Stars and Strikes : Baseball and America in the Bicentennial Summer of '76

Detailing the characters, events, and cultural forces behind the American bicentennial celebration, this chronicle of America and baseball reveals how this was the year that both the nation and its national pastime were revolutionized.;Introduction: Play That Funky Music -- Prologue: More Than A Feeling (October 14, 1976) -- 1. Let's Do It Again (November-December 1975) -- 2. Take It To The Limit (January 1976) -- 3. Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (February 1976) -- 4. Let 'Em In (March 1976) -- 5. The Boys Are Back In Town (April 1976) -- 6. More, More, More (May 1976) -- 7. Strange Magic (June 1976) -- 8. Afternoon Delight (July 1976) -- 9. You Should Be Dancing (August 1976) -- 10. Don't Go Breaking My Heart (September 1976) -- 11. Still The One (October 1976) -- 12. Take the Money and Run (November 1976 and Beyond).

Dan Epstein scored a cult hit with Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging '70s. Now he returns with Stars and Strikes, a riotous look at the most pivotal season of the decade.

America, 1976: colorful, complex, and combustible. It was a year of Bicentennial celebrations and presidential primaries, of Olympic glory and busing riots, of "killer bees" hysteria and Pong fever. For both the nation and the national pastime, the year was revolutionary, indeed. On the diamond, Thurman Munson led the New York Yankees to their first World Series in a dozen years, but it was Joe Morgan and Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" who cemented a dynasty with their second consecutive World Championship. Sluggers Mike Schmidt and Dave Kingman dominated the headlines, while rookie sensation Mark "The Bird" Fidrych started the All-Star Game opposite Randy "Junkman" Jones. The season was defined by the outrageous antics of team owners Bill Veeck, Ted Turner, George Steinbrenner, and Charlie Finley, as well as by several memorable bench-clearing brawls, and a batting title race that became just as contentious as the presidential race.

From Dorothy Hamill's "wedge" haircut to Kojak's chrome dome, American pop culture was never more giddily effervescent than in this year of Jimmy Carter, CB radios, AMC Pacers, The Bad News Bears, Rocky, Taxi Driver, the Ramones, KISS, Happy Days, Hotel California, and Frampton Comes Alive!--it all came alive in '76!

Meanwhile, as the nation erupted in a red-white-and-blue explosion saluting its two- hundredth year of independence, Major League Baseball players waged a war for their own liberties by demanding free agency. From the road to the White House to the shorts-wearing White Sox, Stars and Strikes tracks the tumultuous year after which the sport--and the nation--would never be the same.

Dan Epstein scored a cult hit with Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging '70s. Now he returns with Stars and Strikes , a riotous look at the most pivotal season of the decade. America, 1976: colorful, complex, and combustible. It was a year of Bicentennial celebrations and presidential primaries, of Olympic glory and busing riots, of "killer bees" hysteria and Pong fever. For both the nation and the national pastime, the year was revolutionary, indeed. On the diamond, Thurman Munson led the New York Yankees to their first World Series in a dozen years, but it was Joe Morgan and Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" who cemented a dynasty with their second consecutive World Championship. Sluggers Mike Schmidt and Dave Kingman dominated the headlines, while rookie sensation Mark "The Bird" Fidrych started the All-Star Game opposite Randy "Junkman" Jones. The season was defined by the outrageous antics of team owners Bill Veeck, Ted Turner, George Steinbrenner, and Charlie Finley, as well as by several memorable bench-clearing brawls, and a batting title race that became just as contentious as the presidential race. From Dorothy Hamill's "wedge" haircut to Kojak's chrome dome, American pop culture was never more giddily effervescent than in this year of Jimmy Carter, CB radios, AMC Pacers, The Bad News Bears , Rocky , Taxi Driver , the Ramones, KISS, Happy Days , Hotel California , and Frampton Comes Alive!— it all came alive in '76! Meanwhile, as the nation erupted in a red-white-and-blue explosion saluting its two- hundredth year of independence, Major League Baseball players waged a war for their own liberties by demanding free agency. From the road to the White House to the shorts-wearing White Sox, Stars and Strikes tracks the tumultuous year after which the sport—and the nation—would never be the same. The author of Big Hair and Plastic Grass returns with “a knuckleball ride through the wonderful and wacky year... the national pastime changed forever” (Kirkus Reviews).America, 1976: colorful, complex, and combustible. It was a year of Bicentennial celebrations and presidential primaries, of Olympic glory and busing riots, of “killer bees” hysteria and Pong fever. On the baseball diamond, Thurman Munson led the New York Yankees to their first World Series in a dozen years, but it was Joe Morgan and Cincinnati's “Big Red Machine” who cemented a dynasty with their second consecutive World Championship.The season was defined by the outrageous antics of team owners Bill Veeck, Ted Turner, George Steinbrenner, and Charlie Finley, as well as by several memorable bench-clearing brawls, and a batting title race that became just as contentious as the presidential race. Meanwhile, as the nation celebrated its two-hundredth year of independence, Major League Baseball players waged a war for their own liberties by demanding free agency.From the road to the White House to the shorts-wearing White Sox, Stars and Strikes tracks the tumultuous year after which the sport—and the nation—would never be the same. Detailing The Characters, Events, And Cultural Forces Behind The American Bicentennial Celebration, This Chronicle Of America And Baseball Reveals How This Was The Year That Both The Nation And Its National Pastime Were Revolutionized. Machine Generated Contents Note: -- Introduction: Play That Funky Music Prologue: More Than A Feeling (october 14, 1976)1. Let's Do It Again (november-december 1975)2. Take It To The Limit (january 1976)3. Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (february 1976)4. Let 'em In (march 1976)5. The Boys Are Back In Town (april 1976)6. More More More (may 1976)7. Strange Magic (june 1976)8. Afternoon Delight (july 1976)9. You Should Be Dancing (august 1976)10. Don't Go Breaking My Heart (september 1976)11. Still The One (october 1976)12. Take The Money And Run (november 1976 And Beyond). Dan Epstein. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 371-375) And Index.