Book Description

Baseball in the 1970s -- remember how fabulous it was? It was a decade of heroes and upsets and dramatic freeze-frame moments. Never had the game been more exciting. Never did it change so radically. In this wonderful oral history featuring interviews with more than thirty-five players, managers, coaches, scouts, announcers, and owners, veteran sportswriter Phil Pepe brings one incredible baseball decade back to life in the words of the guys who played -- and lived -- the game.The decade was only sixteen days old when St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Curt Hood initiated what may prove to be the most important legal action in baseball history -- his challenge of the iron-clad reserve clause. On the lighter side, the 1970s ushered in wife-swapping pitchers, fu manchus, and Disco Demolition night; it was the first time a player ever earned a million bucks. Fans were screaming "Ya gotta believe" and "We are family", while terms like designated hitter, free agent, and night World Series game entered the lexicon of the game.Ron Blomberg became the first DH. The Big Red Machine dominated the National League. Reggie Jackson had a candy bar named after him. Hank Aaron became the all-time home-run king. And Yankee captain Thurman Munson died in a tragic plane crash. It all happened in one amazing decade -- and it's all here in one stupendous book.