The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates were a special team--team being the operative word. There were no superstars, although Roberto Clemente would become one, and nobody had a record season. The Battling Bucs frequently came from behind to win late in the game, with Pirates broadcaster Bob Prince signing off, "We had 'em all the way." Pittsburgh was the Sad Sack of baseball through most of the 1950s, and as the Pirates grabbed the National League lead early in the 1960 season, fans wondered if the guys in vest-shirts and black sleeves could indeed hang on.
And then there was the World Series, the one everybody but the Pirates thought would be won by the Yankees, in which Bill Mazeroski provided the most dramatic finish of all sports championships. This book, featuring interviews with Clemente, Dick Groat, Bob Friend and Dick Schofield, chronicles the Pirates of 1960--a team of friends--and their push through a long and magical season.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
"A compelling case about an important team in baseball history...will capture the interest of baseball fans"-U.S. Sport History.
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Interest Age: From 18 years
Produkt-Hinweis
Illustrationen
17 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Maße
Höhe: 229 mm
Breite: 152 mm
Dicke: 14 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-7864-9711-9 (9780786497119)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Freelance sportswriter Thad Mumau wrote for the Fayetteville Observer for more than 35 years and for the Atlantic Coast Conference Sports Journal for 22. He lives in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ?vi
Preface ?1
Introduction ?5
One.?Unlikely Champions ?11
Two.?Baseball's Landscape in 1960 ?20
Three.?Building the Roster ?28
Four.?Making Spring Count ?36
Five.?A Fast Start ?43
Six.?The Little Irishman ?49
Seven.?Invasion of the Giants ?58
Eight.?Heart of the Pirates ?69
Nine.?Staying in Front ?81
Ten.?A Friend, a Face and the Law ?91
Eleven.?The Great One, Billy and Bob ?104
Twelve.?The Road Through Milwaukee ?112
Thirteen.?Dog Days and Doubleheaders ?125
Fourteen.?Bucs' Bench Just Ducky ?145
Fifteen.?Character and Characters ?153
Sixteen.?World Series Mismatch ?162
Seventeen.?Six Games of Sparring ?170
Eighteen.?The Game ?192
Nineteen.?How It All Happened ?201
Twenty.?What Next? ?210
Chapter Notes ?219
Bibliography ?224
Index ?225