One Strike Away: The Story of the 1986 Red Sox

by Dan Shaughnessy

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0825304261
• ISBN13: 9780825304262
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: Beaufort Books
• Length: 261 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Readable, Entertaining Baseball Book

Author Dan Shaughnessy recreates the 1986 Red Sox season in which Boston stood one strike away from a World Series championship. Of course, a few days earlier they were one strike away from losing the playoffs to the California Angels, so perhaps turnabout was fair play. Whatever your view, Shaughnessy describes the team from spring training through a strong start, fun summer, and solid autumn. Along the way readers come to know young MVP Rogers Clemens (just 23 in 1986), Wade Boggs, Oil Can Boyd, Jim Rice, Dave Henderson, Rich Gedman, manager John McNamara, etc. Tragically, two of them lost family members during the season. Readers also learn about that commonly-held fear that the team would once again break New England hearts at season's end. Hadn't it happened before in 1946, 1948, 1949, 1967, 1974, 1975, and 1978? Clearly this wasn't the strongest of pennant winners; a weak bullpen, modest depth, and several injuries made Boston series underdogs against the New York Mets. But they had a great leadoff man (Boggs), decent power (Jim Rice, Don Baylor), and a Rocket (Clemens 24-4, 2.48 ERA) on the mound who hadn't lost a game until July (when he was 14-0). McNamara's questionable moves may have cost the team, but that infamous grounder to Bill Buckner didn't happen until after the Mets tied the score via a wild pitch. This book may be easier for many fans to read since the Red Sox "reversed the curse" in 2004 and 2007. Oddly, their 86-year World Series title drought (1918-2004) was neither baseball's longest (Cubs since 1908) nor even longest in the American League - another AL team, often ignored by the media, went 88 seasons (1917-2005) between Series triumphs. Still, this is a pleasing, entertaining look for baseball fans.