Passing: Clete Boyer, Top Fielding 3rd Baseman on Championship Yankee Teams of the 1960's
Way back when (when I was a kid), the Yankees were my team.
That as before the Steinbrenner-era, before they tore down the real Yankee Stadium. When they had classy announcers like Mel Allen and Red Barber and when they had real team players like Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek, John Blanchard and Clete Boyer.
Clete Boyer died Monday in Atlanta hospital at the age of 70. The cause of death was complications of a brain hemorrhage, son-in-law Todd Gladden said.
Boyer (#6) was the third baseman the champion Yankee teams of the 1960's. On a team with legendary names such as Mantle, Maris, Berra, Elston Howard, and Whitey Ford, Boyer was nonethless a presence as well.
He was as good a fielder at third as there ever was. He made an art form of diving stops and throws from his knees. He was a mainstay for Yankee infields that included Bill Skowron and Joe Pepitone at first, Bobby Richardson at second, and Tony Kubek at short.
Boyer's lone Gold Glove came in 1969 in Atlanta; he might've earned more had it not been for the peerless Brooks Robinson.
''He was in the Brooksie era. He didn't get as much attention as Brooksie,'' said Yankees manager Joe Torre, a former Boyer teammate with the Braves.
''When we played Cincinnati, he made those great plays. He threw a couple balls to me, he was on his knees. He was a hell of a glove man'', said Skowron.
On a personal note, back in the earely 1960's ballplayers made a middle class salary and most had to work winter jobs to make ends meet. They lived in middle class communities such as River Edge, my then and present home.
Clete Boyer was one of those River Edge summer residents during the baseball season ( others included Tony Kubek and Mickey Mantle). One day a shy 10 year old showed up at Boyer's door too afraid to even stammer out a polite request. But the occupant of 1 Coles Court was most gracious and accommodating. The 10 year old got the desired Clete Boyer autograph on his Yankee bat.
This former Yankee fan still has a soft spot for those old Yankees and especially the slick fielding third baseman who didn't disappoint that day.
Source material on Boyer's career: AP: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BBO-Obit-Yankees-Clete-Boyer.html
That as before the Steinbrenner-era, before they tore down the real Yankee Stadium. When they had classy announcers like Mel Allen and Red Barber and when they had real team players like Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek, John Blanchard and Clete Boyer.
Clete Boyer died Monday in Atlanta hospital at the age of 70. The cause of death was complications of a brain hemorrhage, son-in-law Todd Gladden said.
Boyer (#6) was the third baseman the champion Yankee teams of the 1960's. On a team with legendary names such as Mantle, Maris, Berra, Elston Howard, and Whitey Ford, Boyer was nonethless a presence as well.
He was as good a fielder at third as there ever was. He made an art form of diving stops and throws from his knees. He was a mainstay for Yankee infields that included Bill Skowron and Joe Pepitone at first, Bobby Richardson at second, and Tony Kubek at short.
Boyer's lone Gold Glove came in 1969 in Atlanta; he might've earned more had it not been for the peerless Brooks Robinson.
''He was in the Brooksie era. He didn't get as much attention as Brooksie,'' said Yankees manager Joe Torre, a former Boyer teammate with the Braves.
''When we played Cincinnati, he made those great plays. He threw a couple balls to me, he was on his knees. He was a hell of a glove man'', said Skowron.
On a personal note, back in the earely 1960's ballplayers made a middle class salary and most had to work winter jobs to make ends meet. They lived in middle class communities such as River Edge, my then and present home.
Clete Boyer was one of those River Edge summer residents during the baseball season ( others included Tony Kubek and Mickey Mantle). One day a shy 10 year old showed up at Boyer's door too afraid to even stammer out a polite request. But the occupant of 1 Coles Court was most gracious and accommodating. The 10 year old got the desired Clete Boyer autograph on his Yankee bat.
This former Yankee fan still has a soft spot for those old Yankees and especially the slick fielding third baseman who didn't disappoint that day.
Source material on Boyer's career: AP: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BBO-Obit-Yankees-Clete-Boyer.html
posted by eric model | 5:41 AM
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