Hank Bauer

Bauer passes away at 84
Former Yankee was part of seven World Series title winners

Hank Bauer, a key component of seven New York Yankees World Series championship clubs, died Friday after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 84.

Bauer played 14 seasons in the Major Leagues from 1948-61, his first 12 with the Yankees. A three-time All-Star outfielder, he batted .277 with 164 home runs and 703 RBIs in 1,544 games, and helped the Yankees to nine American League pennants.

"Hank Bauer is an emblem of a generation that helped shape the landscape of our country," Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement.

"He was a natural leader and a teammate in every sense of the word, and his contributions went well beyond the baseball field. His service to the Yankees, his country, and his family shows why I have been so privileged to call him a friend."

I wanted to focus on the service to his country part of the quote.

The youngest of nine children, Bauer was born to a blue-collar background in East St. Louis, Ill., and went on to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. Battling malaria in the South Pacific, Bauer earned 11 campaign ribbons, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts in 32 months of combat.

His gruff military background translated to his playing career, which delivered him to the Yankees for a 1948 debut.

As a tough presence in the clubhouse, Bauer is said to have chastised a young Mickey Mantle for not running out a ground ball, yelling, "Don't fool with my money" -- a reference to the regularity with which Bauer cashed Yankees World Series checks.

He was also a manager for the Kansas City Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles. In 1966, Bauer was at the helm as the Orioles beat the LA Dodgers to win the World Series.