Gator: My Life in Pinstripes

Author: Guidry, Ron

Color: Grey

Edition: 1st Edition

Number Of Pages: 240

Details:

Legendary New York Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry recounts his years playing for one of the most storied and celebrated teams in sports history--the world champion New York Yankees during their heyday in the Bronx Zoo years, with manic manager Billy Martin, headline loving owner George Steinbrenner, and an ego-driven all-star cast that included everyone from slugger Reggie Jackson and All star catcher Thurman Munson to Cy Young Award winners Sparky Lyle and Catfish Hunter. Ron Guidry, known as Gator and Louisiana Lightning to his teammates, quickly rose in 1977 to become the ace of the Yankees' stellar pitching staff, helping the team regarded as the most famous and notorious in Yankee history win the World Series. In 1978, he went 25-3 with a 1.74 ERA and won the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in baseball, helping to bring home the Yankees' second straight World Series championship. A four-time All Star and five-time Golden Glove winner, he played from 1976 to 1988, served as the Yankees' captain in the 1980s, and remains one of the greatest pitchers in Yankee history. In Gator, Guidry takes us inside the clubhouse to tell us what it was like to play amidst the chaos and almost daily confrontations between Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner, Martin's altercations with star slugger Reggie "the straw that stirs the drink" Jackson. He talks poignantly about the death of Thurman Munson in 1979, and the impact that had on Ron and on the club. He tells stories about players like Lou Pinella, Willie Randolph, Bucky Dent, Catfish Hunter, Chris Chambliss, and Mickey Rivers, and coach Yogi Berra (who in 1984 became the Yankees' manager) and Elston Howard.

About the Author:

RON GUIDRY is one of the most beloved players in Yankee history. The ace of the Yankees pitching staff from 1977 through 1988, Guidry helped the Yankees win two World Series titles. Captain of the Yankees squad in the 1980s, he spent his entire career in pinstripes. In retirement he serves as a Yankees spring training instructor and was the Yankees pitching coach under Joe Torre in 2006-2007, helping to shape a new generation of pitching stars. He lives with his family in Louisiana.   ANDREW BEATON is a sports reporter for the Wall Street Journal. A graduate of Duke University, he has covered college sports, Major League Baseball, and the National Football League. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. ***This excerpt is from an advance uncorrected copy proof*** Copyright © 2018 Ron Guidry “WHERE’S GATOR!?” George Steinbrenner’s voice boomed through the clubhouse like a drill sergeant’s at a marine corps boot camp. George always wanted to let you know how he felt. Sometimes he wanted to cuss at you. He liked it if you cussed back at him. He wanted to motivate you. To him, the cussing and the motivating were one and the same. It happened to so many guys, so many days. Especially this season. But this wasn’t just any other day during the 1978 New York Yankees season. This was hours before the biggest game of the year. One of the biggest games in Yankees history. Arguably one of the biggest games in baseball history. George being George, the loudmouthed, pushy, in-your-face owner of the Yankees, he wanted to have words with his starting pitcher before the game. That starting pitcher was me. And I wanted none of it. “WHERE’S GATOR!?” he bellowed. It wasn’t a question so much as a demand. If he wanted to talk to you, he expected an audience. In a couple of hours, we were set to play a one-game tiebreaker to decide the American League East. This was the first tiebreaker since baseball adopted divisions in 1969. And it wasn’t against just any team. It was against the Boston Red Sox. The game was straight out of a Hollywood script. Forget all of our internal mayhem from that season—the constant drama surrounding Reggie Jackson, the departure of our fiery and disagreeable manager, Billy Martin, and mor...

EAN: 9780451499301

Release Date: 20-03-2018

Languages: English

Item Note: Great shape- pages are unmarked and sharp.Has a remainder mark. Hardcover Used - Like New Ships fast! 20181st Edition

Item Condition: UsedLikeNew

Binding: Hardcover