Every game has a story. It goes deeper than what you see in the
park or on your television. Every action has a reason, and an explanation behind it. This book gives those explanations for what many consider the greatest game ever played. As the title tells you, this book focuses on Game Six of the 1975 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. But it was more than that. It was Sparky Anderson vs. Darrell Johnson. Luis Tiant vs. Pete Rose. Carlton Fisk vs. Johnny Bench. What was the back-story that made this one game the pinnacle sports? What does the viewer need to know that it doesn’t?
I had a bit of a problem when I was reading this book. When it started, I thought it was going to be in the same style as Steve Ketteman’s landmark book One Day at Fenway. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a wonderful book. It just took me a little while to get over it. Game Six uses a popular technique of following the play-by-play of a game, but interjecting outside information into it. So, it is like reading a series of short biographies, set into the flow of the game. The trick with that style is not interrupting the flow of the game itself with a story about Carlton Fisk. Frost does a good job of that. I never felt like the book was getting too far away from the action. Frost also did a good job of keeping the side stories relevant to the game action. It usually seemed like the story being told had a direct relationship to the game situation the player was in. It was wonderfully twirled. It also helped that I didn’t know as much about the 1975 team as I do others. Sure, I had already read The Long Ball. But, that was about it. So, the information in the book wasn’t as stale as if it were about, say, Game 4 of the 2004 World Series. That all made for a wonderful read. It makes me want to pick up Frost’s other books…even if they’re about golf.
Rating: 3 Bases
I had a bit of a problem when I was reading this book. When it started, I thought it was going to be in the same style as Steve Ketteman’s landmark book One Day at Fenway. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a wonderful book. It just took me a little while to get over it. Game Six uses a popular technique of following the play-by-play of a game, but interjecting outside information into it. So, it is like reading a series of short biographies, set into the flow of the game. The trick with that style is not interrupting the flow of the game itself with a story about Carlton Fisk. Frost does a good job of that. I never felt like the book was getting too far away from the action. Frost also did a good job of keeping the side stories relevant to the game action. It usually seemed like the story being told had a direct relationship to the game situation the player was in. It was wonderfully twirled. It also helped that I didn’t know as much about the 1975 team as I do others. Sure, I had already read The Long Ball. But, that was about it. So, the information in the book wasn’t as stale as if it were about, say, Game 4 of the 2004 World Series. That all made for a wonderful read. It makes me want to pick up Frost’s other books…even if they’re about golf.
Rating: 3 Bases
I'll definitley look for this one. I did read, "The Greatest Game Ever Played" and I agree with just about everyone that it is a great read even if you're not particularly into golf.
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