New York Versus New York, 1962

Between October 1961 and October 1962, the Yankees and the Mets shared the city for the first time, their front offices located on opposite sides of Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan, and their playing fields—Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds—situated on opposite sides of the Macombs Dam Bridge. This book tells the story of the first year of their life together as New York City rivals. The emerging rivalry between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets was about more than just games won or money earned. As personified by Mets manager Casey Stengel and Yankees right-fielder Roger Maris, it was also a struggle over the future of the game.

Bill Morales holds a doctorate in history from Rutgers University and has lectured at the Baseball Hall of Fame Symposium in Cooperstown, New York. He has taught at Rutgers University, Nassau Community College, and Bergen Community College. He lives in Lady Lake, Florida.

Bill Morales
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 223
Bibliographic Info: 13 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7090-7
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9166-7
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi
Preface: The View from the Macombs Dam Bridge      1
Prologue: “The Newest New York Club”      3

PART I: INVENTING TRADITION
1. “I Want to Help Baseball”      11
2. “Safe at Home”      28
3. “What Are You Doing in That Crummy Uniform?”      45
4. “We Hope to Build This Team Bigger Than the Yankees      62
5. “The Real Magic Number”      82

PART II: A WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
6. “How Long Can This Go On?”      103
7. “She Must Have Seen Us Play”      121
8. “What Did Belinsky Say Today?”      140
9. “Come Ona My House”      159
10. “The Longest Season”      176

Epilogue: Reunion Day      199
Chapter Notes      206
Bibliography      209
Index      211