Annual Baseball Book Review Continued: The Top Five - #4

By David Rubin

Some of the best baseball books I've read over the past few years have been about:::(gulp)::: Yankees- there, I said it. And let's face it- they HAVE had some of THE most colorful and/or interesting characters in baseball history. Recent biographies have covered the likes of Thurman Munson, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, Roger Maris and, as we'll see in future entries, Mickey Mantle. However, THE most colorful character of all, their late owner, George Steinbrenner, was the subject of the number 4 choice in our "Top Five Baseball Books 0f 2010"-



#4 - Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball - Bill Madden

(Click on the title to purchase this book- on sale @ Amazon for $10.80)

Author Bill Madden, long-time Daily News columnist and beat reporter, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this past summer; George Steinbrenner, the subject of Madden's latest book, passed away this summer; "Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball" was released in May; and Steinbrenner, the complex man, was not voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame via the recent Veteran's Committee voting - a confluence of crazy events that seem fitting, in sum, when discussing the tumultuous life of professional sports most famous owner.

Who else could go from firing Billy Martin (over and over) to being played by Larry David on an episode of Seinfeld? (Many episodes, in fact.) As a Met fan, I often wished "King George" owned the Mets, as I knew, at worst, he'd call out any ballplayer who wasn't at least trying - I mean, can you imagine players like Bonilla and Coleman getting away with the crap they pulled under George? By the same token, the meddling owner also allowed his desire to constantly prove what a great businessman he was (or wasn't) by playing de facto General Manager to over-rule decisions made by his various baseball "brain-trusts" - which, especially in the late 80's and early to mid 90's, left his team play-off and World Series free the majority of the time.

"The Boss" as Steinbrenner was known, was at times irrational, yet charitable; unreasonable yet kind; but at all times, he marched to the beat of his own drummer, fueled by his unfulfilled efforts to please his demanding father, according to Madden. Although intimately familiar with his subject from years of covering the Yankees as the beat reporter for the New York Daily News, Madden crafts a fair and objective look at one of sports' most controversial figures. In doing so, we are reminded of the many objectionable actions made by Steinbrenner over the years, from conspiring with Howie Spira to bring down Dave Winfield's Foundation to making 20 managerial changes over 22 years ('73 - '95); from firing front office personnel at the drop of a hat to taking away health benefits in a fit of rage. However, we also hear about, mainly for the first time, the many charitable and kind acts that Steinbrenner preferred to keep quiet about, from setting up a fund for the widows and orphans of deceased New York Firefighters and Policemen to picking up all of the health care costs for the spouse of a long-term employee.

Steinbrenner the man was a most complex person, at the very least; Madden's biography offers a fitting, final tribute to this sports legend, and his fair and balanced accounting of this bigger-then-life figure offers a fitting coda to Steinbrenner's legacy. Whether you're a fan of Steinbrenners' or the Yankees, or simply wish to learn about one of the 20th Century's most powerful and controversial sports figures, Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball is a must-read!!

Next: Number 3- something about a former home run champion, though some would say he is STILL the home run champion...