Bobby (Wine-o) Wine, an outstanding shortstop with a rifle-like arm, was a much sought-after athlete his senior year (1957) at Northport High School on Long Island, N.Y. Phillies scout Dale Jones signed him.

“After graduation, we went to Philadelphia on the train, met [Phillies owner] Mr. Carpenter and I signed. Got $4,000," said Wine. "When I got home, the Yankees, Reds and Red Sox came calling, but I said, ‘Sorry, I signed with the Phillies.’”

• Phillies Alumni

His first pro season was that summer in Johnson City (Tenn.) in the short-season (72 games) Class D Appalachian League. Wine played in 54 games and led the club in hitting (.337), runs (53), doubles (11), triples (6) and RBIs (42). He was named to the league All-Star team.

Memories

“Took a train from New York to Johnson City. My instructions were to go to a hotel -- can’t remember the name -- and the ballpark the next day. When I got to the park, I was told I needed to buy a sweatshirt, T-shirt, sanitary socks, jockstrap and a cup. Didn’t know a thing about a jockstrap or cup or sanitary socks.

“After two days at the hotel, I was told I needed to find my own housing, Bob Gontkosky, one of my teammates, said a bunch of guys had rented a house and I could join them. There were 10 of us. I started by sleeping in a screened in porch. Later, when a couple of the players got released or promoted, I got my own bedroom.

“We wore hand-me-down uniforms from the Phillies -- those heavy, hot wool ones. Learned you had to get to the park early and scramble through a pile of pants to find a pair that fit. I weighed 160 pounds, and most pants were too big.

“Every afternoon, when he had home games, we’d go to a movie, grab a burger from a little greasy-spoon joint, walk to the park, play a game and walk back to the house. We rode a rickety-old bus for road games. Stayed in small hotels and got $1.50 per day for meal money. Kingsport wasn’t too far away, so we would bus there in the afternoon and back after the games.

“Looking back, it all seems so bizarre. But I was young then and having fun.”

Minor League career

The best year of his six in the Minors was 1958: .311, 13 doubles, 11 triples, 11 home runs at Bakersfield, whose manager was Paul Owens ... Advanced to Class A Williamsport (1959) followed by three years at Triple-A Buffalo (1960-62).

Phillies career

Made debut as a 21-year-old, second game of a Shibe Park doubleheader against Pittsburgh, Sept. 20, 1960 ... Spent 1961 at Buffalo and began the next year there again. After 24 games, he was called up on May 18. He never returned to the Minors again. First hit, May 19, 1962, a fourth-inning RBI single off the Cubs’ Glenn Hobbie at Shibe Park ... Won the Gold Glove (1963), his first full season in The Show ... Played eight total seasons for Phils. Missed a lot of the 1966 season with back problems. A recurrence ended his Phillies playing days, with May 21, 1968, being his last game.

1964 season

Played in 126 games, starting 83 at shortstop. Manager Gene Mauch also started Ruben Amaro (69) and Cookie Rojas (10) at that position. Oddly, Amaro succeeded Wine-o as the Gold Glove winner. Mauch often had both Ruben and Bobby on the field at the end of the game, using their defensive skills at other positions. Bobby finished 16 games at third base.

When Jim Bunning took the mound in the first game of a doubleheader at Shea Stadium, June 21, Rojas was at shortstop, Wine-o on the bench. With Bunning perfect through five innings and leading, 2-0, Wine pinch-ran for left fielder Wes Covington in the top of the sixth and scored the third run. Rojas moved to left field, and Wine finished the game at shortstop. Bunning won, 6-0. Wine caught two popups, including the first out of the ninth.

“We got off to a good start, pretty good pitching, solid defense, decent power from [Dick] Allen, [Johnny] Callison and Covington. Won games playing good fundamental baseball,” Wine says recalling the season. “It snowballed into a good season. Then it snowballed the other way. We’d butcher a routine play, a key bad hop hit over an infielder’s head, a base hit off a glove, we didn’t hit the way we did earlier and the pitching struggled. We just figured ‘go get ‘em tomorrow.

“Mauch was calm throughout the streak, totally unlike him. We didn’t panic and looked to Gene who didn’t show any panic.”

Big league career

Wine spent 15 years in the Majors, including with the Expos (1969-72). Most of his playing career came under Mauch. Wine wound up in Montreal at the end of Spring Training as compensation for pitcher Larry Jackson, who retired after being chosen by the Expos in the Expansion Draft.

1970 was one of his best years. He had his career highs in games, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, RBIs and walks. He broke the National League record for most double plays by a shortstop, 137.

He played in the last game at Connie Mack Stadium (Oct. 1, 1970), getting the last double in the historic ballpark. It drove in the lone Montreal run in a 2-1, 10-inning loss. Wine and the Expos played the first game at Veterans Stadium (April 10, 1971). Back on Sept. 18, 1963, he recorded the last triple at the Polo Grounds.

Wine played his last game on July 8, 1972. His career average is .215. “Yea, but I hit 30 home runs, one more than [Richie] Ashburn,” he said laughing.

Coaching career

He coached for the Phillies (1972-83), Braves (1985-92) and Mets (1993-96). He served as interim manager for the last 41 games of the Braves (1985). He returned to the Braves as the advance scout (1997) under manager Bobby Cox. When Cox retired (2010), so did Wine.

A large part of Atlanta's success in its string of division titles has been linked to his work in sharing his astute baseball observations directly with Cox.

Fran and Bobby reside in Norristown, Pa., a home they rented and then purchased from Tommy Lasorda. They raised three children (Robbie, Beth and Kenny). Now their hands are full with 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandkids.