 Verdi was still wearing the plastic lining in his baseball cap, in lieu of a batting helmet, and the lining deflected the bullet away from his head; it lodged in his shoulder and caused a minor wound.Verdi made a much larger mark as a minor league manager for 21 seasons (1961–70; 1972; 1974; 1977–85) at the affiliated level.He spent much of that period in the Yankees' farm system, winning Triple-A International League championships in 1969 and 1970 (with the Syracuse Chiefs) and in 1981 (with the Columbus Clippers).