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1964 World Series Photo Gallery
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1964: Baseball’s Version of “Musical Chairs!”
Johnny Keane Gets Yogi’s Job!
“I managed good but boy did they play bad.” –Johnny Keane, commenting on his lack of success as Yankees’ manager.
My occasional tour through memorable World Series stops today with a look at the aftermath of the 1964 World Series. Fifty-seven years ago last fall, October 16, 1964, was the anniversary of a bizarre day in baseball history: Just three days after the Cardinals defeated the Yankees in the 1964 Fall Classic four-games-to-three, Johnny Keane resigned as the Redbirds’ manager. At almost the exact same time, the Yankees fired first-year manager Yogi Berra and replaced him with…you guessed it!…Johnny Keane. Baseball’s version of “Musical Chairs” was now complete!
Baseball Lifer Johnny Keane
Johnny Keane spent 34 years in the Cardinals organization. He began a successful career as a minor league manager at age 26 in 1938. After 21 loyal seasons in the Cardinals’ farm system, he was named the Cardinals’ major league manager on July 6, 1961, replacing Solly Hemus. In his four seasons at the Cardinals’ helm, which included a World Series championship in 1964 – the Cards’ first since 1946 – he posted a 317-247 record (.562) and never had a losing season. Prior to his arrival, the Cardinals had suffered through losing seasons in five of the previous seven years. Johnny also played a crucial, positive role in mentoring young Cardinal players, especially star pitcher Bob Gibson.
The 1964 National League Pennant Race
It was expected to be a four-team race in 1964 between the Dodgers, Giants, Reds, and Cardinals; but the surprise of the National League was the Phillies. As the season wore on and it looked like the Phillies had the pennant sewed up, the
Cardinals, like many other teams, started looking towards 1965. Staring up at another second-place finish, the organization needed to figure out how to get to “the next level.”
Enter Branch Rickey…
The Mahatma had been hired by the Cardinals 18 months prior as a management consultant; and under his influence, they were now “looking to go in a different direction,” as the tired old baseball cliché goes. One of Rickey’s recommendations was to shake up the front office, including replacing Keane’s friend and mentor, General Manager Bing Devine.
Though nothing was official, there were also rumors flying around that Keane himself was going to be sacked after the season. And his replacement? The name of former Cardinals’ manager and Branch Rickey protégé Leo Durocher was being bandied about. There was even scuttlebutt that Gussie Busch was secretly negotiating with him. Johnny heard the rumors and wasn’t happy.
Loyalty was sacrosanct to a man of principle like Johnny Keane. He felt betrayed and thought he deserved better treatment. He put the blame squarely on the Cardinals’ owner. Busch had broken one of Johnny’s cardinal rules, and he just couldn’t forgive him. Johnny’s personal code of ethics required that he take action: He decided to quit.
The “Musical Chairs” Begins!
But the Phillies’ epic collapse towards the end of the 1964 campaign changed baseball dynamics throughout the league almost overnight. With the Phillies’ self-destruction, the Cardinals suddenly – and unexpectedly – found themselves as the 1964 National League pennant winners and World Series champions. Three days after the World Series, in one of the most bizarre press conferences the game has ever seen, Keane announced his resignation. He handed new GM Bob Howsam a letter he had written back in September.
At the same time, Yogi Berra was being sacked in New York by the Yankees. Apparently, a World Series appearance in his first year wasn’t good enough to save Yogi’s job. And who was to be Yogi’s replacement? Johnny Keane!
New York Not a Good Fit for Johnny
Keane never got much out of the Yankees during his tenure in New York. He just didn’t’ seem to be a good fit, as his distant demeanor clashed with the players and the press. Perhaps they resented him as a National League outsider. Maybe they were still reminiscing about the glory years under Casey Stengel. Whatever the reason, they finished a distant sixth in 1965. After a 4-16 start in 1966, Keane was sacked and found himself out of a job.
While Johnny Keane took a lot of the heat for the Yankees’ performance, it was obvious they were not the same team that had dominated baseball for the past 20 seasons. Meanwhile, the Cardinals achieved sustained success under new manager Red Schoendienst, winning the World Series in 1967 and the National League pennant in 1968.
Sadly, it was later revealed that the Cardinals had decided against firing Keane and were about to offer him a three-year extension. Owner Gussie Busch was taken completely by surprise by Keane’s resignation saying,
This really has shocked me. I didn’t know a thing about it until I saw Johnny this morning. All I can say is that I’m damned sorry to lose Johnny.
Johnny Keane passed away on January 6, 1967, of a heart attack at the age of 55. Did he regret his decision to leave the organization in which he had spent most of his professional life and where he had achieved significant success? We’ll never know. It was suggested in baseball circles that the pressure of winning in New York could have led to Johnny Keane’s early death.
Gary Livacari
Photo Credits: All from Google search
Information: Excerpts edited from article on Johnny Keane, https://retrosimba.com/2014/10/15/johnny-keane-to-gussie-busch-take-this-job-and-shove-it/
Gary Livacari
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Johnny was a good manager and person. Just had to ask Bob Gibson. Those Yankee teams in 1965 and “66 quit on him.
I doubt the Yanks resented Keane as a National Leaguer, Stengel was a National Leaguer too. 1965 Yanks didn’t quit on Keane, injuries to Mantle, Maris, Howard, and Kubek left the New Yorkers with a decimated lineup for most of the season. It was Keane’ genius that got the 77 wins. The firing of Berra resulted in one of my favorite baseball trivia questions. What World Series manager caught for the last place team in the other league the following year?
Once again, you posted a good story, Gary. As a youngster I sure do remember that change in managerial duties. Thnx for those details. I didn’t know very much about Keane until reading your article. I remember sneaking in a listen {on my trusty transistor radio} to the ’64 WS as much as possible during class @ school. Unfortunately, I didn’t have baseball savvy teachers that year, so was always in jeopardy of getting my radio confiscated. Couldn’t wait for lunch hour so I could listen for an entire hour…hahaha. I also remember that the Yankees had some lean seasons from the mid-60’s; up until they regained prominence in the late 70’s. Among all the great managers who were ex-catchers, I don’t think Yogi would be ranked near the top IMHO.
Thanks Tom!
Gary,
Always appreciate your fine posts, thanks!
(1) Agree with Tom, Yogi great but not a good manager.
(2) Gene Mauch, acclaimed genius manager, panicked in ’64 with a six game lead and 12 to play by butchering his pitching staff.
(3) Monte was right about Keane being a good guy and good manager. Likewise, Kevin enumerating the injuries. But didn’t Keane begin to show emotional instability over his last couple of years with the Yankees?
Thanks Bill and Tom. You guys are tough to please! Haha!…and so I have to take exception with your contention that Yogi wasn’t a good manager. Over seven years he posted a 484-444 record (.522), with two pennants, and six first division finishes. Looks pretty good to me! Not saying he was great, but good? For sure!
Not so fast, DD. Through most of those years, Berra had the personnel to win games my wife could have won. Only recently has she been able to distinguish a baseball from an onion.
In 1973, the Mets were a rudderless ship until Rusty Staub returned to provide leadership and clutch play. In the WS against Oakland, the Mets were leading 3 games to 2. Yogi pitched Tom Seaver on short rest against the best money pitcher in baseball, Catfish Hunter. The Mets lost. Then he was forced to pitch Jon Matlack on short rest in game 7. Jon was great for two innings and ran out of gas. The Mets lost.
As many of us said at the time, save Tom for game 7 with full rest, with Matlack in relief. It might have been a different story.
Best, TOB