cover image Sweet Lou

Sweet Lou

Lou Piniella. Putnam Publishing Group, $16.95 (300pp) ISBN 978-0-399-13142-4

New York Post sportswriter Allen here joins the Yankee manager to tell the story of a career on the diamond. During Piniella's years as a minor leaguer, he was regarded as a good but not great prospect and was bounced from team to team. There are accounts of those early days, of managers supportive of young talent and those who all but destroy their youthful players. But by far the most interesting chapters are those covering Piniella's time with the Yankees, contending with the clashing egos of George Steinbrenner, Billy Martin, Reggie Jackson and Thurman Munson and a supporting cast of Yogi Berra, Catfish Hunter, Goose Gossage, Dave Winfield and Graig Nettles. As the authors tell it, the pennants of 1976, '77 and '78 were all but miraculous, considering the pouting, sulking, shouting-matches and fights on the squad. Photos not seen by PW. (April 30)