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Billyball
The sometime manager of the New York Yankees holds forth on America's favorite pastime with provocative and informed opinions on players, owners, coaches, strategies, managing, and the nitty-gritty of play on the field
276 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 11, 2024
I enjoyed this book where Billy is looking back on his life. He was always a fighter but I think he was misunderstood as well. It was so easy for the sports writers to pigeonhole him and get a story out if it that they didn't care if it was really true or not. Of course his battles with Steinbrenner didn't help but that's two guys who were too much alike to ever get along all the time. I wished he got better shots to stay with a team longer. I think he really tried to be honest and open in this book, he can only tell it the way he seen it and it was great seeing his point of view.
Recommended, it's hard to dislike Billy Martin.
Recommended, it's hard to dislike Billy Martin.
December 14, 2020
As an autobiography, I was somewhat put off when Martin talked about his drinking and how he felt he had no problem at all. He spent some of the book explaining himself to the reader and how he wanted to reader to understand him. At one point, Martin admitted to having two sides: one was the baseball showman, the other was the real Martin.
If you want a great look at Martin's life, read Bill Pennington's take on him "Billy Martin, Baseball's Flawed Genius." On the other hand, Martin's take on managers, strategy, baseball in general is excellent in this book and a joy to read, especially having the hindsight to realize Martin was one of the greatest managers of all time. He even hints, a bit, at pitch counts before pitch counts were popular. He also talked about psyching out other managers, letting stars bunt rather than hit away, doing things different so when a real time came to play differently, managers had no idea what he would do. He played for the run, and he expresses that a lot in this. He also doesn't pull punches, blaming a lot of owners for his firings at Texas, Detroit and Minnesota. It wasn't his fault. Of course, he can brag that he took teams that were subpar and turned them into division contenders within a year.
This is a good read that gives baseball fans a look back at the early 1980s when Martin was at his heyday. Overlook his opinions of his grandeur and read it for his take on baseball in general.
If you want a great look at Martin's life, read Bill Pennington's take on him "Billy Martin, Baseball's Flawed Genius." On the other hand, Martin's take on managers, strategy, baseball in general is excellent in this book and a joy to read, especially having the hindsight to realize Martin was one of the greatest managers of all time. He even hints, a bit, at pitch counts before pitch counts were popular. He also talked about psyching out other managers, letting stars bunt rather than hit away, doing things different so when a real time came to play differently, managers had no idea what he would do. He played for the run, and he expresses that a lot in this. He also doesn't pull punches, blaming a lot of owners for his firings at Texas, Detroit and Minnesota. It wasn't his fault. Of course, he can brag that he took teams that were subpar and turned them into division contenders within a year.
This is a good read that gives baseball fans a look back at the early 1980s when Martin was at his heyday. Overlook his opinions of his grandeur and read it for his take on baseball in general.
September 29, 2016
The last of Billy Martin's autobiographies, in hindsight this book truly represents the multifaceted personality of one of baseball's greatest managers. Martin shows some visionary ideas for 1987, such as looking at pitch counts (although not what you think), and the importance of getting on base, what would later become the basis for Moneyball.
On the other hand, there is a lot of "I" and "me" describing his career. One almost gets the feeling at times that his summation upstages player contributions. He is very political in describing his role in the Reggie-Billy-George affair on the other hand he is very blunt in his disdain for others (Howard Fox for example).
It doesn't stray too far off of the traditional sports autobiography, this book is more valuable as a companion piece to some of the more recent Martin biographies
On the other hand, there is a lot of "I" and "me" describing his career. One almost gets the feeling at times that his summation upstages player contributions. He is very political in describing his role in the Reggie-Billy-George affair on the other hand he is very blunt in his disdain for others (Howard Fox for example).
It doesn't stray too far off of the traditional sports autobiography, this book is more valuable as a companion piece to some of the more recent Martin biographies
January 12, 2016
Martin was such an unsympathetic character..this book almost made me feel like he was talking to me at a bar, convincing me of how he was such a great baseball mind, while insulting the people he had low opinions of, trying to change the perceptions of him as a scumbag fighter, and propping up all the greats he played with or managed. Some good insight of his time as Yankee and A's manager. An easy read. He died as he lived...drunk.
August 4, 2014
The baseball tactics were good, interesting and helpful. But it seemed like he was trying to justify himself too often in here. I was always a fan of Billy Martin as a kid in NY and the fans were all on his side in his public battles with Steinbrenner or Reggie Jackson. However, I didn't think this book was the right place for that or for the stories of his glory days.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews