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The thrilling inside story behind a crucial chapter in Red Sox
lore—and a turbulent time in a troubled city.
George Steinbrenner called it the greatest game in the history of
American sports. On a bright October day in 1978, the Boston Red
Sox met the New York Yankees for an epic playoff game that would
send one team to the World Series, and render the other cursed for
almost a quarter of a century.
In this book, award-winning sports columnist Bill Reynolds
masterfully tells the story of the team and the players at this
pivotal moment. This cultural history takes readers through the
social issues that divided Boston that summer, and masterfully
depicts their influence on one game beyond the realm of sports.
'78Reviewed by Daniel Brucker, 2009-10-19
I really liked the book, with the flashbacks within the game. Reynolds also kept it balanced between the concepts of baseball and racism. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who loves baseball and/or has an interest in learning some history.
Busing & Bucky Bleepin' DentReviewed by Larry Underwood, 2009-07-01
For the city of Boston, the mid '70s was a period of prime-time
racial tension; everyone in the country seemed to focus on the
busing issue & many labeled that city as racist.
Bill Reynolds' compelling tale of one devastatingly historic
baseball game (for Red Sox fans) and the racial tension that
divided a city, is a masterful piece of writing.
Over 30 years has passed since that fateful game; the city has
shaken the so-called Curse of the Bambino, with two World Series
titles over the past five seasons (which is two more than the
mighty Yankees), and the racial tension has dissipated. However, to
any fan of the Red Sox who witnessed the stunning outcome of that
game, the hero for the Yankees will forever be remembered tersely,
as Bucky Bleepin' Dent.
Reynolds has compiled a fascinating story, whether you're a fan of
the game, or a fan of contemporary American culture. It's a great
book.
A great story about a painful time!Reviewed by R. C Sheehy, 2009-05-13
I have to tip my cap to Bill Reynolds, he manages to write a
compelling and somewhat uplifting story about a very dark period in
the history of Boston. As we all know the mid-1970's were not a
happy time for the city of Boston. The busing issue nearly
destroyed its reputation. Reynolds in this book tells the
compelling story of the Red Sox and the 1978 pennant race. He shows
how the tumult outside the ball park was in some ways alien to what
was going on inside but yet not completely foreign.
Reynolds does a tremendous job of describing the principal players
on both the political as well as sport fronts. He describes the
history of racism that dominated not only the Boston School
Committee but also the Boston Red Sox under Tom Yawkey. He does a
great job at showing how this racism caused long term harm to both
the Red Sox and the city of Boston.
All in all a great read and highly enjoyable!
Why the Tag is ThereReviewed by John Galluzzo, 2009-05-04
Red Sox fans have watched over the past two decades as free agents
have turned their city down, the most famous being David Justice.
For anybody under 45 years of age, it's been a head-scratcher. Why
is Boston labeled as a racist city by outsiders?
Reynolds' book explains the heavy racist hatred that plagued the
city during the 1970s, through the story of the busing experiment
that attempted to systematically integrate the city's neighborhood
schools. Paralleling the busing story is the tale of the 1978
single game playoff between the Red Sox and Yankees, how it froze
time in the city and focused everybody's concentration - black and
white - on the game. The author also explores the hypocritical
stance taken by many fans of the day, cheering black ballplayers
like Jim Rice and George Scott, yet protesting busing once the
games got out.
So the problem for Bostonians today is one of simple math. If they
lived in the city in the mid-1970s and were cognizant of the busing
controversy, they remember the hate. If David Justice had a friend
who grew up in Boston during those turbulent, violent days, his
opinion of the city could easily have been swayed. If you moved
into Boston after 1980, you might never know the importance of the
names Judge Garrity, Mel King and Louise Day Hicks.
In the end, the author uses the game as a metaphor for the race
relations. After Carl Yastrzemski popped out to end the dramatic
game, the Yankees visited the Red Sox clubhouse to say that neither
team should have lost, that in the end, both teams should have been
labeled winners.
If the Red Sox and Yankees could get along, so could South Boston
and Roxbury.
A terrific read from Bill ReynoldsReviewed by Joseph C. Sweeney, 2009-04-19
Bill Reynolds has long been on of New England's most prolific
writers of sports books. His latest, "'78", does not disappoint. A
recounting of the great playoff game between the Sox and Yankees
along with a history of the Boston busing crisis of the 70s,
Reynolds work is extremely readable and entertaining, and should be
read by any Red Sox fan or those interested in the history of the
Hub.
Highly recommended.
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