A Tale of Two Cities: The 2004 Yankees-Red Sox Rivalry and the War for the Pennant

by Tony Massarotti, John Harper

When the Boston Red Sox faced the New York Yankees in the historic 2003 American League Championship Series, the meeting seemed to serve as the climax to perhaps the greatest rivalry in professional sports. Yet, following New York’s comeback victory in scintillating Game 7, both the Red Sox and Yankees entered the off-season without a world title--and with renewed conviction to finish the job in 2004.

In A Tale of Two Cities , respected baseball writers John Harper ( New York Daily News ) and Tony Massarotti ( Boston Herald ) chronicle the Yankees and Red Sox in parallel story lines through the summer of 2004. The authors take you behind the scenes with the teams, cities, and media during one of the most intense baseball seasons in history.

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Nonfiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Anthony Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book in a little free library, and that's about what I'd pay for it. It has some nice nuggets here and there, and the back and forth structure between the Boston writer and the New York writer is fun, but the description of the famous ALCS falls flat, and the world series is treated as a complete afterthought.

[Koen Verbeken · Rating 4 out of 5]

In't kort: de ondertitel zegt al veel: 'The 2004 Yankees-Red Sox Rivalry and the War for the Pennant.' de New York Yankees en de Boston Red Sox zijn aartsrivalen in het Amerikaanse baseball, en hebben al heel wat robbertjes uitgevochten in de playoffs. In 2003 nog, moesten de Red Sox in de 7de en beslissende wedstrijd hun meerdere erkennen in die vermaledijde Yankees.
Maar het zou anders worden. Of maakte Red Sox Nation zich dat alleen maar wijs ? In de playoffs bouwden de Yankees al snel een 3-0-voorsprong uit, en alles leek alweer verloren. Tot Dave Roberts in de slotfase van de 4de wedstrijd de kansen deed keren met een stolen base. Wat volgde was the biggest comeback in all of sports, zoals deze playoffs-serie ondertussen ook bekend staat.
Mijn oordeel: Massarotti schrijft elke dag over de Red Sox in een Bostons dagblad, Harper doet hetzelfde in NY voor de Yankees. Elke ontmoeting tussen de twee rivalen gedurende het seizoen 2004 wordt zowel vanuit New Yorks als Bostons standpunt belicht, en dat geeft soms leuke en verfrissende contrasten. Leuke schrijfstijl, een interessant onderwerp (met -voor mij althans- de juiste winnaar). Plak daar de documentaire 'Four Days in October' naast, die ik net op dat moment kon zien, en daardoor kon ik me nog beter inleven.
Eindoordeel: ****

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read, but it didn't live up to the "intimate, insiders' look" promised on the back cover. (They never do four years after the fact. In about ten years, when someone - let's say Doug Mientkiewicz - needs the money, that's when I'll get the tell all book I so desperately want.) I'm sure there are a handful of quotes that never made it into the print media before this (most of which are just attributed to "a uniformed member of the Sox"), but nothing earth shattering.

For a book focusing on the rivalry between the two teams, a surprisingly small section of the book talked about the 2004 ACLS, when everything they talked about came to a head.

I really did enjoy the book, and it was a nice break from watching the Sox lose to first the Yankees and then the Angels over the time it took me to read, but my opinion was lowered on the bottom of the very last page. There's a mention of the pitcher the Sox signed - May Clement. Oddly enough, I was sure we actually signed her twin brother, Matt, but what do I know? (Honestly, folks, hire a better editor.)

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book taught me so much about the Yankees organization and Steinbrenner to be exact. It is a great mix of two journalists from two different cities - where it's hard to be a fan when you're so close to the action and the players. I learn more about the effects of knowing too much in baseball.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A year of correspondence between a Red Sox columnist and a Yankees columnist during the season of the Red Sox world series win

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

another of my faves- tries very hard to be balanced on the rivalry

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

My recall of that season is a bit different. I do think AROD started that fight. And I do think Varitek made him look like a girl.