Now Pitching for the Yankees: Spinning the News for Mickey, Billy, and George

by Marty Appel

As the Yankees celebrate their 100th anniversary, this book is a behind the scenes tale of the New York Yankees as told by former public relations director Marty Appel.

Genres: Baseball, Sports

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 24, 2003

Reviews

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as an e-book. The writing is very good and though Mr. Appel does talk a lot about the Yankees. The players, management and other people around the game that we as fans don't think of. This book is not just about the Yankees or his time working for them. He goes into detail how he became a Yankee fan. What it was like the first time he went to old Yankee stadium to see a game with his father. He brought me back to the memories I had the first going with my father and I. Thought it was great. He also talks about not being afraid to go for a job. He did that in college and become the Yankees 3rd PR director in their history. From there he takes you through the team being sold and he ends up leaving in 1977 before their championship. He takes you on a journey through his life with different stops along the way. But there is always baseball. Someone calling him or a player that he new at one point. He has know bad words to say about anyone. Maybe himself to handle something differently. Which was nice. A good book.

[Ken Heard · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I think anything Marty Appel has written has been great. His book on the history of the New York Yankees, "Pinstripe Empire," is one of the best historical books I've ever read, not just a great sports book. I also think his book on Casey Stengel is better than the one Robert Creamer wrote about the grizzled coach. And his book on Yankees catcher Thurman Munson is a moving tribute to a player who was not always a media-friendly type.

That said, Appel has always written about others. It was good to read about his own life for a change. And what a life it was. Obviously, sports fans knew who he was with the Yankees, but his career spanned much more, and this book details a lot of the ups and downs of it.

While with the Yankees, he was there when CBS sold the team to George Steinbrenner and he was at one of the greatest Yankees' games ever when Chris Chambliss hit the bottom of the ninth homer in the American League Championship Series to beat Kansas City in 1976 and to go on to the World Series. He was also involved in New York getting Reggie Jackson, although he didn't mention Jackson's comment that he was "The straw that stirred the drink" of the Yankees' team. I guess he had left the team by then because absent was also the dugout fight between Jackson and manager Billy Martin in Fenway Park.

But Appel does offer plenty of behind-the-scenes anecdotes, both baseball and non-baseball. His story on rushing Billie Jean King from the airport to Madison Square Garden for a Sets tennis match was a blast. He also includes a lot of his writing projects, which made me wonder how he got all those things done. He said he was married and immediately put in 80-hour weeks at work.

Appel is a huge part of the Yankees' history and it's great to read it. I bought this book years ago, but for some reason didn't read it until now. I was glad I did. It's a well-written journey into the life of someone who loves sports and would be a treasure to have dinner with and listen to his stories. I'm glad we get to see the genius behind the marketing of the Yankees and the author of all those books.