The Scooter

Just read this story, quoting Phil Rizzuto.

"I'll never forget September 6, 1950. I got a letter threatening me, Hank Bauer, Yogi and Johnny Mize. It said if I showed up in uniform against the Red Sox I'd be shot. I turned the letter over to the FBI and told my manger Casey Stengel about it. You know what Casey did? He gave me a different uniform and gave mine to Billy Martin. Can you imagine that! Guess Casey thought it'd be better if Billy got shot."

That's a funny story although it probably wasn't funny at the time. But it's also funny because I have read that Billy was like a son to Casey. But I guess Casey thought that Rizzuto was more valuable to the team in his crazy logic. I mean in the Copa Cabana brawl in 1957 it was Billy who was sacrificed to satisfy the NY press as he was shipped to Kansas City. They certainly weren't going to get rid of Mickey, Whitey, or Yogi who were also there. Well and there was the little matter of Billy starting the fight.