When most baseball fans think back to the 1988 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics, they probably remember Kirk Gibsonâs dramatic home run off Dennis Eckersley, Orel Hershiserâs shutout streak and dominant postseason pitching that got them there, or perhaps the fact that it remains, to this day, the last World Championship for the Dodgers. In The 1988 Dodgers: Reliving the Championship Season, K. P. Wee tells the story of this incredible year. More than just Gibson or Hershiser, the teamâs success came from a true collective effort in which all 25 players on the roster made significant contributions throughout the season. Featuring dozens of interviews with playersâ"including those lesser-known Dodgers who were just as important to the team as the starsâ"coaches, scouts, and general manager Fred Claire, Wee provides a refreshing view of the 1988 season, sharing personal stories and little-known anecdotes told to him by the players and staff. The players also reflect on the importance of the entire team that season, their careers following the World Championship, and life after baseball, giving readers a complete inside look at a season and team to remember.
Industry Reviews
Any book that details perhaps the unlikeliest World Series winner ever has to make the oft-told pit stops: the eye-black incident, Orel Hershiser’s scoreless innings streak, Mike Scioscia’s home run off Dwight Gooden and the upset of the Mets in the NLCS, Bob Costas’ galvanizing remarks, Kirk Gibson’s limping blast off Dennis Eckersley, and Hershiser’s final complete game masterpiece to clinch it. Writing more as a judicious chronicler of baseball history than a fan, Wee instead paints a much broader picture of a resourceful team that owed its triumph down to the last man, rather than just a string of miracles. . . . The key to the book’s freshness is that Wee chooses to emphasize the lesser-known players and perspectives of 1988. Too many fans and historians tend to frame the team as Hershiser, Gibson and a coterie of mediocre misfits, a propensity the book acknowledges. Instead, the season is recounted through the eyes of underappreciated players, scouts, coaches, and sportswriters. Every contribution, no matter how small, is emphasized in great detail. The interviews are a joy to read, especially to get the feeling of what the season meant (and still means) to the men who aren’t celebrated enough for it. . . . By drawing on a wide variety of player, coach and executive interviews, Wee also provides different perspectives on moments many believe are known forwards and backwards. . . . Another of the book’s eminent strengths is that Wee provides ample contextual history at almost every juncture. He traces individual player moments even years before they were on the Dodgers to the very at-bat, and makes frequent comparisons to other World Series moments. . . . With its plethora of detailed recollections, meticulous accuracy and moving remembrance for a once-in-history team, The 1988 Dodgers: Reliving the Championship Season is a must for the library of not only every Dodgers fan, but every baseball fan period.
