Casey Stengel Testimony

Baseball people testifying before congressional committee, does that sound familiar?

This week several high-profile baseball people were subpoenaed to testify before the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on steroids. But this isn’t the first time baseball was asked to testify before a congressional committee.

On July 8, 1958, the Senate Anti-Trust and Monopoly Subcommittee asked both Casey Stengel and Mickey Mantle to testify about baseball’s anti-trust exemption. The subcommittee learned a lot that day, including a new type of communication called “Stengelese.” Casey certainly had a unique way of communicating.

Here is an excerpt:

Senator Langer: I want to know whether you intend to keep on monopolizing the world's championship in New York City.

Mr. Stengel: Well, I will tell you, I got a little concerned yesterday in the first three innings when I say the three players I had gotten rid of and I said when I lost nine what am I going to do and when I had a couple of my players. I thought so great of that did not do so good up to the sixth inning I was more confused but I finally had to go and call on a young man in Baltimore that we don't own and the Yankees don't own him, and he is going pretty good, and I would actually have to tell you that I think we are more the Greta Garbo type now from success.

Mickey Mantle gave a much shorter testimony, just nine words when he said to the sub-committee “My views are just about the same as Casey's."

Read the entire transcript, it is hilarious. The link above will take you there, courtesy of Baseball-Almanac.