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Feeding the Monster: How Money, Smarts, and Nerve Took a Team to the Top
Seth Mnookin was given access never before granted to a reporter for this fascinating inside account of the Boston Red Sox. As a result he has written perhaps the best book yet about a professional sports team in America.
Feeding the Monster shows what it takes to win a championship, both on and off the field. Seth Mnookin spent mornings in the front office, afternoons in the clubhouse, and evenings in the owners' box. He learned how the Sox persuaded Curt Schilling to sign, why Nomar Garciaparra resented his teammates, and what led to Pedro Martinez's acrimonious exit. He knows the real story behind Theo Epstein's brief departure and witnessed the development of his rift with Larry Lucchino. And in a new epilogue, Mnookin examines the 2006 offseason, including the negotiations for Japanese phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka.
In a juicy narrative that is filled with thrilling detail, Feeding the Monster peels back the curtain to show what it means to be a part of a major league sports team today.
504 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2006
23 people are currently reading
1119 people want to read
About the author
Seth Mnookin
9 books39 followersSince 2005, Seth has been a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, where he’s written about the American media presence in Iraq, Bloomberg News, and Stephen Colbert. In 2002 and 2003, he was a senior writer at Newsweek, where he wrote the media column “Raw Copy” and also covered politics and popular culture.
He graduated from Harvard College in 1994 with a degree in History and Science, and was a 2004 Joan Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. A native of Newton, Massachusetts, he and his wife currently live in Cambridge with their seven-year-old dog, their two-year-old son, and their infant daughter.
He graduated from Harvard College in 1994 with a degree in History and Science, and was a 2004 Joan Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. A native of Newton, Massachusetts, he and his wife currently live in Cambridge with their seven-year-old dog, their two-year-old son, and their infant daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
September 8, 2024
Shoutout my glorious King Theo Epstein. The drama man the drama.
July 9, 2010
The Red Sox....everything changed for The Nation in 2004. "A Red Sox fan" is a totally different animal now: trendy, spoiled. The book starts with a quick history of a mostly lackluster team that had the misfortune of being chronicled by a press corp determined to create a tragic tale.
Revealed: Tom Yawkey, Hall of Famer, was not a benevolent, caring owner but a playboy drunk who did a poor job running his franchise.
Enter new owners John Henry, Larry Lucchino, and Tom Werner. Everything changes. The incredible drama of 2004 is recounted.
Perhaps most interesting is John Henry's and Theo Epstein's reliance on statistics to guide their baseball decisions, aka their investment . This rational approach is not foolproof---injuries, drug problems and psychiatric trouble always lurk---but when employed consistently a pattern of success emerges. These men explored and redefined the concept of "value"----why do teams win?
This approach has brought two World Series titles to Boston, and the method is analogous to other areas, such as medicine. In any endeavor we must be careful of how we define value. If we limit our definition to that which we know how to measure we overrely on those measurements and become rigid.
Revealed: Tom Yawkey, Hall of Famer, was not a benevolent, caring owner but a playboy drunk who did a poor job running his franchise.
Enter new owners John Henry, Larry Lucchino, and Tom Werner. Everything changes. The incredible drama of 2004 is recounted.
Perhaps most interesting is John Henry's and Theo Epstein's reliance on statistics to guide their baseball decisions, aka their investment . This rational approach is not foolproof---injuries, drug problems and psychiatric trouble always lurk---but when employed consistently a pattern of success emerges. These men explored and redefined the concept of "value"----why do teams win?
This approach has brought two World Series titles to Boston, and the method is analogous to other areas, such as medicine. In any endeavor we must be careful of how we define value. If we limit our definition to that which we know how to measure we overrely on those measurements and become rigid.
October 14, 2009
A fascinating inside look at the Yawkey Trust's sale of the Red Sox to Tom Werner and John Henry, and what followed from it. It's all there--the sometimes shady dealings during the sale, the big trades, the front office squabbles, the clubhouse conflicts, and the success that the new management brought to the team in spite of the bumps in the road. Particularly interesting are the thought processes and inside stories behind the Nomar trade, Manny being Manny, and Theo Epstein's brief absence from the organization. Seth Mnookin doesn't pull any punches, and he presents a view of the Red Sox largely untouched by the filter of the team's PR department. Feeding the Monster is a revealing book that will help Red Sox fans and others understand exactly what the team is about and why some things happened the way they did. Recommended.
February 1, 2011
First, a confession. Although I was born a third-generation Yankee fan, I switched my allegiance permanently when I moved to Boston in 1975 and have been a diehard member of Red Sox Nation ever since. So of course I loved this book. If you're a Red Sox fan, you will too. But it's a must-read for every baseball fan, I think, because it takes readers inside the modern game with all of its complexities -- from superstar athletes, arrogant owners, and impossible fans to team-owned TV networks, arcane union rules and the playoffs-or-bust mentality -- and offers a case study of how new owners with deep pockets and fresh ideas can make big changes happen fast.
June 8, 2015
A must read for any Red Sox fan or for that matter any baseball fan. Would definitely recommend it.
July 7, 2025
Baseball, one of my favorite topics.
This is a book about the Boston Red Sox, their history, and finally winning the World Series in 2004 after a 89 year drought.
For non-baseball fans. Do you know of Babe Ruth? The famed New York Yankee and long time home run king? He started his career with the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher. The Red Sox traded Ruth to the Yankees in 1920, who become The Great Bambino and Sultan of Swat that we know of today. Until 2004, the Red Sox never won another world series, leading to the belief of the Curse of the Bambino.
This book covers the history of the Red Sox, corrects some misconceptions, such as the Red Sox owner traded Ruth away to produce a play and the Curse of the Bambino did not become commonly accepted until years later, and the Red Sox owner Yawkey, who until recently has been renowned in baseball, fought against integrating baseball. The book covers some of the Red Sox greats, then the story really starts.
The focus starts with the sale of the Red Sox to the current owners, back in 2002, how Boston did not want Henry and his group to purchase the team, and the struggles and drama involved. Then these new owners revamping a broken system. Before Moneyball was released, the Red Sox has hired Bill James the creator of saber-metrics, and promoted Epstein to GM (who also recently was GM of the Cubs when they broke their own curse to win the World Series) to start a new era, not only for the "Sawks" but also baseball. The book delves into the clubhouse and dealing with manager problems and player problems. Difficult players like Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, and Nomar Garciaparra. How Epstein rebuilt the Sox, and most importantly, How they broke long MLB records to finally get past the "evil empire' of the Yankees to make and win the World Series.
Lastly the book focuses on the difficulties that arises in an organization after finally reaching the ultimate goal. How its not happiness and bliss after a World Series, but as Robert Kraft (owner of New England Patriots) warned, watch out for the infighting.
As a baseball fan, this book was amazing. Its real inside access to a team from top to bottom. It is also written to where a non baseball fan can read and possibly enjoy. I watched these moments in history, I remember the media stories, but this book brought a side you don't get to see and it was wonderful to experience the World Series win from that side of the game, even years later.
Every baseball fan should read this book for sure.
This is a book about the Boston Red Sox, their history, and finally winning the World Series in 2004 after a 89 year drought.
For non-baseball fans. Do you know of Babe Ruth? The famed New York Yankee and long time home run king? He started his career with the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher. The Red Sox traded Ruth to the Yankees in 1920, who become The Great Bambino and Sultan of Swat that we know of today. Until 2004, the Red Sox never won another world series, leading to the belief of the Curse of the Bambino.
This book covers the history of the Red Sox, corrects some misconceptions, such as the Red Sox owner traded Ruth away to produce a play and the Curse of the Bambino did not become commonly accepted until years later, and the Red Sox owner Yawkey, who until recently has been renowned in baseball, fought against integrating baseball. The book covers some of the Red Sox greats, then the story really starts.
The focus starts with the sale of the Red Sox to the current owners, back in 2002, how Boston did not want Henry and his group to purchase the team, and the struggles and drama involved. Then these new owners revamping a broken system. Before Moneyball was released, the Red Sox has hired Bill James the creator of saber-metrics, and promoted Epstein to GM (who also recently was GM of the Cubs when they broke their own curse to win the World Series) to start a new era, not only for the "Sawks" but also baseball. The book delves into the clubhouse and dealing with manager problems and player problems. Difficult players like Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, and Nomar Garciaparra. How Epstein rebuilt the Sox, and most importantly, How they broke long MLB records to finally get past the "evil empire' of the Yankees to make and win the World Series.
Lastly the book focuses on the difficulties that arises in an organization after finally reaching the ultimate goal. How its not happiness and bliss after a World Series, but as Robert Kraft (owner of New England Patriots) warned, watch out for the infighting.
As a baseball fan, this book was amazing. Its real inside access to a team from top to bottom. It is also written to where a non baseball fan can read and possibly enjoy. I watched these moments in history, I remember the media stories, but this book brought a side you don't get to see and it was wonderful to experience the World Series win from that side of the game, even years later.
Every baseball fan should read this book for sure.
August 18, 2019
This remains one of the best books written about the rise of the Red Sox. The author seems to have talked to everyone and he tells wonderful stories. He can in a few pages summarize key points that others take chapters to discuss.
He avoids cliches, he doesn't romanticize the events he describes, and he doesn't try to be funny or cute in his writing. What he does is tell a story as to how the Red Sox reached such a dsyfunctional state and how the new owners changed the attitude of workers and fans.
He is quite good in demonstrating (not that there was much need to demonstrate this) that Dan Shaughnessy, the sports writer for the Boston Globe, is one of the worst sports writers in the world. Shaugnessy is lazy, repeats stories that many others have shown to be false, plays favorites, lashes out at players, and brings almost no insight into anything he writes about. How he lasted as long as he did is a mystery of mysteries.
The author of this book, who is the antithesis of Shaugnessy, makes many good points. Among the best: pointing out that David Ortiz was someone who took his job seriously. He was researching pitchers, between at bats would watch clips, and was successful because of all the research he engaged in.
The author's account of what happened after the Red Sox won in 2004 is excellent. Bob Kraft had warned Henry that victory created many problems but Henry thought the Red Sox were such a tight group that they could overcome the problems. But 2005, as the author relates, was an unhappy time for almost everyone (except maybe Ortiz). Bill Millar comes across the worst, vastly overestimating his value. Theo Epstein made clear that he believed that the Red Sox could not make long run sacrifices for short term gains. His relationship with others in the organization became tense. And once again the person who comes across a knowing nothing, acting as if he was somebody, and doing everything he could to run down Epstein (based of course on a complete ignorance of baseball and what Epstein had done) is Dan Shaughnessy. I think it is telling that Bostonians who believe that they are such astute sports fans and know everything about baseball put up with someone of Shaughnessy's limited abilities. My cats know more about baseball than he does.
It is also telling how few players stayed with the Red Sox, only eight were left by 2006
All in all this is an excellent book. I wish the author had written more books.
He avoids cliches, he doesn't romanticize the events he describes, and he doesn't try to be funny or cute in his writing. What he does is tell a story as to how the Red Sox reached such a dsyfunctional state and how the new owners changed the attitude of workers and fans.
He is quite good in demonstrating (not that there was much need to demonstrate this) that Dan Shaughnessy, the sports writer for the Boston Globe, is one of the worst sports writers in the world. Shaugnessy is lazy, repeats stories that many others have shown to be false, plays favorites, lashes out at players, and brings almost no insight into anything he writes about. How he lasted as long as he did is a mystery of mysteries.
The author of this book, who is the antithesis of Shaugnessy, makes many good points. Among the best: pointing out that David Ortiz was someone who took his job seriously. He was researching pitchers, between at bats would watch clips, and was successful because of all the research he engaged in.
The author's account of what happened after the Red Sox won in 2004 is excellent. Bob Kraft had warned Henry that victory created many problems but Henry thought the Red Sox were such a tight group that they could overcome the problems. But 2005, as the author relates, was an unhappy time for almost everyone (except maybe Ortiz). Bill Millar comes across the worst, vastly overestimating his value. Theo Epstein made clear that he believed that the Red Sox could not make long run sacrifices for short term gains. His relationship with others in the organization became tense. And once again the person who comes across a knowing nothing, acting as if he was somebody, and doing everything he could to run down Epstein (based of course on a complete ignorance of baseball and what Epstein had done) is Dan Shaughnessy. I think it is telling that Bostonians who believe that they are such astute sports fans and know everything about baseball put up with someone of Shaughnessy's limited abilities. My cats know more about baseball than he does.
It is also telling how few players stayed with the Red Sox, only eight were left by 2006
All in all this is an excellent book. I wish the author had written more books.
June 28, 2024
The Breaking of the Curse of the Bambino is legendary. This Red Sox team, comprised of Icons (like Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, Manny Ramirez, and David Ortiz) and other stat fillers finally conquered baseball and won its first championship in 86 years. Their 2004 World Series victory was driven in large part by the new ownership group and their ideas of incorporating statistical analysis and traditional baseball knowledge to win games and build a successful ball club. This book gives a short history of the franchise post Babe Ruth and provides readers with minor anecdotes from the team’s middling years. What the book does a great job of is detailing where the new owners came from and what motivated them to pursue ownership of the Red Sox. After detailing the sale of the team the book goes season by season through the start of the 2006 season before the book concludes. What I really liked about the book is the author’s style. I felt drawn into the book and chose to pick it up and read over other hobbies. I do think that the book only started to delve into some of the details of the larger story. I think that the sale of the team was the most in depth part of the book with the most detail. I wish that the author went more into how the organization changed after new ownership. For example, the author mentions multiple times how Theo Epstein helped to set the new way of using a statistical approach in building a team. They delve into it a little bit with explaining how OBP was an important measure but beyond that the book does little to show how it differs from other old fashion ways of thinking. Lastly, the big thing for me is relevance. This book was published in 2006. Reading this book in 2024 I know that the Red Sox won another title in 2007. This book seems like it was written prematurely. When I got to the end I found myself thinking that this is only half the story. While the book is so well written to draw in the reader it seems like the author was so focused on writing the first comprehensive book about the World Series victory that he forgot to ask important questions like is this the best time to write it? It’s sad because the book did a good job of giving inside accounts from players managers and executives about the push for the victory all the while it seems like there is more of the story to tell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2017
What a thoroughly enjoyable and unique book! I appreciate the angle Seth Mnookin took in recounting the Red Sox building up to and ultimately winning the World Series in 2004.
“Feeding the Monster” doesn’t give chunk recaps of the 2004 season for the Red Sox. Mnookin goes back and opens the book with a brief history of the Red Sox and highlights owners and others who played a role in creating the ethos and institution that is Red Sox baseball. I always enjoy brushing up on the history of this team.
However, the unique and main thrust of the book surrounds the sale, in 2001-2002, of the Red Sox to a group led by John Henry and Tom Werner with Larry Lucchino serving as the CEO. While stories involve the players and managers who played in the actual games, the focus of the book is on understanding how the front office with GM Theo Epstein constructed a team that could topple the Yankees and deliver a World Series.
One of the more interesting aspects around the Sox of 03-05 is how much winning the World Series changed the disposition of players (Kevin Millar) and the character of the clubhouse (losing Pedro and D Lowe). As strong as the Sox were on the field they were as fragile as faberge eggs off.
Also, I found it interesting just how much the media, especially news paper reporters, influenced or tried to influence the direction of the team. It was eye opening to see the ways in which men armed with a pen tried to takedown and undermine the very team they were paid to cover.
It was a joy to read this after having experienced the gut punch of 2003, the joy of 2004, and subsequent World Series titles in 2007 and 2013. Here’s to getting another title soon, although it feels cheap to complain only four years removed, rather than 86!
“Feeding the Monster” doesn’t give chunk recaps of the 2004 season for the Red Sox. Mnookin goes back and opens the book with a brief history of the Red Sox and highlights owners and others who played a role in creating the ethos and institution that is Red Sox baseball. I always enjoy brushing up on the history of this team.
However, the unique and main thrust of the book surrounds the sale, in 2001-2002, of the Red Sox to a group led by John Henry and Tom Werner with Larry Lucchino serving as the CEO. While stories involve the players and managers who played in the actual games, the focus of the book is on understanding how the front office with GM Theo Epstein constructed a team that could topple the Yankees and deliver a World Series.
One of the more interesting aspects around the Sox of 03-05 is how much winning the World Series changed the disposition of players (Kevin Millar) and the character of the clubhouse (losing Pedro and D Lowe). As strong as the Sox were on the field they were as fragile as faberge eggs off.
Also, I found it interesting just how much the media, especially news paper reporters, influenced or tried to influence the direction of the team. It was eye opening to see the ways in which men armed with a pen tried to takedown and undermine the very team they were paid to cover.
It was a joy to read this after having experienced the gut punch of 2003, the joy of 2004, and subsequent World Series titles in 2007 and 2013. Here’s to getting another title soon, although it feels cheap to complain only four years removed, rather than 86!
July 11, 2018
Very interesting approach and a great read for someone looking for a glimpse into the behind the scenes of the franchise. Reads fairly quickly and the side notes provide some really interesting facts of ongoing negotiations that were happening during prior and post the historic '04 win. I think the greatest strength of the book is that it doesn't overload its reader with details and statistics and maintains a decent pace throughout while at the same time staying true to its focus on the managerial relationships a few steps removed from the day to day happenings of the game itself. Even for someone who is a die hard fan of the game or the sox I still would recommend this because of the attention it pays to the out of spotlight work that try to bring some rational to this american past time.
August 29, 2018
As a life long Red Sox fan, I wanted to explore a topic that was near and dear to my life-long existence in high school: how the Curse ended leading up to 2004! Seth had unprecedented access to the Sox organization and lacked the major bias that many journalists had towards Boston and the Red Sox during this time period. His review of the anachronistic Red Sox of the 20th century was painful but necessary but his work on the sale of the Sox and the relationship between Lucchino and Epstein was outstanding. A great read for Sox fans and even non baseball fans a like.
January 26, 2021
I loved it! It fed every part of my baseball and Red Sox fandom. It was nerdy and gossippy at the same time. I do wish the book had explored the New England reaction to the win in 2004 from an outside perspective, but that’s my only critique. And finally, Dan Shaughnessy is the worst and I don’t like him.
June 2, 2023
The breaking of the curse is the greatest story in sport - and it’s never been told so effectively.
There’s corporate intrigue, interpersonal drama and a little bit of baseball as the book peaks with an outstanding account of the famous 2004 ALCS series comeback, everything that follows is anticlimactic - but then again, anything would be.
There’s corporate intrigue, interpersonal drama and a little bit of baseball as the book peaks with an outstanding account of the famous 2004 ALCS series comeback, everything that follows is anticlimactic - but then again, anything would be.
March 18, 2018
I’m a diehard Red Sox fan. Definitely not a bandwagon fan but didn’t get into them until 03-04. This book was a nice look back on those early years with lots of detail and drama and players I’d either missed or forgotten. A certain blast from the past.
July 7, 2022
In all fairness, I think if I didn’t have the bias of being a Red Sox fan, I would be giving this a 3⭐️
The book was good, not great. Fun and insightful behind the scenes but I felt the author spent too much time on certain topics and it felt lost.
The book was good, not great. Fun and insightful behind the scenes but I felt the author spent too much time on certain topics and it felt lost.
December 12, 2023
An excellent alternate history read where John Henry actually spends money on the team. Even as a life-long Red Sox fan I had so much to learn reading this book, and it well balanced the entire history with a great focus on peak post-2000's fandom.
March 16, 2022
Holds up incredibly well. I learned a lot of things I either didn’t know or things that I thought I knew, but did not actually know
March 16, 2017
An excellent companion to Michael Lewis' 'Moneyball' but with added history about the origins and mythology of the Red Sox.
February 21, 2024
An excellent look inside the sale, purchase, and first few years of the 21st center Red Sox. As someone eager to know more about what happens inside the business of an MLB team this book was right up my alley. It examines both characters of the Epstein/Henry Red Sox dramatically but it also gives the reader insight into the inner workings of running an MLB franchise.
A must-read for anyone trying to get a sense of the game and the modern Red Sox from a macro level. Remains remarkably relevant even after nearly two decades since being published.
A must-read for anyone trying to get a sense of the game and the modern Red Sox from a macro level. Remains remarkably relevant even after nearly two decades since being published.
June 8, 2015
What I hoped for was a sort of "Moneyball, the sequel" about the 2002 sale of the Red Sox and the building of the 2004 (and now 2007) World Series champions. What I got was an OK look at those topics, but tainted by an author who is a rabid and admitted Red Sox fan for whom this book was "the chance of a lifetime."
Mnookin does mention the hiring of baseball stat king Bill James and briefly talks about the Moneyball-theories of Billy Beane and his short-lived hiring as GM of the Sox, but he never explains how subsequently-hired young GM Theo Epstein used those stat theories to build the Sox. For example, Mnookin introduces the "hustle" stat that James worked up for the team, but then never shows how that stat was ever used to bring in new hustling players, let current slackers go, and shape the game-management decisions of Manager Francona. Again, Mnookin says that Francona was hired as a new-thinking manager open to Moneyball theories (unlike old-school Grady Little), but gives no examples.
This is a shame, because the opportunities were apparently there for Mnookin to write that book, as he was given an all-access inside pass to Fenway and team offices, short of exposing any proprietary financial documents. Mnookin's fanhood limited his conception and scope. He seemed too much enthralled with his insider status to shake free of gee-whiz season and series recaps to write the much better book that was available to him.
Red Sox fans may enjoy this "insider" look from one of their own. Baseball fans who hoped like I did for a more serious look into the application of stat-driven management should be forewarned. Maybe Michael Lewis can be convinced to write a proper sequel from his more-dispassionate stance.
Mnookin does mention the hiring of baseball stat king Bill James and briefly talks about the Moneyball-theories of Billy Beane and his short-lived hiring as GM of the Sox, but he never explains how subsequently-hired young GM Theo Epstein used those stat theories to build the Sox. For example, Mnookin introduces the "hustle" stat that James worked up for the team, but then never shows how that stat was ever used to bring in new hustling players, let current slackers go, and shape the game-management decisions of Manager Francona. Again, Mnookin says that Francona was hired as a new-thinking manager open to Moneyball theories (unlike old-school Grady Little), but gives no examples.
This is a shame, because the opportunities were apparently there for Mnookin to write that book, as he was given an all-access inside pass to Fenway and team offices, short of exposing any proprietary financial documents. Mnookin's fanhood limited his conception and scope. He seemed too much enthralled with his insider status to shake free of gee-whiz season and series recaps to write the much better book that was available to him.
Red Sox fans may enjoy this "insider" look from one of their own. Baseball fans who hoped like I did for a more serious look into the application of stat-driven management should be forewarned. Maybe Michael Lewis can be convinced to write a proper sequel from his more-dispassionate stance.
January 24, 2012
i've been reading Seth's blog for a few weeks now, so i wasn't surprised that i also enjoyed his book. i rather like his style of writing. it gets a lot of facts in there, but it feels like a conversation -- just how i like my nonfiction to be. it gives a good look into the bidding process for buying your own ballclub (in case any of you were planning on doing that), and gives a few insights into the clubhouse as well as the front offices of the Red Sox since 2002 or so. he did have one bit in there that totally threw me (a reference to Bill Mueller not being as much of a team player as i had assumed), but it's not enough to make me doubt the rest of his sources (and who knows, maybe Mueller was all about getting as much playing time as possible no matter what; however, i will choose not to believe it and go on with my previous image of him). so i give this a thumbs up as well.
October 29, 2011
Boy am I glad this book is finished -
I admit, in perhaps a personal failing, I LOATHE books that use a constant series of footnotes to interrupt the flow of a story, paragraph or even a simple sentence.
After 2/3 of this book, I began to realize you could read the book without consulting the footnotes -- they rarely included something new or informative for anyone who is a baseball fan.
Now, the time between its publication and me reading this book may have contributed to the "yawner" quality I found with this book. I can't imagine if I read this five years ago if it would have wow'd me anymore than it did now.
I would not recommend this book unless you had trouble sleeping...
I admit, in perhaps a personal failing, I LOATHE books that use a constant series of footnotes to interrupt the flow of a story, paragraph or even a simple sentence.
After 2/3 of this book, I began to realize you could read the book without consulting the footnotes -- they rarely included something new or informative for anyone who is a baseball fan.
Now, the time between its publication and me reading this book may have contributed to the "yawner" quality I found with this book. I can't imagine if I read this five years ago if it would have wow'd me anymore than it did now.
I would not recommend this book unless you had trouble sleeping...
July 16, 2007
feeding the monster is an interesting and detailed look at the recent history of the boston red sox. mnookin starts out with a relatively succinct history of the sox before the team was purchased by out of towners in 1999 and then nicely chronicles the handful of years that lead up to the hometeam finally winning the world series. there are details about how the boston sports media interacts with the team and insights from the clubhouse both before, during, and after the 2004 title run. there are new stories and it was generally worth my time, but i would only confidently recommend the book to moderately (at least) fanatical fans of the red sox.
February 18, 2008
A fantastic, all-encompassing look at a)the history of the Red Sox, b)the ownership change earlier this century, and c)what the new owners did to make the Sox the most successful franchise in baseball.
Seth Mnookin, he of the great Feeding The Monster Red Sox blog, had unprecedented access to the Sox during the 2005 season. Great interviews and behind the scenes stuff. Still relevant 2 years later.
I found myself tensing up as he recounted certain games from 2003 and 2004, even though I remembered every detail from those games.
Even if you've read Red Sox Century, another great book, the first quarter of this book is worth a read.
Seth Mnookin, he of the great Feeding The Monster Red Sox blog, had unprecedented access to the Sox during the 2005 season. Great interviews and behind the scenes stuff. Still relevant 2 years later.
I found myself tensing up as he recounted certain games from 2003 and 2004, even though I remembered every detail from those games.
Even if you've read Red Sox Century, another great book, the first quarter of this book is worth a read.
April 6, 2014
Good book. Makes me look at how some sports stories are reported.
Behind the scenes of a major baseball team in the early 2000's
Red Sox, forever the bridesmaid, never the bride. Went 80+ years without winning
a world series and suffered through some mismanagment but eventually a for sale sign
appeared and the adventure begins. Reporters with their own bias who should own the
team, players who are unhappy or think they are better than they are and new owners
who haave some problems of their own.
I liked the book, gave ne a new insight into a major leage team. It also has me
second guessing the news stories witers publish about teams.
February 3, 2014
I am as big a Red Sox fan as there is out there so I do have a slight bias to this story.
I enjoyed this book. It was interesting to read the behind the scenes events that happened during the 2004 season. You see the events unfold but you don't know the who what whys of the event. Now you do.
There are some dry spots in this read, that is why I only rated it a three. 3.5 would have been a better rating I think but this is Goodreads and you cant do that here.
If you are a Sox fan you should enjoy it. If you are a baseball fan you should like it. Especially if the front office decisions of a major league team interest you.
I enjoyed this book. It was interesting to read the behind the scenes events that happened during the 2004 season. You see the events unfold but you don't know the who what whys of the event. Now you do.
There are some dry spots in this read, that is why I only rated it a three. 3.5 would have been a better rating I think but this is Goodreads and you cant do that here.
If you are a Sox fan you should enjoy it. If you are a baseball fan you should like it. Especially if the front office decisions of a major league team interest you.
September 21, 2007
Interesting and well written, Mnookin follows the Boston Red Sox through their World Series season. He was given pretty much free reign behind the scenes, and there are a ton of great anecdotes scattered throughout. (Want to know what Papi's favorite swear word is? It's in here.) Even fans who don't really know the game should be fine - he does a great job at explaining the numbers and business side of baseball, the parts that I'm less familiar with. A must read for all Red Sox fans, and a truly enjoyable book.
August 23, 2009
I'm about to move to Boston, so I had to get myself acquainted with Red Sox Nation before I went. This is a fascinating look behind the scenes at one of baseball's most beloved franchises. Most fans don't think about how important the front office is, but this book shows the kind of direct effect that office can have. After reading, I believe I am now fully indoctrinated and ready to go to Fenway and cheer on those Sahwx!
July 22, 2008
For anyone interested in the Red Sox this is a must read. It gives some great details about everything leading up to the sale of the Sox to John Henry & Co. It gives some very interesting insights into behind the scenes happenings. All in all the first 150 pages were everything I wanted to read. The next 150 were not what I had hoped. It was almost as if the book needed to be a certain length and that part was thrown in there to get it to the right length.
March 8, 2011
For the Red Sox fan, it's a nice trip down memory lane with some juicy, behind-the-scenes gossip thrown in. After a while, though, it seemed to sag into a rather lifeless and dispirited recounting of events as if the author was actually very interested in moving on to another project.
The fact that the narrative cuts out just before the 2007 season is a case of bad luck that seriously cuts into the book's relevance.
The fact that the narrative cuts out just before the 2007 season is a case of bad luck that seriously cuts into the book's relevance.
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