Billy Martin

Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989) was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. Born in a working-class section of Berkeley, California, Martin found a route out of his home town through baseball, signing with the Pacific Coast League's Oakland Oaks. There he came under Casey Stengel, the manager who would later lead him in New York and with whom he maintained a close relationship.

As a player, Martin earned a reputation as a scrappy infielder who made considerable contributions to the championship Yankee teams of the 1950s. Late in Game Seven of the 1952 World Series, his catch of a wind-blown Jackie Robinson popup preserved the title for the Yankees. The following year he was the hitting star of the 1953 World Series, earning Most Valuable Player honors.

Martin went on to a managing career defined by a pattern of turning bad teams good before his tenures dissolved amid dysfunction. He managed the New York Yankees on five separate occasions, posting a winning record in each stint before being fired by owner George Steinbrenner or resigning under fire. In addition to the Yankees, he managed several other clubs over the course of his career. Martin died on December 25, 1989.