From the best-selling author of Baseball 100

"Posnanski offers an eloquent reminder that the great Cincinnati Reds teams--especially the '75 Reds--deserve a place of prominence in our memory, same as this book demands a place of prominence on your shelf." --New York Post

There are great teams in baseball--and then there are classic teams like the 1975 Cincinnati Reds. From 1972 to 1976, the franchise known as the Big Red Machine dominated the National League, and their 1975 season has become the stuff of sports legend.

In The Machine, award-winning sports columnist Joe Posnanski captures all of the passion and tension, drama and glory of this extraordinary championship team considered to be one of the greatest of all time. Helmed by Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson, the lineup for the '75 Reds is a "Who's Who" of baseball greats, including Pete Rose, Ken Griffey Sr., and Joe Morgan.

But that remarkable year was not without controversy: feuds, fights, insults, and run-ins with fans were as much a part of the season as hits, runs, steals, and strikeouts. Capturing this rollicking thrill-ride of a story, Posnanski brings to life the excitement, hope, and high-expectations that surrounded the players from the beginning of spring training through the long summer and into a nailbiting World Series, where, in the ninth inning of the seventh game, the Big Red Machine fulfilled its destiny, defeating the Boston Red Sox 4-3.

From 1972 to 1976, the Cincinnati Reds--the franchise known as the Big Red Machine--dominated the National League, winning four division crowns, three league pennants, and two World Series titles. But their 1975 season was the stuff of sports legend.

In The Machine, award-winning sports writer Joe Posnanski captures all of the passion and tension, drama and glory of a baseball team considered to be one of the best ever to take the field. Featuring a who's who of stars--including Pete Rose, Ken Griffey, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, George Foster, Cesar Geronimo, Dave Concepcion, and Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson--The Machine brings to vivid life all the hopes and excitement, fireworks and controversy of a remarkable team's extraordinary year in a rollicking thrill-ride of a real-sports story.

Posnanski, Joe

A senior writer at Sports Illustrated, Joe Posnanski has twice been named the Best Sports Columnist in America by the Associated Press Sports Editors for his work at the Kansas City Star. He is the author of The Good Stuff and The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America, which won the prestigious Casey Award for best baseball book of 2007. His work has also been anthologized in Best American Sports Writing, and he lives with his family in Kansas City, Missouri.