This book traces the history of the New York Mets from the franchise’s inauspicious beginnings—the 1962 team, led by Casey Stengel and made up of players like Rod Kanehl and Jay Hook, lost 120 games—through the miraculous championship season of 1969. Based on interviews with more than one hundred former players and extensive research by one of the more highly regarded baseball historians writing today, the book covers the era in unprecedented detail. Any Met fan from the 1960s will find some familiar stories along with some they’ve probably never read before. Presented in an easy-to-read, narrative style, this book traces the rapid ascent of the Mets and explores the reasons for their early failure and dramatic success.

William J. Ryczek is a finance professional from Wallingford, Connecticut, who writes about early baseball, football, the Yankees, and the Mets.

William J. Ryczek
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 289
Bibliographic Info: 12 photos, appendix, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2008
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3214-1
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5525-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii

Introduction      1

1. The Team Has Come Along Slow but Fast      5

2. The New York Beatniks: The Mets Are Born      7

3. Marvelous Marv and Hot Rod: The 1962 Season (Part I)      12

4. Elio, Choo Choo and a Lot of Losses: The 1962 Season (Part II)      28

5. The Three Wise Men and the Two Bob Millers      40

6. The Duke and the Balk Return: The 1963 Season      53

7. Casey      71

8. Vicarious Thrills: The 1964 Season      81

9. Yogi and Spahnie      98

10. A Thoroughbred Racer, a Young Colt and an Old Workhorse:

The 1965 Season      104

11. The First Wave      113

12. The Man in the Middle: Wes Westrum      125

13. Dr. Strangeglove and Prepare, Pucker and Pop: The 1966 Season      131

14. Reluctant Heroes: The Search for a Center Fielder      146

15. Tom Terrific and Wild Bill: The 1967 Season      155

16. Gil Comes Home      170

17. The Second Wave: The 1968 Season      178

18. The Answer Is Pitching      194

19. Assembling the Cast      210

20. Team of Destiny: The 1969 Season      226

21. The Impossible Dream Comes True      248

Appendix: In Their Own Words      267

Bibliography      271

Index      273

“comprehensive”—Sports Collectors Digest.