Tug McGraw was one pitch away from what would be the Philadelphia Phillies’ first World Series victory when he glanced to the side and saw a horse carrying one of the city’s police officers lift his tail and take care of business.

“If I don’t get out of this inning, that’s exactly what I’m going to be in this city,” McGraw would say later.

What happened next is no spoiler given the title of J. Daniel’s new book, “Phinally!: The Phillies, the Royals and the 1980 Baseball Season That Almost Wasn’t” by J. Daniel (McFarland, 212 pages, $29.95, $9.95 for Kindle version).

“Phinally!” is a diary of the 1980 season. Daniel brings the reader back to a time not so long ago, but in the context of today’s game it may as well be the Old West. It was a season of drama, with a lot of it actually happening off the field.

During the 1980 season, there was rampant drug use - mostly recreational than performance-enhancing - resulting in scandals. Dodger Stadium unveiled the game’s first giant 560-square-foot video screen showing instant replays, and commercials. Rookie slugging sensation “Super Joe” Charboneau of the sixth-place Cleveland Indians tantalized fans with his tales of performing his own dental work and opening beer bottles with his eye socket. A cash-poor Bill Veeck, whose home phone number was in the Chicago Yellow Pages, could still own a team and be competitive. And George Brett, who just missed batting .400 for the season, suffered from hemorrhoids and had to have surgery during the World Series.

On the field, pitch counts were not on the radar in 1980 as Oakland’s starting pitchers completed 94 games because manager Billy Martin didn’t trust his bullpen.

Meanwhile, Houston Astro J.R. Richard, one of the game’s most imposing pitchers ever, nearly died of an undiagnosed circulatory issue that led to a stroke. Team doctors and team officials first thought Richard was being a malingerer, leading Sports Illustrated to write: “Now everyone believes him.”

The “Season That Almost Wasn’t” portion of Daniel’s title refers to the negotiations between the players’ union and owners that resulted in a handshake deal to keep players playing but no agreement on free agent compensation. That lead to a strike just a year later, resulting in the loss of one-third of the season.

Daniel is a fine writer with a good sense of humor. He has done his research, resurrecting some names and events lost to recent history and bringing alive a season that’s worth remembering.