1978 - by David Krell (Hardcover)

About the Book

David Krell chronicles in novelistic detail the notable achievements of some of baseball's greatest players of 1978, along with some of the national pastime's quirkiest moments, to capture an extraordinary year in baseball.

Book Synopsis

Americans struggled to find their footing in the late 1970s. The Vietnam War ended with more than fifty-eight thousand American soldiers' deaths; the public's trust in politicians plummeted amid the Watergate scandal. As deadly blizzards ripped through the Midwest and Northeast in early 1978 and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, Americans turned to baseball for the welcome distraction and promise of a new season.

From spring training to the World Series, 1978 gave baseball fans one of the sport's greatest seasons, full of legendary moments like the battle between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox for the American League East pennant, Gaylord Perry's three thousandth strikeout, Tom Seaver's only career no-hitter, Willie McCovey's five hundredth home run, and Pete Rose's marathon forty-four-game hitting streak. The 1978 season played out against a backdrop of disco music, bell-bottom pants, and gas-guzzling cars, while Hollywood answered a desperate longing for a simpler time with nostalgic offerings such as Grease, The Buddy Holly Story, American Hot Wax, Animal House, and Superman. Robin Williams became a household name with a guest appearance on the popular TV show Happy Days, Atlantic City debuted its first casino, and Jill Clayburgh symbolized the emerging independence of women in An Unmarried Woman.

In a memorable end to the baseball season, Reggie Jackson and Bucky Dent led the Yankees to their second consecutive World Series over the Dodgers after losing the first two games, then winning four in a row. With a month-by-month approach, David Krell breaks down major events in both baseball and American culture at large in 1978, chronicling in novelistic detail the notable achievements of some of the greatest players of the era, along with some of the national pastime's quirkiest moments, to capture an extraordinary year in baseball.

Review Quotes

"An enjoyable and quick read for fans of the game in that time--the beginning of free agency, the re-emergence of the Yankee-Dodger rivalry and some other events that made that season memorable for many fans."--Guy Who Reviews Sports Books blog

"In 1978: Baseball and America in the Disco Era David Krell continues his exploration of the intersection of baseball and American popular culture. From the death of Hall of Fame manager Joe McCarthy in January through the rise of Herman Wouk's epic novel War and Remembrance, Krell has fashioned a rollicking good tale, interweaving analysis of the movies and television shows people were watching with fascinating details of a memorable season that saw the Yankees and Dodgers win their leagues' pennants and face off in the World Series."--Steven Gietschier, author of Baseball: The Turbulent Midcentury Years

"This was the year of baseball's explosive pennant race, climaxed by the greatest playoff game ever and the most improbable game-winning home run of all time. Red Sox, Yankees, Tom Lasorda ranting, John Travolta dancing, Happy Days, the Sex Pistols, and Bucky effing Dent--David Krell captures it all brilliantly in 1978."--Jerry Grillo, author of Big Cat: The Life of Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Mize

About the Author

David Krell is the author of 1962: Baseball and America in the Time of JFK (Nebraska, 2021), Do You Believe in Magic? Baseball and America in the Groundbreaking Year of 1966, and The Fenway Effect: A Cultural History of the Boston Red Sox (Nebraska, 2024).