Billy Martin

Positions: Second Baseman, Shortstop and Third Baseman
Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
5-11, 165lb (180cm, 74kg)
Born: May 16, 1928 in Berkeley, CA
Died: December 25, 1989  in Johnson City, NY
Buried: Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY
High School: Berkeley HS (Berkeley, CA)
Debut: April 18, 1950 (10,670th in major league history)
vs. BOS 2 AB, 2 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: October 1, 1961
vs. DET 4 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Agents: Eddie Sapir
Full Name: Alfred Manuel Martin
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject

Nine Players Who Debuted in 1950

Joe Adcock
Gus Bell
Jimmy Piersall
Jackie Jensen
Jim Busby
Chico Carrasquel
Billy Martin
Lew Burdette
Whitey Ford

All-Time Teammate Team

Coming Soon

Notable Events and Chronology

SearchSearch Events, Dates and More Date (Newest)Title (A - Z)

April 18, 1950

Commissioner Happy Chandler gives Ted Williams his American League MVP Award

November 13, 1951

Lefty O’Doul’s All-Stars lose 3 – 1 to a Pacific League All-Star team for the second time in history

May 24, 1952

Jimmy Piersall and Billy Martin Brawl

October 7, 1952

New York Yankees win their fourth consecutive World Championship

October 2, 1953

Snider leads Dodgers past Yankees in game four

October 5, 1953

New York Yankees win a record fifth consecutive World Championship

December 25, 1953

Major League Baseball Season Recap 1953

October 1, 1955

Dodgers tie New York 2-2- in 1955 World Series

October 5, 1956

Duke Snider barrels into Billy Martin during the 1956 World Series at Ebbets Field.

October 8, 1956

Don Larsen of the New York Yankees pitches the first-and only-perfect game in World Series history

May 16, 1957

group of Yankees fight at the Copa

June 13, 1957

Yankees and White Sox Brawl – Full Broadcast June 13 1957 New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox

October 31, 1957

Yogi Berra says the team returned fine money to players involved in the Copacabana fight

November 20, 1957

The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Athletics execute a 13-player trade. Among the players involved are second baseman Billy Martin, outfielder Gus Zernial and pitcher Mickey McDermott, who are headed to Detroit. The Athletics acquire pitcher Duke Maas, catcher Frank House, and outfielders Bill Tuttle and Jim Small

November 20, 1958

The Detroit Tigers trade infielder Billy Martin and starter Al Cicotte to the Cleveland Indians for relievers Ray Narleski and Don Mossi and shortstop Ossie Alvarez.

August 4, 1960

Believing that Chicago’s Jim Brewer is throwing at him, Reds 2B Billy Martin throws his bat toward the mound. Then, he advances to retrieve it from Brewer, who has picked it up. The two exchange words and Martin launches a hard overhand right that fractures the orbital bone of Brewer’s right eye. Both benches empty and Martin continues swinging, decking Frank Thomas. Brewer requires surgery and will be out of action for a month. The Cubs win, 5 – 3, on Ernie Banks’ homer. Martin will be fined $500 for the punch and Brewer and the Cubs will sue the combative infielder on August 22 for $1,000,000. Years later, when the courts award Brewer $100,000, Martin’s comment will be, “How can they ever collect it? I haven’t got that kind of money,”

August 22, 1960

For Billy Martin’s fight on August 5, Jim Brewer and the Cubs hit back with a $1,040,000 law suit. The claim will be settled in court and Martin will be liable for $25,000 in damages.

December 19, 1960

Billy Martin signs with the Reds

November 29, 1966

A circuit court jury in Chicago, IL awards Jim Brewer damages stemming from his 1960 on-field fight with Billy Martin.

April 22, 1969

Rollie Fingers wins first major league start, shuts out the Minnesota Twins, 7 – 0

April 24, 1969

Reggie Jackson brawls with twins after he hits homers in his first two at bats

June 27, 1972

Wade Blasingame’s American League debut for the Yankees is an inauspicious one, as the Tigers go deep three consecutive times in the first frame

August 13, 1972

Billy Martin picks his team’s lineup out of a hat

October 3, 1972

Tigers clinch the division 1972 in shortened season

October 11, 1972

Northrup’s wallop wins it for Tigers in ALCS Game 4

August 1, 1974

Ron Leflore debuts

March 20, 1975

A rare spring training brawl

August 2, 1975

New York Yankees name Billy Martin as manager

April 10, 1976

Don Money walk off Grandslam reversed

April 17, 1976

At Yankee owner’s George Steinbrenner’s insistence, Thurman Munson is named the team captain

November 29, 1976

New York Yankees ink free agent outfielder Reggie Jackson

June 18, 1977

Reggie Jackson and manager Billy Martin have dugout confrontation

August 10, 1977

Billy Martin installs Reggie Jackson as the Yankees’ regular clean-up hitter

July 23, 1978

Billy Martin fired after telling the press – Reggie Jackson and George Steinbrenner deserve each other

July 24, 1978

Billy Martin (52-42) resigns as Yankee manager and is replaced by Bob Lemon, who was fired by the White Sox on June 30th. The Bronx Bombers, en route to a World Championship, respond by playing .700 ball for their new skipper, winning 48 of the remaining 68 games played this season.

July 25, 1978

New York Yankees name Bob Lemon as manager, jettisoning Billy Martin

July 19, 1979

New York Yankees president Al Rosen resigns after a year and a half on the job. Rosen continually found himself in disagreements with Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner.

October 23, 1979

Billy Martin is involved in a barroom altercation with Joseph Cooper, a Minnesota marshmallow salesman

October 28, 1979

The New York Yankees replace fired manager Billy Martin with Dick Howser

November 29, 1979

Commissioner Bowie Kuhn lets Billy Martin off after his altercation with a marshmallow salesman.

February 20, 1980

Billy Ball is born in Oakland

April 10, 1980

The largest Coliseum crowd in two years came out to witness Billy Martin’s first game

April 19, 1981

A’s set record with 11 win to start season vs Mariners – Lenny Randle gets ejected

April 25, 1981

Maury Wills suspended for tampering with batters box

April 2, 1982

Steve McCatty ordered to use a toy bat by Billy Martin

July 8, 1982

Oakland A’s manager Billy Martin notches his 1,000th

August 24, 1982

Rickey Henderson Steals 117th but gets foiled trying for the record

January 11, 1983

The New York Yankees name Billy Martin their manager for the third time in eight years. Martin takes over for Clyde King, who is bumped up to the Yankees’ front office. Martin will lead the team to a record of 91-71 this season.

July 24, 1983

George Brett and The Pine Tar Game

December 16, 1983

New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner fires manager Billy Martin for the third time

April 28, 1985

Billy Martin hired for 4th time to manage New York

August 10, 1986

“I may not have been the greatest Yankee to put on the uniform, but I am the proudest.” – Billy Martin

October 19, 1987

New York Yankees hire controversial manager Billy Martin for a fifth time

June 11, 1988

Rick Rhoden of the New York Yankees becomes the first pitcher to start a game as a designated hitter

June 23, 1988

Billy Martin is fired for the fifth time as manager of the New York Yankees

December 25, 1989

Billy Martin, dies in a car accident in Johnson City, NY, at the age 61.

December 29, 2018

Billy Martin Stats & Facts

April 10, 2021

Billy Martin and Jackie Robinson

Biography

Coming Soon 

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Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts

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