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This New York Yankees Special Assignments scout, Tom Greenwade business
card, features the Yankee logo in the
top left hand corner. Mr. Greenwade,
lived in Willard, Missouri, as printed
in the lower left corner, was also the
president of the Willard bank. The Tom
Greenwade endorsed Hillerich & Bradsby
Co., Louisville Slugger plastic
mechanical bat pencil
pictured below, reads "Save With -
Willard Bank." Also pictured below is
his business card when he worked for
the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Tom Greenwade was a baseball scout who
began his scouting career with the St.
Louis Browns in 1941. Greenwade then
took a job with the Brooklyn Dodgers
where he played a significant role in
persuading the team to pursue Jackie
Robinson. In 1949, Mr. Greenwade joined
the Yankee organization, signing such
players as Mickey Mantle, Bill Virdon,
Elston Howard, Hank Bauer and Bobby
Murcer. In 1962 Greenwde was voted into
the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1948 playing semi-pro Ball as a shortstop in Baxter Springs (KS)
Yankees' scout Tom Greenwade came to
Baxter Springs to watch Mickey's
teammate, third baseman Billy Johnson.
During the game Mickey Mantle hit two
homers, one right handed, and one left
handed into a river well past the
ballpark's fences. Greenwade wanted to
sign Mickey on the spot but, upon
finding out that he was only sixteen
and still in high school, told him he
would come back to sign him with the
Yankees on his graduation day in 1949.
Good to his word, Greenwade was there
right on schedule, signing Mickey
Mantle to a minor league contract with
the Yankees Class D team in
Independence.
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