For nearly half a century, from the Roaring Twenties through John F. Kennedy's Camelot, the New York Yankees were the General Motors of professional sports: rich, arrogant, and proud. Winners. But, like GM, the Bronx Bombers encountered a swift, precipitous fall. Beginning with the final out of the 1964 World Series, this perennial powerhouse plunged into decline. It would take eleven tortuous seasons before the rebuilt franchise made it back to the World Series.In Dog Days, acclaimed author Philip Bashe examines the New York Yankees' Dark Ages, in which Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Elston Howard, Roger Maris, and other aging stars either retired or faded away. A parade of replacements - men such as Roger Repoz, Horace Clarke, Mike Kekich, John Ellis - faced the unenviable task of having to compete not only against the rest of the American League (and the irritatingly popular team next door, the New York Mets), but against the Yankees' own glorious past. You could practically imagine the ghosts of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Miller Huggins wineing as the team tumbled into last place in 1966.The decade-plus that Bashe examines witnessed Johnny Keane's heartbreak, Steve Hamilton's Folly Floater, Gene Michael's hidden-ball trick, Sparky Lyle's hacksaw, and the arrival of George Steinbrenner, as well as profound changes in America and its national pastime. Gradually, new stars emerged: Bobby Murcer, Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, Catfish Hunter, Chris Chambliss. And a dynasty would be christened on a chilly October night with one mighty swing of Chambliss's bat.Told with wit, poignancy, and an exceptional eye for the stories baseball fans love, Dog Days is an unprecedented look at how a great team goes sour, then returns to greatness. A must for Yankees lovers (and haters) and terrific entertainment for every baseball fan, Dog Days is a grand-slam home run - an unforgettable trip around the bases. Read Less