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(More customer reviews)I was a 7 year old Red Sox fan when Yaz was a rookie in Boston and I attended his last game in 1983. As did many fans, I spent most of my life assuming his name would be third in the line-up that day. Yet, in a city that has an obsessive relationship with its baseball team, Yaz' place in the hearts of Red Sox fans is a curious one.
On the plus side, he almost singlehandedly lifted the Sox out of the mediocrity of the late Williams era and into the World Series in 1967. He was at his best in the clutch (7 hits in 8 at bats in the final deciding games that year). He was a 5 tool player, albeit in moderate amounts, a Hall of Famer, the last Triple Crown winner and the first in the AL with 3000 hits and 400 home runs.
On the other hand, he made the mistake of following the legendary Ted Williams in leftfield. He hit 40 home runs 3 times from 1967 to 1970 and, due to the effect of injuries, never approached those power levels again. Yaz made the last out in game 7 of the 75 World Series and the 78 playoff game against the Yankees, both of which were decided by one run. Most importantly, Yaz seemed to be a cranky guy, smoking cigarettes in the runway, uncomfortable in interviews and often fighting injuries. He did not have the majesty of Williams, the grace of Lynn or the charisma of the always smiling Luis Tiant.
This book is a perfect antidote to that image. In the first person, Yaz tells of his endless preparations growing up in Eastern Long Island as well as the passion, work and focus he brought to every game. In an amazingly frank revelation, he tells us: "I'll level with you; I never enjoyed it. I never had any fun." He explains that not having the natural size, power or ability of a Williams or Lynn, everything he did was the product of uncounted hours of work. At times in his career, he was booed by Boston fans.
We should have loved this guy. The son of a working farmer just across the Sound in Eastern Long Island, Yaz spent endless hours as a boy swinging a bat in an unheated barn through Northeastern winters. He and his dad spurned the Yankees' offer to play in Boston. He stayed in Boston for 23 years and did not make his contract signings into an annual "Maybe I'll stay" soap opera. And, most importantly, Yaz cared about every win and loss as much as we did.
Freddie Lynn was sometimes called "Beach." A South California kid, he could shrug off a tough loss and go on with his life. Yaz would rework each at bat in his mind after the game until he could let go and begin to prepare for the next game. Lynn is who we all wanted to be. Yaz is who we are. And if his swing or the final pitch had been one centimeter different in 75 or 78, there would never have been a Curse and Yaz' image would have eclipsed Ortiz, Fisk and Dave Henderson.
It's great to have Yaz back; baseball's version of Larry Bird (unfortunately without the rings.) This is also a great book about baseball in a more innocent time. There is a DVD included so younger fans can watch Yaz in his prime.
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An inspiring 23-year baseball odyssey laid bare, from one of the greatest hitters to play the game.When the season was on the line, Carl Yastrzemski made history. No New Englander who lived through the summer of 1967 will ever forget Yaz single-handedly powering the also-ran Red Sox through the tightest race ever--winning the American League pennant on the final day of the season. Leading the league in batting average, home runs and RBIs that year, Yaz became the last player to win baseball's Triple Crown.Now Yaz tells the very personal story of one of the most prolific and eventful careers in baseball. From Ted Williams to Carlton Fisk, from the "Impossible Dream" season to the Greatest Game Ever Played, Yastrzemski's story is filled with the greatest players and most exciting moments in baseball history.
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