"The Making of a Championship Heart" chronicles excellence through sports

TAMPA - When Steve Yerrid sits down at his home office desk, he's surrounded by tchotchkes of champions and championships.

His treasure trove of sports memorabilia points to a life-long love of winning.

"And I always wondered what was it, what was the defining composition of it that made people winners as opposed to losers that fought instead of giving up?" he asked. "What was it?"

The noted local attorney methodically broke down the ways of winning, and identified some basic building blocks.

"I defined 18 components," he said. "And you can find those components in the boardroom on the baseball field. You can find them in any area of life."

And now, Steve has gathered all those elements -- and then some -- into a colorful coffee table book... The making of a championship heart... Lessons learned from baseball and life.

"It's got 300 photographs," he said proudly. "And very few of those photographs have been published."

 "And it's got interviews," he continued, counting his blessings as he gained access to the team he's followed all his life... the one run -- until very recently by Yerrid's friend and fellow Bay-area do-godder George Steinbrenner.

"I interviewed all of the living legends of Yankeedom and also some of the past legends that are still around," he said, ticking off a who's who of pinstriped people.

"Reggie Jackson, Ron Guidry, Goose Gossage, you name it," he said.

"I mean it was a trip."

A trip indeed for a self-described yankee fanatic who also happens to have Tampa Bay Rays season tickets.

And he can look a reporter dead in the eye and say -- with conviction -- that he roots for both teams.

"And this is a Yankees book that even a Rays fan could love?" I asked, wanting to share a common ground with a follower of an "enemy" franchise.

"I think so," said Steve, plainly.

"I don't think it has much to do with your allegiance to a baseball team. It has more to do with your loyalty to what a Championship heart is all about," he said.

It's about how to be a winner.