THE BOOK REVIEW: SPAHN, SAIN and TEDDY BALLGAME & other intriguing reads

The prolific Bill Nowlin is at it again. "Spahn, Sain and Teddy Ballgame" edited by the Boston baseball sage (Rounder Books, paper) is focused on a corner of Boston baseball history - a season when the Braves won the pennant and the Red Sox lost a one game play-off game to the Indians and missed out on meeting their cross-town-rival in the World Series.

Filled with information, many photographs never before seen, with bios and insights into legends like Ted Williams, Warren Spahn, Johnny Sain, Dom DiMaggio and other not so well known figures who played for the Sox and Braves, SPAHN, SAIN and TEDDY BALLGAME is must reading for Hub baseball fans and will provide lots of hours of top reading for all sports fans. It is a special book about a special summer.

An exquisite look at the last game of Craig Biggio "The Final Game" (photographs by Michael Hart, Bright Sky Press, 106 oversized pages) is a fitting tribute to the long time Houston baseball star. Fans of the Astros superstar will want this book as a keepsake. "Benchclearing" by Spike Vrusho (Lyons Press, $16.95, 298 pages, paper) is a survey of battles, pushing, shoving and spitting matches through the years in major league baseball.

With the NYC Marathon upon us - -what better book to have than "A Rave Like no Other" by Liz Robbins (HarperCollins, $24.95, 336 pages). In depth, weaving her carefully crafted narrative with the stories of so many diverse runners, The New York Times sportswriter tells in splendid prose the exciting tale of the 26.2 mile journey that thousands and thousands through the years have taken through the streets of the Big Apple. Highly recommended.

"How Football Explains America" by Sal Paolantonio (Triumph, $24.95, 211 pages) is an interesting attempt focusing on many known items but packaging them in such a way that a lively little tome has been created shedding light on the gridiron sport's grip on all of us. If you want Paolantonio's up close and personal ruminations of why we love football so much this is the book for you.

More football reading but more biographical is "The Genius" by David Harris (Random House, $26.00, 385 pages). At once a personal story and also as the sub-title proclaims a book about "How Bill Walsh Reinvented Football and Created an NFL Dynasty" - this work is a winner especially for fans of the 49ers. The team has fallen on hard times but to read "The Genius" is to be transported into another era, a golden one.
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Harvey Frommer, now in his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books, is the author of 40 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 was published in September 2008 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.

Harvey Frommer "Dartmouth's own Mr. Baseball" Dartmouth Alumni Magazine/ HARVEYFROMMERSPORTS.COM
REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM (Definitive Book) "New & Notable" Amazon.com http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/redirects/yankees/

"Outstanding performance" ROGER KAHN/
"Spectacular"FOX SPORTS.COM/
"Essential keepsake"TIMEOUT NY/
"Stunning oral history"NY ONE/
"A must. Grand slammer."ESPN/
"Frommer delivers."NY DAILY NEWS/
"One of the finest."BRONXBANTER/
"Glorious oral history."WFAN/
"Best one.Great book"XM RADIO/
"Absolute classic"CBS RADIO/
"Beats any Yankee Book hands down"BEHIND.BOMBERS.COM/
"Brilliantly, beautifully documments."BLOGRADIO "Dead solid perfect"/"Amazing details "SPORTSOLOGY/
"Mother of all look backs."TBS SPORTS/
"Marvelous"NJ JEWISHNEWS/
"Definitive"ST.PAUL PIONEER PRESS/
"Masterpiece."BOY OF SUMMER/
"Must Have"PINSTRIPE PRESS/
"Rewarding,grounded prose "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED"
Photopanorama"HISTORYWIRE.COM/
"Most excellent."EYE ON SPORTSMEDIA/
"Spectacular"MSN/

Remembering Yankee Stadium: THE NINETIES

(For your reading pleasure adapted from REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT, on sale everywhere, buy it now)

Back when he assumed principal ownership of the New York Yankees on January 3, 1973, Steinbrenner had said, "We plan absentee ownership as far as running the Yankees is concerned. I won't be active in the day-to-day operations of the club at all. I've got enough headaches with my shipping company.”

As things turned out, however, he was anything but hands off. That is, until July 30, 1990, when he was forced to surrender control of the Yankees. He was banned from baseball for life by Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent for alleged payments he made to a gambler in New York City seeking to gain damaging info on outfielder Dave Winfield.

When the news of the banning reached the fans that day in Yankee Stadium, they chanted: “No more George.” They had had enough of “the Boss” for a while. Denied access to his spacious office at Yankee Stadium where a favorite pillow proclaimed: “Give me a bastard with talent,” Steinbrenner in exile was “the Big Guy in the Sky,” the man who wasn’t there but who really was watching things play out through the 1990 season.

His presence or absence seemed to make little difference to the 1990 team whose season was largely a disaster. There were some high points like the time during an August 2nd game when rookie first baseman Kevin Maas hammered his 10th home run in just 77 at bats, the fastest any player reached that mark. The Stadium's short right-field porch seemed tailor-made for the southpaw swinger, and Maas finished 1990 with 21 home runs in only 254 at-bats. But he was the exception for that squad rather than the rule - -the team finished dead last in batting average, a pathetic .241.

The 1990 Yankees had but one starting pitcher who won more than seven games, nine-game winner Tim Leary. But he also lost 19 before Stump Merrill showed some pity and took him out of the rotation. When the season mercifully came to a close, the Yanks wound up 21 games behind Boston in the AL East, the first time during Steinbrenner’s time that his team finished in last place. One had to go back to 1913 to find a Yankee team with a lower winning percentage. Only the Yankees of 1908 and 1912 lost more games. Ironically, the Stadium box office registers just kept on ringing. The Bombers drew a healthy 2,006,436 to the big park in the Bronx.
A survivor, “Stump” Merrill lasted through 1991 as field boss of the Yankees. Among the dubious and memorable moments of the season was the 479 foot homer Seattle's Jay Buhner hammered over the left-field bullpen, the shelling of Oakland outfielder Jose Canseco by Yankee fans who pelted him with assorted objects like an inflatable doll‚ a cabbage head, and a transistor radio among other objects, and the honoring of Joe DiMaggio on the 50th anniversary of his 56 game hitting streak.

RICH MARAZZI: During the pre game introductions players were brought out to the first and third base lines, and I, as one of the four umpires working the Old Timers’ game, was called out to the home plate area. I remained there through the introductions. When the national anthem ended, I walked over to DiMaggio.
“Joe, thanks for the memories,” I said.
Whenever DiMaggio saw me with a press tag around my neck, he was tentative. But whenever he saw me in my umpire’s uniform, he would put his hand out to me, like we were old buddies. And that's what he did this day.
I met my childhood heroes - Ned Garver, Mickey Mantle, Mike Garcia -- the former top pitcher. I always wanted to meet Mike. I found him in a locker stall, giving himself dialysis treatment. He was half the size he was when he pitched. I had a nice interview with him.
I umpired second base most of the time but did get to umpire the plate three times. I made sure my son would warm me up during the week so my arm would not turn on me when I had to throw the ball back to the pitcher.

The 1991 Yankees finished with a 71-91 record, 20 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays, in fifth place. The team results were less pathetic than the ’90 season, but still underwhelming. Attendance at the Stadium dropped to 1,863,733, placing the Yankees 11th out of 14 American League teams. Average attendance per game was just 23,009.

By 1992, Stump Merrill was gone, replaced by 36-year-old Buck Showalter. He had progressed from “Eye in the Sky” to third base coach to hitting coach to manager. The losing ways continued for the fourth season in a row. Ten games below .500, the Yanks finished 20 games behind first place Toronto in the AL East, but there was some incremental progress - for the first time since 1987, they finished (tied) in fourth place. . . .
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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.". 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 "Dartmouth's own Mr. Baseball" Dartmouth Alumni Magazine/ HARVEYFROMMERSPORTS.COM

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM (Definitive Book) "New & Notable" Amazon.com http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/redirects/yankees/

"Outstanding performance" ROGER KAHN

"Spectacular" FOX SPORTS.COM

"Essential keepsake" TIMEOUT NY

"Stunning oral history"NY ONE

"A must. Grand slammer."ESPN

"Frommer delivers."NY DAILY NEWS

"One of the finest."BRONXBANTER

"Glorious oral history."WFAN

"Best one.Great book"XM RADIO

"Absolute classic"CBS RADIO

"Beats any Yankee Book hands down" BEHIND.BOMBERS.COM

"Brilliantly, beautifully documments."BLOGRADIO "Dead solid perfect"

"Amazing details" SPORTSOLOGY

"Mother of all look backs."TBS SPORTS

"Marvelous"NJ JEWISHNEWS

"Definitive"ST.PAUL PIONEER PRESS

"Masterpiece."BOY OF SUMMER

"Must Have"PINSTRIPE PRESS

"Rewarding,grounded prose" SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

"Photopanorama"HISTORYWIRE.COM

"Most excellent."EYE ON SPORTSMEDIA

"Spectacular"MSN

Remembering Yankee Stadium: EIGHTIES

(For your reading pleasure adapted from REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT, on sale everywhere, buy it now)

The 1981 World Series was Yankees versus Dodgers, the third match-up between the two storied franchises in five years. A 9-2 win at Yankee Stadium in Game Six gave the world championship to Los Angeles.

KEITH JACKSON (GAME CALL, ABC-TV):
Watson hits it high in the air for the center fielder Ken Landreaux, this should do it...and the Dodgers are the 1981 champions of baseball.

PRESS RELEASE (BOX)
I want to sincerely apologize to the people of New York and to the fans of the New York Yankees everywhere for the performance of the Yankee team in the World Series. I also want to assure you that we will be at work immediately to prepare for 1982. –George Steinbrenner

FRED CLAIRE: Steinbrenner’s apology came in the form of a release which he passed out after we won the series. I though it was strange. The Yankees had given all they could to win. There was really no need to apologize for an all out effort by your team.

“The Boss” did much more than apologize. He kicked ass and rolled heads. He demeaned Dave Winfield, who had managed but one hit in 21 at-bats in the Series. Having signed him to a huge contract, Steinbrenner was furious at "Winny," dubbing him “Mr. May,” a sarcastic reference to Winfield’s peak performance in May and poor performance in the Fall Classic.
On January 22, 1982, Reggie Jackson irritated by Steinbrenner putdowns, signed as a Free Agent with the California Angels.

The commencement of the 1982 season at the Stadium was a hard time coming and as far as Yankee fans were concerned – largely not worth waiting for. Bob Lemon, who had managed the final 25 games in 1981 last only through 14 games in 1982.

On April 6th, almost a foot of snow cancelled Opening Day against Texas and the next game, too. It was April 11th before the ballpark was finally in shape for playing baseball. In recognition of how hard the grounds crew worked to make the field ready, crew chief Jimmy Esposito was given the honor of throwing out the first ball. The Yankees lost both games of an Easter Sunday doubleheader to Chicago. But at least their season was finally underway.
The roster had what Yogi Berra would call “deep depth” with a pitching staff featuring splendid southpaws Ron Guidry, Tommy John, and Dave Righetti. Goose Gossage was a flame-throwing stopper. Still, even with all that talent, the Yankees could not get it going. In June, they were 9 1 /2 games out.

On August 3rd, the White Sox took two from the Yankees at the Stadium and “the Boss” fired Gene Michael, who had replaced Bob Lemon, replacing him with Clyde King.
All season long Steinbrenner kept his circus jumping, seeking quick fixes. Beyond a trio of managers, he went through a merry-go-round of three hitting coaches, five pitching coaches, and 47 players. The chaos and the musical chairs did not make for an environment that suited a winning ball club.

The 1982 Yankees were not a winning club. They ended the season in fifth place, 16 games behind Milwaukee. They would not return to post-season play for the next 13 years. From that season until 1991, with George Steinbrenner having his say and having his way, the Stadium would become a mix and match of players and pilots. Highlighting the mayhem of the era were eleven managerial changes including the hiring and firing of Billy Martin six times. “They know what the bottom line is,” Steinbrenner said. . . .

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.". 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 "Dartmouth's own Mr. Baseball" Dartmouth Alumni Magazine//

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM (Definitive Book)
hear and see http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/redirects/yankees/

RAVES:
"Outstanding performance" ROGER KAHN/
"Spectacular" FOX SPORTS.COM/
"Essential keepsake" TIME OUT NY/
"Stunning oral history"NY ONE/"
A must. Grand slammer."ESPN/
"Frommer delivers."NY DAILY NEWS/
"Great.Glorious oral history."WFAN/
"Best one.Great book"XM RADIO/"Absolute classic..
"One of the finest products" "CBS-Radio/
"Beats any Yankee Book hands down" BRONXBANTER/
"This Book Was My Constant Companion For Three Days" BEHIND.BOMBERS.COM/
"Dead solid perfect"/BLOGRADIO/
"Amazing details "SPORTSOLOGY/
"Mother of all lookbacks."
"BOOGIEDOWNBASEBALL/"Spectacular"MSN/
"Marvelous "NJ JEWISHNEWS/"Definitive
"ST.PAUL PIONEER PRESS/
"Masterpiece. Broad, detailed, multidimensional."BOY OF SUMMER/
"Must Have" PINSTRIPE PRESS/"
"Rewarding,grounded prose"SPORTS ILLUSTRATED/
"Photo-centric panorama"HISTORY WIRE.COM

Remembering Yankee Stadium: The Seventies

(For your reading pleasure adapted from REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT, on sale everywhere, buy it now)

ROLLIE FINGERS: The Stadium bullpen was a good place to watch a ball game from. Sitting on the bench, you would pop your feet up on the fence. If you were hungry you could always give a kid a baseball and he would go and get you a hot dog.

RON SWOBODA: All kinds of things went on in the bullpens. Sometimes we would send out the back door for pizza. There were rumors that some young ladies would occasionally slip in through the back door. I was never involved in any of that, but it was entirely possible.

BILL LEE: The guys who worked at the Stadium, the ones who groomed the area, the ushers, they were the ones to be friendly with. That was how you got your food. You tipped them well and they would bring a pizza, anything.

RON SWOBODA: The folks who used to sit in the bleachers were interesting. You saw the same people every day. They were mostly guys, a bit older, all huge fans. You kind of wondered what they did. You could stand up next to the fence there in right field and just talk to them.

BILL LEE: Moe Drabowsky, who played for Baltimore, as the story goes, would get into the Stadium switchboard. Moe called the Queen of England one time. He called China one time. He called the Vatican.

The 1972 season ended with the Yankees at 79-76 in fourth place in the American League East. Their attendance was a puny 966,328, the only time that decade of the 70s that the Yankees would have a season’s attendance below a million at home.

However, they contended until the middle of September thanks to the superb relief pitching of Lyle and the solid hitting of Bobby Murcer.

TONY FERRARO: Bobby Murcer used to sit in his chair and rock all the time. A friend of mine was in the furniture business. I asked him "Can you send me rocking chair? "
He said "Yeah, where do you want me to send it?"
"Send it to Yankee Stadium."

He sends the rocking chair, and we put it in front of Murcer's locker. "I'm getting tired of seeing you rocking in the chair," I told him. "You need a regular rocking chair." Then one day someone sawed the rockers off it. Who do you think that was? Sparky Lyle. He was a great guy for doing pranks. But Murcer had it fixed and before long, he was rocking again. When he was traded to San Francisco in 1975, he took the rocking chair with him.

On January 3, 1973, a group led by George Steinbrenner III purchased the Yankees from CBS for an estimated ten million dollars, a price called an "astonishing bargain" by some since the City of New York paid more than $1 million for a parking lot as part of the package.

Opening Day of the first year of Steinbrenner’s principal ownership and the last season of the old Yankee Stadium, the Yankees became one of the last Major League clubs to convert to non-flannel uniforms made of polyester. . . .

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.". 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 "Dartmouth's own Mr. Baseball" Dartmouth Alumni Magazine//
REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM (Definitive Book)
*****hear and see http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/redirects/yankees/ ****
+ RAVES:
"Outstanding performance" ROGER KAHN/
"Spectacular" FOX SPORTS.COM/
"Essential keepsake" TIME OUT NY/
"Stunning oral history"NY ONE/
“A must. Grand slammer."ESPN/
"Frommer delivers."NY DAILY NEWS/
"Great.Glorious oral history."WFAN/
"Best one.Great book"XM RADIO/
"Absolute classic.. "One of the finest products"
"CBS-Radio/
"Beats any Yankee Book hands down" BRONXBANTER/
"Brilliantly, beautifully documents" BEHINDTHEBOMBERS.COM/
"Dead solid perfect"/BLOGRADIO/
"Amazing details "SPORTSOLOGY/
"Mother of all lookbacks.” "BOOGIEDOWNBASEBALL/
"Spectacular"MSN/
"Marvelous "NJ JEWISHNEWS/
"Definitive "ST.PAUL PIONEER PRESS/
"Masterpiece. Broad, detailed, multidimensional."BOY OF SUMMER/
"Must Have" PINSTRIPE PRESS/"
"Rewarding,grounded prose"SPORTS ILLUSTRATED/
"Photo-centric panorama"HISTORY WIRE.COM

Remembering Yankee Stadium: Fifties

(For your reading pleasure adapted from REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUUM: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT)

The World Series competition for the Yankees in 1951 was the Giants of New York. They had a storybook season, chasing, catching and then conquering their hated rival Brooklyn Dodgers in a one-game play-off on Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World.”

EDDIE LOPAT: All the reporters told us to watch out. “The Giants are hot,” they said. “They beat the Dodgers coming out of nowhere.” We didn’t believe what anybody told us or what they printed in the newspapers. The other teams had to beat us on the field. That was where it counted.

MONTE IRVIN: We were still on a high after beating the Dodgers in 1951 in that playoff game when we went up against the Yankees in the World Series. Without a chance to rest, we reported to the Stadium the next day. I got four straight hits and also stole home in the first inning.

My last time up, Yogi Berra said: “Monte, I don’t know what to throw you. You have been hitting high balls and low balls and curve balls. I’m gonna have you get a fastball right down the middle."
I really didn‘t believe Yogi. But sure enough Reynolds threw me a fastball right down the middle. I hit a line drive. The ball was caught. I really wanted that hit. No one had ever gone five for five in the World Series.

Fielding the first black outfield in World Series history - Hank Thompson, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays - the Giants defeated Allie Reynolds and the Yankees 5-1 with Dave Koslo going the distance for the win.

STEVE SWIRSKY: I was ten years old and a Yankee fan. My dad didn't have a lot of money but he came home one day with two tickets for the second ’51 World Series game.
I remember everything about that day - the smells, the walking around to the little shops, my dad digging deep to buy a cap and a hot dog for me. It almost glowed in my heart 'cause I used to listen to the Yankee games on the radio from all over the country even though there were times I could barely hear it.

We sat down the left field line underneath the overhang - 20 rows back. In those days poles held up the overhang. My seat had an obstructed view. But you know how some women are about little boys . A woman switched seats with me so I could see. It was Willie Mays who hit the fly ball that Mantle, playing right field, chased. Mantle was not the superstar that he was going to be, but there was a big hush when he went down. It seemed like the world stopped.

The 19-year-old Mantle, attempting to avoid a collision with Joe DiMaggio, twisted his ankle in the fifth inning on a sprinkler-head cover protruding from the outfield grass. He lay there, motionless. His right knee had snapped and was he was lost to the Yankees for the rest of the series.
No matter – the Yankees were loaded with talent and though the Giants had momentum, it was another world championship for Stengel’s guys on October 10, 1951 as Vic Raschi bested Dave Koslo, 4-3 before 61,711. That was the last World Series game Joe DiMaggio ever played in.

---

I am at work on my newest effort - - REMEMBERING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY, a companion book to REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM (The Definitive Book) Fall 2008 (Abrams, STC). If you or those you know have specific stories and memories of times (first game, marker moments, oddity) at the Fens - please get in touch with me and hopefully we can set up a date and time for me to interview you. I would appreciate that.

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.". 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.

BOOK SIGNING

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM (THE DEFINITIVE BOOK)
AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT

Borders 57th and Park Avenue
Friday/ October 10, 7 P.M.

Look & Listen:
http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/redirects/yankees/
Harvey Frommer "Dartmouth's own Mr. Baseball" Dartmouth Alumni Magazine
***** REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM (Definitive Book) **** wcbsradio http://www.wcbs880.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=2910500
http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/redirects/yankees/

RAVES:"Outstanding performance" ROGER KAHN/ "Spectacular" FOX SPORTS.COM/ "Essential keepsake" TIME OUT NY/ "Stunning oral history " NY ONE/ "Frommer delivers."NY DAILY NEWS/ "Great. Glorious oral history.""WFAN/ "Best one on Stadium.Great book "XM RADIO/ "Absolute classic. Bible of Yankee Stadium books."CBS-Radio/ "One of the finest products"/ BRONXBANTER/ "Beats any Yankee Book hands down" BEHIND.BOMBERS.COM/ "Brilliantly, beautifully documents stadium."BLOGRADIO "Dead solid perfect"/ BOOKREPORTER/ " A must. Grand slammer."ESPN/ "Spectacular" MSN/ "Marvelous photographs,stories"NJ JEWISHNEWS/ "Definitive "ST.PAUL PIONEER PRESS/ "Masterpiece" BOY OF SUMMER "Must Have" PINSTRIPE PRESS/"Amazing detail" SPORTSOLOGY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHNNY PESKY

It was some years ago when I was at Fenway Park doing research and interviewing for one of my baseball books. My son Fred was then a teenager and he accompanied me to the park dressed in a red sweater and packing his baseball glove -- just in case.
We arrived at the legendary park quite a few hours before game time as is my practice when I am working. Fenway was empty. There was no one in the stands but my son anxious to catch a ball.
I interviewed one player and then another and then interrupted Johnny Pesky who was hitting fungoes and interviewed him. Gracious, enthusiastic, informed, the man they call "Mr. Red Sox" gave me more than the time of day.
So I figured I could impose.
"See that kid in the outfield stands with the red sweater. Could you hit a ball out to him?"
"And if I hit him on the noggin, then what! We are all in trouble."
"You are right," I said, and walked away to interview others.
Minutes later through the empty ballpark I heard my son's voice and saw him running through the stands to the home plate area. He was shouting: "I got it. I got it." And he had a ball in his hand.
Pesky was near me and yelled. "Get me that ball. The kid isn't supposed to have it."
I went over to my son and got the baseball and brought it to Pesky.
"What's your son's name?"
I told him. He autographed the ball "To Fred. Great catch. Johnny Pesky"
Fred is now an AP Correspondent based in DC. He still has the ball.
And wonderfully we still have the baseball treasure Johnny Pesky who gets his Number Six retired and turns 89 on a terrific doubleheader weekend at Fenway Park starting September 26, 2008!

Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including “New York City Baseball,1947-1957″ and “Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball”. His “Remembering Yankee Stadium: An Oral and Narrative History of the House that Ruth Built” (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his “Shoeless Joe and Ragtime

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.

**Call for Fenway Memories - now working on "Remembering
*****Fenway Park" - will feature stories– first game attended, marker moments, odd events, tales of a special player at the Fens, architectural features... Please contact me by e-mail if you have something to contribute.

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM: OPENING DAY 1923

(As the games at Yankee Stadium dwindle to a precious few - -for your reading pleasure adapted from REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT)
Jacob Ruppert always insisted "Yankee Stadium was a mistake, not mine, but the Giants.”

And in truth, had it not been for the Giants, there might never have been a Yankee Stadium.
Beginning life as the Baltimore Orioles in 1901, the franchise moved to Manhattan in 1903. Named the Highlanders, they played at Hilltop Park in Washington Heights for a decade. In 1913, the Yankees as they were now known were tenants of the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. The landlord Giants and the tenant Yankees never got along.

Ruth's Yankees were a magnet drawing more than a million each season from 1920 to 1922. Never had the Giants drawn a million fans. Angered and annoyed at the gate success of Babe Ruth and Company, the Giants told the Yankees to look around for other baseball lodgings.

Ruppert and Huston suggested the Polo Grounds be demolished and replaced by a 100,000 seat stadium to be used by both teams as well as for other sporting events. Nothing came of the suggestion.

So the duo set about to create a new ballpark. Shaped along the lines of the Roman Coliseum, it would be the greatest and grandest edifice of its time. Many sites and schemes were considered. One idea was to build atop railroad tracks along the West Side near 32nd Street. The Hebrew Orphan Asylum, at Amsterdam Avenue and 137th Street, was a serious contender. Long Island City in Queens was also given some consideration.

Finally, on February 6, 1921, a little more than year after the Yankees had acquired Ruth from the Red Sox, a Yankee press release announced that ten acres in the west Bronx, City Plot 2106, Lot 100, land from the estate of William Waldorf Astor, had been purchased for $675,000 (just under $8 million in 2007 dollars). The site sat directly across the Harlem River, less than a mile from and within walking distance of the home of the New York Giants, at the mouth of a small body of water called Crowell's Creek.

Some noted the site was strewn with boulders and garbage. Others criticized the choice as being too far away from the center of New York City. Some dubbed the plan "Rupert's Folly," believing that fans would never venture to a Bronx-based ballpark.

“They are going up to Goatville,” snapped John J. McGraw, manager of the Giants. “And before long they will be lost sight of. A New York team should be based on Manhattan Island.”

Ruppert never publicly responded to McGraw’s criticism. But he did request newspapers to print the address of Yankee Stadium in all stories. And for the first game at his new baseball palace, he included on each ticket stub:

“Yankee Stadium, 161st Street and River Avenue.”

Design responsibilities for the new “yard” were handed over to the Osborn Engineering Company of Cleveland, Ohio. The White Construction Company of New York was awarded the construction job which Huston oversaw. Ever demanding and meticulous, Ruppert mandated that the massive project be completed "at a definite price" $2.5-million ( about $29-million in 2007 dollars) and by Opening Day 1923.

Ground was broken on May 5, 1922. Sixteen days later Ruppert bought out Huston's share of the Yankees for $1,500,000. "The Prince of Beer" was now sole owner, a driven and driving force behind the vision of the new home.

A millionaire many times over, Ruppert enjoyed giving orders and having them followed to the letter. He lived at 1120 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in a 15 room townhouse. He also had a castle on the Hudson.

Some thought his 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.

Original architectural plans called for a triple-decked park roofed all the way around. An early press release explained that the new ballpark would be shaped like the Yale Bowl, enclosed with towering embattlements making all events inside "impenetrable to all human eyes, save those of aviators." Those without tickets would be unable to catch even a glimpse of the action.

However, that initial lofty design was quickly scaled down. It was thought those plans would create too foreboding a sports facility, being too much a tower and not a place to play baseball, being a place where the sun would hardly ever shine. Instead the triple deck would stop at the foul poles.
And Jacob Ruppert notwithstanding, action on the field of play would be visible from the elevated trains that passed by the outfield, from the 161st Street station platform as well as from roofs and higher floors of River Avenue apartment houses that would be built.

Fortunately, a purely decorative element survived the project's early downsizing. A 15-foot deep copper frieze would adorn the front of the roof which covered much of the Stadium's third deck. It would become the park's signature feature.

The new stadium, virtually double the size of any existing ball park, favored left-handed power; the right-field foul pole was only 295 feet from home plate (though it would shoot out to 368 by right center). The left- and right-field corners were only 281 feet and 295 feet, but left field sloped out dramatically to 460 feet. Center field was a monstrous 490 feet away.

A quarter-mile running track that doubled as a warning track for outfielders surrounded the field. Under second base, a 15-foot-deep brick-lined vault containing electrical, telephone, and telegraph connections was put in place for boxing events.

Three concrete decks extended from behind home plate to each corner. There was a single deck in left-center and wooden bleachers around the rest of the outfield. The new stadium had the feel of a gigantic horseshoe. The 10,712 upper-grandstand seats and 14,543 lower grandstand seats were fixed in place by 135,000 individual steel castings on which 400,000 pieces of maple lumber were fastened by more than a million screws. Total seating capacity was 58,000, enormous for that time.

The Yankee bullpen was in left center. The Yankee dark green dugout was on the third base side. Bats were lined up at the top of the dugout stairs. There was a record eight toilet rooms for men and as many for women.

As was usual in that era, each white foul line extended past home plate. There was also a dirt "pathway" leading from the mound to home plate.

On Wednesday April 18, 1923, "The House That Ruth Built" opened for business. It had been built on almost the same spot where baseball had begun in the Bronx, a place where the Unions of Morrisania had played and close to where the old Melrose Station of the Harlem Railroad was located. The original street address was 800 Ruppert Place.

"Governors, general colonels, politicians, and baseball officials," The New York Times reported, "gathered solemnly yesterday to dedicate the biggest stadium in baseball.”
True to Jake Ruppert’s mandate and vision – “The Yankee Stadium,” as it was first called, had been constructed at a cost of $2.5 million in just 185 working days.

The reaction to the newest playing field in the major leagues was over the top. A Philadelphia newsman declared: "It is a thrilling thought that perhaps 2,500 years from now archaeologists, spading up the ruins of Harlem and the lower Bronx, will find arenas that outsize anything that the ancient Romans and Greeks built."

Opening Day was, appropriately, Red Sox versus Yankees. A massive crowd assembled for the most exciting moment in the history of the Bronx. The day was chilly. Many in the huge assemblage were bundled up with heavy sweaters, coats, fedoras and derbies although some, in the spirit of the moment, wore dinner jackets.

The announced attendance was 74,217, later scaled back to 60,000. The Fire Department ordered the gates closed and 25,000 were denied entrance. Those unable to get inside soldiered up outside against the cold listening to the noise of the crowds and the martial beat of the Seventh Regiment Band directed by the famed John Phillip Sousa.

Red Sox owner Harry Frazee walked on the field side-by-side with Jake Ruppert who always claimed that his idea of a great day at the ballpark, was when “the Yankees score eight runs in the first inning, and then slowly pulled away.” Yankees and Red Sox were escorted by the band to the flagpole in deep centerfield, where the home team’s 1922 pennant and the American flag were raised.

Ruppert then took a seat in the celebrity box where Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, New York State Governor Al Smith, and New York City Mayor John Hylan were waiting for the game to begin.

At 3:25 Babe Ruth was presented with an oversized bat handsomely laid out in a glass case.

At 3:30 Governor Al Smith tossed out the first ball to Yankee catcher Wally Schang.
At 3:35 home plate umpire Tommy Connolly shouted: "Play ball!"

The temperature was a brisk 49 degrees. Wind blew dust from the dirt road leading to the Stadium and whipped away at pennants and hats.

In the third inning with Whitey Witt and Joe Dugan on base, George Herman “Babe” Ruth stepped into the batter’s box. He had said: "I'd give a year of my life if I can hit a home run in the first game in this new park.” Boston pitcher Howard Ehmke threw a slow pitch. Bam! Ruth slugged the ball on a line 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."
Sportswriter Heywood Broun remarked: “It would have been a home run in the Sahara Desert.”
Crossing home plate, removing his cap, extending it, Ruth waved to the standing, screaming crowd.

LEIGH MONTVILLE: Babe Ruth always said that of all the home runs he hit, his favorite home run was the one he hit the day they opened Yankee Stadium, the ballpark that was kind of built for him.
The game moved on. Yankee stalwart "Sailor" Bob Shawkey, a red sweatshirt under his jersey, fanned five, walked two, allowed but just three hits, and pitched the Yankees to a 4-1 victory.

===============================================================

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.".

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.

Remembering Yankee Stadium: SIXTIES!

As the games at Yankee Stadium dwindle to a precious few - -for your reading pleasure adapted from REMEMBERING YANKE STADIUUM: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT

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“There was a great, dark mystery about when I first came here from Oklahoma. Now I think this is about the prettiest ball park I ever saw." - Mickey Mantle


RALPH HOUK: I moved into the manager’s office in 1961, and the great clubhouse guy Pete Sheehy had everything ready for me. It had all I wanted: a room, a desk, a place to keep my records. Most of my memories of that office was bringing guys in and telling them things they didn’t want to hear.
I was usually down at one end of the Yankee dugout managing from a standing position with one leg up. I stood rather than sit on the bench. I was always moving.

JOHNNY BLANCHARD: Roger Maris had the locker next to mine. When he was popping those long ones out of the park, I had to get out of my own locker because 20, 30 writers would flock around him, and they would sift into my locker space. Roger was an introvert and did not like all the bright lights. That was what gave him the reputation of being nasty. But he was not.

SAL DURANTE: I was with my girlfriend Rosemarie who became my wife later on and my cousin and his girl. We were hanging out in Coney Island doing nothing. So I made a suggestion that we go to the last game at Yankee Stadium. I knew that Maris was going after the 61st home run. I knew about the promised $5,000 reward for the guy who caught the ball. I had read all about it in the News.

I was a Yankee fan as far back as I can remember although not really a Roger Maris fan. I was a Mickey Mantle fan and watched every Yankee game as I was growing up because of him.

We asked the ticket guy for four seats in right field. I never expected there would be any. The guy thumbed through tickets like a deck of playing cards, “Yeah, I’ve got four seats.”
I had no money. Rosemarie paid for the tickets. We were in Section 33, Box 163D , the sixth row of the right field lower deck. In those days you had six seats to a box. I was sitting in the row below Rosemarie with John and his girl Rose Marie was sitting by herself in Seat Four. I switched seats with her so she could talk to them. It was the smartest thing I did.

PHIL RIZZUTO (GAME CALL) WCBS radio:
They're standing, waiting to see if Maris is gonna hit Number Sixty-one. We've only got a handful of people sitting out in left field, but in right field, man, it's hogged out there. And they're standing up. Here's the windup, the pitch to Roger. Way outside, ball one...And the fans are starting to boo. Low, ball two. That one was in the dirt. And the boos get louder...Two balls, no strikes on Roger Maris. Here's the windup. Fastball, hit deep to right! This could be it!

SAL DURANTE: As soon as Maris 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.

TRACY NIEPORENT: We were at the Stadium on May 14, 1967 when Mantle hit his 500th home run in the seventh inning of a game against Baltimore. As it turned out, he didn't have that many home runs left in him after that.

JOE GARAGIOLA: (GAME CALL, NBC) Three balls, two strikes. Mantle waits. Stu Miller is ready. Here’s the payoff pitch by Miller to mantle. Swung on! There she goes!. . . Mickey Mantle has hit his 500th home run . . .

BOB SHEPPARD: At one time Bob Fischel said to me: “I think it would be nice to recognize the boys and girls, the young people.” That was when I began saying: “Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls,” But I did it under force for a short time and then returned to saying just “Ladies and Gentlemen.”

FRANK RUSSO: My first game at Yankee Stadium was Thurman Munson's first game. August 8, 1969 . My dad was a huge Yankee fan and he read in the papers that their number one draft pick had been recalled from the minors. We went to the second game of a twi-night doubleheader against Oakland. We walked right up and my dad bought the seats, good seats behind the first base line.
Munson was definitely a confident guy. He had some swagger to him which was what I liked. He got his first major league hit against Catfish Hunter, another single and his first two RBIs in that game. We knew if the Yankees were going to get better in the 1970s, he would help lead the way.

About the Author:
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.".

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.

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM

CLICK HERE

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM: THE FORTIES!

(As the games at Yankee Stadium dwindle to a precious few - -for your reading pleasure adapted from REMEMBERING YANKE STADIUUM: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT BY HARVEY FROMMER )

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"Yankee Stadium was a home away from home without a doubt. Those were really the best years of my life." - Ralph Houk

As the new decade dawned, America was still at peace in a world at war, and baseball retained its hold on the nation's consciousness. The Yanks had won 106 games in 1939; they'd notched their fourth straight world championship and were favored to do it again.

RED FOLEY: Prior to the Second World War, box seats at the Stadium were regular wooden chairs that went back two or three rows from third to first base. They cost about $2.50. You had the low fences in left and right field only about three feet high. Players could lean in and make a catch. On the other hand, there were a lot of pillars. People sat behind them and couldn't see very well. It was called 'an obstructed view.'

The 1940 season would be one of the tightest American League races ever. As it got underway reverence for the past was displayed at the Stadium on April 16th when a plaque in Jake Ruppert's memory was placed on the centerfield wall close to the flagpole.

Jake Ruppert had passed, Lou Gehrig was no longer on the scene. Joe DiMaggio, victim of a sprained knee in an exhibition game just before the season started, was ailing. The Bombers lost five of their first eight games and all season long played catch-up in the American League pennant race.

BOO FERRIS: In 1941, I played summer baseball in a college league, the Northern League in Brattleboro, Vermont. After the season ended the Red Sox gave me a uniform and had me pitch some batting practice at Fenway Park. Then Boston player-manager Joe Cronin invited me to come along to a weekend series with the Yankees at the Stadium. I stayed with the team at the Hotel Commodore.

I rode out on the subway with Mr. Cronin. It was the first time I had ever been on a subway. We came right up on the track right above Yankee Stadium looking down on the field and I will never forget that sight I saw.

I pitched batting practice at the Stadium. I got to see Lefty Gomez pitch that first game for the Yankees and battle with Ted Williams who was to hit over .400 that season. Ted got three hits off Lefty. I never dreamed that in a few years I would be pitching for Boston against the Yankees at the Stadium in a real game.

The 1941 season was the 39th for the New York Yankees, their 18th at Yankee Stadium. It would be the last season before the United States entered that world at war. Anticipating the conflict that was to come, Yankee president Ed Barrow offered Civil Defense the use of the Yankee Stadium as a bomb shelter, indicating the area under the stands could provide protection in case of attack.
It was a season 23-year-old Phil Rizzuto broke in as Yankee shortstop. As the story goes, Lefty Gomez called him over and asked: "Kid, is your mother in the stands?"
"Yes," said Rizzuto.
"Well," the fun-loving hurler told him, "stay here and talk to me a little, and she'll think you're giving advice to the great Lefty Gomez."

Joe DiMaggio did not get off to quick start in 1941; there were those who claimed he was in a bit of a slump. On May 15, before a small crowd at the Stadium in a game against Chicago, he batted four times and managed a single off stubby southpaw Edgar Smith. The hit was little noticed. More was made of the fact that the home team now had lost eight of its last ten games with this 13-1 drubbing by the White Sox.

Over the next two months, however, the Yankee centerfielder 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.

"I became conscious of the streak when the writers started talking about the records I could break," the Yankee Clipper said.

Newspaper stories and radio commentary dramatized what Joe DiMaggio was doing. Since virtually all games in that era were played in the afternoon, radio announcers would routinely interrupt programs with the news of the Yankee Clipper's progress. Day and night, radio disc jockeys played the Les Brown band recording:

Who started baseball's famous streak
That's got us all aglow?
He's just a man and not a freak,
Jolting Joe DiMaggio.
Joe...Joe...DiMaggio.......
we want you on our side.
From Coast to Coast, that's all you hear Of Joe the One-Man Show.
He' s glorified the horsehide sphere,
Jolting Joe DiMaggio.
Joe...Joe...DiMaggio.....
we want you on our side.
He'll live in baseball's Hall of Fame,
He got there blow-by-blow
Our kids will tell their kids his name, Jolting Joe DiMaggio.
(copyright 1941 by Alan Courtney)

At Yankee Stadium on June 17th, official scorer Dan Daniel of the New York World-Telegram credited DiMaggio with a hit on a ground ball to short that bounced up hitting Chicago's Luke Appling on the shoulder. It was a call that would be questioned - one of several during the streak where scorers strove to be as diligent as possible. The questioning did not matter - DiMag later slapped a single. . . .

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 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.

THE BOOK REVIEW: Babe Ruth: Remembering the Bambino in Stories, Photos and Memorabilia

If you are looking for book for browsing, for studying, for coffee table placement, for ogling - Babe Ruth: Remembering the Bambino in Stories, Photos and Memorabilia by Julia Ruth (one of the Babe's granddaughters and Bill Gilbert (talented author who has been around the baseball block quite a few times) is the book for you. Reasonably priced at $35.00, hardcover, 176 pages with 125 photos and illustrations and 10 removable facsimiles this terrific tome is a keeper.

The facsimiles themselves are worth the price - -they include the Babe's birth certificate, his contract with the Red Sox for 1916 and 1917, a five cent scorecard from opening day at Braves Field in Boston, a movie program for the 1948 film "The Babe Ruth Story."

"The End of Baseball" by Peter Schilling, Jr. (Ivan R. Dee, 352 pages, $25.00) is an imaginative, thought-provoking novel. It puts forward Bill Veeck returning from the Army with one leg missing after Guadalcanal. He becomes the owner of the Philadelphia Athletics and gets rid of white players and stocks his roster with Negro League stars. The book is fiction but is created against a backdrop of real life characters. Just a terrific read!

"Dark Side of the Diamond" by Roger Abrams (Rounder, $24.95, 216 pages) is a look into the sordid habits, misdeeds, bad guy instincts of famous flawed baseball notables like John J. McGraw, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, Barry Bonds and others.

It is as its sub-title says about "gambling, violence, drugs and alcoholism in the national pastime.
"Warrior Girls" by Michael Sokolove (Simon and Schuster, $25.00, 308 pages) is all about a first class job of investigative reporting into injuries in women's sports. The book is as timely a today's headlines and long overdue.

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Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 39 of them including “New York City Baseball,1947-1957″ and “Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball”. His “Remembering Yankee Stadium: An Oral and Narrative History of the House that Ruth Built” (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) will be published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his “Shoeless Joe and Ragtime

REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM (The Definitive Book)
Fall 2008 (Abrams, STC) http://baseballguru.com/hfrommer/analysishfrommer50.html
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**Call for Fenway Memories - now working on "Remembering Fenway Park" - will feature stories– first game attended, marker moments, odd events, tales of a special player at the Fens, architectural features... Please contact me by e-mail if you have something to contribute.

EMail Harvey

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.

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
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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 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

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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''
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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
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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
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MIAMI BOOK FAIR November?? Date and Time TBA
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November 18 Lord & Taylor ,Eastchester NY (details TK)
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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
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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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