The Yankee Years    by Joe Torre & Tom Verducci Order:  USA  Can Anchor, 2010 (2009) Hardcover, Softcover, CD, e-Book Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Kelly Thunstrom The Yankee Years by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci is an account of the twelve year term of Joe Torre as manager of the New York Yankees from 1996-2007. The book, written largely by Verducci but heavily drawing upon Torre's thoughts and opinions, talks about the rise and fall of the last New York Yankee dynasty and the transition of the Yankees from a team that won with a mix of youth and veteran leadership to a team that relied heavily on veterans, few of whom were leaders. Torre spends a significant amount of time talking about his relationships with players, glowing fondly towards Derek Jeter and Andy Pettite while talking about Alex Rodridguez in less glowing terms; as well as management, talking about the inner turmoil in the Yankee organization as owner George Steinbrenner aged and became more reliant on advisors to run the team as well as the growth and eventual weakening of his relationship with Brian Cashman, Yankee General Manager. Torre's account discusses the changes in baseball strategy, scouting, and player development over Torre's tenure, as well as the impacts of steroid use by some players in the Yankee organization. The book is a one-sided account, naturally, strongly favoring Torre's perspective of his time as Yankee manager. It is a natural historical progression of those twelve years, incorporating interviews from a number of Yankee players and other baseball folks. It was a nice, but lengthy, read that didn't dig up anything extraordinary but did provide a bit of Torre's perspective that the quiet manager didn't often provide in soundbytes and interviews. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews