The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates were a special team - team being the operative word. There were no superstars - although Roberto Clemente would become one - and nobody had a record season. The Battling Bucs frequently came from behind to win late in the game, with Pirate broadcaster Bob Prince signing off, “We had 'em all the way”. Pittsburgh was the Sad Sack of baseball through most of the 1950s, and as the Pirates grabbed the National League lead early in the 1960 season, fans wondered if the guys in vest-shirts and black sleeves could indeed hang on. And then there was the World Series, the one everybody but the Pirates thought would be won by the Yankees, where Bill Mazeroski hit the most dramatic home run finish of all sports championships. This book, featuring interviews with Clemente, Dick Groat, Bob Friend and Dick Schofield, tells the story the Pirates of 1960 - a team of friends - and their push through a long and magical season.

This is an exciting story that takes you through more than 150 games of the regular season and the World Series of the 1957 Milwaukee Braves. A day-by-day - sometimes inning-by-inning - chronicle of one of the all-time best baseball teams, the book begins with a history of the Braves franchise, then an overview of the near-miss of 1956, followed by a detailed journey through the '57 season and the World Celebration after a seven-game conquest in the World Series with the New York Yankees. It ends with an analysis of how close the '57 team came to being a part of a dynasty. All the key players are profiled along with the winning streaks, tough stretches, key transactions and costly injuries. Game highlights, player statistics, and box scores are included.