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Again you offended on Tuesday. You branded Umpire Dinneen as "yellow." This is the most remarkable declaration a modern ballplayer has made. Dinneen stands out in the history of the game as one of the most courageous players we have ever had. If you could match up to his standard you would not be in the trough you occupy today. A man of your stamp bodes no good in the profession.

I have a thorough knowledge of your misconduct where you dragged your teammates to a violation of club rules absolutely at variance with discipline and loyalty. What I have in my possession I will later submit to President Ruppert and Col. Huston [then owners of the Yankees].

It would be the height of folly to condone the things you have done. In the history of baseball there was never another player who drew the enormous salary your contract calls for this year. You are plainly not earning your money, and your prestige has sunk to a standard where you are of no particular value to the New York club.

Coupled with your misconduct on Monday, you doubled the penalty on Tuesday. You are hereby notified of your suspension for five (5) days without salary. It seems the period has arrived when you should allow some intelligence to creep into a mind that has plainly been warped.
I am
Yours truly,
B.B. Johnson

6. When Joe Carrieri was 18, in 1955, he was the most famous bat boy in the major leagues. Author of a book, Yankee Batboy, and confidant of some of the greatest Yankees of all, Carrieri was with the Yanks through six world championship seasons. Today he's a lawyer on Long Island. This is a letter he wrote home when he was on a road trip, a reward given the bat boys in those days.

The Chase
St. Louis, Mo.
Dear Mom & Dad,
I went downtown today with Billy Martin. I bought myself a pair of shoes. I threw away the other pair. They were no good anymore. All that was wrong with them was the top part of the shoe. It came off. I have $25 left. Casey Stengel said if I run short, he'll give me a check for $20. He doesn't want me to spend it foolishly, so he'd rather give it to me when I get home. That makes sense, I'm sure you'll agree.

We'll be out of this hotbox of a city tonight, and it can't come too soon. They've been talking about the Browns moving to Baltimore. I hear that's a hot city, too, but it can't be as hot as St. Louis.

I can't wait to get to Washington. That'll mean I'm that much closer to home.
Love,
Joe

7. Ira Berkow, now of The New York Times, was sports editor of Newspaper Enterprise Association when in 1974 he spoke with Casey Stengel, proposing they do a book together. This was Casey's answer.

Ira Berkow, Sport's Editor;
NEA Newspaper
N.Y. City, N.Y.
Dear Ira:
Your conversation's; and the fact you were the working writer were inthused with the Ideas was great but frankly do not care for the great amount of work for myself.