In this spellbinding book, Richard Bradley tells the story of what was surely the greatest major league game of our lifetime and perhaps in the history of professional baseball. That game, played at Fenway Park on the afternoon of October 4, 1978, was the culmination of one of the most tense, emotionally wrought seasons ever, between baseball's two most bitter rivals, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Both teams finished this tumultuous season with identical 99-64 records, forcing a one-game playoff. With a one-run lead and two outs, with the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, the entire season came down to one at-bat and to one swing of the bat.
It came down, as both men eerily predicted to themselves the night before, to the aging Red Sox legend, Carl Yastrzemski, and the Yankees' free-agent power reliever, Rich "Goose" Gossage.
Anyone who calls himself a baseball fan knows the outcome of that confrontation. And yet such are the literary powers of the author that we are pulled back in time to that late-afternoon moment and become filled anew with all the taut sense of drama that sports has to offer, as if we don't know what happened. As if the thoughts swirling around in the heads of pitcher and hitter are still fresh, both still hopeful of controlling events.
That climactic game occurred thirty seasons ago and yet it still captures our imagination. In this delightful work of sports literature, we watch the game unfold pitch by pitch, inning by inning, but Bradley is up to something more ambitious than just recounting this wonderful game. He also tells us the stories of the participants -- how they got to that moment in their lives and careers, what was at stake for them personally -- including the rivalries within the rivalry, such as catcher Carlton Fisk versus catcher Thurman Munson,and Billy Martin versus everyone. Using a narrative that alternates points of view between the teams, Bradley reacquaints us with a rich roster of characters -- Freddy Lynn, Ron Guidry, Catfish Hunter, Mike Torrez, Jerry Remy, Lou Piniella, George Scott, and Reggie Jackson. And, of course, Bucky Dent, who craved just such a moment in the sun -- a validation he had vainly sought from the father he barely knew.
Not a book intended to celebrate a triumph or lament a loss, The Greatest Game will be embraced in both Boston and New York, with fans of both teams recalling again the talented young men they once gave their hearts to. And fans everywhere will be reminded how utterly gripping a single baseball game can be and that the rewards of being a fan lie not in victory but in caring beyond reason, even decades after the fact.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
IT'S JUST OK:
It's difficult for me to take a book or author too seriously when it's apparent from the number of errors that he / she really didn't take the time to do their homework and get their facts straight. As was pointed out by another reviewer, how seriously can you possibly take this book / author when the dust jacket states that the game took place on October 4th (instead of October 2nd). It's hard to believe that he / she couldn't even get the date of of the game described as "the greatest playoff" game in the... more info
I bought it because Bucky Dent is on the cover!:
The cover might be the best part of this book, but only because as others have already pointed out in their reviews there are numerous errors to be found in the text. Although, seriously, I love the image of Bucky Dent hitting a pop fly homer that proved to be the game-winner on TOP, with Yaz hitting a little league pop UP on bottom for the last out of the game. Did I mention I'm a Yankees fan? If you are into the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, go ahead and buy this book. I really did enjoy reading... more info
Boston Emerald:
The Greatest Game may well be just that, a fine look at the great 1978 New York Yankees Boston Red Sox playoff game and season stitched together. With a purist's appreciation for the game of baseball, both Red Sox and Yankees fans alike will enjoy Richard Bradley's even-keeled book. Its steady cadence, which if listened to closely, reveals itself to be a growing applause for the National Pasttime. The heart of the book is the intertwining of the one game playoff and the whole of the season, with some great... more info
Too Many Errors:
I enjoyed the way the book was written. I learned some new facts - which isn't easy for me considering the amount of text I've read about the Yankees and 1978 in particular. I enjoyed how the author would go inning by inning, and then give great facts about the players and the history of the teams. Yet, the errors between left field and right field, and such, as noted in a previous review, was enought to drive me a bit crazy. A better editing job would have made this a 5 star book.
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