Tom Tresh

Tom Tresh, the son of former ML catcher Mike Tresh, was AL Rookie of the Year in 1962 when he hit .286, with 20 home runs and 93 RBI, as a switch-hitting Yankee shortstop when Tony Kubek was in military service. Moved to left field in 1963 when Kubek returned, he continued to hit homers, three times topping 25. On September 1, 1963 he became only the eighth player to homer from each side of the plate in a single game. He accomplished that feat twice more in his career, including a June 6, 1965 doubleheader when he hit four home runs, three in the nightcap. A damaged knee in 1967 hastened the end of his career.

Tresh was an All Star in 1962 and 1963, and won a Gold Glove in 1965.  Tresh is one of only six players to win Rookie of the Year honors and play with a World Series champion in the same season.  He played for the Yankees from 1961 – 1969.

“When you’re a 25-year-old kid and your dream has always been to play professional baseball, it’s kind of hard to believe,” Tresh said. “When you look around and you see all of these great players, it’s hard to fathom that you’re in the middle of all that and that you’re taking a role in that situation.  “Out of everybody in the country, how come I was the one playing in Yankee Stadium, standing there with my locker next to Mickey Mantle’s, going out to dinner with Bobby Richardson after a game? It was just a great feeling.”

Tom Tresh played with some of the greatest baseball players of all time while a New York Yankee, players like Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Bobby Richardson, Elston Howard, Roger Maris - and Mickey Mantle, whom he named one of his children after.  Tresh shares some thoughts on his former teammates in an interview with Todd Newville below.

Shortstop Tony Kubek, a .266 career hitter for the Yankees, also conjures up some fond memories for Tresh. “A great shortstop who was a bit unorthodox in his style,” Tresh said. “He wasn’t as fluid or as smooth as some guys, but he was very efficient and very fast with a strong arm. He made all the plays and he was a good clutch hitter.”

Elston Howard, the first African-American to play for the Yankees, won two Gold Gloves and an MVP award in 1963 with New York. Tresh respected Howard tremendously. “He was a good friend of mine and I miss him a lot,” said Tresh of Howard, who died in 1980. “He was one of the most instrumental black players who managed to get a foothold in the major leagues in that era.”

Whitey Ford, a Hall of Famer who had a 236-106 lifetime record, has the third highest winning percentage of all time (.690.) He also holds numerous World Series records, including most career wins (10), most games (22), most innings pitched (146), and most strikeouts (94).  “Whitey was probably one of the greatest pitchers in history,” Tresh said. “He did it through brains and not a lot of power. He mixed his pitches well and he threw a great curveball. He was just a fierce competitor.”

Richardson, who is currently involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, hit .266 in his career and won five Gold Gloves for his fielding prowess. “He’s certainly a great example to our youth in this country,” Tresh said.
 

Yogi Berra, a three-time MVP, was, “a character as everyone knows,” Tresh said. “He was a great ‘bad ball’ hitter and he was always friendly to everyone he met. I can’t think of a better catcher than Yogi.

Tresh said Maris maybe the most underrated ballplayer of all time. Maris won two MVP awards and hit 61 home runs in 1961 - a single-season major league record until Mark McGwire (70) and Sammy Sosa (66) surpassed that total during the 1998 season. Tresh believes a spot in Cooperstown, N.Y., should have already been reserved for the shy and reserved Maris, who passed away in 1985.  “He should be in the Hall of Fame,” Tresh said. “There’s no reason in the world why anyone can justify otherwise. He could do it all offensively and defensively.”

If you ask Tresh who was the greatest player he ever saw, he’ll quickly answer with Mantle without hesitation. Few would argue. Afterall, Mantle hit 536 homers in his career and slammed another 18 in World Series play. Mantle also won the Triple Crown in 1956 and three MVP awards.  “Mantle was my idol as a kid,” said Tresh, who has four children. “He was the greatest player to ever play the game in my opinion. I named my only son Mickey, so that should be a testament to my admiration for the man.”