The Yankee Years
by Joe Torre, Tom Verducci
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Book Reviews of The Yankee Years
Book Review: A **Baseball** Book, not a Yankee Book
Summary: 4 Stars
The Yankee Years is misnamed. It's a book about baseball's evolution over the past 12 years, and features outstanding writing by Tom Verducci on a variety of baseball issues. There are reports on the rise of steroids, the economics of baseball, the way scouting and player development have changed, and many other facets of the game. It is called The Yankee Years because during this time in baseball history the Yanks made the playoffs every season.
A few notes:
First, Joe Torre's name is on the cover but he basically had nothing to do with the book besides giving the real author, Tom Verducci, some interviews. Also, I suppose having Torre's name on the cover isn't hurting the book's sales.
Second, this is not a book about the Yankees. It's a book about the game of baseball and how it evolved over the dozen years Torre managed the Yankees. There are whole parts of this book that have nothing to do with the Yankees at all. However, the Yankees provide the central narrative for the book as their season-to-season performances are chronicled to anchor the chapters about steroids, free agency, revenue sharing, sabremetrics, and the breakdown of the Yankee dynasty.
Third, anyone who hates the Yankees will love this book and revel in the breakdown of how they stopped being a dynasty by signing over the hill sociopaths and addicts like Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, and Jason Giambi.
Finally, the book is well-written. Verducci does a masterful job putting the pieces together to form a cohesive narrative. The book loses a star due to the overlong final chapters detailing Torre's last year at the helm of the Yankee ship. The editor must have missed the duplicated paragraphs that were taken from earlier in the book and reinserted at the end.
Book Review: Not the juicy tell all that you are looking for
Summary: 3 Stars
Of course I heard all the publicity about Joe Torre's new book and expected an insightful and thrilling tell-all. If you are any kind of fan and have read better books such as THE LAST NIGHT OF THE YANKEE DYNASTY by Buster Olney, you will find much of the information in this book repetitive and bland. Many of the pages recount scores and series and at bats which I believe can be a great back-drop to set up personalities integral to a deeper insight into the Yankees and the players Torre managed. That does not seem to be the case with this book and many of the pages were wasted with bland story-telling and things many fans may have already known.
The fact that Torre's name graces the cover of this book as an author is ridiculous. He was used as probably the primary source but the entire book was written by Verducci who just has numerous quotes from Torre with very few revolutionary thoughts on intriguing topics. The chapter on "A-Fraud" was somewhat interesting, but could have been much more-so had Torre written the book many of us thought he was writing. I could say the same for the steriods chapter entailing Roger Clemens friendship with Brian McNamee. Information about Kenny Lofton of all people was fairly intriguing, but overall I was surprised and somewhat shocked at how mundane and boring this book was. Perhaps I am a victim of the fact that I have read 10 baseball books a year with Olney's above mentioned one probably the best in the last several years.
If you are looking for a juicy tell-all like Canseco, this is not it. If you read only one baseball book a year, you might enjoy this and it is probably worth your time, but if you are familiar with the Yankee's and have done some reading, you can read at your own risk.
Book Review: Beyond The Standings and Pinstripes: Airing Dirty Laundry Yankee Style, WHY?
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Book Review: "The Yankee Years" is insightful, not vindictive
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been anxiously anticipating this book for quite some time, and now that it has arrived I am not disappointed. Let me be clear on one thing, despite the recent attention in the media about the criticisms of Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi and members of the Yankees front office, what stands out even more in this book is Torre's love of the Yankees, his respect for our captain Derek Jeter and our legendary closer Mariano Rivera, and all those who make up Yankee Fandom.
It is a deeply moving, thought provoking book -- not a rash vindictive accounting on Torre's part, but a careful consideration of his time with the Yankees.
I highly recommend this book to any baseball fan. Joe Torre is a class act and this is a great book that offers amazing insight into the most historic franchise in professional sports.
I enjoy reading as much as I can on the Yankees. I can also highly recommend with 5 star ratings these two fantastic books for all baseball fans, but especially for Yankee fans:
New York Yankees: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports (Sports by the Numbers)In this Sports by the Numbers title you will find many of the moments Torre discusses in his book, written in a creative and unique format that is a great read for any Yankee fan.
Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course of True Love with the New York Yankees And you have to love Jane Heller -- she's hilarious.
Yankee fans, three great books you have to read.
Book Review: You Don't Need to be a Yankee Fan to Enjoy
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm a Red Sox fan just outside Boston, but more importantly, I'm a fan of baseball. I've grown up with a gross respect for what the Yankees and Joe Torre accomplished and loathed every second of it. With that said, this is one of the best sports related books I've read. I recently told a friend if a book like "The Yankee Years" (TYY) existed for every franchise, I'd buy them all. Even though my youth was spent tortured by baseball's last dynasty, it was interesting to learn how New York operated and achieved its gaudy success. Some detractors have stated "TYY" isn't as enthralling or insightful as other Yankees based books and that much of the insider information is repetitive, but since I haven't read any other Yankee books, my level of enjoyment did not suffer. I know a freakish amount about baseball, especially the American League East, but I still learned quite a bit (most interestingly the thought process behind many of Torre's managerial decisions and the front office's organizational decisions on player personnel). Although it might be a stretch to list him as an author rather than a major contributor, Torre's honesty is refreshing and the clubhouse stories are an enjoyable break from the cookie cutter answers most players and coaches give in interviews. I read the book in under a week and am wholeheartedly disappointed it's finished. "TYY" is certainly worth any fan's time. If you love the Yankees, there's no reason you shouldn't read this. If you hate them but can manage to withstand reliving New York's dominance, you'll learn the organization isn't quite the perfect machine you may have thought, and at the very least, that dysfunction should make you feel a little bit better.