Stick

The Yankees had a light-hitting Shortstop in the 60’s and 70’s named Gene Michael, affectionately known as Stick, due his tall, lanky frame. Stick had an unremarkable playing career because of his all-field, no-hit (.229 lifetime average) tenure with the Pirates and Yankees. These were lean years for the Bombers as Mantle, Ford and other 50’s- early 60’s legends had retired.

What people don’t know is that Michael was a master of the “Hidden Ball Trick”. He pulled it off five times in his career. This was primarily a kids’ trick where you pretended not to have the ball in your glove, usually by acting as if you threw it to another fielder, usually the pitcher and he pretended to have it. The base runner would then naturally take his lead and you would tag him out. Sometimes the Umpire was even in on the ruse. The victim would be thoroughly embarrassed in front of the whole stadium as he skulked back to his dugout and his frustrated manager. It was one of those rare occurrences that reminded you that baseball IS a KIDS Game. In the old days, players would try it all the time and so would we on the softball field. It rarely worked but it was fun to try and surely lightened up the mood. I don’t think I’ve seen it more than once or twice in the last 20 years and Stick pulled it off five times. As a kid watching even these below average Yankee teams and playing short down at the field, Stick was one of my favorites.

Gene Michael returned to the Yanks as a coach, a GM and Manager under General George Steinbrenner in 1979-1982. Gene was actually fired two years in a row, in ’81 and again in “82 after incurring the wrath of George. Michael didn’t take any of his crap and challenged George to fire him often. The wars on the back pages of the New York Tabloids were all over it.
After managing the Cubs for a couple of years in the late 80’s, Stick came back to N.Y. as the GM from 1991-1995. He was instrumental in building up the farm system and acquiring Yankee stars such as Paul O’Neill, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams. This group, under Joe Torre, won four World Series in five years from 1996-2000.
In the early 60’s a little known infielder named Phil Linz became part of the Yankee family. He had an unfortunate semi-altercation with Yogi Berra over playing harmonica on the team bus after a loss, eventually getting Yogi fired as manager and getting Linz shipped off to Philly.

But Linz was part of the “Yankee family” and eventually bought a bar on E. 61st St. and York Avenue in NYC called Carnaby Street. I think it was next door to the Friday’s where they filmed Cocktail with Tom Cruise.

My close friend Jimmy was the head bartender at Carnaby St. and got to know Linz really well. Phil was quite the after-hours partier. Jimmy knew nothing about sports or the Yankees but could sure spice up a party. They would close up the joint and go back to the “office” for some late night shenanigans. Occasionally, I found myself at Jimmy’s bar for stretches of time and would experience the parade back to the office. Linz proudly displayed his 1962 World Series ring while arranging the desk on his office. Foggy but fun memories.
Linz just passed this December while Michael died in 2017.

So one night while I’m having drinks at a table with Jimmy and Phil Linz, in walks Gene Michel and his wife, Rae, and they sit down with us. I was a little star-struck as I was such a fan of Michael’s years ago. For as long as I live I’ll never forget what Rae Michael said to me when we shook hands.

“He’s Stick and I’m Stuck.

-HB

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