Press Conference - Whitey Ford
Mayor John V. Lindsay presents Whitey Ford with the medallion of the city of New York. Mickey Mantle receives the bronze medal of the city of New York. 1967 is the year Mantel hit 500 home runs. Ralph Houk, Lee MacPhail, Mickey Mantle, and Whitey Ford all speak briefly.
After the baseball awards, Lindsay makes a general statement about the New York Youth games. Groups representing 12 cities are in New York to compete in various sports like baseball and track and field.
Reporters ask questions for Lindsay, including questions about the resignation of Mitchell Sviridoff as the city's antipoverty administrator, who left for the Ford Foundation. There are some questions about Mitch Ginsberg, who is replacing Sviridoff.
Teacher's contract dispute. Impossible to predict if schools will open on time.
There are a lot of questions about the Kerner Commission, or the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, of which Lindsay was a member.
There are some questions about Newark's financial problems.
Police Department reform, police commissioner Howard Leary's idea of precinct houses as "a service center for the people." The removal of high desks at the precinct houses to make the precinct houses more welcoming.
The original tape ends with a spliced on, distorted, poor quality, WNYC outro. There is some rather odd outro music at the end, as well as some print through. It sounds like the press conference had taped over another show. The last few seconds of audio are: "From the House of the America's, we bring you Pan American Melodies."
Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection
WNYC archives id: 150360
Municipal archives id: T2536
This is a machine-generated transcript. Text is unformatted and may contain errors.
At this time your thirty station brings you the press conference held earlier today at City Hall by Mayor John the Lindsay the conference was recorded for broadcast at this time as a public service by your city station councilman Smith councilman our curio ladies and gentlemen about Whitey Ford and making mantle etc etc You may be wondering why Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle are here today. Well I'll tell you back Wednesday July twenty sixth Some of you may recall that the Lindsey Lancers played the cast of the Mad show at Yankee Stadium and as General Stilwell said we took a bad beating seven to nothing and then afterward some of the sports writers in room nine asked me if we were going to stand pat on our lineup with a Lindsey Lancers or make some deals. Well Mike Burke the president of the Yankees and Lee MacPhail general manager the axes are here today along with Whitey and Nicky and I want to announce now that we have made a deal and the deal is this Mike and Lee of agreed never to let Lindsey Lancers play again and Yankee Stadium. We thought that would be the best thing that we could do for baseball Well the real reason we're here is to pay the city's official tribute to one of its own and the most illustrious New Yorker to a man born and raised in New York in Queens what school in New York. And a very nice guy. Who finishes first He's a New Yorker and he ranks among the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball and naturally that's why the forward there isn't any question in anyone's mind about Whitey Ford's greatness in baseball he holds a list of records that would reach all the way from here to Far Rockaway. During his sixteen years with the Yankees he won two hundred thirty six games and lost one hundred six and those two hundred thirty six victories were more than were won by any other Yankee pitcher in history and Whitey's whole lifetime winning percentage of six ninety is the best in the history of baseball for pitchers winning more than two hundred games he looks it looks a young enough to be a building's commissioner in this administration. And he retired from active active playing with the Yankees on May thirtieth and he's now dignified old man of thirty nine Jack Benny age. And now with a sensitive touch for history for which it is noted the city council on June sixth passed a resolution calling upon the mayor to proclaim why before day in New York thanks to Councilman Frank Smith that was brought about and that's what we've done today is why before day in New York so why do you if you'll stand up here now with Councilman Frank Smith of Queens who sponsored the resolution I'll sign a proclamation declaring that today's waiting for day in New York City. I don't know what we do with the flags but we must do something up or down or sideways. This is the medallion of the city of New York. That is a. Policy. That would break if you break your. Arrah. Now before or before Whitey blushes through his acceptance here. We want to hear from some other people here this morning. First Mike Burke president of the New York Yankees and then Les MacPhail general manager of the Yankees and Ralph how. Manager of the Yankees who knows what I've gone through with the Lindsay lances this year. And anything involving Whitey Ford as a Yankee wouldn't be complete unless it involves Mickey Mantle to so far we have any speechmaking I'd like Mickey to step up here. And receive the bronze medal of the city of New York which he doesn't know is going to happen to him. This is an honor for a lot of a lot of things including for having hit its five hundred home run earlier this year making Mickey Mantle one of only six players ever to hit five hundred home runs. Our Arab. All right Mike you have an hour to make a speech here. And the floor is yours and I thank you very much it goes without saying that Whitey and. Superb athletes but they're also most. Uncommon men by any measure they've set giant standard of excellence in their profession which few will ever approach and certainly no one will ever surpass and they brought great honor to the Yankees and glory great honor to the city of New York. It makes us and then Julie proud. To be identified with them we in the actually Organization thank you very much. Lou really late McVeigh are you get equal time. I would rather relinquish my time to make you who has quite a few words to say but I would like to make one observation that when a great city like the city of New York goes several years without one major sports championship makes all of us painfully aware of how much we miss it and how much of winning team means to it so perhaps it is even more appropriate today and perhaps we appreciate more today what the mighty and Mickey have meant to the antes and the winning teams with the anchors have had over the past decade and a half. For the Yankees Baka we appreciate very much that the city is taking this occasion to honor them and makes us more determined than ever that we will bring another winning team to New York very soon thank you. Lou. My colleague in the managing business Ralph. Thank you Mayor realizing that while he still has to make his acceptance speech I won't take up any time I would just like to say that I'm getting tired of going around saying all these has banned. I think everyone here realizes what Quite he's met the mayor and also to New York and I think it's great that he's been honored this way thank you. Lou a little all right Mickey Mantle they tell me you're ready to speak for an hours all floor is yours. Thank you. Ralph was teasing me about yesterday about why he was getting his award for was for retiring and he thought that's a reason I was bringing me along this morning so I'd retired too but I think that it looks to me like a package deal already good news for Everest so thanks very much Your Honor to a real good. Thank. You can defend yourself. Mayor Lindsay gentleman. It's quite an honor today first of all I'd like to say I was partly responsible for Lindsay's lances loss a few weeks ago I was a young par at the game and I think I'd like to make my first comeback as a pitcher for male and Z's lances but this is a great honor for me I was born right up here in the sixty sixth Street thirty eight years ago may Lindsay not thirty nine. And I was brought up in a story in Queens and I've seen things like this when I was a young young boy and there's honoring people here at city hall and I never thought it would happen to me but thank you very much. I have one general statement that I want to make that I should've made earlier forgot and that is that the US games you know are going on in the city of New York now one thousand boys and girls that are here in the city most of them staying at the static field and it's been a well organized show so far we hope it works well. They represent twelve cities have good looking blazers with the name of their city on it their spirits seem to be good they had a nice party last night I congratulate. Barry got over and all of the city people who put this thing together the coordination has been massive and I'd like to thank all of the New Yorkers who have contributed to this entire thing is being funded with private funds is no city money and at the top. The finals on the track and field will be held at Randall's Island on Saturday beginning at one o'clock everyone is invited hope you'll come and the finals of the basketball will be at Madison Square Garden Saturday night and ten o'clock Sunday morning as a breakfast at the start the Hilton for all of the participants and then they go back to this city's after that all are duly invited Mr Mayor some people are sort of pretty. Place just very. Very happy. For you know that's that's an incorrect interpretation. And incidentally if anyone. Is prepared to write stories trying to describe my emotional state I hope they'll drop into my office and take my pulse first. That is an incorrect description entirely Mike spirit off and I discussed this for the last six weeks and also with Mack Bundy as I've had and. The the decision that Mike spared off was made here I think is entirely appropriate under all the circumstances I used and in talking to him about it in our discussions I'm reminded of what happens to an attorney general of the United States or someone else if he's invited to serve on the Supreme Court it's very difficult for him to say no well this is roughly comparable in this field. There's no greater or more important foundation that is done more work and in fact. I could not have brought around brought about the reorganization of an housing and then human resources and indeed other aspects of the city government were it not for the Ford Foundation and the first six months when I was even before I was sworn into office our relationship is close it's a public it's a quayside public institution this great foundation and. I think under all the circumstances. That Mike is absolutely right in accepting this incredibly responsible office he is the number one man on human resources for the nation for this foundation and we look forward I look forward to working with Mike's faired off in the future as I have in the past he will have been with the city for about two years because that's one of the all started to a Ford Foundation work. During the course of our discussions we also discussed succession and the first name that came to both of us was Mitch Ginsburg. And we also agreed that when this was announced that we ought to move very fast on the succession. In order to to lay our plans for the future as rapidly as we can. Feel of colors and. What will this do to your plans as. Your. Our plans obviously have to be tied in with the whole state picture the budget director Frederick cases working very closely with the state budget people and indeed we're working also with other mayors and their budget people because whatever happens statewide will affect the budgets of each of the cities the major cities have budgetary pressures that are roughly comparable and therefore the hose all the whole crowd to work very closely together. Retracted where we left. Off. That's impossible to answer that question at this time but I think it's I think it's highly desirable that whatever be done to to. To help these cities with their massive budgetary pressures be done on a statewide basis that the Syrian situation is there any connection to his resignation Absolutely none whatsoever none at all fact these discussions I've had with Mike. I think I'm correct on this really started before there was any pyrotechnics on the other side of city hall in the city council poverty and welfare and general. So there's no connection whatsoever and I I gather that if the city council is moved to do anything at all that their general wishes to do something right positive along the same lines that Mitch Ginsburg has already been moving the things that Mitch Ginsburg has been doing on welfare and the problem of poverty are being recognized around the nation indeed the Congress based on the experiments that we've been running here is moving cautiously in this area of partial maintenance as you've seen in the newspapers. Birthcontrol other efforts that we're engaged in here in the city of New York. Well the distinguished panel that agreed to serve it at my invitation is meeting with both sides that met once with the management side that's the Board of Education and met once with the Labor side. And his colleagues and today they are holding a meeting with the two of them together all in the same room this is a panel that consists of. Three professors from one from Colombia one from Harvard and the other the press of the bar association of the city of New York messes Cox. Gail Horn and it was my third one. Russell Niles Niall's of association of the bar former dean of and why law school. That's impossible to predict depends on how these negotiations and panel discussions move. Yes we have given a thought. Where workers union people seem to feel that. We're taking over the. Welfare program. Within the city. That's that's hard. It would be very difficult for the state to just pick up the administration of this because it takes a great deal of expertise and knowledge about the side streets of this huge city which the state probably does not have at this moment. And well I take the general view as a role that those who have the responsibility for funding. Usually usually it's better practice to have them have the responsibility for administration also. Not always but that's usually the better practice you know that the federal government administers the Social Security program and that's wise I don't think the administration of Social Security ought to be split up into localities because it results in in country wide differences but as a practical matter I do think it would be very difficult for the state to take over the administration of this program. And there are differences between parts of the state too on that on the long run however if they were to fund it totally I should think that they would want to take over the administration and I would support them on that it would have to be done with care. And even the federal government should withhold eighty dollars on the parties ability this is a general idea that the Council Against Poverty has has been examining largely I expect because of their. Frustrations over what they believe is insufficient progress and innovation on the part of the board in the in the US and application of anti-poverty funds. I'm not prepared to say that I agree or disagree with that I should want to examine it. The Board of Education. Perhaps has a long ways to go but all we all do so is the city council against poverty and getting shaped up to make maximum use with anti-poverty money so I'm not prepared to pronounce judgment on that at this point I would. I would only say that we need we need and can use all of the any poverty funds that we can get in the city. We use them as wisely as we can we improve the structure and the use of it we think each day that goes by we have a long distance to go in relative terms the same applies to the Board of Education in your experience who are here today. Do you plan to go to any other cities with. The commission's decision as to break up into small groups of one two or three maximum and visit several of the cities and reach each being divided up for that purpose and I will be traveling to some of the other cities. Because you know. I'm not going though I do NOT going to discuss any of our plans on that these are informal tours observation tours and orientation tours only they're not fact finding just a matter if you're getting you're going to hear the problems of the New York City with problems. Which cities like balls the balls have a lot of tough problems very tough indeed well you get back blindness Well that's not going process but largely it's handled in Washington for example the team from New York the mayor and his colleagues and whatnot will be coming to Washington on Tuesday and there in executive session they'll have maps and and papers and staff and they will be a long all day session with the Newark. Local people and that's on the record as a careful record kept it's not open to the public we've done this already on a first go around with Detroit and we've done it on the statewide scene in New Jersey because Newark was only one of two or three areas that had tensions. So but and that and those are are also that's part of the fact finding process and they probs will go even deeper as the commission is staffed up there will be local staff work in these in these neighborhoods to be reluctant to tell us where you're going to go to be jealous of youth and any other cities besides to know I have not I know the the commission's practices is that the commission as soon as that visitor tour is completed it's impossible to to hide them you can't hide them but they did but as soon as a tour is completed Why are they commissioned out of Washington tells the press all about it. Very strenuous I don't it's more time than I can afford. About it but for the time being the commitment will have to be two days a week I come back Tuesday night to the city and and get working then on local problems that I have and then go down again on Wednesday that's a that timetable we think will continue. Through September through the middle of September then it will be reassessed. Your Board of Deputies or your attention will be directed represent your presence because it's not allowed the first thing the commission agreed to was that there be no no substitutes. And there are good is good reason for that. Was. Useful. As well and Norco like a lot of cities has terrible problems on money pressure problems on money shortages of money and the mayor of Newark has said publicly day before yesterday that he felt that they had exhausted. Resources or sources of money local money that is. Made the statement publicly that. It was his opinion that New York. Was the highest tech city in the country locally and he didn't he said he didn't feel that there was any other place they could turn that was his general assessment of their life this is a little real dishful least a view maybe you know I don't I've but in fact I have encouraged Mitch Ginsberg. These two combined that trip which will be a brace one with a proper vacation he has not had a vacation for a year and a half and that's not good and I've encouraged him to take a proper holiday with his wife and get his batteries thoroughly recharged and then and then formally take on his new duties. Anything you know. Like. The police commissioner Howard Larry has always felt that precinct house ought to be a service center for the people. And that the people ought to feel that it's a place where they receive help of various kinds and free to come in police commissioner Howard Larry encourages the neighborhood to come into the precinct houses and get to know the captain the other tenants and the sergeants and the men who are there. That experimentation that he's running and they twentieth bracing to Manhattan. Includes the removal of the high desk completely and its replacement with a low executive type desk as one of the visual things you can do to encourage people to come in and not confront them with something that looks rather impersonal a little bit frightening his view is that the best police protection that people can have first of all are excellent community relations with the police. And that means a lot of things not just. The pure science of police strategy. But really why wide area might be about one hundred. Well if you watch a good policeman at work you'll find that he's handling all kinds of things he handles person who's frightened or puzzled or doesn't know where to go or needs guidance. And a good policeman well will help that person that find the proper channel and precinct house Howard Larry feels ought to be in a position to help the person who has got a problem steer them into the right channel. Obviously the police can help them with a landlord tenant fight or something of this guide but they can show them where to go. And once again he feels very deeply that the police science today demands a very highly tuned sense of community relations which means communication between the neighborhood and the precinct house thank you very much. You have been listening to the press conference given earlier today outside the home I may or may not be Lindsay and recorded for broadcast at this time as a public service. From the host of the Americas we bring you a but American military.