The Sommer Frieze

Tommy Henrich, given the nickname “Old Reliable” by Mel Allen, has died at the age of 96.

Henrich was the RF in a stellar Yankees’ OF of Charlie Keller in LF, Joe DiMaggio in CF and Henrich in RF.

Henrich was, at the time of his passing, the oldest living former Yankee and the  person still alive who played in the 1938 WS. You couldn’t find a player alive who played in a WS earlier than that.

Henrich was in the Indians system when he appealed to Commissioner Landis, claiming that the Indians were unfairly hiding him and holding him back. Landis sided with Henrich, and Henrich was declared free to sign with anyone. (The first free agent?). He signed with the Yankees and became a Yankees legend.

Henrich was 24 when he came up to the Yankees in 1937.  He hit .320 as a part-timer that year but didn’t play in the WS. He hit .307 in a platoon role in 1940 and .308 as a full-timer in 1948. His career average was .282, with 183 HR. His 162 g. average (a bit meaningless, since all Henrich’s seasons were of the 154 game variety) was .282-23-100. He had a career OPS+ of an excellent 132.

A 5x All-Star, Henrich drove in 100 runs in 1948. He finished sixth in MVP voting in both 1948 and 1949. 1949 would be his last full season in a career that spanned 1937-1942 and 1946-1950. He missed three full seasons due to WWII.

Henrich was involved in some of the World Series’ biggest and most remembered moments of the 1940s…and ever. In 1941, it was Henrich who struck out in Game 4 to seemingly end the game. The only thing is, the pitch eluded catcher Mickey Owen of the Dodgers and Henrich reached first. The Yankees rallied, and a 4-3 Series-tying victory by the Dodgers wasn’t to be. Instead, the Yankees scored four, won 7-4, took a three games to one lead and won the championship the next day.

In 1947, it was Henrich who watched helplessly in Game Four as with two out and two on, Cookie Lavagetto’s hit to RF at Ebbets Field sailed over Henrich’s head and off the RF wall for a double. Bill Bevens had a 2-1 lead and was one out away from a no-hitter. The double drove in both runners for a stunning 3-2 Dodger victory.

In Game One of the 1949 WS, Henrich hit the first walkoff HR in WS history, touching Don Newcombe to break up a scoreless pitching duel between Newcombe and the “Superchief,” Allie Reynolds.

After his retirement, Henrich was a coach during the 1951 spring training. One of his assignments was to teach a raw 19-year old the basics of the outfield. This 19 year old had great power and speed, but it was clear that he wasn’t meant for SS, where he had played the year before. The 19-year-old was Mickey Mantle.

During DiMaggio’s streak in 1941, Henrich came up and (with game in hand) asked Joe McCarthy if he could bunt. McCarthy was surprised at the request, but then realized that Henrich was worried about hitting into a DP—and that would then mean the then hitless Dimaggio’s streak would be over. McCarthy gave the go-ahead, Henrich bunted, Joe D. got his hit, and the streak lived on.

The NY Post says that according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Virgil Trucks is now believed to be the oldest living Yankee at 92. Trucks ended his career with the Yanks in 1958 at the age of 41, pitching 25 games that season and going 2-1.

One of the numbers Henrich wore was #15—later retired for Thurman Munson.

Henrich was a member of seven WS Championship teams (1937-1939, 1941, 1947, 1949 and 1950). He spent his whole playing career with the Yankees, playing mostly RF, then switching to 1B near the end of his career. He hit .333 in the WS with 4 HR.

About a dozen years ago, one of my sisters was in Harrisburg, where a couple of Yankees were signing autographs. She called me to ask if I wanted some autographed baseballs by them. I asked, “Who is signing?”. She replied, “Tommy Henrich and Clete Boyer.”

Naturally, I said to get me both autographed baseballs. I still have them.

Now Henrich, like Boyer, is gone.