Shocktober: The Biggest Upsets in World Series History by Jonathan Weeks
For the baseball enthusiast and history buff, Shocktober: The Biggest Upsets in World Series History by Jonathan Weeks is a thrilling page-turner that will delight with its collection of 22 unforgettable stories of underdog victories and shocking upsets that will leave you cheering for the underdogs and marveling at the drama of the Fall Classic. (StoryGraph)
A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.
Shocktober: The Biggest Upsets in World Series History by Jonathan Weeks ~ Spotlight @GoddessFish @LyonsPress $25 Gift Card Available
Book Details
Shocktober: The Biggest Upsets in World Series History by Jonathan Weeks Published by Lyons Press on January 7, 2025
Genres: History, Non-fiction, Sports
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 258
Baseball’s October showcase has provided some high drama over the years. Willie Mays’s spectacular catch in 1954, Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off homer in 1960, and Kirk Gibson’s pinch-hit blast in 1988 are just a few of the memorable moments that have dominated highlight reels.
The outcome of the Series has not always been terribly surprising—especially during the late 1940s and early 1950s when the Yankees captured five consecutive championships, breaking their previous record of four straight titles from 1936 to 1939.
But in spite of its predictability at times, the Fall Classic has taken many unexpected turns. The 1906 Cubs lost to the weak-hitting White Sox after establishing a new regular season record for wins. The 1955 Dodgers avenged seven prior October failures with an improbable victory over the seemingly invincible Yankees. And in 1969, the Mets finally shed their image as “loveable losers,” dethroning the powerful Orioles.
In more than a century of World Series plays, a number of similar scenarios have emerged. Twenty-two of those stories are told in Shocktober. The book also includes an appendix of game statistics as well as a section on World Series trivia.
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Excerpt from Shocktober
Game 1 was held at Dodger Stadium with 56,000 fans in attendance. Since Hershiser had pitched in Game 7 of the NLCS, he was unavailable for the Series opener. Lasorda was forced to send rookie right-hander Tim Belcher to the mound while LaRussa had the luxury of starting a well-rested Dave Stewart. Perhaps feeling the pressure of the moment, Stewart hit Sax with the first pitch he threw, balked him to second base, and served up a two-run homer to Mickey Hatcher. Hatcher got the L.A. crowd worked up by rounding the bases at full speed. This prompted broadcaster Vin Scully to joke: “He’s a Saturday Evening Post character.”
Regaining his composure, Stewart yielded just one more run over the next seven innings. Belcher had a rough go of it, staking the A’s to a 4-2 lead in the top of the second. The big blow was struck by Canseco—a grand slam to deep center field with two outs. The monster blast reportedly hit an NBC camera, leaving a dent. With the A’s nursing a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth, the legend of Kirk Gibson was born.
Eckersley was summoned to close out the game for Oakland. He retired the first two batters before issuing a walk to pinch-hitter Mike Davis. Gibson, who was suffering from a pulled hamstring and strained knee ligaments, had been in street clothes at the start of the game. After a pair of cortisone shots, he was still limping, but feeling less pain. With the Dodgers trailing in the late innings, he pulled on his uniform and shuffled to the batting cage beneath the stadium for some practice swings.
Summoned to pinch-hit for Alejandro Pena, he worked the count full. By his own admission, he was hoping at best for a blooper over the head of Oakland shortstop Walt Weiss. Essentially swinging on one leg, the ailing slugger did much better than that, pounding a backdoor slider into the right field bleachers for a walk-off homer.
“First of all, it was like almost some kind of foolish thing to go up there and hit because of the shape I was in,” Gibson reminisced years later. “…I remember when I was rounding the bases, my parents went through my mind. Throughout my career, there were a lot of doubters, a lot of people who directed a lot of criticism at me. People would say things to my dad, and initially, early in my career, they had to defend me. I told them, ‘You guys don’t have to defend me. I’m going to bust it and I’m going to fail sometimes. But we’ll have a laugh some day [and] it will all be worth it.’
When I [hit that home run], I thought, ‘This is the moment.’” Gibson’s moment—which came in his only at-bat of the Series—has appeared in virtually every October highlight anthology ever since. In 2016, Eckersley said he felt honored to be a part of Gibson’s achievement. “I’ve always had a respect for Kirk—the kind of player he was. And for something like that to happen to me, in that moment in baseball, was incredible…I can step away from that and appreciate it because I love this game.”
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
“Note: I remember this so well! The author’s description in this excerpt brought it all back in shining glory for this Dodger Gal!”
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Purchase Links for Shocktober
If the above links do not take you to your country’s Amazon page for Shocktober, please let me know, and I’ll gladly get you a link.
Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a minimal amount from their share, and every penny helps support this blog.
Purchase Shocktober from YOUR local Bookshop!
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About Jonathan Weeks
Jonathan Weeks spent most of his life in the Capital District region of New York State. He earned a degree in psychology from SUNY Albany and currently works in the mental health field.
He has written several sports biographies and two novels, one of which was a posthumous collaboration with his father.
I previously spotlighted Jonathan Week’s The Legend of the Mick.
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Guest Post by the Author of Shocktober
Why is your book a “must-read”?
I would never refer to my book as a “must-read.” No. That’s presumptuous. In fact, I’m not in the business of telling anyone what to do. You can skip his book altogether if you prefer (though I admit it would make me happier if you didn’t, being the author and all). While I’m not inclined to sway your opinion in one direction or the other, I do feel compelled to list at least three reasons why you might actually enjoy this book—especially if you’re a fan of baseball or sports in general.
Reason # 1.) Everyone enjoys a good underdog story. We live in a world where the little guys are constantly being trampled underfoot. It’s a tiring scenario. But that’s not what this book is about at all. …Quite the opposite, in fact. This book contains 22 of the best underdog stories in baseball history beginning with the lowly 1906 White Sox, who beat the best team in the majors despite posting the lowest team batting average ever recorded by a pennant-winning club.
Reason #2.) This book is a refreshing deviation from the norm. Volumes of literature have been dedicated to the greatest teams in history, such as the New York Yankees of the 1950s and the Oakland A’s of the early-1970s. But how much attention has been paid to baseball’s surprise (and lesser known) champions—like the 1987 Twins, who began the season with 500-to-1 Vegas odds stacked against them, or the 1960 Pirates, who took down the mighty Yankees in seven games despite being outhit and outpitched. Those stories are far more compelling.
Reason #3.) This book might actually enhance your public image. It’s loaded with obscure facts and assorted tidbits of baseball minutiae. What better way to make yourself look like a genius than to dazzle your friends on trivia night with your intricate knowledge of World Series history?
With that being said, whether you choose to read this book or not is entirely up to you. I believe in the power of free will. And I trust you will make the right decision in the end.
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Giveaway!
Jonathan Weeks will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Amazon/BN gift card.
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Official Tour Page for Shocktober
Full Tour Schedule:
January 20: Our Town Book Reviews
January 20: Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews
January 21: Sandra’s Book Club
January 22: A Wonderful World of Words
January 22: Author C.A.Milson
January 23: Westveil Publishing
January 24: Boys’ Mom Reads!
January 27: Gina Rae Mitchell
January 28: Fabulous and Brunette
January 28: Frugal Freelancer
January 29: Guatemala Paula Likes to Read
January 30: The Avid Reader
January 30: The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
January 31: Long and Short Reviews
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This looks like a book I will thoroughly enjoy.
It a “must-read” for baseball fans. I’ll say that even if Jonathan won’t! (Read the guest post. lol!)
[…] 23: Westveil PublishingJanuary 24: Boys’ Mom Reads!January 27: Gina Rae MitchellJanuary 28: Fabulous and BrunetteJanuary 28: Frugal FreelancerJanuary 29: Guatemala […]
Looks like a interesting book.
If you are a baseball fan, you don’t want to miss this one!
What is your favorite part of being a writer?
Thete are a lot of things I like about writing. I always get a kick out of seeing my name in print. It takes so much work to finish a book. When you are actually holding the finished product in your hands, it’s a real thrill.
I always enjoy books like this, no matter the subject.
Me too, Nancy.
I certainly enjoyed writing it. Thanks for the kind words.
Hello!! Thanks for hosting another one of my tours–it’s great to be back. I enjoy interacting with readers and hope that people will feel free to leave questions and comments. I’ll respond to all of them if I can.
So happy to have you here, Jonathan. Good luck with the tour!
Thank you so much for featuring today’s book.
[…] Gina Rae Mitchell […]