1961 Yankees

friend of mine, but now I'm back and back strong, to conclude my review of the unsung heroes of the 1961 Yankees infield. We're finishing with that all-important position of shortstop, Tony Kubek, who was an anchor for that 1961 team, both in the field and at the plate. He's also one of the great woulda-coulda-shoulda players, someone that many argue would have been one of the greatest Yankee shortstops ever, had his career not been cut short by injury.

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e from deep in the hole and make a long throw to first, think of Clete Boyer, third baseman for the 1961 Yankees and one of the steadiest Yankee glovemen ever at that position.    

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eep back" the Atlanta Braves, winning four straight after dropping the first two. 

The 1961 Yankees, like their World Championship teams before and after, relied on second baseman Bobby Richardson, a defensive stalwart but light-hitting leadoff man. He formed an awesome double-play tandem with Yankees shortstop, and the 1961 infield was among the best ever, defensively speaking.

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When a guy gets named "Moose," you generally figure it's because he's a knucklehead or looks like he should be one. Bill Skowron had the lumpy face of a prizefighter, but he was generally known as a gentle giant with a smooth, opposite-field stroke. His nickname came from his Polish grandfather, who thought his haircut at one point reminded him of dictator Benito Mussolini. But Skowron wasn't any sort of dictator, just a good guy who could drive ball into the gaps.

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re he was doomed by the Yankee Yips that ended his career.

Sometimes lost in the shuffle were the 1961 Yankees, probably because most people recall Maris and Mantle battling to overtake the Babe. But the rest of that team was equally solid--Elston Howard behind the dish, Yogi Berra in one of his last, best seasons, Whitey Ford and Ralph Terry twirling brilliant seasons on the mound. But dig a little deeper and you get to the infield. Can you name them? 

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