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The New York Yankees of the 1950s: Mantle, Stengel, Berra, and a Decade of Dominance
The 1950s marked a transformative period in postwar American history. In baseball, one dynasty was the story during the decade. The New York Yankees played in eight World Series from 1950 to 1959, winning six of them. Yankees icon Joe DiMaggio retired following the 1951 season, but a new super star, Mickey Mantle, took over in Yankee Stadium’s center field in 1952. Mantle, the powerful switch-hitter who blasted tape-measure home runs, often tortured by leg ailments, was the number one box office draw in baseball. He was the American League’s most valuable player in 1956 and 1957, putting together a triple crown season in 1956. Mantle came into baseball when TV was just beginning to stir, and with the Yankees reaching the World Series and appearing on national TV seemingly every season, he became the face of the game during the decade. Mantle joined with his pals, pitcher Whitey Ford and infielder Billy Martin, to form a hard-partying trio that would be a joy and a pain to management. The author of several books on the Yankees, David Fischer will bring expertise and a knack for great story-telling to the saga of the most dominant decade in the annals of sport, set during a defining moment in U.S. history.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 8, 2019
During the decade of the 1950’s, the New York Yankees had an incredible run of success. They won the World Series for the first four years of the decade as part of a streak of five consecutive championship seasons. Then they followed up with four more American League pennants and two more World Series championships in 1956 and 1958. This amazing decade of baseball in the Bronx is the subject of this book by David Fischer.
Using numerous sources for his research such as newspaper articles and other books, Fischer relives each year of Yankees baseball and shares some anecdotes about the star players. These include players whose careers peaked earlier and ended in the 1950’s (Joe DiMaggio), those who began play in the 1950’s and continued (Mickey Mantle) or those who just began later in the decade (Elston Howard). While the writing is not greatly detailed or insightful, a reader will learn much about the players and manager Casey Stengel.
As like any other book that describes a team or athlete during a certain time frame, this book will make references to important social or political events during that time. The topics are varied, such as television, cars, civil rights and President Eisenhower. Sometimes these are smoothly woven into the baseball text and at other times, they seem to be added simply because they occurred during the year that the exploits of the Yankees are currently being discussed.
If a reader is a very knowledgeable, well-versed Yankee fan or historian, then he or she may already know about most of the material in this book. If the reader is a casual fan or is just interested in learning why New York was the dominant baseball team of the 1950’s then this book is for them.
I wish to thank Lyons Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
(3 1/2 stars rounded to 4 for Goodreads)
Using numerous sources for his research such as newspaper articles and other books, Fischer relives each year of Yankees baseball and shares some anecdotes about the star players. These include players whose careers peaked earlier and ended in the 1950’s (Joe DiMaggio), those who began play in the 1950’s and continued (Mickey Mantle) or those who just began later in the decade (Elston Howard). While the writing is not greatly detailed or insightful, a reader will learn much about the players and manager Casey Stengel.
As like any other book that describes a team or athlete during a certain time frame, this book will make references to important social or political events during that time. The topics are varied, such as television, cars, civil rights and President Eisenhower. Sometimes these are smoothly woven into the baseball text and at other times, they seem to be added simply because they occurred during the year that the exploits of the Yankees are currently being discussed.
If a reader is a very knowledgeable, well-versed Yankee fan or historian, then he or she may already know about most of the material in this book. If the reader is a casual fan or is just interested in learning why New York was the dominant baseball team of the 1950’s then this book is for them.
I wish to thank Lyons Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
(3 1/2 stars rounded to 4 for Goodreads)
May 17, 2025
As the title says, this work of nonfiction recounts the dominant baseball team that was the New York Yankees during the first 10 years of manager Charles “Casey” Stengel’s reign. That covers the years 1949 through 1958. In those 10 years, the Yankees won 9 American League pennants. Of course, that lead to 9 World Series appearances of which the Yankees won 7, including 5 in row. It represents the time in the Yankees history when Joe DiMaggio pasted the torch of greatest Yankee to Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. Stengel was hired for the job when he was 59 years old. He had a rather undistinguished career as a manager prior to his job with the Yankees. But then again, he never managed a team with the talent the Yankees had. As a Cleveland Indians baseball fan that started to become familiar with Yankee dominance during the late 1950s, this was a wonderful trip down memory lane. I learned a lot more detail about the players and their lives. Plus, the way baseball players related to one another and the sport itself. While the results clearly reveal dominance, winning all those pennants and World Series games was not as easy as it looked to the eyes of a youth in the late 1950s. There were many obstelces to overcome including injuries and players drafted and or recalled into Military service during those cold war years. Of course, Yankee dominance of the American League continued through 1964. But by 1961, Stengel agreed to retire (the Yankees forced him into retirement because he turned 70 in 1960; a mistake Stengel said he would never make again. And, as far as I know he never did.) But this book ends with the 1958 season and Stengel’s final World Series win. The author also throws in tidbits about American culture and American history during those years (Civil Rights events, Elvis, TV shows and so forth). This read was a very enjoyable nostalgic look back at the 1950s.
April 2, 2019
I found this book to be right up there with other Yankee books that I have read about their history. This one focuses on the decade of the fifties. The changing of managers to Stengel and how that did not work so well with DiMaggio. The beginning of Mickey Mantle’s career then being sent down and then returning. The World Series that they won and the years that they did not make it or lost. Like to the Dodgers in 55 and the Braves in 57. The Yankees would win six World Series during the 50s and lose those two so they would miss out in 54 and 59. They, of course, would return in 60-64 winning 61 and 62 and that would be it until losing to the Reds in 77. The author will take you through each year and what is happening with other teams in the league and trades that were made. He also takes you through any players released or added. How the team did with batting and pitching and who lead the league if any. How Yogi would win multiple MVP awards and then Mantle would win his plus his Triple Crown year. The author also lets you know what was going on at the time in the country. Whether the “I Love Lucy” show premiered and became one of the top shows for the ’50s, to when “Leave it to Beaver” debuted at the end of the fifties. You say how the highway system changed and car sales took off. That at the beginning of the fifties all teams were east of the Mississippi. By the end of the fifties, there were two teams playing on the West coast. This is a book that is not only about the Yankee’s but about America and baseball. How the game changed from Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers and Giants moving West and the start of something new the sixties. A very good book.
May 28, 2021
I had this book on my library hold list since November and was really excited to read it because when I first began to follow baseball in the mid 50s I really liked the Yankees because it was who we saw on our little black and white tv's. But sadly I was disappointed by this book. It read like an old movie newsreel with little depth and little commentary and the commentary was skin deep at best. Mickey Mantle's troubles with alcohol were glossed over, once described as "poor training habits." The bigotry and racism of the Yankees' front office, especially GM George Weiss was almost an afterthought. There was NOTHING about Casey Stengel and his relationship with his players whether good or bad.
Besides the shallowness of the writing, there are several non- sequiters that leave you shaking your head thinking where's the transition here. One moment he's writing about the trade for Hector Lopez, the next sentence is about Cleveland's Rocky Colavito hitting 4 hrs in a game and then the following sentence is about Harvey Haddix's extra inning perfect game attempt.
Sadly there were a few errors-most notably that Don Newcombe is in the baseball HOF-that should have been fact checked out.
This might be a worthwhile read for someone who is learning about the history of the game and one of the great eras of it but for someone like me who knows the game, this was a disappointment.
Besides the shallowness of the writing, there are several non- sequiters that leave you shaking your head thinking where's the transition here. One moment he's writing about the trade for Hector Lopez, the next sentence is about Cleveland's Rocky Colavito hitting 4 hrs in a game and then the following sentence is about Harvey Haddix's extra inning perfect game attempt.
Sadly there were a few errors-most notably that Don Newcombe is in the baseball HOF-that should have been fact checked out.
This might be a worthwhile read for someone who is learning about the history of the game and one of the great eras of it but for someone like me who knows the game, this was a disappointment.
February 16, 2019
This book is well intentioned, but a serious disappointment to anyone with any knowledge about the New York Yankees of this era. I admit that I am a life long Yankees fan and have read numerous books about them. More than half the book is not about the Yankees teams of the stated time period. Instead, what I can only assume is filler to for a book short on details about the Yankees, the book dedicates substantial time to events of the decade and to other teams and players.
I recommend this book only to someone who has little or no knowledge about the Yankees.
I received a free Kindle copy of The New York Yankees of the 1950s by David Fischer courtesy of Net Galley and Rowman and Littlefield, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook and Twitter pages.
I recommend this book only to someone who has little or no knowledge about the Yankees.
I received a free Kindle copy of The New York Yankees of the 1950s by David Fischer courtesy of Net Galley and Rowman and Littlefield, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook and Twitter pages.
October 1, 2020
This is a fantastic history written without hero worship by a Yankees fan. The greatness of the Yankees dominance is understated. I really enjoyed the changes in American culture and society in the 50s that are liberally sprinkled in the work. You truly get a feel of the changing of America while reading about the Yankees domination of MLB during the decade.
I was born in 1954. A lifetime Chicago resident and White Sox fan. Somehow during my lifetime a Chicago urban legend developed that during the 50s until the mid 60s, the White Sox were somehow a "rival" of the Yankees. I knew that was laughable. The author leaves the reader with the distinct impression that the only rivals the Yankees had were injuries and possible lethargy.
I was born in 1954. A lifetime Chicago resident and White Sox fan. Somehow during my lifetime a Chicago urban legend developed that during the 50s until the mid 60s, the White Sox were somehow a "rival" of the Yankees. I knew that was laughable. The author leaves the reader with the distinct impression that the only rivals the Yankees had were injuries and possible lethargy.
September 10, 2020
Fischer's book covers the Yankees at their hegemonic zenith, a decade in which the team went to eight World Series, won six, set the record for most consecutive WS championships (five), and thanks to the advent of television, became America's team, years before the Cowboys staked that claim. It should have been a rip-roaring read, filled with memorable characters and drama.
Shocking then that the book is so listless. There's really no sense of narrative here, just a dry recitation of facts and dates and results, and the attempt to contextualize what the Yankees were doing with world events feels more rote than panoramic.
Disappointing.
Shocking then that the book is so listless. There's really no sense of narrative here, just a dry recitation of facts and dates and results, and the attempt to contextualize what the Yankees were doing with world events feels more rote than panoramic.
Disappointing.
October 28, 2022
A very well-written, researched book about the New York Yankees of the 1950's. Each chapter is a year, with about 20 pages written about the team and the World Series games. There are great stories on Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Billy Martin, Hank Bauer, Casey Stengel and Joe DiMaggio in this book. It always talks a little about what was going on in the world outside of the ballparks, year by year. At 234 pages it's a pretty quick read, nothing too detailed or bland. Book gets right to the point. A must for Yankee fans but all MLB fans will enjoy.
January 11, 2021
Trying to summarize ten seasons of baseball in one book is a daunting challenge, and Fischer does a mostly fine job here, providing social background as he details the twists and turns of 1950s summers. I think I would have preferred more biographical information about the players instead of the sort of "On May 1 the Yankees were 3 games back before winning 8 of 10 on their way to taking the lead on June 12." I know the teams were great; tell me more about the players behind them.
February 10, 2021
A feast for baseball fans, especially Yankee fans.
October 4, 2022
interesting and fun!
Even if you are not a Yankees fan, this period of time is v well presented
Enjoy this slice of baseball history
Even if you are not a Yankees fan, this period of time is v well presented
Enjoy this slice of baseball history
July 23, 2023
Uninspired account of the Yankees from 1949 through 1959. Basically just quickly running through the regular season then describing the World Series in some detail. Numerous sloppy errors throughout.
October 30, 2024
You can also see this review, along with others I have written, at my blog, Mr. Book's Book Reviews.
Mr. Book just finished The New York Yankees Of The 1950s: Mantle, Stengel, Berra And A Decade Of Dominance, by David Fischer.
This book is a year by year review of the Yankees in the 1950s. The Yankees won eight American League pennants and six World Series titles during that year. This book did a very good job recapping each season, covering all of the key games. There was complete game by game coverage of each World Series the Yankees were involved in. There were plenty of good stories about the players and manager Casey Stengel.
I give this book an A.
Goodreads requires grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
This review has been posted at my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews, and Goodreads.
Mr. Book originally finished reading this on May 9, 2019. He finished rereading it on October 30, 2024.
Mr. Book just finished The New York Yankees Of The 1950s: Mantle, Stengel, Berra And A Decade Of Dominance, by David Fischer.
This book is a year by year review of the Yankees in the 1950s. The Yankees won eight American League pennants and six World Series titles during that year. This book did a very good job recapping each season, covering all of the key games. There was complete game by game coverage of each World Series the Yankees were involved in. There were plenty of good stories about the players and manager Casey Stengel.
I give this book an A.
Goodreads requires grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
This review has been posted at my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews, and Goodreads.
Mr. Book originally finished reading this on May 9, 2019. He finished rereading it on October 30, 2024.
September 13, 2023
The book is a good young-adult compendium of why the Yankees were one of the storied sports franchises in world history. Spun with anecdotes of the times as well as known and less-known stories to flesh out the scene, the book does a good job of highlighting the many characters who made the Yankees the premier team of the decade and has a legacy that remains today. Berra, Mantle, DiMaggio, and Stengel, with supporting references to rival sportsman Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Hank Aaron, Lew Burdette, and many more, the story is a classic baseball tale. My only objection is that the story did not end with the 1960 season, which is the last year of the 1950's, not 1959. Otherwise, it was a completely enjoyable though not barn-burning recap of the saga of the 1950's and the most successful team that helped define them.
January 16, 2019
Best baseball book I have ever read and I have been reading them for fifty years.
In addition to chronicling the achievements of these great teams and players, the author interweaves short accounts of important 1950s US social, political and cultural events that provide important perspective and context for those who did not experience the time first hand, which is of course, going to be most of the people who read this book. For those of us that were there, there are some pointed reminders of the good, the bad and the wacky and the irretrievably lost. But also there are the memories that will, at least temporarily, supplant the worst of today.
Character portraits of the Yankee players, manager Casey Stengel and general manager George Weiss are detailed, warts and all, but Fischer is neither adoring nor muck racking in his portrayals of these personalities, some of them very controversial in their time, He relates the events as they occurred and I found myself drawing my own conclusions and never battling the presenter's bias as one must do with the chroniclers of today's culture. Fischer does not attempt to compare 1950s baseball to the current game and I think this is to his credit. His text is rich enough for a reader of any age to discern the basic similarities and the glaring differences between an era long gone and the giant marketing scam that the game has become today. 1950s Yankee great Mickey Mantle once said, "After I hit a home run, I had a habit of running with my head down. I figured the pitcher already felt bad enough without me showing him up rounding the bases." Filed under the arcane concept 'sportsmanship'.
So I enjoyed reading about the Yogis, Caseys and Bauers and can easily wait for March when baseball talk turns to silly beards, hairdos and launch angles and the "action" consists of strikeouts, lazy pop flies and the occasional home run. Today, I eagerly anticipate telecasts of Curling - it is more of a team sport, more competitive and often more entertaining. But no nursery school dances or running around mouth open like a demented maniac. Hell, you'd slip on the ice.
With clear, concise, non-pretentious prose, Fischer has not only created an important sports document, but an admirable work that any non-fiction author would be proud of. A marvelous read for all ages.
In addition to chronicling the achievements of these great teams and players, the author interweaves short accounts of important 1950s US social, political and cultural events that provide important perspective and context for those who did not experience the time first hand, which is of course, going to be most of the people who read this book. For those of us that were there, there are some pointed reminders of the good, the bad and the wacky and the irretrievably lost. But also there are the memories that will, at least temporarily, supplant the worst of today.
Character portraits of the Yankee players, manager Casey Stengel and general manager George Weiss are detailed, warts and all, but Fischer is neither adoring nor muck racking in his portrayals of these personalities, some of them very controversial in their time, He relates the events as they occurred and I found myself drawing my own conclusions and never battling the presenter's bias as one must do with the chroniclers of today's culture. Fischer does not attempt to compare 1950s baseball to the current game and I think this is to his credit. His text is rich enough for a reader of any age to discern the basic similarities and the glaring differences between an era long gone and the giant marketing scam that the game has become today. 1950s Yankee great Mickey Mantle once said, "After I hit a home run, I had a habit of running with my head down. I figured the pitcher already felt bad enough without me showing him up rounding the bases." Filed under the arcane concept 'sportsmanship'.
So I enjoyed reading about the Yogis, Caseys and Bauers and can easily wait for March when baseball talk turns to silly beards, hairdos and launch angles and the "action" consists of strikeouts, lazy pop flies and the occasional home run. Today, I eagerly anticipate telecasts of Curling - it is more of a team sport, more competitive and often more entertaining. But no nursery school dances or running around mouth open like a demented maniac. Hell, you'd slip on the ice.
With clear, concise, non-pretentious prose, Fischer has not only created an important sports document, but an admirable work that any non-fiction author would be proud of. A marvelous read for all ages.
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