Table of Contents
Introduction xi
I From Casey to Actually Amazin'
"Stained-glass" Casey Stengel 3
Casey Stengel the Vaudevillian 6
Casey Gone but Still Baffling 9
Warren Spahn and Casey, Before and After 12
An Original Met Goes Back in Time 15
Pigpen Hunt and His Odd Talent 19
The Mets 20 Years Later 22
Ryan, Paige, and Rules for Keeping Young 25
Pressure in the Pennant Race 29
Stretch Drive 31
The Night the Cubs Lost the Pennant to the Mets 34
Gil Hodges Isn't Thinking About Tomorrow 37
Will the Mets Inspire Unity In New York? 40
Sweeping Wave of Metmania Hardly Ripples Walden Pond 43
Art Shamsky Will Never Forget His World Series Debut 46
Jackie Robinson and Ed Charles, Among Others 49
Tom Seaver Loses His Overcoat 52
The Saints of Lost Causes 55
II From Yogi to Mookie, and Beyond
Leo Durocher Doesn't Read Newspapers? 59
Kranepool Makes a Comeback at 26 62
Willie Mays at Twilight 65
Yogi and Ike 69
Pete Rose and Ty Cobb 72
Seaver Derails the Big Train 75
Misanthrope as Catalyst 78
Mike Marshall, 38, Still on a Mission 82
The Diet Secrets of Rusty Staub 86
Frank Cashen's Yellow Bow Tie 90
Mickey Mantle and Keith Hernandez, Two No. 7s 94
This Sweet Series, and Those 16 Innings 98
Red Sox's Buckner Plays with Pain and Enthusiasm 101
There's No Stopping Carter 104
All the Classical Verities-and Razzmatazz 107
Darling's Big Day Delayed 111
The Mets and the Moon 115
Graduation Day for Mookie 119
III From Tom Terrific to the 21st Century
Farewell, Sweet Pitcher 125
Shortstop from the Zoo 128
Simple Wisdom from the Oracle of the Mets 131
When Fat Is Beautiful 135
Moron of the Month 138
Gooden Ponders His Troubles, the Game, and His Return 141
Fickle Fans at Shea Give Piazza a Break 148
Boss' Views Are Merely Hocus Focus 151
The Strawberry Saga: Calamity Times Two 154
The Revival of a Red-tinged Rivalry Stirs Passions in the Midwest 158
Mike Hampton's Flummoxing 161
Torre Stands at Top of Class 164
Friends and Family Bid Agee Farewell 167
Bobby Valentine's Dilemma 170
From Three Angles: The Greatest and Smartest Play Ever Made 173
True Heroism Outside of the Lines 176
David Wright Is Learning to Relax 179
Live Arm Puts Pelfry on Mets' Fast Track 182
IV A Clutch of Formidable Rivals
Mark McGwire: Over the Fence Came Before Over the Counter 189
Barry Bonds Talks, In His Fashion, of Baseball and Steroids 192
Sammy Sosa: "I Didn't Know" Is a Familiar Refrain 195
John Rocker: Kindness Just Might Unravel Him 198
Mad Dog Is Still Top Dog 201
The Victory Laps of Johnny Bench 204
Koufax Is No Garbo 207
Pete Rose Deserves to Be in the Hall of Fame 211
Roberto Clemente's Presence Still Felt 215
Brook Robinson: Super Playmaker 218
Bob Gibson's World 221
Lou Brock Steals Past Father Time 224
Henry Aaron: Baseball Star as Black Activist 227
Marge Schott, Loner Owner 230
Paul O'Neill Moves On Gracefully 233
Jim Abbott's Inspirational Return 236
V Why Baseball at All
Eager to See the Return of Peanuts and Cracker Jack 241
The Sparkle of the Diamond 244
Groucho Can Heal Baseball 248
Rain Check 251
About the Author 254
