Top of the Heap: a Yankees Collection

Brief Description: Perhaps more has been written about the New York Yankees than about any other sports team. And the magic that has played out on the field over the years has been rivaled only by baseball scribes' prowess on the page. Excellence breeds excellence, and for 100 years some of the best writers in America have chronicled the New York Yankees, taking a single swing or game and somehow making it singular. This brand-new anthology from the series editor of The Best American Sports Writing and author of Yankees Century collects the best writing about the Yankees over the course of their long history. Published to coincide with the team's centenary celebration, this is a must-have volume for fans the world over who claim the New York Yankees as their own. Table of Contents: Contents Part I: The View from the Heights 3 Am. Grounds on Washington Heights. 1903. Anonymous 7 Picturesque Spot. 1903. W. R. Rankin 10 All Gambling a Mystery to Frank Farrell. 1903. Anonymous 14 New Team Wins First Game--Beats Washington 6 to 2. 1903. Anonymous 18 Pitcher Chesbro Tells for First Time of His Famous "Spit Ball," and Shows How It Is Thrown. 1905. Jack Chesbro and Frederic P. O'Connell 27 Building a Winning Club in New York. 1919. Anonymous 34 Johnson's Belated Action Threatens New Ball War. 1919. W. O. McGeehan Part II: Murderers' Row 41 Ruth's Presence Upsets Rivals in Last Inning. 1920. W. O. McGeehan 44 Yankees Finally Win; Landis Doubts Legality. 1923. Ring W. Lardner 47 New York Yankees 4, New York Giants 2. 1923. Heywood Broun 53 Yankees Win World's Series, Taking 6th Game, 6-4, as Giant Pitchers Blow Up in 8th Inning. 1923. Grantland Rice 60 From "Sports of the Times." 1927. John Kieran 64 Lardner Lost His Shirt Once; It Is On Pirates Now. 1927. Ring Lardner 67 Ruth Clouts Homer in N. Y. 4-3 Triumph. 1927. Damon Runyon 70 The Old Yankee. 1979. Dave Newhouse 76 Yankees Win Series, Taking Final, 7 to 3; Ruth Hits 3 Homers. 1928. James R. Harrison 86 Breath By Breath At the Polo Grounds. 1936. John Kieran Part III: A Tale of Two Joes 91 No Ordinary Joe. 1995. Glenn Stout 100 Breaking Up the Yankees. 1939. John A. Cooper 104 Magic Numbers. 1941. Richards Vidmer 107 Joe McCarthy's Ten Commandments for Success in Baseball. C. 1940. Joe McCarthy 108 Re: Piper Davis and Art Wilson of Birmingham. 1947. Anonymous Yankee Scout 110 Played Like Semi-Pros, Dodgers Agree; Dimaggio Alibis Reiser's Error. 1947. Bob Cooke 113 Lavagetto Double in 9th Beats Bevens, Yanks 3-2. 1947. Dick Young 117 Hall of Fame Induction Speech. 1994. Phil Rizzuto 127 The Silent Season of a Hero. 1966. Gay Talese Part IV: The Dynasty 151 Scout's Honor. 1995. Tom Greenwade 153 Opening Day, Yankee Stadium. 1951. Red Smith 156 Farewell Joe, Hello Mickey. 1951. Jimmy Cannon 159 Martin's Hit in 9th Wins Yanks 5th Series in Row. 1953. Red Smith 162 Million to One Shot Comes in. 1956. Shirley Povich 166 McDougald, Once a Quiet Yankee Star, Now Lives in Quiet World. 1994. Ira Berkow 173 Testimony Before the U. S. Senate Judiciary Committee 1958. Casey Stengel and Mickey Mantle 178 So Long to Stengelese. 1960. Leonard Shecter 181 Double M for Murder. 1960. Walter Bingham 186 Pilgrimage. 1961. Red Smith 189 With Roger Maris, Victory Dinner. 1961. Milton Gross 193 Taverns in the Town. 1963. Roger Angell 203 Young Ideas. 1964. Dick Young 206 Hall of Fame Induction Speech. 1974. Mickey Mantle Part V: Yankee Elegies 213 Farewell Speech. 1939. Lou Gehrig 215 Down Memory Lane with The Babe. 1948. W. C. Heinz 219 Game Called. 1948. Grantland Rice 223 Face on the Scoreboard. 1979. Dave Anderson 227 The House That Thurman Munson Built. 1999. Michael Paterniti 249 A Career That Touched Us All in a Big Way. 1995. Mike Lupica Part VI: The Bronx Zoo 255 Chambliss HR Ends 12-Year Drought. 1976. Phil Pepe 259 Reggie Jackson in No-Man's-Land. 1977. Robert Ward 272 Goodby, and Good Riddance. 1978. Henry Hecht 275 The Last Yankee. 1990. Paul Solotaroff Part VII: New York, New York 285 Dream Come True; Kalamazoo's Jeter Takes Draft Spotlight. 1992. Mick McCabe 289 The Big Payback. 1993. Bill Madden 295 Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy. 1996. Tony Kornheiser 298 It's Simply Great Day for Donnie. 1997. Tom Keegan 301 Torre Makes a Good Boss. 2001. David Halberstam 306 Probing Mr. Clemens. 2000. Jim Caple 308 The Hammer of God. 2001. Charles P. Pierce 316 Jeter Runs to Ball, Picks It Up & Flips to Place in History. 2001. Filip Bondy 319 Martinez and Jeter Rescue Yanks. 2001. Buster Olney 323 Running Story, Game Seven, 2002 World Series. 2001. Howard Bryant 325 Four-Get It. 2001. Howard Bryant 328 O'Neill Leaves Game with Hits and Class. 2001. Filip Bondy 331 Credits and Permissions 333 Index Review Citations:

Booklist 04/15/2003 pg. 1441 (EAN 9780618303991, Paperback)

Library Journal 04/15/2003 pg. 95 (EAN 9780618303991, Paperback)

Contributor Bio:  Stout, Glenn GLENN STOUT is the author of Young Woman and the Sea and Fenway 1912.