In spring training of 1962, rookies Phil Linz and Tom Tresh battled for the Yankee shortstop job. Linz was a feisty singles hitter, but the more powerful Tresh won the contest, and thereafter Linz filled in capably at three infield positions. The humorous Linz was the protagonist in the famed “Harmonica Incident” of late August 1964. The third-place Yankees, who had just lost four straight in Chicago, were in the team bus, stuck in traffic. Linz began playing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on his harmonica, enraging manager Yogi Berra. A ruckus ensued. The event may have galvanized the successful stretch run for a pennant, but the publicity sealed Berra’s dismissal after the season.
