Pete Sheehy interview
Date1982 February 22
DescriptionAn audio cassette featuring an interview with of Pete Sheehy conducted by Rod Roberts on behalf of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on February 22, 1982 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Object numberHF-1994-0001-004
Interviewer
Roberts, Rod
Interviewee
Sheehy, Pete, 1910-1985
Subject
Sheehy, Pete, 1910-1985
Classificationsaudio/visual materials
Library Call NumberCTA 845
Collection NumberBA RMA 001 Rod Roberts oral history collection
Dimensions1 audio cassette
TrannscriptionCassette 1 content includes: Side One -- Track 1 - Born in Mobile, AL, Aug. 1, 1910, parents moved to New York City when he was three years old; family originally came from County Kerry Ireland, friends got his father a job in Alabama; lived in Yorkville in NYC, they called it Germantown, but it was about 70% Irish; now lives in Harrington Park, in Bergen County, NJ; growing up went to PS 30 on East 88th Street, didn't go to high school, went out to work to help the family; he has three sisters, he is second oldest; hard to get a job in those days, he had to go to a continuation school, kids in NYC played stickball, the only crime in the City, cops used to chase them; a big baseball fan as a kid, followed Yankees and Giants; heroes were Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig (00:00:00 to 00:03:49) Track 2 - On getting a job with the Yankees, going to a game one day, and happened to be standing outside the clubhouse, Fred Logan had been there for 50 years or so, asked if he was going to the game and said if he wanted to save money, he could help him out; asked him if he'd be back the next day, and he said yes, and he's been there since; his parents didn't bother him about it (00:03:49 to 00:04:42) Track 3 - Came to work for one of the greatest ball clubs of all time, remembers sitting on the end of the bench when Babe Ruth hit his 60th, wasn't so much of a big deal back then because there was no TV (00:04:42 to 00:05:17) Track 4 - On being close to Lou Gehrig, as soon as the game was over, he would dress in a hurry and go home to his parents, they came first; he never spent anything until he had his Mom & Dad taken care of; Gehrig was close with Bill Dickey; not too many college boys in baseball, hardly any at all; in those days, when they signed a player, he had to go through the system, so they were in their 20s by the time they got to the Majors (00:05:17 to 00:06:26) Track 5 - On ballplayers not being very big, a lot of the boys were farm boys in the old days, they were much stronger; in those days, the Yankees all lived up the street in NYC, they played day ball, went home for supper, got a good night's sleep, a nice breakfast; today's players have it tough, because of the night games; baseball players smaller than football players, just ordinary people; Gehrig was well-built; Ruth was in a class by himself, jolly and plump; Waite Hoyt was a well-built man; players today have the same bellies as Ruth did (00:06:26 to 00:08:52) Track 6 - Ruth was a very jolly fellow, he used to take bicarbonate, he'd say Petey, boy, how about a little bi? Used to tell stories about games, had trouble with people's names, called everyone kid, a generous guy; never saw him carrying on, it was during Prohibition; Gehrig and Ruth got along (00:08:52 to 00:10:23) Track 7 - On Joe Dugan, was a funny man, Jumpin' Joe, Tony Lazzeri was a prankster, always pulling gags; on Dugan's father coming to get tickets for friends, he had a wooden leg and once in a while it got crooked (interviewer talks about the Hall of Fame project) (00:10:32 to 00:11:50) Track 8 - On manager Miller Huggins, he was on the quiet side, a great manager for a great ball club; on working for many different managers, Huggins, Bob Shawkey, Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel, Ralph Houk, Bill Virdon, John Keane, Yogi Berra, Bob Lemon, Gene Michael, Billy Martin; not able to pick out one as the best; Bill Virdon was all business, never got excited, very nice man (00:11:50 to 00:13:39) Track 9 - On crazy characters, pulling gags and he would pull them right back, always some fun in the clubhouse, Bubbles Hargrave in the twilight of his career, called Bubbles because he was round; Bobo Newsom; they all drank a little bit, but somewhere no one would see them (00:13:39 to 00:14:44) Track 10 - On Leo Durocher, a young rookie, he was the bench jockey, standing in front of the bench and other players would tell him what to yell (00:14:44 to 00:15:05) Track 11 - Best hitter was Joe DiMaggio, the perfect swing; Ted Williams was great; liked Al Kaline, a good hitter and outfielder; they all used heavy bats made from aged wood, like iron, only went through half-dozen bats a season, when a fellow broke a game bat, there were tears in their eyes; a lot of players went for average, they could hit .342 and only finish 7th; they just tried to meet the ball (interviewer talks about Edd Roush) Heinie Groh used to face the pitcher (00:15:05 to 00:17:40) Track 12 - On Bill Dickey, best catcher and a good hitter, a line drive hitter over the infield, hit .300, great arm, slow on foot; compared to (Mickey) Cochrane, who was very agile, like a cat behind the plate, better speed than Dickey; in those days, the players were all jockeying the batter, they don't do that much today (00:17:40 to 00:18:55) Track 13 - On changes in the game, a different era, the old-timers were born with pride, took pride in his work, could be a bricklayer, had desire to be a foreman, make a few dollars more; parents from the Old Country taught you respect, ate what was on the table or you went to bed without eating; ballplayers today are in the rat race, hustle to the ball park; years ago, in training camp, might have 35 players, today, a lot of running and shagging balls, they work harder today (00:18:55 to 00:21:55) Track 14 - On his family, two daughters, both married and one has four children, other daughter has three children, both son-in-laws graduated from Kings Point, one runs a shipping line and the other is in the nuclear field; no great-grandchildren, he didn't get married until he was 35; lost four years in the Army during WWII, served in the South Pacific; not involved with baseball in the Army, ran into some players in the service; one was Carl Furillo, who came back and made the Dodgers; on good service ball teams, one time he went to a ball game in Fort Hase, the Air Force was playing with all of the stars, DiMaggio, Ferris Fain, and the Naval team had Johnny Mize, Tom Ferrick pitched that day; everybody was there; after the game, the players came out and Fain got up on a truck and said they were going to get some torpedo juice (00:21:55 to 00:25:24) Track 15 - Sheehy was in the service four years, Fred Logan was still alive so he came back and they picked up a fellow in Florida, stayed with Sheehy for 26 years (00:25:24 to 00:26:00) Track 16 - On his job as equipment manager, wash everything, order uniforms, keep things straightened out, order balls, make sure everything is stored; use at least 1500 dozen balls a year, on using rubbing mud from Lena Blackburne (00:26:00 to 00:27:38) Track 17 - On Dixie Walker, a good hitter; on racial change in baseball, wasn't really a hard adjustment for ballplayers; they get along and kid each other, play cards, no racial friction on the Yankees; (interviewer talking about Ben Chapman and Edd Roush); didn't see players fighting that much, most of them took the ribbing from each other pretty well (tape runs out) (00:27:38 to 00:30:08) Side Two -- Track 1 - On DiMaggio being a dignified person, when DiMaggio walked in the clubhouse, the lights would blink; Sheehy would blink the lights; never minded people calling each other Dago, or Irish Mick; DiMaggio was quiet, but popular; he wanted people to run to their positions and run in; he might get on a player for not running hard enough to first; he'd make a little dig on the player; DiMaggio played with pain, hid injuries; on his hitting streak; one game, he was the 5th batter and hadn't gotten a hit, but then he did, incredible pressure on him but didn't bother him (00:00:00 to 00:03:35) Track 2 - On changes due to television in baseball, the press and media being different today than in the old days, didn't have as many press in the old days, used to go to a press room, now they come in all day; in Babe Ruth's time, never let a newspaperman in the clubhouse, no radio or TV people; today, press looking for a scoop, digging the dirt; there were some good sportswriters but they are passing away, Red Smith, Frank Graham, Benny Epstein, Till Fedenzy(?), on ballplayers resenting writers, but knowing they have a job to do; on using profanity, a natural thing (00:03:35 to 00:07:39) Track 3 - (Interviewer talks about Waite Hoyt and Babe Ruth, going to emcee a radio program for Al Smith, and they got the Yankees together, and Ruth calling Lazzeri a WOP) Sheehy said that sounds like something he would do (00:07:39 to 00:08:35) Track 4 - On Frankie Crosetti, all business, a real family man, liked to go fishing with his kids (tape stops for a break) (00:08:35 to 00:08:59) Track 5 - On working from 11 a.m.. until 1 a.m. after a night game; in old days, came in at 9-10 and home around 6; in the old days, sent the uniforms to the cleaners; they wore them more days, changed on Wednesday and Sunday; on the road, send them out to be cleaned; each town has a visiting clubhouse manager; on missing out on wartime baseball, in the old days, Spaulding would ask them how many uniforms they needed; they would order 25 sets, and they would take them off the shelf, players just put them on and wore them; today's uniforms are all measured and made custom; currently has a few years worth of uniforms in the clubhouse; also supply the Minor League team in Oneonta (00:08:59 to 00:13:26) Track 6 - On uniforms changing in '74 or '75, went to nylon, use the same uniform in different years; pants rip occasionally, they get players three pairs of pants just in case there is a rip (00:13:26 to 00:14:42) Track 7 - His first club, the '27 club, was one of the best clubs ever, DiMaggio, (Charlie) Keller, (Tommy) Henrich, (Mickey) Mantle, (Roger) Maris; hard to match those players, hard for today's players, they are on the road, and don't eat as well; today's players are faster, older players were lumbering, today's players better base stealers, pitchers threw hard, but most pitchers pitch with their heads; not much change in how hard or fast pitchers throw today; (Walter) Johnson threw sidearm, the motion would screw you up; today they go for fastballs more, older pitchers mixed up the pitches more to keep you guessing (00:14:42 to 00:18:12) Track 8 - On Charlie Keller, King Kong nickname, he was a real family man, his wife would pitch and shag balls, bring his sons to play, raising horses today (00:18:12 to 00:19:12) Track 9 - On Connie Mack, Sheehy never knew him, because he was always in street clothes, didn't come in the clubhouse (00:19:12 to 00:20:26) Track 10 - On Yogi Berra, really knows his baseball, people have fun with Yogi, he gets a kick out of it (00:20:26 to 00:20:57) Track 11 - On Lefty Gomez, Frenchy Boudagaray, Casey Stengel, all characters; hard to understand Stengel, because he overlaps his stories; Stengel met with kids at the rookie camp, and told them to go out 3-4 together, not 7-8 together, so they wouldn't get drunk, and didn't want any of them in the bar in the hotel, that was his hangout (00:20:57 to 00:22:43) Track 12 - On drinking in baseball being their own business; players then kept to themselves; sometimes people made home brew during Prohibition (interviewer talks about Edd Roush) (00:22:43 to 00:24:00) Track 13 - On Tommy Henrich, a steady, smart ballplayer, always anticipating the next move, he was serious and very educated (00:24:00 to 00:24:46) Track 14 - On Paul Waner joining club, but Sheehy wasn't there (00:24:46 to 00:25:00) Track 15 - On how the club was doing on the field affecting his job; he likes them to win because losing affects the players (people come in for keys) depressing in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when the Yankees had bad ball clubs, never thought of quitting; doesn't want to retire, no real hobbies but reading; wife used to his involvement with the club, she has the grandchildren and goes bowling; grandsons like the fact that he works for the Yankees, if they have a giveaway, he has to bring home seven, one for each grandchild (00:25:00 to 00:27:42) Track 16 - On World Series, being involved in 25 World Series; they all were important, as long as they won it; last three games of the last Series were bad; the one in '60 was bad, too, the Yankees were ahead in Game 7, when Bill Mazeroski hit a ninth-inning home run and the Yankees lost (00:27:42 to 00:29:27) Track 17 - On only seeing about a half an inning of a ball game, watches on TV (tape runs out) (00:29:27 to 00:30:05.5)Public Access NotePlease note that not all works are on view at all times - their availability is subject to change per the discretion of the Museum staff. 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