They Bled Blue: Fernandomania, Strike-Season Mayhem, and the Weirdest Championship Baseball Had Ever Seen: The 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jason Turbow
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
In the Halberstam tradition of capturing a season through its unforgettable figures, They Bled Blue is a sprawling, mad tale of excess and exuberance, the likes of which could only have occurred in that place, at that time.
That it culminated in an unlikely World Series win—during a campaign split by the longest player strike in baseball history—is not even the most interesting thing about this team. The Dodgers were led by the garrulous Tommy Lasorda—part manager, part cheerleader—who unyieldingly proclaimed devotion to the franchise through monologues about bleeding Dodger blue and worshiping the “Big Dodger in the Sky,” and whose office hosted a regular stream of Hollywood celebrities. Steve Garvey, the All-American, All-Star first baseman, had anchored the most durable infield in major league history, and, along with Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, and Ron Cey, was glaringly aware that 1981 would represent the end of their run together. The season’s real story, however, was one that nobody expected at the outset: a chubby lefthander nearly straight out of Mexico, twenty years old with a wild delivery and a screwball as his flippin’ out pitch. The Dodgers had been trying for decades to find a Hispanic star to activate the local Mexican population; Fernando Valenzuela was the first to succeed, and it didn’t take long for Fernandomania to sweep far beyond the boundaries of Chavez Ravine.
They Bled Blue is the rollicking yarn of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ crazy 1981 season.
Jason Turbow
JASON TURBOW is the author of the best-selling The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing & Bench-Clearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules of America’s Pastime and Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic. He has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and SI.com. He lives in California.
Read more from Jason Turbow
Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finley's Swingin' A's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to They Bled Blue
Related ebooks
The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly: New York Giants: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from New York Giants History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings162-0: Imagine a Cubs Perfect Season: A Game-by-Game Anaylsis of the Greatest Wins in Cubs History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThree Rivers, Three Rings Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings162-0: Imagine a Yankees Perfect Season: The Greatest Wins! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFenway Park Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mets Triviology: Fascinating Facts from the Bleacher Seats Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYankees World Series Memories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEchoes of Cincinnati Reds Baseball: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStrangers in the Bronx: DiMaggio, Mantle, and the Changing of the Yankee Guard Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings100 Things Yankees Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Season in the Sun Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Final Season: Fathers, Sons, and One Last Season in a Classic American Ballpark Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gibby: Tales of a Baseball Lifer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEagles QBs A to Z Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Big 50: Chicago Cubs: The Men and Moments that Made the Chicago Cubs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe '85 Bears: We Were the Greatest Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVin Scully: The Voice of Dodger Baseball Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Whiz Kids: The Story of the fightin’ Phillies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDa Coach: Irreverent Stories from His Players, Coaches, and Friends Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Phenom: The Making of Bryce Harper Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPress Box Revolution: How Sports Reporting Has Changed Over the Past Thirty Years Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJets Underground: Wahoo, Joe Willie, and the Swingin' Swaggerin' World of Gang Green Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Subway Series: Baseball's Big Apple Battles And The Yankees-Mets 2000 World Series Classic Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSlouching Toward Fargo Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAu jeu/Play Ball: The 50 Greatest Games in the History of the Montreal Expos: SABR Digital Library, #37 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn Scoring Position: 40 Years of a Baseball Love Affair Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Miracle Men: Hershiser, Gibson, and the Improbable 1988 Dodgers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5True: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Major League Baseball A Mile High: The First Quarter Century of the Colorado Rockies: SABR Digital Library, #58 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Baseball For You
Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summer of '49 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Baseball 100 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ball Four Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Baseball and Philosophy: Thinking Outside the Batter's Box Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Baseball For Dummies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5October 1964 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hidden Game of Baseball Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bill James Guide to Baseball Managers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Moneyball: by Michael Lewis | Includes Analysis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBabe: The Legend Comes to Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nolan Ryan: The Making of a Pitcher Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Baseball Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Baseball Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYouth Baseball Bible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fantasy Baseball for Smart People: How to Profit Big During MLB Season Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Long Shot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Boys of Summer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pitch Like a Pro: A guide for Young Pitchers and their Coaches, Little League through High School Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5If These Walls Could Talk: Boston Red Sox Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Out of My League:: A Rookie's Survival in the Bigs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pitching Isn't Complicated: The Secrets of Pro Pitchers Aren't Secrets At All Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLove Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the making of an Antiher Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Baseball America 2023 Prospect Handbook Digital Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Reviews for They Bled Blue
1 rating0 reviews