Miracle Ball

It's been called "the greatest mystery in sports" by some. What ever happened to the home run ball Bobby Thompson hit to send the New York Giants to the 1951 World Series?

"Miracle Ball", a 2009 book by Brian Biegel chronicles the author's attempt to solve that very riddle: the whereabouts of "The Shot Heard 'Round the World".

Before I began reading, I thought: "How could this be a book? Does the missing ball even matter? If it hasn't been found by now, it's likely gone forever." But after the first 20 pages or so, I was hooked. I needed to know what happened to that ball.

Did finding the ball really matter? Well it did to the author's father, who grew up in Brooklyn loving the Brooklyn Dodgers, and had his heart broken on that October day. The elder Biegel believed he possessed the "Miracle Ball" after purchasing a ball signed by the 1951 Giants at a Salvation Army on Long Island. In his mind, his ball had to be the ball.

Recovering from a torturous bout with depression, the author sets out on a healing journey to thank his father for helping him through his illness in a very unique way: by discovering the fate of the elusive home run ball.

What Biegel finds along the way is nothing short of astonishing. From the Baseball Hall of Fame, to a serendipitous meeting with Bobby Thompson, to forensic photo analysis by the New York City Police Department, to a convent in New Mexico, Biegel amazingly stumbles onto clue after clue that will seemingly lead him to his spherical prize.

Does Biegel find the Shot Heard 'Round the World? You'll have to read the book to find out. Either way, "Miracle Ball" is a terrific read for not only anyone who loves baseball, but anyone who loves a great non-fiction mystery novel.