General Martin

As baseball opens another season on Thursday, I think of my Yankee’s and the incredible Billy Martin. He brought it every day to the ball park. I remember when he managed the Texas Rangers, and we went up to watch them play the Twins at the old Met Stadium.


Billy had started the spitballer Gaylord Perry, and he threw one to Rod Carew that fell off of the table. Home plate Umpire Ron Luciano called two balls, and Billy came unglued. I still remember the 150 pound Martin toe to toe against the 275 pound umpire. It was shortly after that incident, that this quote appeared in Sports Illustrated.



"I'm getting smarter, I finally punched something that couldn't sue me." Billy Martin