July Issue of Yankees Magazine – ON SALE, JULY 13

July 11, 2012 – The cover of the July Issue was supposed to feature Andy Pettitte, but a few days before we went to press, the lefty took a comebacker off his leg and broke his fibula.

Needless to say, we needed to change our plans — quickly.

And, so we did.

Contributing writer Bob Klapisch, who had written the Pettitte feature, went to work on a story about Hiroki Kuroda, and our team of editors chose a portrait photo — which Yankees team photographer James Petrozzello snapped in Spring Training — to grace the cover.

Hopefully, Pettitte will make back to the field and onto the cover of an issue of Yankees Magazine in the near future. As I wrote on this blog a few weeks ago, staff photographer Ariele Goldman Hecht took a stunning photo of Pettitte for the original cover — which we would very much like to get the opportunity to run this season.

But for now, we’re going with a guy who has been one of the best pitchers in the American League over the last two months. In Kuroda’s last 11 starts, he has given up two runs or less seven times (and three runs or less eight times) while going at least eight innings in each of those outings.

Klapisch’s story is a great read because it details the adjustments Kuroda made earlier this year along with ways he is getting hitters out.

The July Issue also includes several features I have written about on this blog over the last few months.

There are two “Five Minutes With” interviews that are as exclusive as any we’ve published. The first is with Hall of Fame coach Don Shula and the second is with Mike Tyson and Spike Lee.

My feature on Bucky Dent, in which I wrote about his charitable golf outing and the day I spent on the ocean with him, is also in this issue as well as associate editor Craig Tapper’s feature on Mel Stottlemyre and our annual roundup story on HOPE Week.

This issue has it all, and it will be on sale at Yankee Stadium this Friday, July 13. You can subscribe to Yankees Magazine — print or online versions — through (800) GO-YANKS or www.yankees.com/publications.

–Alfred Santasiere III