Throwback Thursday

From my collection, the Yankees program and scorecard from 1965, the year the Berra/Ford/Mantle dynasty collapsed. The Yankees starting rotation is pictured clockwise from the top left: Whitey Ford, Mel Stottlemyre, Jim Bouton and Al Downing.
In his first full year with the Yankees, Mel became the Yankees ace, winning 20 with 18 complete games. (Run that last number through your mind, again.) While Whitey, who turned 36, went 16 & 13. Downing fell below .500, and Bouton fell off the table, losing 15 of 19 decisions.
Age and injury caught up with the everyday lineup -- with Mantle, Howard, Pepitone and Maris less productive, the team fell far behind the pennnt winning Twins.
Maybe it was the curse of Yogi? The legendary catcher, after winning the pennant the year before, was fired as manager and moved across town to join Casey Stengel's coaching staff with the Mets. And Johnny Keane, who managed the World Champion Cardinals, took his place in the dugout only to be at the helm for the club's first losing season in 40 years.
Not a season to savor, but a souvenir that unleashes a wave of memories.

OK, as for that so-called curse: The Yankees did not win a pennant or finish first in the division during Yogi's 11-season exile with the Mets. Once Mr. Berra returned to the Bronx as a member of Billy Martin's coaching staff in 1976, the Yanks returned to the post-season. Was that a coincidence?

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