Few and Chosen Yankees: Defining Yankee Greatness Across the Eras [Paperback]

Whitey Ford (Author), Phil Pepe (Author), Yogi Berra (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005 | Series: Few and Chosen

Few franchises in promotional sports can boast a list of legendary players to rival that of the New York Yankees. Ruth Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle: the names transcend even the game itself and have become part of a larger American cultural vocabulary. In Few and Chosen, Whitey Ford has taken on the daunting challenge of ranking the five greatest Yankees at each position, and the result is a fascinating romp through the history of a storied franchise to the current stars carrying on its unique tradition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Instead of the Grand Unifying Theory about what makes the Yankees great that Ford's title promises, his book simply offers his certainly eminent opinions about the all-time best Bronx Bombers at each position. He uncovers no explanations scientific, spiritual or otherwise for that elemental Yankee je ne sais quoi. Ford engagingly discusses his former teammates and coaches, divulging personal experiences and anecdotes. He is less successful on players who preceded or succeeded him. He adds no new insight, for instance, into Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig, protesting that he never saw them play. Still, charming anecdotes about his predecessors occasionally surface: once, Hall-of-Famer Tony Lazzeri secretly filled Babe Ruth's eyedrops bottle with water, then later complained of dry eyes and, borrowing Babe's "medicine," terrified his friend by drinking it. The book's problems are inherent to any such project, and Ford does as well as the next guy. His down-to-earth, sometimes simplistic writing makes for a quick read. Sidebars by other Yankee greats break up the text with additional opinions about the players being discussed, but they never quite disagree with the author, and therefore don't do much to enhance this workmanlike addition to Yankee lore. (Oct.)Forecast: Despite its flaws, Yankee loyalists will enjoy the book, and the Chairman of the Board's name will help sales. Fans of other teams might not buy it, for obvious reasons. With an October release, the book's fate could ultimately be decided by how far the Yankees go in the postseason.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Chockfull of personal anecdotes, Ford's book undertakes a difficult task: to rank the top players and managers from major league baseball's most storied franchise. This offering by the former great Yankee southpaw will pique controversy, weighted as it is toward Ford's teammates and others he viewed in action. At the same time, legendary figures like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Tony Lazzeri are hardly given short shrift. In one sense, the book's sweep is even broader than might be anticipated as Ford explores much of the Yankees' history over the past 80 years. Humor is abundant, with tales of Yogi Berra and off-field antics, but pathos is present too, through the recounting of Roger Maris's difficult quest to break Ruth's single-season home run record. Best of all, Ford produces something of an autobiography by sharing his earliest days on the Yankees, dealings with good friends Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin, and the camaraderie that characterized the team during the Fifties and mid-Sixties. For public libraries. R.C. Cottrell, California State Univ., Chico
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572437227
• ISBN-13: 978-1572437227
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,214,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and well-written, November 1, 2001

By 

David Wasson (MINNEAPOLIS, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Few and Chosen: Defining Yankee Greatness Across the Eras (Hardcover)

I recently read the book written by Whitey Ford, entitled Few and Chosen, published by Triumph Books. I found the book to be extremely enjoyable and very well-written. Whitney Ford offers personal and insightful analyses of the five best players at each position, and the contributions made by the players. The book provides a very creative review of the accomplishments and the character of the great players who played for the New York Yankees. I enjoyed reading the book very much. I commend Triumph Books for publishing such a creative and enjoyable book, and I highly recommend the book and the work of Whitey Ford.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baseball Nostalgia Galore, October 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Few and Chosen: Defining Yankee Greatness Across the Eras (Hardcover)

I don't proclaim to be a great Yankee fan but a great baseball fan. This book has something for everyone. Besides ranking the greatest Yankees, I agree with most disagree with some, Whitey just provides some stories about players that are riveting. Most you have never heard or read anywhere else. That is what is exciting to me. These stories really bring alive a time and place that baseball was and is trying to get back to. You are brought back in time to a place in America when baseball was all important. Now you can at least experience the fun of reading about it and being there for a while.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars choose this book, October 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Few and Chosen: Defining Yankee Greatness Across the Eras (Hardcover)

As a huge Yankee fan I loved this book, but it's so entertaining that I have to think even non-Yankee fans would enjoy it. There's probably no one better qualified to pick between Mantle and DiMaggio, Rizzuto or Jeter, Munson or Berra. But besides picking the best players at each position in the history of the Yankees, the book is filled with great stories and anecdotes. This is a book any baseball fan, including Yankee haters will like.