Remembering Mets History (1975) Mets Fire Manger Yogi Berra

Wednesday August 6th, 1975: Mets manager, Yogi Berra had been with the Mets for the past decade. In 1965 the organization grabbed Berra after his dismissal from the A.L. New York's club to coach under his old manager Casey Stingley. Berra had been Stengel's favorite player while managing him in the AL.

From 1965-1971 Berra served as a Mets coach until the untimely death of Gil Hodges. Yogi got the job to replace Hodges, he was the most popular choice but not the most qualified. 

The position should have went to Whitey Herzog, the head of the Mets Minor Leagues. Whitey had helped bring up all the young talent the team had in the 1969 Championship season & 1973 Pennant winner.

Yogi was very lax as manager, which worked with some of the players, but it was a problem with others. 

Berra was not the strict disciplinarian who demanded respect like Gil Hodges & it seemed to have hurt the team's chances. 

In August 1973 Berra was almost let go when the club was floundering in last place. Then a NY newspaper poll asked the fans who should be held responsible & get fired for the teams trouble. The poll showed Yogi was not to be blamed & he was still most popular guy so he remained at the helm.

That season the club turned it around as most after most of the regulars returned from injury, as well as good defense, timely hitting & outstanding pitching. Berra's pitching staff was so good it took them all the way to the 1973 World Series, falling one game short of a Championship.

Many believe Berra's decision to start a tired Jon Matlack on three days' rest in Game Six, over a rested George Stone cost them the Series.

The 1974 season was a disaster as the Mets fell to fifth at 71-91. 

In 1975 the team added Joe Torre, Del Unser & Dave Kingman to improve offensive production.

Cleon Jones Drama: Berra soon had troubles with veteran Cleon Jones who had first had a scandal with a woman in Florida after Spring Training then returned to the team but wasn't happy with his lack of playing time behind Kingman. In late July, Jones refused to go play left field after pinch hitting & had a confrontation with the manager.

Berra demanded the club back him up on his decision to discipline Jones . It was the first time Berra had stood up to upper management as well as being so firm on a decision. The Mets tried to trade Jones but he vetoed two deals using his seniority status. On July 27th, Cleon was officially released by the Mets.

Inconsistent Play: On July 19th, the Mets were 10.5 games out of first place, then they won twelve of their next sixteen games including taking the first three games of a five game series in Pittsburgh against the first place Pirates. They got within six games of first but then they lost the next two in Pittsburgh & three straight games to the Montreal Expos at Shea Stadium falling 9.5 games back.

On August 5th, the Mets were swept at Shea getting shut out by the Expos in both games. That night proved to be the deciding factor as the decision was made to fire Berra. After the game 46 year old Mets coach Roy McMillan was called to the fourth floor of Shea Stadium to meet with Grant & club president Joe McDonald. They gave McMillan the word he was to be named the interim manager.

Quotes- Mets Chairman- M. Donald Grant: "It's a decision that has been going through our heads for some time. It had nothing to do with failing attendance, dissension on the team or the recent problem we had over Cleon Jones". 

Grant also stated in the press conference that the club was "trying to salvage something from the season". 

The following morning Berra got the call at his home in Montclair, New Jersey. He personally called all his coaches to inform them of the news. Yogi said he would go to Shea the next day & say good bye to his players.

Quotes- Yogi Berra: "I've been in baseball all my life & I don't know what I'll do now. I wish Roy McMillian all the luck in the world".

Roy McMillan Trivia: McMillan had been a fine defensive short stop (Reds, Braves & Mets) playing the last three years of his 16 year career with the Mets. McMillan had been a tutor to future All Star Bud Harrelson who took over the position for the next decade. 

Quotes- Joe Torre: "He doesn't say much but he knows baseball. There's more going on in his mind than comes out".

McMillan agreed to take the position only as an interim manager. The next season he  replaced by AAA Tidewater Tides Manager Joe Frazier.

Managers Trivia: In the past two weeks, four MLB managers were fired across the majors, including Bill Virdon who had been skipper of the AL New York team. 

That year they shared Shea Stadium with the Mets as their new ballpark was being built. Virdon's firing came four days earlier at Shea Stadium as well.

On August 7th, Berra went back to Shea Stadium with no hard feelings, he cleaned out his office & more importantly said goodbye to his players. In a three hour long farewell, they shook hands, had Yogi sign autographs & take pictures with them.

Quotes- Felix Millan: "He's the kind of person you give 200 percent for, I'll miss him".

Quotes- Ed Kranepool: "I was surprised to hear about it. I guess you know when you take the job, eventually somebody is going to get it."

Quotes- Yogi Berra: "Don't worry about me, I'll be around". 'I had an inkling this was going to happen. It comes with the game. Your hired to be fired but I'm not sad, what's to be sad about. Maybe that's the way I'm made. I did my best & wouldn't do anything differently. I felt the same way when I was hitting. I'd say I'm not up there to make an out. Now I've got two acres of land & a 15 room house that I never thought I'd have when I started out. I never thought I'd be in the Hall of Fame either."

Yogi's Future: The next year, from 1976-1983, Berra went back to the A.L. New York club as a coach . In 1984 he was named manager but agreed to take the position if was going to soon be fired by the crazy owner. The next year he got fired 16 games into the season, being so disgruntled, he disassociated himself with that club for 15 years.