The Bronx Zoo

Though I grew up a total Yankee Hater (and was 15 yrs old when this season took place), the book ranks right up there with "Thin Ice - A Season in Hell with the New York Rangers" as a top quality read for a baseball focus. Probably the best thing about this book is how Golenbock and Lyle are able to put a real personal touch to some of the Yanks that played on that team that year. Nettles is a total cut-up, Munson is a real gamer, Jackson is a media hog, Billy Martin is part psychotic and part genius, and Ron Guidry is the quiet, yet dominating athlete that just goes out and does his job. Some of the more amusing antedotes are the ones involving Fritz Peterson in Lyle's earlier days, and Rawley Eastwick's escapades in the present day. Previous reviews talk about Lyle being "whiny", and I can agree with that perception. It's kind of hard to relate to someone complaining about his stature in life as a professional baseball player, when Joe Schmoe is out there trying to eeke out a living doing whatever. But I have to admit that if you had won a Cy Young the previous year before and all of a sudden was relegated to "mop-up" status, it would be a blow to one's pride. But the book does hit its mark on one thing . .the perception of George Steinbrenner is TOTALLY dead-on.

What can I say? The Bronx Zoo is a deffinet 5 star read! Sparkey Weaves a story that should be made into a movie! Lyle finds himself in a paradox. He is coming off a year in which he won the CY Young award and yet how does he get rewarded for his success? the Boss goes out and signs the hottest Free Agent releif pitcher on the open market to take Sparkey's job. All that plus the trinity of drama that was George Stienbrenner, Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson. Inspite of turmoil the Yankees Manage to come from 14 games back in June to go on to humble my favorite team (LA Dodgers)in the world Series! A must read for anyone who calls themselves a baseball historian!

Lyle's book is terrific. It starts off a bit slowly, but once he really gets started this book becomes great. The thing I thought was most interesting anout the book was looking at the game and the controversies surrounding it from the players' point of view as opposed to the media's. This book clearly brings out many of the differences between what we read about in the papers and what is actually going on in the clubhouse. You also gain an appreciation for players that is difficult to get by just looking at the stats. When you look at the way Lyle respects Munson and Nettles for giving it their all and playing through pain, you see that there's a lot more to value with those guys than simply the number of homeruns they hit. And, like "dnamed Yankees" by Bill Madden and Moss Klein and most of the other books that discuss this era, you get a good look at what George Steinbrenner is all about, especially when Lyle discusses the tumultous relationship between Steinbrenner and Billy Martin. Steinbrenner has learned a lot since then (or has he?), but it's interesting to see how he dealt with issues back then.

a classic baseball book without a doubt, lyle tells it like he sees it, and i loved every page of it. with a team with personalities like billy martin, lyle himself, mickey rivers, reggie jackson, graig nettles, and the boss, george steinbrenner. if you liked this book like i did read balls by graig nettles.