Casey Stengel: Baseball's Greatest Character

Description

The definitive biography of one of baseball's most enduring and influential characters, from New York Times bestselling author and baseball writer Marty Appel. As a player, Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel's contemporaries included Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, and Christy Mathewson . . . and he was the only person in history to wear the uniforms of all four New York teams- the Dodgers, Giants, Yankees, and Mets. As a legendary manager, he formed indelible, complicated relationships with Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Billy Martin. For more than five glorious decades, Stengel was the undisputed, quirky, hilarious, and beloved face of baseball--and along the way he revolutionized the role of manager while winning a spectactular ten pennants and seven World Series Championships. But for a man who spent so much of his life in the limelight--an astounding fifty-five years in professional baseball--Stengel remains an enigma. Acclaimed New York Yankees' historian and bestselling author Marty Appel digs into Casey Stengel's quirks and foibles, unearthing a tremendous trove of baseball stories, perspective, and history. Weaving in never-before-published family documents, Appel creates an intimate portrait of a private man who was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966 and named "Baseball's Greatest Character" by MLB Network's Prime 9. Casey Stengel is a biography that will be treasured by fans of our national pastime.

MARTY APPEL was the youngest public relations director in baseball history when George Steinbrenner elevated him to the New York Yankees post in 1973. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including the New York Times bestselling Munson- The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain and Pinstripe Empire- The New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss. He resides in New York City.

"Casey Stengel, by Marty Appel, is the ultimate biography." -The New York Times "Casey Stengel: Baseball's Greatest Character is a wonderful romp through our collective field of dreams, from the medieval days of the sport to the modern era." -The Christian Science Monitor "Casey Stengel is a vivid, loving, deeply researched valentine to the greatest character in the history of baseball." -New York Daily News "Casey Stengel is a terrific read which will cure you of any notion that the Ole' Professor was anything else than a baseball genius." -The Dallas Morning News "The unpredictable adventures of this unpredictable man . . . are detailed in this breezy 364-page journey through eras." -The Wall Street Journal "Read this book! Never have we needed Casey more. Thanks, Marty Appel, for bringing him to life again in this superb book." -Jane Leavy, Bestselling author of The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood "A definitive, intimate biography of the man whose 50-year career as a player and manager-including seven World Series wins-was one of the most dazzling in the game." -The Tampa Bay Times "Stengel is unquestionably one of baseball's most significant characters, and Appel is the perfect fit to chronicle his life. One of the more skilled biographies baseball fans could hope to find." -Kirkus Reviews (starred) "My first manager in the big leagues was a philosopher, teacher, entertainer and baseball genius; and, perhaps, a poet. His distinctive Stengelese syntax had a lyrical cadence to it. A friend and baseball historian, Marty Appel, portrays Casey's life story to a T in the biography. I can hear the Ole Perfesser telling the book's readers, 'You could look it up.'" -Tony Kubek, New York Yankees, 1957-1965 "Well researched and sensitively written with just the right amount of humor. . . . Appel brings out a wealth of humanizing detail here concerning Stengel's personal life." -Booklist (starred) "A balanced and powerful biography that breathes new life into the legend . . . is told by a biographer whose knowledge of the New York Yankees is second to none." -Spitball "Casey Stengel was a complicated man, and not always the easiest manager to play for. My old friend Marty Appel has not only captured him perfectly in this delightful book, but I now understand him better than ever." -Bobby Richardson, New York Yankees, 1955-1966 "Baseball history buffs will definitely want to add this biography to their shelves." -Library Journal "What a classic double play combination-the reporting brilliance of Marty Appel, and baseball's greatest character, Casey Stengel. There are too many terrific stories about Casey to keep count, but Marty manages to unearth them with great flare and humor. Casey Stengel is a treat for any true fan of the game. I loved every page." -John Sterling, Voice of the New York Yankees