1978 : baseball and America in the disco era / David Krell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Krell, David, 1967- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Baseball--United States--History--20th century.

Baseball.

Baseball--United States--History--Chronology.

United States--Civilization--1970---Anecdotes.

United States.

Physical Description:

ix, 208 pages ; 24 cm

Other Title:

Nineteen seventy-eight

Baseball and America in the disco era

Place of Publication:

Lincoln : University of Nebraska Press, [2025]

Summary:

"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." -- Provided by publisher.

"1978: Baseball and America in the Disco Era" takes a month-by-month approach to break down major events in both baseball and American culture at large in 1978"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

The best interests of baseball (January 1978)

"A chance to be absolutely unbelievable" (February 1978)

Goodbye dark, my old friend (March 1978)

Move over Baby Ruth, here comes Reggie (April 1978)

Kingman's performance and Lasorda's outrage (May 1978)

Louisiana lightning and greased lightning (June 1978)

Melodrama in the Bronx (July 1978)

A Rose by any other game (August 1978)

The Boston massacre (September 1978)

The World Series (October 1978)

A tale of two Sparkys (November 1978)

It's a bird . . . It's a plane . . . It's a blockbuster (December 1978).

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Krell, David, 1967- 1978.

ISBN:

9781496239600

1496239601

OCLC:

1449674490