ODE TO WILLIE *

Ensconced between the Great and near Great New York Yankee shortstops is
Mr. Guillermo Perez “Willie” Miranda,” the epitome of a no-hit good-field ballplayer.

Following Koenig, Crossetti, The Scooter, and McDougald … and preceded by Kubek,
Tresh Dent and the Captain … Miranda was an anomaly in Yankee shortstop history:
a permanent 8th place batter. He played only one year, 1954,
and in 92 games batted .250 with one home run.

In November 1954, Willie and five other Yankees were traded to the Baltimore Orioles
for two players. One of them was Don Larsen, and we know how that trade turned out!

Willie would play five more seasons for the Orioles and retired in 1959.  He continued his
fine fielding with limited success at the plate.  But in Cuba, his birthplace,
he was an early baseball hero; and for me he was fun to watch in the field.

He passed away at age 70 in 1996.