The Ballad of Frank Crosetti

Do you know who Frank Crosetti was? He was the ultimate “True Yankee.”

He was the starting Yankee shortstop from 1932 until Phil Rizzuto came up in 1941. When Phil went into the army he got the job back until the war was over and then became a bench player. More importantly he became a Yankee coach being the third base coach for many, many years. They said he waved move than 10,000 runner’s home during his tenure at third base.

Most importantly he was the guardian of the Yankee tradition. He had seen how it was done since the days of Ruth and Gehrig through DiMaggio up to Mantle and the dog days after the 1964 collapse. He was the guy who said “Yankees don’t do that.” Smart alecks like Jim Bouton and Joe Pepitone hated him and mocked him to his face. He had very few friends. He was rigid and unlikable. He insisted on a pure inviolable code of conduct that you could not broach. You did it the “Yankee” way or you were a piece of crap.

That was the reason he could never be a manager. He couldn't work with people. He couldn't build a team and delegate responsibility to get people to sacrifice to win. He could enforce the rules. He could be a rigid ideologue. He was the ultimate “True Yankee.” Some people are great at being a symbol of rectitude and consistency. The embodiment of a point of view. Cato springs to mind. Or maybe as a negative example in American History we could point to someone like John C Calhoun. Men who know one thing and know it to the depths of their soul. But not people who can put together a government that will really serve the will  of the people and not be only  at the service of a “tradition” or a “Philosophy.”

The “Yankee” way is a great way. I think it is the best way. Everyone should aspire to do it the Yankee way. But I have lived long enough to know that it is not the only way. That other ways work sometimes. The scruffy Oakland A’s of Charley Finley’s time. The big money copycat ways of Theo Epstein and those rat bastard Red Sox riding on the backs of steroid freaks like Manny and Ortiz. Maybe not as traditional and honorable as the “Yankee” way but still effective. Sometimes you have to go with something that works. Even if it doesn't scan the way you want it to go. Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle and Derek Jeter don’t come around all that often. Sometimes you have to try and win with Carlos Beltran and a bunch of Japs to be named later. Still you have to be in the game.

You just don’t pick Frank Crosetti to be the manager.