Looking Back:
Bobby Richardson
When you think of the Yankees back in the ‘50s’ and ‘60s’ most of us think of Mantle, Bear, Maris, Ford, and maybe Martin. But, few of us would think of Bobby Richardson (Robert Clinton Richardson, Jr.). I remember the name and that he was an infielder for the Yankees (1955-’66). Bobby was considered an average hitter (.266 lifetime), but a good defensive player (5 Gold Gloves). Yet, he had some very good years, and post-season highlights. For example, in 1962 he came in second for the AL MVP behind, you guessed it, Mickey Mantle. Richardson at age 87 is living in his hometown of Sumter, SC. Bobby and his wife Betsy of 64 years have five children.
The Yankees were dominant back then and of course, Mickey Mantle was the face of the team. So, Yankee infielders did not get a large share of the attention. Those infielders included: Clete Boyer (3), Tony Kubek (SS), Richardson (2), and Moose Skowron (1). Bobby spoke well of his teammates. He said very positive things about Elston Howard. In 1955 Elston became the first black player for the Yankees. That was a full eight years after Jackie Robinson. In 1959 Boston was the last club to integrate (begrudgingly). The only person Bobby made clear he did not ‘understand’ was Casey Stengle. Casey was the old manager that platooned a lot. This was a time when Bobby was fighting for a starting job. He did not want to share the position with anybody.
Bobby was a good player (maybe not great) but he did go to eight All-Star games (but only starting in two). He won 5 Gold Gloves, and of course, was an integral part of winning three World Series Championships. In 1961 he also had the distinction of being the only World Series MVP to come from the losing team. That is hard to do.
Bobby’s 2012 book “Impact Player” made an impact on me. I read sports books to learn about the people, the back stories, their struggles, not their statistics. Bobby Richardson has a great backstory. He was “impactful” on and off the field. Bobby became a Christian at the age of twelve and walked that path right into the not-so-wholesome Yankee locker room. Bobby talked a lot about the Yankees’ wins and losses, especially in the post-season, but he mainly talked about how his beliefs “fit in” with the times. He was clear that in his playing days, being an open Christian in MLB was not something that was encouraged. His teammates knew and accepted his beliefs and his “squeaky clean” lifestyle but, of course, the party guys got the attention. You would think the “party guys” would not call Bobby a friend or vice versa, but that is not the case. In fact, Bobby was close friends with most, including Mantle. He witnessed to Mickey right up until the time of Mantle’s death in 1995. Mantle finally told Bobby just days before his death that he had accepted Jesus Christ. Bobby has been asked to preside at five of his former teammates’ funerals. He has witnessed at countless events, including the Billy Graham Crusades. One could say Richardson was Tim Tebow, decades before Tim Tebow.
In 1966 Bobby retired. At age 31 he was still in his prime, but he had five young children at home, so he retired early to spend more time with his family and to do more.
