This image is the cover for the book Now Pitching for the Yankees

Now Pitching for the Yankees

A legendary New York Yankees PR man offers readers an inside look at one of baseball’s greatest teams.

Starting as a college student sorting Mickey Mantle’s fan mail and rising to become the youngest director of public relations in baseball history, Marty Appel offers a unique behind-the-scenes memoir of life with the New York Yankees from 1968 to 1977. Appel stood shoulder-to-shoulder with both the benchwarmers and the superstars of the past and present, from tempestuous owner George Steinbrenner and his equally tempestuous manager Billy Martin (whom Howard Cosell once called “a beleaguered little pepperpot”) to Hall of Famers like Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, and Reggie Jackson. With a new chapter bringing the story up-to-date, as well as changes and milestones in the game he loves, Marty Appel paints a hilarious and poignant portrait of the Yankees.

“[Appel’s] love of baseball shines through here, and Yankee fans will lap up his humorous stories of Yankee greats and not-so-greats.” —Library Journal

“A poignant account of a fan turned public relations executive working for baseball’s most glamorized team.” —Baseball America

Marty Appel, Yogi Berra

Marty Appel is widely acknowledged as the nation's leading historian on the New York Yankees. His time with the Yankees in public relations and television production stretched from 1968-1992, and is uniquely documented in his memoir, Now Pitching for the Yankees, named New York baseball book of the year by ESPN.com. A Brooklyn-born Yankees fan who has followed the team since 1955, he continues his association with the club, appearing frequently on Yankeeographies (YES Network), and Yankees.com (where he interviews former players), while writing for team publications. Appel is the author of 18 books including the acclaimed Yankees history Pinstripe Empire: The New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss, and Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain. He has won an Emmy award for a WPIX special on Billy Martin, a Casey Award (baseball book of the year) for Slide, Kelly, Slide (a biography of the 19th century star King Kelly), the Dick Young Award for long and meritorious service to baseball, the Dick Steinberg "Good Guy Award" from the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame; serves as magazine historian for the Baseball Hall of Fame's "Memories and Dreams," is a columnist on vintage books for Sports Collectors Digest, and has also written books with Tom Seaver, Larry King, Bowie Kuhn, Lee MacPhail and umpire Eric Gregg. He resides in Manhattan with his wife and has two grown children.

Diversion Books