Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction
Chapter 1: Legacy of Losing
Chapter 2: Down on the Farm
Chapter 3: The Vet
Chapter 4: Lefty
Chapter 5: "Yes We Can"
Chapter 6: Contenders
Chapter 7: Charlie Hustle Comes to Town
Chapter 8: "We, not I"
Chapter 9: Same 'Ol Schmidt
Chapter 10: Tugging at the Heart
Chapter 11: We Win!
Chapter 12: Dynasty Denied
Chapter 13: Wheeze Kids
Chapter 14: Organization Adrift
Conclusion

Appendices
A: What Happened to the 1980 Phillies
B: Individual Statistics for the 1980 Phillies
C: 1980 National League Championship Series Box Scores
D: 1980 World Series Box Scores
E: Team Standings, 1971-1989

Selected Bibliography

About the Author

William C. Kashatus is author of more than a dozen books, including the award-winning September Swoon: Richie Allen, the '64 Phillies, and Racial Integration.

Reviews

"Deftly done, unsparing, with neither apology nor alibi."--Bill Lyon, Philadelphia Inquirer "If you know Philadelphia baseball and want to learn how a team was put together the old-fashioned way, Almost a Dynasty is a must read. Bill Kashatus has given us the definitive history of the 1980 Phillies."--Bob Boone, member of the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies "Contrary to popular belief, it took more than Pete Rose's signing, Dallas Green's tirades, and a never-ending string of October miracles to transform the 1980 Phillies from underachievers to World Series paraders. And Bill Kashatus meticulously details it all... There has never been a more comprehensive account of how this team finally managed to win the only World Series in franchise history."--Jayson Stark, ESPN