YANKEE STADIUM FIRSTS (a very partial list)

As the days draw closer to a precious few for Yankee Stadium, herewith some "firsts" on the big ballpark in the Bronx that has been with us since 1923.

First regular season game at Yankee Stadium, April 18, 1923, a 4-1 win over Boston.
First pitch thrown in Yankee Stadium, Bob Shawkey, Yankees, April 18, 1923.
First batter at Yankee Stadium, Chick Fewster, Red Sox April 18, 1923.
First hit at Yankee Stadium, George Burns, Red Sox April 18, 1923, second inning single.
First Yankee hit at Yankee Stadium, Aaron Ward April 18, 3rd-inning single.
First error, Babe Ruth, April 18, dropped fly ball in 5th inning.
First home run in Yankee Stadium, Babe Ruth hits a two-run shot in third inning off Boston's Howard Ehmke in a 4-1 Yankee victory, April 18, 1923.
First Yankee winning pitcher in World Series, Joe Bush, October 14, 1923.
First loss at Yankee Stadium, 4-3 to Washington , April 22, 1923.
First World Series game in Yankee Stadium, first one heard on a nationwide radio network, October 10, 1923.
First World Series home run at Yankee Stadium, Casey Stengel of the New York Giants hit an inside-the-park shot in Game 1 of the 1923 World Series.
First player to have his number retired, Lou Gehrig, #4, on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, July 4, 1939.
First night game at Yankee Stadium, May 28, 1946, a 2-1 loss to Washington.
First World Series pinch-hit home run, Yogi Berra against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Game 3 of the 1947 World Series.
First Yankee Stadium day game completed with lights, August 29, 1950.
First Yankees game behind the microphone for Bob Sheppard, April 17, 1951, New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox.
First home game outside of Yankee Stadium since 1922, April 6, 1974, as the Yanks begin playing the first of two seasons at Shea Stadium.
First home run at refurbished Yankee Stadium, Dan Ford of Minnesota, April 15, 1976.
First Yankee winning pitcher at refurbished Yankee Stadium, Dick Tidrow, April 15, 1976.
First home run by a Yankee at refurbished stadium, Thurman Munson, April 17, 1976.
First championship series game at Yankee Stadium, October 12, 1976, a 5-3 win over Kansas City.
First World Series game played by Yankees at night, October 17, 1976, at Cincinnati, a 4-3 loss to Reds.
First night World Series game at Yankee Stadium, October 19, 1976, a 6-2 loss to Cincinnati.
First team to host both the All Star Game and World Series in the same season, 1977.
First pitcher to throw a regular-season perfect game at Yankee Stadium, David Wells May 17, 1998.
First time a U.S. President visits Yankee Stadium during the World Series, George W. Bush, who threw out the first ball, Game 3, October 30, 2001 First November World Series Game, November 1, 2001, Yankees beat Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-2, at the Stadium.
First team in postseason history to win two straight games when trailing after eight innings, 2001 World Series, games four and five.

Adapted from the just published REMEMBERING YANKE STADIUUM: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT

Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published September 1, 2008 as well as a reprint version of his "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball.".

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM (The Definitive Book) BOOK TOUR: as of 9/1

New York, Vermont, Virginia, New Hampshire, Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut
******************************************************
September 3 Wednesday/talk/signing 7:30 PM BARNES AND NOBLE, 396 Ave. Americas NY (8th St.) (212) 674-8780
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September 4th, 7:45 PM Happy Ending Lounge,VARSITY LETTERS 302 Broome St. (between Forsyth and Eldridge) 212-334-9676 NYC
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September 5th, Friday, 7pm Friday BOOK REVUE 313 New York Avenue , Huntington, NY 631-271-1442 http://www.bookrevue.com/frommer.html
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Sept. 20, 2008 / 7 p.m. NORTHSHIRE BOOKSTORE 4869 Main Street Manchester Center, VT 802-362-3565
(scroll) http://www.northshire.com/events.php
(scroll) http://www.northshire.com/images/Sept08Calendar.pdf
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September 26 2-3pm Friday/FALL FOR THE BOOK FESTIVAL GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY,Fairfax, VA (703) 993-3986 (scroll a lot) www.fallforthebook.org
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October 10 7:00PM Friday, BORDERS 59th St & Park Avenue NYC 212-980-6785
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October 11th. DARTMOUTH BOOKSTORE , Hanover, NH
(afternoon) bksdartmouth@bncollege.com
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October 21 Lord & Taylor Manhasset store, Long Island (details
TK)
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October 24, 25, ST. PETE TIMES FESTIVAL OF READING, Tampa Bay, Florida
(scroll)
http://www.festivalofreading.com/authorbios.html#frommer
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November 8, 2008 Saturday 11:30 AM BOOKS AND GREETINGS 271 Livingston Street, Northvale,NJ 07647 201-784-2665
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MIAMI BOOK FAIR November Nov 14-16, Time TBA

=================================
November 18 Lord & Taylor ,Eastchester store, NY (details TK) =====================================
December 4 Thursday 7PM /RJ JULIA, Madison, CT 800 747
3247 talk and signing
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Working on "Remembering Fenway Park" -to feature stories­ first game attended, marker moments, odd events, tales of a special player, architectural features... Please contact me .

*Yankee Stadium Prisms and Sidebars (A Very Partial List)

As the days draw closer to a precious few for Yankee Stadium, herewith some oddities, factoids and singular information on the big ballpark in the Bronx that has been with us since 1923.
Ron Guidry was a good drummer and once kept a trap set at Yankee Stadium. He played in a post-game concert with the Beach Boys.

Outside the stadium is a 120-foot high baseball bat with Babe Ruth’s signature and the Louisville slugger logo. Its purpose is to cover a boiler vent.

A Letter to Don Larsen:
"Dear Mr. Larsen:
It is a noteworthy event when anybody achieves perfection in anything. It has been so long since anyone pitched a perfect big league game that I have to go back to my generation of ballplayers to recall such a thing ­ and that is truly a long time ago. "This note brings you my very sincere congratulations on a memorable feat, one that will inspire pitchers for a long time to come. With best wishes,
Sincerely,
Dwight D. Eisenhower
President of the United States

Bob Sheppard’s Favorite Names:
1. Mickey Mantle
2. Shigetoshi Hasegawa
3. Salome Barojas
4. Jose Valdivielso
5. Alvaro Espinoza

Yankee World Series Game-Ending Homers
Tommy Henrich, New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn, 1949, Game 1, 9th, 1-0.
Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees vs. St. Louis, 1964, Game 3, 9th, 2-1.
Chad Curtis, New York Yankees vs. Atlanta, 1999, Game 3, 10th, 6-5
Derek Jeter, New York Yankees vs. Arizona, 2001, Game 4, 10th, 4-3

Bob Sheppard's Favorite Stadium Moments:

• Don Larsen's perfect game.
• Roger Maris belting his then-record 61st regular-season home run in 1961.
• Chris Chambliss blasting a homer leading off the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 1976 ALCS against Kansas City that gave the Yankees their first American League pennant in 12 years.
• Reggie Jackson's three home runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers on three consecutive pitches in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series.
• Babe Ruth never homered into the right field upper deck. The grandstand in right field ended at the foul pole and was not extended until 1937 three years after the Sultan of Swat was no longer a member of the Yankees.

The outfield wall at Yankee actually was always of uniform height. It was the ground beneath it that sloped. At the original Stadium, there was a shap pitch to the outfield grass uphill to the fence , just three feet high.

FIRSTS

• First World Series home run at Yankee Stadium, Casey Stengel of the New York Giants hit an inside-the-park shot in Game 1 of the 1923 World Series.
• First player to have his number retired, Lou Gehrig, #4, on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, July 4, 1939.
• First night game at Yankee Stadium, May 28, 1946, a 2-1 loss to Washington.
• First World Series pinch-hit home run, Yogi Berra against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Game 3 of the 1947 World Series.
• First rookie to get two hits in one inning, Billy Martin, in a nine-run, eighth-inning rally at Fenway Park, April 18, 1950.
• First Yankee Stadium day game completed with lights, August 29, 1950.
• First Yankees game behind the microphone for Bob Sheppard, April 17, 1951, New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox.
• First home game outside of Yankee Stadium since 1922, April 6, 1974, as the Yanks begin playing the first of two seasons at Shea Stadium.
• First home run at refurbished Yankee Stadium, Dan Ford of Minnesota, April 15, 1976.
• First Yankee winning pitcher at refurbished Yankee Stadium, Dick Tidrow, April 15, 1976.
  First home run by a Yankee at refurbished stadium, Thurman Munson, April 17, 1976.
• First championship series game at Yankee Stadium, October 12, 1976, a 5-3 win over Kansas City.
• First night World Series game at Yankee Stadium, October 19, 1976, a 6-2 loss to Cincinnati.
  
  
  
  *Adapted from the author's forthcoming book -
  REMEMBERING YANKE STADIUUM: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT
  Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) will be published in September 2008 as well as a reprint version of his "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball.".
  
  Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed. FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in excess of one million and appears on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Harvey Frommer on tour for 'Remembering Yankee Stadium: An Oral & Narrative History of 'The House That Ruth Built''

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Harvey Frommer on tour for 'Remembering Yankee Stadium: An Oral & Narrative History of 'The House That Ruth Built''
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Relive the history that took place in a legendary sports landmark. From the day that it opened in 1923, Yankee Stadium has been the ultimate sports icon. Renowned baseball historian Harvey Frommer has chronicled the stadium's spectacular 85-year journey with priceless photographs, a decade-by-decade narrative, and vivid reminiscences by Hall-of-Famers, fans, sports journalists and historical figures. It is a thrilling history that is a must-have for all baseball enthusiasts. Harvey Frommer is one of the country's leading authorities on baseball history
****************************************************************

CURRENT BOOK TOUR DATES AND LOCATIONS
http://harveyfrommersports.com/Yankeestadium.html#bookings
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September 3 Wednesday/talk/signing 7:30 PM BARNES AND NOBLE, 396 Ave. Americas NY (8th St.) (212) 674-8780
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September 4th, 7:45 PM VARSITY LETTERS 302 Broome St. (between Forsyth and Eldridge) 212-334-9676 NYC
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September 5th, 7pm Friday BOOK REVUE 313 New York Avenue Huntington, NY 631-271-1442
http://www.bookrevue.com/frommer.html
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Sept. 20, 2008 / 7 p.m. NORTHSHIRE BOOKSTORE 4869 Main Street Manchester Center, VT 802-362-3565 (SCROLL) http://www.northshire.com/events.php
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September 26 2-3pm Friday/FALL FOR THE BOOK FESTIVAL GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITYFairfax, VA (703) 993-3986 (scroll a lot) www.fallforthebook.org
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October 10 7:00PM Friday, BORDERS 59th St & Park Avenue NYC 212-980-6785
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October 11th. DARTMOUTH BOOKSTORE , Hanover, NH (afternoon) bksdartmouth@bncollege.com
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October 21 Lord & Taylor Manhasset, Long Island (details TK)
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October 24, 25, ST. PETE TIMES FESTIVAL OF READING, Tampa Bay, Florida
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November 8, 2008 Saturday 11:30 AM BOOKS AND GREETINGS 271 Livingston Street, Northvale,NJ 07647 201-784-2665
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MIAMI BOOK FAIR November?? Date and Time TBA
=================================
November 18 Lord & Taylor ,Eastchester NY (details TK)
=====================================
December 4 Thursday 7PM /RJ JULIA, Madison, CT 800 747 3247 talk and signing
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http://www.dartmouth.edu/~frommer/shoelessjoe.new.htm

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM/CURRENT BOOK TOUR DATES AND LOCATIONS

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September 3 Wednesday/talk/signing 7:30 PM Barnes & Noble, 396 Ave. Americas NY (8th St.) (212) 674-8780
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September 4th, 7:45 PM Varsity Letters 302 Broome St. NYC 212-334-9676
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September 5th, 7pm Friday Book Revue 313 New York Avenue Huntington, NY 11743 Ph. 631-271-1442
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Sept. 20, 2008 / 7 p.m. Northshire Bookstore 4869 Main Street Manchester Center, VT 802-362-3565
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September 26 2-3pm Friday/Fall for the Book Festival George Mason University Fairfax, VA (703) 993-3986 www.fallforthebook.org
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October 10 7:00PM Friday, Borders 59th St & Park Avenue NYC 212-980-6785
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October 11th. Dartmouth Bookstore, Hanover, NH (afternoon) bksdartmouth@bncollege.com
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October 21 Lord & Taylor Manhasset, Long Island (details TK)
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October 24, 25, St. Pete Times Festival of Reading, Tampa Bay, Florida
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November 8, 2008 Saturday 11:30 AM Books & Greetings 271 Livingston Street, Northvale,NJ 07647 201-784-2665
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MIAMI BOOK FAIR November?? Date and Time TBA =================================
November 18 Lord & Taylor ,Eastchester NY (details TK) =====================================
December 4 Thursday 7PM /RJ JULIA, Madison, CT 800 747 3247 talk and signing

*YANKEE STADIUM BY THE NUMBERS*

1
Joe DiMaggio, only player to get at least one hit in All-Star Games at Yankee Stadium, the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field.

1 ½ - Uniform number worn by opera star Robert Merrill, the man who for many years sang the national anthem at Yankee Stadium.

3
All three perfect games in Yankee Stadium history were seen by Joe Torre: Larsen's beauty as a 16-year-old fan, and the gems spun by David Wells and David Cone from the dugout as Yankee manager.
Don Zimmer was Torre's bench coach for the last two and he played in the first one as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956. The Yankees have the most perfect games pitched by one club, all at Yankee Stadium.

Babe Ruth's uniform number, retired June 13, 1948.

4
Lou Gehrig's number, retired on July 4, 1939, the first athlete in any sport. He is the only Yankee to have worn number 4.

5
Mickey Mantle reached the copper facade that hung from the old stadium's roof five times.
Joe DiMaggio's uniform number, retired in 1952

6
Stadiums:
Hilltop Park 1903-1912
Polo Grounds 1913-1922
Yankee Stadium 1923-1973
Shea Stadium 1974-1975
Yankee Stadium 1976-2008
New Yankee Stadium 2009 -

On June 6, 1934 - Yankee outfielder Myril Hoag tieD an American League record with six singles in six at-bats at the Stadium.

The number of Yankee starters: Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Gordon, Red Rolfe, Red Ruffing, and George Selkirk in the 1939 All-Star game at Yankee Stadium.
Mickey Mantle's rookie uniform number, changed by equipment manager Pete Sheehy to #7 after Mantle was recalled from Kansas City.

7
Mickey Mantle's number, retired June 8, 1969. He wore it from 1951 on.

8
The only number to be retired twice by the same team is Number 8 of the Yankees. It was retired in 1972 for Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra, both catchers. Berra took number 8 in 1948 after Dickey retired but before he was a coach.

Dwight Gooden's no-hitter on May 14, 1996, the eighth in Stadium history.

9
Joe DiMaggio's rookie number.
Roger Maris' number, retired, July 13, 1985
Most hits in an inning yielded by Roger Clemens, August 2, 2007

10
The Yanks used a record 10 pinch hitters on September 6, 1954 in a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox. They won the opener 6-5, and the BOSox took the second game, 8-7.

Mickey Mantle homered from both sides of the plate in the same game for a record 10th and final time on August 12, 1964. OR 1965

11
June 3, 2003, the Yankees named Derek Jeter their 11th captain.

12
Billy Martin's rookie uniform number.

13
Home plate was moved 13 feet forward in 1924, to eliminate the "bloody angle" in the right field corner

14
Yogi Berra stayed away from Yankee Stadium for 14 years, unhappy with the treatment he had received from George Steinbrenner.

$15.00
Bob Sheppard's per game earning in 1951 when he began working for the Yankees.
15
July 18, 1999 -- David Cone’s perfect game against the Montreal Expos was the 15th regular season perfect game.
Thurman Munson's Number 15 jersey and catching gear remains in his locker as it was the day he was killed in a 1979 airplane crash. His uniform number 15 is retired.

16
Whitey Ford's Number retired 1974. The slick southpaw wore number 19 in his rookie season. Returning from the army in 1953, he wore number 16 for the rest of his career.
Dallas Green becomes George Steinbrenner's 16th manager to be fired on August 16, 1989.

18
Joe DiMaggio's original uniform, number given to him by equipment manager Pete Sheehy and later changed to 5 for historical significance reasons, Ruth wore number 3 and Gehrig 4.

19
Whitey Ford's rookie uniform number.

21
Paul O'Neill's number 21. Since O'Neill retired after the 2001 World Series, no Yankee has worn that number. Latroy Hawkins actually wore #21 (in honor of Roberto Clemente) in 2008 until the fans literally booed it off his back.

23
Don Mattingly's number retired, August 31, 1997.

24
In 1927, 24 of Lou Gehrig's 47 home runs were hit at Stadium.

25
Gene Michael was the 25th Yankee manager in history.
Uniform number selected by Jason Giambi upon his signing with New York. The significance: the digits add up to 7, the number worn by Giambi's dad's idol, Mickey Mantle.

26
Thirty World Series have been played at Yankee Stadium, with the Yankees winning 26.

28
Thurman Munson's rookie uniform number.
Of the 60 record-setting home runs hit by Babe Ruth in 1927, 28 of them are hit at Yankee Stadium.

29
Of the 61 home runs hit by Roger Maris in 1961, 29 were hit at Yankee Stadium.
Mel Allen was a Yankee broadcaster for 29 seasons.

33
Yankee Stadium has hosted 33 World Series,

37
Of the 37 players who performed for the 1949 Yankees, only Yogi Berra still played for them in 1960.

40
Phil Rizzuto spent parts of 40 seasons as a Yankee broadcaster

42
Mariano Rivera, last player to wear No. 42, which has been retired from Major League Baseball in honor of Jackie Robinson.

44
Reggie Jackson's number, retired 1993.

46
Don Mattingly's rookie number.

49
Ron Guidry's number, retired 2003.

50
On June 1, 1999 at Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter had reached base in all 50 Yankee games.

56
Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak included 56 singles and runs scored. It covered 53 day games 3 night games, 29 at Yankee Stadium, 27 road games.
Dave Righetti's rookie number.

58
Mariano Rivera's original number.

88
Number of pitches David Cone tossed in perfect game, July 19, 1999 - 68 strikes and 20 balls.

89
The Yankees and the Orioles played to a 1-1 tie in 15 innings, the 89th tie in franchise history. It was Cal Ripken's last game at Yankee Stadium.

97
Don Larsen used this number of pitches to hurl his perfect game against the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium in the 1956 World Series.

100
Babe Ruth on September 24, 1920 hits his 100th home run off Washington's Jim Shaw.

120
In his perfect game pitched on May 17, 1998, David Wells threw 120 pitches.

126
The number of games that Cal Ripken played at Yankee Stadium - more than any other opposing player (June 18, 1982 - September 30, 2001).

174
The number of pitches Doc Gooden threw in his no-hitter on May 14, 1996.

185
Number of working days it took for the original Yankee Stadium to be built.

266
Mickey Mantle hit 266 homers at Yankee Stadium 1951-68, most ever.

300
Roger Clemens becomes the 21st pitcher in Major League history to win his 300th game, June 13, 2003. He is first Yankee to win it in front of the home fans.

413
Smallest home attendance for a game, September 25, 1966

500
The number of workers who built the original Yankee Stadium.
Alex Rodrigues his his 500th home run August 4, 2007.

536
On September 20, 1968, Mickey Mantle hits his 536th and final home run.

1903
For the first time since 1903, two teams played two games in different stadiums on the same day, July 8, 2000. Game One was at Shea Stadium and the second game was at Yankee Stadium.

2,385
The number of backless seats spread over 27 rows behind the right-field fence in the bleachers.

3,654
Number of home runs Yankees hit at old Yankee Stadium,1923-1973

$5,000
The reward promised to the one who caught the 61st home run ball of Roger Maris.

$6,000
The amount Don Larsen received for being on Bob Hope's TV show after he pitched his perfect game in 1956.

20002
After Allie Reynolds pitched his second no-hitter for the Yankees in 1951, the Hotel Edison where he along with some teammates lived changed his room number from 2019 to 0002.

20,000
Letters that Mickey Mantle never answered were not bid on in the old Yankee Stadium fire sale in 1974.

32,238
Attendance at Final Game at old Yankee Stadium, September 30, 1973.

51,800
Capacity of new Yankee Stadium scheduled to open April 2009

64,519
Number of people in attendance at Yankee Stadium in 1956 when Don Larsen pitched the Perfect Game

$451,541
The uniform Lou Gehrig wore during his Farewell speech in 1939 sold for this amount in 1999.

*Just a nosh adapted from the author’s forthcoming book –
REMEMBERING YANKE STADIUUM: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT (The Definitive Book, September 2008)
Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 39 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) will be published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball.". Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed. FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in excess of one million and appears on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.

THE BOOK REVIEW: RED SOX THREADS & other August Reads

Bill Nowlin has worked on more than a dozen books about the Red Sox and it shows in this compendium, book of lists and tales, stats and streaks and all kinds of seat of the pants info and data about the team that packs Fenway every game out.

"Red Sox Threads: Odd and Ends From Red Sox History” (Rounder Records, $18.95, 545 pages) is a mother lode of interesting, insightful and intelligent ruminations on Red Sox Nation - - -nicknames, Jewish , Latino, Foreign born Sox, the first Woman who played at Fenway, numbers and uniforms, opening days and more and more. For fans of the Old Towne Team – required reading and for the rest of us a book to browse through and enjoy.

“Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World" by David Maraniss (Simon & Schuster $26.95 496 pages) by the Washington Post journalist and author of acclaimed biographies of Bill Clinton and Vince Lombardi, is a page turner dealing as it does in great detail with games played 48 years ago in a simple era, without terrorism threats, crass commercialism and inane and "stop-it-already” TV coverage. The skilled Maraniss carefully crafts chapter after chapter and goes into detail on such items as the controversial decision in the men's swimming event, the Tigerbelles' encounters with predjudice. Muhammad Ali, Rafer Johnson and others are once again given that "up close and personal look.” HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

From Oxford comes a slew of titles geared to China and Olympic reading for these lazy, languid summer days: "China: Fraigile Superpower” by Susan L. Shirk, (Oxford University Press $27.00, 336 pages), “Fallun Gong and the Future of China” by David Ownby, $29.95, 312 pages), "Modern China” by Rana Miller, $9.95, 168 pages, paperback), “Oxford Chinese Mini Dictionary,” $9.95, 656 pages, paperback). If China is your cup of tea - -these are books just for you.

"The Crowd Sounds Happy” by Nicholas Dawidoff (Pantheon, $27.95, 272 pages) is a true page turner of a memoir as the author takes us back to his childhood struggles with baseball in the foreground and background. It is a brilliantly told tale and one would expect no less from Dawidoff, author of "The Catcher Was a Spy.”

Harvey Frommer, now in his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books, is the author of 39 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Red Sox Vs Yankee: The Great Rivalry.” Frommer’s REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) an oral/narrative history will be published in September as well as a reprint version of his SHOELESS JOE AND RAGTIME BASEBALL.

Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and appears on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM (Fall 2008)

You had time to see all the new books on Yankee Stadium, now see what the professionals say about Harvey Frommer's Upcoming Book "REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM"


"I feel very fortunate that I experienced the mystique of playing in Yankee Stadium. There is no other stadium that had that aura. And Harvey Frommer captures it all in this terrific book." - --Nolan Ryan

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"In this biography of a building in the Bronx, Harvey Frommer, an accomplished writer about many facets of baseball, illuminates the truth of Winston Churchill's famous aphorism that "we shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us." This history of Yankee Stadium is a fine contribution to the history of the national pastime."-- GEORGE F. WILL

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"When you're a kid growing up in the Bronx in the 40's, a visit to Yankee Stadium is something you never forget. It was a thrill then and now all these years later, it means even more to me. In this terrific book, Harvey Frommer brings it all back again." REGIS PHILBIN

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"Author Harvey Frommer brings the story of Yankee Stadium's past to us in its full and vivid glory."
BOB SHEPPARD

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"You're going to keep this book around the house for a long time. You're going to devour it. You're going to keep going back to it five years, 10, 20, 30 years in the future as you sit with kids and grandkids and tell them about the people who ran across a stretch of green grass in the Bronx."
LEIGH MONTVILLE, "The Big Bam"

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"Another instant classic from Baseball's greatest author, Harvey Frommer" SETH SWIRSKY, "Baseball Letters"

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"As a Red Sox fan living behind enemy lines, this one's kind of hard to take: a lively, colorful, altogether winning illustrated biography of the House Our Former Pitcher Built. The pictures take you through the portals, and the voices of fans and players bring the place alive. The Stadium is preserved for eternity in Harvey Frommer's wonderful book."
ROBERT SULLIVAN, "Our Red Sox: A Story of Family, Friends & Fenway"

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"This book is big and beautiful and filled with glorious memories, just like the ball park it memorializes. Harvey Frommer has the eye of a historian and the heart of a fan.
Fans will treasure this gem for many, many years.
JONATHAN EIG, "Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig"

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Claire Bamundo, Publicity Director

212.229.8823 • cbamundo@hnabooks.com

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM

An Oral and Narrative History of The House That Ruth Built

1923–2008

Harvey Frommer
Foreword by Bob Sheppard

From the day it opened in 1923 with Babe Ruth’s famous third-inning home run, Yankee Stadium has been, to baseball fans and New Yorkers alike, the ultimate sports icon. When “The House That Ruth Built” closes its doors at the end of the 2008 season, a remarkable era in baseball history will end. Renowned baseball historian Harvey Frommer’s Remembering Yankee Stadium: An Oral and Narrative History of “The House That Ruth Built” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang; ISBN 978-1-58479-716-6; $45.00 U.S. / $48.95 Canada; Publication month: September 2008) chronicles the Stadium’s spectacular eighty-five-year journey, through priceless photographs, a decade-by-decade narrative, and vivid first-person reminiscences. This rich and compelling book offers a one-of-a-kind account that is sure to move and inspire every baseball fan.

When it opened, Yankee Stadium was more than double the size of any ballpark at the time, and it has proven to be as intimidating and magnificent a presence as the storied team that calls it home. From Babe Ruth’s record-breaking 60 home runs in the 1927 season, to the home-run race between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in 1961, to the modern era of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, the Stadium remains an almost century-old testament to the highs and lows of what is arguably the best sports team of all time. “The Home of Champions” has been host to 33 World Series, a staggering 26 of them won by the Bronx Bombers.

Remembering Yankee Stadium relives the history of a team—and a nation—through the lens of those who experienced the ballpark over the years. Moving testimonials from Hall-of-Famers, fans, sports journalists, and historical figures coupled with striking images re-create the magic and mystique of this great cathedral of sports. This thrilling history of one of America’s most beloved landmarks is a must-have for all baseball enthusiasts and New Yorkers.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
This is Harvey Frommer’s 40th sports book. He is one of the country’s leading authorities on baseball history and has written such books as Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry (2004) and The New York Yankee Encyclopedia (1997). Frommer also wrote for Yankees Magazine for 18 years. He and his wife teach at Dartmouth College and live in Lyme, New Hampshire.

Bob Sheppard, “The Voice of Yankee Stadium,” has been the Yankees’ P.A. announcer since 1951 and was announcer for the New York Giants from 1956 to 2005. He lives in Baldwin, New York.

Significant moments in Yankee Stadium history, as noted in Remembering Yankee Stadium

1919: Babe Ruth is purchased from the Red Sox; when Yankee Stadium opens in 1923, it is given the nickname “The House That Ruth Built.”

“Some thought the new baseball park should be named ‘Ruth Field.’ Ruppert, however, was adamant that it be known as ‘Yankee Stadium.’ It would be the first ballpark to be referred to as a stadium.”

1923: Yankee Stadium opens with an historic home run by Babe Ruth, and that fall the Yankees win their first World Series in the new stadium.

“Bam! Ruth slugged the ball into the right-field bleachers—the first home run in Yankee Stadium history. The New York Times called it a ‘savage home run that was the real baptism of Yankee Stadium.’”

1941: Joe DiMaggio hits in 56 consecutive games, setting a new record.

“Over the next two months, the Yankee center fielder notched at least a hit a game. Joe DiMaggio was in a hot groove. And his fire added fuel to the Yankee engine. The team began winning.”

1961: Roger Maris breaks Babe Ruth’s record, scoring 61 home runs in a single season. There was a $5,000 reward for anyone who could catch the ball.

“As soon as Maris hit the ball, I knew it was going to be a home run that would go over my head. I jumped up on my seat and reached as high as I could. The ball hit the palm of my hand. It didn’t hurt. It was a thing from heaven that knocked me over into the next row.” (Sal Durante, Yankees fan)

1974–75: After being purchased for $10 million in 1973, the Yankees play in Shea Stadium while Yankee Stadium is being refurbished.

“I went to Opening Day for the Yankees at Shea Stadium, and that was a surreal experience. On the top of the scoreboard where there was always a Mets logo, they had the Yankee logo. We went to that game for the novelty of it more than anything else.” (Tracy Nieporent, Yankees fan)

1977: Reggie Jackson hits three home runs in a row during game six of the World Series.

“I felt like Superman,” said Reggie afterward. “Nothing can top this. Who in hell’s ever going to hit home runs in a deciding World Series game? Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio. At least I was with them for one night.”

1999: The Yankees win their third of four World Series titles in five years. The following year, they would beat the Mets in the first Subway Series.

“For hours after the game in the Yankee Stadium clubhouse, the champagne flowed and splashed amid shouts of triumph. NBC’s Jim Gray asked George Steinbrenner, ‘How long can this go on?’ ‘Forever!’ replied the principal owner.”

2006: Groundbreaking for the new Yankee Stadium, set to open in 2009.

“I think it’s a great day,” Derek Jeter said. “There’s a lot of history here. There were a lot of good memories here. Now we’ll try to take that over across the street.”

ROLL OUT THE BARREL:THE 1927 Yankees

The season was anything but over for the Yankees and for Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. They just were rolling along, rolling over teams. Like the team’s theme song – it was the time of “roll out the barrel, we’ll have a barrel of fun!”

The mystique and drawing power of the Yankees was such that a second big-voiced man was kept on the payroll to use a megaphone to shout out the names of the pitchers and batters to those who sat in the distance reaches of Yankee Stadium. The mystique and drawing power of Murderer’s Row was such that more than ever before fans came to the ballpark with baseball gloves hoping to catch a ball smashed by Ruth or Gehrig or one of the other Yankee sluggers.

There was a culture in place for all the sluggers, for all members of the Yankees. Miller Huggins had schooled each and every player about attitude, disposition, bearing. If they didn’t get it the first time there was always time for lectures and lessons in Hug’s spartan Yankee Stadium office that consisted of a desk for him, a desk chair and a leather couch for all others.

Players were required to report for games at 10:00 at the Stadium - -to sign in, not to practice. It was a way designed to cut down on late night goings on. No food, no beer was allowed in the clubhouse between games of a doubleheader. There was a machine-like way about the Yankees, a precise, orderly, ritualistic rhythm that was repeated game after game. When the team was at bat and there were two outs, the regulars stood at the ready, poised at the second step of the dugout primed to rush out to their defensive positions on the field when the final out of the inning occurred.
There was to be no blackslapping, no flamboyant displays, no noisemaking or razzing, no teasing of players on the other teams.

"We were never rough or rowdy," Waite Hoyt said, “just purposeful."

Throughout that long 1927 season, no Yankee ever had a fight on the field. And only once was a player thrown out of a game by an umpire - Joe Dugan

Unseen by the fans and the opposition, the only emotional show taking place at Yankee Stadium after a victory was players exiting the dugout into the clubhouse chanting all the way:
"Roll Out the Barrel!"
"Roll Out the Barrel."
Waite Hoyt explained: “When we were challenged, when we had to win, we stuck together and played with a fury and determination that could only come from team spirit. We had a pride in our performance that was very real. It took on the form of snobbery. And I do believe we left a heritage that became a Yankee tradition"

Those Yankees who were not in the day’s starting lineup were expected to pay attention to everything that was happening on the field. There was no slouching in the dugout and no conversation about anything but baseball despite Waite Hoyt’s famous lines: “In the daytime you sat in the dugout and talked about women. And in the nighttime you went out with women and talked about baseball. It’s great to be young and a Yankee.”

The Yankee bullpen was in left field on an embankment that was slightly graded. Huggins called down when he needed to and when the phone rang it was usually a signal that a pitcher should get ready. Ed Barrow sat in his mezzanine box at Yankee Stadium observing all that took place on the field. If there was any lolling around, any one trying to sneak a snooze, any food being consumed "Cousin Eggbert" used the telephone in his box to get things in Yankee order usually blending profanity with annoyance with questions like "What the hell do you think we are paying you for?"
(Excerpted from Harvey Frommer’s FIVE O’CLOCK LIGHTNING: : BABE RUTH, LOU GEHRIG AND THE 1927 NEW YORK YANKEES, THE GREATEST BASEBALL TEAM EVER)

Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 39 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) will be published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball.". Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed. FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in excess of one million and appears on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.