Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry

by Harvey Frommer

Red Sox vs. The Great Rivalry covers nearly a century's worth of epic battles on and off the baseball field between these age-old rivals. Featuring exclusive interviews with former governors Mario Cuomo of New York and Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts, former press secretary Ari Fleischer, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, congressmen, reporters, broadcasters, and especially players, coaches, managers and front-office execs from the Red Sox and Yankees including Don Zimmer, Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Lowe, Jason and Jeremy Giambi, Lou Meroni, Dwight Evans, and Theo Epstein. Two unique features of the book are a Rivalry Timeline and a "Talkin' Rivalry" section, a free-for-all in print among fans, journalists, and players who all have something to say. Other chapters include "Marker Moments," in-depth profiles of Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. More than two years in the making, this coffee-table book will have nearly 256 pages of text and more than 125 photos, some in color, some archival. A perfect book for Yankee fans, Red Sox fans, and all baseball fans.

Genres: Sports, Baseball

272 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

Reviews

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harvey and Frederic Frommer have compiled a wonderfully comprehensive look at one of the greatest rivalries in sports - The Yankees vs. the Red Sox. (Sorry, the Yankees get top billing in this review because of my allegiance.)

The book contains information about not only some of the more famous lore from the rivalry (the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees, Aaron Boone's playoff winning HR, and the great Ted Williams/Joe DiMaggio battles for baseball supremacy) but also the less known stories, such as the competition between the fans, dirty tricks by the owners, and an in-depth look at the 1978 season.

In addition to the human interest parts of the book, there are plenty of pictures, stats, and even a chapter devoted to the two venerable ballparks. There's even a section listing fans' (including some famous names) favorite stories, thoughts, or anecdotes about this great rivalry. The Frommer's have given fair treatment to both franchises and avoided playing favorites or allowing their own personal preferences to creep into the book.

While most baseball fans will find the book interesting and worth their time, fans of the two franchises will go crazy over it and will want a copy on their bookshelves. Highly recommended!

I was awarded this book in exchange for a honest and unbiased review.

[Ryan Purvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book to read if you’re a fan from either side.
My first experience of a live MLB game was with my dad at Yankee stadium in ‘94. I still have the small plastic Yankee hat we picked up from under the seat in front of us. Whilst I’ve admired the Yankees, it has been the Red Sox that I’ve always connected with.
This book brings these two worlds together in a endearing way. It’s fitting that I read it and finished it while watching the Red Sox sweep the Yankees.

[Phil S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great look at the yankees red sox rivalry, when it was at its most recent extreme intensity in the early 2000s. The letters from prominent public figures are a standout of the book.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third edition for this book. The new update is Boston winning the World Series in 2004 and the way they did it by beating New York in 4 straight games after being down 3 games to none. They became the first team to come back from a 0for 3 to win 4 straight then played St. Louis for the championship. The rest of the book goes back and traces the histories of these two franchises and the trades that were made between them, which it seemed New York always came out ahead on to the games played between these two teams. The Red Sox started in 1901 were also called the Americas from 1901 to 1918 they were in 6 world series winning 5. Before they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees and they did not win again until 2004. The Yankees who started out as the Highlanders started to win after they got Ruth and other good ball players around him by 1921 they were in their first world series and winning finally in 1923. The book talks about the players that have made up each team and the big games that they have played against each other over the years. From DiMaggio to Williams to Mantel and Yastrzemski, to Fisk and Thurman Munson, and the name that some Boston people still don’t like Dent from 78. A good book a fast read full of history of the game and of both teams. I got this book from net galley.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baseball fans and statistic hounds will love the details in this book, the third, updated edition of this classic retelling of a legendary rivalry. Wonderful insights into notable players such as Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Carlton Fisk, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra bring the reader right into the dugout and the playing field, as well as into the background and backstory. Sprinkled with telling vignettes, this wealth of history brings alive a memorable era of baseball rivalry. From a personal standpoint, it was a treat to read about stadiums at which this reviewer has attended games, and to get the "behind-the-headlines" stories on so many famous incidents involving these two teams. The Frommers have done an excellent job communicating the mood and color of this rivalry. Additionally, it was enlightening to read the differences in playing the game at the two ballparks. One wishes that an editor had taken a defter touch in organizing the narrative a bit more tightly, since it seemed to jump about a bit, but, given the scope of the research and history, the difficulty of doing so is understandable, and the organization does in no way detract from the enjoyment of the reader in delving into a rich and varied history of one of baseball's greatest rivalries. This book is highly recommended to any baseball fan.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a marvelous book!
I'm a lifelong Yankees fan and this book brought back tons of wonderful
memories that I hadn't thought about in a long time - Boone's HR, the
2003 ALCS, the Boston Massacre, and several I'd just as soon forget!
I also learned things I didn't know. Everyone knows about the sale of
Ruth to the Yankees, but I didn't know just how much Boston was effectively
the Yankees farm team around that time. I never knew that the Yankees offered
Lou Gehrig to Boston and they passed on him!
Any real baseball fan will find plenty of stories in here to enjoy, bring
back memories, but especially if you're a Boston or New York fan.
The only thing that would have made this book better is if it had left out
everything about the 2004 post-season! LOL

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read this book straight through. I started by sampling chapters, finding out which were the most interesting or perhaps the most familiar, since my relationship with the Red Sox began in the seventies. The authors compare and contrast the two teams from a variety of perspectives. They look at the culture of the two cities, the two stadiums, the two iconic players, DiMaggio and Williams, and much more. I think this is good book for fans of either team or for any baseball fan. It's also a good reference for stats and quotes. Nice job.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a baseball fanatic, I picked up this book without the highest expectations. I have read a few non fiction books about baseball, and while they are fun, they are usually extremely similar. However, "The Great Rivalry" immediately caught my interest, and it stayed at that level or above for almost the entirety of it. It starts off by talking about one of the greatest moments in Red Sox vs. Yankees history, that of the famous 2004 American League Championship Series, and how the Yankees had taken the crown as the better franchise until then. And while many books have covered this historic series, none have done it with such a riveting level of detail, constantly mixing in previous history with the games to create an aura of suspense, even though I knew what was going to happen. This is the style of writing through the entire book, and it is what puts the book over the edge in terms of being a great read. If you are a baseball fan, this book is a must.