On May 17, 1979, nobody expected an afternoon game between the first-place Philadelphia Phillies and ailing Chicago Cubs to be much more than a lazy early-season contest. When the teams combined for 13 runs in the first inning, the craziest game ever had begun. Kevin Cook's vivid account of the game has colorful cast of heroes and heels: Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, surly slugger Dave Kingman, hustler Pete Rose, scarred Vietnam vet Garry Maddox, troubled relief pitcher Donnie Moore, clubhouse jester Tug McGraw, and two managers pulling out what was left of their hair. Cook reveals the human stories behind the game—and how money, muscles and modern statistics were about to change baseball forever.