Gene "Stick" Michael passes away at 79

[jsinger121]

He built the 90's dynasty with George suspended

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/gene-stick-michael-yankees-exec-90s-dynasty-dead-79-article-1.3477147

 

[joe dokes]

One of my earliest baseball memories was him pitching in a game during the late 60s Yankee bleak times.
(at the bottom of this story)
https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/the-day-rocky-pitched-c3fb4bc62179


The phrase "good baseball man" will be heard more than once over the next few days.

 

[Ale Xander]

Thank you MFy's for not giving Red Sox permission to talk to to him, so we were able to put Epstein in his post shortly after.

Always will respect him for being an early adopter of the farm system development (over free agency) system (you can't argue with the success of the Core Four, even though 3 of the 4 are so hateable for Red Sox fans) and for the chutzpah to sign with the RS just to accrue 10 years of service time, without pitching an inning

That said, timing of the heart attack smells of Watchgate karma.

 

[E5 Yaz]

The phrase "good baseball man" will be heard more than once over the next few days.

Does being involved in wrenching Bill Lee's shoulder during a brawl make one a "good baseball man"?

 

[Wingack]

I generally don't care when older athlete die. But I have a lot of great memories thanks to this guy.

T&P.

 

[curly2]

Does being involved in wrenching Bill Lee's shoulder during a brawl make one a "good baseball man"?

Michael was involved in the 1973 fight that was just a minor skirmish. He was done as a player before the 1976 brawl where Lee got hurt. The asshole who deliberately injured Lee was Graig Nettles.

 

[joe dokes]

Does being involved in wrenching Bill Lee's shoulder during a brawl make one a "good baseball man"?

I thought that was nettles and Rivers.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Michael was involved in the 1973 fight that was just a minor skirmish. He was done as a player before the 1976 brawl where Lee got hurt. The asshole who deliberately injured Lee was Graig Nettles.

I thought that was nettles and Rivers.

They had so many assholes on that team, it was difficult to keep track

 

[Tony C]

A MFY I've always respected.

 

[Harry Hooper]

I thought that was nettles and Rivers.

That's what I remember. Nettles dismembering Lee and Rivers jumping on Lee from behind and punching him repeatedly in the back of the head.


I was at a forum about 10 years ago where a panel of baseball pros were discussing all things MLB, and there was a question from the audience about brawls. Gene Orza chimed in with something like the brawls are no big deal since no one ever gets hurt. I told Gene that Bill Lee would disagree with that contention.

 

[ThePrideofShiner]

Good story from Joel Sherman about Michael here, including this gem which reminds me of our current President.

http://nypost.com/2017/09/07/gene-michael-was-much-more-than-man-who-saved-the-yankees/

The Boss had a particular early fascination with wanting to get rid of (Bernie) Williams, and Stick would resort to lying that he had called other clubs and no one wanted Williams as a way to protect him.

 

[ifmanis5]

Without Howard Spira and/or Stick, there is no Yankees of the 90's. Period.

 

[Deweys New Stance]

Michael was involved in the 1973 fight that was just a minor skirmish. He was done as a player before the 1976 brawl where Lee got hurt. The asshole who deliberately injured Lee was Graig Nettles.

If I recall correctly Stick jumped Fisk from behind after Fisk and Munson went at it at home plate, and scratched Pudge's face up pretty badly.

 

[bob burda]

If I recall correctly Stick jumped Fisk from behind after Fisk and Munson went at it at home plate, and scratched Pudge's face up pretty badly.

In Beyond the Sixth Game, Gammons tells this story with Fisk holding of Munson with his right hand, but somehow getting Stick pinned to the ground with his elbow/forearm accross Stick's windpipe; he claimed one of Yankee coaches had to crawl down into the bottom of the scrum to restore breathing.

 

[luckiestman]

In Beyond the Sixth Game, Gammons tells this story with Fisk holding of Munson with his right hand, but somehow getting Stick pinned to the ground with his elbow/forearm accross Stick's windpipe; he claimed one of Yankee coaches had to crawl down into the bottom of the scrum to restore breathing.

Gammons retells this story on Bob Ryan's podcast

 

[terrynever]

Does being involved in wrenching Bill Lee's shoulder during a brawl make one a "good baseball man"?

Stick retired after his 1975 season with Detroit. His last Yankee season was 1974. The Bill Lee mauling occurred in 1976.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Stick retired after his 1975 season with Detroit. His last Yankee season was 1974. The Bill Lee mauling occurred in 1976.

Thanks for being at least the third person to mention this.

 

[terrynever]

Thanks for being at least the third person to mention this.

You're welcome!