Shocktober: The Biggest Upsets in World Series History
Jonathan Weeks
GENRE: Sports History
BLURB:
Mays’s spectacular catch in 1954, Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off homer in 1960, and Kirk Gibson’s pinch-hit blast in 1988 are just a few of the memorable moments that have dominated highlight reels. The outcome of the Series has not always been terribly surprising—especially during the late 1940s and early 1950s when the Yankees captured five consecutive championships, breaking their previous record of four straight titles from 1936 to 1939. But despite its predictability at times, the Fall Classic has taken many unexpected turns. The 1906 Cubs lost to the weak-hitting White Sox after establishing a new regular season record for
wins. The 1955 Dodgers avenged seven prior October failures with an improbable victory over the seemingly invincible Yankees. And in 1969, the Mets finally shed their image as “loveable losers,” dethroning the powerful Orioles. In more than a century of World Series plays, a number of similar scenarios have emerged; twenty-two of those stories are told in Shocktober.
Excerpt:
Game 1 was held at Dodger Stadium with 56,000 fans in attendance. Since Hershiser had pitched in Game 7 of the NLCS, he was unavailable for the Series opener. Lasorda was forced to send rookie right-hander Tim Belcher to the mound while LaRussa had the luxury of starting a well-rested Dave Stewart. Perhaps feeling the pressure of the moment, Stewart hit Sax with the first pitch he threw, balked him to second base, and served up a two-run homer to Mickey Hatcher. Hatcher got the L.A. crowd worked up by rounding the bases at full speed. This prompted broadcaster Vin Scully to joke: “He’s a Saturday Evening Post character.” Regaining his composure, Stewart yielded just one more run over the next seven innings. Belcher had a rough go of it, staking the A’s to a 4-2 lead in the top of the second. The big blow was struck by Canseco—a grand slam to deep center field with two outs. The monster blast reportedly hit an NBC camera, leaving a dent. With the A’s nursing a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth, the legend of Kirk Gibson was born.
Eckersley was summoned to close out the game for Oakland. He retired the first two batters before issuing a walk to pinch-hitter Mike Davis. Gibson, who was suffering from a pulled hamstring and strained knee ligaments, had been in street clothes at the start of the game. After a pair of cortisone shots, he was still limping, but feeling less pain. With the Dodgers trailing in the late innings, he pulled on his uniform and shuffled to the batting cage beneath the stadium for some practice swings. Summoned to pinch-hit for Alejandro Pena, he worked the count full. By his own admission, he was hoping at best for a blooper over the head of Oakland shortstop Walt Weiss. Essentially swinging on one leg, the ailing slugger did much better than that, pounding a backdoor slider into the right field bleachers for a walk-off homer.
“First of all, it was like almost some kind of foolish thing to go up there and hit because of the shape I was in,” Gibson reminisced years later. “...I remember when I was rounding the bases, my parents went through my mind. Throughout my career, there were a lot of doubters, a lot of people who directed a lot of criticism at me. People would say things to my dad, and initially, early in my career, they had to defend me. I told them, ‘You guys don’t have to defend me. I’m going to bust it and I’m going to fail sometimes. But we’ll have a laugh some day [and] it will all be worth it.’ When I [hit that home run], I thought, ‘This is the moment.’” Gibson’s moment—which came in his only at-bat of the Series—has appeared in virtually every October highlight anthology ever since. In 2016, Eckersley said he felt honored to be a part of Gibson’s achievement. “I’ve always had a respect for Kirk—the kind of player he was. And for something like that to happen to me, in that moment in baseball, was incredible...I can step away from that and appreciate it because I love this game.”
Interview with Jonathan Weeks
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
I
would say that it does both. There is nothing that compares to the
feeling you get when you have finished a difficult project or when
you are holding the book you worked so hard on in your hands. I get
excited every time I see my name in print. But the writing process
itself can be grueling—especially on those days when the words
aren’t flowing. My brain only seems to have two settings—“on”
or “off.” When it’s “off,” there’s a whole process I have
to go through to get into writing mode.
What is the first book that made you cry?
I
was asked this question in a previous interview and I remember the
book very clearly. It was Curious George Goes to the Hospital.
In the book, George breaks his arm and ends up needing medical
attention. I remember the illustration of George looking so small on
a big examination table with his arm bent at an angle. There was a
look of fear, sadness, and pain on his face. I cried. I was kind of a
sensitive kid...But sensitive in a good way I think.
How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
When you are writing about any non-fiction topic, there’s a learning curve. Back then, I was learning about the early history of baseball. But I was also learning about the research process—which sources are reliable, where to find the best quotes and anecdotes, etc. I adjusted my approach a little bit each time. I’m always learning. And I’m always adapting.
What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?
Well,
I haven’t written any fiction in awhile. But in the past, I have
always tried to take the best traits of the people I base my
characters on and accentuate them—if I like the person, that is. If
I’m basing a character on someone I don’t care for, I take the
negative traits and embellish them. It might be best to stay on my
good side. LOL
Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?
My
parents were readers. There were always books around. When my sisters
and I were little, they would read us bedtime stories. The first
adult novel I read was ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. It came out
when I was about ten years-old so I didn’t understand a lot of it.
My interest in writing probably began in elementary school when I
realized I could actually do it. This was back in the golden age of
Saturday Morning cartoons and my favorite was Johnny Quest. I loved
the supernatural/science fiction angle— ancient mummy curses and
giant mechanical spiders. Those were the kind of stories I wanted to
tell.
What do you like to read in your free time?
I read a lot of sports biographies to stay sharp in my field. But I still like the supernatural/science fiction stuff. In many ways, I think we never really grow up. LOL
Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
I
didn’t meet anybody in person. But I did run across some
interesting historical figures while conducting my research. I have
always been particularly fascinated by the White Sox players who
conspired with gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series. Shoeless Joe
Jackson always gets a lot of attention because he was permanently
banned from the Hall of Fame for being involved in the fix (even
though he hit .375 in the Series). The player you hear less about is
catcher Ray Schalk. He was NOT involved in the fix. In fact, when he
figured out that it was going on, he did everything he could to help
the White Sox win. That’s one of the reasons he ended up in the
Hall of Fame.
Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?
It’s
a long story. Suffice it to say that I have tried my hand at almost
every form of writing from screenplays to poetry to full length
novels. I’ve also struggled with writer’s block extensively in
the past. Sportswriting is the only genre that has brought me
success.
How do you begin writing a new book? What challenges come with it?
I try to pick a topic that has only minimally been explored or one that still resonates with readers even if it has been extensively covered. Writing non-fiction is challenging. It’s like writing two separate manuscripts. First, there is the research and all the notes. Then there is the manuscript itself. Usually the notes take up more pages than the actual book.
Share a place that inspires you to write
Two of my favorite places on Earth are Fenway Park in Boston and Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Both are rich in history and tradition. Without them, I would never have adopted writing as a second career.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jonathan Weeks has written several sports biographies and two novels, one of which was a posthumous collaboration with his late father. He grew up in the Capital District region of New York State and currently works in the mental health field.
Connect with Jonathan Weeks
11 comments:
Good Morning! Thanks for hosting. I'm hoping to interact with some readers today. Feel free to leave questions or comments.
Thank you so much for featuring Jonathan and SHOCKTOBER today.
I am a big baseball fan. Let's go Royals! This book sounds really interesting. Thanks for sharing.
What do you think about the recent rule changes in the MLB, like the shift ban and pitch clock etc?
Great question, Marcy. I like the shift ban, although some teams have found a way around it. The pitch clock is fine. It does eliminate some of the old-school stalling tactics and also shortens games. It would be interesting to see how some of the pitchers of yesteryear would have fared with the clock. For instance, former Yankee Orlando Hernandez ("El Duque") had a habit of shaking off signs, adjusting his cap and uniform, etc...anything to keep hitters off balance. Not sure he would have been as effective if forced to conform to time restrictions.
I enjoyed the interview.
Sounds like a good book and great interview.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it.
This book would make an excellent coffee table book!
looks like a fun one
Fantastic author interview! Really enjoyed reading it!
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