Almost Yankees: The Summer of '81 and the Greatest Baseball Team You've Never Heard Of

In 1970, journeyman major league pitcher Jim Bouton published Ball Four, an inside look at MLB, on and especially off the field. Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn did all he could to block the publication and discredit Bouton—unsuccessfully. Fifty years later, Herman does much of the same for the minor leagues, following the Columbus Clippers during their championship year of 1981. Former sports writer and current editor Herman (Microsoft News) recalls the magical season in this part memoir, mostly baseball history destined to become a baseball classic. Through the season (and prior seasons of minor league baseball), we meet the irascible George Steinbrenner and several future major league stars. Most memorable is the story of career minor league player and manager Frank Verdi, and his time with the Clippers in 1981. Using interviews, books, newspapers, and a range of other primary sources, Herman weaves a fascinating saga filled with humorous and tragic events of the era and is at his best recalling off the field stories.