The Slide: Leyland, Bonds, and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates

by Richard Peterson, Stephen Peterson

Overview

In the deciding game of the 1992 National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves, the Pittsburgh Pirates suffered the most dramatic and devastating loss in team history when former Pirate Sid Bream slid home with the winning run. Bream’s infamous slide ended the last game played by Barry Bonds in a Pirates uniform and sent the franchise reeling into a record twenty-season losing streak. The Slide tells the story of the myriad events, beginning with the aftermath of the 1979 World Series, which led to the fated 1992 championship game and beyond. It describes the city’s near loss of the team in 1985 and the major influence of Syd Thrift and Jim Leyland in developing a dysfunctional team into a division champion. The book gives detailed accounts of the 1990, 1991, and 1992 division championship seasons, the critical role played by Kevin McClatchy in saving the franchise in 1996, and summarizes the twenty losing seasons before the Pirates finally broke the curse of “the slide” in 2013, with their first playoff appearance since 1992.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780822982784
Publisher:	University of Pittsburgh Press
Publication date:	06/22/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Richard “Pete” Peterson is the author and editor of several baseball books, including The Pirates Reader, Growing Up With Clemente, Pops: The Willie Stargell Story,  and Extra Innings: Writing on Baseball. He is coeditor (with David Shribman) of 50 Great Moments in Pittsburgh Sports. A Pittsburgh native, Peterson is professor emeritus of English at Southern Illinois University.
 
Stephen Peterson has worked as a teacher and screenwriter for the last ten years. He resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Table of Contents

Contents Preface Acknowledgments Chapter One. The Decline and Fall of the Pirates Family: The 1980–1985 Seasons Chapter Two. The Unknowns Syd Thrift and Jim Leyland: The 1986–1989 Seasons Chapter Three. Leyland and Barry Bonds Lead the Way: The 1990 Season Chapter Four. The Pirates Take on the Nasty Boys: The 1990 National League Championship Series Chapter Five. Winning the Division, after Losing Sid Bream: The 1991 Season Chapter Six. Too Much Steve Avery: The 1991 National League Championship Series Chapter Seven. Barry Bonds’s Last Hurrah: The 1992 Season Chapter Eight. Sid Bream’s Slide into History: The 1992 National League Championship Series Chapter Nine. The Pirates Slide into History: The 1993–2010 Seasons Chapter Ten. Hurdle, McCutchen, and the End of the Slide: The 2011–2013 Seasons Notes Selected Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

Vividly recreates the circumstances that eroded what should have been an extended run of success. Fine reading for any baseball fan.”
—Booklist

“This book chronicles a seismic shift in Pirates history, from the beloved ‘We Are Family’ Pirates, through the lean and troubled ’80s, to the rise of Jim Leyland, Barry Bonds, and the star-crossed early -’90s Pirates.  No one can tell that story like the Petersons.”
—Rob King, Pirates broadcaster

“The time I spent in Pittsburgh was special for me and my family. A great atmosphere that included teammates, neighbors, employees, and fans. I’m happy to relive some of those memories with this book.”
—Doug Drabek, former Pirate
 

“Coverage of recent Pirates history may be somewhat lacking on today’s bookshelves. I found the Petersons’ account refreshing and compelling. This volume follows well alongside the Pirates’ efforts to celebrate a renewed hope.”
—Craig Britcher, Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center

From the Publisher