RN: Simply put, it's a history of premeditated decisions that proved both wrong and costly. This includes, for the most part, mistakes made by managers and general managers, but also by players and owners.
 

SJK: How did you come up with the concept of the Big Book of Baseball Blunders? Did something inspire you to do so?

RN: Funny you'd ask; nobody else has. Yes, something did inspire me: a series on The History Channel called "Military Blunders." Like a lot of people, I'm intrigued by the great blunders that, if done otherwise, might have changed the course of history. Oddly, I didn't bother to see if anybody had done a book like mine about baseball. Fortunately, nobody had (though there is a book titled The 100 Greatest Sports Blunders of All Time (1997), which I still haven't seen).
 

SJK: Canseco giving up a home run off his head, Buckner's boot in 86, Little and Pedro in '03, Tony Womack being born... What's the worst in-game blunder you can think of, in terms of its impact on the game?

RN: Worst in-game blunder . . . well, the homer off Canseco's head and Buckner's boot aren't candidates, because those were not premeditated (and I'm not sure about Tony Womack). But I think you have seriously consider John McNamara's actions in Game 6 of the '86 World Series.  Everybody talks about Buckner being in the game instead of Stapleton.  That happened in the 10th inning. But in the book I argue that McNamara made another huge mistake in the eighth, when he let Buckner bat for himself instead of using Don Baylor as a pinch-hitter. The bases were loaded, Jesse Orosco was on the mound, and Baylor might have blown the game wide open right there. Singly, neither of McNamara's non-moves were all that significant, in terms of their probable impact on the outcome of the game. But taken together, McNamara's my champion.
 

SJK: What are some of your top front-office blunders of all-time?

RN: The White Sox replacing hitter Jack Fournier with crook Chick Gandil early in 1917. The White Sox trading a bunch of young players for a bunch of old players after the 1959 World Series. The Cardinals trading, in the short space of eleven months, Steve Carlton, Jerry Reuss, Mike Torrez, and Fred Norman . . . and receiving very little in return. All of these moves had a huge impact on pennant races over the following seasons.
 

SJK: Did any Yankee blunders, pre-1996, make the list? If so, could you give us a few?

RN: Not many. Which is why they've won so many &%@$ World Series. I do write about Stengel's questionable use of his pitchers in Game 7 of the 1960 Series, and I think Joe McCarthy was too patient with his veterans in 1940 (though I think the world of McCarthy, generally). It's not in the book, but one could certainly take issue with management in the late 1960s and again throughout the 1980s.
 

SJK: Have there been any Yankee signings or trades in the last few years that you would consider blunders?

RN: Not really. I thought the Jeter contract was outrageous, but of course the Yankees can afford to be outrageous. Same with Randy Johnson's deal, Mike Mussina's deal, etc. The Yankees overpay because they can, and because they probably have to. If they want somebody, everybody knows it and the agents have all the leverage. There have been a few head-scratchers - did the Yankees really think Shawn Chacon would be good again? - but I really can't quibble too much, considering the Yankees are expected to win 100 games every season. This expectation leads, almost necessarily, to some significant wasting of money.
 

SJK: As you may or may not know, NoMaas is a very tough critic of Joe Torre. In our opinion, he tends to be a walking blunder. Did any of Joe Torre's managerial decisions make your book? For example, how about when he used Jeff Weaver in extra innings of Game 4 of the 2003 World Series, while leaving Mariano Rivera in the bullpen?

RN: I think Torre is a pretty good manager, or at least that he's been a pretty good manager for the Yankees. But yes, occasionally his tactics leave him open to criticism. Obviously, I don't follow the Yankees nearly as closely as you do, so it's hard for me to come up with many specific examples. But like you, I consider it unconscionable to lose a close game in the late innings without having used your best reliever.  Which is what happened in Game 4 in 2003.
 

SJK: What was your reaction when I punched out two car windows when attempting to strike Mr. Myagi?

RN: No surprise here. The knowledge of the old will always trump the enthusiasm of the young.
 

SJK: As we approach the trading deadline, what would you do if you were the Yankees GM?

RN: I'd do some tinkering around the edges, maybe try to pick up a little more pitching depth. But when I said, early this summer, that the Yankees needed to make some big moves or risk falling out of contention, I was wrong. Thanks to Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera, and some fantastic hitters, the Yankees have been just fine. Yes, there's still a decent chance they'll fail to reach the playoffs. But a one-year break wouldn't be the end of the world and they'll still have their top prospects next year.
 

SJK: Thanks for sitting down with NoMaas, Rob. Before you go, could you tell us how we can purchase a copy of your book?

RN: Well, it's pretty easy. The book's in every good-sized bookstore, and for those who prefer e-commerce, I recommend going to http://www.robneyer.com, where you've got your choice between Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And last I checked there were signed copies available at Coliseum Books in Manhattan. Thanks for the great baseball talk!