Bullpen Car

[yanks12025]

Hello,
My dad was telling me told how back in the 1970's teams had golf carts and the yankees had a car that would drive the players into the game from the bullpen. Does anyone know when and why they started to do that.

[springpin]

The golf cart was painted like the Yankee uniform, white with blue pinstripes. I can't say the exact year it was first used, but I would guess around 1973. I don't recall it being sponsored by any company. The driver would make a bee-line straight to the mound from the bullpen, the relief pitcher would get out, and the driver would then do a U-turn back to the bullpen where it was parked. Yankee announcer Frank Messer seemed to have as much interest in telling the audience that the golf cart was bringing in the reliever as much as identifying who the reliever was. Phil Rizzuto seemed far less enamored with the golf cart than was Messer. The Yankee closer was Sparky Lyle. Lyle had a habit of jumping out of the cart before the driver finished approaching the mound area. Rizzuto would often comment he was afraid Lyle would twist an ankle while jumping out of the moving cart. I don't believe Lyle ever did. I'm pretty sure the cart was history by the time the Yankees made it to the World Series in 1976.

[perezfan]

I think that every team had one of these in the '70s. Another key feature was that each cart had a roof which was the shape and exact replica of the teams' hat, propped up by baseball bats on either side.

This was another hokie fad of the '70s, and a few relief pitchers refused to partake in it. I wish I could remember who it was, but one of the key closers of the day always refused to take the cart, and sprinted in from the outfield bullpen. The fans loved him back then because it was so rebellious. I'm having a brain lapse... anybody recall who this was?

[pgellis]

Mike Marshall of the Dodgers refused to take the cart.

[ksfarmboy]

I believe all teams had them also. I remember the Royals having one and I thought they used it during the Playoffs with the Yankees.

I seen one on ebay for sale and I think it was the Reds cart. I'd love to have an Orioles one. Don't know what I'd do with it though.

Clint

[slidekellyslide]

I know I've seen pictures of those carts before, but really have no memory of them being in use. Doubtful the Cubs had one since Wrigley doesn't have bullpens.

[batsballsbases]

The yankees started with a bullpen car in 1972. It was a pinstriped Datsun sponsored by Datsun. One of the funniest stories I remember but I had to look it up was the Seattle Mariners bullpen car. In 1982 the Mariners introduced a nautically themed bullpen car called the TUGBOAT! The tugboat gets off to a rockey start when on opening day pitcher Bill Caudill steals the keys during pregame festivities leaving the Tugboat stranded on the left field line and delaying the start of the game. Things get worse over the next few days as the mariners pitchers refuse to ride in the Tugboat.The final straw was when Ed Vande Berg sprinted in from the bullpen with the Tugboat racing along behind him. . The Tugboat lasted about a week after that before they finally gave up!