Tossing Marshmallows [5th Inning]
Just the opposite of Billy Martin, Ernie Banks (Mr. Cub) was one of baseball’s nicest guys. On the back he wrote “Lots of luck to Andy, a great baseball fan.”
Billy Martin, once the Twins manager, was now managing the Yankees. Billy was known for his temper. And for liking the ladies. During his time in Minnesota his favorite watering hole was Howard Wong’s restaurant on the Bloomington strip. After he left for the Yankees my girlfriend at the time, Mary Pat, had a sister turn 21 while working as a bank teller on the strip. After work a whole bunch of her girlfriends went to Howard Wong’s to celebrate, and Mary Pat and I showed up.
We didn’t stay long but the next morning the story was in the paper and Mary Pat filled in the details. After Mary Pat and I left, some unknown guy ordered an expensive bottle of champagne for all the young ladies celebrating. When he then approached the table they blew him off. Five minutes later the guy, who turned out to be Billy Martin, went to take a pee and – apparently upset being so unappreciated – punched out the guy at the next urinal, who happened to be a traveling marshmallow salesman.
That afternoon me and some friends went to the Twins – Yankees game and when Billy walked out of the dugout to pull the Yankee pitcher in the 5th Inning, we tried pelting him with marshmallows. Fortunately marshmallows are hard to throw any distance, yet the crowd loved it.