Bryan Hoch

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!

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

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2023/07/62-by-bryan-hoch-book-review....… (més)

For baseball fans (and perhaps I should say "For Yankees fans") only. This very recent book provides some background into the development of the current Yankees team with a core of very young and talented players like Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge and Luis Severino. The book tells about the work Yankees scouts and general manager Brian Cashman did finding these players and others, and the trades that have been made along the way, as some top prospects have been kept and some dealt away in order to bolster the team's recent playoff runs. Hoch also goes into the life stories of a few of these players, particularly those mentioned above. There's lots of interesting information about the ins and outs of the development of a major league baseball team in the current era.

Unfortunately, perhaps because Hoch is a Yankees beat writer and so reluctant to damage his relationship with the team and the players, the whole thing is pretty bland. Particularly in Judge's case, the book is filled with the sort of inoffensive quotes that players are taught to feed interviewers. In quote after quote, we're told things like, "Our job is to go out there and battle. We were just battling every game and good things happened." Also, at the end of the 2017, the team decided not to renew the contract of their longtime manager, Joe Girardi. The book mentions Girardi's inability to communicate with the younger players and his high-pressure approach, but there are essentially no examples given, no anecdotes told, of the sort of events or feelings that would lead team management to conclude that Girardi's ouster was required. So while the book was fun and basically well written (although evidently Diversion Books' editors don't know a dangling participial phrase when they see one), I was left wanting more. That said, I still recommend the book to, as noted up top, Yankees fans.… (més)