When the music finally stopped in the Bronx

What happened to the mighty Yankees between Casey Stengel's dismissal following the World Series loss to the Pirates in 1960 and Johnny Keane's death on Jan. 6, 1967? It was in that period the Yanks went from one of their most devastating seasons ever (1961) to the dismal finishes of 1965 and 1966. Part of the answer, as we have mentioned, can be traced to the failure of the farm system to produce the kinds of players the Yankees were accustomed to bring up from the farm. But two other factors sealed the team's doom: the front office ran out of good players it was willing to trade, and it designated too many aging stars as Untouchables who could not be traded, at least not until it was far too late to get anyone decent in return.

Perhaps the top Yankee prospect to join the team in this period was Mel Stottlemyre. Mel was a true pitching star for New York. But by the time he came up in 1964, the rest of the staff was fading fast. Two other prospects who had passable Major League careers--Joe Pepitone and Tom Tresh--never truly blossomed. Kubek, Richardson and McDougald--the heart of the Yankee infield for many a pennant season--retired before they could be dealt away for new blood. And players like Mantle, Berra, Ellie Howard and Whitey Ford were allowed to ride into the sunset. The once-sly trading Yanks got nothing for this entire group of veteran stars. (Howard was finally dealt away in his final year, but my god, the man was the Yankee's starting catcher at age 37!) And the last major trade made during Stengel's era brought Roger Maris in from KC for budding star Norm Siebern. (His career would oddly mirror Maris's, minus the asterisk.)

But before the collapse, the Yankees enjoyed one last Viagral string of pennants. Of this, we will speak tomorrow.