March is National Reading Month, and with the excitement of the new baseball season less than a week away, 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?
When I started to compile these book lists at the beginning of the month I realized just how many wonderful Mets-related books exist. Even when I broke them out into categories, each week I struggled with what books to include, and which ones didn’t make the cut. This was a good problem to have, no doubt, and still it was a problem.
This week’s list, the final week of National Reading Month, may just be the toughest of all: Mets chronicles & compilations. There are books that tell the team’s history, books that convey the fan experience, and even a book on how to make the most out of following this team. To make things even tougher, many of the best books were written by contributors to this very website. Again, a good problem to have. Sometimes, I wish “The 5” was called “The 8” instead.
So, before we get into the actual top 5, here are some truly honorable mentions that are certainly worth reading and could have just as easily made it to the list…
· Down on the Korner by Howie Karpin and Mark Rosenman
· So You Think You’re A New York Mets Fan? by Brett Topel
· 100 Things Mets Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die by Matthew Silverman
· Faith and Fear in Flushing: An Intense Personal History of the New York Mets by Greg W. Prince
And here are The 5...
Mets Chronicles & Compilations
5. Put It In The Book: A Half-Century of Mets Mania by Howie Rose and Phil Pepe
There are plenty of people in this world who think of themselves as Mets fans since their birth. There are but a precious few who can trace back their Mets fandom to the birth of the team. One of those is Howie Rose, a fan of the team since 1962, he’s been calling Mets games for radio or television for just about 30 years. While this book could have just as easily been part of the biography list from last week, in some ways, Howie Rose is the Mets. He’s been a firsthand observer of the wonderful wins, the dreadful defeats, and 60+ years of in-between. He recalls many of these moments with a remarkable balance of someone who has become a professional without ever relinquishing his devotion.
4. So Many Ways to Lose: The Amazin' True Story of the New York Mets―the Best Worst Team in Sports by Devin Gordon
For anyone who has ever thought “only the Mets” or, in the parlance of our more recent times, “LOLMets,” Devin Gordon’s “tribute” covers the myriad creative ways the Mets have found to lose on and off the field. The book covers everything from the painful to the absurd, and even at times the miraculous, with both humor and reverence. It takes a real Mets to know how to be proud of all the inanity that this franchise has provided for so long, and Gordon captures that feeling perfectly.
3. The Happiest Recap: First Base (1962-1973) by Greg W. Prince
At some point, “The 5” will take a look at the top Mets blogs and you’ll be sure to see Greg W. Prince’s Faith and Fear in Flushing on that list. In his first volume of his 4 book set, Prince covers the first 12 seasons of the Mets franchise with the same knowledgeable-Mets-fan-friend approach that his audience has been used to. To read Prince’s recaps of the experiences of those first dozen years is like taking a class with a teacher who has never lost his passion for the subject. I truly enjoy reading something that makes me think “that person knows exactly how I feel and just expressed it better than I can.” Prince accomplishes this over and over again across the book’s 200+ pages.
2. Numbers Don’t Lie: The Biggest Numbers in New York Mets History by Russ Cohen & Adam Raider
Using a variety of statistics and numerical achievements as a way to relay the many entertaining stories in Mets history is a clever move. Backing up that cleverness with accessible insight and appreciation is what makes this book so good. With so many unique personalities and moments comprising the team’s history, Numbers Don’t Lie can maintain any Mets fan’s interest from the team’s failed first overall pick to 42-million reasons you can’t forget Bobby Bo.
1. You Never Forget Your First: A Collection of New York Mets Firsts by Mark Rosenman & Howie Karpin
There is nothing like hearing about the historic Mets moments from the participants themselves. Some of these experiences were iconic, some much less so, and yet they’re each captured with a level of storytelling and appreciation that can only come from those who were a part of it. Whether the player featured is a Hall of Famer, a World Champion, or even just someone who had a particularly special Mets moment, 60-years of Mets stories are re-told in ways that remind us of why we are fans of this team.
When I first started assembling this list, I really wanted to avoid having so many that were written by contributors to this website. I wanted to stay clear of any perceived bias. In the end though, even without that bias, the books mentioned above are all wonderful reads, each with its own approach and personality. In the end, I found myself appreciating and feeling inspired by the other writers on this website.
Which Mets chronicles and compilations are your favorites? Which ones did I miss (aka what should I read next?)? Please leave your thoughts in the comments.
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