Roy Hamey
Encyclopedia
Henry Roy Hamey was an American
front-office executive in Major League Baseball
. A longtime employee of the New York Yankees
, he reached the pinnacle of his career when he was appointed the general manager
of the Yanks in November 1960
. Although he inherited a pennant winner from his predecessor, George Weiss
, Hamey maintained the Yankee standard. He produced three additional American League
champions and two World Series
champions in his three full seasons in the GM chair, before retiring in the autumn of 1963
.
, Hamey entered minor league baseball
in 1925
as business manager of Class B Springfield
of the Three-I League
. In 1934
he joined the Yankees as front office boss of their Class A Binghamton Triplets
club in the New York-Pennsylvania League
. At the time, Weiss, who was then the Yankees' farm system director, was building a minor league organization that would rival, and perhaps surpass, the St. Louis Cardinals'
pioneering system. After Hamey's success at Binghamton, Weiss transferred him to business manager of one of New York's two top-level farm clubs, the Kansas City Blues
of the AA American Association
. Stocked with Yankee prospects, the Blues were almost annually competitive in the prewar years and during World War II
.
In 1945
, Larry MacPhail
, former general manager of the Cincinnati Reds
and Brooklyn Dodgers, shocked baseball when a syndicate he led purchased the Yankees from the estate of Jacob Ruppert
. MacPhail simultaneously installed himself as general manager, blocking the paths of both Weiss and Hamey. While Weiss bided his time and remained as New York's farm director and vice president, Hamey departed to become president of the American Association.
season, Hamey was rewarded with his first major league GM portfolio as front-office chief of the Pittsburgh Pirates
. He hired Billy Meyer
out of the Yankee farm system as the Bucs' manager
and acquired several players, such as pitchers Tiny Bonham
and Bob Chesnes
and future Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg
, to surround slugging outfielder
Ralph Kiner
, who led (or tied for the lead) in home runs in the National League
every year between 1946 and 1952. But the Pirates did not build a successful farm system and, apart from a first-division finish in 1948
, the team was an also-ran. In October 1950, the Pirates replaced Hamey with ousted Brooklyn president Branch Rickey
.
Hamey then returned to the Yankees, where Weiss had finally been promoted to general manager in October 1947
after MacPhail's partners, Dan Topping
and Del Webb
, bought him out. (Thus, Hamey's career was materially affected by three Hall of Fame executives: Weiss, MacPhail and Rickey.) Hamey served as Weiss's top assistant from 1951
through mid-April 1954
.
On April 16 of that year, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies
as general manager, effectively succeeding owner Robert R. M. Carpenter, Jr.
, who was functioning as the team's GM-without-portfolio. For the next five years, Hamey guided the destiny of the Phillies with decidedly mixed results. The team could not repeat its 1950
"Whiz Kid" success, as key players aged. While the Phils hovered around the .500 level, Hamey did bring to the club its first African-American player, infielder
John Irvin Kennedy
, who played five games in 1957
. In a National League increasingly dominated by black players, the Phillies were the last club to integrate and only two teams — the AL's Detroit Tigers
and Boston Red Sox
— were more steadfast in hewing to the baseball color line
.
In 1958
, however, the Phillies' fortunes began to decline precipitously. The club finished last in the National League, and Hamey paid with his job. He was replaced, in January 1959
, by John Quinn
, recruited from the Milwaukee Braves. Hamey then rejoined Weiss and the Yankees as assistant general manager for the full seasons of 1959
and 1960.
to the Pirates, the Yankees faced difficult decisions. Manager Casey Stengel
was 70 years of age and blocking the path of the promising, 41-year-old Ralph Houk
, one of his coaches
and considered a top managing prospect. When Stengel would not retire, Topping and Webb fired him — or "discharged" him, as Stengel would say. Concurrently, the team also needed a succession plan for Weiss, then 66. In a decision that was roundly debated, the Yankees forced Weiss into (temporary) retirement, and promoted Hamey to general manager on November 3, 1960. (Both Stengel and Weiss would resurface a year later as the first manager and president of the expansion New York Mets
.)
Hamey faced numerous challenges in keeping the Yankees at the top of the American League. He presided over the team's participation in the first expansion draft in December 1960, brought up pitcher Roland Sheldon
, a rookie
standout, from the minors, and swung a number of deals during 1961
that added supporting players to a team that would win 109 games and easily defeat Cincinnati in the 1961 World Series
. He tweaked the Yankee roster again during the offseason, and promoted eventual Rookie of the Year Tom Tresh
and freshman pitcher Jim Bouton
to the 1962
club, which took the AL pennant by five games and outlasted the San Francisco Giants
in the World Series
.
In 1963
, Hamey added more youth in left-handed pitcher Al Downing and first baseman
Joe Pepitone
. He made room for Pepitone through a controversial trade, sending longtime Yankee first baseman Bill Skowron to the Los Angeles Dodgers
for pitcher
Stan Williams
. Skowron struggled mightily in the NL during 1963, while the Yankees won 104 games and gained their fourth straight AL title. But in the 1963 World Series
, the Dodgers humbled the Yanks in four straight games — the first time the Yanks had ever been swept in a Fall Classic — with Skowron the batting star.
In the weeks following the '63 season, Topping and Webb, perhaps paving the way for the Yankees' sale to CBS
in 1964
, decided to shake up the front office. Hamey, 61, retired from the general manager job and became a scout. Houk was promoted to succeed Hamey, and Yogi Berra
, a player-coach in 1963, became the team's manager.
The Yankees averaged 103 regular season victories during Hamey's three-year GM tenure and brought up a number of serviceable mid-level players. But neither Hamey nor Houk could adequately replace the team's aging corps of superstars — Mickey Mantle
, Roger Maris
, Berra and Whitey Ford
— or other standout players such as Elston Howard
, Bobby Richardson
and Tony Kubek
. After one last pennant in 1964, the Yankees would wander in the wilderness for 12 years, until they entered the first dynasty of the George Steinbrenner
era.
Hamey's last high-profile job in baseball occurred during the winter of 1969
-70
, when AL president Joe Cronin
appointed him caretaker chief executive of the Seattle Pilots
as the team struggled to find new ownership. He relinquished that responsibility when the Pilots were purchased by Bud Selig
and moved to Milwaukee
for the 1970 season.
Roy Hamey lived in retirement in Tucson, Arizona
. He died there of a heart attack
at age 81 on December 14, 1983.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
front-office executive in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. A longtime employee of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, he reached the pinnacle of his career when he was appointed the general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
of the Yanks in November 1960
1960 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees ; Bobby Richardson, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5-3*All-Star Game , July 13 at Yankee Stadium: National League, 6-0...
. Although he inherited a pennant winner from his predecessor, George Weiss
George Weiss (baseball)
George Martin Weiss was an American baseball executive. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.Weiss was one of Major League Baseball's most successful farm system directors and general managers...
, Hamey maintained the Yankee standard. He produced three additional American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
champions and two World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
champions in his three full seasons in the GM chair, before retiring in the autumn of 1963
1963 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers beat New York Yankees ; Sandy Koufax, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5–3; Willie Mays, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: USC...
.
Career in minor leagues
A native of Havana, IllinoisHavana, Illinois
Havana is a city in Mason County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,577 at the 2000 census, and 3,260 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Mason County.-Geography:...
, Hamey entered minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
in 1925
1925 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Washington Senators *Negro League World Series: Hilldale Daisies over Kansas City Monarchs -Awards and honors:*League Award** Roger Peckinpaugh, Washington Senators, SS** Rogers Hornsby, St...
as business manager of Class B Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
of the Three-I League
Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
The Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League was a minor league baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 years, mostly in those three states. It was popularly known as the Three-I League and also sometimes jokingly as the Three-Eye League....
. In 1934
1934 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Detroit Tigers *All-Star Game, July 10 at Polo Grounds: American League, 9-7-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player:**American League: Mickey Cochrane, Detroit Tigers, C...
he joined the Yankees as front office boss of their Class A Binghamton Triplets
Binghamton Triplets
The Binghamton Triplets were a minor league baseball team in Binghamton, New York, affiliated with the New York Yankees ; the team also had brief affiliations with the Kansas City Athletics and the Milwaukee Braves...
club in the New York-Pennsylvania League
New York-Pennsylvania League (early 20th century)
The New York-Pennsylvania League of 1923 through 1937 was an American minor league baseball circuit.The forerunner to the modern Class AA Eastern League, it was a Class B circuit through 1932 and upgraded to Class A for the final five seasons of its existence. It is actually the second of three...
. At the time, Weiss, who was then the Yankees' farm system director, was building a minor league organization that would rival, and perhaps surpass, the St. Louis Cardinals'
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
pioneering system. After Hamey's success at Binghamton, Weiss transferred him to business manager of one of New York's two top-level farm clubs, the Kansas City Blues
Kansas City Blues (American Association)
The Kansas City Blues are a former minor league baseball team located in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Midwestern United States. The team was one of the eight founding members of the American Association....
of the AA American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
. Stocked with Yankee prospects, the Blues were almost annually competitive in the prewar years and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In 1945
1945 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs *All-Star Game cancelled due to flight restrictions. However, inter-league games were played during the All-Star break.-Other champions:...
, Larry MacPhail
Larry MacPhail
Leland Stanford "Larry" MacPhail, Sr. was an American lawyer, and an executive and innovator in Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
, former general manager of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and Brooklyn Dodgers, shocked baseball when a syndicate he led purchased the Yankees from the estate of Jacob Ruppert
Jacob Ruppert
Jacob Ruppert, Jr. , sometimes referred to as Jake Ruppert, was a National Guard colonel; a U.S. Representative from New York; and brewery owner, who went on to own the New York Yankees...
. MacPhail simultaneously installed himself as general manager, blocking the paths of both Weiss and Hamey. While Weiss bided his time and remained as New York's farm director and vice president, Hamey departed to become president of the American Association.
GM in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia
At the close of the 19461946 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox *All-Star Game, July 9 at Fenway Park: American League, 12–0-Other champions:*Negro League World Series: Newark Eagles over Kansas City Monarchs...
season, Hamey was rewarded with his first major league GM portfolio as front-office chief of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. He hired Billy Meyer
Billy Meyer
William Adam Meyer was an American baseball player and manager. He holds the dubious distinction as having played for, and managed, two of the worst teams in the history of Major League Baseball....
out of the Yankee farm system as the Bucs' manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
and acquired several players, such as pitchers Tiny Bonham
Tiny Bonham
Ernest Edward Bonham was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1940 to 1949, he played for the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates . Bonham batted and threw right-handed...
and Bob Chesnes
Bob Chesnes
Robert Vincent Chesnes , is a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1948-1950. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-External links:...
and future Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
, to surround slugging outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Ralph Kiner
Ralph Kiner
Ralph McPherran Kiner is an American former Major League Baseball player and has been an announcer for the New York Mets since the team's inception. Though injuries forced his retirement from active play after 10 seasons, Kiner's tremendous slugging outpaced nearly all of his National League...
, who led (or tied for the lead) in home runs in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
every year between 1946 and 1952. But the Pirates did not build a successful farm system and, apart from a first-division finish in 1948
1948 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cleveland Indians over Boston Braves *All-Star Game, July 13 at Sportsman's Park: American League, 5-2-Other champions:*College World Series: USC*Little League World Series: Lock Haven, Pennsylvania...
, the team was an also-ran. In October 1950, the Pirates replaced Hamey with ousted Brooklyn president Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
.
Hamey then returned to the Yankees, where Weiss had finally been promoted to general manager in October 1947
1947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
after MacPhail's partners, Dan Topping
Dan Topping
Daniel Reid Topping was a part owner and president of the New York Yankees baseball team from 1945 to 1964. Daniel Reid Topping was the son of Rhea Reid and Henry J. Topping. Rhea Reid, the daughter of Daniel G. Reid, known as the "Tinplate King" for his vast wealth in the tin industry, was the...
and Del Webb
Del Webb
Delbert Eugene Webb was an American construction magnate, real estate developer and sports-team owner, who is most significant for founding and developing the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona.-Early life:...
, bought him out. (Thus, Hamey's career was materially affected by three Hall of Fame executives: Weiss, MacPhail and Rickey.) Hamey served as Weiss's top assistant from 1951
1951 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games tiebreaker series over the Brooklyn Dodgers.-Major League Baseball:...
through mid-April 1954
1954 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:* World Series: New York Giants over Cleveland Indians * All-Star Game, July 13 at Municipal Stadium: American League, 11-9-Other champions:* Caribbean World Series: Caguas Creoles [Criollos de Caguas]...
.
On April 16 of that year, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
as general manager, effectively succeeding owner Robert R. M. Carpenter, Jr.
R. R. M. Carpenter, Jr.
Robert Ruliph Morgan Carpenter Jr. was an owner and club president of the Philadelphia Phillies of American Major League Baseball. When he took command of the Phils, in November 1943 after his father purchased the franchise, Carpenter became the youngest club president in baseball history, and he...
, who was functioning as the team's GM-without-portfolio. For the next five years, Hamey guided the destiny of the Phillies with decidedly mixed results. The team could not repeat its 1950
1950 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies *All-Star Game, July 11 at Comiskey Park: National League, 4-3 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Carta Vieja *College World Series: Texas...
"Whiz Kid" success, as key players aged. While the Phils hovered around the .500 level, Hamey did bring to the club its first African-American player, infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
John Irvin Kennedy
John Kennedy (baseball 1957)
John Irvin Kennedy was a Major League Baseball shortstop. He signed as a free agent with the New York Giants before the 1953 season, was released before the 1954 season. Kennedy caught on with the Birmingham Black Barons, and later the Kansas City Monarchs, both of the Negro American League...
, who played five games in 1957
1957 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees ; Lew Burdette, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Busch Stadium: American League, 6-5-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: California...
. In a National League increasingly dominated by black players, the Phillies were the last club to integrate and only two teams — the AL's Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
— were more steadfast in hewing to the baseball color line
Baseball color line
The color line in American baseball excluded players of black African descent from Organized Baseball, or the major leagues and affiliated minor leagues, until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization for the 1946 season...
.
In 1958
1958 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves ; Bob Turley, MVP*All-Star Game, July 8 at Memorial Stadium: American League, 4-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: USC...
, however, the Phillies' fortunes began to decline precipitously. The club finished last in the National League, and Hamey paid with his job. He was replaced, in January 1959
1959 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox ; Larry Sherry, MVP*All-Star Game , July 7 at Forbes Field: National League, 5-4*All-Star Game , August 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: American League, 5-3...
, by John Quinn
John Quinn (baseball executive)
John Jacob Quinn was an American executive in Major League Baseball and a member of one of the game's most celebrated multi-generational families....
, recruited from the Milwaukee Braves. Hamey then rejoined Weiss and the Yankees as assistant general manager for the full seasons of 1959
1959 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox ; Larry Sherry, MVP*All-Star Game , July 7 at Forbes Field: National League, 5-4*All-Star Game , August 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: American League, 5-3...
and 1960.
Three pennants in three seasons for the Yankees
After a heart-breaking, seven-game loss of the 1960 World Series1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the New York Yankees of the American League from October 5 to October 13, 1960...
to the Pirates, the Yankees faced difficult decisions. Manager Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
was 70 years of age and blocking the path of the promising, 41-year-old Ralph Houk
Ralph Houk
Ralph George Houk , nicknamed The Major, was an American catcher, coach, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball...
, one of his coaches
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
and considered a top managing prospect. When Stengel would not retire, Topping and Webb fired him — or "discharged" him, as Stengel would say. Concurrently, the team also needed a succession plan for Weiss, then 66. In a decision that was roundly debated, the Yankees forced Weiss into (temporary) retirement, and promoted Hamey to general manager on November 3, 1960. (Both Stengel and Weiss would resurface a year later as the first manager and president of the expansion New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
.)
Hamey faced numerous challenges in keeping the Yankees at the top of the American League. He presided over the team's participation in the first expansion draft in December 1960, brought up pitcher Roland Sheldon
Rollie Sheldon
Roland Frank Sheldon , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1961 to 1962 and 1964 to 1966. In 1961, Sheldon had a sensational rookie season for the New York Yankees with 11 wins, but would never match that total ever again in his career...
, a rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
standout, from the minors, and swung a number of deals during 1961
1961 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Cincinnati Reds ; Whitey Ford, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Candlestick Park: National League, 5-4 *All-Star Game , July 31 at Fenway Park: 1–1 tie...
that added supporting players to a team that would win 109 games and easily defeat Cincinnati in the 1961 World Series
1961 World Series
The 1961 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Cincinnati Reds , with the Yankees winning in five games to earn their 19th championship in 39 seasons. This World Series was surrounded by Cold War political puns pitting the "Reds" against the "Yanks"...
. He tweaked the Yankee roster again during the offseason, and promoted eventual Rookie of the Year Tom Tresh
Tom Tresh
Thomas Michael Tresh was a Major League Baseball infielder and outfielder who played for the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers . Tresh was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed...
and freshman pitcher Jim Bouton
Jim Bouton
James Alan "Jim" Bouton is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. He is also the author of the controversial baseball book Ball Four, which was a combination diary of his season and memoir of his years with the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, and Houston Astros.-Amateur and college...
to the 1962
1962 in baseball
The 1962 season is perhaps most notable for the dismal 40–120 record of the New York Mets, the third-worst winning percentage and the record for most games lost since 1900.-Major League Baseball:...
club, which took the AL pennant by five games and outlasted the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in the World Series
1962 World Series
The 1962 World Series matched the defending American League and World Series champions New York Yankees against the National League champion San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since 1954 and first since moving from New York in 1958, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a...
.
In 1963
1963 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers beat New York Yankees ; Sandy Koufax, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5–3; Willie Mays, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: USC...
, Hamey added more youth in left-handed pitcher Al Downing and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Joe Pepitone
Joe Pepitone
Joseph "Joe" Anthony Pepitone is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who played the bulk of his career for the New York Yankees. He also played several seasons with the Chicago Cubs and had short stints with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves...
. He made room for Pepitone through a controversial trade, sending longtime Yankee first baseman Bill Skowron to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Stan Williams
Stan Williams (baseball)
Stanley Wilson Williams , nicknamed "Big Daddy" and "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball starting and relief pitcher who threw and batted right-handed. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Yankees , Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , St...
. Skowron struggled mightily in the NL during 1963, while the Yankees won 104 games and gained their fourth straight AL title. But in the 1963 World Series
1963 World Series
The 1963 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Dodgers sweeping the Series in four games to capture their second title in five years, and their third in franchise history....
, the Dodgers humbled the Yanks in four straight games — the first time the Yanks had ever been swept in a Fall Classic — with Skowron the batting star.
In the weeks following the '63 season, Topping and Webb, perhaps paving the way for the Yankees' sale to CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1964
1964 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees ; Bob Gibson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 7 at Shea Stadium: National League, 7–4; Johnny Callison, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Minnesota...
, decided to shake up the front office. Hamey, 61, retired from the general manager job and became a scout. Houk was promoted to succeed Hamey, and Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
, a player-coach in 1963, became the team's manager.
The Yankees averaged 103 regular season victories during Hamey's three-year GM tenure and brought up a number of serviceable mid-level players. But neither Hamey nor Houk could adequately replace the team's aging corps of superstars — Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
, Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
, Berra and Whitey Ford
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...
— or other standout players such as Elston Howard
Elston Howard
Elston Gene Howard was an American Negro League and Major League Baseball catcher, left fielder and coach. During a 14-year baseball career, he played from 1955–1968, primarily for the New York Yankees...
, Bobby Richardson
Bobby Richardson
Robert Clinton "Bobby" Richardson is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees from through . Batting and throwing right-handed, he was a superb defensive infielder, as well as something of a clutch hitter, who played no small role in the Yankee baseball...
and Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
. After one last pennant in 1964, the Yankees would wander in the wilderness for 12 years, until they entered the first dynasty of the George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
era.
Hamey's last high-profile job in baseball occurred during the winter of 1969
1969 in baseball
-Expansion:Four expansion teams joined Major League Baseball for this season: the San Diego Padres, the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Pilots, and the first MLB team in Canada, the Montreal Expos. To accommodate the additional teams, the two leagues were split into two divisions of East and West...
-70
1970 in baseball
-Major Leagues:*World Series MVP: Brooks Robinson*All-Star Game, July 14 at Riverfront Stadium: National League, 5-4 ; Carl Yastrzemski, MVP-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Navegantes del Magallanes *College World Series: USC...
, when AL president Joe Cronin
Joe Cronin
Joseph Edward Cronin was a Major League Baseball shortstop and manager.During a 20-year playing career, he played from 1926–45 for three different teams, primarily for the Boston Red Sox. Cronin was a major league manager from 1933–47...
appointed him caretaker chief executive of the Seattle Pilots
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
as the team struggled to find new ownership. He relinquished that responsibility when the Pilots were purchased by Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
and moved to Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
for the 1970 season.
Roy Hamey lived in retirement in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. He died there of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at age 81 on December 14, 1983.