Feeding the Monster

the long version

When the Boston Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, their stunning comeback against the New York Yankees and their four-game annihilation of the St. Louis Cardinals capped one of the most thrilling postseason runs ever. The World Series victory--Boston's first in 86 years--came less than three years after John Henry and Tom Werner bought the team and forever changed the way the Red Sox operated on and off the field. Seth Mnookin was given access never before granted to a reporter in the history of organized sports. He had a key to Fenway Park and a desk in the team's front office. The resulting narrative reveals how a savvy sports organization tries to stay on top while under the relentless scrutiny of the country's most voracious sportswriters and baseball's most demanding fans.--From publisher description.