The Greatest Game Ever Pitched

On July 2, 1963, the Milwaukee Braves met the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park, with Warren Spahn, who dominated pitching in the 1950s, facing Juan Marichal, who would dominate in the 1960s (together with Bob Gibson). Spahn, a decorated veteran, was 42; Marichal was 25—both future Hall of Famers and both known for their high leg kicks. For 16 innings they dueled and amassed a pitch count greater than 400, eschewing relief help, motivated by the desire to win and the duty to teammates and fans to end what they had begun. A single run ended the game. Kaplan, formerly of Sports Illustrated, succeeds in weaving an enaging and at times captivating tapestry in which old and new are contrasted, the past debunked, and the future debated. A thoroughly enjoyable account of a game never to be repeated.—G.R.