Eddie Stanky was quoted as saying that if it meant being safe on a close play, he’d spike his own mother. I’m not certain he really said that, or if he said it, whether he truly would have done it, but everyone who played against him believed that he did say it and would do it. Infielders grew extra-tense whenever he got on base, and only thirty-three players in the history of baseball got to first base a higher percentage of the time than he did.
Not fast on his feet, very fast between the ears, aggressive as a pit bull, he always came into second base hard; sometimes feet first, spikes aimed at the baseman rather than the base; sometimes shoulder first, trying for the baseman’s knees; sometimes throwing a handful of dirt into the baseman’s eyes.
Watching out for his spikes, infielders would take their eye off the ball and let it get past them. When that happened, Stanky bounced to his feet mid-slide, ran to third and slid in spikes high there. Watching out for Stanky’s shoulder, infielders would miss touching second, or hurry their throw turning a double play. They’d pull the first baseman off first or even throw it past him.
To make up for his lack of speed, Stanky always pushed off hard out of the batter’s box, stepping with his right foot first and running through rather than to first base. He moved his eyes to glance at the fielder fielding the ball rather than turning his head. When he was on third and a fly was hit to the outfield, he’d go back up the left field foul line, watch the ball come down, and get a flying start to home plate, timing it so that he stepped on third just as the outfielder caught the ball. Opposing teams protested, and Section 7.10 of the rulebook was amended to say, “A runner is not permitted to take a flying start from a position in back of his base.” That was only one of several amendments made to the baseball rulebook because of Stanky’s perverse innovations.
He got caught stealing only five times in his entire career, all during the 1951 season. A soccer star in high school, if the ball beat him to second, he was adept at kicking it out of the infielder’s glove. He instructed teammates both in the art of kicking balls out of basemen’s gloves, and the more advanced art of kicking the infielder’s glove right off his hand, ball and all.
To the day he died, Phil Rizzuto, Yankee Hall-of-Fame shortstop, complained about Stanky’s behavior in the third game of the 1951 World Series. During that game the Yankees stole a sign for a hit and run play with Stanky on first. Yogi Berra, the Yankee catcher, called for a pitchout and made a perfect throw to second. Rizzuto, covering second, had the ball in his glove when Stanky was still fifteen feet away. He held the ball in front of the base to let Stanky slide into it and tag himself out--standard baseball practice.
For Stanky, caught fifteen feet away from second with Rizzuto holding the ball, the play was just beginning. He slid to where Rizzuto was holding his glove, but instead of tagging himself out, he soccer-kicked the ball out of Rizzuto’s glove and into center field. In the confusion, Stanky jumped up and ran to third. That started a five-run Giant rally against Yankee ace, Vic Raschi, and the Giants won the game and went ahead two games to one in the series.
Unfortunately they lost the next three games. Their right fielder, Don Mueller, an excellent place hitter who struck out even less than Stanky-- three times per hundred at bats--had broken his ankle sliding into third in the ninth inning of the playoff game against the Dodgers. In addition, the Giant pitching staff was worn out from all the extra innings they’d pitched during their 1951 “Miracle Stretch-Run” to the pennant.
The old adage baseball adage that says “You can’t steal first base.” did not apply to Stanky. He was famous for “working his way” onto first, by forcing pitchers to walk him or by leaning into an inside pitch and letting it hit his specially starched left sleeve. Only slightly more than half the time was he forced to settle for getting a legitimate base hit, and only Max Bishop, second baseman for the great late-twenties, early-thirties Philadelphia Athletics ever got to first without a hit a higher percentage of the time than Stanky.
In 1950, his first year with the Giants, Stanky stole first base over half the times he got on base. He got 127 bases on balls, got hit by pitches twelve times and got 127 hits.
At one time Stanky held the National League record for most walks in a season—148. That record had been exceeded by Babe Ruth in the American League and was later bettered by Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire and several others. But Ruth, McGuire and Bonds were home run hitters. Pitchers walked them intentionally. The year Bonds set the all time record of 238 bases on balls, over half were intentional. Nobody ever walked Stanky intentionally.
Stanky demoralized pitchers by stealing first base, demoralized infielders with shrewd and vicious base-running, demoralized opposing batters when he took the field and took fiendish delight in doing all three.
Herb L
oldtimewriter.com
oldtimewriter-
Just to let you know, I'm really enjoying these and my Dad is as well.
Thanks!
Jeff (alias Bardolater)
Another informative essay. I'm sure Stanky never took stroids like Bonds and Mc Guire either.
Thanks, Jeff and regards to your Dad. Did he ever see Stanky play?
Herb L
No he never took stroids. In fact, he didn't even drink.He left one team because the manager drank.
From all I've ever heard, off the field, he was very moral, very dedicated to his wife and family.
