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Hank Bauer, you spent your baseball lifetime at the Yankees and now it's out to Kansas City. How does it feel?
Well, I hated like the devil to leave New York Yankees. I've been with them 11 years and it was like home, but
after all these years I am returning to my real home. I've been gone 19 summers.
As everybody knows, Kansas City is my hometown.
Hank, you had a rough winter, a fire I believe. What happened out there at home?
I wish I knew, Cliff, but I was quail hunting this day and I drove up to the house about 6.30 in the evening
and all of a sudden I see my house on fire. Luckily, the wife and the four children got out alright.
Well, that's good news. Hank, let's talk a little about baseball. The New York Yankees, 1960. How do you figure them?
Well, you know when I was playing in New York and winning pennants in the World Series, I always said they had to beat the winner.
And I'll still maintain that fact, they still got to beat Chicago. I think Cleveland will be tough.
I think it will be about a four team race. Chicago, Cleveland, New York, and Detroit.
What happened to Kansas City?
Well, they're coming. I think they're in the building stage. They have been for five years and I think that one of these days
they're going to come up with a good ball club and give a lot of people some trouble, especially in that ballpark.
Hank, did you expect to be traded from the Yankees?
Truthfully, no. I thought some day it would happen, but I didn't think it would happen this fast.
I don't know what happened. I think Maris is a good ball player, but when a ball is done you give four ball players to get one.
I think that's given a lot of material to get one ball player.
What do you think got the better of the deal overall?
Well, I would say on paper Kansas City did, but you don't win ball games on paper. You have to produce out on the ball field.
Hank, as far as producing on the ball field, Stengel says that you're just about the best competitor he's ever seen.
Of course, this is no surprise. When we think of the war and your record as a fighter there, you're always fighting.
Now, how does a guy keep going day after day in baseball? You do get tired, and yet you never seem to show that.
Well, I've always played baseball that way, and that's the only way I can play.
I haven't got some of the finer assets that these other natural ball players have got, so I have to make it up in fighting determination.
Which certainly is a number one natural asset. As always to you, Hank Bauer, good luck.
This is Cliff Evans reporting, now back to monitor at Radio Central.