Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals, and Cooperstown

A freewheeling memoir of baseball, journalism, and New York spanning over 50 years of America’s pastime

Before he’d covered dozens of World Series; before he’d written about countless hirings, firings, superstars, and scandals, Bill Madden was a cub reporter on one of his first assignments at Yankee Stadium-and manager Ralph Houk had just gone out of his way to spit tobacco juice all over Madden’s shoes. “That’s Ralph’s way with rookie writers he doesn’t recognize,” came the explanation. “He doesn’t mean anything by it.” So began a Hall of Fame scribe’s career, as detailed in this clear-eyed memoir. With verve and candor, Madden reflects on five decades of triumphs, misadventures, and unforgettable characters. From Jackie Robinson to Aaron Judge; from newsrooms filled with hundreds of teletype machines droning like an army of cicadas to the sleek yet ruthless digital age, keen baseball fans will devour these tales of America’s pastime against the backdrop of a rapidly changing media and cultural landscape.

Author Biography

Bill Maddenhas covered the Yankees and Major League Baseball for over 50 years, including more than four decades with the New York Daily News. He is a bestselling author and the 2010 recipient of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s J. G. Taylor Spink Award.