:26
also
1:26
elevated
1:27
teams
1:27
that
1:28
had
1:28
never
1:29
won
1:29
and
1:30
helped
1:30
them
1:30
get
1:30
into
1:30
the
1:31
playoffs
1:31
for
1:31
the
1:32
first
1:32
time
1:33
ever.
1:34
He
1:34
was
1:35
also
1:35
a
1:36
terrific
1:36
ball
1:37
player
1:38
and
1:38
won
1:38
the
1:39
National
1:39
League
1:39
Rookie
1:40
of
1:40
the
1:40
year
1:41
in
1:41
1955.
1:43
And
1:43
next
1:44
on
1:44
Sports
1:45
Forgotten
1:45
Heroes,
1:46
we'll
1:47
take
1:47
a
1:47
look
1:47
back
1:47
at
1:47
a
1:48
career,
1:49
particularly
1:50
a
1:50
playing
1:51
career,
1:52
that
1:52
is
1:52
largely
1:53
forgotten.
1:54
The
1:54
career
1:55
of
1:55
Bill
1:56
Virdon.
1:57
This
1:58
is
1:58
Sports
1:59
Forgotten
1:59
Heroes,
2:00
a
2:00
tribute
2:00
to
2:01
the
2:01
stars
2:01
who
2:01
shaped
2:02
the
2:02
games
2:02
we
2:02
love
2:02
to
2:03
watch
2:03
and
2:03
the
2:03
games
2:04
we
2:04
love
2:04
to
2:04
play.
2:05
Stars
2:05
who
2:05
provided
2:06
us
2:06
with
2:06
many
2:06
thrills,
2:07
but
2:07
when
2:07
their
2:08
time
2:08
was
2:08
up,
2:08
they
2:09
faded
2:09
away.
2:10
We'll
2:10
take
2:10
a
2:11
look
2:11
back
2:11
at
2:11
their
2:11
spectacular
2:12
careers,
2:12
their
2:13
moments
2:13
of
2:13
fame,
2:14
even
2:14
if
2:14
it
2:14
was
2:14
just
2:14
for
2:15
one
2:15
season
2:15
or
2:16
just
2:16
one
2:16
game.
2:17
And
2:17
now,
2:17
here's
2:18
your
2:18
host,
2:19
Warren
2:19
Rogan.
2:21
Hello
2:21
and
2:21
welcome
2:21
to
2:22
Sports
2:22
forgotten
2:22
heroes.
2:23
Episode
2:24
160,
2:25
1963
2:25
Bill
2:26
Verdon
2:27
if
2:27
you're
2:28
like
2:28
me,
2:28
you
2:28
probably
2:29
remember
2:29
Bill
2:30
Verdon
2:30
as
2:30
a
2:31
no
2:31
nonsense,
2:32
very
2:32
stoic
2:33
manager
2:34
during
2:34
the
2:35
1970s
2:36
and
2:36
1980s
2:37
for
2:38
the
2:38
Pittsburgh
2:38
Pirates,
2:39
New
2:39
York
2:40
Yankees,
2:41
Houston
2:41
Astros
2:42
and
2:42
Montreal
2:43
Expos.
2:44
But
2:45
I
2:45
think
2:46
what
2:46
few
2:47
recall
2:47
is
2:48
his
2:48
terrific
2:49
career
2:50
on
2:50
the
2:50
field
2:51
with
2:51
the
2:51
St.
2:52
Louis
2:52
Cardinals
2:53
and
2:53
the
2:53
Pittsburgh
2:54
Pirates.
2:55
Verden's
2:56
story
2:56
is
2:57
remarkable.
2:58
A
2:58
terrific
2:59
athlete,
3:00
he
3:00
opted
3:01
to
3:01
play
3:01
football,
3:02
basketball
3:03
and
3:03
compete
3:04
in
3:04
track
3:04
and
3:05
field.
3:05
In
3:05
high
3:06
school
3:07
he
3:07
only
3:07
played
3:07
baseball
3:08
recreationally,
3:10
but
3:10
he
3:10
heard
3:10
about
3:10
a
3:11
tryout
3:11
for
3:11
the
3:11
New
3:11
York
3:12
Yankees
3:13
and
3:13
he
3:13
hitched
3:14
a
3:14
ride
3:14
with
3:14
a
3:14
friend
3:15
to
3:15
the
3:15
tryout.
3:16
The
3:16
Yankees
3:17
liked
3:17
what
3:18
they
3:18
saw
3:18
and
3:19
and
3:19
they
3:19
signed
3:19
Verdon.
3:20
Verdin's
3:21
friend,
3:21
though,
3:22
didn't
3:22
meet
3:22
with
3:22
the
3:23
same
3:23
success.
3:25
The
3:25
Yankees,
3:26
however,
3:26
after
3:27
signing
3:27
Verdon,
3:28
they
3:28
didn't
3:28
keep
3:29
him
3:29
around
3:29
for
3:29
long
3:30
and
3:30
they
3:31
traded
3:31
him
3:31
to
3:32
the
3:32
St.
3:32
Louis
3:32
Cardinals,
3:33
where
3:33
he
3:34
won
3:34
Rookie
3:35
of
3:35
the
3:35
year
3:36
in
3:36
1955.
3:39
And
3:39
despite
3:39
that
3:40
honor,
3:41
the
3:41
Cardinals
3:42
didn't
3:42
keep
3:42
Verdon
3:43
around
3:43
for
3:43
long
3:44
either,
3:44
and
3:45
they
3:45
traded
3:45
in
3:45
the
3:46
next
3:46
season
3:47
to
3:47
Pittsburgh,
3:48
where
3:48
he
3:49
established
3:50
himself
3:50
as
3:51
one
3:51
of
3:51
baseball's
3:52
most
3:52
consistent
3:53
and
3:53
solid
3:54
ballplayers
3:55
during
3:55
the
3:55
late
3:56
1950s
3:57
and
3:57
1960s.
3:59
A
3:59
student
4:00
of
4:00
the
4:00
game
4:00
and
4:00
a
4:01
guy
4:01
who
4:01
learned
4:01
under
4:02
the
4:02
great
4:02
Danny
4:03
Murtaugh,
4:04
Verdon,
4:04
after
4:05
his
4:05
playing
4:05
days
4:06
ended,
4:06
became
4:06
a
4:07
manager.
4:07
And
4:08
there
4:08
he
4:08
had
4:08
a
4:09
terrific
4:09
13
4:10
year
4:10
career.
4:11
He
4:11
won
4:12
995
4:13
games
4:13
while
4:13
losing
4:14
921
4:15
and
4:16
led
4:16
his
4:16
teams
4:17
to
4:17
three
4:18
first
4:18
place
4:19
finishes.
4:20
On
4:20
today's
4:20
episode
4:21
of
4:21
Sports
4:21
Forgotten
4:22
Heroes,
4:23
we're
4:23
going
4:23
to
4:23
take
4:23
a
4:23
look
4:24
back
4:24
at
4:24
Verdon's
4:25
playing
4:25
days
4:25
and
4:26
his
4:26
days
4:26
at
4:27
the
4:27
helm
4:27
of
4:28
several
4:28
teams
4:29
with
4:29
my
4:29
guest
4:30
David
4:30
Jerome,
4:31
who
4:31
wrote
4:32
a
4:32
wonderful
4:33
biography
4:33
about
4:34
Verdon
4:34
called
4:35
Bill
4:36
A
4:37
Life
4:37
in
4:37
Baseball.
4:39
Now,
4:39
before
4:39
we
4:39
get
4:39
there,
4:40
a
4:40
few
4:40
notes.
4:40
Please
4:41
follow
4:41
Sports
4:41
Forgotten
4:42
Heroes
4:42
on
4:43
X@SportsF
4:44
Heroes.
4:45
Look
4:45
for
4:46
the
4:46
Sports
4:46
Forgotten
4:47
Heroes
4:47
page
4:47
on
4:48
Facebook
4:49
and
4:49
wherever
4:50
it
4:50
is
4:50
you
4:50
are
4:50
listening,
4:51
please
4:51
hit
4:52
that
4:52
subscribe
4:53
button
4:53
and
4:54
give
4:54
Sports
4:54
Forgotten
4:55
Heroes
4:56
a
4:56
follow
4:56
and
4:57
a
4:57
like.
4:57
And
4:58
if
4:58
you
4:58
can
4:59
and
4:59
you
4:59
have
4:59
the
4:59
time,
5:00
please
5:00
write
5:01
a
5:01
review.
5:02
And
5:02
if
5:02
you
5:02
want
5:02
to
5:02
reach
5:03
out,
5:03
please
5:03
send
5:03
me
5:03
an
5:04
email
5:04
to
5:05
sportsfh.infomail.com
5:09
that's
5:09
sportsfh.info
5:15
as
5:15
always,
5:16
thanks
5:16
for
5:17
your
5:17
support.
5:18
Okay,
5:18
let's
5:19
get
5:19
into
5:19
today's
5:20
show
5:20
with
5:20
my
5:20
guest,
5:21
David
5:21
Jarrell.
5:24
David,
5:25
welcome
5:25
to
5:25
Sports
5:26
Forgotten
5:26
Hero.
5:27
So
5:27
glad
5:27
you
5:28
could
5:28
join.
5:29
Warren,
5:29
it's
5:29
really
5:30
good
5:30
to
5:30
be
5:30
with
5:30
you
5:30
this
5:31
evening.
5:31
I
5:31
appreciate
5:32
the
5:32
opportunity
5:32
to
5:32
speak
5:33
with
5:33
you.
5:33
Awesome.
5:34
Yeah,
5:34
this
5:34
should
5:34
be
5:35
fun.
5:35
Bill
5:35
Verdon,
5:36
I
5:36
remember
5:36
watching
5:37
him
5:37
as
5:38
a
5:38
manager
5:38
with
5:39
the,
5:40
with
5:40
the
5:40
Yankees,
5:41
with
5:41
the
5:42
Astros
5:43
and,
5:44
and
5:44
with
5:44
the
5:44
Expos.
5:45
Don't
5:46
remember
5:46
a
5:46
whole
5:46
lot
5:46
of
5:47
about
5:47
his
5:48
time
5:48
with
5:48
the
5:48
Pirates,
5:49
but
5:51
I
5:51
did
5:52
look
5:52
back.
5:52
I
5:52
have
5:53
a
5:53
baseball
5:53
card
5:53
of
5:54
him
5:54
as
5:54
the
5:54
manager
5:55
of
5:55
the
5:55
Pirates.
5:55
So
5:56
there
5:56
you
5:56
go.
5:58
Where
5:58
does,
5:58
where
5:58
does
5:59
your
5:59
interest
6:00
in
6:00
Bill
6:01
Verdon
6:02
stem
6:02
from?
6:04
Well,
6:04
I
6:04
knew
6:05
him
6:05
and
6:05
his
6:06
wife
6:06
Shirley
6:07
personally.
6:09
We
6:09
met
6:10
here
6:10
in
6:10
Springfield,
6:10
Missouri.
6:12
I
6:12
live
6:13
just
6:13
outside
6:13
of
6:13
Springfield
6:15
and
6:15
we
6:15
attended
6:16
the
6:16
same
6:16
church
6:17
together
6:18
starting
6:19
in
6:19
July
6:19
of
6:20
2019.
6:21
I
6:21
became
6:22
an
6:22
associate
6:23
pastor
6:23
at
6:23
his
6:24
and
6:24
Shirley's
6:25
church.
6:26
I
6:26
was
6:27
told
6:27
that
6:27
there
6:27
was
6:27
a
6:27
former
6:28
major
6:28
league
6:28
baseball
6:29
player
6:29
that
6:29
attended
6:30
that
6:30
church,
6:30
but
6:31
I
6:31
had
6:31
no
6:31
idea
6:32
it
6:32
was
6:32
Bill
6:32
Verdon.
6:33
And
6:33
I
6:34
didn't
6:34
meet
6:34
Bill
6:34
and
6:34
Shirley
6:35
until
6:35
about
6:35
three
6:36
weeks
6:36
after
6:36
I
6:36
started
6:37
there.
6:37
I
6:37
was
6:37
just
6:38
kind
6:38
of
6:38
busy
6:38
getting
6:38
my
6:40
feet
6:40
on
6:40
the
6:40
ground
6:40
there.
6:41
And
6:41
then
6:42
I
6:42
walked
6:42
down
6:42
to
6:42
the
6:43
seniors
6:43
group
6:44
that
6:44
they
6:45
have
6:45
every
6:45
Thursday
6:45
and,
6:46
and
6:46
it
6:47
was
6:47
Bill
6:47
Verdon.
6:48
And
6:48
I
6:48
said,
6:48
oh
6:49
my.
6:49
So
6:50
I
6:50
got
6:50
to
6:50
know
6:51
him
6:51
and
6:51
my
6:51
wife
6:51
and
6:52
I
6:52
got
6:52
to
6:52
know
6:52
him
6:52
and
6:53
Shirley
6:53
pretty
6:54
well
6:54
that
6:55
summer
6:55
and
6:55
fall
6:57
and
6:58
by
6:58
November.
6:59
And
6:59
I
6:59
have
6:59
no
7:00
idea,
7:00
Warren,
7:01
why
7:01
I
7:01
went
7:02
down
7:02
this
7:02
path.
7:04
But
7:04
I
7:04
was
7:04
driving
7:04
up
7:05
to
7:05
a
7:05
meeting
7:05
in
7:05
Columbia,
7:06
Missouri,
7:06
which
7:07
is
7:07
a
7:07
couple
7:07
hours
7:07
from
7:08
here,
7:09
and
7:09
I
7:09
got
7:09
to
7:10
thinking,
7:10
nobody's
7:11
ever
7:11
written
7:11
a
7:11
book
7:12
about
7:12
Bill
7:12
Verdon.
7:13
And
7:14
I
7:14
called
7:15
the
7:15
seniors
7:15
director
7:18
at
7:19
the
7:19
church,
7:20
at
7:20
his
7:20
home
7:20
that
7:21
night.
7:21
And
7:21
I
7:21
said,
7:22
has
7:22
anybody
7:22
ever
7:23
approached
7:23
Bill
7:24
about
7:24
doing
7:25
his
7:25
biography?
7:25
He
7:26
said,
7:26
yeah,
7:26
I
7:26
think
7:26
a
7:26
couple
7:27
of
7:27
people
7:27
have.
7:27
But
7:28
he
7:28
didn't
7:29
like
7:29
their
7:29
motivations
7:30
or
7:30
something.
7:31
And
7:31
he
7:31
declined.
7:32
And
7:33
I
7:33
said,
7:33
well,
7:35
could
7:35
you
7:35
ask
7:35
him,
7:35
what
7:35
do
7:35
you
7:36
think
7:36
about
7:36
me
7:36
doing
7:36
it?
7:37
Since
7:37
you
7:37
know
7:37
him
7:37
better
7:38
than
7:38
I
7:38
do,
7:38
maybe
7:39
you
7:39
can
7:39
run
7:39
it
7:39
by
7:40
him.
7:40
He
7:40
said,
7:40
okay,
7:41
after
7:41
somewhat
7:42
of
7:42
a
7:42
long
7:43
pause.
7:44
And
7:44
then
7:44
the
7:44
following
7:45
week,
7:45
him
7:45
and
7:45
Shirley
7:46
both
7:46
agreed
7:47
for
7:47
me
7:47
to
7:47
do
7:47
it.
7:48
And
7:49
then
7:49
I
7:49
started
7:49
researching.
7:50
And
7:50
I
7:50
knew
7:50
I
7:51
was
7:51
immediately
7:51
in
7:51
over
7:52
my
7:52
head
7:53
based
7:53
on
7:53
everything
7:54
that
7:54
he
7:54
had
7:54
done
7:54
in
7:54
his
7:55
life.
7:55
I
7:56
looked
7:56
at
7:56
my
7:56
wife,
7:57
I
7:57
said,
7:57
what
7:57
did
7:57
I
7:58
just
7:58
get
7:58
myself
7:59
into?
8:00
But
8:00
I
8:00
have
8:00
to
8:00
tell
8:00
you,
8:01
Warren,
8:01
it
8:01
was
8:01
one
8:01
of
8:01
the
8:02
most
8:03
joyful
8:03
things
8:04
I've
8:04
ever
8:04
been
8:04
involved
8:05
in.
8:07
It
8:07
was
8:07
just
8:07
wonderful,
8:08
the
8:08
whole
8:08
thing.
8:09
They
8:10
only
8:10
live.
8:10
They
8:11
only
8:11
lived
8:11
about
8:11
15
8:12
minutes
8:12
from
8:12
where
8:13
we
8:13
live.
8:13
So
8:14
we
8:14
spent
8:14
a
8:15
long
8:15
time,
8:15
a
8:16
lot
8:16
of
8:16
time
8:16
together,
8:17
even
8:17
during
8:17
COVID
8:18
because
8:19
Covid
8:19
started,
8:19
you
8:20
know,
8:20
in
8:20
late
8:20
February
8:21
of
8:21
2020.
8:22
And
8:23
we
8:23
were
8:24
able
8:24
to
8:24
spend
8:24
a
8:24
lot
8:25
of
8:25
time
8:25
because
8:25
we
8:25
didn't.
8:26
We
8:26
didn't
8:26
go
8:26
out
8:27
and
8:27
socialize,
8:27
and
8:27
they
8:28
weren't
8:28
doing
8:28
much
8:28
of
8:29
it.
8:29
So
8:29
we
8:29
felt
8:29
pretty
8:30
safe
8:30
being
8:30
with
8:30
each
8:30
other.
8:32
Yeah.
8:33
Writing
8:34
a
8:34
book
8:34
is
8:36
quite
8:36
the
8:36
undertaking.
8:38
It's
8:38
quite
8:38
the
8:39
experience,
8:40
and
8:40
it
8:41
is
8:41
very
8:42
rewarding.
8:43
So
8:43
kudos
8:44
to
8:44
you.
8:45
Thank
8:45
you.
8:45
I
8:45
appreciate
8:46
it.
8:46
Congratulations
8:47
on
8:47
your
8:48
publication,
8:49
too.
8:49
Coming
8:49
up.
8:50
Thank
8:50
you
8:51
so
8:51
much.
8:52
So
8:53
he
8:54
had
8:55
an
8:55
interesting
8:57
upbringing
8:59
when
8:59
it
8:59
comes
8:59
to
9:00
baseball.
9:02
You
9:03
know,
9:03
he
9:04
didn't
9:04
play,
9:05
at
9:06
least
9:06
the
9:06
way
9:06
I
9:06
understand
9:07
it,
9:07
on
9:07
his
9:08
high
9:08
school
9:08
baseball
9:09
team.
9:09
He
9:10
played
9:10
in
9:10
other
9:11
sports,
9:11
you
9:12
know,
9:12
football
9:13
and
9:14
basketball
9:14
and
9:15
track.
9:16
And
9:17
how
9:18
did
9:18
he
9:19
develop
9:19
his
9:20
baseball
9:20
skills?
9:21
And
9:22
how
9:22
did
9:23
he
9:23
get
9:23
himself
9:23
noticed
9:25
enough
9:25
to
9:26
pursue
9:26
a
9:26
major
9:27
league
9:27
baseball
9:27
career?
9:28
Well,
9:29
that's
9:29
a
9:29
good
9:29
question.
9:30
Yes.
9:30
He
9:31
was
9:31
a
9:31
star
9:31
starting
9:32
quarterback
9:32
for
9:32
the
9:33
football
9:33
team.
9:33
He
9:33
was
9:34
a
9:34
star
9:34
basketball
9:35
player.
9:36
He
9:36
was
9:36
a
9:36
star
9:37
on
9:37
the
9:37
track
9:37
and
9:38
field
9:38
team
9:38
down
9:38
at
9:39
West
9:39
Plains,
9:39
Missouri.
9:41
Just
9:41
a
9:41
little
9:41
side
9:41
point
9:44
the
9:44
spring,
9:44
his
9:45
senior
9:45
year,
9:45
1949,
9:46
in
9:47
high
9:47
school,
9:48
they
9:48
had
9:48
a
9:48
track
9:49
meet
9:49
and
9:49
there
9:49
were
9:50
several
9:50
schools
9:50
involved.
9:51
And
9:51
west
9:51
plains
9:52
came
9:52
in
9:52
first
9:53
place
9:53
with
9:53
91
9:54
total
9:54
points.
9:55
The
9:55
second
9:56
place
9:56
high
9:57
school
9:57
finished
9:58
at
9:58
60
9:58
points.
10:00
Bill
10:01
Verdon
10:01
accounted
10:02
for
10:02
31
10:03
points
10:03
by
10:04
himself.
10:05
Wow.
10:05
In
10:06
four
10:06
different
10:06
events.
10:07
So
10:07
he
10:07
was
10:07
just
10:08
a
10:08
phenomenal
10:08
athlete.
10:10
Well,
10:10
in
10:11
the
10:11
summer
10:11
of
10:11
48,
10:12
between
10:12
his
10:12
junior
10:13
and
10:13
senior
10:13
year,
10:14
Gene
10:14
Richmond,
10:15
a
10:15
friend
10:15
of
10:15
his
10:15
who
10:15
was
10:16
a
10:16
couple
10:16
years
10:16
older,
10:17
was
10:18
heading
10:18
out
10:18
to
10:18
Clay
10:19
Center,
10:19
Kansas,
10:20
to
10:20
play
10:20
amateur
10:21
baseball.
10:22
That's
10:23
northwest
10:24
of
10:24
Manhattan,
10:25
where
10:25
K
10:25
State
10:25
is
10:26
northeast
10:27
of
10:27
Abilene,
10:29
where
10:29
Eisenhower's
10:30
museum
10:30
is.
10:30
But
10:31
anyway,
10:31
Bill
10:32
said
10:32
well,
10:32
can
10:32
I
10:32
ride
10:33
out
10:33
there
10:33
with
10:33
you?
10:33
And
10:33
Gene
10:34
said,
10:34
well
10:34
sure.
10:35
Gene
10:35
had
10:36
had
10:36
a
10:36
car.
10:37
So
10:38
they
10:38
rode
10:38
out
10:38
there
10:39
and
10:40
they
10:40
both
10:41
tried
10:41
out.
10:42
And
10:42
after
10:42
about
10:43
two
10:43
weeks
10:44
Gene
10:44
Richmond
10:45
was
10:45
sent
10:45
back
10:46
home
10:46
and
10:46
they
10:46
kept
10:47
Bill
10:47
Verdon.
10:48
And
10:48
so
10:49
Bill
10:49
had
10:49
to
10:49
get
10:49
a.
10:50
But
10:50
ride
10:50
a
10:50
bus
10:51
back
10:51
eventually
10:51
at
10:52
the
10:52
end
10:52
of
10:52
the
10:52
summer.
10:52
But
10:52
he,
10:53
he
10:53
was
10:53
playing
10:54
shortstop
10:54
at
10:54
Clay
10:55
center
10:55
that
10:55
summer
10:56
and,
10:57
and
10:57
after
10:58
he
10:58
graduated
10:58
from
10:59
high
10:59
school
10:59
the
10:59
following
11:00
year,
11:00
he
11:00
went
11:01
back
11:01
out
11:01
to
11:01
Clay
11:02
Center.
11:03
And
11:04
the
11:04
legendary
11:05
scout
11:06
for
11:06
the
11:06
New
11:06
York
11:06
Yankees,
11:07
Tom
11:07
Greenwade,
11:09
who
11:10
signed
11:11
Mickey
11:11
Mantle
11:13
in
11:13
May
11:14
of
11:14
1949
11:16
with
11:17
a
11:18
fifteen
11:18
hundred
11:18
dollar
11:19
signing
11:19
bonus,
11:20
must
11:20
have
11:20
scouted
11:21
Bill.
11:21
But
11:21
Bill
11:22
doesn't
11:22
remember
11:22
Tom
11:23
being
11:23
out
11:24
there.
11:24
But
11:25
he
11:25
was
11:25
invited
11:26
to
11:26
a
11:26
Yankees
11:27
tryout
11:27
camp
11:27
in
11:28
Branson,
11:28
Missouri
11:29
down
11:29
at
11:29
Bang
11:30
Field
11:30
in
11:31
August
11:31
of
11:31
1949.
11:32
So
11:33
he
11:33
went
11:33
down
11:33
there.
11:34
There's
11:34
about
11:35
125
11:36
young
11:36
men
11:36
that
11:36
were
11:37
invited
11:37
to
11:37
that
11:37
camp.
11:38
And
11:39
at
11:39
the
11:39
end
11:39
of
11:39
that
11:39
two
11:40
week
11:40
camp
11:40
they
11:40
signed
11:41
eight
11:41
of
11:41
them
11:42
and
11:42
Bill
11:42
was
11:42
one
11:43
of
11:43
them.
11:44
And
11:44
they
11:44
gave,
11:44
they
11:45
gave
11:45
him
11:45
an
11:45
eighteen
11:46
hundred
11:46
dollars
11:46
signing
11:47
bonus.
11:49
And
11:49
that's
11:49
where
11:49
he
11:50
also
11:50
met
11:50
his
11:50
really
11:51
good
11:51
friend,
11:51
probably
11:52
his
11:52
best
11:52
friend
11:52
in
11:52
baseball,
11:53
Mel
11:53
Wright,
11:54
who
11:54
was
11:54
a
11:54
pitcher
11:55
from
11:55
Arkansas.
11:56
And
11:57
Mel
11:57
would
11:57
go
11:57
ahead
11:58
and
11:58
be
11:58
Bill's
11:58
pitching
11:59
coach
11:59
when
11:59
Bill
12:00
managed
12:00
the
12:00
Pirates,
12:01
the
12:01
Yankees,
12:01
the
12:01
Astros
12:02
and
12:02
the
12:02
Expos
12:03
later
12:03
on.
12:04
But
12:05
they
12:05
had
12:05
a
12:06
wonderful
12:07
warm
12:07
friendship.
12:08
But
12:09
backing
12:09
up
12:09
just
12:10
a
12:10
second,
12:10
he
12:10
had.
12:11
Bill
12:11
had
12:11
gotten
12:11
a
12:11
scholarship
12:12
to
12:12
play
12:13
basketball
12:14
at
12:14
Drury
12:15
College,
12:15
which
12:15
is
12:16
now
12:16
Drury
12:16
University
12:17
here
12:17
in
12:17
Springfield.
12:19
He
12:19
knew
12:19
full
12:20
well
12:20
that
12:20
he
12:20
was
12:20
only
12:21
going
12:21
to
12:21
go
12:21
that
12:21
one
12:22
semester
12:22
because
12:22
the
12:23
Yankees
12:23
had
12:23
just
12:24
signed
12:24
him
12:25
and
12:25
he
12:26
was
12:26
going
12:26
to
12:26
go
12:26
into
12:26
their
12:27
farm
12:27
system
12:28
after
12:28
the
12:29
first
12:29
of
12:29
the
12:29
year,
12:29
1950.
12:31
So
12:31
that's
12:31
kind
12:31
of
12:32
how
12:32
he
12:32
got
12:32
that.
12:33
He
12:33
got
12:33
noticed
12:33
by
12:33
Tom
12:34
Greenway,
12:35
the,
12:35
the
12:35
agent
12:36
for
12:36
the,
12:37
an
12:37
agent
12:37
for
12:38
the.
12:38
Or
12:38
scout,
12:38
excuse
12:39
me,
12:39
for
12:39
the
12:39
New
12:39
York
12:39
Yankees.
12:41
How
12:41
did
12:41
he,
12:43
or,
12:44
or
12:44
what
12:44
made
12:45
him
12:45
think
12:47
that
12:48
he
12:48
had
12:48
the
12:49
skills
12:50
to
12:50
to
12:50
at
12:50
least
12:50
go
12:51
to
12:51
a
12:51
tryout?
12:52
I
12:52
mean,
12:52
was
12:52
he
12:53
playing
12:54
in
12:54
recreational
12:55
ball
12:55
or
12:56
something?
12:56
I
12:56
mean,
12:57
out
12:57
of
12:57
all
12:58
positions,
12:58
shortstop.
12:59
Talk
13:00
to
13:00
me
13:00
about
13:00
that.
13:01
Where
13:01
did,
13:01
where
13:02
did
13:02
his,
13:03
his
13:03
skills,
13:03
how
13:04
did
13:04
he
13:04
develop
13:04
those
13:05
skills
13:07
that
13:07
were
13:07
good
13:07
enough
13:08
to
13:08
be
13:09
discovered?
13:10
Bill
13:11
was
13:11
born
13:11
in
13:11
Hazel
13:12
Park,
13:12
Michigan,
13:13
which
13:13
is
13:13
northwest
13:14
of
13:14
Detroit,
13:15
and
13:16
they
13:16
lived
13:16
up
13:16
there
13:17
until
13:17
bill
13:17
was
13:17
about
13:18
12
13:18
or
13:18
13
13:19
years
13:19
old.
13:20
But
13:21
legend
13:21
has
13:21
it
13:22
Bill
13:22
went
13:22
to
13:22
his
13:22
very
13:23
first
13:23
baseball
13:24
game
13:24
at
13:24
Tiger
13:24
Stadium
13:25
when
13:25
he
13:25
was
13:25
one
13:26
week
13:26
old.
13:27
And
13:27
so
13:28
his
13:28
his
13:28
dad
13:29
and
13:29
mom
13:29
encouraged
13:30
him
13:31
in
13:31
all
13:32
sports
13:32
pretty
13:33
much
13:33
especially
13:33
his
13:34
dad
13:34
Charlie.
13:35
But
13:36
Bill
13:37
was
13:37
just
13:37
very
13:37
athletic.
13:38
He
13:38
was
13:38
a
13:38
gifted
13:39
athlete
13:40
and
13:40
even
13:40
though
13:41
that
13:41
the
13:41
West
13:41
Plains
13:42
didn't
13:42
have
13:42
a
13:42
baseball
13:43
program
13:43
in
13:44
the
13:44
school
13:44
system
13:44
at
13:45
that
13:45
point,
13:45
he
13:45
played
13:46
town
13:46
ball
13:47
all
13:47
the
13:47
time
13:47
during
13:48
the
13:48
summer
13:49
and
13:49
he
13:49
was
13:49
able
13:50
to
13:50
hone
13:50
his
13:50
skills.
13:51
He
13:51
practiced,
13:52
he
13:52
practiced
13:53
hard
13:55
throughout
13:56
the
13:56
week
13:56
or
13:56
wherever,
13:57
but
13:58
he
13:58
developed
13:58
his
13:58
skills.
13:59
He
13:59
was
13:59
pretty
13:59
much
14:00
self
14:00
made.
14:00
He
14:00
was
14:01
able
14:01
to
14:01
watch
14:01
others
14:03
and
14:03
learn
14:03
from
14:04
them.
14:05
But
14:05
yeah,
14:06
he
14:07
wanted
14:07
to
14:07
be
14:07
a
14:07
shortstop.
14:10
But
14:10
he
14:10
went
14:10
to
14:10
independence
14:11
Kansas
14:12
in
14:12
1950
14:13
to
14:13
play
14:14
for
14:14
the,
14:15
in,
14:15
in
14:15
the
14:15
D
14:16
league
14:16
over
14:16
there
14:16
for
14:16
the,
14:17
for
14:17
the
14:18
Yankees.
14:19
Bunny
14:20
Mick
14:20
was
14:20
his
14:20
manager
14:21
and
14:22
Bunny's
14:22
the
14:22
one
14:22
that
14:23
put
14:23
him
14:23
in
14:23
center
14:23
field
14:24
and
14:24
that's
14:24
where
14:24
he
14:25
stayed
14:25
the
14:25
rest
14:25
of
14:25
his
14:25
career
14:26
in
14:26
beginning
14:27
in
14:27
the
14:27
summer
14:27
of
14:27
1950.
14:30
So,
14:31
so
14:31
he
14:31
gets,
14:32
he
14:32
gets
14:32
signed
14:32
by
14:33
the
14:33
Yankees
14:36
but
14:36
he
14:36
doesn't
14:37
play
14:37
for
14:37
the
14:37
Yankees.
14:38
They,
14:38
he's
14:39
playing
14:39
in
14:39
their
14:39
farm
14:39
system.
14:40
Yeah,
14:41
he,
14:41
they
14:41
ultimately
14:42
put
14:43
him
14:43
in
14:43
a
14:43
deal
14:46
and
14:46
he
14:47
gets
14:47
traded
14:47
to
14:47
the
14:48
Cardinals
14:48
for,
14:48
you
14:49
know,
14:49
slaughter.
14:52
Yeah.
14:53
So,
14:53
so
14:54
why
14:54
did
14:54
the
14:54
Yankees
14:56
what
14:56
did
14:56
the
14:56
Cardinals
14:57
see
14:57
inverted
14:59
and,
15:00
and
15:00
how
15:00
did
15:00
he
15:01
end
15:01
up,
15:01
you
15:01
know,
15:04
with,
15:04
with
15:04
St.
15:05
Louis?
15:06
Well,
15:07
I
15:07
don't
15:07
know
15:07
all
15:07
the
15:07
details
15:08
behind
15:08
that,
15:09
but
15:10
somewhere
15:11
along
15:11
the
15:11
line
15:12
they
15:13
decided
15:14
that
15:15
Ena's
15:15
Slaughter
15:16
maybe
15:16
should
15:18
they
15:18
want
15:18
to
15:19
start
15:19
rebuilding
15:19
the
15:20
tame
15:20
team
15:20
when
15:21
the
15:21
youth
15:21
movement
15:21
type
15:22
of
15:22
thing.
15:22
And
15:22
Bill
15:22
was
15:23
still
15:23
pretty
15:23
young
15:23
at
15:23
that
15:24
point.
15:24
Mel
15:24
Wright
15:25
also
15:25
got
15:25
traded
15:26
with
15:26
Bill
15:26
and
15:26
I
15:26
think
15:27
Littlefield
15:27
also
15:27
went
15:28
over
15:28
there
15:28
with
15:28
him
15:31
and,
15:31
but
15:32
Bill
15:33
was
15:33
so
15:33
talented.
15:35
What
15:35
happened
15:36
was
15:38
they
15:38
got.
15:38
He,
15:39
he
15:39
went
15:39
to,
15:41
to
15:41
St.
15:41
Louis
15:43
after
15:43
he
15:44
played
15:44
in
15:44
1955
15:45
as
15:45
an
15:45
NL
15:46
Rookie
15:46
of
15:46
the
15:46
year.
15:48
But
15:48
he
15:48
would
15:48
play
15:49
to
15:49
Rochester,
15:49
New
15:50
York
15:51
for
15:51
the
15:51
Redbirds.
15:52
The
15:52
year
15:52
before,
15:52
after
15:53
he
15:53
got
15:53
traded
15:55
from,
15:56
from,
15:57
from
15:57
New
15:58
York
15:59
he
15:59
went
15:59
down
15:59
to
16:00
New
16:00
York.
16:00
He
16:00
went
16:00
to
16:01
New
16:01
York
16:02
spring
16:02
training
16:04
and
16:04
he's
16:04
out
16:04
there
16:04
in
16:05
the
16:05
outfield
16:05
with
16:05
Hank
16:05
Bauer,
16:06
Mickey
16:06
Mantle
16:07
and
16:07
a
16:08
couple
16:08
of
16:08
other
16:08
folks.
16:09
He's
16:09
out
16:09
there
16:09
shagging
16:10
balls,
16:11
you
16:11
know,
16:11
taking
16:12
turns.
16:12
They
16:12
were
16:13
doing
16:13
batting
16:13
practice
16:14
in
16:14
the
16:14
infield
16:15
and
16:16
somehow
16:16
as
16:16
Bill's
16:17
turn
16:17
to
16:17
catch
16:18
a
16:18
ball
16:18
and
16:18
he's
16:19
all
16:19
business
16:19
on
16:19
the,
16:20
on
16:20
the
16:20
ball
16:20
field
16:21
and,
16:24
and
16:24
he
16:24
knew
16:25
that
16:25
as
16:25
long
16:25
as
16:25
Mickey
16:26
Mantle
16:26
was
16:26
in
16:27
center
16:27
field,
16:27
he
16:27
was
16:28
not
16:28
going
16:28
to
16:28
have
16:28
a
16:28
chance
16:29
to
16:29
play
16:29
in
16:29
the
16:29
outfield.
16:30
And
16:31
so
16:31
it
16:31
was
16:31
his
16:31
turn
16:32
to
16:32
catch
16:32
the
16:32
ball.
16:32
He
16:33
was
16:33
thinking
16:34
about
16:34
his
16:34
cutoff
16:34
man.
16:35
He
16:35
didn't
16:35
realize
16:36
that
16:36
Casey
16:37
Stengel
16:37
had
16:37
gotten
16:38
between
16:38
him
16:38
and
16:38
the
16:39
cutoff
16:39
man
16:40
and
16:40
his
16:40
Back
16:40
was
16:41
to
16:41
Bill.
16:41
And
16:41
Bill
16:41
hit
16:42
him
16:42
right
16:42
between
16:42
the
16:43
numbers
16:43
and
16:43
knocked
16:43
him
16:43
to
16:44
the
16:44
turf.
16:45
And
16:45
Hank
16:45
Bauer
16:46
and
16:46
Mantle
16:47
and
16:47
everybody
16:47
else,
16:48
they
16:48
just
16:48
dropped
16:48
to
16:48
the
16:49
turf
16:49
and
16:49
they
16:49
were
16:49
pointing
16:50
up
16:50
at
16:50
Bill
16:50
Verdon.
16:51
He
16:51
did
16:51
it.
16:51
He
16:51
did
16:51
it.
16:52
And
16:52
Bill
16:52
said,
16:53
I
16:53
got
16:53
traded
16:53
two
16:54
weeks
16:54
later
16:54
to
16:54
the
16:54
St.
16:55
Louis
16:55
Cardinals.
16:57
And
16:58
and
16:58
so
16:59
how
16:59
that
16:59
all
17:00
came
17:00
to
17:00
be,
17:00
I
17:01
don't
17:01
know
17:01
for
17:02
sure,
17:03
but
17:03
they
17:03
sent
17:04
him
17:04
right
17:04
off
17:04
to
17:04
Rochester
17:05
and
17:05
he
17:05
was
17:05
the
17:06
International
17:06
League
17:07
hitting
17:08
champion
17:08
that
17:09
year.
17:09
I
17:09
mean,
17:09
he
17:09
had
17:10
a
17:10
remarkable
17:10
year
17:11
hitting
17:12
that
17:12
year.
17:12
Then
17:13
he
17:13
went
17:13
to
17:13
winter
17:13
ball
17:13
down
17:14
in
17:14
Cuba
17:14
that
17:14
fall.
17:15
Winter,
17:16
excuse
17:16
me.
17:17
And
17:17
that's
17:17
where
17:17
he
17:17
met
17:17
Kenny
17:18
Boyer
17:18
and
17:18
they
17:19
became
17:19
good
17:19
friends.
17:20
And
17:20
the
17:20
Cardinals
17:21
were
17:21
scouting
17:21
him
17:22
the
17:22
whole
17:22
time
17:22
he
17:22
was
17:22
at
17:22
winter
17:23
ball.
17:23
And
17:23
they
17:23
just
17:23
love.
17:24
And
17:24
there
17:25
was
17:25
no
17:25
question
17:25
they
17:26
were
17:26
going
17:26
to
17:26
take
17:26
him
17:26
to
17:27
St.
17:27
Louis
17:28
at
17:28
the
17:28
beginning
17:29
of
17:29
the
17:29
55
17:29
season
17:30
out
17:30
of
17:30
spring
17:31
training.
17:32
Yeah,
17:32
I
17:33
mean
17:33
he
17:33
had
17:33
a.
17:34
Some
17:34
pretty
17:35
good
17:35
years
17:35
in
17:35
the
17:35
minors.
17:36
In
17:36
54,
17:37
as
17:37
you
17:37
said,
17:37
he
17:38
had
17:38
333
17:39
with
17:39
Rochester.
17:41
And
17:41
then
17:41
he
17:41
winds
17:42
up
17:42
with
17:42
the
17:42
Cardinals
17:44
again.
17:44
Going
17:44
back
17:45
to
17:45
the
17:45
fact
17:47
he
17:47
basically
17:47
played
17:48
recreational
17:49
ball,
17:50
works
17:50
his
17:51
way
17:51
up
17:51
to
17:51
the
17:51
major
17:52
leagues.
17:53
This
17:53
game
17:53
is
17:53
easy.
17:54
He's
17:54
the
17:55
National
17:55
League
17:55
rookie
17:56
of
17:56
the
17:56
year.
17:56
He
17:56
hits
17:57
281,
17:58
cranks
17:59
17
18:00
homers,
18:01
knocks
18:01
in
18:02
68.
18:03
Tell
18:03
me
18:03
about
18:04
that
18:05
rookie
18:06
year
18:06
and
18:07
maybe
18:08
even
18:08
what
18:09
made
18:09
it
18:09
so
18:10
significant
18:11
beyond
18:11
those
18:12
numbers.
18:13
Well,
18:13
his
18:14
range
18:14
factor
18:14
for
18:15
one
18:15
thing,
18:15
Warren,
18:15
he
18:16
had
18:16
an
18:16
incredible.
18:17
He
18:17
was
18:17
fast,
18:19
he
18:19
had
18:19
an
18:19
incredible
18:20
arm.
18:20
He
18:20
had.
18:21
And
18:21
like
18:21
Dick
18:21
Grove
18:22
told
18:22
me,
18:23
I
18:23
talked
18:23
to
18:23
him
18:25
for
18:25
this
18:25
book
18:25
that
18:26
I
18:26
wrote
18:26
and
18:26
I
18:26
talked
18:27
to
18:27
him
18:27
a
18:27
couple
18:27
of
18:27
weeks
18:27
before
18:28
he
18:28
passed
18:28
away.
18:30
His
18:30
in,
18:31
he
18:31
was
18:31
so
18:32
intuitive
18:33
in
18:33
the
18:33
outfield.
18:35
He
18:36
kind
18:36
of.
18:36
He
18:37
had
18:37
an
18:37
instinct
18:38
about
18:38
him
18:39
that
18:40
no
18:40
one
18:40
could
18:40
really
18:40
put
18:40
their
18:41
finger
18:41
on.
18:41
And
18:41
so
18:42
beyond
18:42
the
18:43
statistics
18:43
and
18:43
everything
18:44
else,
18:44
and
18:44
as
18:45
a
18:45
defensive
18:45
player,
18:46
he
18:46
just
18:47
had
18:47
an
18:47
incredible
18:48
instinct
18:49
about
18:49
him.
18:50
His
18:50
range
18:50
factor
18:51
was
18:51
off,
18:52
off
18:52
the
18:52
charts.
18:54
So
18:54
that
18:54
was
18:54
good.
18:55
He's
18:55
also
18:55
a
18:55
good
18:55
clutch
18:56
hitter
18:56
on
18:57
the
18:57
offensive
18:57
side
18:59
with
18:59
the
18:59
Pirates.
19:00
Later
19:00
on
19:00
when
19:00
he
19:00
got
19:01
traded
19:01
in
19:01
56,
19:02
early
19:02
56,
19:03
he
19:04
became
19:04
the
19:04
leadoff
19:05
hitter
19:05
and
19:05
Dick
19:06
Groat
19:06
would
19:06
follow
19:07
him.
19:07
And
19:08
so
19:08
it
19:09
is
19:09
basically
19:10
a
19:10
hit
19:10
run
19:10
combination
19:11
between
19:11
the
19:12
two
19:12
of
19:12
them.
19:13
Bill,
19:13
you
19:14
know,
19:14
he
19:14
had
19:14
what,
19:14
a
19:15
267
19:15
career
19:16
batting
19:16
average
19:16
or
19:17
something
19:17
like
19:17
that
19:17
and
19:17
only
19:18
nine
19:18
191
19:19
homers.
19:20
But.
19:21
But
19:21
he,
19:21
he
19:21
could.
19:22
And
19:22
they
19:22
called
19:23
him
19:23
the
19:23
Quail
19:24
because
19:24
Bob
19:25
Prince,
19:25
the
19:25
sportscaster
19:26
for
19:26
the
19:26
Pittsburgh
19:27
Pirates
19:27
said
19:28
every
19:28
time
19:28
he
19:28
hit
19:28
a
19:28
ball
19:28
looked
19:29
like
19:29
it
19:29
was
19:29
a
19:29
covey
19:30
a
19:30
quail.
19:30
Coming
19:31
out.
19:31
And
19:32
so
19:32
he
19:32
would
19:32
just
19:33
kind
19:33
of
19:33
bounce
19:33
it
19:33
out
19:33
of
19:33
the,
19:34
out
19:34
in
19:34
the
19:34
output
19:35
in
19:35
the.
19:36
From
19:36
the
19:36
infield
19:36
to
19:37
the
19:37
outfield,
19:37
and
19:38
he'd
19:38
be
19:38
able
19:38
to
19:38
hit
19:39
it
19:39
well
19:39
enough
19:39
to
19:39
get
19:39
a
19:40
base
19:40
hit.
19:41
But,
19:41
yeah,
19:42
he
19:42
just
19:42
had.
19:42
And
19:43
the
19:43
Cardinals
19:44
thought
19:44
so
19:44
much
19:44
of
19:45
him
19:45
when
19:46
they
19:46
watched
19:46
him
19:47
in
19:47
winter
19:48
ball
19:48
and
19:48
then
19:49
in
19:49
spring
19:49
training
19:50
that
19:50
they
19:50
thought
19:51
so
19:51
much
19:51
of
19:51
him.
19:51
They
19:51
put
19:52
Stan
19:52
Musil
19:52
on
19:53
first
19:53
base,
19:53
brought
19:53
him
19:54
out,
19:54
brought
19:54
him
19:54
in
19:55
from
19:55
the
19:55
outfield,
19:55
made
19:55
room
19:56
for
19:56
Bill
19:56
Verdon
19:56
in
19:57
center
19:57
field,.
19:59
And
19:59
yet
20:01
he
20:01
wins
20:02
Rookie
20:02
of
20:02
the
20:02
Year.
20:03
He's
20:03
a
20:03
natural.
20:03
He's
20:04
obviously
20:04
a
20:04
natural
20:05
athlete.
20:06
Displaces,
20:06
as
20:07
you
20:07
said,
20:07
Stam
20:08
Musial.
20:10
And
20:10
then
20:10
the
20:10
following
20:11
season,
20:11
they
20:11
traded.
20:12
Why?
20:15
Well,
20:15
the
20:16
story
20:16
behind
20:16
that
20:17
is
20:18
that
20:20
Frank
20:21
the
20:21
Trader
20:22
Lane,
20:22
he
20:23
basically
20:23
had
20:24
went
20:24
to
20:24
a
20:24
ball
20:25
game
20:25
with
20:25
Joel
20:26
Brown,
20:26
the
20:26
general
20:26
manager
20:27
of
20:27
the
20:27
Pittsburgh
20:28
Pirates,
20:28
and
20:29
they
20:29
were
20:29
in
20:29
the
20:29
game
20:29
and
20:30
he
20:30
observed,
20:31
I
20:31
guess,
20:32
Bobby
20:32
Del
20:32
Greco,
20:33
the
20:33
center
20:33
fielder
20:34
for
20:34
the
20:34
Pirates,
20:34
he
20:35
hit
20:35
two
20:35
home
20:35
runs
20:36
in
20:36
one
20:36
game.
20:37
And
20:38
Bill
20:38
didn't
20:38
get
20:38
off
20:39
to
20:39
the
20:39
best
20:39
start
20:40
in
20:40
the.
20:40
During
20:41
the
20:41
56
20:41
season
20:42
with
20:42
the
20:42
Cardinals.
20:43
But
20:44
Trader
20:44
Lane
20:44
was
20:45
so
20:46
impressed
20:46
by
20:47
Del
20:47
Greco
20:47
hitting
20:48
those
20:48
two
20:48
homers
20:49
in
20:49
the
20:49
same
20:49
game,
20:50
they
20:50
decided
20:50
to
20:51
trade
20:52
and
20:53
Bill
20:53
Verdon.
20:53
And
20:54
so
20:55
that's
20:55
the
20:55
only
20:56
reason
20:56
that
20:56
Bill
20:56
got.
20:57
Because
20:57
who
20:57
else
20:57
would
20:58
trade
20:58
the
20:58
rookie,
20:59
the
20:59
55
20:59
rookie
21:00
of
21:00
the
21:00
Year
21:00
at
21:00
the
21:00
beginning
21:01
of
21:01
the
21:01
next
21:01
season?
21:02
But
21:02
Trader
21:03
Lane
21:03
did
21:03
that.
21:04
And
21:05
just
21:05
kind
21:06
of
21:06
a
21:06
funny
21:06
story
21:06
behind
21:07
that.
21:08
At
21:08
that
21:08
time
21:09
they
21:09
were
21:09
on
21:09
the
21:09
road.
21:10
The,
21:10
the
21:11
Cardinals
21:11
were
21:11
on
21:11
the.
21:12
On
21:12
an
21:12
east
21:12
coast
21:12
swing.
21:13
I
21:13
think
21:13
they
21:13
were
21:13
getting
21:13
ready
21:14
to
21:14
play
21:14
Philadelphia.
21:15
I'm
21:15
not
21:15
sure.
21:16
But
21:17
Shirley
21:18
Verdon
21:18
was
21:19
at
21:19
the
21:19
hospital
21:19
with
21:20
her
21:20
daughter,
21:20
and
21:20
she
21:21
was
21:21
getting
21:21
ready
21:21
to
21:21
have
21:21
a
21:21
tonsillectomy
21:22
over
21:22
in
21:23
Poplar
21:23
Bluff,
21:23
Missouri.
21:24
Shirley
21:25
had
21:25
no
21:25
idea
21:26
what
21:26
had
21:26
happened
21:27
the
21:27
night
21:27
before
21:28
because
21:28
Bill
21:28
found
21:29
out
21:29
the
21:29
night
21:29
before
21:29
that
21:30
he
21:30
was
21:30
going
21:30
to
21:31
be
21:31
traded.
21:32
And
21:32
so
21:33
they
21:33
had
21:34
this
21:34
little
21:34
music
21:34
box
21:35
on
21:35
the
21:35
railing
21:35
of
21:36
the
21:36
hospital
21:36
beds,
21:37
and
21:39
Shirley
21:39
put
21:39
a
21:40
nickel
21:40
or
21:40
a
21:40
dime
21:41
in
21:41
there
21:41
just
21:41
to
21:41
entertain
21:42
Deborah,
21:42
who
21:43
was
21:43
only,
21:43
what,
21:44
three
21:44
years
21:44
old
21:44
or
21:44
something
21:45
like
21:45
that,
21:46
maybe?
21:47
Yeah,
21:47
three
21:47
years
21:48
old.
21:48
And
21:49
the
21:49
news
21:49
comes
21:50
on.
21:51
The
21:51
1955
21:52
NL
21:53
Rookie
21:53
of
21:53
the
21:53
Year,
21:53
Bill
21:54
Verdon,
21:54
has
21:54
been
21:54
traded
21:55
to
21:55
the
21:55
Pittsburgh
21:56
Pirates.
21:56
That's
21:57
how
21:57
Shirley
21:57
found
21:57
out.
22:02
Bill
22:02
didn't.
22:02
Bill
22:02
was
22:03
rooming
22:03
with
22:03
Kenny
22:04
Boyer
22:04
on
22:04
the
22:04
road,
22:05
and
22:05
it
22:05
was
22:05
late
22:06
when
22:06
he
22:06
found
22:06
out.
22:07
And
22:07
he
22:07
didn't
22:07
want
22:08
to
22:08
bother
22:08
Shirley
22:08
the
22:09
night
22:09
before
22:09
because
22:09
he
22:09
knew
22:10
she
22:10
had
22:10
to
22:10
get
22:10
up
22:10
and
22:10
take
22:11
Debbie
22:11
to
22:11
the
22:11
hospital
22:11
the
22:12
next
22:12
day.
22:15
Well,
22:15
they
22:15
were
22:15
devastated.
22:16
They
22:16
didn't.
22:16
They
22:16
wanted
22:17
to
22:17
be
22:17
in
22:17
St.
22:17
Louis
22:18
for
22:18
their
22:18
whole
22:18
Major
22:19
League
22:19
baseball
22:19
career.
22:20
Well,
22:21
he
22:21
never
22:21
made
22:22
it
22:22
back
22:22
to
22:22
St.
22:22
Louis,
22:23
but
22:23
he
22:23
sure
22:23
spent
22:24
a
22:24
lot
22:24
of
22:24
time
22:24
in
22:25
Pittsburgh.
22:26
Yes,
22:26
he
22:26
did.
22:26
Yeah.
22:27
Ten
22:27
seasons
22:28
in
22:28
the
22:28
center
22:28
field
22:28
with
22:29
next
22:29
to
22:29
Roberto
22:29
Clemente.
22:30
Yeah.
22:31
I
22:31
mean,
22:31
and
22:32
he.
22:32
He
22:32
was
22:33
a
22:33
good
22:33
ball
22:33
player,
22:34
especially
22:34
that
22:34
first
22:35
year
22:35
with
22:35
Pittsburgh.
22:36
While
22:36
he
22:36
did
22:37
get
22:37
off
22:37
to
22:37
a
22:37
slow
22:38
start
22:38
with
22:38
St.
22:38
Louis,
22:39
I
22:39
think
22:39
was
22:40
only
22:40
hitting.211
22:41
through
22:41
24
22:42
games.
22:43
I
22:43
mean,
22:43
he
22:43
lit
22:44
the
22:44
world
22:44
on
22:44
fire
22:45
when
22:45
he
22:45
got
22:45
to
22:46
St.
22:46
Louis.
22:47
He
22:47
played
22:47
towards
22:48
St.
22:48
Louis.
22:49
319.
22:50
319
22:50
at
22:51
Pittsburgh.
22:52
Yeah.
22:52
I
22:52
mean,
22:54
with,
22:54
with.
22:55
I
22:55
mean
22:55
with
22:55
Pittsburgh.
22:56
I
22:56
mean,
22:57
he
22:57
had
22:57
one
22:58
heck
22:58
of
22:58
a
22:58
year.
22:58
He
22:59
hit.334
23:01
actually
23:02
for
23:02
the
23:03
Pirates
23:03
that
23:03
year
23:04
and,
23:05
and,
23:05
and.
23:06
But
23:06
averaged
23:06
out
23:07
to.319
23:08
and
23:09
he
23:10
had
23:10
MVP,
23:11
MVP
23:12
votes.
23:13
So
23:13
he
23:13
adapted
23:14
quite
23:15
well
23:15
to
23:16
Pittsburgh
23:16
and
23:16
they
23:17
weren't
23:17
an
23:18
awful
23:18
team.
23:19
And
23:19
he
23:19
was
23:20
part
23:20
of
23:20
the
23:21
team
23:21
that
23:22
ultimately
23:23
made
23:23
it
23:24
to
23:24
the
23:24
1960
23:26
World
23:26
Series.
23:27
And
23:28
he
23:28
was
23:28
an
23:28
integral
23:29
part
23:29
of
23:30
that.
23:31
Tell
23:32
us
23:32
about
23:33
the
23:33
drive
23:34
to
23:35
1960.
23:37
And.
23:40
How
23:40
integral
23:41
that
23:41
season
23:42
was
23:42
to
23:42
Bill
23:43
Verdin's
23:43
career.
23:45
Well,
23:45
backing
23:45
up
23:46
just
23:46
a
23:46
second
23:46
to
23:46
1956,
23:47
he
23:48
was
23:48
in.
23:48
He
23:48
was
23:49
in
23:49
a
23:49
race
23:50
with
23:50
Hank
23:50
Aaron
23:51
for
23:51
the
23:51
Bat
23:51
NL
23:52
batting
23:53
title.
23:53
In
23:54
56,
23:55
he
23:55
came
23:55
in
23:55
second
23:56
behind
23:56
Henry.
23:57
Hank
23:57
Aaron,
23:58
I
23:58
think
23:58
Hank
23:59
Aaron
23:59
was
23:59
at
23:59
3,
24:00
328
24:01
or
24:01
329.
24:02
Bill
24:02
came
24:02
in
24:02
at
24:02
319.
24:04
And
24:04
so
24:04
he
24:04
was.
24:05
He
24:05
finished
24:05
second
24:05
for
24:06
the
24:06
batting
24:06
title
24:07
that
24:07
year.
24:08
But
24:08
moving
24:09
forward,
24:09
Danny
24:10
Murtaugh
24:10
took
24:11
over
24:11
as
24:11
manager
24:12
of
24:12
the
24:12
Yankees
24:13
about
24:13
mid
24:14
season,
24:14
I
24:14
believe
24:15
in
24:15
1950,
24:16
something
24:16
like
24:16
that.
24:17
And
24:18
Bill
24:18
just
24:18
absolutely
24:19
admired
24:20
and
24:21
adored.
24:22
You
24:22
mean
24:22
he
24:23
took
24:23
over.
24:23
He
24:23
took
24:23
over
24:24
the
24:24
Pirates?
24:25
Yes.
24:25
Yes.
24:26
What
24:26
did
24:27
I
24:27
say?
24:27
Y.
24:28
Yeah.
24:29
No,
24:29
I
24:29
meant
24:29
the.
24:29
No,
24:30
I
24:30
meant.
24:30
I
24:30
meant
24:30
the
24:30
Pirates,
24:31
of
24:31
course.
24:33
But
24:33
Bill
24:33
told
24:34
me
24:35
at
24:35
the
24:35
beginning
24:36
of
24:36
the
24:36
1960
24:37
season,
24:38
following
24:38
the
24:38
59
24:39
season,
24:39
where
24:39
they
24:39
didn't
24:40
do
24:40
too
24:40
bad
24:42
at
24:42
the
24:42
start
24:43
of
24:43
the
24:43
1960
24:44
season,
24:44
he
24:45
said,
24:45
David,
24:45
in
24:45
the
24:46
clubhouse,
24:47
we
24:47
just
24:47
knew
24:48
it
24:48
was
24:48
going
24:48
to
24:49
be
24:49
our
24:49
year
24:50
after
24:50
all
24:51
those
24:51
years
24:51
of
24:52
being
24:52
also
24:52
ran.
24:54
And
24:54
so
24:55
sure
24:55
enough,
24:55
I
24:55
mean,
24:56
they,
24:56
they.
24:56
It
24:56
was
24:57
just
24:57
an
24:57
electric
24:58
year.
24:58
I
24:58
mean
24:58
it
24:58
was.
24:59
Dick
24:59
Groat
24:59
was
25:00
the
25:00
mvp.
25:00
I
25:00
mean
25:00
it
25:00
was
25:01
just
25:01
an
25:01
incredible
25:02
year
25:02
for
25:02
the.
25:03
For
25:03
the
25:03
Pirates
25:03
that
25:04
season.
25:04
And
25:05
then
25:05
to
25:05
go
25:05
up
25:05
against
25:06
the
25:06
mighty
25:06
Yankees
25:08
in
25:08
the
25:08
Fall
25:08
Classic
25:09
was
25:09
something
25:09
else.
25:10
But
25:10
as
25:11
far
25:11
as
25:11
Bill,
25:11
he
25:12
was
25:12
a.
25:12
There
25:12
were
25:13
two
25:13
games
25:13
in
25:13
the
25:14
1960
25:14
World
25:15
Series.
25:15
To
25:15
me,
25:15
that
25:16
made
25:17
Bill
25:17
Verdon
25:20
unquestionably
25:21
a
25:21
very
25:21
good
25:23
Elite
25:23
player.
25:24
The
25:24
first.
25:25
The
25:25
first
25:26
game,
25:27
Yogi
25:27
Berra
25:28
there,
25:28
I
25:28
think
25:28
Mickey
25:29
Mantle
25:29
and
25:29
Roger
25:30
Maris
25:30
were
25:30
on
25:30
base.
25:32
Riogi
25:33
Berra
25:33
hits
25:33
what
25:33
was
25:34
the.
25:34
For
25:34
sure
25:35
a
25:36
double
25:36
hit
25:36
to
25:37
right
25:37
center
25:37
field.
25:39
And
25:39
of
25:39
course,
25:40
Roberto
25:40
Clemente
25:41
and
25:41
Bill
25:41
are
25:42
running
25:42
for
25:42
the
25:42
ball.
25:43
Bill
25:43
actually
25:45
cuts
25:45
into
25:45
the
25:46
left,
25:46
left
25:48
leather
25:48
cleat
25:49
of
25:49
Roberto
25:50
Clemente's
25:50
when
25:51
they're
25:51
both
25:51
going
25:51
for
25:51
the
25:52
ball
25:52
and
25:53
Bill
25:53
catches
25:53
it.
25:55
That
25:55
was
25:55
game
25:55
one.
25:57
In
25:57
game
25:58
four,
25:58
Bob
25:59
Serve
25:59
also
26:00
hit
26:00
a
26:00
double.
26:01
And
26:01
Bill
26:02
said
26:02
that
26:02
by
26:02
far
26:03
was
26:03
the
26:03
more
26:03
acrobatic
26:05
catch
26:05
that
26:05
he
26:06
made
26:06
between
26:07
those
26:07
two.
26:08
But
26:08
they
26:08
were
26:08
both.
26:09
They
26:09
both
26:09
were
26:10
very
26:11
instrumental
26:12
in
26:12
the.
26:12
In
26:12
the
26:12
Pirates
26:13
winning
26:13
both
26:13
of
26:13
those
26:14
games.
26:14
If
26:15
Bill
26:15
had
26:15
not
26:15
made
26:16
those
26:16
two
26:16
catches
26:17
in
26:17
those
26:17
two
26:17
games,
26:18
I
26:18
think
26:18
the
26:19
outcome
26:19
of
26:19
the
26:19
World
26:19
Series
26:20
would
26:20
have
26:20
been
26:20
much
26:20
different.
26:22
And
26:22
then,
26:22
of
26:22
course,
26:24
Tony
26:25
Kubect's
26:26
incident
26:26
in
26:27
the
26:27
final
26:27
game.
26:27
And
26:28
bottom
26:28
of
26:28
the
26:28
eighth
26:29
inning
26:29
in
26:29
game
26:29
seven,
26:31
Bill
26:31
was
26:31
up
26:31
there
26:31
at
26:32
bat.
26:32
And
26:32
he
26:32
hits
26:33
what
26:33
was
26:33
sure,
26:33
for
26:34
sure,
26:34
an
26:35
out
26:36
to
26:36
shortstop.
26:37
But
26:38
the
26:38
ball
26:38
bounces
26:39
off
26:39
the
26:39
turf
26:39
and
26:40
hits
26:40
Tony
26:40
Kubec
26:41
in
26:41
the
26:41
throat.
26:42
And
26:43
Bill
26:43
makes
26:43
it
26:43
safely
26:44
to
26:44
first
26:44
base,
26:45
which
26:45
opens
26:45
up
26:46
a
26:46
rally
26:46
with
26:47
Hal
26:47
Smith
26:47
bringing
26:48
in
26:48
three
26:48
runs.
26:50
And
26:51
the
26:51
whole
26:51
thing
26:52
changes
26:52
from
26:52
that
26:53
point
26:53
on.
26:53
But
26:54
Tony
26:54
Kubec
26:55
got
26:55
hit
26:55
in
26:55
the
26:55
throat,
26:56
spitting
26:56
up
26:56
blood.
26:57
Didn't
26:57
want
26:58
to
26:58
leave
26:58
the
26:58
game,
26:58
but
26:58
they
26:59
made
26:59
him
26:59
leave.
27:00
They
27:00
take
27:01
him
27:01
into
27:01
the
27:01
locker
27:02
room,
27:02
lay
27:02
him
27:02
out
27:02
on
27:03
the
27:03
table.
27:03
You
27:04
know,
27:04
he
27:04
goes
27:04
to
27:04
the
27:05
hospital,
27:05
spends
27:05
the
27:06
night
27:06
after
27:06
the
27:06
World
27:07
Series
27:07
is
27:07
over.
27:08
Mickey
27:09
Mantle's
27:09
in
27:09
tears
27:10
because
27:10
that's
27:10
his
27:10
good
27:11
friend.
27:12
But
27:13
a
27:13
lot
27:13
of
27:13
people
27:13
don't
27:14
talk
27:14
about
27:14
that
27:14
particular
27:15
play.
27:15
They
27:15
talk
27:16
about
27:16
Danny
27:16
Murtaugh's
27:17
walk
27:17
off
27:17
homer
27:17
in
27:18
the
27:18
ninth.
27:19
But
27:19
Bill
27:19
made
27:20
a
27:20
name
27:20
for
27:20
himself,
27:20
everybody
27:21
that.
27:21
I
27:22
mean.
27:22
Bill
27:23
Mazeroski's
27:24
walk.
27:24
What
27:24
did
27:24
I
27:24
say?
27:25
Danny
27:26
Murtaugh.
27:27
No,
27:27
no,
27:27
no,
27:27
no,
27:28
no.
27:28
Bill.
27:29
Bill
27:29
Maseraski,
27:30
who
27:30
we
27:30
recently
27:31
lost.
27:31
Yeah.
27:32
I'm
27:32
sorry,
27:32
I
27:32
must
27:32
be
27:32
getting
27:33
old.
27:34
Bill.
27:35
Bill
27:35
Mazeroski,
27:36
of
27:36
course.
27:36
We
27:36
just
27:37
lost
27:37
him
27:37
not
27:37
too
27:37
long
27:37
ago.
27:38
Of
27:38
course.
27:41
How
27:41
did.
27:42
We're
27:43
gonna.
27:43
You
27:43
know,
27:45
I
27:46
always
27:46
say
27:46
this.
27:47
I
27:47
don't
27:47
go
27:47
through
27:48
everything
27:48
in
27:48
detail
27:49
in
27:49
the
27:49
book.
27:50
If
27:50
I
27:50
do.
27:51
And
27:51
there's
27:51
no
27:51
reason
27:51
to
27:52
buy
27:52
the
27:52
book,
27:53
so
27:53
we
27:53
jump
27:54
around
27:54
a
27:54
little.
27:55
How
27:55
did.
27:56
How
27:56
did
27:58
Verdon
27:59
get
27:59
along
28:00
with
28:00
his
28:00
teammates?
28:02
Oh,
28:02
they
28:03
loved
28:03
him,
28:03
respected
28:04
him,
28:04
and
28:04
he
28:04
did
28:04
them
28:04
as
28:05
well.
28:05
That
28:05
was
28:05
a
28:06
really
28:06
close
28:06
knit,
28:07
tight
28:07
ball
28:08
club,
28:10
you
28:10
know.
28:10
Bob
28:10
Skinner
28:11
in
28:11
left
28:11
field,
28:11
Roberto
28:12
Clemente
28:12
in
28:13
right,
28:14
Dick
28:14
Grote
28:15
short,
28:15
Danny
28:15
Murtaugh
28:17
second,
28:18
Don
28:20
Hok
28:20
at
28:20
Third
28:22
house,
28:22
you
28:22
know,
28:22
House
28:23
Smith,
28:23
catcher,
28:23
on
28:24
and
28:24
on
28:24
and
28:24
on.
28:25
Bob
28:25
Friend,
28:27
Roy
28:27
Face
28:28
the,
28:29
you
28:29
know,
28:30
Vern
28:30
Law.
28:31
The
28:31
whole
28:31
team
28:32
got
28:32
along
28:32
very,
28:33
very
28:33
well.
28:34
I'm
28:34
not
28:34
aware
28:34
of
28:35
any
28:35
incident
28:36
where
28:36
there's
28:36
any
28:37
angst
28:37
or
28:37
anything
28:38
on
28:38
that
28:38
team.
28:39
During
28:40
the
28:40
time
28:40
that
28:40
Bill
28:40
was
28:40
a.
28:41
Player,
28:42
he,
28:43
he
28:43
had
28:43
some
28:44
really
28:44
good
28:44
seasons.
28:46
You
28:46
know,
28:46
1960,
28:47
the
28:48
big
28:48
year,
28:48
he
28:49
hit
28:49
264.
28:52
He.
28:54
Ate
28:54
homers,
28:55
40
28:55
rubies.
28:56
I
28:56
mean
28:56
he
28:56
was
28:56
just,
28:57
I
28:57
call
28:58
him
28:58
just
28:58
a
28:59
solid
29:00
all
29:00
around
29:01
baseball
29:02
player
29:03
and
29:03
obviously
29:04
a
29:05
student
29:05
of
29:05
the
29:05
game.
29:06
And
29:06
it's
29:07
just
29:07
again
29:07
so
29:08
funny
29:08
that
29:08
this
29:09
is
29:09
a
29:09
guy
29:10
that
29:10
did
29:10
not
29:10
play
29:11
baseball
29:12
in
29:12
high
29:12
school.
29:13
He
29:13
played
29:14
the
29:14
other
29:14
sports
29:16
and
29:17
played
29:17
recreationally,
29:19
but
29:19
was
29:20
such
29:20
a
29:21
good
29:22
athlete
29:23
that
29:23
he,
29:24
he,
29:24
he
29:25
gets
29:25
discovered
29:26
and
29:27
goes
29:27
on
29:27
to
29:27
have
29:28
a
29:28
solid
29:29
major
29:29
league
29:29
career.
29:30
For
29:30
his
29:30
career,
29:31
he
29:31
hit.267,
29:33
91
29:34
home
29:35
runs,
29:36
had
29:36
an
29:37
on
29:37
base
29:37
percentage
29:39
of
29:39
316.
29:40
I
29:40
mean
29:40
the
29:41
guy
29:42
today's
29:43
numbers,
29:44
the
29:44
his
29:44
OPS
29:45
was
29:45
89.
29:47
I
29:47
mean
29:47
OPS
29:48
plus
29:48
89.
29:49
I
29:49
mean
29:50
a
29:50
good
29:51
ballplayer,
29:51
Rookie
29:52
of
29:52
the
29:52
year,
29:52
won
29:53
a
29:53
gold
29:53
glove.
29:56
But
29:57
I
29:57
think
29:58
deep
29:58
down
29:58
inside
30:00
all
30:00
this
30:00
he's
30:01
studying
30:01
and
30:01
learning
30:02
and
30:02
he's
30:03
learning
30:03
from
30:03
a
30:03
great
30:04
manager,
30:04
Danny
30:05
Murtaugh.
30:06
And
30:06
ultimately
30:07
this
30:07
is
30:07
what
30:07
he
30:08
wants
30:08
to
30:08
do.
30:09
He
30:10
wants
30:10
to
30:10
become
30:11
a
30:11
manager.
30:12
What
30:13
was
30:13
it
30:13
about
30:14
managing
30:14
that
30:15
so
30:15
intrigued
30:16
Bill
30:16
Vernon?
30:18
Well,
30:19
he
30:19
knew
30:20
that
30:20
his
30:20
playing
30:21
career
30:21
was
30:21
limited,
30:22
like
30:22
every
30:22
ballplayer
30:24
and
30:24
he
30:24
knew
30:24
he
30:24
wanted
30:25
to
30:25
go
30:25
into
30:25
coaching
30:26
or
30:27
something
30:27
like
30:27
that
30:28
eventually
30:29
and
30:29
why
30:29
not
30:29
stay
30:30
in
30:30
the
30:30
major
30:30
leagues
30:31
and
30:31
coach.
30:33
And
30:33
so
30:33
he
30:33
knew
30:34
that
30:34
he
30:34
was
30:34
probably
30:35
going
30:35
to
30:35
have
30:36
to
30:36
by
30:36
the,
30:36
by
30:37
the,
30:37
in
30:37
1964
30:39
at
30:39
the
30:39
end
30:39
of
30:39
the
30:39
season,
30:40
he
30:40
told
30:40
Shirley
30:41
back
30:41
home
30:41
here
30:41
in
30:41
Springfield,
30:42
he
30:42
says,
30:42
I
30:43
think
30:43
next
30:43
year
30:43
is
30:43
going
30:43
to
30:44
be
30:44
my
30:44
last
30:44
year.
30:46
He
30:46
said,
30:46
I
30:46
just
30:46
don't
30:47
feel
30:47
I've
30:47
got
30:48
a
30:48
hundred
30:48
percent
30:48
because
30:49
Bill
30:49
had
30:49
high
30:49
expectations
30:50
of
30:51
his
30:51
performance
30:51
and,
30:52
and
30:52
he
30:52
just
30:53
felt
30:53
at
30:53
that
30:54
point,
30:55
33,
30:56
34
30:56
years
30:57
old,
30:57
that
30:57
he
30:57
was
30:59
not
30:59
able
31:00
to
31:00
give
31:00
quite
31:01
as
31:01
much
31:01
as
31:01
he
31:01
thought
31:02
he
31:02
should.
31:03
And
31:03
so
31:03
he
31:03
started
31:04
thinking
31:04
about
31:04
coaching
31:05
and
31:05
I
31:05
think
31:05
he
31:05
approached
31:06
the
31:06
Pirates
31:07
organization
31:08
in
31:08
65
31:09
about
31:09
the
31:09
idea
31:10
of
31:10
being
31:11
on
31:11
their
31:11
coaching
31:11
staff.
31:13
Joel
31:13
Brown,
31:14
for
31:14
some
31:14
reason
31:15
I
31:16
know
31:16
Joe
31:16
thought
31:16
a
31:16
lot
31:16
of
31:17
Bill
31:17
Burden.
31:19
Joel
31:20
Brown
31:20
did
31:21
not
31:21
make
31:21
room
31:21
for
31:22
Bill
31:22
to
31:23
be
31:23
added
31:24
to
31:24
their
31:24
coaching
31:25
staff
31:25
the
31:26
at
31:26
the
31:26
end
31:26
of
31:26
the
31:26
65
31:27
season.
31:29
So
31:29
he
31:29
was
31:30
looking
31:30
elsewhere,
31:30
different
31:31
organizations
31:32
and
31:32
he
31:33
ended
31:33
up
31:33
joining
31:34
the
31:34
New
31:34
York
31:34
Mets
31:35
organization.
31:36
He
31:36
became
31:37
the
31:37
manager
31:38
of
31:39
Williamsport,
31:40
the
31:40
Double
31:40
A
31:40
affiliate
31:41
up
31:41
in
31:41
Williamsport,
31:42
Pennsylvania
31:44
in
31:44
66.
31:45
And
31:46
that's
31:46
where
31:46
he
31:46
first
31:46
met
31:47
Nolan
31:47
Ryan,
31:47
who
31:48
was
31:48
very
31:48
young.
31:50
And
31:50
then
31:50
the
31:50
following
31:51
year
31:51
he
31:52
got
31:52
elevated
31:53
to
31:53
go
31:53
down
31:53
to
31:53
Jacksonville
31:54
to
31:54
the
31:54
AAA
31:55
affiliate,
31:55
the
31:55
Jacksonville
31:56
Suns.
31:57
And
31:59
in
32:00
the
32:00
fall
32:01
of
32:01
67,
32:03
sure
32:03
enough,
32:04
the
32:04
Pirates
32:05
hired
32:05
him
32:06
as
32:06
a
32:06
hitting
32:06
coach.
32:07
And
32:08
he
32:08
stayed
32:08
with
32:09
the
32:09
Pirates
32:09
from
32:10
that
32:10
point
32:10
on
32:10
as
32:11
in
32:11
some
32:11
capacity
32:12
as
32:12
a
32:12
coach
32:13
getting
32:13
elevated
32:15
by
32:15
the
32:15
time
32:15
they
32:16
get
32:16
to
32:16
the
32:16
World
32:16
Series
32:16
against
32:17
the
32:17
Baltimore
32:17
Orioles,
32:19
gets
32:19
elevated
32:19
to
32:22
be
32:22
the,
32:24
the
32:24
bench
32:25
coach
32:25
under
32:25
Danny
32:26
Murtaugh.
32:28
And
32:28
Danny
32:29
Murtaugh
32:29
pretty
32:30
much
32:30
made
32:30
the
32:30
comment
32:31
that
32:31
Bill
32:31
Verdon
32:32
gets
32:32
it.
32:32
In
32:32
other
32:33
words,
32:33
he
32:33
knows
32:34
he
32:35
could
32:35
be
32:35
a
32:35
manager
32:36
on
32:36
any
32:36
club,
32:36
basically.
32:37
And
32:38
so
32:38
I
32:38
think
32:38
with
32:38
that
32:38
kind
32:39
of
32:39
an
32:39
endorsement,
32:40
when
32:40
Danny
32:41
finally
32:41
decided
32:42
to
32:42
retire,
32:43
Danny
32:43
wasn't
32:43
in
32:43
the
32:44
best
32:44
of
32:44
health
32:44
by
32:45
the
32:45
end
32:45
of
32:46
the
32:46
71
32:46
season.
32:47
And
32:47
so
32:48
Bill
32:48
was
32:48
over
32:48
in
32:48
Puerto
32:49
Rico
32:50
managing
32:50
a
32:51
team
32:51
in
32:51
winter
32:51
ball.
32:52
And
32:52
he
32:52
gets
32:53
notified
32:53
that
32:54
they
32:54
would
32:54
like
32:54
for
32:54
him
32:55
to
32:55
be
32:55
the
32:55
manager
32:56
for
32:56
the
32:56
Pittsburgh
32:57
Pirates
32:58
starting
32:58
with
32:59
the
32:59
72
32:59
season.
33:01
Yeah,
33:01
I
33:02
mean,
33:02
the
33:02
Pirates
33:02
were
33:02
a
33:03
good
33:03
team,
33:03
there's
33:04
no
33:04
doubt
33:04
about
33:04
it.
33:05
I
33:05
mean,
33:07
they
33:07
won
33:08
the
33:08
national
33:08
league
33:09
East
33:09
in
33:09
1970
33:10
under
33:11
Murtaugh.
33:12
They
33:12
won
33:13
the
33:13
National
33:13
League
33:14
east.
33:15
The
33:15
National
33:15
League.
33:16
They
33:16
won
33:16
the
33:16
World
33:16
Series
33:17
in
33:17
1971
33:19
under
33:19
Murtaugh.
33:22
And
33:23
in
33:23
1972,
33:24
Murtaugh
33:25
gets
33:26
ill,
33:27
Verdon
33:27
takes
33:28
over,
33:28
and
33:29
he
33:30
leads
33:30
the
33:31
team
33:33
into
33:33
the
33:33
playoffs
33:34
against
33:35
the
33:36
Big
33:36
Red
33:36
machine.
33:37
I
33:37
mean,
33:38
Pittsburgh,
33:38
Pittsburgh
33:39
had
33:39
a
33:39
heck
33:40
of
33:40
a
33:40
year.
33:40
96
33:41
and
33:41
59.
33:44
You
33:44
know,
33:44
they
33:44
took
33:45
the
33:45
Reds
33:45
at
33:45
that
33:46
time
33:46
it
33:46
was
33:46
a
33:46
five
33:46
game
33:47
series.
33:48
The
33:49
National
33:49
League
33:50
Championship
33:51
Series
33:51
again.
33:52
Back
33:52
then
33:52
it
33:52
was.
33:53
You
33:53
only
33:53
had
33:53
four
33:54
divisions
33:54
yet.
33:55
The
33:55
National
33:55
League
33:56
East,
33:56
National
33:57
League
33:57
West,
33:58
American
33:58
League
33:58
East,
33:59
American
33:59
League
34:00
west.
34:01
And
34:02
the
34:02
winner
34:03
of
34:03
each
34:03
division
34:04
played
34:04
each
34:04
other
34:05
in
34:05
the
34:05
Championship
34:06
Series
34:06
and
34:07
then
34:07
moved
34:07
on
34:07
to
34:08
the,
34:08
to
34:09
the
34:09
World
34:09
Series.
34:11
So
34:11
the
34:12
Pirates
34:12
lost
34:12
to
34:13
the
34:13
Reds
34:13
in,
34:14
in,
34:14
in
34:15
72,
34:16
and
34:16
the
34:16
Reds
34:17
ultimately
34:17
lost
34:18
to
34:18
the
34:18
Oakland
34:19
Athletics.
34:20
Their
34:20
first
34:21
three
34:21
straight
34:22
World
34:23
Championships
34:24
for
34:24
the,
34:24
for
34:24
the
34:25
aids.
34:26
But
34:27
what,
34:27
what
34:28
qualities
34:30
did
34:31
Verdin
34:32
pick
34:32
up
34:33
from
34:33
Murtaugh
34:35
that
34:35
he
34:36
included
34:36
in
34:37
his
34:37
style
34:38
of
34:39
managing?
34:40
You
34:40
know,
34:41
that's
34:41
a,
34:41
that's
34:41
a
34:42
question
34:42
I've
34:42
been
34:42
asked
34:43
before.
34:43
And
34:43
I
34:44
can
34:44
tell
34:44
you
34:44
that
34:47
Bill
34:48
probably
34:48
picked
34:49
up
34:49
something
34:50
he
34:50
probably,
34:50
he
34:50
learned
34:51
well
34:51
under
34:51
Myrtle.
34:52
I'll
34:52
just
34:52
say
34:53
that.
34:54
But
34:54
at
34:54
the
34:54
same
34:55
time,
34:55
Bill
34:55
Verdon
34:56
was
34:56
his
34:56
own
34:57
person.
34:59
He
34:59
didn't
34:59
parrot
35:00
Danny
35:01
Murtaugh.
35:01
I
35:02
mean,
35:02
he
35:02
didn't
35:03
want
35:03
to
35:03
be
35:04
Danny
35:04
Murtaugh
35:05
2.0.
35:06
He
35:07
was
35:07
Bill
35:07
Verdon
35:08
and
35:09
the
35:09
team
35:10
respected
35:10
him.
35:11
Like
35:12
Dick
35:13
Grote
35:13
told
35:13
me,
35:13
he
35:14
said,
35:14
David,
35:14
when
35:14
Bill
35:14
was
35:15
in
35:15
the
35:15
outfield.
35:16
He
35:16
was
35:16
a
35:16
coach
35:17
in
35:17
the
35:17
outfield
35:18
as
35:18
much
35:18
as
35:18
he
35:18
was
35:18
a
35:19
player.
35:20
Because
35:20
of
35:20
his
35:20
instinct
35:21
and
35:21
everything
35:21
else,
35:22
he
35:22
was
35:22
able
35:22
to
35:23
work
35:23
with
35:23
Bob
35:24
Skinner
35:24
and
35:24
even
35:25
Roberto
35:25
Clemente,
35:26
and
35:26
he
35:26
would.
35:27
And
35:27
he
35:27
would
35:27
back
35:28
up
35:29
Mazeroski
35:30
and
35:30
Grove.
35:31
You
35:31
know,
35:31
when
35:31
the
35:31
ball
35:32
went
35:32
through,
35:32
they
35:32
knew
35:33
that
35:33
Bill
35:33
Verdon
35:33
was
35:33
going
35:33
to
35:34
be
35:34
on
35:34
Johnny
35:34
on
35:35
the
35:35
spot
35:35
out
35:35
there.
35:37
But
35:37
he
35:37
had
35:37
natural
35:38
leadership
35:39
abilities.
35:39
I
35:39
think
35:40
just
35:40
as
35:40
much
35:40
as
35:41
his
35:41
athletic
35:41
abilities
35:42
were
35:42
natural.
35:44
I
35:44
don't.
35:45
You
35:45
know,
35:45
he
35:45
was
35:45
a
35:45
very
35:46
driven
35:46
individual.
35:47
He
35:47
wanted
35:48
perfection
35:48
in
35:48
himself
35:49
and
35:49
others.
35:50
That
35:51
didn't
35:51
go
35:51
well
35:51
when
35:51
he
35:52
went
35:52
over
35:52
to
35:52
the
35:52
Yankees
35:52
eventually,
35:53
that.
35:53
That
35:53
work
35:54
ethic
35:54
he
35:54
had.
35:55
But
35:55
he
35:55
had
35:55
a
35:55
very
35:56
powerful
35:56
work
35:56
ethic.
35:58
And
35:59
if
35:59
he
35:59
thought
35:59
you
35:59
were
36:00
slacking
36:00
off,
36:00
I
36:01
mean,
36:01
he'd
36:01
let
36:01
you
36:01
know
36:01
about
36:02
it.
36:03
Danny
36:05
did
36:05
the
36:05
same
36:05
thing,
36:06
but
36:06
I
36:06
think
36:07
Bill
36:07
was
36:08
even
36:08
a
36:08
little
36:08
bit
36:08
more
36:09
aggressive
36:09
in
36:09
that
36:10
area.
36:10
I
36:10
mean,
36:10
he
36:10
wanted
36:11
people
36:11
to
36:11
give
36:11
it
36:11
all
36:12
on
36:12
the
36:12
field.
36:14
And
36:14
I
36:14
don't,
36:14
you
36:14
know,
36:15
Danny
36:15
may
36:15
have
36:15
wanted
36:16
the
36:16
same
36:16
thing.
36:16
I
36:17
don't
36:17
know.
36:18
Bill
36:18
never
36:19
really
36:19
told
36:19
me
36:19
that,
36:20
but
36:20
he
36:20
just
36:20
said
36:21
he
36:21
was
36:21
the
36:21
best.
36:22
You
36:22
know,
36:22
he
36:22
just
36:22
considered
36:23
Danny
36:23
Murchaugh
36:24
the
36:24
best
36:24
manager
36:25
that
36:25
he
36:25
ever
36:25
played
36:26
for.
36:29
Verdon
36:30
must
36:30
have
36:31
had
36:32
such
36:32
great
36:33
respect
36:35
throughout
36:35
the
36:36
game
36:36
because
36:38
he
36:38
finishes,
36:39
he
36:39
wins
36:39
the
36:39
National
36:40
League
36:40
east
36:40
his
36:41
first
36:41
year
36:41
as
36:41
a
36:41
manager.
36:43
Pirates
36:43
don't
36:44
do
36:44
all
36:44
that
36:44
well
36:45
the
36:45
second
36:45
year,
36:46
1973.
36:48
No,
36:48
they
36:49
don't.
36:49
There's
36:49
a
36:49
couple
36:49
of
36:50
reasons
36:50
for
36:50
that.
36:50
Yeah.
36:51
So
36:51
take
36:51
me.
36:52
What
36:52
happened
36:53
in
36:53
73?
36:54
Well,
36:54
on
36:54
December
36:55
31,
36:56
1972,
36:56
Roberto
36:57
Clemente
36:58
died
36:58
tragically
36:59
in
36:59
a
36:59
plane
37:00
crash
37:00
off
37:00
the
37:00
coast
37:00
of
37:01
Puerto
37:01
Rico
37:01
after
37:02
taking
37:03
supplies
37:03
aid
37:04
to
37:04
Nicaragua.
37:06
And
37:07
they
37:07
were
37:07
never
37:07
able
37:08
to
37:08
recover
37:09
his
37:09
body.
37:11
To
37:11
this
37:11
day.
37:12
To
37:12
this
37:12
day.
37:13
Yeah.
37:13
Right.
37:13
And
37:14
so
37:15
they.
37:15
A
37:15
whole
37:16
contingent
37:17
to
37:18
include
37:18
the
37:18
commissioner,
37:19
I
37:19
believe
37:20
it
37:20
was
37:20
Bowie
37:20
K.
37:21
They
37:21
all
37:21
flew
37:21
to
37:21
Puerto
37:22
Rico
37:22
for
37:22
a
37:22
memorial
37:23
service.
37:24
It
37:24
devastated
37:25
the
37:25
locker
37:25
room
37:25
in
37:26
Pittsburgh
37:28
and
37:28
certainly
37:28
the
37:29
fans
37:29
of
37:29
Pittsburgh.
37:31
Another
37:31
thing
37:31
that
37:32
happened
37:33
was
37:34
the
37:34
issue
37:35
surrounding
37:36
Steve
37:36
Blass,
37:37
the
37:37
pitcher.
37:38
Steve
37:38
Blass
37:39
was
37:39
a
37:39
remarkable
37:40
pitcher.
37:40
You
37:41
know,
37:41
he
37:41
was
37:41
a
37:41
hero
37:42
during
37:42
the
37:42
71
37:43
World
37:43
Series.
37:43
There's
37:43
no
37:44
question
37:44
about
37:44
it.
37:44
He
37:44
had
37:45
a
37:45
good
37:45
year
37:45
in
37:45
72.
37:46
But
37:46
for
37:47
some
37:47
reason,
37:48
even
37:48
Steve
37:49
Blast
37:49
told
37:49
me
37:50
this
37:50
when
37:50
I
37:50
was
37:50
interviewing
37:51
him
37:51
at.
37:51
In
37:51
Pittsburgh
37:52
in
37:53
my
37:53
hotel
37:53
room.
37:54
Is
37:54
that
37:55
basically
37:55
he
37:56
acquired
37:56
what
37:56
was
37:57
what
37:57
became
37:57
known
37:58
as
37:58
the
37:58
Steve
37:58
Blast
37:59
disease.
38:00
For
38:00
some
38:00
reason,
38:00
he
38:01
couldn't
38:01
get
38:01
the
38:01
ball
38:02
over
38:02
the
38:02
plate.
38:04
And
38:04
so
38:04
he
38:04
was
38:05
really
38:05
suffering.
38:06
That
38:06
probably
38:06
cost
38:07
the
38:07
Pirates
38:08
over
38:08
20
38:09
games
38:09
in
38:09
73.
38:11
That
38:12
would
38:12
have
38:12
made
38:12
the
38:12
difference
38:13
perhaps
38:14
in
38:14
their
38:14
season,
38:15
if
38:15
Steve
38:16
was
38:17
on
38:17
top
38:17
of
38:17
everything,
38:19
no
38:19
one
38:19
could
38:19
ever
38:20
figure
38:20
out
38:20
what.
38:21
And
38:21
Steve
38:21
to
38:21
this
38:21
day
38:22
doesn't
38:22
know
38:22
what
38:23
happened,
38:25
but
38:25
it.
38:25
But
38:26
Bill
38:28
still
38:29
thought
38:29
highly
38:30
of
38:30
Steve.
38:31
But
38:32
by
38:32
August
38:33
of
38:33
that
38:33
year,
38:33
it
38:33
cost
38:34
Bill
38:34
Verdon
38:34
his
38:34
job.
38:35
And.
38:36
But
38:36
later
38:36
on,
38:36
Joel
38:37
Brown
38:37
would
38:38
say
38:38
it
38:39
was
38:39
a
38:39
mistake
38:40
to
38:40
have
38:40
fired
38:40
Bill
38:41
Verdon.
38:42
It
38:42
wasn't
38:42
his
38:42
fault.
38:43
I
38:43
mean,
38:44
he
38:44
was
38:44
just
38:44
so,
38:45
so
38:45
well
38:45
respected
38:46
in
38:46
the
38:47
game.
38:47
Sure
38:48
enough,
38:48
Danny
38:49
Murtaugh
38:49
comes
38:50
back
38:50
to
38:51
replace.
38:52
To
38:52
replace
38:52
Bill
38:53
Verdin.
38:54
You
38:55
know,
38:55
he
38:55
dealt
38:56
with
38:56
the
38:57
incredible
38:58
tragedy
38:59
of,
39:00
of
39:00
Clemente,
39:02
Steve
39:03
Glass
39:04
just
39:05
forgetting
39:05
how
39:06
to
39:06
pitch,
39:06
I
39:06
guess.
39:08
The
39:08
pirates
39:08
are
39:09
67
39:10
and
39:10
69
39:12
and
39:12
they
39:13
let
39:13
Verdon
39:14
go.
39:14
He
39:15
was
39:15
not
39:15
unemployed
39:16
for
39:16
very
39:16
long
39:17
because
39:18
in
39:18
1974,
39:21
the
39:21
Yankees
39:22
decide,
39:23
let's
39:23
bring
39:24
in
39:24
Bill
39:24
Verton
39:25
to
39:25
manage
39:25
the
39:25
team.
39:26
And
39:26
he
39:26
does
39:27
a
39:27
pretty
39:27
good
39:28
job.
39:29
The
39:29
Yankees
39:29
go
39:30
89
39:30
and
39:31
73
39:32
finish
39:33
in
39:33
second
39:33
place.
39:34
Tell
39:34
me
39:35
about
39:35
that
39:35
first
39:36
experience
39:37
he
39:37
had
39:38
with
39:38
George
39:39
Steinbrenner
39:40
and
39:40
managing
39:41
the
39:41
New
39:41
York
39:41
Yankees.
39:43
Well,
39:43
during
39:44
winter
39:44
meetings
39:45
down
39:45
in
39:45
Houston.
39:46
In
39:47
December
39:48
73,
39:48
Bill
39:49
was
39:49
en
39:49
route
39:50
to
39:50
Denver
39:50
to
39:52
the
39:52
AAA
39:52
affiliate
39:53
for
39:53
the
39:53
Astros
39:54
to
39:54
be
39:54
the
39:54
manager
39:55
out
39:55
there.
39:55
But
39:55
he
39:55
never
39:56
made
39:56
it
39:56
to
39:56
Denver.
39:58
Somewhere
39:59
along
39:59
the
39:59
line,
40:00
Gabe
40:00
Paul
40:01
or
40:01
somebody
40:01
phoned,
40:02
called
40:02
him
40:02
and
40:02
asked
40:03
him
40:03
if
40:03
he
40:03
would
40:03
like
40:03
to
40:04
come
40:04
in
40:04
for
40:05
an
40:05
interview
40:07
for
40:07
the
40:07
manager
40:08
position
40:08
in,
40:10
in
40:10
New
40:10
York.
40:11
And
40:11
Bill
40:11
said,
40:12
yeah.
40:12
And
40:12
so
40:12
he
40:13
gets
40:13
on
40:13
and
40:13
before
40:14
he
40:14
leaves
40:14
the
40:14
house
40:14
here
40:15
in
40:15
Springfield,
40:16
the
40:16
only
40:16
thing
40:16
that
40:16
Shirley
40:17
says
40:17
to
40:17
him,
40:18
remember,
40:19
money's
40:19
not
40:20
everything.
40:21
So
40:21
he
40:22
arrives
40:22
in,
40:23
in
40:23
New
40:23
York,
40:24
I
40:24
think
40:24
it
40:24
was
40:24
January
40:25
3rd,
40:26
goes
40:26
into
40:27
discussions
40:28
with
40:29
Gay
40:29
Paul
40:30
and
40:31
they
40:32
come
40:32
to
40:32
terms.
40:33
And
40:33
the
40:33
next
40:34
day,
40:34
on
40:35
January
40:35
4th,
40:35
I
40:36
believe
40:36
it
40:36
was,
40:37
George
40:37
Steinbrenner
40:38
introduces
40:39
him
40:39
as
40:40
his
40:40
new
40:40
manager,
40:42
Ralph
40:43
Hauck.
40:43
Yeah.
40:44
Ralph
40:44
Hou
40:44
had
40:45
had
40:45
all
40:45
he
40:45
wanted
40:45
of
40:46
George
40:46
Steinbrenner
40:47
by
40:47
the
40:47
end
40:47
of
40:47
the
40:48
year,
40:48
the
40:48
previous
40:49
season.
40:49
So,
40:50
yeah,
40:51
Ralph
40:51
Hauck
40:51
was
40:52
not
40:52
a
40:52
happy
40:52
camper
40:53
when
40:53
he
40:53
left
40:54
being
40:54
manager
40:54
of
40:55
the
40:55
Yankees.
40:57
And
40:57
the
40:57
thing
40:57
about
40:58
George
40:58
Steinbrenner,
41:00
he
41:00
kind
41:00
of
41:01
left
41:01
it
41:01
up
41:01
to
41:01
Gabe
41:01
Paul
41:03
to
41:05
pick
41:05
the
41:05
manager.
41:06
And
41:07
it
41:07
was
41:07
my
41:08
understanding
41:08
he
41:08
didn't
41:08
have
41:09
a
41:09
problem
41:09
with
41:09
Bill
41:09
Verdon,
41:11
but
41:11
for
41:12
some
41:12
reason
41:12
he
41:12
came
41:13
in
41:13
the
41:13
next
41:13
day
41:14
after
41:14
Bill
41:15
and
41:15
Gabe
41:15
Paul
41:16
had
41:16
agreed
41:16
to
41:16
terms
41:17
and
41:17
the
41:17
contract
41:17
and
41:18
everything.
41:18
And
41:19
Steinbrenner
41:20
was
41:20
livid.
41:20
He
41:21
was
41:21
mad.
41:22
But
41:22
in
41:22
front
41:22
of
41:22
the
41:22
camera
41:23
he
41:23
used
41:23
old
41:23
smiles.
41:25
He
41:25
goes
41:26
down
41:26
to.
41:26
And
41:27
so
41:27
they,
41:27
they
41:27
hire
41:28
him.
41:29
It
41:29
been
41:29
a
41:30
while
41:30
since
41:31
the.
41:31
The
41:31
New
41:31
York
41:31
Yankees
41:32
have
41:32
been
41:32
competitive
41:33
as
41:33
a
41:33
franchise.
41:34
I
41:34
mean,
41:34
A
41:34
decade.
41:35
And
41:36
he
41:36
goes
41:36
down
41:36
there
41:37
and
41:37
you
41:37
had
41:37
some
41:37
pretty.
41:38
You
41:38
know,
41:38
you
41:39
had
41:40
Bobby
41:40
Mercer,
41:41
you
41:41
had
41:42
Thurman,
41:43
you
41:43
had.
41:45
You
41:45
did
41:45
Thurman
41:46
Munson.
41:46
You
41:46
hit.
41:46
You
41:47
had
41:47
some
41:47
really
41:47
good
41:47
veteran
41:48
players.
41:50
But
41:50
he
41:50
goes
41:51
down
41:51
to
41:51
spring
41:51
training.
41:52
And
41:52
those
41:52
veterans
41:53
said
41:53
that
41:53
was
41:53
like
41:53
boot
41:54
camp
41:55
because
41:55
Bill.
41:55
Bill
41:56
Verdon
41:56
worked
41:56
their
41:57
tails
41:57
off
41:57
down
41:57
there.
41:59
And
41:59
they
41:59
weren't
41:59
used
42:00
to
42:00
that,
42:00
and
42:00
they
42:01
were
42:01
complaining
42:01
about
42:02
it.
42:04
But
42:07
Lou
42:07
Pinella
42:08
said
42:08
later,
42:08
he
42:09
said,
42:09
and
42:09
when
42:10
they
42:10
finally.
42:10
Yankees
42:11
finally
42:11
did
42:11
make
42:12
it
42:12
back
42:12
to
42:12
the
42:12
series,
42:12
I
42:13
believe
42:13
in
42:13
76,
42:14
he
42:14
said,
42:15
let
42:15
there
42:15
be
42:15
no
42:17
mistaking
42:17
about
42:18
it.
42:18
The
42:19
reason
42:19
we're
42:19
here
42:19
is
42:20
because
42:20
of
42:20
what
42:20
Bill
42:21
Verdon
42:21
did
42:21
to
42:21
us.
42:22
He
42:23
got
42:23
us
42:23
into
42:23
shape.
42:26
So
42:26
he
42:26
didn't
42:26
credit
42:26
Billy
42:27
Martin
42:27
at
42:27
that
42:28
time,
42:28
but,
42:28
you
42:28
know,
42:29
Billy
42:29
was
42:29
obviously
42:29
the
42:30
manager,
42:31
but
42:31
he
42:31
gave
42:32
full
42:32
credit
42:32
to
42:32
Bill
42:33
Verdon
42:33
for
42:33
getting
42:33
him
42:34
back
42:34
in
42:34
shape.
42:36
So
42:36
Verdon,
42:37
you
42:37
know,
42:38
leads
42:38
the
42:38
Yankees.
42:40
They
42:40
played.
42:41
Look,
42:41
the
42:41
Orioles
42:42
were
42:42
a
42:42
great
42:43
team.
42:45
It
42:45
would
42:45
be
42:45
tough
42:46
for
42:46
anybody
42:46
to
42:47
overtake
42:47
the
42:47
Orioles.
42:48
And
42:49
the
42:49
orioles
42:50
win
42:50
the
42:50
AL
42:50
East.
42:51
Yankees
42:52
finished
42:52
second,
42:53
go
42:53
89
42:54
and
42:54
73.
42:56
And
42:57
they
42:57
sort
42:58
of,
42:58
I
42:58
don't
42:58
want
42:58
to
42:58
say
42:59
stumble.
42:59
They
42:59
just
43:00
couldn't
43:00
get
43:00
any
43:01
momentum
43:01
really.
43:02
Going
43:03
in
43:03
in
43:04
75.
43:05
And.
43:08
George
43:09
does
43:09
it
43:09
again.
43:10
And
43:10
well,
43:11
you
43:11
get
43:11
got
43:12
rid
43:12
of
43:12
Hauk,
43:13
brings
43:13
in
43:13
Verdun.
43:14
So
43:15
now
43:15
we.
43:15
We're
43:15
getting
43:15
to
43:16
the
43:16
pattern
43:16
because
43:17
after
43:17
Verdon,
43:18
after
43:19
53
43:19
and
43:20
51
43:20
start,
43:22
he
43:23
jettisons
43:23
Verdon.
43:24
And
43:25
that's
43:25
where
43:25
the
43:26
entire
43:26
Billy
43:27
Martin
43:27
experience
43:28
began.
43:29
New
43:29
York
43:30
Yankees.
43:31
But
43:31
we're
43:31
not
43:32
talking
43:32
about
43:32
Billy
43:33
Martin.
43:34
We're
43:34
talking
43:34
about
43:35
Bill
43:36
Verdin.
43:37
He
43:37
wasn't
43:37
unemployed
43:38
for
43:38
very
43:39
long
43:39
because
43:40
later
43:40
that
43:41
season,
43:42
the
43:42
Houston
43:43
Astros
43:44
made
43:44
a
43:44
managerial
43:45
change,
43:46
and
43:46
they
43:46
brought
43:47
in
43:48
Bill
43:48
Verde.
43:50
So,
43:50
you
43:50
know,
43:50
they
43:51
got
43:51
rid
43:51
of
43:51
Preston
43:52
Gomez
43:53
and
43:53
bring
43:53
in
43:54
Verdon.
43:54
Talk
43:54
about
43:55
that.
43:55
Well,
43:56
Tal
43:56
Smith
43:56
was
43:57
in.
43:57
Was
43:57
in
43:57
the
43:57
front
43:58
office
43:58
with
43:58
the
43:58
Yankee
43:59
organization.
43:59
That's
44:00
where
44:00
he
44:00
really
44:00
got
44:01
to
44:01
know
44:01
Bill
44:01
Burden.
44:02
And
44:03
Tal
44:03
got
44:04
the
44:04
call
44:05
to
44:05
be
44:05
general
44:06
manager
44:06
for
44:06
the
44:06
Astros
44:08
starting
44:08
in.
44:09
In
44:09
late
44:09
75,
44:10
I
44:11
think
44:11
early
44:12
in
44:12
early
44:13
August,
44:13
because
44:14
Tal
44:14
Smith
44:15
and
44:15
Bill
44:15
were
44:15
together
44:16
at
44:16
the
44:16
point
44:17
that
44:17
he.
44:18
Bill
44:18
got
44:18
fired,
44:19
I
44:19
think
44:19
on
44:20
August
44:20
1st
44:20
or
44:20
August
44:21
2nd
44:21
of
44:21
75.
44:23
Well,
44:23
Tal
44:23
goes
44:24
ahead
44:24
and
44:24
goes
44:24
to
44:26
Houston.
44:26
He
44:27
evaluates
44:28
Preston,
44:29
and
44:29
he
44:29
gives
44:30
him
44:30
a
44:30
couple
44:30
of
44:30
weeks.
44:31
And
44:31
then
44:31
finally
44:31
he
44:32
realized
44:32
he
44:32
needed
44:32
to
44:33
make
44:33
a
44:33
managerial
44:34
change.
44:34
And
44:34
he
44:34
calls
44:35
up
44:35
Bill
44:35
and
44:35
asks
44:36
him
44:36
if
44:36
he.
44:36
He
44:36
would
44:37
like
44:37
to
44:38
come
44:38
down
44:38
and
44:39
take
44:39
over
44:39
as
44:39
manager
44:40
for
44:40
the
44:40
Astros
44:41
with
44:41
34
44:42
games
44:42
left
44:43
in
44:43
the
44:43
season.
44:44
And
44:44
Bill
44:45
said
44:45
yes.
44:45
And
44:45
he.
44:46
Because
44:46
he
44:46
thought
44:46
the
44:46
world
44:47
of
44:47
Tow
44:47
Smith.
44:48
And.
44:49
And
44:49
he
44:49
goes
44:50
17
44:50
and
44:51
17
44:51
the
44:51
last
44:52
34
44:52
games
44:52
of
44:53
the
44:53
season
44:53
with
44:53
the
44:53
Astros.
44:55
And
44:55
then
44:55
he.
44:56
And
44:56
then
44:57
Tal
44:57
Smith
44:58
and
44:58
Bill
44:58
Verdon
44:59
were
44:59
just
44:59
a
45:00
dynamic
45:00
duo
45:01
on
45:01
turning
45:01
that
45:02
losing
45:02
franchise
45:03
into
45:03
a
45:03
winning
45:03
franchise
45:05
by.
45:05
By
45:06
1980.
45:06
I
45:07
mean,
45:07
they
45:07
just
45:07
did
45:07
a
45:08
remarkable
45:08
job
45:08
together.
45:09
Yeah,
45:10
I
45:10
mean,
45:10
Houston
45:11
wasn't,
45:12
like,
45:13
always
45:13
the
45:13
worst
45:14
team.
45:14
They
45:15
were
45:17
almost
45:18
an
45:18
average
45:18
team.
45:19
Right?
45:19
They
45:20
were.
45:20
They
45:20
were
45:20
a
45:20
tough
45:21
team.
45:21
They
45:21
played
45:21
a
45:21
tough
45:22
brand
45:22
of
45:22
baseball,.
45:23
And,
45:25
well,
45:25
there
45:25
was
45:25
no
45:25
money
45:25
to
45:26
invest
45:26
in
45:26
the
45:26
team
45:27
because,
45:27
you
45:27
know,
45:27
Ford
45:28
Motor
45:28
eventually,
45:29
but
45:29
because
45:29
they
45:29
were.
45:30
They
45:30
were
45:30
in
45:31
receivership
45:31
and
45:32
all
45:32
kinds
45:32
of
45:32
things,
45:33
so
45:33
there
45:33
was
45:33
no
45:33
money
45:33
to
45:34
spend
45:34
on
45:34
players.
45:35
And.
45:35
And
45:36
so
45:36
they
45:36
kind
45:36
of.
45:36
They
45:36
did
45:37
a
45:37
remarkable
45:37
job
45:38
starting
45:38
with
45:38
what
45:38
they
45:39
had.
45:39
Right?
45:40
And
45:40
I
45:40
mean,
45:41
he.
45:41
He
45:42
finishes.
45:42
Goes
45:43
go
45:43
17
45:44
and
45:44
17
45:44
with
45:45
them
45:46
to
45:46
finish
45:47
off
45:47
the
45:47
75
45:48
season.
45:49
In
45:49
76,
45:50
80
45:50
and
45:51
82
45:52
and
45:52
77,
45:53
they
45:53
go
45:54
81
45:54
and
45:54
81.
45:55
They
45:56
dropped
45:56
off
45:56
in
45:57
78,
45:58
you
45:58
know,
45:58
74
45:59
and
45:59
88.
46:00
But
46:00
1979,
46:02
they
46:02
have,
46:02
like,
46:02
their
46:02
best
46:03
season
46:03
ever.
46:04
They
46:04
go
46:04
89
46:05
and
46:05
73.
46:07
They
46:07
finish
46:08
in
46:09
second
46:09
place.
46:10
And
46:11
then
46:11
finally,
46:12
in
46:12
1980,
46:14
the
46:14
Houston
46:14
Astros
46:15
experience
46:16
their
46:17
first
46:17
championship
46:18
of
46:18
any
46:18
kind.
46:19
They
46:19
win
46:19
the
46:20
national
46:20
league
46:20
West
46:21
going
46:22
93
46:23
and
46:23
70.
46:24
Talk
46:25
about
46:26
the
46:26
magic
46:27
of
46:27
that
46:27
year,
46:28
the
46:28
satisfaction
46:29
of
46:29
doing
46:30
that,
46:31
and
46:31
how
46:31
the
46:31
players
46:32
bought
46:33
in
46:33
to
46:34
the
46:34
Bill
46:34
Verdon
46:35
style
46:35
that
46:36
the
46:36
Yankee
46:36
players
46:38
didn't
46:39
really
46:39
like.
46:41
Well,
46:42
again,
46:42
the
46:43
Yankee
46:43
players
46:44
at
46:44
the
46:44
time
46:44
that
46:45
Bill
46:45
took
46:45
over,
46:46
it
46:47
was.
46:47
The
46:47
whole
46:47
bench
46:47
was
46:48
full
46:48
of
46:48
veterans,
46:48
pretty
46:49
much.
46:49
And
46:49
so
46:50
Houston
46:51
wasn't
46:51
quite
46:52
that
46:52
way.
46:53
They
46:53
were
46:53
younger
46:53
players,
46:54
I
46:54
think,
46:54
for
46:55
the
46:55
most
46:55
part.
46:56
And
46:56
so
46:56
he
46:56
could
46:57
pretty
46:57
much
46:57
build
46:57
them
46:58
the
46:58
way
46:58
he
46:58
wanted
46:58
to
46:59
from
46:59
the
46:59
ground
46:59
up.
47:00
You
47:01
know,
47:01
there
47:01
are
47:01
some
47:01
veteran
47:02
players,
47:02
you
47:02
know,
47:02
the
47:02
pitcher
47:03
Larry
47:03
Durker,
47:04
who
47:04
would
47:04
go
47:04
on
47:04
to
47:05
eventually
47:05
manage
47:06
the
47:06
astros,
47:07
for
47:07
instance,
47:07
A.J.
47:07
Richards.
47:09
You
47:09
know,
47:09
there's.
47:10
There's
47:10
several
47:10
veteran
47:11
players
47:11
on
47:12
there,
47:14
but
47:15
it
47:15
was
47:15
just.
47:16
They
47:17
recognized
47:17
they
47:18
needed
47:18
to
47:19
be
47:19
better
47:19
than
47:19
what
47:20
they
47:20
were.
47:20
I'm
47:21
not
47:21
sure
47:21
that
47:21
Yankees
47:22
had
47:22
that
47:23
same
47:23
mindset.
47:23
They
47:24
were
47:24
the
47:24
Yankees,
47:24
after
47:25
all,
47:26
and
47:26
I'm
47:27
not.
47:27
And
47:27
that's.
47:27
That's
47:28
not
47:28
admonishing
47:29
the
47:29
Yankees
47:30
at
47:30
all,
47:30
because
47:30
they've
47:30
always
47:30
been
47:31
a
47:31
wonderful
47:31
franchise,
47:32
and
47:32
I
47:32
will
47:33
never
47:33
take
47:33
that
47:33
away
47:33
from
47:34
them.
47:34
But
47:35
it
47:35
was
47:35
just
47:35
the
47:36
mindset,
47:36
I
47:36
think,
47:36
between
47:37
the
47:37
two
47:37
clubs.
47:38
Willingness
47:38
to
47:39
want
47:39
to
47:39
learn
47:39
and
47:39
be
47:40
better
47:41
as
47:41
opposed
47:41
to
47:41
being
47:42
kind
47:42
of
47:42
complacent,
47:43
were
47:43
the
47:43
Yankees.
47:44
And
47:44
I
47:44
think
47:44
that
47:45
the
47:45
Houston
47:45
Astros
47:46
were
47:46
welcoming
47:47
somebody
47:48
that
47:48
could
47:49
make
47:49
them
47:49
a
47:49
better
47:50
franchise.
47:52
So
47:52
the
47:52
players,
47:53
though,
47:53
they,
47:53
they
47:54
did
47:54
like
47:55
what
47:55
they.
47:57
Well,
47:57
again,
47:58
some
47:58
of
47:59
the
47:59
Yankees
47:59
were
47:59
like,
48:00
yeah,
48:00
this
48:00
is
48:00
all
48:00
because
48:00
of
48:01
Hurd.
48:01
We
48:01
got
48:02
over
48:02
the,
48:02
over
48:03
the
48:03
top
48:03
because
48:03
of
48:03
Bill
48:04
Verde.
48:04
He
48:05
does
48:05
take
48:05
the
48:06
Astros
48:06
over
48:06
the
48:07
top,
48:07
gets
48:08
them
48:08
in
48:08
to
48:09
the
48:09
playoffs
48:09
in
48:10
1980,
48:11
where
48:11
they
48:11
ultimately
48:12
lose
48:13
to
48:13
the
48:13
Philadelphia
48:14
Phillies,
48:15
who
48:15
were
48:15
another
48:16
team
48:16
that,
48:17
you
48:17
know,
48:19
one
48:19
of
48:19
the,
48:19
one
48:19
of
48:20
baseball's
48:20
originals,
48:21
and
48:21
they
48:21
were
48:21
just
48:21
a
48:22
disaster
48:22
until
48:23
then.
48:25
1981
48:26
is,
48:27
is
48:27
an
48:27
interesting
48:28
season
48:28
because
48:28
that's
48:29
the
48:29
strike
48:29
year
48:30
where
48:30
you
48:31
had
48:31
two
48:31
halves,
48:32
right?
48:33
And,
48:33
and
48:34
they
48:35
were,
48:36
they
48:36
were,
48:36
they
48:37
were
48:37
like
48:37
a.500
48:38
team.
48:38
The
48:38
first
48:39
half
48:39
of
48:39
the
48:39
year
48:39
they
48:39
went
48:40
28
48:40
and
48:40
29.
48:42
The
48:42
second
48:42
half,
48:42
he
48:43
kicked
48:43
them
48:43
in
48:43
the
48:43
gear
48:44
and
48:45
once
48:45
again,
48:47
they
48:47
won
48:48
the
48:48
second
48:48
half.
48:49
So
48:49
the
48:49
playoffs
48:49
were
48:50
a
48:50
little
48:50
messed
48:50
up
48:50
that
48:51
year,
48:51
but
48:51
they
48:51
won
48:51
the
48:52
second
48:52
half
48:52
of
48:52
the
48:52
year
48:54
and
48:55
ultimately
48:56
I
48:56
think
48:56
they
48:57
lost
48:57
to
48:57
the
48:57
Dodgers.
48:59
They
49:00
might
49:00
have
49:00
lost
49:00
to
49:00
the
49:00
Dodgers.
49:01
Well,
49:02
the
49:02
Dodgers
49:02
won
49:02
in
49:03
81,
49:04
so
49:05
talk
49:05
about
49:06
the
49:06
challenges
49:07
that
49:07
he
49:07
faced
49:08
in
49:08
that
49:08
1981
49:09
season.
49:11
Well,
49:12
after
49:12
the
49:12
1980
49:13
season,
49:13
when
49:14
they
49:14
ultimately
49:14
lost
49:15
to
49:15
Philadelphia,
49:16
I
49:16
mean,
49:16
they,
49:16
they
49:17
had
49:17
to
49:17
extend
49:17
the
49:18
season
49:19
because
49:19
they
49:19
were
49:19
in
49:19
such
49:20
a
49:20
tight
49:20
race
49:20
with
49:21
the,
49:21
with
49:21
the
49:21
Dodgers
49:22
before
49:22
they
49:22
even
49:23
went
49:23
to
49:23
the
49:24
NLCS
49:24
against
49:25
the
49:25
Philadelphia
49:26
Phillies.
49:26
So
49:27
they
49:27
were
49:27
very
49:27
tired.
49:28
They
49:28
were
49:28
exhausted.
49:29
I
49:29
mean,
49:29
as
49:30
a
49:30
franchise,
49:31
right,
49:31
they.
49:31
Went
49:32
93
49:32
and
49:33
70.
49:33
So
49:33
there
49:33
was
49:33
the
49:34
one
49:34
game
49:34
playoff
49:35
against
49:35
the
49:35
Dodgers,
49:36
which
49:36
they
49:36
won.
49:37
Exactly.
49:39
But
49:39
Bill
49:39
goes
49:39
on
49:40
and
49:40
becomes
49:40
the
49:40
NL
49:41
Manager
49:42
of
49:42
the
49:42
year
49:42
with
49:42
the,
49:43
with
49:43
the
49:43
Astros.
49:44
In
49:44
1980,
49:44
Tao
49:45
Smith
49:45
becomes
49:46
the
49:46
executive
49:47
of
49:47
the
49:48
year
49:48
for
49:48
the
49:49
National
49:49
League.
49:49
And
49:50
two
49:50
weeks
49:50
later
49:51
into
49:51
October,
49:51
he
49:52
gets
49:52
fired
49:53
as
49:53
the
49:53
general
49:53
manager.
49:55
I
49:55
don't
49:55
think
49:55
that
49:56
made
49:56
Bill
49:56
real
49:56
happy
49:57
going
49:57
into
49:57
the
49:58
81
49:58
season.
49:59
He
50:00
would
50:00
have
50:01
focused
50:01
on
50:01
the
50:02
field
50:02
and
50:02
not
50:02
so
50:03
much
50:03
on
50:03
the
50:03
front
50:03
office.
50:04
But
50:04
Tal
50:04
Smith
50:05
was
50:05
very
50:05
important
50:05
to
50:06
him
50:06
because
50:06
they
50:06
were
50:06
really
50:07
good
50:07
friends
50:08
and
50:09
people.
50:09
He
50:10
was
50:10
just
50:10
wondering
50:10
maybe
50:11
if
50:11
John
50:11
McMullen,
50:12
the
50:12
owner
50:13
of
50:13
the
50:13
Astra,
50:13
was
50:13
not
50:14
going
50:14
to
50:14
fire
50:14
him
50:14
next.
50:16
And
50:16
so
50:17
John
50:17
McMullen
50:18
was
50:18
not
50:18
a
50:18
brilliant.
50:19
He
50:19
was
50:19
a
50:19
brilliant
50:19
art
50:20
naval
50:20
architect.
50:21
There's
50:21
no
50:22
question.
50:22
And
50:22
he
50:23
was
50:23
very
50:23
jealous
50:23
of
50:24
George
50:24
Steinbrenner
50:25
having
50:25
a
50:25
ball
50:25
team.
50:26
So
50:26
he
50:26
decided
50:27
he
50:27
wanted
50:27
to
50:27
buy
50:27
a
50:27
ball
50:28
team
50:28
from
50:28
Ford
50:29
Motor
50:29
Company.
50:30
But
50:30
he
50:30
didn't
50:31
know
50:31
anything
50:31
about
50:31
baseball.
50:32
Nothing.
50:33
And
50:33
so
50:34
Bill
50:34
had
50:35
had
50:35
to
50:35
work
50:35
with
50:35
that.
50:36
Kenny
50:36
Hand
50:36
is
50:37
a
50:37
sports
50:37
reporter
50:38
from
50:38
that
50:38
I,
50:39
that
50:39
I
50:39
interviewed
50:39
for
50:40
the
50:40
book.
50:40
And
50:41
he
50:41
basically
50:42
said
50:42
John
50:42
McMullen
50:43
was
50:43
illiterate
50:44
when
50:44
it
50:44
came
50:44
to
50:45
the
50:45
baseball.
50:46
This
50:46
all
50:47
factors
50:47
into
50:47
the
50:48
81
50:48
season.
50:48
What
50:49
Bill
50:49
Was
50:49
faced
50:50
with.
50:50
Without
50:51
Tal
50:51
Smith.
50:53
There
50:53
were
50:53
some
50:53
distractions
50:54
there
50:55
the
50:55
split
50:55
season,
50:57
but
50:58
I
50:58
think
50:58
Bill
50:58
was
50:59
able
50:59
to
50:59
make
50:59
an
50:59
assessment
51:00
after
51:00
the
51:00
first
51:01
half
51:02
to
51:02
make
51:02
the
51:02
corrections
51:02
that
51:03
were
51:03
necessary
51:03
through
51:04
his
51:04
leadership
51:05
to
51:06
get
51:06
him
51:06
fired
51:06
up
51:06
for
51:07
the
51:07
second
51:07
half.
51:08
But
51:09
Kenny
51:09
Hand
51:09
mentioned
51:10
to
51:10
me
51:11
that
51:12
he
51:13
mentioned
51:13
to,
51:14
to
51:15
John
51:15
McMullen
51:16
about
51:16
the
51:16
farm
51:17
club.
51:17
He
51:18
said,
51:18
we
51:18
own
51:18
a
51:18
farm.
51:19
He
51:20
said,
51:22
yes,
51:22
yes,
51:23
yes,
51:23
John.
51:24
That's
51:24
where
51:24
we
51:24
develop
51:24
our
51:25
players.
51:26
Oh,
51:27
we.
51:27
So
51:28
the
51:28
players
51:28
are
51:28
on
51:28
a
51:29
farm.
51:30
And,
51:30
and
51:31
then,
51:31
then
51:31
he
51:31
talk.
51:32
Then
51:33
he,
51:33
then
51:34
he
51:34
talked
51:34
to
51:34
him
51:34
about,
51:35
have
51:35
you
51:35
ever
51:35
been
51:36
down
51:36
to
51:36
the
51:36
dugout?
51:36
What's
51:37
the
51:37
dugout?
51:37
What's.
51:37
What's.
51:38
Where's
51:38
the
51:38
dugout?
51:39
Come
51:39
on.
51:40
And
51:40
I'm.
51:40
It
51:40
was
51:41
that
51:41
bad.
51:42
And
51:43
you
51:43
know
51:43
that
51:43
he
51:43
also
51:44
own
51:44
the
51:44
New
51:44
Jersey
51:45
Devils
51:45
beginning
51:46
of
51:46
the
51:46
81
51:46
season.
51:47
I
51:47
think
51:47
it
51:47
may
51:47
have
51:47
been
51:47
during
51:48
spring
51:48
training
51:48
in
51:48
the
51:49
81
51:49
season.
51:51
They
51:51
were.
51:52
Kenny
51:52
was
51:52
getting
51:53
ready
51:53
to
51:53
talk
51:53
McMullen,
51:54
he
51:54
says,
51:55
huh,
51:56
what
51:56
do
51:56
you
51:56
think
51:56
about
51:56
me
51:57
maybe
51:57
making
51:57
a
51:58
managerial
51:58
change?
51:59
And
52:00
I
52:00
guess
52:00
Kenny
52:00
Hand,
52:01
a
52:01
reporter,
52:02
just
52:02
lays
52:02
into
52:03
John
52:03
McMullen
52:04
saying,
52:04
that
52:04
would
52:04
be
52:04
the
52:05
dumbest
52:05
thing
52:05
you
52:06
could
52:06
possibly
52:06
do
52:07
is
52:07
to
52:07
replace
52:07
Bill
52:08
Vernon.
52:09
Well,
52:09
ultimately
52:10
he
52:10
did
52:10
in
52:10
82,
52:11
but.
52:13
But
52:13
yeah,
52:14
it
52:14
was
52:14
a
52:14
peculiar
52:15
season.
52:16
Anytime
52:16
you
52:16
have
52:17
a
52:17
split
52:17
season
52:17
like
52:18
that,
52:18
like
52:18
they
52:18
did
52:18
win
52:19
again
52:19
in
52:20
93
52:20
or
52:20
something
52:20
like
52:21
that.
52:22
So,
52:22
so
52:25
in
52:25
a
52:25
way,
52:26
McMullen
52:27
in
52:27
82,
52:28
they
52:29
were
52:29
49.
52:30
They
52:30
didn't
52:30
have
52:30
a
52:30
good
52:31
season.
52:32
I
52:32
don't
52:32
know
52:32
what
52:32
happened,
52:33
but
52:34
McMullen
52:35
just
52:35
wanted
52:35
to
52:35
make
52:35
a
52:36
change
52:36
for
52:37
changes
52:38
sake,
52:39
I
52:39
guess.
52:40
I
52:40
think
52:40
the
52:40
reason
52:41
he
52:41
fired
52:41
Tyle
52:42
Smith,
52:42
because
52:42
when
52:43
everybody
52:43
came
52:43
in
52:44
to
52:44
talk
52:44
about
52:44
baseball,
52:45
they
52:45
always
52:45
went
52:45
to
52:46
town.
52:46
And
52:46
I
52:46
think
52:46
John
52:47
McMullen
52:47
was
52:48
jealous
52:49
of
52:49
that.
52:50
And
52:51
Bill
52:51
Verdon
52:52
was
52:52
a
52:52
carryover
52:52
from
52:53
Tal
52:53
Smith,
52:54
and
52:55
so
52:55
that
52:55
probably
52:56
had
52:56
something
52:56
to
52:56
do
52:56
with
52:57
it
52:57
as
52:57
well.
52:58
Well,
52:59
once
52:59
again,
53:00
he
53:00
wasn't
53:01
unemployed
53:01
for
53:02
long.
53:04
The
53:04
following
53:04
season,
53:05
he
53:06
winds
53:06
up
53:06
in
53:07
Montreal
53:08
with
53:08
the
53:08
Expos.
53:10
How
53:11
did
53:11
that
53:11
come
53:11
about?
53:13
Well,
53:15
John
53:16
McHale
53:17
found
53:17
out
53:18
that
53:18
Bill
53:18
was
53:19
available
53:19
and
53:20
they
53:20
needed
53:20
a.
53:20
They
53:21
needed
53:21
a
53:22
manager
53:23
and
53:23
he,
53:24
Bill
53:24
flew
53:24
up
53:25
to
53:25
Montreal.
53:26
Then
53:26
they
53:26
flew
53:27
down
53:27
together
53:27
to
53:28
St.
53:28
Louis
53:28
during
53:29
the
53:29
World
53:29
Series,
53:29
and
53:30
that's
53:30
when
53:30
they
53:30
made
53:30
the
53:30
announcement
53:31
that
53:31
Bill
53:31
was
53:31
now
53:32
going
53:32
to
53:32
be
53:32
the
53:32
manager
53:33
of
53:33
the
53:33
Montreal
53:34
Expos.
53:38
What
53:38
happened
53:39
in,
53:39
in
53:39
the
53:40
spring
53:40
of
53:40
83,
53:41
like
53:42
I
53:42
said,
53:42
or
53:42
yeah,
53:42
like
53:43
I
53:43
said,
53:43
Mel
53:44
Wright
53:44
was
53:44
Bill's
53:45
best
53:45
friend.
53:45
He
53:45
was
53:46
the
53:46
pitching
53:46
coach.
53:47
He
53:47
went,
53:47
he
53:47
took
53:48
him
53:48
to
53:48
every
53:49
franchise
53:49
he
53:49
ever
53:49
managed,
53:50
and
53:50
Montreal
53:51
was
53:51
the
53:51
last
53:51
one.
53:55
Mel
53:55
had
53:56
been
53:56
diagnosed
53:56
with
53:56
Cancer.
53:58
And
53:59
it
54:00
absolutely
54:01
took
54:01
the
54:01
wind
54:02
out
54:02
of
54:02
Bill
54:02
Verdon's
54:03
sales.
54:04
And
54:04
so
54:04
at
54:04
the
54:04
beginning
54:05
of
54:05
the
54:05
new
54:06
season
54:06
in
54:06
83,
54:08
Mel
54:08
was
54:09
suffering
54:09
really,
54:10
really
54:10
bad.
54:11
And
54:11
they
54:11
were
54:11
getting
54:12
ready
54:12
to
54:12
play
54:12
a
54:13
game
54:13
down
54:13
in
54:14
Houston,
54:15
and
54:15
I
54:15
forgot
54:16
who
54:16
they
54:16
were
54:16
playing
54:16
in
54:17
Montreal.
54:18
But
54:19
every
54:19
time
54:19
the
54:19
game
54:20
ended
54:20
and
54:21
Bill
54:21
went
54:21
to
54:21
his
54:21
office,
54:22
reporters
54:22
would
54:23
usually
54:23
follow
54:23
him.
54:24
But
54:24
the
54:24
other
54:25
thing
54:25
that
54:26
would
54:26
happen
54:26
is
54:26
Mel
54:27
Wright
54:27
would
54:27
always
54:27
come
54:28
by
54:28
his
54:28
door,
54:29
hit
54:29
the
54:29
door
54:29
frame,
54:30
and
54:31
that
54:31
would
54:31
let
54:31
Bill
54:31
know
54:32
that
54:32
Mel
54:32
is.
54:34
He
54:34
came
54:34
out
54:34
from
54:34
the
54:35
dugout,
54:35
I
54:35
mean,
54:36
the
54:36
bullpen,
54:36
and
54:36
he's
54:37
going
54:37
to
54:37
his
54:37
office
54:38
or
54:38
wherever.
54:39
This
54:40
time,
54:41
Mel
54:41
didn't
54:42
do
54:42
that.
54:42
And
54:43
Bill
54:43
got
54:43
really,
54:43
really
54:44
nervous,
54:44
so
54:44
he
54:45
went
54:45
looking
54:45
for
54:45
him.
54:45
And
54:46
Mel
54:46
was
54:46
in
54:47
bad
54:47
shape,
54:47
and
54:48
Bill
54:48
wanted
54:48
him
54:48
to
54:48
go
54:49
into
54:49
a
54:49
hospital
54:49
in
54:49
Montreal.
54:50
At
54:50
that
54:51
time,
54:52
he
54:52
said,
54:52
no,
54:52
I'm
54:53
not
54:53
going
54:53
to
54:53
die
54:53
outside
54:54
the
54:54
United
54:54
States.
54:56
So
54:56
they.
54:56
He
54:56
got
54:56
on
54:57
the.
54:57
On
54:57
the
54:57
plane
54:58
with
54:58
the
54:58
team,
54:58
flew
54:59
down
54:59
to
54:59
Houston,
54:59
and
55:00
immediately
55:00
went
55:01
into
55:01
the
55:01
hospital,
55:02
where
55:03
he
55:03
died
55:03
in
55:03
May
55:04
of
55:04
1983.
55:05
Right
55:05
after,
55:06
right
55:06
at
55:06
the
55:06
beginning
55:07
of
55:07
the
55:07
season,
55:08
someone
55:08
said
55:08
that
55:08
that's
55:09
the
55:09
only
55:09
time
55:09
they
55:09
ever
55:10
saw
55:10
Bill
55:10
Verdon
55:11
cry,
55:12
when
55:12
he
55:12
was
55:12
cleaning
55:13
out
55:13
his
55:13
friend's
55:14
locker
55:14
back
55:14
in
55:14
Montreal.
55:17
And
55:17
that
55:17
really.
55:18
That
55:18
hit
55:18
Bill
55:19
really,
55:19
really
55:19
hard.
55:23
But,
55:23
you
55:24
know,
55:24
Steve
55:24
Rogers
55:24
was
55:25
on
55:25
that
55:25
team.
55:27
He's
55:27
from
55:27
Springfield.
55:28
I
55:28
interviewed
55:28
him
55:28
for
55:28
the
55:29
book.
55:32
I
55:32
mean,
55:32
there's.
55:32
There,
55:33
you
55:33
know,
55:35
I
55:35
mean,
55:36
it
55:36
was
55:36
just
55:37
loaded
55:37
with
55:37
stars.
55:38
I
55:38
mean,
55:38
of
55:39
course,
55:39
Pete
55:40
Rose
55:40
came
55:40
in
55:40
the
55:41
following
55:41
year,
55:41
and
55:41
Pete
55:42
didn't
55:42
do
55:42
him
55:42
any
55:42
favors.
55:44
Pete
55:45
was,
55:45
what,
55:45
43
55:46
years
55:46
old
55:46
at
55:46
that
55:47
time,
55:47
and
55:47
playing
55:47
in
55:47
left
55:48
field,
55:48
that
55:48
was
55:48
about
55:48
the
55:49
only
55:49
place
55:49
he
55:50
could
55:50
play.
55:50
But
55:50
he
55:50
didn't
55:50
have
55:51
the
55:51
arm
55:51
strength
55:51
to
55:51
get
55:52
the
55:52
ball
55:52
in
55:52
from
55:52
the
55:52
outfit
55:53
outfield.
55:54
Bill
55:55
was
55:55
interviewed
55:55
by
55:55
a
55:56
sportscaster
55:56
and
55:56
said,
55:57
what
55:57
do
55:57
you
55:57
think
55:57
about
55:59
having
55:59
that,
56:00
having
56:00
Pete
56:01
Rose?
56:01
He
56:01
said,
56:01
well,
56:01
he's
56:03
44
56:03
years
56:04
old.
56:04
And
56:04
Pete
56:05
took
56:05
exception.
56:06
I'm
56:06
not
56:06
44.
56:06
I'm
56:07
43.
56:11
Bill,
56:12
like
56:12
the
56:12
Montreal
56:13
experience,
56:14
moving
56:14
north
56:15
of
56:15
the
56:15
border
56:16
and
56:17
managing,
56:18
you
56:18
know,
56:19
in
56:19
Canada.
56:20
Well,
56:21
I
56:21
think
56:21
he
56:21
enjoyed
56:22
the
56:23
experience
56:23
in
56:24
83,
56:25
but
56:25
84
56:26
was
56:26
a
56:26
different
56:27
story.
56:27
There
56:27
was
56:28
something
56:28
that
56:28
he
56:28
just
56:29
could
56:29
not
56:29
fix.
56:30
He
56:30
could
56:31
not
56:31
get
56:31
his
56:31
hands
56:32
around
56:32
it.
56:33
He
56:33
didn't
56:33
know
56:34
how
56:34
to
56:34
fix
56:34
the
56:34
problem
56:35
up
56:35
there.
56:36
And
56:37
he
56:37
ended
56:37
up
56:38
going
56:38
to
56:38
McHale,
56:40
I
56:40
think,
56:41
in
56:41
early
56:42
August
56:42
of
56:43
84,
56:44
and
56:45
telling
56:45
him,
56:45
I'm
56:46
not
56:46
going
56:46
to
56:46
be
56:46
able
56:46
to.
56:47
I'm
56:47
not
56:47
coming
56:47
back
56:47
next
56:48
year.
56:48
Well,
56:49
Mikhail
56:49
goes
56:50
to
56:50
the
56:50
board
56:52
and
56:52
tells
56:52
them
56:53
that.
56:54
And
56:54
they
56:54
said,
56:54
well,
56:54
go
56:55
Ahead
56:55
and
56:55
fire
56:55
him
56:55
now.
56:56
So
56:57
they
56:57
fired
56:57
Bill.
56:58
Yeah,
56:58
they
56:59
brought
56:59
back
56:59
Jim
56:59
Fanning,
57:00
who
57:00
they
57:00
can
57:01
to
57:01
bring
57:01
Bill
57:02
in.
57:02
Right.
57:03
So
57:03
Bill
57:03
comes
57:04
home
57:04
to
57:04
Springfield
57:05
and
57:06
someone
57:06
asked
57:06
him
57:06
if
57:07
he
57:07
was
57:07
ever
57:07
going
57:07
to
57:07
manage
57:08
again.
57:08
Said
57:08
probably
57:09
not.
57:09
He
57:09
said,
57:10
well,
57:10
would
57:10
you
57:10
ever
57:11
do
57:11
anything
57:11
in
57:11
baseball?
57:12
Said,
57:12
yeah,
57:12
probably,
57:12
if
57:13
Tal
57:13
Smith
57:14
is
57:14
involved
57:14
in
57:14
it.
57:15
And
57:16
so
57:16
he
57:16
comes
57:16
home
57:17
for
57:17
the
57:17
winter
57:17
in
57:17
84,
57:19
early
57:19
spring
57:19
of
57:19
85,
57:20
his
57:20
good
57:21
friend
57:21
Whitey
57:21
Hersog
57:22
asked
57:23
him
57:23
if
57:23
he'll
57:23
come
57:23
down
57:24
to
57:24
spring
57:24
training
57:24
with
57:24
the
57:25
Cardinals
57:25
and
57:25
be
57:26
a
57:26
hitting
57:26
instructor.
57:27
And
57:27
Bill
57:27
said,
57:27
yeah,
57:28
sure,
57:28
I'll
57:28
do
57:28
that.
57:29
Then
57:30
he
57:30
spends
57:30
the
57:30
summer
57:31
pretty
57:31
much
57:31
at
57:31
home
57:31
here
57:32
in
57:32
Springfield.
57:33
And
57:33
that
57:34
fall
57:34
he
57:34
gets
57:35
the
57:35
call
57:35
from
57:35
Jim
57:35
Leland
57:36
with
57:36
a
57:36
new
57:36
manager
57:37
with
57:37
the
57:37
Pittsburgh
57:37
Pirates
57:38
in
57:38
the
57:38
fall
57:38
of
57:38
85
57:40
to
57:40
be
57:40
his
57:40
bench
57:40
coach.
57:42
And
57:42
that's
57:43
how
57:43
it
57:43
really,
57:44
that
57:44
was
57:45
it
57:45
for
57:45
him
57:45
as
57:45
a
57:45
manager.
57:47
Right,
57:47
right.
57:48
You
57:49
know,
57:49
he
57:50
had,
57:50
I
57:50
guess
57:51
at
57:51
that
57:51
point
57:52
he
57:52
had
57:52
had
57:53
enough.
57:55
You
57:56
say
57:56
that
57:57
you
57:57
think
57:58
that
58:00
Verdon
58:01
still
58:02
has
58:02
somewhat
58:03
of
58:04
an
58:04
influence.
58:05
The
58:06
way
58:06
he
58:08
managed,
58:14
His
58:14
longevity
58:14
in
58:15
the
58:15
game
58:15
has
58:15
some
58:16
sort
58:16
of
58:16
an
58:16
influence.
58:17
Talk
58:17
about
58:18
how
58:19
what,
58:19
what
58:20
his
58:20
career
58:21
meant
58:22
in
58:22
baseball
58:23
and
58:23
how
58:23
it
58:24
might
58:24
still
58:24
be
58:24
influencing.
58:29
His
58:29
work
58:30
ethic
58:30
was
58:30
off
58:31
the
58:31
charts.
58:31
He
58:31
was,
58:32
he
58:32
was
58:32
very
58:32
underappreciated,
58:33
underrated.
58:35
But
58:35
he
58:35
still
58:36
went
58:36
to
58:36
work
58:36
every
58:37
day
58:37
trying
58:37
to
58:37
be
58:37
the
58:37
very
58:38
best
58:38
that
58:38
he
58:38
could,
58:39
could
58:39
be.
58:40
He
58:40
set
58:40
a
58:40
great
58:41
example
58:41
for
58:42
young
58:42
ball
58:42
players.
58:42
He
58:43
kept
58:44
himself
58:44
in
58:44
remarkable
58:45
physical
58:46
condition
58:47
as
58:47
a
58:47
manager.
58:48
You
58:48
know,
58:48
a
58:48
lot
58:48
of
58:48
managers
58:50
become
58:51
managers
58:51
and
58:52
their
58:52
waistline
58:53
expands
58:54
and
58:54
Bills
58:55
never.
58:55
And
58:55
Bills
58:56
never
58:56
did.
58:56
I
58:57
mean,
58:57
he
58:57
kept
58:57
himself
58:58
in
58:58
remarkable
58:58
shape
58:59
well
58:59
into
58:59
his
58:59
early
59:00
80s.
59:01
There
59:01
were
59:01
people
59:02
down
59:02
at
59:02
Fantasy
59:03
Camp
59:03
in
59:03
Florida
59:04
when
59:04
he
59:05
was
59:05
in
59:05
his
59:05
early
59:05
70s.
59:06
And
59:07
I
59:07
had
59:07
one
59:07
guy
59:07
tell
59:08
me
59:08
that
59:08
he
59:08
looked
59:08
like
59:09
he
59:09
could
59:09
play
59:09
center
59:09
field
59:10
even
59:10
then.
59:11
I
59:11
mean,
59:11
he
59:11
was
59:11
in
59:11
that
59:12
great
59:12
of
59:12
shape.
59:14
I
59:14
think
59:15
he
59:15
was
59:15
a
59:15
positive
59:15
influence
59:16
on
59:16
people.
59:17
I
59:17
mean,
59:17
his
59:17
work
59:17
ethic,
59:18
he,
59:18
he
59:19
didn't
59:19
ask
59:19
any
59:20
player
59:20
to
59:20
do
59:20
anything
59:21
that
59:21
he
59:21
wasn't
59:22
still
59:22
willing
59:22
to
59:23
do
59:23
himself.
59:24
And
59:25
he
59:25
did
59:25
it
59:25
well.
59:27
When
59:27
he
59:27
retired
59:28
at
59:29
the
59:29
end
59:29
of
59:29
the
59:29
night,
59:29
at
59:30
the
59:30
end
59:30
of
59:30
the
59:30
65
59:31
season,
59:31
of
59:31
course
59:31
he
59:32
played
59:32
for
59:32
two
59:32
weeks
59:32
in
59:33
68
59:33
because
59:33
of
59:34
Vietnam
59:34
situation
59:35
is
59:36
the
59:36
last
59:36
at
59:36
bat
59:37
was
59:37
a
59:37
home
59:37
run
59:38
that
59:38
put
59:38
him
59:38
into
59:39
extra
59:39
innings
59:40
against
59:40
the
59:40
Cincinnati
59:41
Reds.
59:41
But
59:42
Bill.
59:43
Yeah,
59:43
because
59:43
I
59:43
was
59:44
going
59:44
to
59:44
ask
59:44
you
59:44
about
59:44
that.
59:45
He,
59:45
he,
59:45
he
59:46
left
59:46
in
59:46
65,
59:47
didn't
59:47
play
59:48
66,
59:48
67.
59:49
He's
59:49
there
59:49
at
59:49
68.
59:50
And
59:50
he
59:51
played
59:51
a
59:51
couple
59:51
of
59:51
games.
59:52
Yeah,
59:53
two
59:53
last
59:53
two
59:53
weeks
59:54
of
59:54
July
59:54
of
59:54
68.
59:56
But
59:57
I.
59:59
Bill
59:59
is
59:59
a
1:00:00
good
1:00:00
role
1:00:00
model,
1:00:00
a
1:00:01
good
1:00:01
example
1:00:01
on
1:00:02
how
1:00:02
to
1:00:02
play
1:00:02
the
1:00:03
game
1:00:03
of
1:00:03
baseball.
1:00:05
When
1:00:05
you
1:00:05
cross
1:00:05
that
1:00:06
chalk
1:00:06
line
1:00:06
coming
1:00:07
out
1:00:07
of
1:00:07
the
1:00:07
dugout
1:00:08
onto
1:00:08
the
1:00:08
ball
1:00:08
field,
1:00:09
you
1:00:09
better
1:00:09
be
1:00:09
all
1:00:10
business
1:00:11
because
1:00:12
that's
1:00:12
what
1:00:12
the
1:00:12
fans
1:00:13
are
1:00:13
expecting.
1:00:14
That's
1:00:15
what
1:00:15
everybody's
1:00:16
expecting.
1:00:16
And
1:00:17
you
1:00:17
play,
1:00:18
you
1:00:19
give
1:00:19
it
1:00:19
your
1:00:19
all
1:00:20
going.
1:00:20
I
1:00:20
see
1:00:20
a
1:00:20
lot
1:00:21
of
1:00:21
players,
1:00:22
when
1:00:22
they
1:00:22
hit
1:00:22
a
1:00:23
ball
1:00:24
that
1:00:24
looks
1:00:25
like
1:00:25
it
1:00:25
might
1:00:25
be
1:00:25
a
1:00:25
for
1:00:25
sure
1:00:26
out,
1:00:27
they
1:00:27
give
1:00:27
up
1:00:28
on
1:00:28
the
1:00:28
run
1:00:28
to
1:00:28
first
1:00:29
base.
1:00:29
Bill
1:00:30
Verdon
1:00:30
never
1:00:30
tolerated
1:00:31
that
1:00:31
first
1:00:32
a
1:00:32
second
1:00:33
because
1:00:33
like
1:00:33
the,
1:00:34
like
1:00:34
the
1:00:34
Tony
1:00:34
Kubek
1:00:35
incidents,
1:00:36
if
1:00:36
he
1:00:36
would
1:00:36
have
1:00:36
given
1:00:37
up
1:00:37
on
1:00:37
that,
1:00:37
he
1:00:38
probably
1:00:38
would
1:00:38
have
1:00:38
been
1:00:38
thrown
1:00:39
out
1:00:39
at
1:00:39
first
1:00:39
base
1:00:40
anyway.
1:00:40
But
1:00:40
he
1:00:40
didn't
1:00:41
give
1:00:41
up
1:00:41
on
1:00:41
it.
1:00:41
He
1:00:42
knew
1:00:42
it
1:00:42
was
1:00:42
a
1:00:43
for
1:00:43
sure
1:00:43
out,
1:00:43
but
1:00:44
he
1:00:44
never
1:00:44
gave
1:00:44
up
1:00:45
on
1:00:45
the
1:00:45
play.
1:00:46
And
1:00:46
I
1:00:46
think
1:00:47
that
1:00:47
positive
1:00:49
influence
1:00:49
on
1:00:50
players
1:00:51
because
1:00:51
anything
1:00:51
can
1:00:52
happen
1:00:52
in
1:00:52
baseball.
1:00:53
I
1:00:53
mean,
1:00:53
it's,
1:00:54
it's
1:00:54
just
1:00:54
the
1:00:55
way
1:00:55
it's
1:00:55
designed.
1:00:56
And
1:00:56
Bill
1:00:57
knew
1:00:57
that
1:00:57
and
1:00:59
that's
1:00:59
what
1:00:59
he
1:00:59
insisted
1:01:00
upon.
1:01:01
How
1:01:01
should
1:01:02
baseball
1:01:02
history
1:01:03
remember
1:01:04
Bill
1:01:04
Verde?
1:01:07
Well,
1:01:07
Bill
1:01:07
Verde
1:01:08
and
1:01:08
several
1:01:08
other
1:01:09
players
1:01:10
because
1:01:11
of
1:01:11
their,
1:01:11
their
1:01:12
contribution
1:01:12
to
1:01:13
the
1:01:13
game,
1:01:14
how
1:01:14
much
1:01:14
they
1:01:15
loved
1:01:15
the
1:01:15
game,
1:01:15
how
1:01:16
good
1:01:16
of
1:01:16
an
1:01:16
example
1:01:17
they
1:01:17
set,
1:01:19
how
1:01:19
passionate
1:01:20
they
1:01:20
were,
1:01:21
the
1:01:21
kind
1:01:21
of.
1:01:22
They
1:01:22
were
1:01:22
just
1:01:22
wonderful
1:01:23
ambassadors
1:01:23
for
1:01:24
the
1:01:24
game.
1:01:26
They
1:01:27
took
1:01:27
it
1:01:27
very,
1:01:27
very
1:01:27
seriously
1:01:28
because
1:01:28
that
1:01:29
was
1:01:29
their,
1:01:29
that
1:01:29
was
1:01:29
their
1:01:29
career,
1:01:30
just
1:01:30
like
1:01:31
any
1:01:31
other
1:01:31
career.
1:01:32
That
1:01:32
was
1:01:32
who
1:01:33
they
1:01:33
were.
1:01:34
And,
1:01:35
and
1:01:35
they
1:01:36
just
1:01:36
gave
1:01:36
it
1:01:36
their
1:01:36
all.
1:01:37
And,
1:01:38
and
1:01:38
even
1:01:39
though
1:01:39
Bill
1:01:40
was
1:01:40
never
1:01:40
a
1:01:40
flamboyant
1:01:41
person,
1:01:42
he
1:01:42
never
1:01:42
bragged
1:01:43
on
1:01:43
his
1:01:43
accomplishments.
1:01:44
He
1:01:44
let
1:01:45
his
1:01:45
actions
1:01:45
speak
1:01:46
for
1:01:46
themselves.
1:01:48
And
1:01:48
that's
1:01:48
where
1:01:49
he
1:01:49
ran
1:01:49
afoul
1:01:50
with
1:01:50
George
1:01:50
Steinbrenner,
1:01:52
Billy
1:01:52
Martin,
1:01:53
as
1:01:53
good
1:01:53
of
1:01:53
a
1:01:53
ballplayer
1:01:54
as
1:01:54
he
1:01:54
was
1:01:54
and
1:01:55
everything,
1:01:55
but
1:01:55
he
1:01:55
was,
1:01:56
he
1:01:56
was
1:01:56
flamboyant.
1:01:57
He
1:01:57
was
1:01:57
a
1:01:57
showman.
1:01:58
Bill
1:01:58
was
1:01:59
neither.
1:01:59
He
1:01:59
was
1:01:59
neither
1:02:00
flamboyant
1:02:00
or
1:02:01
a
1:02:01
showman.
1:02:02
He
1:02:02
was,
1:02:02
he
1:02:03
was
1:02:03
all
1:02:03
business.
1:02:04
He
1:02:04
was
1:02:04
a.
1:02:04
He
1:02:04
was
1:02:04
a
1:02:05
manager.
1:02:07
And
1:02:07
I
1:02:08
would
1:02:08
like
1:02:08
to
1:02:08
think
1:02:08
that
1:02:09
there
1:02:09
are
1:02:09
a
1:02:09
lot
1:02:09
of
1:02:09
Bill
1:02:09
Verdons
1:02:10
out
1:02:10
there
1:02:10
that
1:02:11
are
1:02:11
gone,
1:02:12
that
1:02:12
have
1:02:12
gone
1:02:12
under
1:02:13
underappreciated
1:02:14
because,
1:02:15
you
1:02:15
know,
1:02:15
they're
1:02:15
not
1:02:16
a
1:02:16
George
1:02:16
Brett
1:02:17
or
1:02:17
they're
1:02:17
not
1:02:17
a,
1:02:18
an
1:02:18
A
1:02:18
Rod
1:02:18
or
1:02:19
they're
1:02:19
not
1:02:19
a,
1:02:19
A
1:02:20
War.
1:02:20
They're
1:02:20
not
1:02:20
a,
1:02:20
you
1:02:21
know,
1:02:21
just
1:02:21
the
1:02:21
list
1:02:22
goes
1:02:22
on.
1:02:23
But
1:02:23
there
1:02:23
are
1:02:23
a
1:02:23
lot
1:02:23
of
1:02:24
players
1:02:24
that
1:02:25
I
1:02:25
think
1:02:25
should
1:02:26
be
1:02:26
elevated
1:02:26
to
1:02:27
top
1:02:27
tier
1:02:27
that
1:02:28
were
1:02:28
never
1:02:29
elevated
1:02:31
because
1:02:31
they
1:02:31
just,
1:02:32
they
1:02:32
just
1:02:32
didn't
1:02:32
make.
1:02:33
They.
1:02:34
Roberto
1:02:34
Clemente
1:02:35
made
1:02:36
a
1:02:36
comment.
1:02:36
The
1:02:37
reason
1:02:37
Bill
1:02:37
Verdon
1:02:38
doesn't
1:02:39
get
1:02:39
noticed
1:02:40
is
1:02:40
because
1:02:40
he
1:02:41
makes
1:02:41
looking,
1:02:42
makes.
1:02:42
Makes
1:02:43
playing
1:02:43
look
1:02:44
so
1:02:44
easy.
1:02:47
That's
1:02:47
the
1:02:47
way
1:02:48
it
1:02:48
is.
1:02:48
That's
1:02:48
the
1:02:48
way
1:02:48
it's
1:02:49
supposed
1:02:49
to
1:02:49
be.
1:02:51
David,
1:02:51
I
1:02:52
want
1:02:52
to
1:02:52
thank
1:02:52
you
1:02:52
so
1:02:53
much
1:02:53
for
1:02:53
joining
1:02:53
me
1:02:54
on
1:02:54
Sports
1:02:54
Forgotten
1:02:55
Heroes.
1:02:56
Bill
1:02:57
A
1:02:57
Life
1:02:57
in
1:02:58
Baseball.
1:02:59
Great
1:02:59
book.
1:02:59
Thank
1:03:00
you
1:03:00
so
1:03:00
much
1:03:00
for
1:03:01
joining
1:03:01
me.
1:03:02
I
1:03:03
really
1:03:03
enjoyed
1:03:03
it.
1:03:04
Some
1:03:05
great
1:03:05
stories.
1:03:06
You've
1:03:07
been
1:03:07
a
1:03:07
terrific
1:03:07
guest.
1:03:08
I
1:03:09
appreciate
1:03:09
it.
1:03:09
Warren,
1:03:10
it's
1:03:10
been
1:03:10
a
1:03:10
delight
1:03:10
to
1:03:10
be
1:03:10
with
1:03:11
you
1:03:11
tonight.
1:03:12
Thanks
1:03:12
anytime.
1:03:14
I
1:03:14
appreciate
1:03:14
it.
1:03:16
As
1:03:16
a
1:03:16
player
1:03:16
for
1:03:17
his
1:03:17
career,
1:03:18
Verdon
1:03:18
hit.267
1:03:20
with
1:03:21
91
1:03:21
home
1:03:21
runs
1:03:22
and
1:03:22
he
1:03:22
knocked
1:03:22
in
1:03:23
502.
1:03:25
He
1:03:25
won
1:03:25
the
1:03:25
Rookie
1:03:26
of
1:03:26
the
1:03:26
Year
1:03:26
in
1:03:26
the
1:03:26
National
1:03:27
League
1:03:27
in
1:03:27
1955
1:03:29
and
1:03:29
he
1:03:29
also
1:03:29
won
1:03:30
a
1:03:30
Gold
1:03:30
Glove
1:03:30
in
1:03:30
1962,
1:03:32
which
1:03:33
just
1:03:33
happened
1:03:33
to
1:03:33
be
1:03:33
one
1:03:34
of
1:03:34
his
1:03:34
best
1:03:34
seasons.
1:03:35
He
1:03:35
led
1:03:36
the
1:03:36
National
1:03:36
League
1:03:37
with
1:03:37
10
1:03:37
triples
1:03:38
in
1:03:38
1962.
1:03:40
As
1:03:41
a
1:03:41
manager,
1:03:42
he
1:03:42
led
1:03:42
the
1:03:42
Pirates
1:03:43
and
1:03:43
Astros
1:03:44
to
1:03:45
first
1:03:45
place
1:03:46
finishes.
1:03:47
Verdon
1:03:48
truly
1:03:48
had
1:03:48
a
1:03:49
remarkable
1:03:50
career
1:03:50
in
1:03:50
baseball.
1:03:52
Thanks
1:03:53
again
1:03:53
to
1:03:53
my
1:03:53
guest
1:03:53
today,
1:03:54
David
1:03:54
Jerome,
1:03:55
and
1:03:55
thanks
1:03:55
to
1:03:55
all
1:03:55
of
1:03:56
you
1:03:56
for
1:03:56
tuning
1:03:56
in.
1:03:57
And
1:03:57
I'll
1:03:57
see
1:03:57
you
1:03:58
next
1:03:58
time
1:03:58
on
1:03:59
Sports
1:03:59
Forgotten
1:04:00
Heroes.