NEW YORK YANKEES

Clinch American League Pennant, October 3, 1964

8 x 10, black and white photograph, taken in the New York Yankees locker room celebrating after they clinched the 1964 American League pennant against the Cleveland Indians, on October 3rd, 1964.

Pictured in this historic group shot from left to right are Tony Kubek, Elston Howard, Pete Mikkleson, Phil Linz and Yogi Berra. Ironically Phil and Yogi pose with their arms around each other as the harmonica incident became a thing of the past especially after just winning the pennant. Autographed by Linz in a blue sharpie pen across his chest, Phil Linz. He has added a musical note after his name which is a reference to the famous harmonica incident on the Yankees team bus when he got into a beef with Manager Yogi Berra instigated by non other than the prankster, Mickey Mantle. The event happened following a Yankee road loss to the Chicago White Sox on August 20, 1964, as mentioned on the team bus.

Linz was playing a version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on his harmonica in the back of the team bus. Berra found his sad cowboy style version mixed with the children's nursery rhyme a bit mocking of the team, and told Linz to pipe down. Linz didn't hear him and kept playing. Berra became infuriated and called back from the front of the bus, "If you don't knock that off, I'm going to come back there and kick your ass." Linz still couldn't hear the words of Yogi over the music, so he asked Mickey Mantle, "What did he say?" Mantle ever the instigator, responded, "He said to play it louder" which Linz willingly complied to do on "The Mick's" prompting! Berra then walked to the back of the bus to confront Linz. By different accounts, Linz threw the harmonica to Berra or at him, or Berra knocked it out of his hand. Regardless, it became airborne, striking first baseman Joe Pepitone in the knee strongly enough to cut him.

Phil Linz played Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1968 with the New York Yankees, 1962-65; the Philadelphia Phillies, 1966-67, and the New York Mets, 1967-68. Linz was mainly a utility infielder and he played 2nd, 3rd and short stop.

His life time stats were: batting average, .235, home runs 11, and runs batted in 96. He was a member of the 1962 New York Yankees World Champions.

Choice condition. Signed in person and witnessed by my good friend, Joe Zaccaro, of Real McCoy 2 Collectibles. Joe has been around this hobby for a few decades and has an impeccable reputation. Many of the autographs he sells come from private signing sessions he had with the players. Comes with a signed COA by Real McCoy 2 Collectibles and Joe Zacarro. Also comes with a color photo of Phil Linz from the signing holding his harmonica. Very desirable autographed 1964 photo content. Would make a great addition to any 1960's era New York Yankees collection.

TRIVIA: The 1964 World Series was played between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees.

St. Louis won the series in 7 games, their 7th World Championship at the time, and the series loss cost Yogi Berra his managerial position.

In a weird circumstance of events the Yankees hired the World Series winning manager of the Cardinals, Johnny Keane, to replace Berra at the helm of the "Bronx Bombers" in 1965.

Yogi Berra would sign a contract with the New York Mets in 1965 as a player-coach.