Finally, a Billy Martin

I've long desired to add a vintage Billy Martin card to my collection. He certainly holds a very important part of Yankees history, both from his playing days, managerial days, and post-baseball days.

On Christmas Day in 1989, Billy Martin died in Port Crane, NY. Port Crane is about a 15 minute drive from where I grew up. I had several friends who lived in the area, and one friend in particular lived just past the area of the road where Martin's auto accident occurred. I've probably passed it a hundred times.

Living in the area, Martin received many visits from past Yankees, including Mickey Mantle. In fact, my family once sat on the same flight as The Mick while he was on his way to visit Billy.

I'm not old enough to remember Martin's antics, especially while managing. I do remember him vaguely as the Yankees manager, and remember him being a topic of discussion many times in my home growing up.

I won this card for just a few bucks, but it already holds a lot more sentimental value for me.