EXCERPTS FROM THE LEGEND OF THE MICK (Part III) Mantle and Sign Stealing

 

A Little Help from His Friends 

    Humble about his own abilities, Mantle once told a writer, “I was never known for being a smart baseball player . . . I could run and throw and hit. But I didn’t know the game.” Pitcher Bob Turley was among several teammates Mantle turned to for help over the years. A Cy Young Award winner and World Series MVP in 1958, Turley was adept at stealing signs from opposing teams. He acquired the skill while pitching for the lowly St. Louis Browns during the early 1950s. 

    “That’s always been a part of the game and it will be part of the game forever,” said Hall of Famer Whitey Ford. “[Turley] was the best at it on our team. Some guys liked to know what was coming. Mickey did, especially batting left-handed.” 

    Utilizing his sharp observational skills, Turley was able to reliably predict the arrival of curves and fastballs. Though players like Yogi Berra and Moose Skowron preferred not to know what pitches were on the way, Mantle (a dead fastball hitter) used Turley’s advance notifications to a distinct advantage. If Mantle heard Turley whistle, he knew a heater was coming. If the Yankee hurler remained quiet, it meant that a breaking pitch would follow. 

    In addition to stealing signs directly from catchers, Turley learned to interpret the idiosyncrasies of pitchers. Some were more obvious than others. For instance, Connie Johnson of the Orioles had a habit of moving his right foot to the left side of the mound when he delivered his signature screwball. Early Wynn positioned his hands at different levels depending on what he was going to throw, and Jim Bunning had slight variations in his windup. “All pitchers are trying to be perfect and if you observe them, you can pick it all up,” Turley told a writer from the New York Daily News. 

    Mantle estimated that Turley’s predictions were accurate about 70 percent of the time. He gave the hurler credit for a quarter of his home runs between 1955 and 1962. “Mickey exaggerated a little bit,” Turley joked. “It was good for my ego.”

If you enjoyed this excerpt, you might consider picking up a copy of The Legend of the Mick, which is set for release on March 1 through The Lyons Press.