Now playing shortstop …

After outmaneuvering himself by using up all of his backup infielders before the start of the ninth inning, New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel decides 69 years ago today to do what he never has done before.

Yes, he moves Phil Rizzuto from shortstop to second base, where Rizzuto is making his first appearance there after spending more than 1,400 games as the Yankees’ shortstop since 1941.

Stengel is forced to move Rizzuto to second base after using middle infielders Willy Miranda, Gil McDougal and Jerry Coleman during the first eight innings in a 3-3 game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium.

Moving Rizzuto to second is easy.

Now, replacing Rizzuto at shortstop, well, that takes some quick thinking by Stengel, who looks at the best athlete on his team and picks out his new shortstop.

With that, Stengel moves All-Star Mickey Mantle from center field to shortstop for the ninth inning.

Fortunately for the Yankees, the White Sox never hit the ball to Mantle, once a scatter-armed shortstop in the minors before moving to the outfield in 1951.

Just how bad is Mantle playing shortstop in the minors? How about 47 errors in 89 games bad in 1949 for the Yankees’ Class D team in Independence, Mo.

Now, five years later in 1954 – and after two uneventful innings at shortstop against the White Sox – Mantle decides enough is enough and ends the game by hitting a solo homer off Chicago reliever Don Johnson with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Mantle previous plays an inning at shortstop in 1953 – also without having a ball hit to him – and in a total of four games there in 1954.

For his career, Mantle spends seven of his 2,401 games at shortstop, totaling just 16 innings over those seven games.

Historians also note that Mantle comes a long way from his 1949 woes at shortstop as he cleanly handles all 14 chances – nine putouts and five assists – during his 16 innings there in the majors.

He even takes part in a double play while playing shortstop. Probably just showing off because, you know, he is The Mick.