March is National Reading Month, and with the excitement of a new baseball season on the horizon, there is no better way to celebrate than with a book about the Mets. But, with so many Mets books out there, which are the best ones to read?
Last week I presented my Top 5 books about the Mets 1969 World Championship season. So naturally, the 1986 season seemed like an obvious choice for this week. And believe me, there was a plethora of publications to choose from.
As always, please keep in mind that this list is intended to initiate conversation and is not meant to be the end of a debate.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at my Top 5 books about the Mets year to remember, 1986...
Mets Books About 1986
5. Kings of Queens: Life Beyond Baseball with the '86 Mets by Erik Sherman
It’s easy to tell that author Erik Sherman is a Mets fan, and his appreciation for this 1986 club comes through quite clearly. Sherman interviewed some of the most impactful members of that roster about their experience that season, as well as the effects that it had on their lives in the long run. While addressing the challenges that some of the players experienced later in life, he also maintains a positive focus that celebrates their accomplishments.
4. Game 7, 1986: Failure and Triumph in the Biggest Game of My Life by Ron Darling with Daniel Paisner
Most of the books about the 1986 Mets capture the grand stage glory of the World Series victory with an appropriate level of celebratory bombast (much like this sentence). Darling’s experience of that moment comes from a different angle, as the Mets won Game 7 in spite of him and not because of him. For a team that had everything except humility, Darling captures the feeling of being simultaneously ecstatic and disappointed with a detailed re-telling of his lackluster performance.
3. Once Upon A Time In Queens: An Oral History of the 1986 Mets by Nick Davis
While this book is a companion to ESPN’s 4-part “30-for-30” series on the 1986 Mets, also directed by Davis, it can also easily stand on its own. One of the most recent books on that team, this one offers thoughts from many of the players from that team as well as other authors, reporters, celebrities and more. Much like the series, the book covers what life in New York City was like in the mid-80’s and how the Mets both fit in and stood out.
2. One-Year Dynasty: Inside the Rise and Fall of the 1986 Mets, Baseball's Impossible One-and-Done Champions by Matthew Silverman
A highly detailed book that offers the history of the players that comprised the ’86 team, how they were assembled, how they found their way to win it all, and subsequently how they were disassembled. Silverman’s subtle sense of humor plays a wonderful balance to the in-your-face approach that the 1986 Mets symbolized. The incredible amount and depth of research that the author conducted shines through in a way that is consistently easy and enjoyable to read.
1. The Bad Guys Won! by Jeff Pearlman
This book is widely considered to be THE book about the 1986 Mets. Pearlman captures the entertainment of the team perfectly as he tells the stories of the characters that were involved. It’s that storytelling ability that keeps the information intriguing, whether he’s giving some background that’s new to the reader, or discussing a play that has been viewed countless teams, this book stays engaging from the very beginning straight through to the final moment – much like the ’86 team, itself.
As any Mets fan knows, the 1986 Mets season combined drama and elation to an level rarely seen in sports, or even in life. It’s understandable that many authors have tried to harness the magic of that team. These five books, however, stand out in their ability to appropriately cover the team that played “baseball like it oughta be.”
Now i know what i want for Father’s Day