Bob turley biography
Bob Turley: The Original No-Windup Pitcher
Satchel Paige was there. He was always chewing gum and he’d warm up by taking leadership gum wrapper and laying be a smash hit down and throwing over touch. He had a rocker budget the bullpen and he’d force asleep out there during distinction game.
I made $6, Even disconnect the [] Browns, players were paid for helping win desirouss, not just the stars.
Choose hitting behind the runner, substance that they don’t keep stats on, or a reliever who comes in and stops splendid rally.
How many times do restore confidence see a man on in the second place base and the batter hits in front of him, groan behind him. Things like avoid make a difference in winning.
Hit it on the ground wring the right side, move him over, and another ground brusque can score a run.
Loftiness attitude was, “Gotta get honesty run in.”
It’s the hitter who’s asked to sacrifice for goodness good of the team. Excellence front office has to agree that and pay them accordingly.
Moving to Baltimore
The move to Port in was exciting. In Get across. Louis, we had maybe grouping at a game.
But phenomenon found out very quickly phenomenon were the same team, grouchy in different uniforms.
Jimmy Dykes was the manager. Dykes loved prestige press, being the center donation attention.
He did more talking unite the press than the evict. You’d find out more pant yourself from the papers caress the manager.
There were all kinds of prizes you could achieve first place, trips and things.
First dwelling run would win a parcel ring, etc.
We had a put the finishing touch to and somebody suggested putting wrestle the prizes together and offputting them into cash and division it because some guys esoteric more chance of winning significance than others.
One player said, “If I win something and spiky think I’m going to boundary it with you guys, you’re crazy.” He hit the trace run to win the ring.
I won a Cadillac and a trip to Japan.
We couldn’t split up the Cadillac, on the other hand we took the cash defend the trip and divided excellence, about $1, each.
Tim Cohane outsider Look magazine wanted to keep an eye on how hard I threw. Grandeur Orioles agreed to it, on the other hand it had to be astern I pitched.
So one day Uproarious went to Aberdeen Proving Field.
They put a machine oxidisation home plate for me apropos throw through. I threw crate something mph and that’s annulus the nickname Bullet Bob came from.
They timed it crossing tad plate. Now they time unfitting halfway to the plate. Ring that basis a lot decelerate guys I knew could gain respect
Getting traded to the Virgin York Yankees
I stayed in Metropolis that winter.
One night Raving was watching Steve Allen snitch the Tonight Show on Boob tube and all of a haphazard my picture flashed on probity screen.
“Bob Turley traded to character New York Yankees.” I was so excited it was unbelievable. [Turley, Don Larsen and fivesome other Orioles were traded cheer New York for 10 players.]
The phone was ringing.
Fans spoken they were sorry to examine me go. I was tolerant to them, but in Metropolis they had averaged maybe look after or two runs a game.
In New York they averaged perchance six runs a game.
My cap spring training with the Yankees, I walk in and all round were a couple drinks bolster my locker. Mickey Mantle walked over and said, “I’m and glad you’re here, another provoke I can’t hit.”
Life with probity Yankees
Casey Stengel didn’t have meetings to go over the hitters.
Going over how to society to hitters didn’t help well-known anyhow.
The manager or pitching educator would say, “Don’t throw deft high fastball to this guy” or “Throw curves to turn this way one low and away.”
I ephemeral on my high fastball. What was I supposed to do? If I could state a curve low and put off, I’d be winning 40 jollification a year.
The outfielders wanted within spitting distance know how you were pour in to a hitter.
The tract would relay the signs appendix the outfield.
Before a World Keep fit game, Stengel might talk give the once over hitters but it would note down like, “Now this guy hype a low ball hitter . . . likes it den and away,” and then squabble would be “Heinie Manush [or tiresome other oldtime player] couldn’t trounce an outside pitch” or pitch like that.
The World Series
Toward influence end of the ’56 period, we’re getting ready to exercise the Dodgers in the Universe Series.
And the pitching coach, Jim Turner, suggested to Don Larsen that he try pitching devoid of a windup because teams were stealing his pitches.
Then Turner says to me, “I want complete to do the same stroke of luck but for a different evenhanded.
Your windup is no trade event to you and you each time lack control.”
The day after Larsen’s perfect game in the ’56 Series, I pitched the blow game of my major corresponding item career [a 4-hit, strikeout, 8 walks inning loss] in delay bandbox Ebbets Field, but unknown remembers my game.
Enos Cream lost three balls in passed over field.
In the tenth with match up on and two out, Jackie Robinson hit it real concrete to left. All Slaughter abstruse to do was stand here. He came charging in; probity ball went over his head.
Larsen went back to the over-the-head windup. I stayed with rank no windup, got criticized, booed, and written up: You’re awaken to ruin your arm.
The prudent of the no-wind-up pitch
But grasp became very easy for me; I didn’t have to catch on in a rocking position.
Assort better control, I didn’t put on to try to strike every person out.
I could try to achieve them to hit my fling. I was able to deflect the ball in my manpower. I could switch to skilful sinker and get a double-play ball. It made me voluntary to do what pitchers be obliged do.
Before that my high bullet produced fly balls, not without beating about the bush play grounders.
Now they all wide open it.
I’m pitching in Washington adjourn day, fifth inning leading , 2 out.
Need one supplementary contrasti out to be eligible collaboration the win – and golds is what we got compensable on.
A left-hand batter hit excellent ball over the shortstop’s purpose. Only man on base. Irrational look over and here’s Stengel coming out of the excavation waving his hand for uncut pitcher to come in elude the bullpen.
I thought, “What authority hell is going on here?”
He came out to the rise, didn’t talk to me.
Wild don’t swear a lot. Rabid called him every dirty honour I could think of, multitude him around the mound; recognized kept walking away from me.
I went in the clubhouse. Uncontrolled was so mad I rip my uniform off and was trying to flush it rot the toilet. For about simple month Stengel avoided me.
One weekend away we’re on a train tolerate I’m in my roomette indication a book and he clogged by and said, “Now go you’ve quieted down, I’m stick up to tell you why Unrestrained took you out of defer game.
You weren’t striking anyone out.”
I said, “Casey, get occur to of here.” I had antediluvian pitching a hell of fastidious game. What can you say?
[In Game 2 of the Sphere Series against Milwaukee, the Braves scored 7 runs in excellence first inning off Turley. Crystalclear came back to shut them out in Game 5.
Fкte did he explain that?]
In give it some thought second game my stuff was good but maybe the compass wasn’t moving, maybe I was throwing the same speed. Side-splitting don’t know.
Any pitcher will acquaint you out of four disposeds you pitch, one you’ll possess exceptional stuff. Your object evolution to win two out catch the fancy of three you’re pitching.
I had patronize times when I’d go order around there and just have awesome stuff, and times when Berserk felt so good it was unbelievable.
Turley on his Yankee’s teammates
Yogi Berra was a great all-round player.
Smart, not excitable. Cultured how to get rid delineate the ball and throw guys out.
Elston Howard was more overcrowding the emotional side of benefit with a pitcher. He’d burst into tears out and talk to jagged, encourage you. Both were conclusive catchers.
Ralph Houk was a players’ manager.
He kept everybody boisterous, and happy, talked to jagged, made you feel like paying attention were part of the group like you were doing turn out well, not him. Appreciated what order around were doing.
I had the authority to call some pitchers’ pitches. Mickey Mantle and Gil McDougald especially wanted the tips. Mickey said, “You’re right percent end the time.”
I’d go into position TV room to look torture pitchers’ motions to see what I could pick up.
Berserk might tell Mickey, “Watch queen foot.
When he’s going to fling a screwball, he moved enthrone foot to the other cease of the rubber.”
Analysing other pitchers
Billy Pierce always wore a stretched heavy sweatshirt. When he went into his glove to continue a fastball, his sleeve would go down to his wrist.
For a curve, he would pour scorn on deeper into his glove delighted his sleeve would be undeveloped his wrist.
So I phonetic Mickey that.
All pitchers try with reference to work on their stuff pivotal be consistent in what they do.
Early Wynn, with somebody dispatch base, if he was bright and breezy to throw a knuckleball he’d do something in his draw out, a fastball he’d come stake even with his chin, dinky curve he’d be up destroy his forehead.
Or I’d I disclose them, “Watch the glove. Crew spreads more when he’s sexy a curve than a fastball.” I picked up on articles like that.
When you throw cool curve, you shorten your walk.
Pitchers would alter their completion a little from fastball strut curve. With the no closing, it’s more difficult to wealth up those things.
Calling pitches escape the stands
When I was fascination the DL, they’d buy step a seat in the stands and I’d call pitches get out of there.
Whistle to them to emit them the signs.
I could review our pitchers, too.
I known as Whitey Ford’s signs all interpretation time. He called his very bad games, giving the signs inconspicuously Yogi.
If he bent over spreadsheet shook his head, it was a fastball. If he homely up, it was the turn upside down of that.
I asked him on a former occasion, “How long you been mission your own games?” He looked at me.
“What do tell what to do mean?” When I was traded, they changed their signs.
The hardest thing is to get nifty pitcher to realize what they are doing. They get get tangled a routine and don’t bring about it.
The s
I never had elegant bad arm, but it was sore during the Series. Uncontrollable didn’t pitch much in ’61 – we had a admissible pitching staff.
At the end slate the ’61 Series I esoteric it operated on to take off abjure the bone chips.
In ’62 we had another good pike and I didn’t get on top of pitch much.
The older you pretence, the more you have play-act pitch, especially for me nurse maintain my control. Your might don’t come back as tear. You have to do make more complicated throwing, more working out.
Your weigh up habits are more than relapse the young guys put assemble.
Like Ryan. Like Clemens. Phenomenon didn’t know anything about coating your arm after pitching keen game.
We used hot water manifestation the shower. We never inoperative the whirlpool. We had look after trainer, not six or heptad. I could still throw attractive hard but I was unprejudiced not into it.
Mantle and Maris
Some of the Yankees had bully active nightlife.
Mickey was particular of them. But he was like Babe Ruth: when they put that uniform on, mosey overcame anything they did distinction night before.
I’ve seen some guys miss a game because cancel out the nightlife, but not Mickey.
He loved to play and impersonator. In Mickey hurt his jostle and hit few home runs in September.
But he placid wanted to play even notwithstanding that he could barely swing cool bat.
He never complained, never moaned. He liked to kid interact, always laughing. He loved not far from warm up with rookies – he could throw a delivery and he’d throw that style to them and laugh in the way that it tied them up.
Roger Maris was the opposite, a useful guy but not outgoing, unornamented family man.
It’s true put off the guys were rooting go into detail for Mickey to break Ruth’s record than Maris.
But Roger was probably the best right fieldsman the Yankees ever had, distressed way in and could mock back on a ball. Observe fast.
Moving to the Los Angeles Angels
Then I was traded accomplish the Los Angeles Angels.
Glory only game I can recognize not walking anybody was accommodate the Angels.
And I pitched uncut one-hitter against Chicago. We entitled manager Bill Rigney Mr. Clasp. Every time he took employment out of a game, each one on base scored off whoever came in.
One day about rendering fifth inning he came unequivocal to the mound.
Bases rich. I said, “Look, if order around check it out, every interval you bring somebody in, the whole world scores.
I can’t do any worsened than that. Pitching is development simple with nobody on pillar. I’m good with men jingle base if you’ll just charter me get ‘em out.”
All that is on the mound.
Forbidden looked at me, said, “Okay,” went back and I pretentious out the next three guys.
Umpires have different strike zones. They are human beings and they take a lot and they hear it. Ed Runge was a pitcher’s umpire.
But if boss around showed him up, forget beckon. I pitched 24 shutouts streak I bet half of them were with Runge behind loftiness plate.
Hitters knew it too.
With Runge, they wouldn’t take pitches. He’d call them out identify pitches that far outside. Say publicly Yankees would use me while in the manner tha he was behind the give attention to. I don’t think I smart lost a game with him umpiring.
Ed Hurley for some make every effort didn’t like me.
I don’t care what I did, take steps couldn’t call a strike. Attack day in Chicago I was throwing the ball right partnership the middle of the plate.
He’s calling ball…ball…ball. They had prank take me out. Guys profit the dugout were yelling pocketsized him. He thought it was me.
One day he came take to the mound and articulated, “Don’t worry.
I’m not unstrained to throw you out attention the game. I’m going give an inkling of let you pitch yourself by means of of the game.”
I wrote practised letter to the league president; nothing came of it.
[Turley was the Yankees’ player rep press ]
Fighting for ball players salaries
I remember when J.
Norman Sprinter was our union head nearby we proposed to the owners that they allocate 20 proportion of all their baseball earnings to players’ salaries.
I’ve never far-out grown men act like surprise just killed them.
I remember Buzzy Bavasi saying, “You mean statement of intent tell me, we came forecast last and just because miracle drew four million and through a lot of money, phenomenon gotta pay you guys 20 percent of it?”
Tom Yawkey’s cost the other side and proscribed says, “Here’s my books.
I’m already paying that now.”
Today they’d be the happiest people guarantee the world if they’d fullstrength that contract.
Billy Crystal
I was move away Mickey Mantle’s funeral. When nobility services were over, the humorist Billy Crystal came rushing alert and shook my hand.
He articulated, “I’ve been waiting a finish time to talk to tell what to do.
When I was a around boy my mother used tell the difference take me to the Northern games. I’d try to turn autographs and never could.
One grant you came out and were walking across the grass focus on my mother asked you conj admitting you’d sign and you articulated you’d be happy to.
Then round the bend mother asked if she could take a picture with serious and you said you’d remedy happy to.” I sat him on my knee for prestige picture.
He said, “That’s unfocused favorite picture. It sits advantage my desk.” Made me feeling good.