The Devil Wears Pinstripes – Jim Caple

Taking a break from baseball history, in depth statistical analysis and the Cleveland Indians in general, thanks to the Yankees unexpected success this season, the Burning River Book Club entry for September is Jim Caple’s, The Devil Wears Pinstripes.

This is an older book, but still relevant particularly as it is meant as a comedy. An outlet for the frustrations built up by the inflation caused by the Yankees free agent purchases, their perennial place near the top of the American League East and their legions of non-local fans. While the Dodgers, Red Sox and Tigers may spend on the same level, no team has more spread out or worse fans than the New York Yankees.

Caple was (in 2005 when this book was written) and still is, a major writer for ESPN, but he took a break from the magazine and website to trash the one team that everyone wants to see trashed. He does a great job combining actual facts and real events with sarcasm, straight jokes and tons of Star Wars references. A comedic book insulting the Yankees complete with Star Wars references knocks off three big check marks on my list of things that make a book great.

For younger fans in particular, his history of the team may actually be informative in addition to being entertaining. While most are familiar with the Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera that lasted from 1996 through 2014 somehow, but they didn’t win 27 World Series during that span (only five) and that certainly wasn’t the beginning of their strategy of buying everyone. That actually began back in 1919 when the purchased Babe Ruth from the Red Sox, a moment in time that Caple spends a particularly large amount of text on.

For those who like top ten lists (obviously I am one as you can see every off-season), Caple has a great one included showing the ten most hated Yankees ever. It’s a solid list and long explanations are available for every player. While I won’t give away any (you can buy the book for a penny on Amazon [by clicking a link from this page preferably], just get it already), I will mention that the player most hated on the active Yankees roster is included as well as another who should be particularly hated by Clevelanders. There is another, slightly less entertaining top ten list as well, featuring the top ten greatest moments in Yankees history (following the theme of the book).

Going back to the fans, which outside of New York are the most obnoxious group of people you’ll ever meet, particularly when they are also Cowboys fans (possibly including LeBron James in this), Caple goes deep into what it means to bleed in pinstripes. He also delves into their peculiar relationship with another hard core group, the Red Sox faithful.

To finish, he takes on a couple Yankees targets that most people stay away from, the original Yankee Stadium and the Captain himself. Don’t think that this is entirely an insult book, however, as credit is given where it is due. He then wraps up with a semi-legitimate list of ways to fix the Yankees so we wouldn’t have to hate them anymore.

There really aren’t many humorous baseball books out there, but this was really the only way to get non-Yankees fans to read about New York. Rather than the dryness of deep statistical analysis or pure history, this book is for pure entertainment and it does a nice job fulfilling that niche. In all, it’s a nice, short, under the RADAR tome that allows fans of every team to fill a little better about themselves.