Hank Bauer, R. I. P.
Former Yankees OF Hank Bauer Dies at 84 NEW YORK - Hank Bauer, the hard-nosed ex-Marine who returned to baseball after being wounded during World War II and went on to become a cornerstone of the New York Yankees dynasty of the 1950s, died Friday. He was 84. Bauer died of cancer in Shawnee Mission, Kan., said the Baltimore Orioles. Bauer managed the 1966 Orioles to their first World Series title.
A three-time All-Star outfielder, Bauer played on Yankees teams that won nine American League pennants and seven World Series in 10 years. He set the Series record with a 17-game hitting streak, a mark that still stands.
"Hank Bauer is an emblem of a generation that helped shape the landscape of our country," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. "He was a natural leader and a teammate in every sense of the word, and his contributions went well beyond the baseball field. His service to the Yankees, his country, and his family shows why I have been so privileged to call him a friend."
Surrounded by sluggers such as Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, Bauer was a major ingredient in the Yankees' success during his years in New York from 1948-59.
"I am truly heartbroken," Berra said in a statement issued by the Yankees. "Hank was a wonderful teammate and friend for so long. Nobody was more dedicated and proud to be a Yankee, he gave you everything he had."
Former Yankees OF Hank Bauer Dies at 84
9 comments:
So passes another one of the Yankees that made the team heroic to me when I was a kid. RIP.
The Yankees pretty much dominated through out the late '40s and most of the '50s. Maybe after that, too. Talk about a dynasty.
Another ballpark notable just passed away. Eddie Feigner, the great softball pitcher of The King and His Court is gone. He had a pitch clocked at 104 mph--underhand! We won't see his like again.
I never got to see them play. I'd have enjoyed it, I'm sure. I used to go to softball games with my father when I was a kid. The local team had a one-armed pitcher.
Hank was one of the great ones on a great team. At an early age I was a Yankee fan because of Joe D and Yogi and Whitey and Mickey. There like will not be seen again. The game has changed to be more about individuals than teams.
I think you're right, Scott. It was a team thing in the old days. I've decided to post some old baseball cards every now and then, just for fun.
Now that's a cool souvenir.
Eddie Feigner's memorial piece on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED today:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7388703
Thanks for that link, Todd.
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