The Grandest Stage

From the New York Times bestselling author of K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches, a highly-entertaining history of the World Series, based on years of archival research and interviews with hundreds of players and managers, filled with never-before-heard details of the most exciting and fascinating tales from 117 years of the Fall Classic. The World Series is baseball's greatest stage. From Babe Ruth's famous called shot, to Jackie Robinson stealing home, to Carlton Fisk hitting the foul pole, Kirk Gibson limping around the bases, to Blake Snell being pulled in the 2020 Series, the sport's most iconic moments have happened in October. There's no one better to bring this rich history to life than New York Times national baseball columnist Tyler Kepner, whose bestselling history of pitching, K, was lauded as like Michelangelo explaining the brush strokes on the Sistine Chapel" by Newsday. In THE CLASSIC, Kepner talked to hundreds of people who've won - and lost - World Series, and looked deep into the records to present a vivid portrait of what it's like playing in the pressure cooker of the Series. He shows the human side of the game (the pitcher who gave up Ruth's called shot was still haunted by it on his deathbed), celebrates unlikely heroes suchas Don Larsen (a mediocre pitcher who threw the only perfect game in World Series history), writes of the goats with compassion (the Phillies' Mitch Williams shouldn't have pitched the last inning in 1993), and busts some long-time myths (the Reds would have beat the Black Sox anyway.) The result is a vivid portrait of baseball at its finest and most intense, filled with humor, lore, keen analysis and memorable anecdotes. For every fan who's ever felt their heart in their mouth in the bottom of the ninthin Game Seven, and a great gift for those who love them, THE CLASSIC is the ultimate history of the World Series"--