Born and raised in Philadelphia, national sports columnist Tyler 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 then 23-year-old Cal Ripken Jr. of the Orioles. It would turn out to be the legendary shortstop's only appearance in a World Series over the course of his long 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." In 1978, clutch hitter Reggie Jackson was immortalized as "Mr. October" after he hit three home runs off three consecutive pitches from three different pitchers, sealing New York Yankees' first championship in 15 years. For every victory, there's an opposing loss--and heart-wrenching blunders, such as when Boss Schmidt, catcher for the Detroit Tigers, 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. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines