"Pitch by Pitch gets inside Bob Gibson's head on the evening of October 2, 1968, when he took the mound in Game One of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers and struck out a record seventeen batters. Gibson, known as one of the most intimidating pitchers in baseball history, relives each inning and each pitch. Facing down batter after batter, Gibson shares his insights into every player that stepped into the batter's box against him that day--recounting in candid and in-depth detail the pitches he threw, his control over the ball, and his moments of synchronicity with catcher and friend Tim McCarver. This iconic game and all its players come to life on the page as Gibson gives a behind-the-scenes look at the way he played the game, his relationships with teammates, coaches, and opponents and their lives on and off the field. Like Dan Okrent's classic book, Nine Innings, Pitch by Pitch is a detailed look at a single fascinating game, this one told from the unique viewpoint of the mound, in the words of a perceptive pitcher who was one of baseball's all-time greats"--