Hector Lopez, "utility" and player of color

The initials "UT" in baseball stand for "utility." The term doesn't sound glamorous. It isn't easy to assign importance to such players. But the sheer versatility of the "UT" guys should command admiration. Sometimes these players, because of a team's need at a particular time, do get assigned to a specific spot over a prolonged time. They must be ready and mentally equipped for that.
The background here is to introduce Hector Lopez, major leaguer from the '50s and '60s. He was part of the roster of early '60s Yankees who captivated the boomer generation of boys. Billy Crystal was watching and he made the movie "61*" which focused on Roger Maris but presented many members of the cast.
Lopez was a player of color. The only player of color I remember being portrayed in "61*" was Elston Howard. Howard was in fact ground-breaking. I'm in the camp of those who feel Vic Power should have gotten the nod as first Yankee player of color. Seems ridiculous today to even talk about this: a simple door being opened for athletes of color. But my, the America of the mid-20th Century was such a different place. A place where we talked about "Negroes."
Neither Lopez nor Power were African-American. Lopez was Panamanian and Power was from Puerto Rico. Such distinctions should not have counted for anything. Today we have evolved into such a progressive place - some glaring exceptions naturally - it seems inappropriate to dissect players in terms of ethnic/racial background. The famous Alou family players were from the Dominican Republic.
The true African-Americans have drifted away from baseball, finding affinity instead with other sports. Truly baseball's loss. Players of color do abound though, and so many of their names are quite non-Anglo-Saxon. My generation as boys would have been perplexed at the non-Anglo names, would have been inclined to poke some fun at this. I'm being honest. A pox on us.
Even in the '70s us fans in Minnesota engaged in the shameful behavior of finding amusement in the name "Bombo Rivera." Garrison Keillor wrote a song. And now Keillor's reputation has been significantly tarnished because of regressive behavior in the #MeToo category. I only write about this stuff because I'm 65 and cannot forget a lot of our old tics or peccadilloes or whatever.
Hector Lopez got established in big league ball in the heart of the '50s, when you might say only token strides were really being made toward integration. The years passed and progress was halting.
Calvin Griffith, the owner of the Senators-turned-Twins, is having his memory soiled now by a background of racially insensitive, OK prejudiced on the face of them, comments, yet as team owner he had many key black faces on the roster, as if he had no aversion whatsoever. He even directed Sam Mele to play Panamanian player of color Rod Carew every day in Carew's rookie season of 1967.
We can be stymied trying to understand all this, to make sense of it. I guess race remains a fundamental hurdle for our nation to truly surmount. Why is Bubba Wallace having to fight so hard to achieve simple, no-brainer accommodative attitudes? Why should this even be "news?" Well, the issues are most surely still on the table. And we know which side has history on its side, has young people (generally) on its side.
The Deep South racists always lose. They'll rattle cages but they lose, guaranteed.

With K.C. Athletics

Lopez surely furthered the interests of non-white MLB players in the 1950s. He also represented as well as anyone the relationship between the Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees. It was as if K.C. was the top "farm club" for the Yankees, based on certain relationships among the "suits." Maris went through this. One of his kids in Crystal's movie bemoans having left Kansas City for the big city of NYC. (The Athletics were said to have "gaudy" uniforms but I liked them.)

1959: Lopez dons the pinstripes
Whether he was "called up" or traded to the Yankees, Lopez left Kansas City for the bright lights of NYC in May of 1959. This was after four-plus seasons of dedicated play with those non-contending Athletics of Kansas City. He developed mainly as third baseman. But he had tools for an array of positions.
The versatility might be said to be under-appreciated. The average fan probably has difficulty realizing how detailed are the obligations of each position on the diamond. There is more to playing in the infield than fielding grounders. (It was all I could do to try to field grounders in Little League!) You must memorize an incredible array of details related to situations, e.g. runners on first and third, one out etc. Where would I throw? Would I have to cover a base? Should I look for a cutoff man? Would a play at a particular base involve a force or a tag? Forget any one of the proper responses and you'll look pathetic with your play.
So Lopez met the challenge of playing an assortment of positions, but it began with emphasis on third base. Lopez batted .283 in what remained of the '59 season, now wearing the pinstripes. He hit to all fields and displayed power. In 1960, manager Casey Stengel in his last year with the Yankees put Lopez in the specific "UT" role. Lopez developed a resume with all four infield positions and all three outfield. Wow! That's impressive.
He spent an increasing amount of time in the outfield. Out there he could surely be upstaged by Mantle and Maris! In '60 he also appeared in 25 games solely as pinch-hitter. He batted .284 in 1960. Stengel was probably removed as manager due to the Yankees losing the '60 Series. The Yankees had a run of pennants starting in '60 and ending with some abruptness in '64. After '64 they became like a shadow of their former selves, but still with many of the familiar names.
The Yankees of 1960-64 endeared themselves greatly to my generation of boys. Billy Crystal served us well with his cinema talent. Lopez may not have been in "61*" but neither was Jim Bouton, a most prominent guy not only because of his pitching run, but his later notorious performance as book author.
The '61 team was the best. Lopez was clutch as he sported a .333 average in the Fall Classic. He produced all seven of his World Series RBIs in '61. He drove in five runs with a home run and triple in the decisive fifth game, a 13-5 Yankee romp (over Cincinnati). Ralph Houk had succeeded Stengel as manager.
 
Twins fans would wince
Any mention of utility players brings to my mind the 2002 season of my Minnesota Twins. That's because in the team celebration "pile" at the conclusion, our UT player Denny Hocking got injured and was out of further action. Fans might have been inclined to think "it was no big deal" because, well, Hocking was a "utility" player.
Maybe the problem is the term itself: "utility." Sounds like "barely adequate," doesn't it? Think of the word "utilitarian." But utility players are most surely vital.
Lopez stands as an exhibit for that, and for perseverance by non-white players in an earlier Neanderthal time. A time we might not even want to talk about.
You know, "white" people aren't really "white!"

Visit my podcast please
As a supplement to today's post, you might listen to me recite some paragraphs from Bobby Richardson's autobiography which was published in the 1960s. He played second base for the Yankees. I recite some paragraphs of reflection on the Yanks' stupendous 1961 season.
The podcast is of course a new and totally novel thing. It is practical now because it is totally free to set up. Didn't used to be that way. So, to hear me speaking from my residence on beautiful Northridge Drive:
https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Supplement-to-my-blog-post-re--Hector-Lopez--June-23--2020-efqohh
 
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com