The Third Yankee

There is a saying that celebrities die in threes, and being that the Yankees are the celebrities of baseball, I suppose it was only a matter of time.  Ralph Houk, former player, manager, and general manager for the Yankees passed away yesterday of natural causes in Florida, preceded in death this season by George Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard.  

Houk’s Yankees won the A.L. pennant his first three years as the Bombers skipper, winning the world series in 1961 and 1962.  Following a stint as General Manager, Houk went back to the bench in 1966 and managed New York until 1973.  He was George Stienbrenner’s first manager as the Yankees Boss.

Houk also holds a special place in the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry, being one of only four managers to mange both teams.

The Yankees will honor Houk by wearing black armbands on their left sleeves for the remainder of the season.