Customer Reviews

Yankee for Life: My 40-Year Journey in Pinstripes

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Yankee For Life", the new 320 page autobiography by Bobby Murcer proves to be an entertaining look back on the baseball life of one time allstar and former Yankee Bobby Murcer. As Mickey Mantle's baseball career was winding down in the late sixties, a young lad from Oklahoma, Bobby Murcer was to be the next yankee star. Just like Mantle, he was from the same home state, and started his career at shortstop, and eventually found his way to centerfield. Bobby never lived up to the Mickey Mantle comparisons, but he became a star ball player on some of the weakest Yankee teams in history during the sixties and early seventies. For a young yankee fan during that time period, he was all we had, until the arrival of Thurman Munson. Although he never put up Hall Of Fame numbers, Bobby Murcer was a solid player who went on to become one of the most beloved Yankees in history. He even hit Four consecutive homers against the Cleveland Indians during a doubleheader in the early seventies. It pained him a great deal, in 1975, when the Yankees traded him to the San Francisco Giants for Bobby Bonds. That trade backfired on the yankees, as Bonds was gone after one season. Murcer spent the next several years with the Giants and Cubs of the National league, still making allstar teams, but never happy about being out of pinstripes. During the late seventies, the Chicago Cubs made Murcer available, and George Steinbrenner brought Bobby home to the Yankees to finish his playing career. He chronicles in detail, the first game after Thurman Munsons tragic death in 1979, in which he drove in all five runs against the Orioles, as he honored his best friend with a game that will live forever in Yankee history. He eneded his career as the most productive pinch hitter in baseball. His baseball career however, did not stop, when his playing days were over. Bobby Murcer made himself into one of the most respected baseball play by play announcers in baseball. He was and still is an Emmy award winning Yankee commentator who remains as popular as ever with the fans. On a serious note, Bobby was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2006, and he goes into great detail about his battle with the disease, which continues to this very day. He makes no secret of his love for his family, friends and his fans. This book is written as only Bobby would allow it to be published, and that is a good and honest life story without the use of vulgarities. It is a book that you would let your children read, and not worry about unacceptable content. I've watched Bobby Murcer since I was a 9 year old Yankee fan in 1968, and I have followed him through his 40 year journey in baseball. He is a true gentlemen, and defines what class is all about. Bobby Murcer is still my favorite Yankee idol, and not because of his on field career, but because of his off field character and integrity, which makes him a role model for my own son. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to read a sports biography detailing the life and career of a Yankee legend.

Bobby Murcer says he lives a Great Life.

He played baseball for his favorite team, married his high-school sweetheart and is loved and admired by millions of fans.

This is a great book that chronicles the many stages of Bobby's career: from high school, to Major Leaguer, to Announcer... and now... Bobby's biggest challenge yet, brain cancer.

You can't help but admire the Murcer family's courage (yes, his family plays a huge role in Bobby's journey), as they face a gigantic curveball, larger than any hook tossed by any major league hurler.

You'll also love Bobby's hilarious stories about life on the field and in the broadcast booth. Don't miss Bobby's eyebrow-raising pick for all-time Yankee All-Star team (you'll be surprised at who he picked and who he left off.)

My family has been a Bobby Murcer fan since his Toledo Mudhen days. But this book makes me view Bobby in a whole new light.. as a spiritual, family man courageously battling the most devastating of diseases.

Read it for the baseball. Read it for the humor. Read it for the inspiration.

Just make sure you read it.

Bobby Murcer begins the book with the shocking news he received on Christmas Eve 2006 that he had a brain tumor. He then tells his life story in an engaging "real-person" manner with just the right amount of detail.

There are occasional remarks reserved for his wife Kay, which adds another interesting perspective to Murcer's interesting career with the Yankees, Giants, Cubs, then Yankees again.

When Murcer goes into greater depth regarding the removal of his tumor and the extensive treatments for his brain cancer, it's as if the reader can hear him speaking. He never complains about the fatal hand he has been dealt, and closes the book on an upbeat note. A truly courageous man.

Having been a Bobby Murcer fan for my entire adult life, this book did nothing but reinforce that. While I was saddened to learn of his cancer and even more saddened by his recent death, this book provides insight into his fight, his attitude toward the disease, and the support he received from his family, his friends, and his faith. So, while it is not just a "sports" book, it does include numerous stories about his relationships with many greats of the game...both on the field and in the broadcast booth. It is in Bobby's down-home style..full of his sense of humor including asides to himself! On the baseball side, it is a memoir of his dedication to the team that originally signed him and the team he will be remembered most playing for...the Yankees.
Bottom line? Loved it, quick read, and a must for any Bobby Murcer fan!

it was saturday night , i turned on the news in new york on channel 4 to hear worst news possible-BOBBY MURCER DIED OF CANCER..i was in tears..
i always admired the man..he was a true honrable yankee who loved the game, THE YANKEE, the fans and sharing his stories with us while he broadcast yankee games..i remember his terrific plays...his heroic performances as a yankee during the 70s and 80s..i can not believe he's gone..his book does him proud..to me he was a legend.. as a devoted yankee fan for 30 years i will never forget him...BOBBY YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART FOREVER..

CHARLES UNTERBERG
YANKEE FAN
AND GREAT FAN OF MURCER..

This was a very hard book to read, as I knew from page one what Bobby Murcer's fate would be from his inoperable brain tumor. I had this same feeling of "gloom and doom" when I read Tug McGraw's memoir, published posthumously. Similar to Tug's book, there is a picture of Murcer on the cover showing him ravished by the effects of cancer. This is not the Bobby Murcer I want to remember. I first met Bobby Murcer as an 11 year old adolescent in 1971. They Kept Me Loyal to the Yankees/a Salute to Mickey Mantle, Bobby Murcer, Joe Pepitone, Mel Stottlemyre, Roy White, and Thurman Munson My sister, Helaine, had a boyfriend named Mitch. I would constantly watch the Yankees on WPIX, and this gentleman saw that I liked baseball. Mitch asked me why I never went to a ball game. I had trouble explaining to him that my father was from Czechoslovakia originally (he was an R.A.F. pilot during W.W. II) who not only didn't understand baseball, but thought it was a stupid game.

My father taking me to Yankee Stadium was out of the question. Similarly, my mother didn't understand the sport either, nonetheless driving me from Forest Hills, Queens to the battleground of the South Bronx was simply out of the question. Mitch volunteered. With the Yanks hosting the Oakland A's, in the bottom of the first Bobby Murcer fouled off one of Vida Blue's fast balls right into Mitch's hands. Mitch handed the ball to me. I still possess that ball, and part of Bobby Murcer. Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain While this book was hard for me to read, I can only imagine what Mr. Murcer's wife must think, as in the preface, Murcer wrote: "How can a man be so lucky as to find a woman so beautiful on the outside and even more beautiful on the inside"? Truly, "Yankee For Life" revealed to me more about Bobby Murcer and the Yankees then I cared to venture. Murcer explained that he was a baby boomer, born in Oklahoma City one year after W.W. II ended. He was signed by N.Y. Yankees scout Tom Greenwade at age 18. Since Greenwade was the same scout that signed Mickey Mantle, the comparison and hype to equally perform to "The Mick" started early.

Murcer was ecstatic with his Yankees signing, as the Yankees were his heroes, players that dominated the sports pages such as Yogi Berra, Robby Richardson Whitey Ford and Phil Rizzuto. Murcer had 2 brothers, DeWayne, a childhood polio victim, fireman, and unfortunately a heavy smoker who died of a heart attack at age 47, and Randy. Murcer's parents also died from disease. His father passed at the age of 57 from a heart attack and his mother, like his brother DeWayne also a heavy smoker, also dying from lung cancer. Pride and Pinstripes: The Yankees, Mets, and Surviving Life's Challenges This book is interfaced with corroborating comments throughout by his childhood sweetheart (who he met at age 9) and eventual wife, Kay. Kay offers fresh insight and alternate versions of all of Murcer's anecdotes. Proof positive of his love and desire to be a Yankee, Murcer was offered by the Los Angeles Dodgers a $20,000 signing bonus and paid tuition for a 4 year college education. Greenwade offered him $10,000. Murcer chose the Yankees, figuring all the postseason pay he could count on the the Yankees.

This was 1965, the beginning of the Yankee "Great Depression" where they wouldn't see post season play for another 11 years. To seal the deal, Greenwade introduced his trump cards, driving with Murcer to Kansas City to meet Mantle and Yogi Berra. Murcer wrote: "We drove up to Kansas City. The first of my boyhood heroes I met was Yogi Berra, just into his 2nd month as Yankee manager. I don't remember exactly what he said, I was so awestruck, it was all I could do to remember my own name-but the feeling I remember was all warmth and welcome. The Mick Then I met Mickey. He had that big grin, and he told me what a great guy Tom Greenwade was, and with his familiar accent, he made me feel right at home. The Dodgers and their $20,000? They'd been history from the minute Yogi said, "Hello and Mickey said, "Hey". Mr. Greenwade looked on, all smiles, as I signed my lifelong dream into reality. I was a New York Yankee."

Next, Murcer related how he held the distinction of being the only guy from the entire "A ball" rookie league, hitting .365 in Greensboro, NC., to be promoted to a 25 man roster in the major leagues in his September, 1965 "cup-of-coffee" call up. Although his next homer didn't occur for almost 4 years later, Murcer hit his first major league hit on Sept. 14th, 1965 a game winning home run against the Washington Senators. Next would come another season in the minors and with the Vietnam War raging, two years in the Army. Mickey Mantle Is Going To Heaven Murcer started the 1966 season as the Yankee shortstop, and instantly faced hazing by the Yankee veterans. However, that quickly ended. As Murcer wrote: "My hazing, mild to begin with, came to a screeching halt about midway through camp. After practice one day, Mickey Mantle stopped me in the middle of the locker room, put his arm around my shoulder, and stood there talking to me for a couple of minutes. Right then and there everybody-I mean everybody-stopped razzing me. Mick had decided I belonged".

After a terrible start, the Yankee manager, Johnny Keanne blamed Murcer and Joe Pepitone for the club's woes, and Murcer was shortly after demoted to the triple A "Toledo Mud Hens." Married, and now a father of 2, Murcer was out of the Army in 1969 and found himself the starting third baseman for the Yankees. With his erratic arm, this didn't last long. Mantle, with his bad knees, was moved to the infield, and Murcer took over centerfield.The unfair comparisons between Mantle and Murcer, along with it's attending pressure started immediately. They were both from Oklahoma, they both came up as shortstops, they both were moved to centerfield, they were both signed by Greenwade, etc. Murcer's reaction: "Me being the next Mickey Mantle? Please. Then Roy Said to Mickey...: The Best Yankees Stories Ever Told (Best Sports Stories Ever Told) I had enough on my hands trying to be the first Bobby Murcer". In 1969, Murcer had a year in his first full season that today would earn him millions. He hit 26 home runs, batted in 82 R.B.I's and hit .259. He improved in 1970 (so did the Yankees, they finished 2nd to the Orioles in the A.L. East) and 1971, Murcer appeared in the 1971 All-Star Game in Detroit.

In his first at bat against Juan Marichal, he slapped a base hit. Sadly, in 12 further at bats, he never got another hit in an All-Star game. His 1971 numbers: 25 home runs, 94 RBI's and a .331 batting average! Murcer chronicled his glory days with the Yankees when he was at the top of his game. Hilarious stories of Sparky Lyle abound. Murcer painted a touching picture of the life, times, and the tragic death of his dear friend and Yankee catcher Thurman Munson, as well as teammates Gene Michael, with his infamous "hidden ball trick" and Ron Bloomberg, baseball's first designated hitter. In 1972, Murcer hit a career high 33 round trippers, drove in 96 RBI's and batted .292. Designated Hebrew: The Ron Blomberg Story This earned him a one year deal of $100,000 a giant figure then. To start the 1973 season. Murcer recounted the quaint story of Yankee pitchers Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich, who swapped families. They swapped wives, kids, dogs, addresses and cars. 1973 can be remembered by Murcer's battles with Cleveland pitcher and 1972 Cy Young winner, Gaylord Perry. Perry gave Murcer fits at the plate with his alleged "spitter" and Murcer ripped into him, outright calling Perry "a cheater."

The Yank's temporary move to Shea Stadium while their permanent home was being refurbished spelled doom for Murcer and his glory days with the team, as the N.Y. Mets ballpark and Murcer did not get along. Following a poor 1974 season (10 Hrs, 88 RBI's, .274 BA), on Oct. 22, 1974 Murcer was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Bobby Bonds. Although the Murcer's loved the city of San Francisco, Candlestick was cold, weary and unfriendly to Bobby. Even thought Bob Lurie, owner of the Giants offered him $1 million to stay, Murcer demanded a trade before his free agency came about. Lurie obliged him, trading Murcer to the Chicago Cubs for the reigning N.L. batting champion, Bill Madlock. Season of Glory Given a 3 deal and a no trade clause, Murcer had two good Cubbie years (1977 he had 27 HR's, 89 RBI's, and .265 BA., and in 1978 he had 9 HR's, 64 RBI's and .281 BA.). In June, 1979, Cubs GM Bob Kennedy asked Murcer if he would waive his "no trade" clause, as the Yankees expressed interest in reobtaining him. Murcer wrote: "I thought about it for maybe 5 seconds:"You Bet".

Back to the Yankees to the end of his career, in his first game back he went 2-4, and played right field. Stories of Catfish Hunter, Tommy John, Luis Tiant, Bucky Dent, Oscar Gamble and Reggie Jackson are all included. This is a treasure chest of Yankee memories! Murcer takes you to the end of his playing pays and brings you into the next stage of his career:as a Yankee broadcaster. Interesting stories of some very wild personalities are told, such as Phil Rizzuto's off beat comments and forgetfulness, Tom Seaver's wit, Bill White's intelligence, and Frank Messer's professionalism. Balls Even though both his mother and older brother died of lung cancer caused by tobacco, Murcer accepted a position with "Skoal" driving around a company car painted with Skoal ads, turning himself into a human billboard. Murcer wrote: "I had people following me home, trying to get me to pull over to the side of the road so they could get an autograph. Finally, after a couple of months, I came to my senses and said "forget this deal, here are the keys".

The hardest part of this book was living with Murcer after he found out on Christmas Day, 2006, that he had malignant brain cancer. Murcer fought the disease with uncanny strength, poise and even humor! Murcer wrote:"It can be nasty, it can be devastating, but it's still just a disease, not a death sentence. And if it's a disease, we can fight it. The Bronx Zoo The key is to never, ever give up the battle. Be positive. Have faith. Keep fighting, And this is going to sound kind of funny-maintain your ability to laugh". I ended this book with tears streaming down my cheeks, as I knew how Bobby's fight would end. However his soul is certainly with me, as this man brought joy and happiness into my adolescence that I will never forget nor stop appreciating. Bobby Murcer, if you can hear me in the Lord's kingdom....thank you! Tremendous book!

I am amazed that Bobby was able to finish this book because it was written during his 19-month battle with brain cancer. He is candid about his opinions and about his battle with cancer. He never sugar-coated his chances and I was saddened by the fact that he failed to reach his goal of opening up the new Yankee Stadium. One thing that is clear throughout the book is that he always remained loyal to the Yankees, even after he was traded to the Giants. I wish he had written a few more chapters about his playing days even if many of them were for losing ballclubs. Otherwise, this is a good book for all baseball fans and a great book for Yankee fans.

Oh, what a wonderful book about baseball, the Yankees, but mostly about a person who donned those pinstripes and really had no idea what he actually did for the sport. A gentle man, with a large sense of humor, Murcer fought his brain cancer with dignity and a laugh or two.

I remember watching the successor to Mickey Mantle in my younger days and he was quite a ballplayer. But more than that, he was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, team mate and friend.

Even if you are not a baseball fan, I really do believe that you will love this book.

I will miss you, Bobby, as many of your family and friends will do also. And coming from a fan of one of your rivals, I hope this means a lot. Just a wonderful, well written book.

This book is more than a autobiographical book about a great Yankee baseball star of the 1970s and 1980s. It also relates his experiences with brain cancer (a glioma to be exact) from which Bobby ultimately died. Further it provides some stories of other great Yankee and baseball greats, including Lou Pinella, Mickey Mantle, Phil Rizzuto, Yogi Berra and Thurman Munson. It provides an inside look of what these individuals were like as human beings in a very human way - their strengths and weaknesses. It also provides some very humorous stories - one that has to do with Lou Pinella's travels with a large boat that he bought via the highways, the continual comments of Lou on hitting, the competitiveness of Thurman Munson, the eccentricities of Phil Rizzuto. It is all here. I highly recommend this book for any Yankee fan and baseball fan of the 1970s and 1980s.

I hate the Yankees but have tons of friends that give me Evil Empire books because they know I love baseball and that I HATE THE YANKEES. But thsi book is great. If you love the Yankees then you need to buy this book. Bobby Murcer is a legend that all young fans should know about. Bobby was also mentioned in New York Yankees: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports (Sports by the Numbers) great companion guide to any Yankees book.