Charles Dillon Stengel--nicknamed "Casey," a nod to his hometown, Kansas City, and to a poem that debuted in his youth, "Casey at the Bat"--spent sixty years playing, coaching, and managing in the big leagues. His greatest success came as a manager. Of the New York Yankees' twenty-seven championships, Stengel won seven.  

Stengel's the only man in history to have worn the uniforms of all four New York baseball clubs: Dodgers, Giants, Yankees, and Mets. From 1962 through 1965, Stengel managed the expansion Mets--their uniforms nostalgically meshing the colors of the fugitive Dodgers and Giants. Their ineptitude (40 wins against 120 losses in 1962) is said to have prompted Casey to exclaim in frustration, "Can't anybody here play this game?"   

Nearly a half-century ago, on a Sunday afternoon at Dodgers Stadium, I recognized Stengel's weathered face as he walked toward me in a virtually empty concourse. Walking alongside Casey was Babe Herman, Casey's former Brooklyn Dodgers teammate--both men dressed in suit and tie; their wives following closely behind.

Stengel might have been best known for his distinctive, stream-of-consciousness, monologues about all things baseball. He employed his unique dialect, affectionately labeled "Stengelese," to amuse and to confuse. On July 8th, 1958, Major League Baseball had the good sense to dispatch the beloved jester to a congressional committee investigating baseball's antitrust status. For forty-five minutes, Stengel confounded the congressmen, causing one to say, "Mr. Stengel, I am not sure that I made my question clear." To which Stengel replied, "Yes, sir. Well that is all right. I am not sure I am going to answer yours perfectly either."   

Witness a few excerpts from his congressional testimony:

In his opening statement, Stengel observed:  

I had many years that I was not so successful as a ballplayer, as it is a game of skill. And then I was no doubt discharged by baseball in which I had to go back to the minor leagues as a manager, and after being in the minor leagues as a manager, I became a major league manager in several cities and was discharged, we call it "discharged," because there is no question I had to leave...

I think every chamber of commerce...would want a major league team, but if I was a chamber of commerce member and I was in a city, I would not want a baseball team to leave the city as too much money is brought into your city even if you have a losing team and great if you have a winning ball team...

Asked, good-naturedly, if New York City would continue to monopolize the world championship, Stengel responded: 

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...

Asked why the minor leagues were struggling financially, Stengel answered, obviously still fixated on Greta Garbo:  

Do you know why? I will tell you why. I don't think anybody can support minor league ball when they see a great official, it would be just like a great actress or actor had come to town. If Bob Hope had come here or Greta Garbo over there half of them would go see Greta Garbo and half Bob Hope but if you have a very poor baseball team they are not going to watch you until you become great..."

Stengel concluded his testimony.  

Mickey Mantle was up next.

Likely to the delight of some and to the chagrin of others, Mantle flashed his boyish grin and answered, "My views are about the same as Casey's."

Play ball.

In 1958, Major League Baseball was in trouble. Congress threatened legislation to revoke its exemption from Federal antitrust laws. Casey Stengel was chosen by the owners to represent their interests at the congressional hearing. It's easy to misinterpret "Stengelese" as the ramblings of a bumpkin. But Stengel was an intelligent man. He used words--and lots of them--with intention to entertain, to disarm, and on occasion to obfuscate the issue.

With no intention to reproach Mr. Stengel...Have you ever been conscious of talking around an issue? Have you ever in mid-conversation realized you were using words--and lots of them--because your position seemed indefensible? How would you weigh the benefits and risks of obfuscation over and against the benefits and risks of transparency? What's the learning?