Books are food for my soul! Pull up a beach chair and stick your toes in the sand as the Jersey surf rolls in and out, now open your book and let your imagination take you away.

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

62 by Bryan Hoch (Book Review)








Book Review



62 by Bryan Hoch
Publisher: Atria Books 
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Format: Hardcover - 368 pages
               Paperback - 368 pages
               Audiobook - 13 Hours 19 Minutes
               Kindle - 46795 KB
               Nook - 46 MB
ISBN (HC): 978-1668027950
ISBN (PB): 978-1668027967
ASIN (Audiobook): B0BSB55N6X
ASIN (Kindle): B0BMN9QCRJ
BNID: 978-1668027974
Genre: Baseball



Buy The Book:



Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of the book via NetGalley from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review.


Book Description:

“The definitive story” (Tyler Kepner, The New York Times baseball columnist) of Yankees slugger Aaron Judge’s incredible, unparalleled run to break Roger Maris’s home run record and the franchise both men called home.

Aaron Judge, the hulking superman who carried an easy aw-shucks demeanor from small-town California to stardom in the Big Apple, had long established his place as one of baseball’s most intimidating power hitters. Baseballs frequently rocketed off his bat like cannon fire, dispatching heat-seeking missiles toward the “Judge’s Chambers” seating area in right field, sending delirious fans scattering for souvenirs.

But even in a high-tech universe where computers measure each swing to the nth degree, Roger Maris’s American League mark of sixty-one home runs seemed largely out of reach. It had been more than a decade since baseball wiped clean the stains of its performance-enhanced era, in which cartoonish sluggers Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds made a mockery of the record book.

Given a more level playing field against pitchers sporting hellacious arsenals unlike anything Babe Ruth or Maris could have imagined, only an exceptional talent could even consider making a run at sixty-one homers. Judge, who placed the bet of his life by turning down a $213.5 million extension on the eve of the regular season, promised to rise to the challenge.

“In the most thorough telling yet of an all-time-great Yankees performance” (Jeff Passan, New York Times bestselling author), veteran Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch unravels the remarkable journey of Judge’s run to shatter Maris’s beloved sixty-one-year-old record. In-depth, inspiring, and with an expert’s insight, 62 also investigates the more significant questions raised in a season unlike any other, including how—and where—Judge will deliver his encore.



My Book Review: 

Are you a NY Yankees fan? Do you still get chills from Aaron Judge's magical 2022 season? Well then come along for the journey in 62 by author Bryan Hoch!

In 62, author Bryan Hoch takes the reader back to Aaron Judge's magical 2022 season where he broke the AL single-season Home Run record with 62 home runs that was previously held by Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs that stood for 61 years!

Follow along as author and Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch takes you behind the scenes of Aaron Judge's magical 2022 season as he took his place in the record books alongside legendary Yankee Right Fielders Babe Ruth (60 home runs) and Roger Maris (61 home runs) with his journey to hit 62 home runs, and break the AL single-season home run record. Packed with interviews about the season from Aaron and players on the Yankees team, coaches, and executives, Bryan provides a fascinating insight, and statistics that lays out Aaron's historic journey of home run dominance in the 2022 season. 

As a NY Yankees fan from childhood, I loved reading 62! Author Bryan Hoch delves into baseball history of the AL single-season home run record that was held by Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and now Aaron Judge. I really enjoyed reading about the history of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris' 1961 chase to break Babe Ruth's record of 60 (1927) home runs that stood for 34 years. Their story was the backdrop for Aaron Judge's chase to break Maris' record 61 years later. I loved that the author provided the reader with a biography of Aaron Judge's life and baseball career, and Aaron's commentaries that was provided in the book throughout his journey in the 2022 season. I loved reading all the stories from the players and coaches interviews, and the amazing statistics that were included in the book. You can't help but get caught up in the excitement as Aaron's 2022 historical season unfolded. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the author takes the reader along for the ride for the Yankees 2022 season, which included their journey to seek a 28th championship (oh so close), along with the drama of Aaron's free agency status at the end of the season, which ultimately led thankfully to his resigning and becoming the 16th Yankee Captain. So Yankees fans, read 62, you won't be disappointed!



RATING: 5 STARS 





About The Author




Bryan Hoch has covered New York baseball for the past two decades, working the New York Yankees clubhouse as a MLB.com beat reporter since 2007. Bryan is the author of 62, The Baby Bombers: The Inside Story of the Next Yankees Dynasty, a co-author of Mission 27: A New Boss, A New Ballpark and One Last Ring for the Yankees' Core Four, and the author of The Bronx Zoom: Inside the New York Yankees' Most Bizarre Season.










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