Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The 1998 Yankees:
They are the greatest. Period, done.
Quick synopsis:
The story of the greatest baseball team of all time, the 1998 Yankees.
Fact for Non-History People:
The Yankees outscored their opponents by 309 runs. If you aren’t a baseball fan, trust me, that’s insane. It was the highest since the 1939 Yankees.
Fact for History Nerds:
The team was 120-1 when they had a lead after 8 innings.
My Take on The 1998 Yankees:
I suppose I should make a disclaimer before I begin my review. I was born a Yankee fan in 1982 and have been a rabid one every since. Growing up, the Yankees were terrible. The 1996 team was great but 1998 was when people started calling you a “bandwagon” fan because it was the start of a true dynasty. This is all to say that yes, of course I am biased before I even opened this book. If it was about the Red Sox, I wouldn’t even open it. But this is about my favorite team of all time and written by one of my favorite baseball reporters.
Of course I loved this book. Jack Curry recounts the magical baseball season of 1998 when the Yankees were crowned the greatest team of all time. Curry gets a bunch of fun insights from the team and it was a great walk down memory lane. I would say that all of my disclaimers should not obscure the fact that Curry knows how to tell a story. Each chapter looks at a few players and how they came to be a part of a bigger puzzle. Putting aside my fandom, I wondered if someone who knew nothing about this team would get as much out of it as I would. Considering Curry reminded me of multiple players who I barely remember, I would have to say yes. Everyone gets a chance to shine and their contributions are noted. Importantly, Curry never misses a beat in explaining how this team climbed the proverbial mountain. If you like baseball, it’s got to be on your shelf.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Twelve Books.)
Verdict:
If you haven’t bought this for the baseball fan in your life, then you are missing out. Buy it here!
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