Miracle Men by Josh Suchon
“All year long they looked to him to light the fire and all
year long he answered the demands.”
“High fly ball into right field. She is gone!”
“In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has
happened.”
I was only three years old that amazing night; the night
Kirk Gibson made baseball history. Which means I was only three years old the
last time the Dodgers won (or even appeared in) the World Series.
Watching the video, I have relived that moment over and over
again. Sometimes I even close my eyes just so I can hear Vin Scully’s golden
voice with the roar of crowd in the background.
Obviously as a Dodger fan that moment holds a lot of value,
but I think any baseball fan gets goose bumps watching Gibson take Eckersley
deep to right to take Game 1.
Miracle Men is a
fantastic summary of the 1988 Dodger season. Suchon does a great job describing
the energy and focus of Gibson, the stability of Hershiser, and the ingenuity
(or luck depending on how you see it) of general manager Fred Claire.
I wish more baseball books were written like this. Suchon does
not try to throw in some literary themes or show us how the Dodgers changed the
culture of Los Angeles. He gives us the facts and the story. He talks about the
men on the field, the men in the dugout, and the men in the clubhouse.
I know the author did his job when I know the ending yet
every page keeps me in suspense.
