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Billy Martin: Baseball's Flawed Genius
A New York Times bestseller. From award-winning sports columnist Bill Pennington comes the definitive biography of one of baseball's most celebrated, mercurial, and misunderstood figures.
Billy Martin is a story of contrasts. He was the clutch second baseman for the dominant New York Yankees of the 1950s. He then spent sixteen seasons managing in the big leagues—and is considered by anyone who knows baseball to have been a true baseball genius, a field manager without peer. Yet he’s remembered more for his habit of kicking dirt on umpires, for being hired and fired by George Steinbrenner five times, and for his rabble rousing and public brawls.
He was combative, fiery, intimidating, and controversial, yet beloved by the everyday fan. He was hard on his players and even harder on himself. He knew how to turn around a losing team like no one else—and how to entertain us every step of the way.
Now, with his definitive biography Billy Martin , Pennington finally erases the caricature of Martin. Drawing on exhaustive interviews with friends, family, teammates, and countless adversaries, Pennington paints an indelible portrait of a man who never backed down from the game he loved. From his shantytown upbringing in a broken home; to his days playing for the Yankees when he almost always helped his team find a way to win; through sixteen years of managing, including his tenure in New York in the crosshairs of Steinbrenner and Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin made sure no one ever ignored him. And indeed no one could.
He was the hero, the antihero, and the alter ego—or some combination of all three—for his short sixty-one years among us.
Billy Martin is a story of contrasts. He was the clutch second baseman for the dominant New York Yankees of the 1950s. He then spent sixteen seasons managing in the big leagues—and is considered by anyone who knows baseball to have been a true baseball genius, a field manager without peer. Yet he’s remembered more for his habit of kicking dirt on umpires, for being hired and fired by George Steinbrenner five times, and for his rabble rousing and public brawls.
He was combative, fiery, intimidating, and controversial, yet beloved by the everyday fan. He was hard on his players and even harder on himself. He knew how to turn around a losing team like no one else—and how to entertain us every step of the way.
Now, with his definitive biography Billy Martin , Pennington finally erases the caricature of Martin. Drawing on exhaustive interviews with friends, family, teammates, and countless adversaries, Pennington paints an indelible portrait of a man who never backed down from the game he loved. From his shantytown upbringing in a broken home; to his days playing for the Yankees when he almost always helped his team find a way to win; through sixteen years of managing, including his tenure in New York in the crosshairs of Steinbrenner and Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin made sure no one ever ignored him. And indeed no one could.
He was the hero, the antihero, and the alter ego—or some combination of all three—for his short sixty-one years among us.
560 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2015
185 people are currently reading
787 people want to read
About the author
Bill Pennington
17 books4 followersBill Pennington writes the "On Par" column and stars in the related video series on www.nytimes.com. Pennington, who covers a number of sports in addition to golf, joined the New York Times in 1997 from the Bergen Record, where he was a sports columnist. A six-time winner of the Associated Press Sports Editor’s writing award, Pennington has also written for the New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, and a number of other publications. A longtime golfer himself, Pennington grew up near some of New England’s historic golf courses, but he has not been able to get his handicap below 11. He lives with his wife, Joyce, and three children in Warwick, N.Y.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
January 18, 2018
Every second of existence was A Season on The Brink for Alfred Manuel Martin, and Bill Pennington captures the entire whiskey-soaked, chip-on-both-shoulders bellicosity and brilliance that was the tortured and triumphant life of this self-immolating genius of the base paths and dugouts. It's not just the definitive biography of baseball's greatest manager. It's an absorbing, entertaining, and enlightening read. You don't have to like baseball, Billy Martin, or the Yankees to appreciate this outstanding, fast-paced read. Five hundred pages fly. Check it out.
June 22, 2021
Billy Martin had such an outsized personality and incredibly eventful life that a biography of him would have to be entertaining. And so it is with Bill Pennington's excellent effort here. Pennington is both sympathetic and critical to Martin, bringing attention to all of the unsavory aspects of Martin's character (and there was no shortage of those) while also showcasing good deeds that often went unnoticed by the media (lots of those as well). Martin comes across as an extremely brilliant (in baseball terms) but flawed personality who frequently was his own worst enemy.
Tumult and chaos surrounded Martin's life from its beginning in Oakland. His father left before Martin was old enough to know him, with him reappearing once out of the blue during Martin's lifetime. Martin was born poor and raised by a difficult, feisty Italian woman in a rough neighborhood. Throughout his life, Martin was known for getting into fistfights (with many not being at his instigation, yet nonetheless he seemed to find trouble on a regular basis) and this began as a teenager. Martin had a childhood dream of playing for the Yankees; he also probably knew that baseball was his safest ticket out of a most likely difficult life.
Pennington chronicles Martin's rise through the minor leagues, his tutelage under Casey Stengel both before and while he was the Yankees manager, and his heyday as a fierce competitor on the famous 1950s Yankees teams that played in a World Series almost every year that decade. Martin did not have as much skill as his good friend Mickey Mantle (then again, almost no one did) but he was what today would probably be referred to as a grinder - someone who would use grit and hustle to make plays, intimidate opponents both verbally and physically, and resort to subterfuge (hidden-ball trick) on occasion.
The 50s were Martin's decade, when his free-spending lifestyle fit in with the times. He drank hard, partied frequently, had a rotation of women with him even though he was married, and basically did whatever he wanted to. Pennington describes how the writers of that era did not typically write about off-the-field activities of the players, much like they did not write about politician's peccadillos either (think JFK and womanizing, and his physical health issues). So when Martin, Mantle, and some other Yankees got into a big fight inside the Copacabana nightclub in 1957, very little of that was reported on.
Martin ultimately became a victim of his own reputation for brawling: he would often be blamed for a fight even if he did not start it, or attempted to play peacekeeper. As Pennington notes, it cut both ways: Martin would be unfairly singled out many times, yet on the other side of the coin, he found himself in those situations to begin with, and he rarely backed down from a fight if challenged. So even if he did not start the fight, he was intent on finishing it. Long-term, this caused significant damage to his reputation, costing him several managerial jobs. You might ask: why didn't Martin extricate himself from even being in these types of situations? The answer is because he was an alcoholic for most of his adult life (this also was a significant contributing factor in his untimely death) and loved hanging out in bars. While Martin did not drink during games, and had periods where he did not drink, or drank very little, the default position was him drinking.
Martin had amazing success as a manager, winning the AL Manager of the Year award multiple times, and being known for getting the most out of downtrodden or under-performing clubs. He had success in Minnesota and Detroit, taking both teams to the playoffs but quickly wearing out his welcome due to off-the-field activities. He also managed to inject some life into a new Texas Rangers franchise and get people there excited about baseball.
But Martin was once a Yankee, always a Yankee, and he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Stengel. Incredible as it seems, he was given that chance five different times, and probably would have been back for a sixth stint had he not died in an auto accident at age 61. By the mid 1970s, George Steinbrenner had become the owner of the Yankees, and he proceeded to hire and fire Billy five separate times, as well as hiring and firing many others. Martin despised Steinbrenner's meddling, but he knew he had to put up with it in order to manage the Yankees. And did find success, winning the 1977 World Series. Generally he was either around at the start of the season and then fired, or brought in about one-third of the way through a season after the impatient Steinbrenner got tired of either his off-the-field woes or the current manager not meeting his unrealistic expectations (Steinbrenner fired Martin, and others, even when they had winning records).
In between a few of the stints with the Yankees, Martin returned home to Oakland and managed the A's into the playoffs in 1981. That was actually his last appearance in the postseason even though his 80s Yankees teams had very good records (this was before Wild Card teams were allowed). Pennington speaks to players from throughout Martin's managerial career to paint a portrait of someone who relentlessly challenged his own players, opponents, and umpires. Martin always kept the pressure on, and taught many players - even great ones - how to be better players. Despite his success, Martin was a polarizing figure, with some people such as Reggie Jackson constantly battling him. But many more spoke to how Martin tried to help them, and did help them, get better. And how Martin would do things off the diamond for players as well, trying to make sure they were taken care of.
Martin's personal life was tortured. He was married four times. His family seemed to detest all of his wives, which to me says much more about his family than the wives as the wives themselves were quite different from each other. Martin was frequently an absent parent, but then tried to make up for it. Martin was very loyal to his friends and the Yankees. He also made time for legions of fans, gave money freely to people who needed it (so much so that he was in financial trouble for the last few decades of his life), and did many charitable endeavors, often not wanting anything in return other than to help. So with the bad side (the fighting and the volatile temper) came the good side, which was often under-reported on.
Pennington is fair and judicious in appraising Martin and the people in his life. I do think that, at times, he could have been more critical of the press, as once the timeline reached the 1970s the writers in New York began scrounging around for stories and would do anything to get a headline. But he was a former Yankees beat writer himself so that might account for why he was not more critical. This was entertaining from the beginning to the very end, with Pennington devoting significant time to the controversy surrounding Martin's death. He died on Christmas night 1989 when his truck went off an icy road and slammed into a culvert. He was not wearing a seatbelt and went into the windshield. It appears that he was the passenger, but his friend Bill Reedy initially admitted to driving then changed his story (both men had been drinking, with Martin drinking much more). It was said to read about the untimely demise of someone who remained one of the most popular Yankees throughout his life.
The only issue I really had with the book is that sometimes dates and facts did not match up. For instance, Tony La Russa was the manager of the White Sox from 1979 until he was fired in the middle of the 1986 season. Pennington writes about La Russa attending Martin's wedding in January 1988 and refers to him as the White Sox manager at that time (page 443). But that is not enough to mar a wonderful book about a complicated, incredibly flawed man.
Grade: A-
Tumult and chaos surrounded Martin's life from its beginning in Oakland. His father left before Martin was old enough to know him, with him reappearing once out of the blue during Martin's lifetime. Martin was born poor and raised by a difficult, feisty Italian woman in a rough neighborhood. Throughout his life, Martin was known for getting into fistfights (with many not being at his instigation, yet nonetheless he seemed to find trouble on a regular basis) and this began as a teenager. Martin had a childhood dream of playing for the Yankees; he also probably knew that baseball was his safest ticket out of a most likely difficult life.
Pennington chronicles Martin's rise through the minor leagues, his tutelage under Casey Stengel both before and while he was the Yankees manager, and his heyday as a fierce competitor on the famous 1950s Yankees teams that played in a World Series almost every year that decade. Martin did not have as much skill as his good friend Mickey Mantle (then again, almost no one did) but he was what today would probably be referred to as a grinder - someone who would use grit and hustle to make plays, intimidate opponents both verbally and physically, and resort to subterfuge (hidden-ball trick) on occasion.
The 50s were Martin's decade, when his free-spending lifestyle fit in with the times. He drank hard, partied frequently, had a rotation of women with him even though he was married, and basically did whatever he wanted to. Pennington describes how the writers of that era did not typically write about off-the-field activities of the players, much like they did not write about politician's peccadillos either (think JFK and womanizing, and his physical health issues). So when Martin, Mantle, and some other Yankees got into a big fight inside the Copacabana nightclub in 1957, very little of that was reported on.
Martin ultimately became a victim of his own reputation for brawling: he would often be blamed for a fight even if he did not start it, or attempted to play peacekeeper. As Pennington notes, it cut both ways: Martin would be unfairly singled out many times, yet on the other side of the coin, he found himself in those situations to begin with, and he rarely backed down from a fight if challenged. So even if he did not start the fight, he was intent on finishing it. Long-term, this caused significant damage to his reputation, costing him several managerial jobs. You might ask: why didn't Martin extricate himself from even being in these types of situations? The answer is because he was an alcoholic for most of his adult life (this also was a significant contributing factor in his untimely death) and loved hanging out in bars. While Martin did not drink during games, and had periods where he did not drink, or drank very little, the default position was him drinking.
Martin had amazing success as a manager, winning the AL Manager of the Year award multiple times, and being known for getting the most out of downtrodden or under-performing clubs. He had success in Minnesota and Detroit, taking both teams to the playoffs but quickly wearing out his welcome due to off-the-field activities. He also managed to inject some life into a new Texas Rangers franchise and get people there excited about baseball.
But Martin was once a Yankee, always a Yankee, and he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Stengel. Incredible as it seems, he was given that chance five different times, and probably would have been back for a sixth stint had he not died in an auto accident at age 61. By the mid 1970s, George Steinbrenner had become the owner of the Yankees, and he proceeded to hire and fire Billy five separate times, as well as hiring and firing many others. Martin despised Steinbrenner's meddling, but he knew he had to put up with it in order to manage the Yankees. And did find success, winning the 1977 World Series. Generally he was either around at the start of the season and then fired, or brought in about one-third of the way through a season after the impatient Steinbrenner got tired of either his off-the-field woes or the current manager not meeting his unrealistic expectations (Steinbrenner fired Martin, and others, even when they had winning records).
In between a few of the stints with the Yankees, Martin returned home to Oakland and managed the A's into the playoffs in 1981. That was actually his last appearance in the postseason even though his 80s Yankees teams had very good records (this was before Wild Card teams were allowed). Pennington speaks to players from throughout Martin's managerial career to paint a portrait of someone who relentlessly challenged his own players, opponents, and umpires. Martin always kept the pressure on, and taught many players - even great ones - how to be better players. Despite his success, Martin was a polarizing figure, with some people such as Reggie Jackson constantly battling him. But many more spoke to how Martin tried to help them, and did help them, get better. And how Martin would do things off the diamond for players as well, trying to make sure they were taken care of.
Martin's personal life was tortured. He was married four times. His family seemed to detest all of his wives, which to me says much more about his family than the wives as the wives themselves were quite different from each other. Martin was frequently an absent parent, but then tried to make up for it. Martin was very loyal to his friends and the Yankees. He also made time for legions of fans, gave money freely to people who needed it (so much so that he was in financial trouble for the last few decades of his life), and did many charitable endeavors, often not wanting anything in return other than to help. So with the bad side (the fighting and the volatile temper) came the good side, which was often under-reported on.
Pennington is fair and judicious in appraising Martin and the people in his life. I do think that, at times, he could have been more critical of the press, as once the timeline reached the 1970s the writers in New York began scrounging around for stories and would do anything to get a headline. But he was a former Yankees beat writer himself so that might account for why he was not more critical. This was entertaining from the beginning to the very end, with Pennington devoting significant time to the controversy surrounding Martin's death. He died on Christmas night 1989 when his truck went off an icy road and slammed into a culvert. He was not wearing a seatbelt and went into the windshield. It appears that he was the passenger, but his friend Bill Reedy initially admitted to driving then changed his story (both men had been drinking, with Martin drinking much more). It was said to read about the untimely demise of someone who remained one of the most popular Yankees throughout his life.
The only issue I really had with the book is that sometimes dates and facts did not match up. For instance, Tony La Russa was the manager of the White Sox from 1979 until he was fired in the middle of the 1986 season. Pennington writes about La Russa attending Martin's wedding in January 1988 and refers to him as the White Sox manager at that time (page 443). But that is not enough to mar a wonderful book about a complicated, incredibly flawed man.
Grade: A-
January 2, 2019
Billy's fun to read about and the lively prose of the other Bill works well.
Possibly the game coverage is a bit exhaustive but Pennington was going for the authoritative so I get it.
Martin, like most interesting people, was a mix of contradictions, a vast swell of idiosyncrasies, vulnerabilities, and clevernesses. Obviously, he was talented manager, whose greatest strike was he seemed to wear out his welcome rather quickly. Even when not in Yankee Pinstripes, Martin quickly lost his some of his effect on the ball club he was coaching.
P.S. I've often railed against the Hall of Fame being decided by writers. I've argued the players, retired, who played an agreed upon number of games should make the decision. The fact that Martin is not in the Hall only strengthens my argument.
Possibly the game coverage is a bit exhaustive but Pennington was going for the authoritative so I get it.
Martin, like most interesting people, was a mix of contradictions, a vast swell of idiosyncrasies, vulnerabilities, and clevernesses. Obviously, he was talented manager, whose greatest strike was he seemed to wear out his welcome rather quickly. Even when not in Yankee Pinstripes, Martin quickly lost his some of his effect on the ball club he was coaching.
P.S. I've often railed against the Hall of Fame being decided by writers. I've argued the players, retired, who played an agreed upon number of games should make the decision. The fact that Martin is not in the Hall only strengthens my argument.
July 5, 2015
Fully researched and covering all aspects of his life, this is the most definitive source of information on Billy Martin I have read. A few minor flaws keep it from being a five star rating, but nonetheless a very good read.
Full review is posted on my blog:
http://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/201...
Full review is posted on my blog:
http://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/201...
August 3, 2018
The quintessential book on the life of one the greatest players and managers in baseball history. If you like baseball then this is a must read. Full of wonder stories about the genius of Billy the player and manager. There never was nor can there ever be another Billy Martin.
November 27, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. But then again, I have been a baseball fan and a Yankees fan since 1957 :-). The sub title of this book is spot on. Billy Martin was absolutely a flawed genius when it came to baseball. He is arguably one of the greatest baseball managers in the history of the game. His knowledge and understanding of the game and his ability to see the little things happening during a game that could be used to his advantage were unmatched. But his personality, his propensity for confrontation, and his drinking problem led to his downfall. In many ways, he was his own worst enemy. He started his baseball career as a Yankee in the early 1950s. He was a scrappy player, a spark plug wherever he played, and he always played with intensity and a strong desire to win. He managed with the same intensity. This book was well written and well researched. Pennington did a great job in intertwining Martin's professional and personal lives. His descriptions of Martin's time in baseball was like taking a walk down memory lane for me since I followed baseball closely since the late 1950s. His descriptions of the behind the scenes personal activities of Billy Martin were very interesting. Many of the events described I had heard about or read about before, but there was a lot of interesting details that were new to me as well. If you are a baseball fan, especially a Yankees fan, I think you will love this book as I did.
November 25, 2021
A rich account of a one of sports' most complex figures. What made Billy so popular is that he lived his life like an open book: anyone can relate to one of his flaws or one of his many gifts. Excellent, endearing work by Pennington.
September 8, 2022
Very well written and extremely detailed book about Billy Martin’s life in and out of baseball.
October 15, 2015
This is an outstanding biography. Billy Martin was a complex person--and a flawed person. But his career in baseball was dominated by his passion for the game. This biography does a fine job of discussing the trajectory of his career--from sandlot baseball to the minor leagues to the Yankees (and several other teams) in the major leagues. With his career over, the book then chronicles his career as manager and awaiting becoming manager again after one of his multitude of firings.
He grew up in a tough neighborhood and learned early to be tough himself. He learned how to box. Even though he was scrawny, his teacher was impressed with how well he learned the craft. In his youth he played sandlot baseball and high school baseball and learned to be scrappy and to hustle. He signed a contract and ended up with the Oakland minor league team, where he patiently learned his craft. His manager? Casey Stengel. It took a while for him to break into the lineup, but he showed his skills.
As readers know, Stengel went to the Yankees to be their manager. When Martin went to the Yankees, they were a marquee team--Joe DiMaggio as the icon. Over time, the transition occurred and Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and others became the heart of the team. And Martin was an important cog. It was during the q950s that he became known as tempestuous, often getting into scrapes and fighting.
With his career ended, he had opportunities as a manager. He managed for a number of teams--Minnesota, Oakland, the Yankees (of course), and so on. The book does a very good job describing what he brought to a team as a manager. His style could be termed "Billy Ball." He turned several teams around within a year. But his mercurial temperament ensured that he would never stay in one place for long. His record of four marriages and his almost out of control personal life are told well. Billy Martin's life wasn't pretty on many occasions and he made a mess of his personal life--often with implications for his professional career. He drank too much and so on.
But, for a reader interested in Billy Martin, this is an outstanding work. The research appears pretty through and the details provided in this book give one a pretty clear picture of the person.
He grew up in a tough neighborhood and learned early to be tough himself. He learned how to box. Even though he was scrawny, his teacher was impressed with how well he learned the craft. In his youth he played sandlot baseball and high school baseball and learned to be scrappy and to hustle. He signed a contract and ended up with the Oakland minor league team, where he patiently learned his craft. His manager? Casey Stengel. It took a while for him to break into the lineup, but he showed his skills.
As readers know, Stengel went to the Yankees to be their manager. When Martin went to the Yankees, they were a marquee team--Joe DiMaggio as the icon. Over time, the transition occurred and Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and others became the heart of the team. And Martin was an important cog. It was during the q950s that he became known as tempestuous, often getting into scrapes and fighting.
With his career ended, he had opportunities as a manager. He managed for a number of teams--Minnesota, Oakland, the Yankees (of course), and so on. The book does a very good job describing what he brought to a team as a manager. His style could be termed "Billy Ball." He turned several teams around within a year. But his mercurial temperament ensured that he would never stay in one place for long. His record of four marriages and his almost out of control personal life are told well. Billy Martin's life wasn't pretty on many occasions and he made a mess of his personal life--often with implications for his professional career. He drank too much and so on.
But, for a reader interested in Billy Martin, this is an outstanding work. The research appears pretty through and the details provided in this book give one a pretty clear picture of the person.
May 18, 2015
I think it's a wonderful book that provides plenty of insight into the "spark plug" of the Yankees in the 50's and the underappreciated managerial accomplishments of Billy Martin. The author does a fine job of highlighting Martin's life as a youngster in West Berkely California. You understand what made him the competitor and brawler for which he later became notorious without undue detail.
I believe the author did a great job of presenting a balanced picture of this enigmatic figure. He presented the narcissistic, borderline personality side, as well as the compassionate and charitable side of the man. I loved the history of the Yankees of the 50's but even more the Steinbrenner years. The battles with the press, the Copa Cabana incident, the Hecht incident, the Reggie Jackson ordeal,( so onerous an ordeal that Graig Nettles decked Jackson on one occasion) Ed Whitson, and so many more are fully presented. And yes, there is Billy's side as well. You don't have to accept the defense but it is there for the reader to embrace. There are some interesting points offered, such as the counterpoint to the conventional wisdom that Billy burnt out his A's pitching staff in 1981. I agreed with the author's point that many other teams used their starters to pitch many more innings, including the 1970 World champion Orioles.
The author makes a very good case that martin is deserving of a plaque in Cooperstown. he convinced me even if he didn't convince me that the alcoholic, womanizing, and brawling Martin was more than just a flawed genius. Great job Mr. Pennington. I loved your book.
I believe the author did a great job of presenting a balanced picture of this enigmatic figure. He presented the narcissistic, borderline personality side, as well as the compassionate and charitable side of the man. I loved the history of the Yankees of the 50's but even more the Steinbrenner years. The battles with the press, the Copa Cabana incident, the Hecht incident, the Reggie Jackson ordeal,( so onerous an ordeal that Graig Nettles decked Jackson on one occasion) Ed Whitson, and so many more are fully presented. And yes, there is Billy's side as well. You don't have to accept the defense but it is there for the reader to embrace. There are some interesting points offered, such as the counterpoint to the conventional wisdom that Billy burnt out his A's pitching staff in 1981. I agreed with the author's point that many other teams used their starters to pitch many more innings, including the 1970 World champion Orioles.
The author makes a very good case that martin is deserving of a plaque in Cooperstown. he convinced me even if he didn't convince me that the alcoholic, womanizing, and brawling Martin was more than just a flawed genius. Great job Mr. Pennington. I loved your book.
April 21, 2015
There is no denying that Billy Martin is one of the most dynamic characters in the history of Major League Baseball, while also being one of the most flawed. I thought that Bill Pennington did a pretty good job of placing the reader inside Billy Martin’s world from the rough upbringing in the Bay Area, to his playing career most notably with the Yankees, and his roller coaster of a managerial career. For those non-baseball people, there are plenty of stories of various brawls, tabloid flings and celebrity encounters, it all came with the territory of being Billy Martin.
Where my disappointment comes in is in these off the field incidents involving Billy Martin. It felt like his involvement and role were significantly downplayed or minimized away. While I’m not an advocate for taking a sledgehammer for Billy Martin, this suggests that the writer is biased in that he can’t shake his love for Billy Martin. It’s not really a question of credibility because Pennington covered Martin for so many years, but he doesn’t seem to give alternative points of view much coverage inserting them more as part of acknowledgement that they exist before laughing into a but or however that paints Billy Martin in a better light.
On the positive side it is a very entertaining book that reminds one of a past and perhaps better era in baseball complete with fights, affairs, and a larger than life cast of characters, but the authors seeming pro-Martin bias takes it down a peg for me.
Where my disappointment comes in is in these off the field incidents involving Billy Martin. It felt like his involvement and role were significantly downplayed or minimized away. While I’m not an advocate for taking a sledgehammer for Billy Martin, this suggests that the writer is biased in that he can’t shake his love for Billy Martin. It’s not really a question of credibility because Pennington covered Martin for so many years, but he doesn’t seem to give alternative points of view much coverage inserting them more as part of acknowledgement that they exist before laughing into a but or however that paints Billy Martin in a better light.
On the positive side it is a very entertaining book that reminds one of a past and perhaps better era in baseball complete with fights, affairs, and a larger than life cast of characters, but the authors seeming pro-Martin bias takes it down a peg for me.
November 10, 2015
4 1/2 stars but I'll round up in this case.
One of the better biographies I've read.
Very captivating from the beginning and stayed that way throughout.
It didn't hurt that Martin led the type of life that was tailor-made for a book like this. But the author excelled in escalating your interest level even more so.
At first I thought 500 pages was too much to devote to a biography, but this author did an excellent job. That many pages led me to believe it was going to be a long-winded journey. But he devotes just the right amount of time to each chapter of Martin's life.
Not one section was too brief, not one section was too long.
Like Goldilock's porridge, each part was just right.
As for the subject of which the book is based, you don't have to like the man to appreciate the high quality of the writing.
Very good read.
One of the better biographies I've read.
Very captivating from the beginning and stayed that way throughout.
It didn't hurt that Martin led the type of life that was tailor-made for a book like this. But the author excelled in escalating your interest level even more so.
At first I thought 500 pages was too much to devote to a biography, but this author did an excellent job. That many pages led me to believe it was going to be a long-winded journey. But he devotes just the right amount of time to each chapter of Martin's life.
Not one section was too brief, not one section was too long.
Like Goldilock's porridge, each part was just right.
As for the subject of which the book is based, you don't have to like the man to appreciate the high quality of the writing.
Very good read.
March 3, 2016
As a baseball nerd, I really enjoyed this book. Pennington's research is impressive, and it was fun to read about parts of baseball history that I hadn't thought about in a while. Martin's playing career and his pre-Yankee managerial time were especially fascinating.
That said, the book is 100 pages too long and, try as he might, Pennington does come off as a bit of a defender of Martin's excesses with alcohol, women, and fighting. At the end of the day, this is a tragedy. As great of a baseball mind as Martin had and as likable as many people found him, he did terrible, terrible things and many of those affected the people closest to him badly. Pennington chronicles these, but also makes multiple efforts to excuse them. A flawed book, but a fun one.
That said, the book is 100 pages too long and, try as he might, Pennington does come off as a bit of a defender of Martin's excesses with alcohol, women, and fighting. At the end of the day, this is a tragedy. As great of a baseball mind as Martin had and as likable as many people found him, he did terrible, terrible things and many of those affected the people closest to him badly. Pennington chronicles these, but also makes multiple efforts to excuse them. A flawed book, but a fun one.
May 27, 2015
Pennington had unprecedented access to Martin as a beat reporter for more than a decade, and the access gives a legitimate "you are there" air to the blow-by-blows from Martin's innumerable conflicts on and off the diamond. At 510 pages it feels too long, but Martin had such a colorful and eventful life that I don't know what could have been edited out.
This book is a fun read about a surprisingly complex character, and Pennington goes easy on the in-game details, so I would think this would appeal even to those who are not baseball fans.
This book is a fun read about a surprisingly complex character, and Pennington goes easy on the in-game details, so I would think this would appeal even to those who are not baseball fans.
August 6, 2015
A genuinely outstanding biography of a deeply complex man. Pennington digs deep into Billy Martin's history, and crafts a compulsively readable book that stands as a warts and all, heartfelt portrait of a complicated genius who often struggled to out-maneuver his many demons. Pennington's empathetic evocation of Billy Martin's tough Oakland childhood provides a clear and meaningful context for the career, with all its peaks and valleys, that followed.
I'd highly recommend this book to true fans of the game. It's a gem filled with triumphs, fistfights, laughs, and tragedy.
I'd highly recommend this book to true fans of the game. It's a gem filled with triumphs, fistfights, laughs, and tragedy.
October 21, 2016
Exhaustive, well written biography of a complex man. He began his life on the wrong side of the tracks (well, the tracks are between where he lived and the Bay, but "on the wrong side of San Pablo Avenue" sounds goofy) in Berkeley, and ended it in a culvert just north of where the majority of my relatives live. There weren't many uneventful times in between.
March 15, 2024
This is probably the best sports biography I’ve ever read. It’s certainly the most detailed. Author Bill Pennington is a former beat writer that covered the New York Yankees, and I’ve learned that these guys are usually the best when it comes to writing about the game of baseball. After all, they did (or still do) it for a living, and they’re also privy to an awful lot of information that the public doesn’t possess.
As the subtitle of this book states, Billy Martin was definitely flawed, and he was definitely a genius. Unfortunately, whereas he was a genius when it came to knowing and managing the game of baseball, he was pretty much flawed in everything else in his life. The ratio isn’t always obvious since Billy was pretty much involved in baseball throughout his whole life. As long as he had a uniform on (he played on 7 teams, and managed a total of 5), life was overall good. So the alcoholism, constant brawling, and multiple failed marriages tended to get somewhat dismissed as being a tad irrelevant within his very active life.
After the preliminary “early childhood” part of this biography, we see what makes Billy tick as a young ball player. He was never the type of player that overwhelmed lovers of statistics when reading a box score, but his personality more than made up for this. He had an infectious personality that made his teammates love him and his opponents loathe him. During the 1950s, we also read an awful lot about his off the field carousing with teammates such as Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle, yet the author mainly keeps the nightlife stories PG-13 rated. Of course, the times were different, and when ballplayers lived a hard nightlife during this period in history, the understanding was that the antics were kept out of the sports page and out of the public’s view. In addition to Billy’s wild lifestyle, there are several fights he gets into with opponents during his playing career as well. It’s somewhat ironic that some of the nastiest brawls that he would engage in would somehow lead to everlasting close friendships with this one-time adversary. A strange man indeed.
As you would expect, the best parts of the book are once Billy becomes a Major League manager. We read about how astute Billy is when it comes to knowing the idiosyncrasies of every player and every situation during the game. We also read how studied he is of some of the more obscure rules of the contest (who could ever forget the “pine tar” incident?) If we’re honest, Billy Martin was a great manager. His personality, though, seems to always get him in trouble. He seems to lose his managerial jobs quite frequently. Before he wears his ubiquitous Yankees jersey, he first manages the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers, and then the Texas Rangers. Throughout these stints, he never falls below second place in the divisional standings. Since these were the days before the Wild Card was introduced to the sport (the author writes too much about this fact throughout the book; one of my minor grievances), a lot of Billy’s teams are somewhat forgotten in the annals of popular sports history. We’re reminded that these teams may have been better remembered at they had a chance and made to the playoffs as many teams do today.
Then he starts managing the New York Yankees. If you’re reading this book review and are somewhat a fan of the Yankees, can you recite how many times Billy was hired and fired as the New York Yankees manager by the irascible owner George Steinbrenner within a 13-year timeframe? I couldn’t. In fact, I even lost track while reading the book. Every time you turn the page it seems as though Billy is hired, fired, or hired away from his manager job for a “special role” for the ballclub. It’s a bit much.
In fact, it does become wearisome reading this book after a while. This isn’t the author’s fault. He’s telling it like it was. It’s just we get tired of the constant patterns and episodes that seem to replay over and over again. Every time the cycle begins anew for Billy Martin, it seems we read that:
Billy is rehired to manage the Yankees
Billy drinks a lot
Billy’s wife is mad at him because he spends too much time with his girlfriend
Billy’s girlfriend is mad at him because he spends too much time with his wife
Billy fights with his players
Billy drinks more
Billy gets in fights with strangers in bars
Billy fights with players on other teams
Billy fights with George Steinbrenner
Billy drinks even more
Billy fights even more
Billy is fired as manager of the Yankees
Billy misses baseball
Billy is rehired by George
Billy drinks and drinks and drinks
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
I should also point out that the author never paints Billy as some sort of obnoxious monster, but I thought he treated his subject matter with more kid gloves then he deserved. I guess we must remember that once Billy was managing the team (any of his teams) he was widely loved by the fans of that team and most of his players. And he mostly won, which is the point after all. I still can’t honestly say that I admired the man, nor I would have wanted to live his life in his shoes no matter how popular he was. There’s more to life than baseball.
Well, sadly that probably wasn’t true for Billy Martin.
As the subtitle of this book states, Billy Martin was definitely flawed, and he was definitely a genius. Unfortunately, whereas he was a genius when it came to knowing and managing the game of baseball, he was pretty much flawed in everything else in his life. The ratio isn’t always obvious since Billy was pretty much involved in baseball throughout his whole life. As long as he had a uniform on (he played on 7 teams, and managed a total of 5), life was overall good. So the alcoholism, constant brawling, and multiple failed marriages tended to get somewhat dismissed as being a tad irrelevant within his very active life.
After the preliminary “early childhood” part of this biography, we see what makes Billy tick as a young ball player. He was never the type of player that overwhelmed lovers of statistics when reading a box score, but his personality more than made up for this. He had an infectious personality that made his teammates love him and his opponents loathe him. During the 1950s, we also read an awful lot about his off the field carousing with teammates such as Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle, yet the author mainly keeps the nightlife stories PG-13 rated. Of course, the times were different, and when ballplayers lived a hard nightlife during this period in history, the understanding was that the antics were kept out of the sports page and out of the public’s view. In addition to Billy’s wild lifestyle, there are several fights he gets into with opponents during his playing career as well. It’s somewhat ironic that some of the nastiest brawls that he would engage in would somehow lead to everlasting close friendships with this one-time adversary. A strange man indeed.
As you would expect, the best parts of the book are once Billy becomes a Major League manager. We read about how astute Billy is when it comes to knowing the idiosyncrasies of every player and every situation during the game. We also read how studied he is of some of the more obscure rules of the contest (who could ever forget the “pine tar” incident?) If we’re honest, Billy Martin was a great manager. His personality, though, seems to always get him in trouble. He seems to lose his managerial jobs quite frequently. Before he wears his ubiquitous Yankees jersey, he first manages the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers, and then the Texas Rangers. Throughout these stints, he never falls below second place in the divisional standings. Since these were the days before the Wild Card was introduced to the sport (the author writes too much about this fact throughout the book; one of my minor grievances), a lot of Billy’s teams are somewhat forgotten in the annals of popular sports history. We’re reminded that these teams may have been better remembered at they had a chance and made to the playoffs as many teams do today.
Then he starts managing the New York Yankees. If you’re reading this book review and are somewhat a fan of the Yankees, can you recite how many times Billy was hired and fired as the New York Yankees manager by the irascible owner George Steinbrenner within a 13-year timeframe? I couldn’t. In fact, I even lost track while reading the book. Every time you turn the page it seems as though Billy is hired, fired, or hired away from his manager job for a “special role” for the ballclub. It’s a bit much.
In fact, it does become wearisome reading this book after a while. This isn’t the author’s fault. He’s telling it like it was. It’s just we get tired of the constant patterns and episodes that seem to replay over and over again. Every time the cycle begins anew for Billy Martin, it seems we read that:
Billy is rehired to manage the Yankees
Billy drinks a lot
Billy’s wife is mad at him because he spends too much time with his girlfriend
Billy’s girlfriend is mad at him because he spends too much time with his wife
Billy fights with his players
Billy drinks more
Billy gets in fights with strangers in bars
Billy fights with players on other teams
Billy fights with George Steinbrenner
Billy drinks even more
Billy fights even more
Billy is fired as manager of the Yankees
Billy misses baseball
Billy is rehired by George
Billy drinks and drinks and drinks
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
I should also point out that the author never paints Billy as some sort of obnoxious monster, but I thought he treated his subject matter with more kid gloves then he deserved. I guess we must remember that once Billy was managing the team (any of his teams) he was widely loved by the fans of that team and most of his players. And he mostly won, which is the point after all. I still can’t honestly say that I admired the man, nor I would have wanted to live his life in his shoes no matter how popular he was. There’s more to life than baseball.
Well, sadly that probably wasn’t true for Billy Martin.
September 1, 2015
This is a long book, but Martin lived a terribly eventful life and there's very little fat here. Pennington's most important job was humanizing someone who's so often been caricatured, and the author succeeds admirably.
April 25, 2015
Fantastic book...best line of the book was the last, "What a story it was". That sums up this great book on Martin. Highly recommend this book!
May 17, 2015
Billy Martin was a Peter Pan of major league baseball. Although he played the kid’s game, it is too bad that the Baseball Hall of Fame has yet to acknowledge his managerial genius.
May 4, 2018
I didn't know much about Billy Martin before reading this book. Just that he'd been hired and fired by George Steinbrenner a ton of times. So this was very interesting. I didn't know that he'd had such a long and successful career as a player. So that was all good.
Towards the end, the book started to slow down and drag. It really felt like Pennington was trying to spin it out after Martin was removed as manager for the last time. The whole description of his life in Binghamton could have been done much more succinctly. It's not that interesting.
And then we get a very in-depth recreation of Martin's death - the drinking in a bar, who else visited the bar, people's recollections - it slows to a glacial pace. This pace continues through his death, its aftermath, his funeral, the grave site in the years since the funeral - it all is painfully slow.
Although in most cases, I found this to be an excellent book, I do find that at times Pennington included incidents and interviews with people that don't really add much to the story - it seems more like, I have this, I must use it. It's a long book with the essential stuff left in, Pennington doesn't have to include marginal stuff to make it even longer. And the constant boosterism of Martin starts to tire after awhile - despite his love for Martin, I found that I was starting to dislike Martin by the end of the book. And his constant "if there'd been a wild card, Martin would have made the playoffs" falls apart because everything else would have been different too - teams that were out of it and may have sold off players would have also kept competing for a wild card spot, so the whole season might have gone differently. It's a weak argument, used to bolster his case for a hall of fame nomination.
An interesting book about an interesting personality. Would have been excellent if Pennington could have cut it down a little bit.
Towards the end, the book started to slow down and drag. It really felt like Pennington was trying to spin it out after Martin was removed as manager for the last time. The whole description of his life in Binghamton could have been done much more succinctly. It's not that interesting.
And then we get a very in-depth recreation of Martin's death - the drinking in a bar, who else visited the bar, people's recollections - it slows to a glacial pace. This pace continues through his death, its aftermath, his funeral, the grave site in the years since the funeral - it all is painfully slow.
Although in most cases, I found this to be an excellent book, I do find that at times Pennington included incidents and interviews with people that don't really add much to the story - it seems more like, I have this, I must use it. It's a long book with the essential stuff left in, Pennington doesn't have to include marginal stuff to make it even longer. And the constant boosterism of Martin starts to tire after awhile - despite his love for Martin, I found that I was starting to dislike Martin by the end of the book. And his constant "if there'd been a wild card, Martin would have made the playoffs" falls apart because everything else would have been different too - teams that were out of it and may have sold off players would have also kept competing for a wild card spot, so the whole season might have gone differently. It's a weak argument, used to bolster his case for a hall of fame nomination.
An interesting book about an interesting personality. Would have been excellent if Pennington could have cut it down a little bit.
July 13, 2018
Great read, thanks for the rec, Harmon. I started really getting into baseball in 1979, was a hard core A's fan through to disappointing 1-for-3 World Series run ending in 1990. Billy Ball was totally formative for me. I was at the last home game when Rickey was trying to break the record, and I think Fred Stanley allowed himself to get picked off (certainly on Billy's instruction) to open up the base for him to steal. He didn't get it, ended up getting it in Milwaukee IIRC, but we had the TV on and it was a thrill. Re-reading all those names and re-living some of those memories was amazing. The Bay Area of the early days also obviously resonates with me, truly a bygone era.
I hadn't been aware of Billy's leadership role on the Yankees during their 50s heyday - I had thought he was a scrappy second baseman and that's it. But, the way Pennington narrates it, he really was the heart and soul of that team that had Mantle and Berra and Whitey Ford and all the rest. I also hadn't had a real appreciation for the turnaround jobs he did at a number of his managerial stops. In the Epilogue, Pennington makes a pretty good case for Billy being in the HOF - he persuades me, anyway.
I haven't read a baseball biography in probably 30 years = I used to devour them as a kid. I haven't really been an engaged baseball fan since cheering on the 1995 Seattle Mariners shortly after I arrived to grad school at UW. I doubt this will change that, but it certainly was a pleasure to revisit this old passion by digging deep into a guy that I connected with, as so many others did, a guy well-captured by the subtitle as "baseball's flawed genius". Recommended.
I hadn't been aware of Billy's leadership role on the Yankees during their 50s heyday - I had thought he was a scrappy second baseman and that's it. But, the way Pennington narrates it, he really was the heart and soul of that team that had Mantle and Berra and Whitey Ford and all the rest. I also hadn't had a real appreciation for the turnaround jobs he did at a number of his managerial stops. In the Epilogue, Pennington makes a pretty good case for Billy being in the HOF - he persuades me, anyway.
I haven't read a baseball biography in probably 30 years = I used to devour them as a kid. I haven't really been an engaged baseball fan since cheering on the 1995 Seattle Mariners shortly after I arrived to grad school at UW. I doubt this will change that, but it certainly was a pleasure to revisit this old passion by digging deep into a guy that I connected with, as so many others did, a guy well-captured by the subtitle as "baseball's flawed genius". Recommended.
May 26, 2020
Wherever Billy Martin went, his teams won. He took Minnesota to the first American League Championship Series in 1969, taking the Twins from 7th place a year prior to first in the newly formed Western Division. He also led Detroit to the AL Eastern Division title in 1972 and brought the Texas Rangers from last place in 1973 to only five games out of first place in 1974. And, his career with the Yankees, of course.
But along with that winning came the often fighting, the anger, the insanity of it all and author Bill Pennington shows an unbiased look at Martin's life, hence the subtitle "Baseball's Flawed Genius."
It's a hefty book of more than 500 pages, but it reads quickly. Fans know most of the stories, but Pennington goes in depth and tells the full story. There's the fight between Martin and Twins pitcher Dave Boswell in 1969, the tangle with the marshmallow salesman, the clashes with George Steinbrenner and the Boston dugout scuffle with Reggie Jackson. There are also plenty of tales of his wives, his ex-wives and his girlfriends.
Pennington takes a look at the complete life - including his playing career and his insecurities despite being an excellent infielder - of what could be considered one of the greatest managers of all time. This is a must-read for any fan of baseball, especially the 1970s era when baseball really was king.
But along with that winning came the often fighting, the anger, the insanity of it all and author Bill Pennington shows an unbiased look at Martin's life, hence the subtitle "Baseball's Flawed Genius."
It's a hefty book of more than 500 pages, but it reads quickly. Fans know most of the stories, but Pennington goes in depth and tells the full story. There's the fight between Martin and Twins pitcher Dave Boswell in 1969, the tangle with the marshmallow salesman, the clashes with George Steinbrenner and the Boston dugout scuffle with Reggie Jackson. There are also plenty of tales of his wives, his ex-wives and his girlfriends.
Pennington takes a look at the complete life - including his playing career and his insecurities despite being an excellent infielder - of what could be considered one of the greatest managers of all time. This is a must-read for any fan of baseball, especially the 1970s era when baseball really was king.
June 13, 2019
This is a terrific look at Bill Martin as well as Baseball from the 1950s thru the 1980s. Many could argue that Billy was the most dominant baseball personality covering that entire time period. He was certainly an interesting character and due to the author’s extensive research, many interesting characters are revealed in this book. People from George Steinbrenner, Casey Stengel, Reggie Jackson along with many other ballplayers, umpires and sports media personnel are described in this book. Billy’s insights into playing winning baseball were very revealing. Plus, he put these theories into practice and achieved a high level of success that was usually greater than expectations given the talent on his teams. This book goes well beyond the common one-dimensional characterization of Billy as a bully who quickly resorts to fisticuffs. Billy was a complex human being with many fine characteristics such as a generous and kind nature. Unfortunately, Billy was a flawed character due to his short fuse temper, which was exasperated by his drinking habits. If you were a baseball fan during Bill’s time in baseball, you’ll definitely enjoy this book and gain some inside knowledge about baseball strategy, tactics and personalities.
May 13, 2024
Flawed genius is a very good description of Billy Martin. This is a very good book about his life. It tells the good as well as the bad in his flawed life. He had many demons that affected his actions, but he lived and died baseball and was certainly one of the best managers ever. His interactions with the Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner and Reggie Jackson gave us fans a wild ride when they were altogether in New York. This book shows the flaws each had and how they were all to blame for their problems. Their egos were such that none of them could stay in control of their interactions and took turns creating the problems. It was also very interesting to read how Billy took control of his various teams and taught them how he wanted them to play the game. He was obviously one of the most insightful managers who knew how to play the game to win. It is a well written book and interviewed just about everyone that could tell the story of Martin's life from when he was born until the day he died.
January 16, 2018
Bring a Red Sox fan I was not sure I would like this, but the writing here is high quality and the research and interviews are quite extensive. It is a balanced presentation of a complicated person afflicted with alcoholism. All the genius and warts are on display. I was left thinking that he had no true friends, just drinking buddies. No one cared enough to suggest he get professional help for his drinking problem. Even as times changed from the cocktail era of the 1950's through the end of his life, his drinking remained the elephant in the room despite fights, womanizing, financial difficulties and firings. It impacted his life and ultimately took it on an icy road in Upstate New York. Just one true friend might have made a difference.
March 11, 2019
Just a fantastic book on one of the seminal figures in baseball from the late 1960s to the late 1980s. The best book on Billy Martin that I’ve read. Does a great job of exploring his personality traits,relationships, baseball mind, alcoholism, everything that made him who he was. The Yankee managerial years were particularly well written covering the conflicts with Reggie Jackson and Steinbrenner of the late ‘70s, and highlighting Martin’s corrosive behavior and high strung personality paired with Steinbrenner’s hair trigger finger. Pennington covers Billy’s brawls with excellent detail especially the Marshmallow salesman in Minneapolis, the sports reporter in South Dakota, Eddie Whitson at the Cross Keys Inn in Baltimore and much more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2021
Bravo to Bill Pennington for penning the ideal sports biography in “Billy Martin: Baseball's Flawed Genius.” Namely, 1) make it a meaty book - in this case 500 pages - in order to fully document the subject’s lengthy life and career in professional sports 2) research, research, research - including the revisiting or conducting of interviews with primary sources and relevant experts and 3) maybe most importantly, nail the conclusion, especially if there are special emotional circumstances like the subject’s sudden demise. Pennington satisfied me on points 1 and 2 pretty early on, and as the final chapters are upon the reader’s horizon, be prepared to encounter a most satisfying conclusion to the story of the proudest man to be called a New York Yankee.
September 2, 2023
A great history of an Imperfect human being and Baseball Legend.
Billy Martin had a remarkable life,both happy and sad. It was the best of times and worst of times during his incredible years on earth. This is a well written book about a loved NY Yankee and a hated NY Yankee. If one needs a history lesson on the success of the NY Yankees and interpersonal relationships, this is a great read. I for one am not a NY sports fan at all,but I do appreciate the baseball rivalries and long storied history of the Yankees. You will learn about Billy’s life and Bill Pennington writes it in an incredible style and easy to comprehend and read.
Billy Martin had a remarkable life,both happy and sad. It was the best of times and worst of times during his incredible years on earth. This is a well written book about a loved NY Yankee and a hated NY Yankee. If one needs a history lesson on the success of the NY Yankees and interpersonal relationships, this is a great read. I for one am not a NY sports fan at all,but I do appreciate the baseball rivalries and long storied history of the Yankees. You will learn about Billy’s life and Bill Pennington writes it in an incredible style and easy to comprehend and read.
June 30, 2017
I well written, thorough, and interesting biography of one of the most complicated men to ever play the game of baseball. "Flawed Genius" is and apt description of Billy Martin. Maybe the most talented man to ever coach or manage a professional baseball team, but undoubtedly also one of the most self-destructive.
You probably have to be a true baseball fan to get through all 500+ pages of this book, and it probably helps if you are over 50 years old, but it is well worth reading if you are.
You probably have to be a true baseball fan to get through all 500+ pages of this book, and it probably helps if you are over 50 years old, but it is well worth reading if you are.
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