They were compared to Mutt and Jeff, Hatfield and McCoy, and even Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton: two stubborn and driven men whose on-again off-again partnership entertained the nation for two decades.

When Yankees owner George Steinbrenner hired former player Billy Martin to manage the famous baseball franchise, they immediately won two American League pennants and the 1977 World Series. But Billy was a scrappy, defiant son to Steinbrenner’s role as fickle father. Feuds erupted and separations ensued when each accused the other of disrespect, and the dysfunctional house that Ruth built was frequently broken up when the two would part ways, only to reunite within weeks. Through a total of five partnerships and five firings, Steinbrenner and Martin  created great baseball drama and had some championship seasons along the way.

The Ballad of Billy and George is a blow-by-blow history of their combustible
chemistry, drawn f rom interviews with Billy Martin Jr., Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Ron Guidry, Sparky Lyle, Goose Gossage, Bucky Dent, Clete Boyer, Graig Nettles, Lou Piniella, Clyde King, and Gene Michael. Veteran sportswriter and author Phil Pepe also recalls one-on-one conversations with Billy Martin.