Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Lyons Press, and author Jonathan Weeks for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Being a baseball fan since I was young, I have read quite a number of books about the sport. I’ve read about or experienced first-hand most of the World Series that Jonathan Weeks highlights in his book Shocktober. I was looking forward to reading it, because, of course, the Mets 1986 victory over the Boston Red Sox had to be included, right? Right?

Wrong.

I consider the Mets’ 1986 victory over the Red Sox, particularly in Game 6, to be one of the greatest moments that shows why people love baseball. There are no time constraints. Anything can happen as long as you don’t get that third out. And yet, Weeks leaves this out of his book about the biggest upsets in World Series history. There are others I can think of, especially when thinking about the “cursed” teams of the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. Granted, with 27 World Championships, the Yankees would have to appear a lot, but there also seems to be a bias by the author in favor of the St. Louis Cardinals as well. Historically, they are second only to the Yankees in World Series appearances, so that could be the reason, but I think he could have added about 3 more years (at least) and it would have felt less biased.

Each year that Weeks chose to highlight the World Series, he gives a brief recap of the season for each of the teams that made it to the fall classic. Players that were important to their team’s appearance in the Series have their statistics and accomplishments highlighted. Weeks also highlights the World Series that are somewhat suspect, including some of the 1919 Chicago White Sox players being paid by gamblers to “fix” the Series as well as the use of steroids more recently.

I can’t say that there was anything new to me here. Most of the years that Weeks highlighted I’d already read about before or experienced first-hand. For someone who wants to learn more about baseball history and some of the spectacular victories that occurred in the World Series, it fits the bill. He conveys why the odds were against the team that eventually won in a way that is understandable but doesn’t feel like filler.

All in all, Shocktober works well as a brief history of what makes baseball great. It’s the only major sport that doesn’t operate under a time limit, which makes it unique. It ain’t over till it’s over.