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Twelve straight playoff appearances. Six American League pennants. Four World Series titles. This is the definitive story of a dynasty: the Yankee years
When Joe Torre took over as manager of the New York Yankees in 1996, the most storied franchise in sports had not won a World Series title in eighteen years. The famously tough and mercurial owner, George Steinbrenner, had fired seventeen managers during that span. Torre’s appointment was greeted with Bronx cheers from the notoriously brutal New York media, who cited his record as the player and manager who had been in the most Major League games without appearing in a World Series
Twelve tumultuous and triumphant years later, Torre left the team as the most beloved and successful manager in the game. In an era of multimillionaire free agents, fractured clubhouses, revenue-sharing, and off-the-field scandals, Torre forged a team ethos that united his players and made the Yankees, once again, the greatest team in sports. He won over the media with his honesty and class, and was beloved by the fans.
But it wasn’t easy.
Here, for the first time, Joe Torre and Tom Verducci take us inside the dugout, the
clubhouse, and the front office in a revelatory narrative that shows what it really took to keep the Yankees on top of the baseball world. The high-priced ace who broke down in tears and refused to go back to the mound in the middle of a game. Constant meddling from Yankee executives, many of whom were jealous of Torre’s popularity. The tension that developed between the old guard and the free agents brought in by management. The impact of revenue-sharing and new scouting techniques, which allowed other teams to challenge the Yankees’ dominance. The players who couldn’t resist the after-hours temptations of the Big Apple. The joys of managing Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, and the challenges of managing Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi. Torre’s last year, when constant ultimatums from the front office, devastating injuries, and a freak cloud of bugs on a warm September night in Cleveland forced him from a job he loved.
Through it all, Torre kept his calm, kept his players’ respect, and kept winning.
And, of course, The Yankee Years chronicles the amazing stories on the diamond. The stirring comeback in the 1996 World Series against the heavily favored Braves. The wonder of 1998, when Torre led the Yanks to the most wins in Major League history. The draining and emotional drama of the 2001 World Series. The incredible twists and turns of the epic Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series against the Red Sox, in which two teams who truly despised each other battled pitch by pitch until the stunning extra-inning home run.
Here is a sweeping narrative of Major League Baseball in the Yankee era, a book both grand in its scope and fascinating in its details.
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- ISBN13: 9780385527408- Condition: NEW
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By happytheman
Thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this book....then it got bogged down in the "Steroid usage issue". I guess I was looking forward to more from Joe. At some point I'll pick it back up and see where it ends up.
By Min L Shaw (KY)
Publicizing The Yankee Years as a Joe Torre book is misleading. This is Tom Verducci's work all the way, from start to finish. He chronicles Torre's twelve years as manager of the New York Yankees, telling Torre's story for him. To be fair, Verducci obviously collaborated with Torre and in fact quotes from interviews with the esteemed manager throughout to give a semblance of involvement. The third person perspective alone makes clear that this is not, in fact, coming from the pen of Joe Torre.
Despite his admittedly impressive resume (including a co-author credit on Torre's earlier memoirs, Chasing the Dream), Verducci's work here is underwhelming. Each chapter reads as little more than an expanded version of an article Verducci might composed for Sports Illustrated and longtime fans are not likely to walk away with any more insight into the era than they already had. Then there's his tendency to namedrop players only by their surnames, so newer fans might not know--or care--who's being discussed throughout various passages. (If you're frustrated by not being able to remember a player, you'll be surprised how much more frustrating it is to be given his last name and not be sure what his first name is without doing external research.) Lastly, Verducci occasionally employs a metaphor for humor's sake that likely serves him well in magazine articles, but is out of place in a book. I meant to record it verbatim, but the gist of the worst offender is a remark early on about how a disgruntled player was best approached wearing a hazardous material suit. Really?
Still, even a broken clock is right twice a day and where Verducci succeeds is telling the story of the relationship between the New York Yankees and the rest of Major League Baseball from 1995-2007. Especially well-researched is the chapter on the rise of steroids culture (and no wonder; performance-enhancing substances is a favorite subject of Verducci's). Indeed, the most illuminating passages step outside Yankee Stadium altogether and explore the changing landscape of player behavior, fan expectations and the revolution among owners to overhaul the very nature of the front office and how it meets its objective of finding and fielding a less costly, yet competitive, team.
Ultimately, there are no new insights shared in The Yankee Years, and history will not be restricted to its documentation of the era covered. Fans of Verducci's writing are much likelier to be pleased than are fans of Torre's.
By John D. Sullivan
Item received promptly in condition described. Great service. I would definitely use this seller again.
By M. Arceri (Dallas, TX)
Debuted at #1. The media hype about Torre trashing Arod and the crew was to sell books, and highly exaggerated. A very interesting and well-written book that is as much about inside baseball commentary as the Yankees. Even if you're not a Yankees fan, you'll like it. Goes a lot into how coaches develop young players, the free agent mania, conditioning, luxury tax issues, coddling the egos, and so forth. Joe's a straight shooting statistics guy, and explains his decisions he's made in black and white based on truth in numbers, not emotions.
By H. F. Miglino (Old Bridge, New jersey United States)
I enyoyed reading the book. It is a worthwhile read. For most Yankee fans it is the pinstripes and the standings. Who really cares the Yankee scouts did not get their World Series Rings and then when they get them get fake ones to boot. Billy Crystal and Rohan Tynan got World Series rings (I am sure Rudy Guiliani also got one), I find that strange. George did not want to give the coaches their bonus money. Carl Pavano, what a dud, who ever answered for signing him. Did anyone look around the room and say who suggested we sigh him or Kevin Brown, Gary Sheffield or Randy Johnson for that matter. Wells was tolerated because he could pitch. As long as you can pitch ANYONE is tolerated. Torre had his favorites, Cone, Bernie, Posada, Jeter. A-Rod never fit in with Joe. Yankees had to have him, he is star power, a Broadway Star. A Rod was signed to draw 4 million fans a year.
I believe Joe wrote the book (with Tom Verducci)as a backhanded slap at the Yankees. Joe did not need the money or fame. His place in the H.O.F is secure. When Joe shows up in the mid 1990's Yankees are a ship sailing aimlessly in the night. When Joe leaves 4 million plus in the house, $2500 seats, new stadium, $20 steak sandwiches, etc. He wanted a second year on the contract, it was that simple. Yankees said no to a second year and don't let the door hit you in the behind when you leave. Alas, Joe writes the book. It will be many years before Joe ever will return to the Stadium, what a shame. No mention of him when the Stadium closed last year during the last game. EVERYONE GOT OVERPAID BY THE YANKEES, they should have given him the 2nd year and let him manage in the new stadium. He earned it as much as anyone.
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