Miracle Men

Miracle Men
Author: Josh Suchon
Publisher: Triumph Books
Total Pages: 378
Release: 2013-05
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1623682207

The 1988 World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are best remembered for Kirk Gibson's dramatic home run, Orel Hershiser's pitching dominance, and manager Tommy Lasorda's masterfully corny motivation, but there was much more that made the season memorable, bittersweet, and controversial, and this book explains it all. Using hundreds of hours of new interviews with players, coaches, broadcasters, and fans and combing through newspapers and magazines, Josh Suchon takes a new generation of Dodgers fans back to their memorable 1988 championship season. From the end of Don Sutton's Hall of Fame career and the memorable 46-day stretch of pitching by Hershiser that hasn't been equaled since to unlikely playoff heroes Mike Scioscia, Mickey Hatcher, and Mike Davis, "Miracle Men" encapsulates the fever and fervor that surrounded the team and the city of Los Angeles in the summer and fall of 1988.

The 1988 Dodgers

The 1988 Dodgers
Author: K. P. Wee
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2018-08-24
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1538113090

When most baseball fans think back to the 1988 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics, they probably remember Kirk Gibson’s dramatic home run off Dennis Eckersley, Orel Hershiser’s shutout streak and dominant postseason pitching that got them there, or perhaps the fact that it remains, to this day, the last World Championship for the Dodgers. In The 1988 Dodgers: Reliving the Championship Season, K. P. Wee tells the story of this incredible year. More than just Gibson or Hershiser, the team’s success came from a true collective effort in which all 25 players on the roster made significant contributions throughout the season. Featuring dozens of interviews with players—including those lesser-known Dodgers who were just as important to the team as the stars—coaches, scouts, and general manager Fred Claire, Wee provides a refreshing view of the 1988 season, sharing personal stories and little-known anecdotes told to him by the players and staff. The players also reflect on the importance of the entire team that season, their careers following the World Championship, and life after baseball, giving readers a complete inside look at a season and team to remember.

The Dodgers

The Dodgers
Author: Glenn Stout
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 480
Release: 2004
Genre:
ISBN: 0618213554

In the annals of baseball, the history of few other teams can compare to the rich legacy of the Dodgers. Stout provides their definitive story, from their birth in Brooklyn in 1884 to their move to Los Angeles to present day.

The Dodgers

The Dodgers
Author: Michael Schiavone
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2018-05-01
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1683581946

In 1957, the Dodgers left their home of Brooklyn, New York, where they had been since their inception in 1884, for the sunny hills of Los Angeles, California. Since arriving in LA, the team has won five World Series and ten NL Pennants, and become one of the top-grossing organizations in Major League Baseball. The Dodgers: 60 Years in LA chronicles the team’s impressive history since arriving in the West Coast. Covering the amazing feats of Dodgers greats such as Steve Garvey, Fernando Valenzuela, and Kirk Gibson, author Michael Schiavone offers an in-depth history of the team since their arrival in 1958 and through the 2017 season. With highlights of each season, the moments fans love to remember (or wish to forget), as well as those who have graced the field of Chavez Ravine, The Dodgers: 60 Years in LA shares the wonderful history of the boys in blue in the most comprehensive book available. Whether you’re a fan of the Dodgers of old or today’s team, this book offers the most information of the team’s time in California than any other on the market.

COVID Curveball

COVID Curveball
Author: Tim Neverett
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2021-08-31
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1637581440

A riveting inside account of the most unforgettable season in Los Angeles Dodgers history, from the COVID-delayed start through the incredible playoff run, by the broadcaster who saw it all. As America’s Pastime reeled from a global pandemic, the LA Dodgers rallied to win arguably the most difficult baseball season ever played. Amid strict new rules and Coronavirus outbreaks on other teams that wreaked havoc on the schedule, the Dodgers maintained a laser focus as a team and organization, and ultimately, won the first bubbled playoffs in the history of Major League Baseball. In COVID Curveball, author and Dodgers’ broadcaster Tim Neverett takes us through this unprecedented season, offering exclusive access and firsthand, edge-of-your-seat, play-by-play coverage of the surreal days and weeks that led up to the dramatic championship climax. It’s a highly entertaining, often humorous chronicle of the quirky nature of the season, the goings-on behind the scenes at the stadium and MLB at large, as well as the unique chemistry forged in the diverse and dynamic clubhouse. Along with insights into the potent lineup that produced jaw-dropping moments by Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Max Muncy, and Cody Bellinger, the book also celebrates the incredible achievements of Clayton Kershaw that cemented his Hall-of-Fame legacy, and the remarkable job done by Dave Roberts and the Dodgers’ executives and ownership. Highlighted by empty stands, remote broadcasts, and relentless testing, 2020 was perhaps the strangest baseball season ever…but it produced the most savored World Series celebration in the history of the game. Includes an in-depth foreword by Dodgers’ legend Orel Hershiser.

Long Shot

Long Shot
Author: Mike Piazza
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2014-02-18
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1439150230

The twelve-time All-Star catcher describes the inspiration he gleaned from his self-made father, his early career with the Dodgers, his memorable 2000 World Series with the Mets, and the controversies that have marked his career.

Tom Candiotti

Tom Candiotti
Author: K.P. Wee
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 269
Release: 2014-08-23
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1476615594

Most baseball fans know Tom Candiotti as a knuckleballer but he began his career as a conventional pitcher in 1983--after becoming just the second player to appear in the major leagues following Tommy John surgery, at a time when only Tommy John himself had ever come back from the operation. Candiotti, whose arm recovered, threw fastballs and curveballs in his first two years in the majors before switching over to the knuckleball for the 1986 season. He would then go on to use primarily the knuckleball for the rest of his career, though he threw a good enough curveball to get hitters out. This biography is based on the recollections of Candiotti himself, his former teammates and managers, newspaper and periodical accounts, and archival resources.

Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium
Author: Mark Langill
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2004
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780738528687

Since 1962, the inspiring architecture and sweeping vistas of Dodger Stadium have inspired millions of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball fans. What team president Walter O­Malley envisioned nearly half a century ago endures as one of professional baseball­s most striking pieces of architecture, standing in the shadow of the dramatic San Gabriel Mountains. Dodger Stadium is also one of only two such parks built during the 20th century constructed entirely with private funds. Most people think of the stadium as a world-class baseball park, and Dodger Stadium has certainly earned such a reputation, hosting eight World Series, an All-Star contest, and hundreds of action-filled games through the years, during which the Dodgers won eight National League championships and four World Series. But the stadium has been much more than a sporting ground, hosting Olympic ceremonies and events, a papal visit from John Paul II in 1987, and world-renowned musical events, ranging from Elton John to KISS to The Three Tenors. Other events have included ski-jumping competitions, boxing, and a Harlem Globetrotters basketball exhibition. For four years in the 1960s the stadium was also used by the Los Angeles Angels baseball team.

Brothers in Arms

Brothers in Arms
Author: Jon Weisman
Publisher: Triumph Books
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2018-05-15
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1641250100

The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, with enduring legacies both on and off the diamond. Chief among the hallmarks of the organization is an unparalleled pitching dominance; Dodger blue and white brings to mind brilliance on the mound and the Cy Young Awards that followed. In Brothers in Arms: Koufax, Kershaw, and the Dodgers' Extraordinary Pitching Tradition, acclaimed Dodgers writer Jon Weisman explores the organization's rich pitching history, from Koufax and Drysdale to Valenzuela and Hershiser, to the sublime Clayton Kershaw. Weisman delves deep into this lineage of excellence, interviewing both the legends that toed the rubber and the teammates, coaches, and personalities that witnessed their genius.

Game Won

Game Won
Author: Steven Wagner
Publisher: Sunbury Press
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2021-07-19
Genre:
ISBN: 9781620066676

When Los Angeles Dodgers pinch-hitter Kirk Gibson limped to the plate during Game One of the 1988 World Series, one thing was certain: victory depended upon him. Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Gibson was in an impossible situation. His two injured legs had kept him out of the starting lineup, forcing him to soak in ice as the game slipped out of reach. Now, here he was facing one of the greatest pitchers ever, cold to the touch and barely able to swing. After six minutes of dueling with Oakland flame thrower Dennis Eckersley, Gibson received the pitch he wanted. Unable to stride forward off his back foot or land on his front foot without pain, he muscled a drive over the right-field fence for the game-winning home run, sending fans into pandemonium. With one swing, the Dodgers won Game One, 5-4, and eventually the World Series, due largely to Gibson's inspirational blast. As he limped around the bases, one thing was clear: Gibson would not play again. Game Won is the story of Game One, a thriller that set the tone for a five-game series that saw the weak-hitting Dodgers nearly sweep the powerful Oakland A's. Featuring interviews with players, managers, coaches, fans, a broadcaster, and the man standing on second base when Gibson homered, Game Won captures the spirit of the Series, one of the great come-from-behind World Series games ever played-and the greatest home run ever hit.