Gator Quotes

“The lead actors in the drama: owner George Steinbrenner, who fought and fired his manager, Billy Martin, after Billy told the press that Reggie Jackson and George deserved each other—“one’s a born liar, the other’s convicted.”
― Ron Guidry, Gator: My Life in Pinstripes

“That’s what led George to Yogi’s museum in New Jersey in 1999 to apologize in person. It’s the same feeling that led Yogi, a man who had vowed never to return to Yankee Stadium so long as George owned the team, to accept George’s apology. Together they made plans for a grand return, a Yogi Berra Day that July. Before the game, Don Larsen, the Yankees pitcher who threw the first perfect game in Yankees history, during the 1956 World Series with Yogi behind the plate, tossed the ceremonial first pitch to Yogi. A few hours later David Cone finished another perfect game, the third in the team’s history. As if we needed another sign that all was right in the world.”
― Ron Guidry, Gator: My Life in Pinstripes

“Yogi was absolutely brilliant. As a hitter, he had a combination of power and contact that simply doesn’t exist anymore. Some people ridiculed him for swinging at too many pitches out of the zone. But consider this: He never struck out more than 38 times in a season. He struck out just 414 times in his career and hit 358 home runs.”
― Ron Guidry, Gator: My Life in Pinstripes

“Good teams, even great teams, fall short all the time. So the infighting everybody else saw as dysfunction was actually hugely important. We had to confront our issues. It might’ve been easier to ignore them. It sure would’ve been less embarrassing. We would’ve had less explaining to do to reporters. But if we just let them fester, we would’ve never realized our potential.”
― Ron Guidry, Gator: My Life in Pinstripes

“After the ’76 World Series, Reds manager Sparky Anderson was asked about Thurman and his catcher Johnny Bench, who went on to the Hall of Fame. With Thurman next to him at the news conference, Sparky said: “Don’t never embarrass nobody by comparing them to Johnny Bench.”
― Ron Guidry, Gator: My Life in Pinstripes

“I’m the straw that stirs the drink….Munson thinks he can be the straw that stirs the drink, but he can only stir it bad.” —REGGIE JACKSON, SPORT MAGAZINE, JUNE”
― Ron Guidry, Gator: My Life in Pinstripes

“You have to tell him something. Tell him anything, or he won’t let you complete the game.” “Okay,” I told him. By not immediately bringing in a reliever, Billy seemed to be feeling me out. When he arrived moments later, he didn’t say “Good job” like he usually did. Instead, he asked: “Well, what do you think?” “You really wanna know what I think?” I said. “Yeah, I really wanna know.” “I think you oughtta get your ass off my mound so I can finish my damn game.” Billy looked at me for a moment. Then he said, “Okay, you got it.” And he went back”
― Ron Guidry, Gator: My Life in Pinstripes