by Molly Knight
First published 2015
Molly Knight chronicles the dramatic transformation of the Los Angeles Dodgers following their 2012 bankruptcy sale to Magic Johnson's ownership group. The book centers on the tumultuous 2013 season, when the newly assembled roster nearly collapsed from internal conflicts that threatened manager Don Mattingly's job. Knight reveals how the team navigated rookie sensation Yasiel Puig's unpredictable behavior after his defection from Cuba. She exposes the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to Clayton Kershaw rejecting an initial contract offer before signing the largest pitcher deal in baseball history. The narrative tracks the Dodgers' remarkable turnaround during a fifty-game stretch where they won forty-two times, the best performance by any team since World War II, before their playoff elimination. Knight provides insider details about the blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox and explains why the Dodgers' record-breaking purchase price was justified. The book offers readers unprecedented access to front office decisions, clubhouse dynamics, and the personalities that made the Dodgers baseball's most talked-about franchise.
Genres: business, american, contemporary, non-fiction, baseball, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: insider-access, underdog-story
Setting: Boston, Cuba, Los Angeles, United States
Period: 2012, 2013
336 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster