By A.J. Hayes
Every team needs a second-string catcher, and from 1948-56, San Francisco native and current Peninsula resident Charlie Silvera was owner of the plumb back-up backstop job in baseball, caddying for Yogi Berra with the powerhouse New York Yankees for nine seasons.
While playing behind a future Hall of Famer didn’t allow Silvera much playing time, it did allow him to be part of one of the greatest dynasties in baseball history. The Yankees won seven American League pennants and six World Series championships, including five straight from 1949-53.
Yankee Stadium will be demolished after this season to make way for a parking lot for the state-of-the-art new Yankee Stadium, set to open in 2009. On the eve of the final game ever to be played in the original big ballpark in the Bronx, Silvera, now 83, and still active in baseball as a major league scout with the Chicago Cubs, talked about his memories of the big ballpark in the Bronx.
San Francisco Bay Guardian: It’s ironic that after the Yankees great history of winning, Yankee Stadium will close (on Sunday, Sept. 21) with the Yankees most likely not advancing to the playoffs for the first time since 1995.
Charlie Silvera: Yeah, It’s too bad the place will close on a losing note, but what can you do – 26 world championships are pretty good for one place. There are a lot of people who hate the Yankees and they are gloating now. I say let them gloat. Look at the rings we have collected over the years.
SFBG: When your were growing up in the Mission District, the city had the Seals of the Pacific Coast League, but as far as major league baseball was concerned, did the city root for the Yankees?
CS: Oh yeah, San Francisco was a Yankee town no doubt about it. Look at all the city kids who played for them: Tony Lazzari, Lefty Gomez, Frankie Crosetti and of course Joe DiMaggio who I saw play for the Seals when I was a kid. I was a Seals fan first, but also rooted for the Yankees. My idol was Bill Dickey, the Hall of Fame catcher.
SFBG: What are your first memories of Yankee Stadium?
CS: In 1947, the Yankees kept me around for the first few weeks of the season to help out in the bullpen before shipping me out to the minors; I didn’t play in any games with the big club, but was there on opening day vs. the Red Sox. I was rooming with Tommy Henrich in a Times Square and we took the subway out to the park real early in the morning. Instead of going directly into the clubhouse I walked up a runway to the field. The park was totally empty and I was just standing there in this massive structure. It was awesome, and for a 22-year old kid from San Francisco this was just unbelievable. Some of the old timers the grounds crew and ushers were there when the place opened tell you stories about Babe and Lou Gehrig.
SFBG: What was your favorite season with the Yankees?
CS: I played on five consecutive world championship clubs from 1949-53. My favorite was 1949. That was the season I saw my most action and I thought I had a hand in helping us get to the World Series. Yogi got hurt that year and I pretty much played everyday the last two months. I batted .315 in 58 games before Yogi returned. Then I got a chance to start Game 2 of the World Series in ’49 against Preacher Roe of the Dodgers. We lost 1-0.
SFBG: Did you ever feel the presence of some of the Yankees greats like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig when you were playing there?
CS: I actually met the Babe. In ’47, they held the old timers day early in the season and I was invited to the reception at the Rupert Brewery – old Judge Rupert was an owner of the team – and Ty Cobb was there and Cy Young and bunch of other legends including Babe Ruth. I didn’t know what to say I just went up and shook his hand and he said nice to meet ya kid. That was the Babe. Then he died in 1948.
SFBG: You were also a teammate of Joe DiMaggio.
CS: Oh yeah, I saw DiMaggio break in with the Seals back in 1934-35, I grew up four blocks from Seals Stadium. He was every kid’s idol. Then a dozen years later I’m wearing a Yankees uniform along side him. Can you believe that? He took real good care of all the young guys, especially the San Francisco kids, and we had a lot of ‘em, myself, Jerry Coleman, Billy Martin, Fenton Mole, Bobby Brown, Jackie Jensen, Gil McDougal. Joe would treat us to dinner and give us tickets to the theater. He had a lot of connections. Joe was very beloved.
SFBG: You played in just 201 games in nine seasons with the Yankees; did you wish you had more chances to play?
CS: Everyone wants to play, but I have no regrets. If I wasn’t part of those Yankee clubs, maybe I wouldn’t be here talking to you. I’ve had so many great experiences stem from being a Yankee. I played on seven pennant winning clubs and won six World Series.
SFBG: There were some pretty good fringe benefits from being on a World Series club back in hose days too.
CS: Oh yeah the World Series bonus checks were very nice. Because we didn’t get paid a whole lot to begin with.
SFBG: What are you most proud about from your playing career?
CS: I’d say being one of just eight guys to play on those five consecutive World Series championship clubs - Allie Reynolds, Ed Lopat, Hank Bauer, Gene Woodling, Phil Rizzuto, Yogi, Vic Rashi and myself.
SFBG: You have a World Series ring for just about every finger, plus one from the Florida Marlins 1997 World Series club who you scouted for.
CS: Yeah isn’t that something. I was able to give a ring to my mom and dad and my wife Rose and all my kids. I kept the ’49 ring for myself.
SFBG: You were at Yankee Stadium one last time this summer for the old timer’s game. Was that an emotional experience?
CS: Oh yeah it always is. A lot of the guys I played with are gone now, in fact, Jerry Coleman, Bobby Brown and myself, three San Franciscans, were the oldest to attend this year. We each turn 84 this year. I’ve been to about a dozen old timer games over the years, but this last one was special. We had 72 former players in uniform and boy, do the Yankees do it up right. They give you the whole uniform, not just the shirt. You get the jersey, the pants the socks the cap and a few bucks to spend around town.
It’ll be sad to see to see the place ripped down, but I got in one last tour ff was sad. I was hoping to get a closer look at the new one, my wife Rose did get a picture of it however through the back of the car window. I guess you gotta make way for progress.
SFBG: Well the Yankees might not make it to the World Series this year, but your current club, the Chicago Cubs, could go all the way finally.
CS: Yeah lets hope it happens this year, I still have room for one more World Series ring.
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