Scroll Down to Read Today’s Essay

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive for automatic updates (sign-up block found in right side-bar)

As a Free Bonus for subscribing, you’ll get instant access to my two Special Reports: Memorable World Series Moments and Gary’s Handy Dandy World Series Reference Guide!

Casey Stengel Photo Gallery
Click on any image below to see photos in full size and to start Photo Gallery:

 

Casey Stengel’s Often Overlooked Playing Career!

“Sure I played, did you think I was born at the age of 70 sitting in a dugout trying to manage guys like you?” – Casey Stengel

One hundred-nine years ago this past week, September 17, 1912, a miserable Dodgers team, playing out the string in a season that would mercifully end two weeks later with a 58-95 record, beat the second-place Pirates 7-3 at Brooklyn’s Washington Park.  

Hardly noticed at the time was that a young September call-up from Kansas City, Missouri made his major league debut that day…and it turned out to be a pretty good one. The “rook” collected four hits with two RBIs, and even swiped a couple of bags. The sociable outfielder with, shall we say, an “unusual” personality finished the season with a .316 batting average in 17 games (18 for 57).

His name was Charles Dillon “Casey” Stengel…

A Darn Good Ballplayer…

We all know about Casey’s great Hall-of-Fame managerial accomplishments, making him arguably the most successful manager in history, but little is ever said about his playing career. I think you’ll be surprised to learn that “Old  Case'” was a pretty darn good ballplayer, too.

Check out the featured photo from Casey’s playing days with the Dodgers. I selected this one just to dispel the rumors that Casey was born old!

“Stengelisms!”

Before I say a few words about his career, how about a few choice “Stengelisms” to start us off?

• “The key to being a good manager is keeping the people who hate me away from those who are still undecided.”
• “Being with a woman all night never hurt no professional baseball player. It’s staying up all night looking for a woman that does him in.”
• “They say Yogi Berra is funny. Well, he has a lovely wife and family, a beautiful home, money in the bank, and he plays golf with millionaires. What’s funny about that?”
• “They say some of my stars drink whiskey, but I have found that ones who drink milkshakes don’t win many ball games.”
• “The Mets have shown me more ways to lose than I even knew existed.”
• “It’s wonderful to meet so many friends that I didn’t used to like.”

Casey’s Playing Days

Before his managerial career, Casey played 14 seasons in the majors (1912-1925) for the Dodgers, Pirates, Phillies, Giants, and Braves. Over his career, he hit a  respectful .284, with 60 home runs, 535 RBIs, 453 stolen bases, and a .356 on-base percentage. His best year was 1922 when he hit .368 with seven home runs, 48 RBIs, .436 on-base percentage, .564 slugging average, and a remarkable 154 OPS+. In 1914, his .404 on-base percentage lead the league. Casey’s impressive career OPS+ of 120

places him well above average among his major league contemporaries (100 being the major league average). In 12 postseason games, he hit .393 with two home runs, four RBIs, and a .469 on-base percentage. His most memorable moment as a player was probably hitting an inside-the-park-home run for the Giants to win Game One of the 1923 World Series.

Casey’s Managerial Career

We’re all aware of the success the great Hall-of-Fame manager had with the Yankees from 1949-1960. The “Old Perfessor” went 1149-696 (.623), won ten pennants, and seven World Series championships, including a record five consecutive championships from 1949 – 1953.

As manager of the Yankees, Stengel was actually ahead of the times and gained a reputation as a sharp, innovative tactician. He was known to freely platoon left and right-handed hitters, a strategy that had largely fallen out of favor in the late 1940s. Casey was not hesitant to bring in situational pitchers or to pinch-hit for his starting pitcher in early innings, and putting in good hitters in the early innings and replacing them for better fielders later. All these tactics are commonplace today.

Before the Yankees…

Casey’s career as a manager wasn’t always so successful. Few baseball fans are aware of his record before he got to New York…and with good reason! He managed some really miserable teams in the National League, compiling a less-than-stellar 581-741 record (.439) over nine seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers

and the Boston Braves. Over these nine seasons, he finished 5th twice, 6th twice, and 7th five times. Considering all these miserable years, it’s amazing he finished with a 1905-1842 (.508) managerial record.

Casey’s uniform #37 has been retired by both the Yankees and the Mets. The Yankees dedicated a plaque to Casey in Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park on July 30, 1976.  He’s the only ballplayer to have worn the uniform (as player or manager) of all four New York major league teams. Had he been still living, I’m sure he would have been thrilled to learn in 2009 he was named “The Greatest Character of The Game” by the Major League Baseball Network.

From Wikipedia:

Stengel was known for his colorful personality and on-field antics, and was always friendly to the media and photographers. He was a master promoter and became as much of a public figure as many of his star players. His legendary “stream-of-consciousness” monologues on baseball tactics became known as “Stengelese.”

Casey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. He passed away on September 29, 1975, aged 85 in Glendale, California.

So today we turn our baseball spotlight on one of the game’s most colorful,  memorable, and lovable personalities. We salute “The Ol’ Perfessor,” Casey Stengel, as we remember that he was not just a great manager…he was also a pretty darn good ballplayer!

Gary Livacari 

Subscribe to our website, “Baseball History Comes Alive!” with over 1200 fully categorized baseball essays and photo galleries, now surpassing the 700K hits mark at 714K hits: www.baseballhistorycomesalive.com

Information: Excerpts edited from Casey Stengel Wikipedia page; Stats from Baseball-Reference.com