Billy Martin was born on this day in Berkeley, CA in 1928. Martin is shown here in July 1977 with son Billy Joe, a few months after Dock had been shuttled off to Oakland and later the Texas Rangers. Billy was the first of Dock’s record 7 managers in 1977.
Dock experienced a renaissance playing under Martin in 1976 for the New York Yankees, culminating in 17 wins and a Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year award. Martin’s masterful handling of the press had Baltimore’s manager Earl Weaver and pitcher Jim “Cy or Cry” Palmer take all the flack for retaliating after Dock intentionally hit the Oriole’s Reggie Jackson in the head with a pitch in 1976.
Leave a Reply