» November 13, 1951: Lefty O'Doul's all-stars, including Joe DiMaggio, Ferris Fain, and Billy Martin, lose 3–1 to a Pacific League all-star team—only the 2nd time since 1922 that an American professional team has lost to Japan, and the first time to professional players.

» May 24, 1952: Jimmy Piersall and New York's Billy Martin first exchange insults before a game in Boston, then exchange punches in the tunnel under the stands. It takes coaches Bill Dickey and Oscar Melillo, along with starter Ellis Kinder, to break the fight up. Piersall goes to the clubhouse to change his bloody shirt and gets into another brawl with teammate Maury McDermott. He sits as Ellis Kinder stops the Yanks, 5–2.

» October 7, 1952: In Game 7 the Yankees take their 4th consecutive WS championship, as Allie Reynolds, one of 3 relievers, defeats Joe Black 4-2. Billy Martin saves the day by snaring a 2-out, bases-loaded IF pop off the bat of Jackie Robinson. Gil Hodges goes hitless again and is 0-for-21 in the Series. Each Yank will receive a winners' share of $6,026, and each Dodger, a losers' share of $4,200.

» May 27, 1953: Eddie Lopat beats the Senators for the 8th straight time as he allows three hits in a 3–1 Yankee win. Joe Collins, Billy Martin, and Yogi Berra hit solo homers for New York. Mickey Vernon has a pair of hits to extend his hitting streak to 20 games. The win starts the Yankees on an 18-game winning streak, the 3rd longest American League streak of the century.

» September 14, 1953: The Yanks clinch their 5th straight pennant with an 8-5 win over the Indians. 2B Billy Martin has 4 RBI.

» October 5, 1953: The Yanks end the WS in 6 as Billy Martin's 12th WS hit, a record-breaking single to CF in the bottom of the 9th, gives the Yankees their 5th championship in a row. Carl Furillo had tied it up in the 9th with a 2-run HR.

» September 2, 1955: Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle celebrate Billy Martin's return from the army; Ford throws 6 innings of no-hit ball against Washington before Carlos Paula spoils it in the 7th with Washington's only hit. The Yanks win 4-2 as Mantle hits his 36th HR, a 3-run shot. Mantle is 10 HRs ahead of rivals Al Kaline and Ted Williams. New York stays a half game behind the White Sox, who beat the 3rd-place Indians. Billy Martin will hit .300 in September, and New York will go on a 17-6 tear to win the pennant by 3 games.

» May 16, 1956: On a blustery day in Cleveland, the Yankees top the Indians, 4–1. Mickey Mantle hits a homer, off Bud Daley, while his pal Billy Martin is benched for the first time. Bobby Richardson takes his place at 2B.

» May 16, 1957: The Yankees top Kansas City 3–0 behind Bob Turley's four-hit shutout. Mickey Mantle has a homer off Alex Kellner, the 11th time in his last 12 at bats he's reached base safely. That night a group of Yankees celebrate Billy Martin's 29th birthday in a raucous fashion. An ensuing fight at Manhattan's Copacabana Club leads to $5,500 in fines and the eventual trade of Billy to Kansas City. Hank Bauer allegedly starts the fight by hitting a patron, although Bauer denies it. The Yanks fine Whitey Ford, Bauer, Yogi Berra, Mantle and Martin $1,000 each and Johnny Kucks $500.

» May 21, 1957: For his part in the Copacabana incident, Yankee OF Hank Bauer is arraigned. He is eventually cleared and threatens to sue the alleged victim, Edward Jones, who suffered a concussion and a broken jaw. In today's game, Yogi Berra, Billy Martin, and Whitey Ford are benched, while Bauer bats 8th. Mickey Mantle has a single, two walks, and a homer to back Bob Turley's 4-hit 3–0 shutout over the A's. Turley helps his cause by starting a triple play. The Yanks now trail the White Sox by a half game.

» June 15, 1957: In more fallout over the Copacabana incident, the Yankees trade Billy Martin to Kansas City with SS Woodie Held and OF Bob Martyn for P Ryne Duren, 2B Milt Graff and OFs Harry Simpson and Jim Pisoni.

» November 20, 1957: The KC Athletics trade infielder Billy Martin, outfielders Gus Zernial and Lou Skizas, pitchers Maury McDermott and Tom Morgan, and C Charlie Thompson to Detroit. In exchange, the Tigers send outfielders Bill Tuttle, Jim Small, pitchers Duane Maas and John Tsitouris, C Frank House, SS Kent Hadley, and a player to come later.

» November 20, 1958: The Tigers trade Billy Martin and RHP Al Cicotte to Cleveland for relief P Ray Narleski and Don Mossi and SS Ossie Alvarez.

» December 15, 1959: The Reds send 2B Johnny Temple to the Indians for 2B Billy Martin, P Cal McLish, and 1B Gordy Coleman.

» May 13, 1960: At Cincinnati, the Reds are down 9–1 when P Raul Sanchez starts a brawl by plunking three of four Phils batters in the 8th inning, the last batter being P Gene Conley. Phils manager Gene Mauch then charges the mound to tackle Sanchez. Both dugouts empty with fights all around. The most cinematic is 2B Billy Martin, 5'11" taking on the 6'11" Conley, though future Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Robin Roberts is a close second. It takes 12 minutes to restore order. The Phils romp 14–3, then lose 5–1 in the doubleheader.

» August 4, 1960: Believing that Chicago's Jim Brewer is throwing at him, the Reds 2B Billy Martin throws his bat toward the mound. Then, advancing to retrieve it from Brewer, who has picked it up. The two exchange words and Martin launches a hard overhand right that fractures the orbital bone of Brewer's right eye. Both benches empty and Martin continues swinging, decking Frank Thomas. Brewer requires surgery and will be out of action for a month. The Cubs win, 5–3, on Ernie Banks' homer at Wrigley. Martin will be fined $500 for the punch and Brewer and the Cubs will sue the combative infielder on August 22nd for $1,000,000. Years later, when the courts award Brewer $100,000, Martin's comment will be, "how can they ever collect it? I haven't got that kind of money,"

» August 22, 1960: For Billy Martin's fight on August 5th, Jim Brewer and the Cubs hit back with a $1,040,000 law suit. The claim will be settled in court and Martin will be liable for $25,000 in damages.

» November 29, 1966: A circuit court jury in Chicago awards Jim Brewer $100,000 in damages stemming from his 1960 on-field fight with Billy Martin.

» October 11, 1968: Billy Martin is named manager of the Twins.

» April 9, 1969: The Royals, who debuted with a 4–3 win over the Twins in 12 innings, travel further to win by the same score in 17 frames. It's a game for steals. With the Royals Ellie Rodriguez at bat, Bob Oliver tries to steal 2B. Twins C John Roseboro throws him out, but has to push Rodriguez's bat out of the way. After several conferences between the umpires, Oliver is sent back to 1B and Rodriguez is called out for interference. On the Twins side, with the score tied 2–2 in the 5th inning, and Roger Nelson pitching, Rod Carew steals home for the first time in his career. Billy Martin and Carew had worked on the play in spring training, where Carew had twice swiped home. Carew will be 6–6 on attempts before being caught at home.

» August 6, 1969: Twins manager Billy Martin punches out his P Dave Boswell after a scuffle between Boswell and teammate Bob Allison. Boswell is hospitalized and requires 20 stitches. The Twins win today, 3–1, behind Jim Perry's 7th straight win.

» October 13, 1969: Billy Martin (97-65) is fired as manager of the pennant-winning Twins.

» October 2, 1970: Billy Martin is announced as the new Tiger manager, replacing Mayo Smith, who was fired a day earlier. The A's Charlie Finley fires manager John McNamara and replaces him with Dick Williams.

» September 25, 1971: With rookie C Tim Hosley hitting two homers and driving in five runs, the Tigers trip the Yankees, 10–7. Les Cain pitches six innings for the win. Cain finishes with a 10–9 record with 145 innings, but contends he is forced to pitch by Manager Billy Martin while Cain has a sore arm. Cain later claims that it did permanent damage to his arm and he sues the Tigers. In a landmark decision, the Michigan Bureau of Workman's Compensation will order the Tigers to pay Cain $111 a month for the rest of his life. A lump sum payment was later agreed upon.

» August 1, 1972: Trailing by several runs in a game threatened by rain, Billy Martin has his Detroit Tigers employ stalling tactics while the opposing Milwaukee Brewers try to speed the game up. The game lasts six innings, with Del Crandall's Brewers winning 6–0. Umpire Frank Umont recommends a fine of $1,000 for both managers.

» August 13, 1972: Bengals manager Billy Martin literally picks his starting lineup out of a hat in an attempt to halt the Tigers' 4-game losing streak. The ploy works as Detroit defeats Cleveland 3–2. Using a regular lineup in the nightcap, the Tigers lose 9–2.

» September 2, 1973: The Tigers fire Billy Martin due to continuous differences with the front office.

» September 7, 1973: The Rangers fire manager Whitey Herzog. Recently fired Billy Martin takes over the following day.

» May 25, 1974: The Yankees send C Duke Sims to the Rangers for P Larry Gura. Gura will go 5–1 with New York but because of reported differences with Billy Martin, Gura will be peddled to KC.

» July 14, 1974: in a split with the Brewers, the Rangers Billy Martin is the first American League manager to be removed by umpires from two games in one day. Milwaukee wins 9–2 in game 1, with the Rangers winning the nitecap, 5–4.

» October 2, 1974: In the Rangers' season finale, Billy Martin allows Ferguson Jenkins to hit for himself rather than use the DH, the first such incident in the American League all season. Jenkins singles to break up the Twins Jim Hughes's no-hitter, scores the Rangers' first run, and goes on to win his 25th game of the season 2–1. With two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Harmon Killebrew pinch hits for Larry Hisle and strikes out. It is the Killer's last ML at bat as a Twin. He'll sign on as a DH for the Royals after declining the Twins offer to manage in the minors.

» August 2, 1975: Billy Martin becomes the new Yankee manager, replacing Bill Virdon, named by TSN as last year's Manager of the Year. He won't be out of a job for long.

» May 20, 1976: At New York, Carl Yastrzemski clubs two homers, giving him five in two games, to tie a ML mark. Boston wins, 8–2. Boston P Bill Lee injures his arm in a fight with Yankee players, ending up on the bottom of a pile of players. Lee never really recovers from the injury. The fight starts when Lou Piniella, running on Dwight Evans, is gunned down at the plate and barrels into Fisk. Both come up swinging and both benches clear. Lee initially blames Graig Nettles for his injury but, after viewing tapes, apologizes to the Yankee 3B. Lee then blames Billy Martin for espousing a fighting style that brought the brawl on.

» April 21, 1977: Yankee manager Billy Martin, faced with a 2-8 slump in the past 10 games, draws his lineup out of a hat. Chris Chambliss, batting 8th, drives in five runs on two doubles and a homer and New York beats Toronto, 8–6. Ken Holtzman is the winner.

» June 18, 1977: New York's Reggie Jackson loafs after a Jim Rice bloop double during a 10–4 loss to Boston and is taken out by manager Billy Martin right after the manager removes starter Mike Torrez. Jackson and Martin nearly come to blows in the dugout as national television cameras watch. Boston connects for five homers in the game, two each by Carl Yastrzemski and Bernie Carbo. Fenway Park sees the largest Saturday afternoon crowd (34,603) in 20 years.

» August 10, 1977: Billy Martin installs Reggie Jackson as the Yankees' regular clean-up hitter. The Yanks beat the A's 6–3, as Ron Guidry outpitches Vida Blue. Graig Nettles belts his 26th homer of the season. New York will win 40 of final 53 games, with Jackson contributing 13 home runs and 49 RBIs.

» July 17, 1978: In the latest incident in his feud with manager Billy Martin, the Yankees Reggie Jackson ignores instructions and attempts to bunt in the 10th inning of a tie game with the Royals. Jackson pops up, the Yanks lose, 9–7, in the 11th, and Martin serves Jackson with a 5-day suspension without pay. The Royals' 3-game sweep at Yankee Stadium leaves New York in 4th place, 14 games behind the Red Sox.

» July 24, 1978: In Kansas City, a sobbing Billy Martin reads a prepared statement in which he resigns as the Yankee manager. Dick Howser will fill in that night as the Yanks lose 5–2.

» July 29, 1978: A surprise announcement at Old-Timers Day in Yankee Stadium: Billy Martin will return to manage the Yanks in 1980. The fans go wild with joy.

» October 2, 1978: The Yankees and Red Sox, tied for first at the end of the regular season, play a dramatic one-game playoff at Fenway for the American League East title. New York prevails 5–4 behind Bucky Dent's 3-run home run off Mike Torrez and Guidry's 25th win against just three losses. Guidry's .893 percentage is a major-league record for a 20-game winner. Goose Gossage saves the game, getting Yaz to pop out with two on and two out in the 9th. Manager Bob Lemon, who took over for Billy Martin, becomes the 1st manager to win a title after starting the season with another club.

» May 24, 1979: Billy Martin issues a public apology to Reno sportswriter Ray Hagar, with whom he brawled last November. Hagar had filed suit for assault, leading to an out-of-court settlement.

» June 19, 1979: In New York 36,211 fans show up to witness the return of Billy Martin as Yankee manager, but the Yanks lose to the Blue Jays 5–4. Martin had been named to replace Bob Lemon (34-31) the previous day, and begins his 2nd stint as New York's skipper, a season earlier than previously announced.

» September 18, 1979: Yanks manager Billy Martin reportedly pays rookie P Bob Kammeyer $100 to hit former Yankee Cliff Johnson with a pitch in Cleveland's 16–3 rout of the Yankees. Johnson belts two homers as does Toby Harrah and the two combine for nine RBIs. The loss goes to Paul Mirabella but Kammeyer gives up all eight Tribe scores in the 4th inning without recording an out.

» October 23, 1979: Billy Martin is involved in a barroom altercation with Joseph Cooper, a Minnesota marshmallow salesman. Cooper requires 15 stitches to close a gash in his lip.

» October 28, 1979: George Steinbrenner announces that Billy Martin is fired again as a result of his recent barroom fight. Dick Howser is named to replace him.

» November 29, 1979: Commissioner Kuhn lets Billy Martin off with a warning, following the October 23rd incident.

» February 20, 1980: Just four months after being fired by the Yankees for the 2nd time, Billy Martin signs a 2-year contract to manage the Oakland A's.

» April 25, 1980: Making his first appearance in Minnesota since his fight with a marshmallow salesman there last fall, A's manager Billy Martin has to be restrained by umpires from attacking a fan who was pelting him with marshmallows during the Twins' 10–3 victory.

» August 10, 1980: Steve McCatty becomes the 4th A's starter to pitch a 14-inning complete game this season, losing 2–1 to Seattle despite pitching a 6-hitter. Teammates Matt Keough (on May 17th), Mike Norris (June 11th), and Rick Langford (July 20th) have also pitched 14-inning complete games for manager Billy Martin, who will later be widely criticized for ruining their arms through overwork.

» May 29, 1981: A's manager Billy Martin flies into a rage and heaves two handfuls of dirt on home plate umpire Terry Cooney's back after being ejected for arguing ball and strike calls. He will be suspended by American League president Lee MacPhail for seven days.

» April 2, 1982: In an exhibition game against the Padres, A's pitcher Steve McCatty steps to the plate wielding a 15-inch toy bat on the instructions of manager Billy Martin, who was upset that his club was not allowed to use a DH in spring training games at National League parks. Home plate umpire Jim Quick refuses to let McCatty use the bat, and McCatty takes three called strikes.

» July 8, 1982: Billy Martin records his 1,000th career win as a manager as the A's beat the Yankees 6–3.

» October 19, 1982: Rather than give him the contract extension he requested, A's president Roy Eisenhardt fires manager Billy Martin, who led the club to a 68-94 record this season after winning the American League West in 1981.

» January 11, 1983: For the 3rd time in eight years, George Steinbrenner hires Billy Martin as Yankee manager. Martin replaces Clyde King, who will move to the front office.

» July 24, 1983: In the memorable "Pine Tar Game" at Yankee Stadium, George Brett hits an apparent 2-run home run off Rich Gossage to give the Royals a 5–4 lead with two outs in the 9th inning, only to have it taken away when Yankees manager Billy Martin, at the urging of coach Don Zimmer, points out that the pine tar on Brett's bat handle exceeds the 17 inches allowed in the rules. As a result, Brett is called out for illegally batting the ball, giving New York a 4–3 victory. Brett goes ballistic a the Royals immediately protest, and American League President Lee MacPhail overrules his umpires for the first time saying that, while the rules should certainly be rewritten and clarified, the home run will stand and the game will be resumed from that point on August 18th.

» August 5, 1983: American League president Lee MacPhail suspends Yankees manager Billy Martin for the 2nd time this season because of continuing abuse of umpires. Martin is suspended for two games for calling umpire Dale Ford "a stone liar" after a July 31st game with the White Sox. He earned a 3-game suspension earlier this year for kicking dirt on umpire Drew Coble.

» December 16, 1983: George Steinbrenner fires Billy Martin as manager of the Yankees for the 3rd time, replacing him with Yogi Berra and giving Martin a front-office job.

» April 28, 1985: After the Yankees lose to the White Sox 4–3 on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 9th, manager Yogi Berra is replaced by Billy Martin, who begins his 4th term in the job. The bad news is delivered to Yogi by pitching coach Clyde King, and a furious Berra vows to never set foot in Yankee Stadium as long as George Steinbrenner is the owner.

» April 28, 1985: In Billy Martin's first game as New York manager, Larry Parrish belts three home runs to power the Rangers to a 7–5 win over the Yankees. It is Parrish's 4th career 3-HR game but his first in the American League, making him only the 5th player to accomplish the feat in each league. The Yanks lose a homer in the 4th when, with two men on, Bobby Meacham hits a Frank Tanana ball that just reaches the stands. Running hard, Meacham collides with teammate Willie Randolph who was returning to 1B to tag up. Meacham is given a two-run single.

» September 22, 1985: One night after scuffling with a patron in the bar of the Yankees' Baltimore hotel, manager Billy Martin has his right arm broken by pitcher Ed Whitson in an early-morning brawl in the same bar.

» October 27, 1985: Billy Martin is fired by the Yankees for an unprecedented 4th time and is replaced by former Yankees OF Lou Piniella, who had been the team's hitting instructor since retiring as a player in 1984.

» August 3, 1986: At Comiskey Park, Russ Morman homers and singles in the 4th inning in his first ML game as the Sox beat the Tigers, 10–1. He ties Billy Martin's debut with his two hits in one inning. A Kirk Gibson homer is the only score for Detroit, while Harold Baines and Carlton Fisk add homers for Chicago.

» October 19, 1987: Billy Martin is named manager of the Yankees for a bizarre 5th time, replacing Lou Piniella, who replaced Martin, and who is "promoted" to general manager. Piniella led the Yankees to an 89-73 record in 1987, 4th in the American League East.

» June 23, 1988: George Steinbrenner fires Billy Martin for the 5th time, replacing him with Lou Piniella. In 1985, Piniella was fired and replaced by Martin. In 1985, Martin was fired and replaced by Piniella. New York's 40-28 record is the 4th best in the big leagues, but the Yankees had just completed a 2-7 road trip.

» December 25, 1989: Billy Martin, former infielder and 5-time manager of the Yankees, dies in a car accident in Johnson City, New York at the age of 61. Martin will be buried in Gates of Heaven cemetery in Valhalla, New York in a plot near Babe Ruth's. George Steinbrenner, who fired Martin four times (he resigned the 5th time) purchases the plot.

» April 12, 1990: The Yankees open the season in New York in front of 50,114 with Billy Martin's son throwing out the first ball. The Yankees win 6–4 win over the Indians, scoring twice in the 8th inning to break a 4–4 tie. Luis Polonia's hit breaks the tie and the Yanks score another run on an error. Eric Plunk is the winner over Jesse Orosco. Polonia will be rewarded for his hit by being sent to the Angels in two weeks for Claudell Washington.