Fort Lauderdale General Manager Mark Zettelmeyer looked forward to the veteran joining the club, The Herald wrote.
"Bobby asked the front office for the chance to try to make a comeback and they gave him permission," Zettelmeyer told The Herald. "It's going to be an exciting weekend for everyone, especially the fans."
Murcer's return proved brief, four games. But Zettelmeyer's exciting time with the Yankees organization would continue for another decade or more, as Fort Lauderdale's general manager and in other jobs.
Zettelmeyer started with the Yankees through family, specifically his first cousin, George Steinbrenner. After owning an auto dealership in Florida, Steinbrenner offered him a job, Zettelmeyer's wife told The Tampa Bay Times later.
By 1984, he was general manager of the Fort Lauderdale Yankees. By 1990, he was dealing with the aftermath of the lockout. Attendance was down, but he wasn't sure it was due to the labor strife, he told The South Florida Sun Sentinel, more on game times and uncertainty for travelers.
"That's a big impact," Zettelmeyer told The Sun Sentinel of a single night game. "A lot of guys are working."
Zettelmeyer continued with Fort Lauderdale as GM until 1995, when he retired. He then continued in other jobs with the Yankees until his passing in 2009 at the age of 81.
"He loved baseball," his wife Beverly told The Times after his passing. "He loved being around the players."
- Miami Herald, April 18, 1985: Murcer joins Baby Yanks
- South Florida Sun Sentinel, April 7, 1990: Soured by lockout, Grapefruit League fans mostly left bittersweet
- Tampa Bay Times, Sept. 8, 2009: He held a dream baseball job
Made the Majors:1,249-34.3%
Never Made Majors:2,393-65.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:520
10+ Seasons in the Minors:307
I wasn't following baseball yet in '85, this is the first I ever heard about Murcer's comeback attempt. That would have been a fun thing to happen.
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