I arrived on the baseball scene on July 17, 1912 with the old Brooklyn Dodgers. My outlandish behavior and run-on sentences set me apart from others. I hit .316 in 1914 and was traded to the Pirates in 1918.
In my first game back to Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, I was booed unmericfully by the hometown fans. Made no difference - I caught a sparrow, tucked it under my cap - the next time at bat when the boos started, I lifted my cap and all the boos turned to laughter. I was traded to the N.Y. Giants and all-the-while studied legend John McGraw's managing style. I became the Yankees' manager in 1949 and managed the club until the end of 1960.
Here's some of my favorite memories - After the first-ever exploding scoreboard was installed in Comiskey Park, Chicago - I brought firecrackers for the Yankees and after we hit a homer, my players and I set off the fireworks and I danced a jig on the dugout steps..... In another game, with my Yankees leading, when it started raining lightly, I took an umbrella out to the pitcher's mound.
In 1962, I was hired to manage the expansion N.Y. Mets and they ended with the worst record in National League history, 40-120. This team was called the 'Amazing Mets.'
