The 1998 Yankees - by Jack Curry (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Discover the inside story of the 1998 Yankees' unprecedented talent with this gripping account from a reporter who was there for the team's dominating 125 wins.​

The visiting clubhouse in San Diego was soggy, sweaty and sticky after the 1998 Yankees swept the Padres in four games and celebrated winning their 24th World Series title. The players raised bottles of Champagne, sprayed the bubbly on each other and reveled in a baseball season that might have been more memorable than any in history.

Jack Curry was part of that unforgettable scene as a reporter, navigating around the clubhouse to ask the same, pertinent question. After winning an unprecedented 125 games and pummeling teams along the way, were these Yankees, the Yankees of Jeter, Mariano, Posada, Pettitte, Bernie, O'Neill, Tino and so many other vital players, the best team ever?

"Right now, you would have to call them the best team ever," said owner George Steinbrenner.

Twenty five years later, Curry revisits that season to discuss how that team was built and why the Yankees were such a talented, refreshing and successful club. This book includes new interviews with more than 25 players, coaches and executives, who revealed some behind-the-stories about the magical journey and who also discussed the depth of this historic squad.

"From the first man to the 25th man on the roster, I don't think there's a team that had more talent and a team whose players knew their roles as well as our players did," said pitcher David Cone. "If you're using that as a barometer for the best team of all-time, then I think you can call us the best team of all-time."

During that wondrous season, Don Zimmer, a Yankee coach and a baseball lifer who began his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954, told associates there would never be another team like the 1998 Yankees. Zimmer was right. Twenty five years later, Curry describes how and why that Yankee team could be the best ever.

"The 1998 Yankees were a perfectly constructed team. Jack Curry does an amazing job of telling the tales of that phenomenal group." --David Cone

Review Quotes

"Are the 1998 Yankees the best baseball team ever? The question itself invites debate. What is beyond debate is that the '98 Yanks are on the short list of teams with a legitimate claim to that distinction. A claim for which Jack Curry, in colorful and telling details, makes a compelling case."--Bob Costas, Hall of Fame Broadcaster

"Curry is strong on personality profiles, and it's clear that he's spent a lot of time in the dugout and locker room... Yankees fans will enjoy his paean."--Kirkus Reviews

"I don't think there's such a thing as a perfect team, but I do think the 1998 Yankees were a perfectly constructed team. Everyone knew his role and excelled at it. We had confidence in each other's abilities to perform. Jack Curry covered that team's journey and he does an amazing job of telling the tales of that phenomenal group. It was a great team back then and this is a great book now."--David Cone, Five-time World Series Champion

"I feel that my 1998 team was the best of all-time. After a tough opening week, I managed a team that wasn't going to be denied following a disappointing ending in 1997. It was enjoyable to revisit that season with Jack Curry. In these pages, Jack reminds everyone what made that team so special."--Joe Torre, Hall of Famer and Yankees' manager for four World Series titles

"I highly recommend pre ordering this book!! I competed against this tough team out on the field but Jack Curry took me into their clubhouse and showed me why they were truly great!! I could not put the book down!"--John Flaherty, 14-year major league veteran and YES Network broadcaster

"With fresh, insightful interviews of all the key characters and keen-eyed reporting, Jack Curry, like the 1998 Yankees, delivers one win after another. His book accomplishes a rare double play by bringing new perspective about a well-chronicled team while also unearthing never-before-told stories from that historic season. Consider this the 126th victory of that championship campaign."--Joel Sherman, New York Post baseball columnist and MLB Network insider

About the Author

Jack Curry is an award-winning sports journalist who is an analyst on the Yankees' pregame and postgame shows on the YES Network, where he has worked since 2010. He has won six New York Emmy Awards. Before joining YES, he covered baseball for twenty seasons at TheNew York Times, first as a Yankees' beat writer and then as a national baseball correspondent. Curry is also the coauthor of three New York Times bestsellers: Swing and a Hit with Paul O'Neill, Full Count: The Education of a Pitcher with David Cone and The Life You Imagine with Derek Jeter. He currently lives in New Jersey.