Now Pitching For The Yankees

A legendary New York Yankees PR man offers readers an inside look at one of baseball’s greatest teams. Starting as a college student sorting Mickey Mantle’s fan mail and rising to become the youngest director of public relations in baseball history, Marty Appel offers a unique behind-the-scenes memoir of life with the New York Yankees from 1968 to 1977. Appel stood shoulder-to-shoulder with both the benchwarmers and the superstars of the past and present, from tempestuous owner George Steinbrenner and his equally tempestuous manager Billy Martin (whom Howard Cosell once called “a beleaguered little pepperpot”) to Hall of Famers like Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, and Reggie Jackson. With a new chapter bringing the story up-to-date, as well as changes and milestones in the game he loves, Marty Appel paints a hilarious and poignant portrait of the Yankees. “[Appel’s] love of baseball shines through here, and Yankee fans will lap up his humorous stories of Yankee greats and not-so-greats.” —Library Journal “A poignant account of a fan turned public relations executive working for baseball’s most glamorized team.” —Baseball America

Do pinstripes get you peeved? Do you wish the "House That Ruth Built" would get condemned? Are you convinced that George Steinbrenner is in league with Lucifer? Then this is the book for you! Let's face it, Yankees-haters have two favorite teams: their team, and whatever team is playing against the Yankees that day. Now, the Bronx Bomber bashers have their own handbook that shows how anyone, anywhere, of any age, can hate the Yankees like a pro in no time! Full of fun facts and anecdotes from around the league-as well as helpful, easy-to-follow rituals, chants, and keys to helping every non-Yankee fan focus their rage, disappointment, and burning jealousy from opening day right up until the Yanks walk away with yet another completely undeserved World Series Championship!

At the end of the 2008 season, Yankee Stadium will be closing its doors, and in memory of this illustrious stadium, this tribute provide fans with hundreds of anecdotes about the iconic ballpark through the eyes of both those who performed there and the many others who were spectators. Stories shared by those who worked, played, rooted or cheered there, grace the pages of this memento, including Billy Crystal witnessing a monster home run by Mickey Mantle at his first game at Yankee Stadium on May 30, 1956; Bob Costas following the Yankees and his favorite player Mickey Mantle in the 1950s; Ernie Harwell calling both football and baseball games at Yankee Stadium; and Keith Olbermann going to games and chasing foul balls in the late 1960s. Filled with interesting facts and heartwarming stories, "Memories of Yankee Stadium" is a special gift for all of those who want to remember forever the beloved Yankee Stadium the way it was.

162-0: Imagine a Yankees Perfect Season imagines that season by identifying the most memorable victory in Yankees history on every single day of the baseball calendar season, from late March to late October. Ranging from games with incredible historical significance and individual achievement to those with high drama and high stakes, this book imagines the impossible: a blemish-free Yankees season. Evocative photos, original quotes, thorough research, and engaging prose and analysis all highlight 162-0.

Timed for release with the grand opening of the New Yankee Stadium in 2009, this unique history is based on 30 years of interviews conducted by "Sports Collectors Digest" with iconic players, including Mantle, DiMaggio, Jeter, Giambi, and Berra. The stunning photos inside, featuring memorabilia, player cards, and team photos, capture the essence of the place where dreams are made and greats live forever.

Rodney is a teenager who got caught up in drugs and was helped by God-loving people. When he thought he could not be forgiven for his sin and no one could ever love him, he found Gods love by reading the Bible. Now he was torn between his love for baseball and God. He was invited to spring training with the New York Yankees, but he also wanted to preach. After each game, he walked the streets of New York, preaching on every corner. He drew huge crowds and converted so many people that pimps and drug dealers threatened his life and beat him in their attempt to get him off the streets. But Rodney would not stop preaching and was willing to die, if that was Gods will. The Yankees won the pennant, and Rodney was their starting pitcher in games one, four, and seven in the World Series. The death threats never stopped, and Rodney could have been killed at any time, but he was sure God would protect him. His courage and faith led thousands to Christ as a result. When the rapture came at the end of game seven, Rodney was the first to meet Jesus in the air, followed by thousands of others who were believers.

50* My Baseball Odyssey is one fan’s perspective on Major League Baseball stadiums, beginning with Shibe Park in Philadelphia and ending with Marlins Park in Miami. It offers a limited history of selected venues and relates some of the accomplishments of the men who played the game during the last one hundred years. It moves the reader’s attention from the games to the total experience of interacting with fans and observing their responses to plays on the field or people sitting beside them.

Readers are taken on a revealing ride with a diverse collection of former New York Yankee players and the life stories beyond their baseball playing careers.