An illuminating history of the Yankees and the behind-the-scenes business interests that make them the dynasty they are today.The New York Yankees have, without question, dominated the sport of baseball as no team ever has. Tracing the rise of this championship franchise from the early 1900s to the present, Taking on the Yankees examines the Bronx Bombers' rise by contrasting them with their three greatest National League rivals: the New York Giants, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Alongside the story of the Yankees' success, Henry D. Fetter chronicles baseball's growth from a fledgling sport into America's national pastime and, eventually, into a multi-billion-dollar industry. The result is an exceptional and unique history of the Yankees and a compelling portrayal of one hundred years of major league baseball. Fetter has written a new afterword for the paperback edition.