The Colonel and Hug

Boston Public Library, Prints and Photographs

By Steve Steinberg & Lyle Spatz

Lyle Spatz and I will coauthor another book. With a working title of The Colonel and Hug, we will look at two men who had enormous roles is establishing the foundation and winning tradition of the New York Yankees, owner Colonel Jacob Ruppert and manager Miller Huggins.

Ruppert bought the Yankees in early 1915 (with Captain Til Huston, who Ruppert bought out in 1923) and owned them until his death in 1939. Huggins became the Yankees’ manager late in 1917 and led the team until his sudden death in September 1929. Neither man has had a biography of his own, and while our book will not be a dual biography per se, it will examine their backgrounds and personalities. The book will center on their 12-year partnership and the challenges and successes they experienced.

Lyle and I are excited about another joint venture. We look forward to locating new material and for providing refreshing looks at existing material, starting in early 2012. While we will approach this as a scholarly work as we did with 1921, we hope this book on Ruppert and Huggins will be as entertaining as 1921, with personalities who come alive. We plan to complete the book in early 2013.