Jerry Coleman Gerald Francis " Jerry " Coleman ( born September 14 , 1924 ) is a former Major League Baseball ( MLB ) second baseman for the New York Yankees and manager of the San Diego Padres for one year . Currently , he is an analyst and former play - by - play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres . Coleman was named the rookie of the year in 1949 by Associated Press , and was an All - Star in 1950 and later that year was named the World Series most valuable player . His Yankees teams appeared in six World Series in his career , winning four times . Coleman served in the Korean War and World War II . He later became a broadcaster , and he was honored in 2005 by the National Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C . Frick Award for his broadcasting contributions . Playing career . Born in San Jose , California , Coleman graduated from Lowell High School , then spent his entire playing career with the New York Yankees . He played 6 years in their minor league system before reaching the big club in 1949 . Coleman hit . 275 in his first year and led all second basemen in fielding percentage . He was the Associated Press ' rookie of the year in 1949 , and finishing third in balloting by Baseball Writers Association of America . Coleman avoided a sophomore jinx by earning a selection to the All - Star team in 1950 . He then shined in the World Series with brilliant defense , earning him the BBWAA ' s Babe Ruth Award as the series ' most valuable player . Nicknamed " The Colonel " , due to being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel , Coleman was also a Marine aviator and left baseball to serve in the Korean War , and postponing his entry into professional baseball in World War II . While a Marine Corps aviator he flew 120 combat missions , receiving numerous honors and medals including two Distinguished Flying Crosses , and has been honored in recent years , including being inducted into the USMC Sports Hall of Fame , for his call to duty . He is the only Major League Baseball player to have seen combat in two wars . Coleman ' s career declined after he was injured the following season , relegating him to a bench role . He was forced to retire after the 1957 season , but he left on a good note ; hitting . 364 in a World Series loss against the Milwaukee Braves . He appeared in the World Series six times in his career , winning four of them . Broadcasting career . In 1958 , Yankees ' General Manager George Weiss named Coleman personnel director , which involved Coleman scouting minor league players . Roy Hamey terminated Coleman from that position , when Harney became the Yankees ' General Manager . It was only after Colemen met with Howard Cosell that Coleman considered becoming a broadcaster . In 1960 , Coleman began a broadcasting career with CBS television , conducting pregame interviews on the network ' s " Game of the Week " broadcasts . His broadcasting career nearly ended that year ; he was in the midst of an interview with Cookie Lavagetto when the national anthem began playing . Coleman kept the interview going through the anthem , prompting an avalanche of angry letters to CBS . In 1963 he began a seven - year run calling New York Yankees ' games on WCBS radio and WPIX television . Coleman ' s WPIX call of ex - teammate Mickey Mantle ' s 500th career home run in 1967 was brief and from the heart : After broadcasting for the California Angels for two years , in 1972 Coleman became lead radio announcer for the San Diego Padres , a position he has held every year since but 1980 , when the Padres hired him to manage ( predating a trend of broadcasters - turned - managers that started in the late 1990s ) . He also called national regular - season and postseason broadcasts for CBS Radio from the mid - 1970s to the 1990s . Coleman is also famous for his pet phrases " Oh Doctor ! " , " You can hang a star on that baby ! " , " And the beat goes on " , and " The natives are getting restless " . During an interview in the height of the steroids scandal in 2005 , Coleman stated " if I ' m emperor , the first time 50 games , the second time 100 games and the third strike you ' re out " , referring to how baseball should suspend players for being caught taking steroids . After the 2005 World Series , Major League Baseball put a similar policy in effect . He is known as the " Master of the Malaprop " for making sometimes embarrassing mistakes on the microphone , but he is nonetheless popular . In 2005 , he was given the Ford C . Frick Award of the National Baseball Hall of Fame for broadcasting excellence , and is one of five Frick award winners that also played in the Major Leagues ( along with Joe Garagiola , Tony Kubek , Tim McCarver , and Bob Uecker ) . In the fall of 2007 Jerry was inducted to the National Radio Hall of Fame as a Sports Broadcaster for his years as the play by play voice of the San Diego Padres . Coleman no longer handles play - by - play duties , leaving Ted Leitner and Andy Masur to cover most of the radio broadcasting efforts for each Padres game . He does , however , still work middle innings as a color analyst . As of the 2010 season he reduced his broadcast schedule down to 20 - 30 home day games . , Coleman is the third oldest active play - by - play announcer , behind only fellow Hall of Famers Felo Ramirez and Ralph Kiner . Coleman collaborated on his autobiography with longtime " New York Times " writer Richard Goldstein ; their book " " was published in 2008 . On September 15 , 2012 , the San Diego Padres unveiled a Jerry Coleman statue at Petco Park . Coleman ' s statue is only the second statue at Petco Park , the other being of Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn . Awards . Coleman is the recipient of the following medals :