Carl Yastrzemski

• Born: August 22, 1939
• Place of Birth: Southampton, New York

Sport: Baseball

Early Life

Carl Michael Yastrzemski was born on August 22, 1939, in Southampton, New York, the son of Hedwig and Carl Yastrzemski. He grew up in the small Long Island town of Bridgehampton, a Polish American community of potato farmers. His parents’ families, the Skoniecznys and the Yastrzemskis, worked the potato fields together.

Although his parents expected him to contribute to the family farm, Yastrzemski practiced baseball, hitting and pitching daily, from the age of six. His family encouraged his early interest in the sport; his father was a talented player who had to pass up an opportunity to sign minor-league contracts with the Brooklyn Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals because they offered so little money. Instead, Carl’s father managed and played on a local team, the Bridgehampton White Eagles. Carl got his first taste of organized baseball when he became the team’s bat boy.

The Road to Excellence

Yastrzemski proved himself to be one of the best players at all the levels of baseball he attempted: Little League, Babe Ruth baseball, and high school and semiprofessional teams. At fifteen, he joined his father on the White Eagles. While his father played second base and batted fourth, he played shortstop and batted third. Throughout his early playing days, his father remained the major influence in his life as a teacher and an inspiration.

Yastrzemski was an outstanding hitter and pitcher, and he was also a talented basketball player. After considering several offers, he accepted a scholarship to play baseball and basketball at the University of Notre Dame in 1957.

Following a disappointing year in which he was not permitted to train with the varsity teams at Notre Dame, Yastrzemski signed a professional contract with the Boston Red Sox. He had tryouts and offers from many teams, including the Detroit Tigers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Philadelphia Phillies, and his childhood favorite, the New York Yankees. His father, however, believed Carl would have greater success hitting at Boston’s Fenway Park, so the nineteen-year-old became a member of the Red Sox in 1958.

Yastrzemski enjoyed two spectacular years in the minor leagues. In 1959, at Raleigh, North Carolina, he batted a Carolina League-leading .377. The following season, he barely missed winning the International League batting title with Minneapolis, hitting .339.

The Emerging Champion

In 1960, Red Sox icon Ted Williams retired, and the Red Sox decided that Yastrzemski was ready to replace him in left field. However, Yastrzemski's rookie season in 1961 was difficult. Fans and reporters expected him to replace a baseball legend, and he felt pressured to succeed immediately. Despite the difficulties, he batted .266 and established himself as a master in handling balls hit off the famous “Green Monster” left-field fence in Fenway Park. Soon he became known to fans by the affectionate nickname "Yaz."

Although he continued to improve as a hitter and won the American League (AL) batting title in 1963, Yastrzemski and Boston's fans remained disappointed with the team’s repeated failures. During his first six seasons, the Red Sox never finished higher than sixth in the standings. Determined to improve himself and the team, Yastrzemski spent the winter after the 1966 season working with Hungarian Olympic coach Gene Berde.

Joining the trimmer, stronger Yastrzemski on the 1967 Red Sox were emerging stars Jim Lonborg, George Scott, Reggie Smith, and Tony Conigliaro. They became the “Impossible Dream” team for Boston fans. Baseball experts picked them to finish ninth, but the Red Sox won the AL Pennant on the last day of the season. Yastrzemski was almost perfect at the plate in the last two games. He had base hits in his last six at-bats.

The Red Sox could not complete the dream season, losing the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. The loss did nothing to diminish the significance of Yastrzemski’s year. He led the league in batting with a .326 average, home runs with forty-four, and Runs Batted In (RBIs) with 121, accomplishing the so-called Triple Crown. No player would repeat that feat until 2012. Yastrzemski was named the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP), Sports Illustrated named him Sportsman of the Year, and the Associated Press chose him as Male Athlete of the Year.

Continuing the Story

Yastrzemski had other great seasons, further establishing himself as a Red Sox icon in his own right. He again won the batting title in 1968, all the more remarkable as that was the last season in which pitchers had a noted advantage from throwing from a higher pitcher's mound. In 1970, he hit .329 with forty home runs and 102 RBI. In 1975, he played in another World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Again, the Red Sox came up a game short, however, losing four games to three.

In 1978, the Red Sox tied the New York Yankees for first place in the AL Eastern Division. The teams faced each other in a one-game playoff. Although Yastrzemski hit a first-inning home run, the Red Sox lost 5 to 4.

Yastrzemski especially earned a reputation for hitting well in big games. His regular season career batting average was a respectable .285, but in playoffs, the World Series, and All-Star Contests, he hit more than .340. His achievements were all the more remarkable because he was not a naturally gifted, all-around athlete. He made up for his lack of speed and strength with his almost obsessive determination to improve every facet of his game.

Yastrzemski’s commitment attracted widespread attention after the first game of the 1967 World Series. Having gone hitless against St. Louis Cardinal ace pitcher Bob Gibson, he took extra batting practice. Sports reporters thought it remarkable, but Yastrzemski had taken extra hitting after games on several occasions. Always intense, he constantly worked on his batting stance and swing. He wanted to be perfect and was willing to work many hours a day to adjust his approach to hitting.

Yastrzemski played his last major league season in 1983. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. He continued to be involved with the Red Sox organization, working as an instructor and participating in special events, such as the team's raising of the 2004 World Series championship banner. One of the most beloved stars in team history, he remained popular with fans. He was honored with the retirement of his number eight jersey in 1989 and the erection of a statue of him near Fenway Park in 2013. In 2019, Yastrzemski threw out the ceremonial first pitch to his grandson Mike, an outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, at Fenway Park. In retirement, Yastrzemski remained largely out of the media spotlight, sometimes contributing to media commentary, charitable events, and Red Sox alumni activities.

Legacy

Carl Yastrzemski considered himself to be a craftsman. He endured because he always sought to improve his skills. He led by example, playing with injuries and sacrificing his personal statistics for the good of the team. Fans respected him as much for his drive to excel as for his achievements. As an inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame, he is remembered as one of the greatest players of his era and, in particular, as a Red Sox legend for spending his entire career with the team.

Bibliography

Camerato, Jessica. “Carl Yastrzemski Throws First Pitch to Grandson.” MLB.com, 17 Sept. 2019, www.mlb.com/news/carl-yastrzemski-throws-first-pitch-to-grandson. Accessed 6 June 2024.

"Carl Yastrzemski." National Baseball Hall of Fame, baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/yastrzemski-carl. Accessed 6 June 2024.

Conahan, Jon. “San Francisco Giants Manager Speechless After Red Sox Legend Visits Yastrzemski.” Sports Illustrated, 2 May 2024, www.si.com/mlb/giants/news/san-francisco-giants-manager-speechless-red-sox-legend-visits-yastrzemski-jon9. Accessed 9 June 2024.

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Ryan, Bob. “1967—Carl Yastrzemski Wins A.L. Triple Crown.” Baseball Digest 59, no. 11 (2000).

Yastrzemski, Carl. Play Ball. Columbus, Ohio: The Grow Ahead Press, 1971.

Yastrzemski, Carl, and Gerald Eskenazi. Yaz: Baseball, the Wall, and Me. New York: Doubleday, 1990.

Yastrzemski, Carl, and Al Hirschberg. Yaz. New York: Viking, 1968.