Yankees History: Roger Peckinpaugh Youngest MLB Manager
Typically, a manager is an older person, someone who has spent decades in the game. That was not the case for Roger Peckinpaugh, who on this day in 1914, was named the new manager of the New York Yankees.
Although Roger Peckinpaugh originally broke into the majors as a 19 year old in 1910, it took some time before he became a regular. A reserve shortstop in 1912, he appeared in just one game as a pinch runner the following year before being traded to the New York Yankees on May 25, 1913. Immediately inserted into the lineup, Peckinpaugh helped solidify the middle of the Yankees infield for the rest of the decade.
It did not take long for Peckinpaugh to earn the respect of his teammates. A solid contact hitter with a bit of speed, Peckinpaugh also developed a reputation as an excellent defensive shortstop. That continued into the 1914 season, when he was amongst the league leaders in virtually every defensive statistic at short, while stealing a career high 38 bases.
At the time, the Yankees were not among the better teams in baseball. They had gone through six managers since moving to New York in 1903, and found themselves in sixth place in 1914. Despite having the legendary Frank Chance at manager, they still could not find a way to improve. As such, Chance was fired, and on this day in 1914, Peckinpaugh was named the seventh Yankees manager.
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Peckinpaugh’s age did not matter, as the 23 year old had made quite the positive impression upon his teammates. When he was named manager, Peckinpaigh became the youngest skipper in major league history, an honor he holds to this day.
The Yankees fared relatively well under his guidance as they finished out the year. Peckinpaugh was 10-10, a solid mark for a team that finished 14 games under .500. However, looking for a more veteran presence as skipper, he was succeeded by Bill Donovan. It took 14 more years before Peckinpaugh managed again, spending five and a half years as the Indians manager from 1928 through July 1933. Following that stint, he returned to the bench in 1941 before spending five more years as their general manager.
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A solid shortstop, Roger Peckinpaugh commanded respect from his Yankees teammates almost from the beginning. On this day in 1914, he became the youngest manager in baseball history, doing so at just 23 years old.