Book Review: 'The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty', by Buster Olney
First of all, Buster Olney is not a die hard Red Sox fan. He did not write this book from the perspective that many of us in RSN might have given the opportunity. He covered the Yankees for 6 years for the New York Times. Secondly, it was with total glee that I happened to finish the book on the same day that the Yankees slid from 3rd place to 4th with slim chances of climbing back higher.
Olney tells the story of the Yankee dynasty of 1996-2000, the team that won 4 World Series in 5 years, the team that was on the brink of winning their 5th title in 6 years. He does a splendid job of weaving the backstories of most of the Yankee players of the era, the poor choices made by Yankee management and ownership, the events of the night mentioned in the title, and the subsequent title drought that persists to this day. He offers a look into the way George Steinbrenner operated as a hands on owner, driven more by the notion of success in whatever endeavor he chose (in his case, owning a baseball team) than creating a true baseball legacy. It seems to me that it didn’t matter what Steinbrenner was doing, as long as he was successful doing it.
If you’re looking for a book that shreds the Yankees into pieces, berates and belittles everyone in the Yankee organization from George himself down to the man holding down the last spot on the roster, this is not it. It is not a hit piece on the Yankees, but a well written docu-drama recording the events that had permanent repercussions and the lesser known sub-plots and personal stories of all involved, a must read for all die-hard Red Sox fans.
Olney tells the story of the Yankee dynasty of 1996-2000, the team that won 4 World Series in 5 years, the team that was on the brink of winning their 5th title in 6 years. He does a splendid job of weaving the backstories of most of the Yankee players of the era, the poor choices made by Yankee management and ownership, the events of the night mentioned in the title, and the subsequent title drought that persists to this day. He offers a look into the way George Steinbrenner operated as a hands on owner, driven more by the notion of success in whatever endeavor he chose (in his case, owning a baseball team) than creating a true baseball legacy. It seems to me that it didn’t matter what Steinbrenner was doing, as long as he was successful doing it.
If you’re looking for a book that shreds the Yankees into pieces, berates and belittles everyone in the Yankee organization from George himself down to the man holding down the last spot on the roster, this is not it. It is not a hit piece on the Yankees, but a well written docu-drama recording the events that had permanent repercussions and the lesser known sub-plots and personal stories of all involved, a must read for all die-hard Red Sox fans.
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