ultimateyankees.com photo: The late great Oakland A’s manager Billy Martin who managed the A’s from 1980-82 the documentary subject of MLB presents: Billy

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

OAKLAND–This Christmas Day 2017 will mark 28 years since Billy Martin died in a car crash in Johnson City, New York, some 180 miles north and west of New York City. Billy was 61 and his longtime friend William Reedy, 53, was the driver, both had been drinking.

Billy Martin was an alcoholic, a fighter and womanizer, but on the baseball field he was a very good player with the Yankees in the 1950’s and an even better manager. He played second base on Yankee teams with Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, among others. In his private life Billy Martin was not what today they call a “politically correct person”, he will tell you what he thinks without any reservations on any given topic, and if you started an argument with Billy, you better be ready to finish it.

I remember Billy when he came to the Athletics to manage. He was a manager with Twins, Tigers, Rangers, Athletics and Yankees.

Billy Ball, a term created by late Oakland Tribune writer Ralph Wiley, (a very nice guy) and adopted by the best marketing team in Oakland A’s history, during the Walter Haas ownership, Sandy Alderson and marketing guru Andy Dolich. Image a team whose manager was the biggest star. And Billy was that during three years as skipper of the A’s, and players loved him, Rickey Henderson told me many times that Billy was his favorite manager. Rickey was a rookie in 1979 and in 1980 when Charlie Finley sold the team Rickey was a young star in the American League,. Billy Martin managed the Athletics for three years.1980-1982. In 1980 (83-79) earned second place in the AL West. 1981 was the first work stoppage in Major League Baseball since the 1972, games were canceled, the A’s under Billy Martin. however, won the division with a record of 64-45.

As controversial as Billy was, I never had any problems talking to him, usually will be prior to a game, he used to tell me he loved Latino players because they show the same passion as he did. He told me once it was good that I could speak English, because in this country that was the language for everybody. He was as good as any manager I have seen as far as strategy, or motivating his players to play hard, and players respected that. Billy Ball was his style, the suicide squeeze (his favorite) steal, bunt all the stuff that is absent in today’s game of “home run or strike out”. 1981 in Spring Training my broadcast partner Julio Gonzalez, Tony Armas(who played right field for the A’s) and yours truly went after a game to the Pink Pony(Scottsdale) a popular restaurant for baseball people. As we walked in Tony noticed in one table: Billy Martin and some of his coaches, they were having a good time, Tony said in Spanish “No, aqui no…vamos a otro lado”” trans- “No, not here let’s go someplace else”. Some players (like Tony Armas) did not want to be in the same place as Billy Martin having a beer and dinner. That’s the way it was,you can come to your own conclusion.

As a kid I remember Bobby Bragan managing the Almendares team during winter baseball in Cuba. He was as fiery of a manager I ever saw. He was the first manager I remember kicking dirt on an umpire, screaming his lungs out or even making contact with an umpire. Some of the old timers in the baseball world will remember Bragan as well as Tommy LaSorda who also played in Cuba and he remembers Bobby Bragan who also played in the Major Leagues, coached and managed. I met Bragan in a press box later in life as a scout. He was quite an intense manager, and so was Billy Martin.

Billy Martin if he manage today, he would argue with the umpire even after the replay and final decision came back from New York, he will lead both league in times thrown out of a game, but he would show his baseball knowledge, his instinct, his passion for winning and for the game. Billy managed for the moment, not for what happened before. The “book” that we speak during broadcasts, with Billy you can throw it out the window. I know many disagree with me, but I believe Billy Martin could not manage today, the game would have become way too robotic to him. I could see Billy going after a fan that is sitting behind the plate not paying attention to the game, grab his cellular and throw it to the floor and shout at him “pay attention to the f____game”.

Love him or hate him, there was no in-between for the man born in Berkeley, (just a few exits from the Oakland Coliseum) and I have to confess today, I loved Billy!

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukkah!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez covered Billy Martin and the Oakland A’s also does the Spanish radio play by play for the A’s, and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.comm