Fenway: an Unexpurgated History of The Boston Red Sox
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1992
IN 1986 THE BOSTON Red Sox were one strike away from their first World Series in 68 years when Bill Buckner let a grounder slip through his legs, virtually ceding that year's championship to the New York Mets. And so goes most of the history of this heart-breaking franchise. Peter Golenbock, author of several best-selling sports books, covers painful memories, from the trade of Babe Ruth and the beaning of Tony Conigliaro to the Great Collapse of 1978 and Bucky Dent's unlikely playoff home run. Even the highlights Ted Williams's .406, the Impossible Dream Season of '67, Carlton Fisk's dramatic foulpole home run, Carl Yastrzemski's brilliant career are steeped in the poignancy of eventual failure. One chapter is even titled "The Psyche of the Red Sox Fan." Read it and weep.
