Hank Bauer ..... off to Valhalla
 

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn...c.php?t=175881


NEW YORK -- Hank Bauer, the hard-nosed ex-Marine who returned to baseball after being wounded during World War II and went on to become a cornerstone of the New York Yankees dynasty of the 1950s, died Friday. He was 84.


Bauer died of cancer in Shawnee Mission, Kan., said the Baltimore Orioles. Bauer managed the 1966 Orioles to their first World Series title.

A three-time All-Star outfielder, Bauer played on Yankees teams that won nine American League pennants and seven World Series in 10 years. He set the Series record with a 17-game hitting streak, a mark that still stands.

"Hank Bauer is an emblem of a generation that helped shape the landscape of our country," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. "He was a natural leader and a teammate in every sense of the word, and his contributions went well beyond the baseball field. His service to the Yankees, his country, and his family shows why I have been so privileged to call him a friend."

Surrounded by sluggers

Saw that G...Bauer was a helluva Yankee, imo. A lot of guys I
watched/followed as a kid and, even some of my peer age group,
are toddling down the 3rd base line for that last jog home.

While some of the guys from the '50s & '60s were not quite
as "conditioning focused" as today's players, lol!, they were some
amazing ballplayers considering the bulky uniforms, diff. equip. and
more aggressive pitching styles. A couple others recently:
Lew Burdette, Milwaukee Braves...Steve Barber, BalimoreOs.
Time gets us all.
BR,mD

The boys of summer are all getting up there in age if they haven't yet gone on to Valhalla.

I remember reading that Bauer was part of Mickey Mantle's drinking clan, but he mostly served the role as protector and body guard while Mantle, Billy Martin, and Whitey Ford were getting smashed at the bar. It's always nice to have someone watching your back, especially a Marine.