October 13, 1960: the hardscrabble Pirates were a colorful bunch of overachievers led by Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski, making the franchise’s first World Series appearance in thirty-five years against a heavily favored Yankee squad featuring such legends as Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Roger Maris. The Pirates were outscored 46–16 through the first six games—only to win, 10–9, when Mazeroski became the only player ever to decide aWorld Series Game 7 with a walk-off home run.
With this “captivating book†(New York Times), Reisler revisits this fall classic pitch by pitch, capturing the lively atmosphere within the ballpark and throughout the country. The result is the feeling of being there—from the seemingly predictable start, to the truly unbelievable finish—of the best game ever.
