The Pride and the Pressure

Derek Jeter Jason Giambi Bernie Williams Gary Sheffield Alex Rodriguez Johnny Damon Melky Cabrera Hideki Matsui Bobby Abreu Jorge Posada Mariano Rivera Chien-Ming Wang Robinson Cano Mike Mussina Randy Johnson “The Yankees always said they valued players who could handle the white-hot spotlight, could handle life in the Yankee Fishbowl.” --from The Pride and the Pressure What’s it really like to wear the pinstripes? This riveting account from New York Post writer Michael Morrissey takes readers inside the clubhouse of the 2006 New York Yankees and reveals what really goes on behind the hype, the media glare, and the roar of the fans surrounding the most fabled organization in the world of professional sports. The New York Yankees began the 2006 season with baseball’s highest payroll and sky-high expectations—and more challenges than other any Yankee team in history. From owner George Steinbrenner right on down, the team took an urgent, almost militaristic, approach toward winning their twenty-seventh world championship. Morrissey had full access, chronicling the ups-and-downs on the field and the public and private skirmishes that defined their season: ·Why manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman chose to stay on for another season, despite chafing under Steinbrenner in 2005 ·The saga of Alex Rodriguez: his peculiar relationship with the fans and the media and the crushing scrutiny that shaped 2006 ·How Johnny Damon, the fun-loving, former Red Sox superstar, assimilated into the Yankee line-up and clubhouse ·How Jason Giambi quietly overcame a steroid scandal and became a reliable, formidable power once again ·How the acquisition of Bobby Abreu at the trade deadline redefined the Yankees, attempting to overcome serious injuries to Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui that nearly derailed the team’s prospects ·An unexpected role for Bernie Williams, a huge fan favorite whose Yankee career seemed to be over until team injuries drew the aging star back into the line-up ·Why the Yankee pitching rotation never felt bulletproof – from inconsistencies by Randy Johnson to the embarrassing injury streak suffered by Carl Pavano ·How Yankee superstar and captain Derek Jeter handled relentless expectations to win the World Series, guided the team through disastrous injuries, and faced stinging accusations of not supporting teammate Alex Rodriguez Nothing in sports compares to the prestige and weight of wearing the pinstripes. THE PRIDE AND THE PRESSURE takes Yankees fans behind the scenes and brings it all to life.