Miracle at Fenway: The Inside Story of the Boston Red Sox 2004 Championship Season

Ticketless Boston Red Sox fan Kevin McCarthy snuck into Fenway Park the night before game seven of the 1967 World Series and remained unseen until the morning, only to be caught when he needed to use the bathroom. Larry Lucchino was recovering from cancer treatments at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston when a visit to Fenway Park led to a series of events culminating in his becoming president of the Red Sox. These stories are two of many that make up this unique portrait of the Red Sox and their struggles to win the World Series. Whereas the majority of sports narratives revolve around the athletes, Wisnia (Fenway Park: The Centennial) interestingly chooses to frame his narrative around a variety of perspectives; along the way, he offers fresh insights into well-known stories, such as the Nomar Garciaparra trade saga. Only about half of this book deals directly with the 2004 season, but this is to the reader’s advantage since Red Sox history is fascinating, even to non-fans. This is an entertaining book about the power and promise of sports, passionately and intimately told. (July)