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NFT: RIP "Stick" Michael

DanMetroMan : 9/7/2017 10:13 am
Gene "Stick" Michael, the beloved Yankees executive who helped build their late-1990s dynasty teams and drafted Derek Jeter, has died of a heart attack at age 79, the Daily News has learned.

It is believed Michael underwent a procedure on his heart earlier this year, but the news was kept private.

Michael served as the manager of the Yankees in 1981-82 and as their GM from 1991-95.
Wow this sucks  
Jints in Carolina : 9/7/2017 10:15 am : link
RIP
The 2 men who had more to do with the Core 4  
Matt in SGS : 9/7/2017 10:19 am : link
and Yankee dynasty:

Howie Spira and Gene Michael. Spira getting Stienbrenner suspended for a year for trying to dig up dirt on Winfield, which allowed Michael to work with the scouts to build up the farm system without George ditching all the prospects in trades like he did in the 1980s (Phelps for Buhner, etc). RIP.
I'm not a Yankee fan, but I greatly respected his work.  
Ira : 9/7/2017 10:20 am : link
RIP
Horrible news  
PatersonPlank : 9/7/2017 10:24 am : link
As a player just missed out on the late 1970 glory years for the Yankees, but was a major office player in the rebuilding of the dynasty in the late 1990's.
damn  
djm : 9/7/2017 10:24 am : link
rip to a true Yankees legend.
So many of my great memories over the past 20 years  
Mad Mike : 9/7/2017 10:24 am : link
are due in large part to him. Thanks for everything you did for the team, RIP.
RIP  
MadPlaid : 9/7/2017 10:29 am : link
This one hurts. It was largely his work that created the Yankees dynasty in the late 90's and early 00's.
RE: So many of my great memories over the past 20 years  
Danny Kanell : 9/7/2017 10:30 am : link
In comment 13587050 Mad Mike said:
Quote:
are due in large part to him. Thanks for everything you did for the team, RIP.


+1. RIP
turned the Yanks around  
Jay in Toronto : 9/7/2017 10:31 am : link
much like Young and the Giants.

RIP
aw man  
Greg from LI : 9/7/2017 10:32 am : link
Sad day in Yankeeland. Stick's been part of the family for close to 50 years.
RIP... Stick  
KingBlue : 9/7/2017 10:32 am : link
I've been a Yankees fan my entire life and he has been a part of just about the entire ride... He will be missed.
That's sad to hear.  
bceagle05 : 9/7/2017 10:36 am : link
As others have alluded to, he has a special place in Yankee history. Beloved by pretty much everyone. Always enjoyed his sense of humor, too - never took himself too seriously.
RIP Stick. prayers go out to his family  
Stu11 : 9/7/2017 10:38 am : link
seemed like a great guy. Really awesome talent evaluator. Echoing what most Yankee fans said here- much of the excitement of the past 20 years can be attributed to Stick. He turned the organization around.
As an old Dodger fan  
jjgmrg901 : 9/7/2017 10:41 am : link
He was traded to Dodgers along with Bob Bailey for Maury Wills. One of the many horrible trades the Dodgers have made of the years. They tried to save face by saying that Michael was a better defensive player than Maury.

RIP, he did help revive the Yankees.
I met him as a kid  
Jim in Scranton : 9/7/2017 10:42 am : link
when the Columbus Clippers would roll into town. I have his autograph stashed away.
RIP GM  
jcn56 : 9/7/2017 10:42 am : link
Like so many others, eternally grateful for building that dynasty.
RE: turned the Yanks around  
mfsd : 9/7/2017 10:43 am : link
In comment 13587064 Jay in Toronto said:
Quote:
much like Young and the Giants.

RIP


Yup, good comparison. RIP, one of the greats
RIP Stick  
GiantJake : 9/7/2017 10:44 am : link
Thanks for the championships!
Everybody loved Stick  
averagejoe : 9/7/2017 10:49 am : link
What could be a better legacy ?? He always brought class to the Yankee family. RIP Gene - well done!
If he did nothing else...  
Racer : 9/7/2017 10:59 am : link
..than prevent his megalomaniac fool of a boss from trading Bernie, he would still be royalty in my house.

Also caught the line drive at my first baseball game ever, stepped on second for two, then whipped it to Ron Bloomberg at first....who dropped the triple play ball. Belt high. Talk about core curriculum on the first day of class at Yankee Fan 101.
RE: Horrible news  
Beer Man : 9/7/2017 11:15 am : link
In comment 13587048 PatersonPlank said:
Quote:
As a player just missed out on the late 1970 glory years for the Yankees, but was a major office player in the rebuilding of the dynasty in the late 1990's.
I believe he also managed the team for one year in 82, during the dark days of the evil empire.
RIP Gene Michael  
dune69 : 9/7/2017 11:22 am : link
I am old enough to have watched many a game of Stick's. He was a decent player, a good executive, and seemingly a great guy. Catches me by surprise because he was at old timers day in June and looked good.
I Remember Stick as a Player, MGR and of Course as a Front Office Guy  
Jim in Tampa : 9/7/2017 11:34 am : link
Passed by his car with the vanity plates just about every year during Spring Training.

I remember one of Stick's TV interviews a few years after Big Papi magically became one of the best players in the game.

The interviewer (can't remember who) asked Stick how Ortiz could have gone from being just an average player to being a superstar with Boston.

Stick just smiled and said, "I don't know. But he sure got a lot bigger didn't he."

RIP Stick.
RE: RE: Horrible news  
Greg from LI : 9/7/2017 11:43 am : link
In comment 13587122 Beer Man said:
Quote:
I believe he also managed the team for one year in 82, during the dark days of the evil empire.


He was the interim manager for parts of the 1981 and 1982 seasons.
Didn't  
mitch300 : 9/7/2017 11:45 am : link
expect this. If someone would of had me guess a old Yankee that passed to day Whitey would have been my guess.
I'm old enough to remember a game in which...  
M.S. : 9/7/2017 11:54 am : link

...Cleveland's Tony Horton put a hard tag on Gene Michael, and even though the "Stick" gave away dozens of pounds, he got into it real good with Horton. It was quite a donnybrook!

Gene Michael was a tough, hard-nosed ballplayer and a very smart baseball executive.

RIP Gene Michael.
When I was old enough to start goiing to games (4)  
Phil in LA : 9/7/2017 11:56 am : link
Stick was the shortstop. Among the very greatest of Yankee execs, and he hired a bunch of good young execs, as well as picking Jeter and protecting the farm.
RE: If he did nothing else...  
mfsd : 9/7/2017 11:59 am : link
In comment 13587102 Racer said:
Quote:
..than prevent his megalomaniac fool of a boss from trading Bernie, he would still be royalty in my house.

Also caught the line drive at my first baseball game ever, stepped on second for two, then whipped it to Ron Bloomberg at first....who dropped the triple play ball. Belt high. Talk about core curriculum on the first day of class at Yankee Fan 101.


Isn't the story that he also talked the Boss out of going through with the Mariano for a new SS trade, convincing him to go with a rookie named Jeter instead?
1 of the greatest front office men in NY sports and baseball history.  
shockeyisthebest8056 : 9/7/2017 12:18 pm : link
In a franchise known for dynasties and greatness, his fingerprints are all over a team that won 14 consecutive World Series games.

Thanks for everything Stick. RIP.
I remember the cartoon in the Daily News from many years ago...  
Klaatu : 9/7/2017 12:28 pm : link
Caricatures of the Yankees (and Mets)...Stick with a smile on his face and a big ol' vacuum cleaner in his hands.

RIP.
according to RAB's obituary  
Greg from LI : 9/7/2017 12:29 pm : link
He urged Cashman to trade for Didi.
As Phil pointed out he was a Yankee SS.  
Giant John : 9/7/2017 12:39 pm : link
Good glove and not much of a bat. Hell of an executive for the Yankees. RIP.
He played semi pro ball in my hometown of Allendale, NJ  
Section331 : 9/7/2017 12:40 pm : link
after his MLB career ended. I'd go watch his games, and he could not have been nicer. RIP Stick.
RE: I remember the cartoon in the Daily News from many years ago...  
Elisthebest : 9/7/2017 1:21 pm : link
In comment 13587232 Klaatu said:
Quote:
Caricatures of the Yankees (and Mets)...Stick with a smile on his face and a big ol' vacuum cleaner in his hands.

RIP.

I still have a few, but not him
RE: I remember the cartoon in the Daily News from many years ago...  
Post Time : 9/7/2017 1:31 pm : link
In comment 13587232 Klaatu said:
Quote:
Caricatures of the Yankees (and Mets)...Stick with a smile on his face and a big ol' vacuum cleaner in his hands.

RIP.
I have all of those Bruce Stark caricatures from many years ago somewhere.
Best I could fine  
Post Time : 9/7/2017 1:41 pm : link
RIP to the man who created that GOAT Dynasty.  
Dave in Hoboken : 9/7/2017 1:54 pm : link
Sidenote:

Don't know if this should be the game-thread or not, but Yanks are leading the O's 3-0. Didi with a 2 out, 2 run double, and Judge just hit a HR.
RIP to a class gentleman ...  
moose53 : 9/7/2017 2:12 pm : link
who I met a couple of times at the Borgata. A delightful person to share a couple of minutes of friendly talk. The world is a poorer place for your passing!
R.I.P.....  
Ed A. : 9/7/2017 3:10 pm : link
To a great club executive who was responsible for the great Yankees Teams of the 90's and of the early 21st century. You will be missed.
Sad News  
mavric : 9/7/2017 3:40 pm : link
I saw him play back in the early 70's and was always fond of the guy. Class act all the way around. A sad day in baseball to lose such an icon of the game
Love the story of when  
davek3698 : 9/7/2017 3:52 pm : link
he got rid of Mel Hall for continuing to bully a young Bernie Williams, even after repeated warnings to stop.
Prayers to his family and friends.  
Matt M. : 9/7/2017 4:17 pm : link
The Yankee family lost a great one. He was easily the best GM they had in my lifetime (72 to present). He may not have been the actual GM for the actual WS titles and the amazing run spanning into the early 2000's, but he was the person singularly responsible for that dynasty. He was the man who rebuilt the farm system and hoarded the young guys and he was the man responsible for trading for O'Neill, signing Boggs and Key, trading for Stanley, and just as importantly NOT trading Bernie. RIP Stick.
sad  
Simms : 9/8/2017 8:06 am : link
Back in his era I good for a ton of Yankee games. Everyone at work was a Mets fan, so tickets easily came my way. With them not being so good at that time it was also easy to get into the stadium.

After the game my older buddy and I used to hit a diner in Fort Lee NJ, grab a burger, pull out a lawn chair and hang out in the parking lot and talk about the game.

One day this long car (cannot remember the model) with the licence plate STICK. Next thing we know he was sitting on his hood parked near us talking about the game, players etc. A real nice regular now to earth guy.

Happened to do a fun raiser for the company I was working for at the time, he posed for pictures, remembered out conversation and pulled out a ball and had a very nice comment for me.

Class, my heart goes out to him and his family. RIP.
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