What They Have Said About the Book:
Boston Globe
2005 Edition Significantly revised from last year's hardcover (2004) version to
take in the great events of last year. Filled with photos and chatty
observation.
MARTHA'S
VINEYARD TIMES
If you can stand any more agony/ecstasy, Harvey and Frederic Frommer's
"Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry" is an entertaining
text that explores the psychological and athletic dimensions of
the age-old rivalry between the two baseball franchises. The father-son
team of Frommer and Frommer fill the book with oral and narrative
histories, statistics, facts, anecdotes, and interviews that bring
the rivalry to life in a vivid fashion.
Harvey
Frommer is the author of more than 33 sports books. His son, Frederic,
is a political reporter with the Associated Press in Washington,
D.C. Together they combine their reporting talents to probe how
these two teams have sustained a century-old rivalry that still
stirs the blood of the citizens of their respective cities. The
book includes exclusive interviews with former state governors Mario
Cuomo and Michael Dukakis, former White House press secretary Ari
Fleischer, and baseball names such as Don Zimmer, Jerry Remy, Nomar
Garciaparra, Theo Epstein, Derek Lowe, Phil Rizzuto, Dwight Evans,
Willie Randolph, Lou Pinella, and others.
The
book features in-depth profiles of baseball greats Ted Williams
and Joe DiMaggio. It also explores the personality and magic of
Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. There is a "Rivalry Timeline"
that outlines how the rivalry has been sustained and fueled by new
generations of players and fans over the years. The fur flies in
the "Talkin' Rivalry" section where players, fans, and
journalists sound off about the continuing battle between the two
teams.
Frommer
and son have blended 256 pages of text and 125 photos into an entertaining,
quick-paced book that puts the Sox/Yankees conflict into a larger
historical perspective -- something to treasure.
-- Julian Wise
BOSTON
PHOENIX
As a baseball fan and a long-time observer of the BostonNew
York contretemps, it was with great optimism that I recently received
the newly published coffee-table publication, Red Sox vs. Yankees:
The Great Rivalry (Sports Publishing LLC), written by sports author
Harvey Frommer, along with his son, Frederic J. Frommer. Its title
is self-explanatory, and it's likely that this is the best publication
on the shelves in terms of dissecting the history and nature of
this seemingly never-ending feud. Among its 10 chapters are 1) a
timeline of the two teams' respective histories; 2) a chapter completely
devoted to last year's ALCS clash; 3) a look at the memorable 1978
season (culminating with the one-game playoff at Fenway; 4) a comprehensive
account of the history of the franchises; 5) the cultures of Red
Sox and Yankee fans and some of the memorable events that shaped
them; 6) a look at the two ballparks; 7) profiles of the respective
teams' two arguably most-prolific icons: Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams;
8) the "marker" games (key contests along the way); 9)
reflections from fans and observers from both sides on their feelings
toward the rivalry and their favorite memories (including comments
from Rudy Giuliani, Bud Selig, George Steinbrenner, Mario Cuomo,
Michael Dukakis, and countless others); and finally, 10) a breakdown
of the two organizations capsule histories, awards, Hall-of-Famers,
year-by-year records, and so on. Good stuff, all. There is plenty
to like about this book, and there's nearly everything you'd want
to know about the rivalry.
HARTFORD COURANT
"Red Sox Vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry," (Sports Publishing,
256 pages, $24.95), which revisits the 100-year battle -- seemingly
always won by the Bronx Bombers -- between the two teams. Authors
Harvey Frommer and Frederic Frommer interview politicians, former
and current players and others for their thoughts on the rivalry,
which may now be at its pinnacle. The book also offers excellent
photographs and more proof that baseball really is life.
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL
A beautiful new coffee table book on the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry
is out, written by Harvey Frommer and Frederic J. Frommer.
TAMPA TRIBUNE
Few sports rivalries have inflamed passions more than the New York
Yankees against the Boston Red Sox, and last autumn's gripping seven-game
American League Championship Series was the perfect example. Harvey
Frommer has written 34 books on baseball, including "The New
York Yankee Encyclopedia" and he teams with his son, Frederic,
for a second time (their first work was "Growing Up Baseball")
to produce a lively, intense and colorful look at a century of memorable
games. Color photography from last season's ALCS meshes well with
vintage photos of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Mickey
Mantle. Politicians like Rudy Giuliani, Michael Dukakis and Mario
Cuomo offer their insights, along with former and current players
and coaches such as Nomar Garciaparra, longtime Pinellas County
resident Don Zimmer, Grady Little, Ralph Houk, Mike Torrez and Phil
Rizzuto. The book highlights the great games and heated pennant
and division races that have made this rivalry legendary.
BOSTONSPORTSMEDIA.COM
Harvey Frommer is a professor at Dartmouth College and the author
of more than 33 sports books. Along with his son, Frederic, who
is a correspondent for the AP out of Washington DC, they have written
a new book that is totally dedicated to the rivalry between the
Red Sox and Yankees.
The book is a coffee-table style book loaded with pictures from
the years of rivalry, right down to last fall. There are pictures
of Zimmer on his face on the Fenway turf. There's a picture of Manny,
bat in hand motioning towards Clemens. There are pictures, stories
and recaps from the battles of the 70's with Munson and Fisk, back
to the 40's with DiMaggio and Williams.
There is a section of the book just dedicated to pictures of Fenway
Park and Yankee Stadium. The pictures throughout the book really
make the book. There is a section in the back that consists of just
quotes from people involved with the rivalry, players, executives,
fans and yes, media members.
All in all, the book's best feature is the pictures. Many of which
I had never seen before, and many that have historical significance.
The book focuses on the games and series between the teams. It's
about the rivalry, and as such, it does a pretty good job.
BLACK
ATHLETE.COM
BRISTOL, CT.--- From the 1920 sale of Babe Ruth's contract to the
current pursuit of the game's best player, one thing has been a
constant. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Their's is a
rivalry that's had more twists and turns than an episode of "Law
and Order".
While Boston's ill-fated decision allowing the Bambino to wear the
pinstripes stands as this rivalry's focal point, over the years
many other things have been a part of it as well.
In this latest chapter, author Harvey Frommer along with his son
Frederic, capture the essence of what many feel is sports greatest
rivalry. In "Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry",
the Frommers puts the reader right along side the people, places,
and events of these two foes.
You can argue that maybe Army-Navy, Celtics-Lakers, or even Dodgers-Giants
may be bigger rivalries, but after reading this book you'll soon
realize neither one is as passionate as Red Sox-Yankees.
Ironically, the book begins with a look back at the 2003 American
League Championship Series where the Yankees prevailed over the
Red Sox in a 7-game series that featured everything from a beanball
incident to a dramatic series-ending homer.
It also takes a look at the off-season moves by both clubs following
the season. Ironically, the largest move (New York acquiring Alex
Rodriguez) is omitted because it happened shortly after the book
was released.
Along the way, you'll see archival photos (some taken by the authors
themselves) of former and current greats such as Hall of Famers
Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, Reggie Jackson and Jim Rice, and
Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra.
The Frommers also explore the dreaded "Curse of The Bambino"
from the Boston point of view. The impact of Boston's decision to
let the Babe walk has been a deadly thorn in the side of every fan
in Red Sox Nation.
The book also includes a timeline of yearly events and how they
related to the rivalry. A look at the pennant races of 1949 and
1978 (both won by New York) and their subtle similarities.
From Smokey Joe Wood to Aaron "Bleepin" Boone, the "Great
Rivaly" has a little something for all factions (Yankee fans,
Red Sox fans, Yankee haters, Red Sox haters) to look at with angst
or humor.
Not to mention, the other players, club officials, celebrities,
and others on why this rivalry remains to be a lightning rod for
all sports fans. With the baseball season ready to start in earnest,
the Frommer's book will more than get you ready for the season.
That is, unless you root for any other team in the AL East.
BOY OF SUMMER.COM
As a Yankee fan myself, there are few endeavors more satisfying
than reading about the histories of my favorite team, its closest
rival, and their competition with each other. This book was and
is a pleasure for me to read. Its pages are filled with stories
of Yankees and Red Sox games and series, players and trades, fans
and fights, quips and quotes, playoff wins and losses, heartbreak
and joy for both teams. OK, so mostly heartbreak for the Red Sox.
The Frommers start the book with a timeline that starts with the
birth of Babe Ruth in 1895 and ends with the acquisition of Curt
Schilling by the Red Sox in November of 2004. The book then provides
an entire chapter on the Red Sox and Yankees rivalry as it was played
out in the 2004 playoffs, which, while incredible to watch, somehow
was not nearly as exciting to read about only a few months later.
The chapter, however, like the rest of the book, is well written,
interesting in its own right, and very readable. I expect that ten
or twenty years from now, I shall be able to pick up this book and
find it an excellent resource as I recount my own memories of that
exciting seven-game series to my own children or (God help you)
yours. The book, like the rivalry it recalls, will stand the test
of time, I expect.
I know this because the very next chapter focuses especially on
the 1978 season, and it is a great read. The Yankees and Red Sox
were both vying for the AL East title and were forced to play a
one-game playoff to win it, which the Yanks did, even though they
had been down as much as 14 games in the standings as late as July
18th. From that huge deficit, to Reggie getting benched for dogging
it, to Billy Martin getting canned to Ron Guidry's 25-3 record to
Bucky-Effing-Dent, there is no dull paragraph in the chapter. Harvey
and or Frederic Frommer could have made a great living as a beat
writer, had they not gone into slightly more prestigious careers
as an Ivy League professor and a political journalist, respectively.
Moving on through the book, the Frommers spend chapters focusing
on the general histories of the teams, the cultures and moods cultivated
by the Rivalry, the merits and limitations of the respective ballparks,
special games between the two clubs, a collection of quotes from
various players, fans ad others, and list of statistics and trivia
about the two teams. They even devote an entire chapter to perhaps
the greatest rivalry between players on these two fabled teams,
Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. Frankly, this is one area in which
I think the Red Sox have a decided advantage, though I doubt if
many of my fellow Yankee fans would back me up on this.
As you may have deduced, the Red Sox don't have many advantages
in this rivalry, and therefore I would venture a guess that this
book doesn't offer nearly as much for them as it does for Yankees
fans. In fact, the title, "Red Sox vs. Yankees", is about
the only time that Boston has gotten first billing in this struggle
for the last three quarters of a century. Personally, I can't imagine
being very excited about spending hours on end reading about the
myriad disappointments and seemingly endless heartbreak associated
with my chosen team, thankyouverymuch. But maybe that's just me.
Regardless of your particular bent, Red Sox vs. Yankees is still
a very well-done book. As a coffee-table book, it offers large,
whole-panel pictures, many of them in vibrant color, to appease
the eye, and solid writing to appease the mind. And even the price
is right!
INSIDE BASEBALL.COM
"As far as great, almost mythological sagas go, the Red Sox-Yankees
rivalry ranks right up there among modern tales of drama, with one
caveat: There is no rivalry. Until 1919 the Red Sox always won.
Since then they have always lost. Think of it this way - while a
Yankee fan would clearly revel in just about every aspect of this
new book, what Red Sox fan would even want this testimonial to heartbreak
and disaster in their hometown library much less on their coffee
table.
The book strives to maintain a balanced tone but history works against
it. From the Boston Massacre to Aaron Bleepin' Boone, the outcome
is always the same in the end. The Frommers' attention to detail
results in an entertaining compendium of anecdotes that provide
textured historical perspective for this flourishing rivalry.
There's the time in 1939 when the Yankees were stalling hoping the
umpires would call the game because of the Sunday baseball curfew.
When Fenway's faithful pelted the Yankees with debris the umpires
cleared the field, forfeiting the game to New York, an inadvertent
victory. But AL president Will Harridge overruled the decision and
even fined the Yankees for their chicanery.
And in 1978, Bucky Dent's home run heroics came about only because
he fouled a pitch off his left foot - while Dent was attended to
by the trainers, on-deck hitter Mickey Rivers noticed Dent's bat
was cracked and handed him one of his own. Still, when Dent hit
the ball, Don Zimmer, then BoSox manager in 1978 said, "That's
good. That's an out."
BALTIMORE CHOP.COM
"The ink was barely dry at the printing press when A-Rod signed
with the Yankees...proof positive that the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry
never rests, even for a few days in the icy off-season! Written
by the well-known father-son team of Harvey and Frederic Frommer,
this book may be the only thing that Sox fans and Yankee fans can
agree on. There's a March of Rivalry Timeline, starting in 1895
with the birth of you-know-who; there's a chapter on the dramatic
2003 ALCS "The Curse Lives On"...plus dozens of pages
of the history of the rivalry. Plus there's a great section of quotes
from the famous to the average Joe: Rudolph Giuliani, Larry Lucchino,
George Steinbrenner, Ari Fleischer, former Pirates minor-leaguer
Mario Cuomo, Skip from Columbia, MD, Frank from Boston, and Theo
Epstein. And Theo's father Leslie. "Someone asked me, 'What
will Theo do if he is able to get the Red Sox to win the World Series?'
I said, 'Maybe he will be the first Jewish pope.' "
Website Book Review from Phil Sperenza, March 10, 2004,
http://www.allsports.com/mlb/yYankees/rvyreview.htm
In all my days I have never seen a book that captured that rivalry
the way this one does.
BEHIND THE BOMBERS. COM
Not since the Hattfields and McCoys has there been a rivalry that
is so intense that you can cut it with a knife. And this rivalry
seems to get stronger and stronger every year. You have your Yankees-Mets,
Giants-Dodgers, Cubs-White Sox, Rangers and Islanders; I can go
on and on. Year in and year out, no matter what position the teams
hold in the standings, whether the Yankees are following the Red
Sox or the Red Sox are behind the Bombers there is that little bit
extra that makes those two team top drawer.
There were several books that were written on the subject in whole
or in part. Harvey and Frederic J. Frommer have a hit on their hands,
maybe even extra bases. Harvey Frommer a baseball and Yankee fan
living in New England is an author of over 33 sports books. He teams
up with his son Frederic J. Frommer, a political author with the
Associated Press to share their own experiences and collect scores
of others. They put them all together in a beautiful hardcover coffee
table book for us all to enjoy.
Rarely
do I read a book cover to cover in such a small time period but this
book leaves you asking for more and more. In all my days I have never
seen a book that captured that rivalry the way this one does. This
book covers it from every perspective (with a slight slant towards
the Yankees).
This book gives a day-by-day, month-by-month, decade-by-decade chronological
calendar of every event that has built up the friction that exists
between these two teams and their fans. It tops it all off with a
detailed recap of the 2003 ALCS. It is the ultimate stage for the
great competition between the two clubs.
What book on this subject wouldn't cover the 1978 season? This one
takes you from when the Yankees trailed the Sox by 14 games in August
right through to the Bucky Dent home run in the AL East tiebreaker.
It rekindles each and every memory that you have tucked away of that
monumental season. It goes into detail of the teams' histories as
well as the background of two of the finest Stadiums in baseball history.
Behind every great ballpark is a great player (or two dozen) and what
two better players exemplify the traditions of their respective teams
than Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams? And the Frommers present them
both in classy fashion.
There is a chapter called the Marker Games, which highlights some
of the classic confrontations of the bitter rivals. That brings me
to what is my favorite part of the book. It is the recollections of
the rivalry by the people that watched, covered and played them. Not
only are there celebrities, writers and former players but also there
are fans just like you and I. Fans, celebrities and players from both
sides of the fence share their memories with us, both happy and not
so happy. You will see names like Don Zimmer, Ralph Houk, Willie Randolph,
Dwight Evans, Mike Stanley just to name a few of the players and coaches.
Politicians like America's Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former governors Mario
Cuomo (NY) and Michael Dukakis (Mass), former White House press secretary
Ari Fleisher and many more. Best of all there are fans, Boston Fans
and New York Fans. It is like a good bar argument without the fear
of getting beer spilled on you.
And what great photos!! Color, Black and White, Classic, Today, you
can spend hours looking at the pictures alone.
This book is a must for Yankees, Red Sox and Baseball fans alike.
It will definitely clear away a few of those cobwebs. It will bring
out your own stories, make you remember where your were when Bucky
Dent hit "the" home run (or if you a Boston fan, Bucky "effing"
Dent). I would rate this book in the top five Yankee books that I
have read. I suspect the Frommer name might be on a couple more on
my list.
THE HIGHLANDER
I loved it and read it in 2 days)Perfect for fans of the Bronx OR
Beantown Bombers! Harvey and Fred Frommer have once again, done the
impossible. Red Sox vs. Yankees "The Rivalry" may very well
be the first (and last) book you will ever see on BOTH New York AND
Boston fan's coffee tables. Written with the Frommer's usual attention
to detail, "The Rivalry" covers virtually every aspect of
this love-hate relationship with equal time given to both sides. A
thorough history of both franchises clearly illustrates what makes
these ball clubs so special and the testimonial section (featuring
athletes, politicians and everyday fans from both cities) grants the
reader passage into the psyche of their counterparts. We enjoyed everything
about this book from Fred's introduction referencing a childhood trip
to Fenway, to the wonderful photography from Harvey's private collection,
to the closing side-by-side comparisons of the cities of Boston and
New York. No fan should be without it.
NEW JERSEY.COM
On the Bookshelf, By renowned Sport Authors Harvey & Frederic
Frommer has just been released. It covers nearly a 100 years worth
of historic Red Sox - Yankees rivalry right through the 2003 ALCS.
For the content to be any fresher they would have to come to your
house and update it after the game on Sunday.
BASEBALLOLOGY.COM,
by Russ Cohen
There is a new book out that has the title listed above and its timing
is perfect especially with the "Curse of A-Rod." Now all
of those events happened after this book was printed but it made the
current rivalry the hottest in sports.
The book is a classy coffee-table book that has some great vintage
photos of Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams
to name a few. This book covers the rivalry day-by-day and has quotes
from such notables as Theo Epstein; the current GM of the BoSox, who
claims the dreaded curse doesn't exist. Pedro Martinez, who would
drill the Bambino and Rudy Giuliani, who takes the high road (sorry,
read the book).
You will see some of the amazing photos like the 1986 WS ball and
very rare shots of Ruth plus you can read about the joy that the Yankees'
fans have felt and the sorrow that Red Sox fans still feel today,
should I mention Aaron Boone here?
Even if you are a tortured Sox fan you will want to read the chapter
nine where fans and other notables sent in their thoughts on the historic
games over the years or just what they feel in their gut. Misery enjoys
company (good for Boston fans and you can count my entry in with that
one!, Page 214) and front-runners enjoy rubbing it in - - the perfect
oil and water mix!
Harvey and his son Frederic left no stone unturned and really captured
the essence of why these two teams love/hate to face each other every
season. Red Sox fans are waiting for their time but have a lot of
positive memories and we won't mention the Bronx Bomber fans that
have had it too good for too long.
Any sports fan will love this book because rivalries are what make
games and series' memorable.
"Perfect for fans of the Bronx OR Beantown Bombers!" - The
Pinstripe Press
TRAVEL WATCH.COM
There are baseball books and then there is this gem from Harvey and
Fred Frommer. It is a real jewel with all kinds of infomation about
the Yankees and the Red Sox: oral history, tats, quotes, long stories,
a March of Rivalry Time section that essentially showcases the ebb
and flow of the historic battles between these two terrific franchises.
There is so much to read, so many archival photographs and images
- some from Harvey Frommer's own personal collection. Priced at $24.95
- - -this has to be the baseball book bargain of the season.
USA
Today Sports Weekly
As the Yankees and red Sox gear up for more head-to-head battles
this summer, zealots on both sides of the rivalry are well-served
in this newest tribute to baseball's fiercest feud. The Frommers
cover the hostilities from every angle imaginable, giving readers
just about all they'll need to know as they settle in for upcoming
bouts in 2004.
The
fun begins with a timeline of the major events that have enlivened
the century-long competition, then turns to a comprehensive review
of last season's epic playoff series. After a look at the roller-coaster
ride of the storied 1978 AL East pennant race, the books follows
with chapters on the rivalry's origins, the clashing cultures of
the cites, a comparison between the hometown ballparks and capsule
summaries of the most significant games. There's even an entire
segment devoted to the various virtues of Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio
and their roles in the ongoing antagonism.
Capping
off the retrospectives is an open forum from both New York and Boston
advocates. Politicians, sportswriters, entertainers, ordinary fans
and the players themselvesoffer barbed , even witty viewpoints about
the rivakly. Their caustic comments should provide more than enough
combustion to fire up the Yankee and Sox faithful for this year's
remaining games. - - David Plaut
Canadian
Sports Collector
Both the Yankees and Red Sox are two of sport's storied franchises.
Both have long legacies, but in recent times one is for success,
the other for futility. With the 2004 baseball season underway,
the classic rivalry has never been hotter, especially now that Alex
Rodriguez, a commodity pursued by Boston over the winter, finds
himself playing third base in New York.
But
how did the rivalry start? The father-son team of Harvey Frommer
and Frederic J. Frommer explore the two teams in Red Sox vs. Yankees:
The Great Rivalry, a new 250-page coffee table book from Sports
Publishing. The book uses a delightful mix of history, first-person
accounts from those involved and classic photographs to tell the
story of how the Yankees became a dynasty and the Red Sox became
the perennial runner-up. From Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio to Derek
Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra, Red Sox vs. Yankees is an informative
and entertaining book for fans on either side and even outside of
the two teams' alliances.
BROTHERSJUDD.COM
Plenty of folks can tell you where they were when JFK was shot or
the Challenger exploded or what have you--Red Sox and Yankee fans
can tell you where they were when Grady Little sent Pedro out to
pitch the 8th, or when Dave Righetti pitched a 4th of July no-hitter,
or when Bucky "F'in" Dent hit The Homerun.. For all those
fans we highly recommend this new book by Harvey Frommer, a long-time
chronicler of the Yankees, and his son, Frederic.
They've
combined a history of the two teams and their many contests with
personal reminiscences--their own and those of players, other fans,
and the rich and famous--and a host of terrific photographs to create
a kind of scrapbook of the rivalry that some refer to as the American
version of Athens (Boston) vs. Sparta (New York). In a book awash
with great anecdotes it's hard to pick just one, but here's a Don
Zimmer quote from the period when the tension between the two great
catchers, Carlton Fisk and Thurman Munson, was as fierce as that
between the teams in general:
Fisk
hated Munson, Munson hated Fisk, and everyone hated Bill Lee.
Such hatreds have never been more enjoyable than they are in these
pages.
MLB.COM
You don't have to tell the current players about the importance
of the rivalry. It is there in the historic stadiums, in the questions
of the media and in the voices of the fans. It is baseball at its
best. Fortunately for the fans who cherish the matchup, Harvey and
Frederic Frommer have delivered a wonderful book that provides background
and insight on the classic battles, 'Red Sox vs. Yankees, The Great
Rivalry.' More than two years in the making, the coffee-table book
by Sports Publishing contains 125 photos and escorts the fan from
the first game in 1912 through the offseason moves of 2003.
VOX
of Dartmouth
Father-and-son team Harvey Frommer and Frederic J. Frommer have
produced a book on the bottomless rivalry between the Boston Red
Sox and the New York Yankees, examining it from the points of view
of players, politicians, managers, journalists and fans. A telling
example comes from a man who moved to New Jersey: "I always
tell people I am a Red Sox fan. It's almost like a religion - you're
born into it, and first place, or last place, or whatever place
- you're in it.... But it's hard to hate the Torre Yankees - they're
such a great bunch of mostly solid professionals. Who could not
love the way Derek Jeter plays the game? As a baseball fan, I respect
the Yankees for what they have accomplished. But I will never, ever,
root for them, ever." A 15-page timeline chronicles a century
of Red Sox/Yankees encounters, with the following entry near the
beginning: "1901: April 26 - Boston's American League team,
which will later be known as the Red Sox, makes its debut against
Baltimore, a team that will later relocate to New York and become
the Yankees. The Boston team loses that day, 10-6." How prophetic.
Chapters examine Boston's dark age as Babe Ruth was sold to the
Yankees, the 1978 season, the 2003 playoffs, the respective fan
cultures, the ballparks and other topics. A chapter on the contrast
between the Red Sox's Ted Williams and the Yankees' Joe DiMaggio
describes, on the one side, the mutual resentment between Williams
and the press, and sometimes between the brash Williams and Red
Sox management. On the other side, the soft-spoken DiMaggio one
time let his ambition get in the way, as seen in the following excerpt:
"A
winter operation had severely handicapped Joe DiMaggio after the
'46 season, and he saw very limited action the following spring
training. Driven to make up for lost time, he spent many hours taking
extra batting practice. Asked by Yankee management to pose for some
Army recruiting posters, Joe D refused. He claimed he could not
spare the time. He was fined $100 - the first and only fine of his
career. "What are you trying to do, Joe," Williams said
supposedly, "steal my act?"."
Baseballbook.blogspot.com
The newest offering from father/son duo Harvey and Frederic J. Frommer,
Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry (Sports Publishing LLC, $24.95)
found its way into my hands about a week and a half ago, and I have
taken nearly any opportunity I could to review it. Not only because
I promised the senior Frommer that I'd get this review out in a
timely fashion for once, but also because as a Yankee fan myself,
there are few endeavors more satisfying than reading about the histories
of my favorite team, its closest rival, and their competition with
each other.
Having
had the good fortune to have been raised a Yankee fan (and the good
sense not to switch alliances when they started to suck in the early
'90s), this book was and is a pleasere for me to read. Its pages
are filled with stories of Yankees and Red Sox games and series,
players and trades, fans and fights, quips and quotes, playoff wins
and losses, heartbreak and joy for both teams. OK, so mostly heartbreak
for the Red Sox.
Frommer
starts the book with a timeline that starts with the birth of Babe
Ruth in 1895 and ends with the acquisition of Curt Schilling by
the Red Sox in November of 2003. The book then provides an entire
chapter on the Red Sox and Yankees rivalry as it was played out
in the 2003 playoffs, which, while incredible to watch, somehow
was not nearly as exciting to read about only a few months later.
The chapter, however, like the rest of the book, is well writen,
interesting in its own right, and very readable. I expect that ten
or twenty years from now, I shall be able to pick up this book and
find it an excellent resource as I recount my own memories of that
exciting seven-game series to my own children or (God help you)
yours. The book, like the rivalry it recalls, will stand the test
of time, I expect.
I
know this because the very next chapter focuses especially on the
1978 season, and it is a great read. The Yankees and Red Sox were
both vying for the AL East title and were forced to play a one-game
playoff to win it, which the Yanks did, even though they had been
down as much as 14 games in the standings as late as July 18th.
From that huge deficit, to Reggie getting benched for dogging it,
to Billy Martin getting canned to Ron Guidry's 25-3 record to Bucky-Effing-Dent,
there is no dull paragraph in the chapter. Harvey and or Frederic
Frommer could have made a great living as a beat writer, had they
not gone into slightly more prestigious careers as an Ivy League
professor and a political journalist, respectively.
Moving
on through the book, the Frommers spend chapters focusing on the
general histories of the teams, the cultures and moods cultivated
by the Rivalry, the merits and limitations of the respective ballparks,
special games between the two clubs, a collection of quotes from
various players, fans ad others, and list of statistics and trivia
about the two teams. They even devote an entire chapter to perhaps
the greatest rivalry between players on these two fabled teams,
Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. Frankly, this is one area in which
I think the Red Sox have a decided advantage, though I doubt if
many of my fellow Yankee fans would back me up on this.
As
you may have deduced, the Red Sox don't have many advantages in
this rivalry, and therefore I would venture a guess that this book
doesn't offer nearly as much for them as it does for Yankees fans.
In fact, the title, "Red Sox vs. Yankees", is about the
only time that Boston has gotten first billing in this struggle
for the last three quarters of a century. Personally, I can't imagine
being very excited about spending hours on end reading about the
myriad disappointments and seemingly endless heartbreak associated
with my chosen team, thankyouverymuch. But maybe that's just me.
Regardless
of your particular bent, Red Sox vs. Yankees is still a very well-done
book. As a coffee-table book, it offers large, whole-panel pictures,
many of them in vibrant color, to appease the eye, and solid writing
to appease the mind.
And
even the price is right!
Radio:
RAY AND
DIANE SHOW /WTIC, CT
"Harvey Frommer has written many baseball books - Red Sox Vs
Yankees (written with his son Fred ) is his latest and greatest.
It is filled with great photographs and so much detail on the history
and lore of the two teams. It is a gorgeous book and, of course,
has great text."
Sport By Line USA Radio/San Francisco
Such a wonderful book. We have made it a Selection of the Month
for Sports BY Line USA. The cover images of Joe DiMaggio and Ted
Williams underscore the depth and tone of the book."
ARNOLD DEAN SHOW, WTIC
It is a breath of spring time. The pictures are superb. I am a student
of the game and have seen so many baseball books but there are so
many photos here that I have seen for the first time. It is such
a terrific book, with such great text, so much to read. I thought
I knew most of the history of the Red Sox and Yankees, but I learned
a lot reading it. The oral history component is special - from former
New York City Mayor Rudy G thriough all the fans, players, managers,
everyone has a lot to say. Harvey Frommer has written all those
sports books - more than 30 - but this book with his son Fred as
co-author may top all of them.
KOMA-AM, Oklahoma City (FOX Sports Radio New Mexico)
Super production job. Incredible photos, many never seen before.
Super infomation on Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, marker moments
in the rivalry, persdonalities, oral history. So many details from
the father-son team of Harvey Frommer and Fred Frommer. Such enthusiasm
for the topic. It is such an affordable book and the reader gets
so much for the price. RED SOX/YANKEES: THE GREAT RIVALRY is the
kind of book you want to buy and put on your coffee table and pick
up and refer to again and again.
ABC Radio Sports Network
"FABULOUS. A GREAT BOOK. AMAZING ANECDOTES. SO MUCH INFORMATION.
IF ANYONE WANTS TO KNOW ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT THE RIVALRY -THIS
IS THE BOOK TO GET."
SPORTS
BIZ RADIO
"A great book. If you care about baseball, if you care about
the Rivalry, this is the book to have on your bookshelf." -
- Fred Wallin
