High Praise for "The Greatest NY Yankees By Uniform Number"!

by Paul Semendinger

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A FIVE-STAR BOOK!

From Readers' Favorite:

The Greatest New York Yankees by Uniform Number by Paul Russell Semendinger turns the numbers on Yankees uniforms into a route through almost a century of baseball history. Beginning with the club’s permanent adoption of numbered uniforms in 1929, Semendinger moves from number 99 down to zero, considering every player who wore each number before selecting its greatest performer. Familiar batting totals introduce the hitters, while earned run average frames the pitchers. Modern measurements then compare careers across different eras. The countdown gives players with shorter Yankee careers beside celebrated Hall of Famers, showing how one appearance can share numerical history with a championship career. Retired numbers bring the expected legends, while frequently issued numbers have Semendinger considering how long a player wore the uniform, and what he accomplished during that period.

Paul Russell Semendinger’s The Greatest New York Yankees by Uniform Number is fascinating because it makes baseball statistics accessible while still giving devoted fans plenty to mull over. The writing is easy to understand, and I love how every decision is explained through evidence that relates directly to the number being judged. The comparison between Dooley Womack and Wandy Peralta is a perfect example. Peralta has the better ERA+, while Womack’s greater WAR and far higher total of games finished show why he was used as the Yankees’ main relief pitcher. My favorite discussion is Roy White against Hall of Famer Tony Lazzeri for number 6, because Semendinger separates their full careers from their years in that uniform, proving why White’s record belongs at the top. The photography and charts pull everything together visually, and I do not doubt that Yankees supporters who enjoy detailed club history will adore this book.