Review of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty”

Keeping up with my theme of reading a book about the team or sport I am attending, I read this book on the New York Yankees on a bus trip to Yankee Stadium. Even though it’s been out for a long time, I have had it on my TBR pile for a long time and now it’s finally on the “previously read” file. 

Title/Author: “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty” by Buster Olney

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: In the six year period from 1996 to 2001, the New York Yankees played in the World Series 5 times, winning 4 of them in 1996 and in 1998-2000. This book by ESPN baseball expert Buster Olney examines the only one they lost in that time frame and specifically game 7 in which they lost when Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera allowed two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Arizona Diamondbacks their first, and so far only, championship.

The book digs deeply into the Yankee organization, from owner George Steinbrenner and his micromanagement of the club to players who were important to the success of the team. This included the superstars like Derek Jeter, other key players like Tino Martinez and David Cone (even though Cone was not on the team in 2001) and Chad Curtis. Even if a reader has read other books or material on the Yankees during that time frame, this is still a very interesting look at the team and one might find new information on those Yankee teams. 

This type of information is inserted between chapters that describe an inning of game 7 on the 2001 World Series. If there is anything that makes the book less than enjoyable for a reader, it could be this back and forth between game 7 and the sections on the Yankee organization. I thought that structuring the book in this manner worked well, especially when the chapter on game 7 ended with a Yankee player making a hit or out and the next chapter would lead with something about that player. 

It’s a different look at that time frame of the storied Yankee history. It also isn’t too critical of the team but doesn’t sugar coat the problems that were building up beneath all the winning. It’s a fair and balanced book that baseball readers should enjoy.  

Link:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BM2ZM2/ref=ku_mi_rw_edp_ku