From Publishers Weekly
How do you pick just 50 great games from among the thousands played by the most successful franchise in pro sports? It's not easy, but Tan does a fine job choosing the most important contests from 100 seasons of Yankee baseball and recounting them in a gripping style. From Babe Ruth's "called shot," to Bucky Dent's devastating 1978 playoff homerun, to Aaron Boone's clinching blow in the 2003 American League Championship Series, most of the biggest events in Yankee history are brought to life in this book. One can argue with some of Tan's choices-and Yankee fans inevitably will-but that's half the fun. Tan, an experienced baseball writer and devoted Yankee fan, draws on research, contemporary press accounts and interviews she conducted with players such as Yogi Berra, Dwight Gooden, Reggie Jackson, Bobby Murcer and Whitey Ford to recreate the games and illuminate key moments. Tan displays a knack for narrative, developing entertaining, dramatic story lines even though the outcome is never a surprise. If you saw one of the games (or watched it on television), long-forgotten details will come flooding back. If you didn't see the game, you'll almost feel as if you were there. Yankee fans should enjoy this celebration of their favorite team.
Review
"Cecilia Tan has written a Yankee Doodle Dandy of a book. The reader is taken through the dramatic ebb and flow of the 50 greatest Yankee games. We learn a lot about the team from the Bronx in this fact-filled, entertainingly written opus. Should be required reading for all fans of the New York Yankees." —Harvey Frommer, author of A Yankee Century and The New York Yankee Encyclopedia
Book Description
"Cecilia Tan has written a Yankee Doodle Dandy of a book. The reader is taken through the dramatic ebb and flow of the 50 greatest Yankee games. We learn a lot about the team from the Bronx in this fact-filled, entertainingly written opus. Should be required reading for all fans of the New York Yankees." —Harvey Frommer, author of A YANKEE CENTURY and THE NEW YORK YANKEE ENCYCLOPEDIA
From Opening Day in 1903, when the Highlanders—soon to be called Yankees by headline and sports writers alike—first took the field, to the tension-filled 2003 pennant race with the Red Sox, Yankee fans of all ages have witnessed history in the making time and time again. Now, this unique tribute brings to life the 50 greatest Yankee games of all time, taking you back to games so unforgettable, if you weren't there, you'll wish you were.
From the Yankees' first World Series to the pennant race that pitted Joe DiMaggio against Ted Williams to the Bucky Dent home run game, you'll have the best seat in the stadium as you experience all the excitement and drama of the Yankees' best (and sometimes worst) moments. You'll also hear from legendary players such as Yogi Berra, Ryne Duren, Dwight Gooden, Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly, Willie Randolph, and many more as they share their personal recollections.
Featuring fascinating anecdotes, box scores, and vintage photographs, The 50 Greatest Yankee Games is the perfect book for every Yankee fan and anyone who cherishes the game.
From the Inside Flap
Where were you when Mickey Mantle hit a walk-off home run in the 1964 World Series? Does your great-uncle Morty still talk about the time he saw Don Larsen pitch a no-hitter? Have you gotten tired yet of telling the story about Aaron Boone's walk-off home run that won the 2003 pennant?
Every Yankee fan has a memory they will never forget or a game they wish they had been present to witness. Covering an entire century of New York Yankees baseball, The 50 Greatest Yankee Games brings together the best (and sometimes worst) moments experienced by the most successful sports franchise on the planet. From history-making plays to incredible individual achievements, from regular season games to playoffs to the World Series, Cecilia Tan deftly recreates the suspense, excitement, and drama on the field, putting you right at home plate as the action unfolds.
Drawing upon her extensive research, Tan devotes each fact-packed chapter to a single game, incorporating exclusive interviews with players, personal recollections, and quotes from newspapers and magazines of the time, as well as vintage photographs and trivia about the people, places, and events that made these games legendary. You'll hear from such Yankee greats as Yogi Berra, Al Downing, Whitey Ford, Joe Girardi, Dwight Gooden, Reggie Jackson, Phil Linz, Graig Nettles, and Roy White, to name a few. You'll also meet the not-so-famous figures who contributed to unforgettable moments in Yankee history.
From the triumphs to the heartbreaks, you'll be there as: Bert Daniels enters the record books in 1912 by hitting for the cycle. Babe Ruth performs the most debated gesture in sports history. Joe DiMaggio reaches one milestone on his way to another. "The Wild Man" tames the Dodgers, but the Bombers fail to score. Bobby Murcer delivers the game-winning hit just hours after delivering the eulogy at Thurman Munson's funeral. Dave Righetti throws his no-hitter against the Red Sox. Don Mattingly shines, but Seattle savors the day.
Written with all the enthusiasm and spirit of a die-hard Yankee fan, The 50 Greatest Yankee Games captures all the mania, mystery, and magic surrounding the most popular baseball team of all time.
From the Back Cover
"Cecilia Tan has written a Yankee Doodle Dandy of a book. The reader is taken through the dramatic ebb and flow of the 50 greatest Yankee games. We learn a lot about the team from the Bronx in this fact-filled, entertainingly written opus. Should be required reading for all fans of the New York Yankees." —Harvey Frommer, author of A YANKEE CENTURY and THE NEW YORK YANKEE ENCYCLOPEDIA
From Opening Day in 1903, when the Highlanders—soon to be called Yankees by headline and sports writers alike—first took the field, to the tension-filled 2003 pennant race with the Red Sox, Yankee fans of all ages have witnessed history in the making time and time again. Now, this unique tribute brings to life the 50 greatest Yankee games of all time, taking you back to games so unforgettable, if you weren't there, you'll wish you were.
From the Yankees' first World Series to the pennant race that pitted Joe DiMaggio against Ted Williams to the Bucky Dent home run game, you'll have the best seat in the stadium as you experience all the excitement and drama of the Yankees' best (and sometimes worst) moments. You'll also hear from legendary players such as Yogi Berra, Ryne Duren, Dwight Gooden, Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly, Willie Randolph, and many more as they share their personal recollections.
Featuring fascinating anecdotes, box scores, and vintage photographs, The 50 Greatest Yankee Games is the perfect book for every Yankee fan and anyone who cherishes the game.
About the Author
CECILIA TAN was born in New York City and raised a Yankee fan by her dad, who got hooked on the team after emigrating from the Philippines. She has written features for Yankees Magazine (the official scorecard magazine of the New York Yankees), Mudville, Baseball Ink, Baseball Today, and Picto. Tan was formerly a columnist for Yankees Xtreme, the team's official Web site prior to the centralization of MLB.com, and a staff writer for Yankeebaseball.net. She produces her own online baseball magazine, Why I Like Baseball, and is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Tan is also a noted fiction writer and editor.
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