Baseball's Greatest Miracle: The Inspirational Story of My High School Hero, Thirteen Gritty Players, and Our Historic Comeback Season

A released minor leaguer, the mentor who changed his life, and thirteen overlooked players take on a dynasty—where belief, redemption, and mastery of the smallest details converge in one of the rarest endings the sport can offer.

“...a pitch-perfect blend of nostalgia and fresh wonder…” — Kirkus Reviews

The 1975 Central Methodist Eagles look nothing like a top-tier college team: a cow-pasture field, a thin roster, a forty-year title drought, and head coach Steve Phipps, a football assistant reluctant to lead the program.

Aided by his longtime friend DeWayne Mason, their reunion propels the squad to renewed purpose and a focus on the game’s finer points. They are shaped through chalk talks, cage work, targeted teaching, and corrective feedback: a pitch on the corner, a strategically executed bunt, a hitter waiting one heartbeat longer.

Mistakes become lessons. Lessons become habits. Habits become confidence. Confidence becomes culture.

Then the season turns.

With no margin for error, the Eagles reach the championship game against a juggernaut. In extra innings, everything narrows: bases loaded, two outs, and Central down by exactly the number of runs one swing can erase. A finish so rare it feels less like a twist than a revelation: everything believed, taught, learned, and mastered suddenly meeting the pivotal pitch.

But Baseball’s Greatest Miracle is not just about that final moment. It is about a coach who wanted to walk away, a washed-up pitcher searching for a new career, a quiet senior leader chasing a last chance at his first championship, and a mentor-protégé friendship that turns one season into life-changing lessons.

Reconstructed from scrapbooks, scorebooks, interviews, articles, and memory, Mason tells the story from the inside.

By the final page, the title no longer feels like a boast. It feels like the only word big enough.

For readers who love

True sports upsets with heart and payoff Baseball books rich in detail and character Stories about friendship, mentorship, redemption, and changed lives Coaching, teaching, leadership, and culture-building under pressure Underdog arcs in the spirit of Hoosiers and Miracle on Ice
Praise for Baseball’s Greatest Miracle

“Mase was a cerebral pitcher and an accomplished artist, and he shows these traits as a storyteller in this compelling book.” — Tim Murtaugh, former MILB player and manager

“I’ve never heard of a more unlikely upset… A must-read book.” — Art Howe, MLB player and manager

“Central’s upset is hardball’s Hoosiers.” — Larry Holley, NAIA Hall of Fame coach