Forum Home

Master Index of Archived Threads


Six Mets Managers at Once

G-Fafif
Jun 06 2007 02:35 PM

In watching SNY's rebroadcast of Game Four of the '69 World Series, I realized I was watching something not just historic but probably historically trivial:

The Mets manager was Gil Hodges.
The Mets first base coach was Yogi Berra.
The Mets shortstop was Bud Harrelson.
The Orioles pitching coach was George Bamberger.
The Orioles second baseman was Davey Johnson.
The first ball was thrown out by Casey Stengel.

Six Mets managers, past, present and future, playing a role in the same event, five in uniform. Can anybody think of a circumstance that would have equaled or topped this accumulation of orange and blue leadership? For all the paths crossed by other longtime baseball men who have held the same job, I can't.

Edgy DC
Jun 06 2007 02:37 PM

Sitting at home with his fingers crossed, Willie Randolph.

cooby
Jun 06 2007 08:14 PM

Cool observation!

G-Fafif
Jun 07 2007 01:07 AM

Trying to forget Endy's troubles, I came up with two managerial groupings that don't quite match the skipper-studded '69 affair thanks to Casey's first-ball participation but come close:

May 9, 1965 featured Stengel (manager), Westrum (coach), Berra (coach/catcher), McMillan (shortstop) and Torre (Brave catcher). It was Yogi's last game as a player. Buddy Harrelson would come up in September, though Stengel would be retired from managing by then. Westrum would manage Harrelson and McMillan in September, so several games versus Milwaukee (Berra coaching, Torre catching for the opposition) would continue to feature five Mets managers in uniform. (Harrelson and McMillan were not on the roster together in '66.)

On May 14, 1975, Wes Westrum managed the Giants against his old club, which was helmed by Yogi Berra. Roy McMillan coached. Bud Harrelson played short, the only game the oft-injured Buddy got into against the Giants that year. Joe Torre played third for the Mets on May 12, but not the 14th. We'll assume both Torre and Harrelson were in uniform both games. That's five Mets managers for you.

But I can't think of any others that might equal the six in Game Four of the 1969 World Series.