Gabriel Schechter (a research associate at the Baseball Hall of Fame) has a new book for Red Sox Nation, Mets fans, and Yankee haters everywhere with This Bad Day in Yankees History by Charles April Publishing. The cover features an illustration of the original Yankee Stadium crumbling, and is set up as a calendar in a 6×6 spiral ring binder so pinstripe haters everywhere can easily receive the daily comfort they most likely won’t get from reading the boxscores this year. It opens with this foreword by Bill Lee, a former Red Sox pitcher who hurt his pitching shoulder in an on field brawl with Graig Nettles in 1976. Lee writes this about Hank Steinbrenner:
“He only opens his mouth to change feet.”
Ok, so we agree on something. Here’s some excerpts:
January 20, 1999: He Coulda Been A Contender – Brien Taylor’s contract finally runs out, ending the sorriest non-career in Yankees history. The “can’t-miss” left-handed pitcher was drafted in 1991 and signed for a $1.55 million bonus, but injured his shoulder in a senseless fight in 1993 (see Dec. 18), underwent surgery, struggled in the minors, and never pitched in the majors.
and another:
March 7, 1998: Now He’s A Yankee! – Hideki Irabu, a bust as a Yankees pitcher, confronts critical Japanese reporters outside the clubhouse. Someone is filming them, so Irabu charges at him and wrestles him for the camera. Then he demands that still photographers hand over their film. He exposes it to ruin their shots, then throws the videotape on the floor and stomps on it.
Remember the love from good old Blackjack?
July 18, 1995: After a nine-run, 13-hit bombing, Jack McDowell finally gets the hook in the fifth inning. The Yankee Stadium crowd boos him, and he responds by giving them the finger. The Yankees fine him $5,000.
It also has a day about Yankee draft miscues, including 1978 when the Yanks passed on Cal Ripken Jr., Ryne Sandberg, Kent Hrbek, Mike Boddicker, Steve Bedrosian, Kirk Gibson, Bob Horner and Dave Stieb, despite having three first-round picks. You could probably say the same thing about just about every team every year, but who said he was trying to be fair?
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He only opens his mouth to change feet. That’s pretty funny. Bronx Baseball Daily(Quote)
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Nothing better then writing a book about a team’s bad days when the same team has had the most good days in the history of sports. Matt K(Quote)
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I actually kinda want that book. Those excerpts are pretty funny. Casanova Wong(Quote)
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