Going to Kansas City Was The Best Thing That Could Have Happened to Bob Cerv

Bob Cerv, an outfielder who played with the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Los Angeles Angels and Houston Colt-45s in a 12-year MLB career, passed away yesterday at the age of 91.


Cerv's MLB career did not begin until the relatively advanced age of 26 in 1951 with the Bronx Bombers. The Nebraska native had served with the U.S. Navy in WWII as a radar man aboard the U.S.S. Claxton in the Pacific Theater. After returning home, Cerv's wife insisted he turn down a $40,000 contract offer from the Chicago White Sox to pursue his college education.


For the first six seasons of his career, Cerv was a backup outfielder on a Yankees team at the height of its success. Although the team won six World Series during this period, he only played in the two of them (1955 & 1956).


Following the 1956 season, Cerv was traded to the Kansas City Athletics for Enos "Country" Slaughter. Legend has it that Cerv found out about the trade when Yankees manager Casey Stengel told him, "By the way, one of yous is going to Kansas City."


In the late 1950's, the Kansas City A's were essentially a Triple-A affiliate of the Yankees. But as it turned out going to Kansas City was the best thing that could have ever happened to Cerv. He proved to be by far the best player they ever acquired from the Yankees. In 1958, Cerv had the best year of his career at the age of 33 hitting .305 with 38 HR and 104 RBI earning his only AL All-Star appearance and finished 4th in AL MVP balloting (behind Rocky Colavito of the Cleveland Indians, Yankees pitcher Bob Turley and the winner Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Jensen).


But by the middle of the 1960 season, Cerv was back in a Yankees uniform and was relegated back to the bench and would play in his third World Series with the club. Cerv was taken in the 1961 expansion draft by the Los Angeles Angels, but would return for his third stint with the Yankees that May and spent the season rooming with Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris as they chased Babe Ruth's single season home run record. He finished his big league career the following year with the expansion Houston Colt-45s. In 12 seasons, Cerv hit .276 with 105 HR and 374 RBI in 829 games played. Not a bad way to live. R.I.P.