The Game 7 loss to Arizona in the World Series. A bit too much rides on the supposed end of the Yankee dynasty--they would, after all continue to contend and would reach and win more World Series, but this game did mark a change, one that's probably made a lot clearer in the paperback's epilogue (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?id=2051491) which takes the story (quickly) up to 2004. The change was between the largely home-grown 1990s Yankees and the largely free-agent-based team of the 2000s. The 2000s team still had some success, but wasn't nearly as fun for anyone. Olney does a very good job telling the story of that 1990s team and what made it special. ( )

Olney's thesis (unquestionably correct) is that the latest incarnation of the New York Yankee dynasty ended in November 2001 when the team lost the World Series to the Arizona Diamonsbacks.
Since that time the Yankee organization has left the formula that made it a success, namely the cultivation of home grown talent, emphasis on pitching depth, and the importance of team chemistry. The Yankees have returned to their foolish ways that were the M.O. of the 1980s, namely depleting minor league resources, foolish spending, ill-fitting sluggers, no pitching, and wasted money.
Olney pays homage to Daniel Okrent's "9 Innings" as he takes us through game 7 of the World Series, inning by inning, almost pitch by pitch. Olney uses the framework of the game to explore the history of the 2001 roster and how they came to be a Yankee.
Olney focuses a great deal on the importance of team chemistry and this is really the book's strength. It's hard not to like the various players, O'Neill, Jeter, Posada, Rivera, Williams, Brosius, Mussina, et. al. when one learns how much pride each of these players took not only in their craft, but in being part of the most storied organization in sports. One even learns that Roger Clemens, the INFAMOUS Roger Clemens, was universally considered to be a great teammate.
However, in reading "Last Night..." one gets the feeling that you aren't really learning anything new. This is the Yankees we are talking about here, the most covered and well known team in all of sport. The exploits of the Jeters and Clemens and so forth have been well chronicled and replayed on ESPN ad nauseum.
Though lacking in any groundbreaking insights (apparently this Steinbrenner character is a real asshole), Olney does have an eye for human drama and does give us an interesting glimpse inside the Yankee clubhouse. ( )

Pretty good, but it plays more like a series of newspaper profiles bridged by brief descriptions of each inning of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. ( )