Phinally!: The Phillies, the Royals and the 1980 Baseball Season That Almost Wasn’t

A lot happened in baseball in 1980. After being stabbed with a penknife in Mexico during spring training, the Indians’ “Super Joe” Charboneau captured Cleveland’s heart—and Rookie of the Year. Nolan Ryan became baseball’s first Million Dollar Man, and Billy Ball revived Oakland’s fading franchise. Bad guys Bill “Mad Dog” Madlock and Dave “Kong” Kingman terrorized fellow players, umpires and sportswriters. The Phillies and Expos battled up to the season’s final weekend while the Dodgers and Astros needed a one-game playoff to decide their division. In the American League, Kansas City’s George Brett posted the highest single-season batting average since 1941 and Reggie Jackson was twice confronted by gun-waving youths. In October, Brett led the Royals past the Yankees and into the Series, where he battled Mike Schmidt’s Phillies in the Fall Classic. This book covers it all—the bean balls, bench-clearing brawls, the return of Darth Vader and the launch of CNN.