April 28, 1985, Billy Martin is hired as Yankees manager, again. It would be his fourth time at the helm after Yogi Berra is let go due to a 6-10 start to the season.
“Steinbrenner called General Manager Clyde King in the fourth inning of a 4-3 loss to the White Sox Sunday to tell him of the change. Steinbrenner was in Indiana to visit his son. King said Steinbrenner had decided to fire Berra Saturday night and hoped he would go out a winner Sunday. Berra’s last game came 14 days before his 60th birthday. Steinbrenner was quoted in a release as saying, ‘This action has been taken by the Yankees and we feel that it is in the best interests of the club.’ The release said Steinbrenner told King that ‘he would rather fire 25 players than to fire Yogi, but we all know that that would be impossible.'” – The Los Angeles Times, April 29, 1985.
This move would cause a riff between Berra and The Boss that would not be mended for 14 years. The beloved catcher vowed never to return to Yankee Stadium as long as Steinbrenner was the owner of the team.
On September 12, the Yankees were just 2.5 games back of the first place Blue Jays when they came to the Bronx for a crucial four game series. With the Blue Jays taking two of the first three games, Martin handed Ed Whitson the ball for the fourth. Whitson would give up four earned runs in just two innings losing the game 8-5 to drop to 4.5 games out of first. This would cause Martin to skip Whitson’s next scheduled start on September 20.
On September 22, while at a hotel bar in Baltimore, Martin and Whitson got into a physical altercation. Martin suffered a broken arm, bruises and cuts while Whitson had a broken rib and a split lip. Many believe this incident led to Martin being fired at the end of the season despite going 91-54.
The Yankees retired Martin’s number 1 0n August 10, 1986, and dedicated a plaque in Monument Park in his honor. It states that “there has never been a greater competitor than Billy.” He told the crowd that day, “I may not have been the greatest Yankee to put on the uniform, but I am the proudest.” He would return for a fifth and final time in 1988. At the time of his death in December 1989, he was preparing to manage the team for a sixth time for the 1990 season. He was 61 years old.
Despite his tumultuous relationships over the years, he was highly respected in the game. Many people who knew him have remarked on his ability to surprise the opposition and his outside the box thinking. Dave Winfield has stated that opposing players would often ask each other, “What’s Billy doing now?” Steinbrenner often referred to Martin as a “baseball genius.” He had been an influence to other managers, including Lou Piniella, who Martin both preceded and succeeded as Yanks manager.
