Title/Author:
“Chumps to Champs: How
the Worst Yankee Teams in History Became the Torre-era Dynasty” by Bill
Pennington
Tags:
Baseball,
professional, history, championship, Yankees
Publish date:
May 7, 2019
Length:
288 pages
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)
Review:
Believe it or not, there was a time –
the early 1990’s to be precise – when the New York Yankees were among the worst
teams in baseball. Star players who
became free agents, such as Greg Maddux and Barry Bonds, turned down more money
from the Yankees to sign with other teams.
Attendance was plummeting. The
owner and a star player were engaged in a conflict that led to the expulsion
from baseball (rescinded after two years) of owner George Steinbrenner. How the team rose from those depths to become
the best team in the game later that decade is captured in this informative but
fun book by veteran sportswriter Bill Pennington.
More known for his golf writing, Pennington covered the Yankees for a northern New Jersey newspaper in the early 1990’s and therefore had inside information about those woeful Yankee teams and players. The book starts with one of the most infamous games in the team’s history, a 4-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox in which the starting pitcher, Andy Hawkins, did not give up a hit. The no-hitter was removed from the official records the next year, but the writing about that game and the subsequent information on those Yankee teams was some of the best reading in the entire book.
Pennington then goes on to write
about the banishment of Steinbrenner and the circumstances with him and Dave
Winfield that led to that suspension. Many believe, including Pennington, that
the lack of Steinbrenner’s meddling with the general manager, field manager,
scouts and other personnel, turned to be the best thing to happen to the
team. I enjoyed reading about
Steinbrenner’s interference, especially when Pennington notes that the press
called him “Mr. Tunes” This came about
because, like a jukebox that will play music when you put in a quarter, Steinbrenner
was sure to “sing” when a press member would call him.
There are stories about the general
manager of the team during this time when Steinbrenner was away, Gene “Stick”
Michael. Not only did Michael put the
team together, especially with the “Core Four” of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada,
Andy Pettite and Mariano Rivera, Michael was also the one person who could
argue against one of the owner’s orders and not only keep his job, but also
have his idea put into effect. This is
important because even after Steinbrenner’s return to the team in 1993, Michael
still ran the show and Pennington’s writing reflects that.
There are plenty of stories about
the Core Four and also Bernie Williams, who also played a key role in the
Yankees’ success in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Readers who have read other sources on these
players will not learn much new information on them, but for readers who want
to learn more about how Jeter, Posada, Pettite and Rivera rose through the
minor league system of the Yankees to become the dominant players they became, this
book is a very good source for that.
There are many “what if” situations
that came close to fruition that seem very implausible to think about now. Steinbrenner
threatened to move the Yankees without a new stadium (that became a reality in
2009). There were several times where the team was going to trade either Jeter
or Rivera. This is especially true for Rivera when he was a middling starting pitcher
and hadn’t yet become the dominant closer he would become. Also, the transformation of Posada from a
second baseman to a catcher is something that seems hard to believe now –
Posada turning the double play ball at second. These passages were also
excellent parts to read, as was the thrilling 1995 Divisional Series playoff
against the Seattle Mariners. While the Yankees
ultimately lost that series, it was compelling reading. Nearly 24 years after those games, I was getting
goose bumps while reading about game five, even though I knew the outcome.
Yankee fans will especially want to
read this excellent account about the team.
It is complete in every way – from the action on the field to the maneuvering
in the front office, this is an outstanding account of restoring the luster of
the most successful franchise in the four major sports.
I wish to thank Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an
honest review.
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)
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