Celerino Sanchez--1973
Before the arrival of Graig Nettles in a
deal with Cleveland on November 27,
1972, third base was a merry-go-round
for the Yankees in the late 1960s and
into the early 1970s.
Between Clete Boyer in 1966 and
Nettles, the list rolls off the tongues of
Yankee fans like an auctioneer closing
out the bidding on a broken antique lamp.
Gerry Kenny, Len Boehmer, Ron
Hansen, Danny Cater, John Ellis, Gene
Michael, Bobby Cox, Bobby Murcer,
Charley Smith, Mike Ferraro, Ruben
Amaro, Dick Hoswer, John Kennedy, Roy
White, Bernie Allen.
And also, Celerino Sanchez.
A defensive whiz, Sanchez was a terror
at the plate in Mexico, routinely hitting
well over .300. Traded to New York by
the Mexico City Tigers for aging minor
league utility infielder Ossie Chavarria;
Sanchez hit an impressive .327 at
Triple-A Syracuse in 1972, as the
Yankees believed they may have found
the answer to their third base dilemma.
Except it just didn't work out.
Sanchez would hit just .248 with no home
runs and 22 ribbies to close out '72,
prompting the Yankees to raid Cleveland
for a third baseman who help take them
to the World Series later in the decade.
As for Sanchez, he hit just .219 in 34
games with the Bronx Bombers in 1973,
before he would return to Mexico to
resume his hitting until retiring from
baseball in 1979. He would be elected to
the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of
Fame posthumously in 1994, two years
after his death in 1992.
However, what I found most interesting
about Sanchez is that his "best man" was
Boston Red Sox hurler Luis Tiant.
(7/6/10)
deal with Cleveland on November 27,
1972, third base was a merry-go-round
for the Yankees in the late 1960s and
into the early 1970s.
Between Clete Boyer in 1966 and
Nettles, the list rolls off the tongues of
Yankee fans like an auctioneer closing
out the bidding on a broken antique lamp.
Gerry Kenny, Len Boehmer, Ron
Hansen, Danny Cater, John Ellis, Gene
Michael, Bobby Cox, Bobby Murcer,
Charley Smith, Mike Ferraro, Ruben
Amaro, Dick Hoswer, John Kennedy, Roy
White, Bernie Allen.
And also, Celerino Sanchez.
A defensive whiz, Sanchez was a terror
at the plate in Mexico, routinely hitting
well over .300. Traded to New York by
the Mexico City Tigers for aging minor
league utility infielder Ossie Chavarria;
Sanchez hit an impressive .327 at
Triple-A Syracuse in 1972, as the
Yankees believed they may have found
the answer to their third base dilemma.
Except it just didn't work out.
Sanchez would hit just .248 with no home
runs and 22 ribbies to close out '72,
prompting the Yankees to raid Cleveland
for a third baseman who help take them
to the World Series later in the decade.
As for Sanchez, he hit just .219 in 34
games with the Bronx Bombers in 1973,
before he would return to Mexico to
resume his hitting until retiring from
baseball in 1979. He would be elected to
the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of
Fame posthumously in 1994, two years
after his death in 1992.
However, what I found most interesting
about Sanchez is that his "best man" was
Boston Red Sox hurler Luis Tiant.
(7/6/10)
