The Making of a Championship Heart (Lessons Learned from Baseball & Life)
By Steve Yerrid | Suntide Publishing, 2011
Steve Yerrid, an accomplished Tampa trial lawyer, loves the New York Yankees and wrote an entertaining book that melds baseball with qualities and practices that apply outside the stadium.
Yerrid has probably obtained more multimillion-dollar verdicts than any lawyer in the Tampa Bay area, ever, and he continues to try jury cases after more than 50 years in practice. Yerrid is known for his philanthropy, especially with children’s causes. But it was his friendship with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner that gave him access to players, great photographs, and a wealth of information.
Published in 2011, The Making of a Championship Heart covers the Yankees’ 2009 championship season. But the book goes well beyond that, collecting quotes and advice not only from baseball greats, but also from other recognizable individuals, such as Walt Disney and Stevie Wonder.
Advice comes from past Yankee legends like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, and Micky Mantle. Ruth’s observation that having great individual stars is not enough because “if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime,” applies to many endeavors where teamwork is essential.
Chapter titles weave in life-and-work themes: from preparation, hard work and determination to leadership, courage and teamwork.
But the book is enjoyed just as much—or even more—as a baseball book (maybe unless you are a Red Sox fan). Filled with rare photographs, it is a pleasurable read and an excellent coffee table book.