Word: rizzuto
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...roughest melee the American League had seen in years. And Casey came home with a team full of trouble. Few teams win a pennant without a first-class shortstop to tighten up their infield, and veteran Phil Rizzuto was five years past his prime, a step too slow in the field, a little too tired to play regularly. Jerry Coleman, who could have filled in, broke his collarbone April 22 and was out for three months. No sooner was he back when he was beaned and bench-ridden again. Often, Casey's pitching was pitiful...
...Bullet Bob Turley could hardly find the plate. Big Moose Skowron might have added power to the batting order; he played a month and pulled a leg muscle. Just when the Yankees straightened out for the run to the wire, Mickey Mantle hobbled himself beating out a bunt. Then Rizzuto was skulled. Time was when Casey clobbered the opposition with two platoons. Now he was hard put to field a team...
...other fella [Billy Martin] comes out of the Army but he don't look at big-league pitching and I put him at short, but the Little Old Man [Phil Rizzuto] comes up with a good job for me and I shift the second baseman [McDougald] to third and put the Army guy [Martin] where he belongs, on second with the Old Man [Rizzuto] back on short and we click pretty good...
That series was not without its losses: Slugger Moose Skowron broke his toe in batting practice and is out for several days; Center Fielder Mickey Mantle, fastest man on the team, pulled a leg muscle beating out a bunt, and is on the bench indefinitely; rejuvenated Shortstop Phil Rizzuto was beaned by a pitched ball and had to ride the bench while his teammates won the game already dedicated as Phil Rizzuto...
...sacrificed to second. Still switching players as fast as he could remember their names, Casey had brought Tom Morgan in to pitch. Understandably, Bauer dropped a wide throw, and Minoso slid into third. Even so, the Yanks seemed safe. Catcher Moss bounced a routine grounder down to Phil Rizzuto. Incredibly, the incredible happened again. Robinson dropped Rizzuto's peg, Minoso came home, and the Sox were back in front. This time they held on to their lead and walked off the field winners...