Oct 25 2009 06:49 PM
Well, not for another week yet, actually. But it's a good time to get your orders in. The Miracle Has Landed, if you believe the dustjacket, is "The most authoritative chronicling of baseball’s most endearing underdog story."
Timed most imperfectly to mark the 40th anniversary of the heartlifting 1969 Mets, The Miracle Has Landed features 40+ chapters telling the story of the Miracle Mets, featuring comprehensive biographies of each of the players and coaches, several of which are written by regular contributors to the Crane Pool. Nothing short of such a book could redeem a Mets calendar year this disappointing.
Edited by Matthew Silverman (100 Things Mets Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Mets Essential, and Mets by the Numbers, and Shea Goodbye) and Ken Samuelson (Amazing Mets Trivia, The Great All-Time Baseball Record Book, The Macmillan Baseball Encyclopedia Quiz Book, and The Baseball Encyclopedia) reflects years in the making by some Met-lovin' outstanding writers, and I recommend it enthusiastically without any thought of ever seeing a dime. I return you to the dustjacket:
"The Miracle Has Landed celebrates those loveable Mets like no other book, complete with photos and artifacts of the time. A project of the Society for American Baseball Research, this volume gathers the collective efforts of more than forty SABR members and friends of the non-profit research society and features profiles of every player, coach, broadcaster, and significant front-office member connected to that great Mets squad. Included are Hall of Famers Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan, beloved manager Gil Hodges, the talented outfield of Cleon Jones, Tommie Agee, and Ron Swoboda, drill sergeant backstop Jerry Grote, crucial midseason acquisition Donn Clendenon, scrappy shortstop Bud Harrelson, and a pitching staff that went far deeper than just Seaver and Ryan: Gary Gentry, Don Cardwell, Jim McAndrew, Tug McGraw, Ron Taylor, and Jerry Koosman, who won the first Mets World Series game and then won the first Mets world championship. Forty years later the Miracle Mets are still revered, the first world champion expansion team and the club that stole New York’s heart."
For you Mets author groupies, the chapter credits are below.
| Foreword Jerry Koosman Introduction: A Magic Summer: The '69 Mets, 40 Years Later Stanley Cohen 1969: Mets (Poem) Robert L. Harrison Acknowledgments The Players Section Agee, Tommie John Vorperian Boswell, Ken Mike Bender Cardwell, Don Matthew Silverman Charles, Ed Edward Hoyt Clendenon, Donn Edward Hoyt Collins, Kevin Jon Springer DiLauro, Jack Sam Bernstein Dyer, Duffy Adam Ulrey Frisella, Danny Greg Spira Garrett, Wayne Les Masterson Gaspar, Rod Maxwell Kates Gentry, Gary Andrew Schiff Gosger, Jim Mark Armour Grote, Jerry Joseph Wancho Harrelson, Bud Eric Aron Heise, Bob Bill Nowlin Hudson, Jesse Bill Johnson Jackson, Al Greg W. Prince | Johnson, Bob Bruce Markusen Jones, Cleon Fred Worth Koonce, Cal Matthew Silverman Koosman, Jerry Irvin Goldfarb Kranepool, Ed Tara Krieger Martin, J.C. Neal Poloncarz McAndrew, Jim Paul Rogers McGraw, Tug Matthew Silverman Otis, Amos Bill Lamberty Pfeil, Bobby Mark Simon Rohr, Les Jon Springer Ryan, Nolan Talmage Boston Seaver, Tom Maxwell Kates Shamsky, Art Eric Aron Swoboda, Ron Len Pasculli Taylor, Ron Maxwell Kates Weis, Al Michael Cahill =#0040FF]Mgr/Coaches Section Hodges, Gil John Saccoman Berra, Yogi Dave Williams Pignatano, Joe Paul Hirsch Walker, Rube Dave Williams | Yost, Eddie Andrew Schiff =#0040FF]Front Office and Announcers Payson, Joan Joan Thomas Murphy, Johnny John Vorperian Grant, M. Donald Rob Edelman A World Championship Announcing Trio Curt Smith Kiner Interview on '69 Matthew Silverman =#0000FF]The Miracle Has Landed Section Meet the Mets Matt Silverman Shea Stadium (Old Address) Greg Prince Spring Ahead Matt Silverman Reg Season Matt Silverman 1969 Walkoffs metswalkoffs.com Imperfection Matt Silverman Moose Bruce Markusen Platoon Matt Silverman 1969 Postseason Ron Kaplan =#0000FF]Appendix Red Murff: Accessory before the Fact Mike Bielawa What Happened to the '69 Mets? Seaver 1969 Game by Game Mets 1969 Stats Mets 1969 Postseason A Miracle's Aftermath Jacob Kanarek |
A few of those chapters may have been killed and not gotten into the final manuscript. I dunno. But you can tell I'm pretty excited. I promise you the book was written better than this post. Please consider adding it to the reading list of someone you love, especially if you love yourself.
To purchase your'n ---
From the Potomac Books website: http://www.potomacbooksinc.com/Books/Bo ... tID=186448
From Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Has-Lande ... 957&sr=8-1
From Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Mi ... 1934186176
From buy.com: http://www.buy.com/prod/the-miracle-has ... 30482.html
From borders.com: http://www.borders.com/online/store/Tit ... 1934186171
