How Football Explains America

An examination of the unique parallels between New York City’s evolution and that of the New York Yankees, How the Yankees Explain New York illustrates how the storied history of the Bronx Bombers mirrors that of the Big Apple itself. The oldest professional sports franchise in the city, the Yankees have played in front of sold out crowds in the Bronx for nearly a century, and this work explores the relationship between Wall Street high-rollers and the Yankees’ record-setting payroll, describes the “city that never sleeps” through the nighttime antics of Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin, revisits the healing effect of the Yankees’ World Series run in the aftermath of 9/11, and much more. Entertaining and insightful, this book is sure to be popular amongst one of sports’ most passionate fan bases.

Examining the connection between baseball and our society as a whole, How Baseball Explains America is a fascinating, one-of-a-kind journey through America's pastime. Longtime USA TODAY baseball editor and columnist Hal Bodley explores just how essential baseball is to understanding the American experience. He takes readers into the Oval Office with George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton as the former presidents share their thoughts on the game, he looks at the changes that America's Greatest Generation ushered in, as well as examining baseball's struggle with performance enhancing drugs alongside America's war on drugs. An unabashedly celebratory explanation of America's love affair with baseball and the men who make it possible, this work sheds light on topics such as the role Jackie Robinson's signing with the Dodgers played in the civil rights movement, how baseball's westward expansion mirrored the growth of our national economy, labor strife, baseball families, the international explosion of the game, and even the myriad ways in which movies, music, and baseball are intrinsically tied. It is a must read for anyone interested in more fully understanding not only the game but also the nation in which it thrives.

An examination of the unique parallels between New York City’s evolution and that of the New York Yankees, How the Yankees Explain New York illustrates how the storied history of the Bronx Bombers mirrors that of the Big Apple itself. The oldest professional sports franchise in the city, the Yankees have played in front of sold out crowds in the Bronx for nearly a century, and this work explores the relationship between Wall Street high-rollers and the Yankees’ record-setting payroll, describes the “city that never sleeps” through the nighttime antics of Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin, revisits the healing effect of the Yankees’ World Series run in the aftermath of 9/11, and much more. Entertaining and insightful, this book is sure to be popular amongst one of sports’ most passionate fan bases.

An examination of the unique parallels between New York City’s evolution and that of the New York Yankees, How the Yankees Explain New York illustrates how the storied history of the Bronx Bombers mirrors that of the Big Apple itself. The oldest professional sports franchise in the city, the Yankees have played in front of sold out crowds in the Bronx for nearly a century, and this work explores the relationship between Wall Street high-rollers and the Yankees’ record-setting payroll, describes the “city that never sleeps” through the nighttime antics of Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin, revisits the healing effect of the Yankees’ World Series run in the aftermath of 9/11, and much more. Entertaining and insightful, this book is sure to be popular amongst one of sports’ most passionate fan bases.

Examining the connection between baseball and our society as a whole, How Baseball Explains America is a fascinating, one-of-a-kind journey through America's pastime. Longtime USA TODAY baseball editor and columnist Hal Bodley explores just how essential baseball is to understanding the American experience. He takes readers into the Oval Office with George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton as the former presidents share their thoughts on the game, he looks at the changes that America's Greatest Generation ushered in, as well as examining baseball's struggle with performance enhancing drugs alongside America's war on drugs. An unabashedly celebratory explanation of America's love affair with baseball and the men who make it possible, this work sheds light on topics such as the role Jackie Robinson's signing with the Dodgers played in the civil rights movement, how baseball's westward expansion mirrored the growth of our national economy, labor strife, baseball families, the international explosion of the game, and even the myriad ways in which movies, music, and baseball are intrinsically tied. It is a must read for anyone interested in more fully understanding not only the game but also the nation in which it thrives.

Examining the connection between baseball and our society as a whole, How Baseball Explains America is a fascinating, one-of-a-kind journey through America's pastime. Longtime USA TODAY baseball editor and columnist Hal Bodley explores just how essential baseball is to understanding the American experience. He takes readers into the Oval Office with George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton as the former presidents share their thoughts on the game, he looks at the changes that America's Greatest Generation ushered in, as well as examining baseball's struggle with performance enhancing drugs alongside America's war on drugs. An unabashedly celebratory explanation of America's love affair with baseball and the men who make it possible, this work sheds light on topics such as the role Jackie Robinson's signing with the Dodgers played in the civil rights movement, how baseball's westward expansion mirrored the growth of our national economy, labor strife, baseball families, the international explosion of the game, and even the myriad ways in which movies, music, and baseball are intrinsically tied. It is a must read for anyone interested in more fully understanding not only the game but also the nation in which it thrives.