The Yankee Way: Playing, Coaching, and My Life in Baseball

by Willie Randolph

From a dusty diamond in Brooklyn to the hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium, Willie Randolph has always loved the game of baseball, and over the course of his storied career, he has amassed a remarkable list of accomplishments—All-Star second baseman, World Series champion, manager—but, above all, he has been a Yankee. For almost thirty years, Randolph was a part of Yankee lore and mythology, whether playing with the legends Thurman Munson and Reggie Jackson and witnessing the infamous Bronx Zoo at its rowdiest, or coaching as the Core Four of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada rose to fame and ushered in a new era of Yankee dominance.

In his long-awaited memoir, Willie Randolph shares stories from his life in pinstripes, opening up about the team that raised him and the city that molded him. With unparalleled perspective into three generations of team history, the former Yankee captain offers fresh, firsthand insight into some of the greatest players to ever play the game and the greatest teams ever to call the Bronx their home. From Don Mattingly to Bernie Williams, Goose Gossage to Mariano Rivera, and Billy Martin to Joe Torre, Randolph presents a view of baseball history from the inside, describing how teams became dynasties and managers became legends—all in the shadow of the man who brought them together, the Boss, George Steinbrenner.

But though Randolph is a Yankee through and through, he is first and foremost a quintessential New Yorker. Brooklyn raised and groomed, he shares memories of a rise that could only happen in the Big Apple—from the projects of East New York to the house that Ruth built. Along the way, he discusses his triumphs and struggles on and off the field, as well as his time spent as manager of the Mets.

As fascinating and thoughtful as Randolph himself, The Yankee Way is a moving portrait of a legendary team, a unique city, and a remarkable man.

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Biography, Autobiography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2010

Reviews

[Tom Gase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but not great either. Randolph, a really good second baseman for years for the Yankees, tell his story of playing for the team from 1976 to 1988, but the focus with that is on the 76-78 years and I've already read a lot on that period of the Yankees. It's good information for sure, but I was hoping for more on his years in the 1980's, as well as his year for Dodgers in 1989, the A's in 1990 and the Brewers and the Mets to close his career. Then it kind of goes into his time as a coach, but once again I don't really care what he did as a coach with the 1995-2004 Yankees. Once again, I've read those books. Then he does way too many pages at the end on who his favorite players are at each position, but he just goes all over the place in that portion of the book. Really needed a better editor there. That said, he seems like a really good dude and he was a fun player to watch when I was growing up and a 2B that often gets overlooked in the era of Sandberg, Whitaker, Frank White and for me, Steve Sax and Johnnie Ray and Bobby Grich growing up in SoCal.

[Adriana Belmonte · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a diehard Yankees fan, I absolutely love Willie Randolph. I thought this book was great and gave some really great insight to the team. However, one of my biggest issues in this book were Randolph's transitions, or lack thereof. He switched from one topic to another so abruptly throughout the whole book that I was left confused so many times. Also, in the Acknowledgements section at the very end, Ron Guidry is spelled as "Roy Guirdy." Aside from that, awesome book and I'd recommend it for any Yankees or baseball fan in general.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I should disclose that I received a copy of this book by winning a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. It was an uncorrected proof and it lacked the 16 pages of photos that will be part of the final book. There were also a couple of continuity issues where anecdotes were referred to as if they had already been introduced, but were not told until later in the book, and there were also a couple of issues with incorrect stats and dates. I am assuming that these problems will be corrected before the final print.

Second, I feel I should disclose that I am not now, nor have I ever been, a Yankee fan. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Willie Randolph's The Yankee Way: Playing, Coaching, and My Life in Baseball is pretty much what you would expect it to be based on the title. Willie was a second baseman for the Yankees in the 70's and 80's and also had stints with the Pirates, Dodgers, A's, Brewers and Mets. He also was a coach with the Yankees from 1994-2004 and managed the Mets from 2005 to June of 2008.

The first half of the book is about his days as a player. There are a few pages about his days growing up playing youth baseball in Brooklyn and then playing in the minors in the Pirates farm system, but the bulk of this section is about his days in the majors. He talks about what it was like to be a rookie called up in the middle of the 1975 season in the midst of the Pirates drive to win the NL East (only to be swept by Cincinnati's Big Red Machine for the NL pennant). He talks about the experience of being traded to the Yankees the following off season. He tells a number of anecdotes about the characters on the Yankee teams of the 70s and 80s and helps you relive the AL playoff and World Series games in which those Yankee teams were involved. The last four years of his career with the Dodgers-A's-Brewers-Mets are covered in about a half dozen pages.

The next quarter of the book is about Willie's days spent coaching for the Yankee dynasty teams of the mid 1990's into the early 2000's and his tenure as manager of the Mets. He talks about the players of that era and the playoff and World Series games in which they played and how coaching the game differs from playing it. When he moves on to his days as manager of the Mets, Willie talks about his managerial style and defends a few specific managerial game moves he made by explaining his line of reasoning. If you remember when and how he was fired from the Mets manager job and you're wondering if Willie takes the opportunity to blast the Mets front office for the way they fired him, he takes the high road and does not rehash the incident.

The final quarter of the book is a discussion about how the Yankee players that Willie played with in the 70s and 80s "stack up" to the Yankee players he coached in the 90's and 2000's. He compares the players by position and lists stats and also looks at how they performed in "big" games. To his credit, he does discuss the steroid/PED era and how that distorts comparisons. He also discusses his personal feelings on the subject.

To summarize: As the title says, this book is about Willie Randolph's life in baseball. The first part is a nice trip down memory lane for anyone old enough to remember baseball in the 70s and 80s. The second part is a reflection on the dynastic Yankees of the mid 1990's to 2000's with a little bit of Mets lore thrown in regarding Willie's managerial days. The last part is about one of those things over which fans like to argue: Which player was better?

If you're looking for a juicy tell all book, you will probably be disappointed as there aren't really any new revelations here. But if you are a Yankee fan, or a baseball fan in general, you will find this a light, enjoyable read.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former New York Yankee second baseman, Willie Randolph, shares a piece of his professional life with us in this baseball memoir.

Randolph takes us from the days when he first signed to be a baseball player to when he was traded to the Yankees to his time as one of their coaches to his tenure as the New York Met’s manager. It’s a series of his high and low points, as well as his team’s highs and lows. He even gives us his ideal Yankee team. It is quite fun to read his reasons for his choices even when he picks against his close friends.

I grew up in the 70’s when Randolph played for the team, so this book brought back many great memories. I had a wonderful time reading his stories about those days. He took me right back to the 1970’s. This isn’t a “tell all” book and you won’t read anything scandalous. This is more like sitting down in someone’s living room and just listening to stories of the “good old days” and some more recent days too. It’s not told in a dry, biographical tone. Instead, this is having a nice conversation with an old friend.

Admittedly, I’m a huge Yankee fan and I can’t remember when I wasn’t. Maybe I’m biased, but of course, I don’t think I am. Randolph has always been known as one of the low key, classy players from a time when the team was in a constant turmoil. This book is just as classy as I always thought him to be. I enjoyed every minute of this book. If you’re not a Yankee and/or baseball fan, you probably won’t have as much fun as I did reading this book.

FTC Disclosure: Edelweiss provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
Growing up in Brooklyn, Willie Randolph loved baseball and often dreamed of being able to play in the major leagues, like millions of other boys. He realized that dream in 1975 when he was called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates. That began a long journey that took him back to his hometown where he had many good seasons with the New York Yankees, including the Yankees teams of the late 1970’s that won three consecutive American League pennants and two World Series. When his playing days ended, he became a coach for the team during the next great Yankee run when led by the Core Four; they won four World Series titles between 1996 and 2000. Then later he became first African-American manager in New York when he was named manager of the Mets in 2005. Randolph shares stories about all these chapters in his career and life in this autobiography.

What struck me most about the book was the conversational style in which it was written. There isn’t a true structure to the book as it is not in strict chronological order, nor does Randolph talk exclusively about certain times in his life in each chapter. Randolph’s writing makes the reader fell like he or she is sitting next to Willie, just passing the time by sharing baseball stories. Much of the book is just that – baseball stories. There isn’t a lot of reflection on his early childhood family life or his family life that isn’t impacted some way by the game. Yes, he does talk lovingly about his wife and children when they are mentioned, but even some of those are directly related to what is happening in his baseball life.

The stories are mostly funny and entertaining. One of my favorites was when Willie went on a hunting trip with Goose Gossage and a few other Yankee teammates. Having never hunted before, it turned into a very good story of not only bagging a deer but also of the camaraderie that teammates often share with each other. The story of he and his wife Gretchen moving into a trailer park during his minor league playing days was also a nice story, both entertaining and heartwarming by the end. Of course, the baseball ones are great as well. The best ones are about those about the Yankees of the late 70’s and early 80’s with Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Billy Martin and such. They won, they fought, they grabbed headlines but in the end, they were the type of characters that made for excellent tales.

There are times where the dialogue will veer off the topic and go on a tangent that is related to the topic being discussed. This may distract a reader, but I thought it added to the conversational tone of the book. Just like when two people are talking and one will go off on a tangent, this book does the same thing at times. It doesn’t stay that way for long, and the story gets back on track. This is an enjoyable read for any baseball fan, especially Yankee fans and those who like to read about those aforementioned Yankee teams.

I wish to thank the publisher for providing an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Did I skim?
No.

Pace of the book:
This book is best read at a leisurely pace, much like if the reader were sitting on a porch with Willie sharing stories.

Do I recommend?
Baseball fans that enjoy reading about the great Yankee teams of the late 1970’s or in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s will especially like this book. More casual baseball fans should also enjoy hearing Willie’s tales of his playing, coaching and managing days.

Book Format Read:
Paperback

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is summer my favorite season? The answer I always give is that it is the only season of the year when baseball is played everyday. Whether it’s a lazy afternoon game or a late night when my team is playing on the west coast, I breathe baseball all summer long. For the first time in years both the Yankees- my husband’s team- and the Dodgers are sizzling. Super stars are everywhere on both teams, and leading analysts believe that they could meet in the World Series for the first time in over forty years. Considering that I was two the last time that happened, if the Cubs can’t make it, I’m hoping for this series in all its glitz as well. Tonight the teams wrap up a series, and suffice it to say I will be watching. Recently my baseball reading friend suggested a new book titled The Yankee Way, but when I went to look it up on my library catalogue, I found this memoir. Forever a student about the history of the game, I decided to check out this memoir by one time Yankees player and coach and Mets (boo) manager Willie Randolph to kick off my summer baseball reading.

Willie Randolph hails from the Tilden Houses in Brooklyn. The projects. Heard gunfire from his window growing up, and this is after his parents moved from Soutb Carolina to New York as part of the last years of the great migration north in search of a better life for their children. New York would provide the Randolph family with more opportunities in life, but it took two strong parental figures to keep them out of trouble. Too many kids in the neighborhood succumbed to gangs, guns, drugs, you name it. From the earliest age, it was apparent that Willie Randolph would be a gifted athlete. Like many kids in his generation, he dappled with other sports, but his favorite game to play was baseball. He played on neighborhood organized ball teams and in high school, sometimes traveling over an hour in each direction to play to get out of his neighborhood. Through the guidance of his parents and coaches, eventually the work paid off as the Pirates drafted Randolph in 1973. He signed soon after, and then it was off to spring training as an eighteen year old wet at the ears. He had just purchased his first suit and was recently engaged, and now Willie Randolph was a professional ball player.

Like many memoirs, this book progresses from his time in the minors, and features all the stops of his playing and coaching career. By 1975, Randolph was coming home to play for the Yankees. He might have favored the Mets as a kid, but the Yankees were the Yankees and it meant coming home. With a young family, this was something to be savored. Randolph joined a team recently purchased by George Steinbrenner that was on the cusp of greatness. He discusses the Bronx Zoo years and the climate brought on by the new free agency rules. Even in the 1970s, Steinbrenner cared about winning above all else and purchased as many big name players as he could to make this happen. This would be something he did throughout his tenure as Yankee owner and lead to championship runs in the late 1970s and again in the late 1990s. Randolph got to be a part of all of those teams, first as a player, including a run as team captain, and later on as coach. All of the hall of famers from both these eras that help comprise the Yankee mystique, Randolph is on a first name basis with all of them. He did not take a back seat to history because he was on the field as gold glove quality second baseman and then as a third base coach. His career with the Yankees spanned over ten years before he became a free agent. Although the money did not add up and he signed on with other teams, Randolph was respected and remained a Yankee in the eyes of Mr Steinbrenner, allowing him to coach later on.

Randolph notes that he has studied the history of the Negro Leagues throughout his career. He has been been fortunate to have mentors such as Gene Baker and later on the great Buck O’Neill and Double Duty Radcliffe. Randolph has the presence of mind to realize that had he been born twenty years earlier, he would have been playing in the twilight of the Negro Leagues. He did not put this fact past him and provided mentorship for young black players throughout his career. In 2004, Randolph was named the first African American manager in New York, becoming the skipper of the Mets. My dislike of the Mets aside, Randolph was humble in the moment and reflected on the history of New York as a national league baseball city. It had been nearly sixty years since Jackie Robinson first played in Brooklyn, and here he was, Willie Randolph from Tilden, manager of the Mets. Needless to say, he had yet another chapter in history to write, and, while his tenure as Mets manager did not go as planned, Randolph remained humbled from and learned from the experience. Ten years have passed since the publication of this book, but I would hope that there remains a place in the game for lifers like Randolph. He has devoted much of his life to the game and should be rewarded with another chance to manage, hopefully for a team that respects his place as a now senior statesman.

Today one of Randolph’s kids as he refers to his players is piloting the Yankees to a stellar record. People remember Randolph as a Yankee, but he is one of the 117 (more as of this reading) who have played for both New York teams. The real star he says, is his wife Gretchen, who raised four children while he was often on the road during the course of his career. Many sports marriages end in divorce or worse but the Randolphs have stayed the course. I consider myself a historian of baseball and love reading player memoirs because every perspective is different. All these player remembrances add to the color of America’s game. These accounts might not win awards for their literary prowess but they are a joy to read nonetheless. As I await tonight’s matchup between the Yankees and Dodgers, I can reflect on the Yankees’ glory years as told through the eyes of one of their players turned coaches. What a career it has been.

4 stars

[Rick Ferris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read first two chapters which covered about 20% of book. The issue for me was the book was poorly edited. He told events out of order. He was talking about being traded to the Yankees and then went back to talk about when he was drafted by Pittsburgh. Some factual errors and transposed words. Case in point, he stated that he was excited in 1976 to be appearing in his second consecutive World Series. Incorrect. He was on Pittsburgh in 1975 who lost to the Reds in the NLCS. Transposed words example, he was talking about how great it was to see the Yankees transition from winners to losers by making the 1976 World Series. What he discussed was interesting but I found the jumping around and errors too distracting.

[Edmond · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Yankees fan and a former NYer, it's always great to read a book by one of my favorite players. I loved reading about the late 70s surge of the Yankees, the dynasty of the 90s and Willie's managerial challenges. I wish he was recognized by the hall or by the gold glove committee. Always a good book to read for Yankee fans.

[Jake Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

As great as a man off the field as a player he was on the field. Some great stories from the Yankees years, and a great insight on some of the personalities from the 70's. Willie Randolph is a player kids should look up to.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like the chapter titles to have been in years Mr. Randolph play the game.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Willie Randolph is a winner and has been apart of some of the greatest teams of all time. His stories are great. I flew through this one and enjoyed it from start to finish.

[George Polansky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very excellent read. Randolph make me proud to be a Yankee fan. He writes like he played. No excuses and gracious team mates and rivals.

[Tom Stamper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straightforward memoir of Willie Randolph's time as a Yankee player and coach, with a few mentions of his other baseball experiences. It was fun again to read about the 1970s Yankees. Those years are my first baseball memories. Willie was a quiet steady player during loud times. His unique personality allowed him to get along with Reggie Jackson and Thurman Munson while thriving under the leadership of Billy Martin. He is full of praise of Graig Nettles, his favorite third baseman during the last 40 years. He loved the way Nettles got the ball to him on the 5-4-3 double play and he loved Graig's wit. He also speaks highly of Thurman, Roy White, and Bobby Murcer. I don't think he says anything personally about Bucky Dent or Lou Piniella. I guess it wouldn't have been good. Guidry, Catfish, Lyle, and Gossage get good ink.

In the 1980s he has praise for Winfield and is indifferent on Henderson. He says nothing about Don Baylor. He loves Don Mattingly and regrets Mattingly retired before the 1996 season and missed the World Series.

He has a lot to say about the core four (Jeter, Pettite, Posada, and Mariano Rivera), but none of it is too surprising. So much has been written about those guys there is not much left to say. He says he loves them all and that is the biggest news. Cone, Mussina, Clemens are talked about here and there throughout the book.

He liked Steinbrenner. Gene Michael was a baseball genius. Buck Showalter was a sad firing. Joe Torre was a good hire. Joe Girardi is mentioned as a player that gave way to Posada.

He talks in depth about specific games but completely ignores important ones. During the end of the book he compares Yankee players from the 1970s to today and lists his favorites. It's also the section where he speaks about the PED controversy and what it means for baseball. Willie wants to manage in the major leagues again and he hopes and opportunity will arise.

If you follow the Yankees or Randolph's career I think you will enjoy the book.

[carl theaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Yankee Way’ is an enjoyable read. Often times with ‘Jock’ books one must really, really like the subject to get through it, however Willie keeps it light, never too many play-by-plays of little league games or even major league contests.

Randolph is best known for his years of playing second base on the Yankee teams of the late ‘70s, the Bronx Zoo years. As far as popularity goes, Willie is one of those good guys of the game, and life, that doesn’t get all the press of the fighting Billy Martins or brash Reggie Jacksons.

The first half of the book covers through his playing years, which is a lot of ground for about 150 pages. A chapter or two is spent on his coaching and managing. The remainder he breaks away from the usual and discusses the number one question players get at old-timer games, that is,
who is better? The current stars or back when you were playing.

Willie goes through every position giving his opinion on who he would pick for his Yankee all-star team. He picks from the ‘70s Yankee World Series teams and the ‘90s teams. Munson vs Jorge? Guidry, Jackson, Nettles, Chambliss, Bernie, Petite, all make an appearance and it’s a lot of fun pondering the comparisons for a baseball fan.

[Mark Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a better book than I thought it would be. That's not a knock on Willie, but I wasn't sure how interesting it would be. It held my interest throughout. Definitely got a feel for what it's like to be Willie and what he believes in both in baseball and in life. If you're a fan of the Yankees from the time in which he played, I strongly recommend. And it's a good book for Yankees and baseball fans of other ages too.

[Mandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book Great for Yankee fans and baseball fans alike!

[Brenda Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading. A good insight to his life. I received this book free through good reads.

[J. Herman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit disjointed but a fun read, particularly for fans of the Yankees, Mets and of course Willie himself.