Wild, High and Tight: The Life and Death of Billy Martin
by Peter Golenbock

Reviewed by Paul Wysard

This is Golenbock's second book about Martin and his sixth involving the Yankees. It is long at 526 pages and tougher to stay with than most baseball work. It is all here, perhaps more than we want to know at times -- the scrapping early career, the frayed relationship with Casey Stengel, World Series triumphs, parting with Mantle and company, managerial successes followed by firings, but, most of all, the drinking and the women and George Steinbrenner.

The author spends most of the time on the latter three topics, contending, in the end, that alcohol was the core of Martin's troubled life; he drank to relieve pressures which were in turn exacerbated by the drinking. This is a common thread with almost all alcoholics, but add a penchant for violence and fighting instilled by his volatile mother, and you have the recipe for disaster.

It is a wonder Martin was as successful a manager as he came to be. The booze would be enough to curtail his effectiveness, and there were women everywhere. At one time he was married to Heather (northern California), providing a house and money to mistress Jill (southern California), and also involved with gals in Chicago, Detroit, and other stops on the baseball road. The man earned a number of championship rings; other could be awarded for sexual stamina and clandestine maneuvers worthy of the CIA.

There is a monumental amount of information and analysis regarding Steinbrenner. If it is all true, we have a liar, a felon, a blowhard, a man eternally afraid of his father, and, last but not least, a deceiver of others and himself. George can probably shake of this off, if has bothered to read it, but it is probably crushing to his family. Accurate or not, there has to be some fire within the smoke. Hurtful.

The book concludes with a somewhat tedious section on the fatal truck accident and the investigation and trial with respect to who was actually driving, friend Bill Reedy or Martin. Reedy (covering for his pal?) at first took the rap, then changed his story. Martin's wife at the time, and former mistress Jill, did everything possible to make sure first version stuck. Readers will find out the legal conclusion, and can make their own in the process.

One unanswered question continues to intrigue this reader. Why did the coterie of people around Martin go to such amazing lengths in protecting and nurturing him? There were Bill and Carol Reedy, attorney Eddie Sapir, and limo driver Tex, among others. All, at one time or another. Iied for him, excused his behavior, joined him in fist fights, set up his many trysts, and, not incidentally, drank with him around the clock. In current terminology, these people clearly "enablers," but less clear is what Martin did to inspire such loyalty. He returned their loyalty, or at least they thought he did, but the friendships actually appear to be remarkably one-sided. Maybe association with baseball hero and headliner was the attraction. Their "high," otherwise, befriending this fellow, as talented some ways as he was, had to be a heartbreaking pain the butt.

Yankee/Martin fans will probably enjoy the book and topic. I think they are like his career average; some big hits, .257.