A national sports columnist, Tyler Kepner has been covering baseball for the New York Times since 2010. And he's enjoyed World Series play for the past two decades in print--plus 21 years before that.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Kepner attended his first World Series game when he was eight years old. In 1983, the Philadelphia Phillies might've caved to the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth game of the series, but young Kepner bore witness to the final out--a line drive--caught by 23-year-old Cal Ripken Jr. of the Orioles. It would become the legendary shortstop's only appearance in a World Series over the course of his career.
That experience loads the bases for The Grandest Stage, Kepner's meticulously researched "ode to the most wonderful time of the year" in baseball. Over seven chapters, Kepner breaks down key moments from World Series history, offering insights from "those lucky enough to play or manage in the World Series or to build the teams." There's Reggie Jackson handling the pressures of the 1978 series. The clutch hitter was immortalized as "Mr. October" after he hit three home runs off three consecutive pitches from three different pitchers, sealing the first championship in 15 years for the New York Yankees. Carlton Fisk of the Boston Red Sox homered to win Game 6 of the 1975 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. However, the unsung hero was actually pitcher Rick Wise, who took the mound for the Bosox in the 12th inning and became the winning pitcher after the two teams went through 12 pitchers between them--the most ever--over the course of a Series game.
For every victory, there's an opposing loss--and heart-wrenching blunders such as what happened to Boss Schmidt, catcher for the Detroit Tigers in the first series game against the Chicago Cubs in 1907. Schmidt missed a curveball that should've been a game-ending strikeout. Instead, the passed ball allowed the tying run to score in a game ruled a tie after 12 innings due to darkness.
Kepner (K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches) hits it out of the park in delivering spellbinding historical stories in a fascinating exploration of key World Series moments for players, franchises, coaches and commentators. Readers and fans will bask in an exciting front-row seat, retracing annual best-of-seven October-November matchups and those who got to live their dream or "at least earn the chance." --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines
Shelf Talker: A sports journalist retraces the great historical moments from the World Series that have come to epitomize the annual best-of-seven matchup.