Phil Pepe has covered sports in New York for more than five decades. He was the Yankees beat writer for theNew York World Telegram & Sunfrom 1961-64, and for theNew York Daily Newsfrom 1971-84. He is the author of more than 40 books, includingMy Favorite Summer: 1956with Mickey Mantle (Doubleday), which reached No. 7 on theNew York Timesbestseller list; BillyBallwith Billy Martin (Doubleday); andTalkin’ Baseball: An Oral History of Baseball in the 1970s(Ballantine).