Book Of The Month?

Actually, for those who hate baseball's supposed 'Evil Empire' (There are those who call the Yankees baseball's 'Evil Satanic Baseball Empire" a new book may help cure those fits of rage at the Bronx Bombers.

"This BAD Day In Yankees History: A Calendar Of Calamities", by Gabriel Schechter, is written in calendar form. 366 days of bad from the House That Ruth Built. Among them:

Sept 22, 1965: Legendary announcer Red Barber is incensed that 412 fans are at the Stadium for a game-says so on the air-and is fired the next day.

April 19, 1979: Future Hall Of Famer Goose Gossage gets into a fight with journeyman Cliff Johnson, breaking Goose's thumb, and he misses three months of the season

December 30, 1986: George Steinbrenner meets with lowlife gambler Howie Spira trying to get dirt on good guy Dave Winfield. The Boss is soon banned from baseball for two for two years.

September 23, 1970: The Yankees celebrate a 2nd place finish--with champagne.

My only negative: Schechtler pulls no punches, sometimes to the point of bad taste. He highlights a day in 1978 that Thurman Munson says he wants to be traded to the Indians to be closer to home, "Dying To Go To Canton." A year later, Munson dies while practicing takeoffs and landings in his own plane at an Ohio airport. The foreward by Bill Lee is even more scathing.

It's all there: Jason Giambi's thong, A-Rod's lack of sportsmanship,Babe Ruth's follies- AND which Yankee has nothing on Plaxico Burress when it comes to getting shot. It's the perfect way to prepare for a Mets-Yankees/Red Sox -Yankees game, or to pass the time during your morning constitutional. Add on Hideki Irabu, Brien Taylor, Kevin Maas, and you'll be winning friends and influencing people. NESN, the Red Sox TV network, should have this book as a door prize on their matchmaking show, 'The Joy Of Sox.'

I give the book 4 out of five stars-some of the cheap shots may be funny, but not necessary.