
Chumps to Champs
Bill Pennington
The untold story of the time when the New York Yankees were a laughingstock—and how out of that abyss emerged the modern Yankees dynasty, one of the greatest in all of sports
The New York Yankees have won twenty-seven world championships and forty American League pennants, both world records. They have twenty-six members in the Hall of Fame. Their pinstripe swag is a symbol of “making it” worn across the globe. Yet some twenty-five years ago, from 1989 to 1992, the Yankees were a pitiful team at the bottom of the standings, sitting on a fourteen-year World Series drought and a 35 percent drop in attendance. To make the statistics worse, their mercurial, bombastic owner was banned from baseball.
But out of these ashes emerged the modern Yankees dynasty, a juggernaut built on the sly, a brilliant mix of personalities, talent, and ambition. In Chumps to Champs, Pennington reveals a grand tale of revival. Listeners encounter larger-than-life characters like George Steinbrenner and unexplored figures like award-winning manager Buck Showalter, Don Mattingly, and the crafty architect of it all—general manager Gene Michael, who assembled the team’s future stars—Rivera, Jeter, Williams, O’Neill, and Pettitte.
Drawing on unique access, Pennington tells a wild and raucous tale.
Duration - 13h 33m.
Author - Bill Pennington.
Narrator - Christian Baskous.
Published Date - Wednesday, 21 January 2026.
Copyright - © 2019 Bill Pennington ©.
Location:
United States
Description:
The untold story of the time when the New York Yankees were a laughingstock—and how out of that abyss emerged the modern Yankees dynasty, one of the greatest in all of sports The New York Yankees have won twenty-seven world championships and forty American League pennants, both world records. They have twenty-six members in the Hall of Fame. Their pinstripe swag is a symbol of “making it” worn across the globe. Yet some twenty-five years ago, from 1989 to 1992, the Yankees were a pitiful team at the bottom of the standings, sitting on a fourteen-year World Series drought and a 35 percent drop in attendance. To make the statistics worse, their mercurial, bombastic owner was banned from baseball. But out of these ashes emerged the modern Yankees dynasty, a juggernaut built on the sly, a brilliant mix of personalities, talent, and ambition. In Chumps to Champs, Pennington reveals a grand tale of revival. Listeners encounter larger-than-life characters like George Steinbrenner and unexplored figures like award-winning manager Buck Showalter, Don Mattingly, and the crafty architect of it all—general manager Gene Michael, who assembled the team’s future stars—Rivera, Jeter, Williams, O’Neill, and Pettitte. Drawing on unique access, Pennington tells a wild and raucous tale. Duration - 13h 33m. Author - Bill Pennington. Narrator - Christian Baskous. Published Date - Wednesday, 21 January 2026. Copyright - © 2019 Bill Pennington ©.
Language:
English
Introduction
Duration:00:12:35
Chapter 1
Duration:00:20:09
Chapter 2
Duration:00:20:58
Chapter 3
Duration:00:27:09
Chapter 4
Duration:00:20:53
Chapter 5
Duration:00:13:08
Chapter 6
Duration:00:28:05
Chapter 7
Duration:00:12:02
Chapter 8
Duration:00:21:52
Chapter 9
Duration:00:30:32
Chapter 10
Duration:00:18:39
Chapter 11
Duration:00:22:01
Chapter 12
Duration:00:23:25
Chapter 13
Duration:00:34:48
Chapter 14
Duration:00:24:27
Chapter 15
Duration:00:48:44
Chapter 16
Duration:00:23:44
Chapter 17
Duration:00:36:47
Chapter 18
Duration:00:10:50
Chapter 19
Duration:00:16:57
Chapter 20
Duration:00:21:50
Chapter 21
Duration:00:22:07
Chapter 22
Duration:00:20:59
Chapter 23
Duration:00:13:30
Chapter 24
Duration:00:27:07
Chapter 25
Duration:00:24:50
Chapter 26
Duration:00:15:47
Chapter 27
Duration:00:25:33
Chapter 28
Duration:00:24:54
Chapter 29
Duration:00:36:18
Chapter 30
Duration:00:18:59
Chapter 31
Duration:00:16:29
Chapter 32
Duration:00:26:30
Chapter 33
Duration:00:30:49
Epilogue
Duration:00:19:39