Movies make stars.
During a 15-year baseball career from 1910 to 1925, Stengel played for five separate clubs, compiling a respectable lifetime batting average of .284. In 1949, the aging Stengel was named as manager of the New York Yankees. Over the next 12 years, he became a legend in baseball history, leading the team to 10 American League titles and 7 World Series championships. After a year of retirement, he managed the hapless New York Mets until his retirement in 1965. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966.