1962 YANKEE FARM CLUBS
Farm Director: Johnny Johnson
AAA
Richmond, Virginia*
International League
Manager: Warren Robinson
AA
Amarillo, Texas
Texas League
Manager: Rube Walker
A
Augusta, Georgia
South Atlantic League
Manager: Ernie White
B
Greensboro, North Carolina
Carolina League
Manager: Vern Rapp
C
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Pioneer League
Manager: Loren Babe
D
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida*
Florida State League
Manager: Bob Bauer
D
Harlan, Kentucky*
Appalachian League (Rookie League)
Manager: Lamar North
*owned outright, all others working agreement
1962 YANKEE SCOUTING
HOW THE BRAVES ALMOST LANDED MANTLE
Scout Set To Leave Yanks And Take Mickey Along
"Bet you didn't know that Mickey Mantle once came this far (---) from playing for the Boston Braves, instead of pestering the American League as a Yankee.
And with Mantle and Eddie Mathews (and later Hank Aaron) assaulting baseballs in the same lineup, would the Braves still be in Boston, instead of Milwaukee?
This is the way it was, recalls Billy Sullivan, who was publicity director for the Braves at the time:
Back in 1948, at the December baseball meetings, a Yankee scout named Tom Greenwade had ants in his pants.
His Yankee contract was expiring. Scuttlebutt from upstairs suggested that Tom should be soon be scouting for a job, rather than for baseball blossoms which one day might be plucked for the Yankees.
It was this circumstance that brought Greenwade to the Braves' suite after a probing phone call to Harry Jenkins, the Boston farm overseer. Harry was out, lopping a few tag ends of the deal for Pete Reiser, but he had set up Greenwade for a conversation piece with Owner Lou Perini.
Harry had said, 'Lou, this fellow is a really Grade-A scout and if he is free, we can use him.' So Greenwade and Perini whacked it out. The upshot of it was Perini saying, 'We want you- and you apparently want us.' And Greenwade replying, 'Yes. And I should tell you that the first player I'll bring to the Braves is a high school kid down in Commerce, Oklahoma.
'Ordinarily, I'd feel compelled to get this boy for my old employers, the Yankees. But he doesn't get out of high school until June and the big leagues can't sign him until he does.'
'That's fine,' said Owner Perini. 'We're after young blood.
'But first, I don't want to be accused of tampering. Also, I wouldn't want you to 'use' this meeting in getting another job.
'Before we sign anything, why don't you call George Weiss of the Yankees, here on my phone, and let him know that you came to us. Nobody on the Braves approached you first, did they?'
'No, they didn't,' commented Greenwade, 'and I'll call Mr. Weiss this minute.'
(Author's note- Under similar circumstances, the Yankees originally snatched Scout Greenwade from the Brooklyn Dodgers.)
And between the slight pause between Greenwade's phone call and Weiss's 'hello,' a high schooler in Oklahoma was a potential member of the Boston Braves.
Weiss- whatever the Yankees' plans for Greenwade may have been- reacted with typical positiveness under duress.
'Your contract will be renewed and we will pay you whatever the Braves offered,' he told the scout.
Weiss never in his long career of competence as a general manager ever made a snap decision of greater significance.
Because he retained Greenwade, he made a Yankee out of Mickey Mantle, who otherwise would have been terrorizing N.L. pitchers, who'd have had the shuddery task of pitching to Mantle, Mathews and Aaron in the same batting order today.
And Bostonians would not have had to resort to the box scores to see what's cooking with the Braves these years."
-Jerry Nason, Boston Globe (Baseball Digest, March 1962)
Director of Scouting: Jack White
Scouting Staff:
Dolph Camilli (San Bruno, CA)
Art Dede (Brooklyn, NY)
Atley Donald (Inverness, FL)
Tom Greenwade (Willard, MO)
Randy Gumpert (Berks County, PA)
Bump Hadley (Swampscott, MA)
William Harris (Matthews, NC)
Babe Herman (Glendale, CA)
Harry Hesse (New York, NY)
Willis Hudlin (Little Rock, AR)
Gordon Jones (Pasadena, CA)
Jim Konstanty (Worcester, NY)
Jess Landrum (Beaumont, TX)
Lou Maguolo (St. Louis, MO)
Joe McDermott (Sioux City, IA)
Buster Mills (Waco, TX)
Johnny Neun (Baltimore, MD)
Frank O'Rourke (Elizabeth, NJ)
Pat Patterson (Cincinnati, OH)
Tony Robello (Oakland, CA)
Bill Skiff (Bronxville, NY)
Mayo Smith (Lake Worth, FL)
Steve Souchock (Dearborn, MI)
Eddie Taylor (Seattle, WA)
Al Todd (Horseheads, NY)
Jack Warner (Los Angeles, CA)
1962 YANKEE SPRING TRAINING INSTRUCTORS
Manager: Ralph Houk
Frankie Crosetti (Third Base and Infield Coach)
Joe DiMaggio (Special Batting Instructor)
Jim Hegan (Catching and Bullpen Coach)
Wally Moses (First Base and Batting Coach)
Johnny Neun (Camp Coordinator)
Johnny Sain (Pitching Coach)
Steve Souchock (Minor League Roving Instructor)
"This section on Yankee farm operations may be near the end of this yearbook, but there is no more important function in the organization of the World Champions than the player development program. As in the past, the future of the Yankees depends on the continuing supply of top-flight players to the parent club.
Maintaining the Yankees' tradition of triumph is the goal of the owners and management. To this end the Yankees have the finest organization of scouts anywhere. These dedicated and able talent hunters comb the country (actually the entire hemisphere) to find prospective future Yankees.
Quantity is not the objective, but quality is! When a Yankee scout goes after a young prospect that means the boy is considered a prospective future Yankee.
Down through the years, the Yankees have developed their own players in their farm system. Of the 26-man 1962 squad listed in this book, 18 were signed originally by the Yankee organization and developed on Yankee farms. This group includes such regulars as Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Bill Skowron, Bobby Richardson, Tom Tresh, Elston Howard, John Blanchard, Whitey Ford, Bill Stafford, Jim Coates and many others. Players such as Roger Maris, Bud Daley, Bob Turley and Clete Boyer were obtained in trades for Yankee-developed players.
Yankee players and Yankee-developed farm hands are in demand throughout baseball. If a young prospect has major league potential, he's certain to develop more completely in the Yankee organization. The Yankee development program is recognized far and wide for its success in advancing young players to their full potential. Instructional groups are working at the Yankee Advance Camp held in advance of and in conjunction with the full major league spring training program of the New York Yankees at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, each spring.
In addition, minor league managers are assigned to Yankee farm clubs for their ability to teach and assist the young prospects as they work their way toward the majors. Such able men as Steve Souchock and Jim Konstanty spend their full time during the season going from one Yankee minor league club to another working with the boys on their strengths and weaknesses. Well-trained Yankee scouts also get onto the field during the season to watch and aid the progress of their prospects.
The Yankees, as the most highly publicized and best known team in all of sports, sometimes are thought of as a team of stars and super stars where a youngster might not have a chance to break in. This, of course, is pure folly. The Yankee roster includes the names of four first-year major leaguers. This is considered an unusual number of rookies for a major league team ... not alone a championship club. But that's the Yankee way. Tom Tresh, Phil Linz, Joe Pepitone and Jim Bouton all are rookies with a fine opportunity to contribute to a Yankee pennant.
The Yankees have won an incredible 26 American League pennants and a record 19 World Championships ... and yet the club is building for the future."
-The New York Yankees Official 1962 Yearbook
