The soap opera that is the Boston Red Sox is in full bloom in Mnookin's (Hard Times
) tale about how the organization coalesced to finally bring Red Sox Nation its first world championship since 1918. After reviewing the dismal bigoted history of Boston—it was the last team to integrate, in 1959, and somehow managed to snub both
Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays—Mnookin, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair
, explains how the sale of the Sox to a group led by John Henry resulted in changing the direction of the franchise. And like a true soap opera, this one is filled with heroes and villains. There are the ballplayers (Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Curt Schilling) and the executives (owner Henry, CEO Larry Lucchino and GM Theo Epstein). There are the intangibles like Fenway Park—to stay or not to stay, that is one of the questions—and the highly opinionated sportswriters of Boston, Peter Gammons, Dan O'Shaughnessy and the late Will McDonough. There is enough inside stuff here to send the average Red Sox fan into baseball ecstasy—and put the rest of the baseball world into a coma. Part Money Ball
, part Ball Four
and all Red Sox, this title was written for one audience—Red Sox Nation—and they will love it. (July 11)
