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The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

G-Fafif Nov 27 2012 12:26 AM

Feel more comfortable promoting my new book -- first of four in the projected series -- over here than in the baseball forum, even though it's a baseball book and Edgy was thoughtful enough to thread it up over there. (Besides, how am I supposed to compete with Brandon Hicks?) Anyway, new Mets book: The Happiest Recap, first volume, "First Base: 1962-1973," available on Amazon now. It endeavors to tell the story of your franchise's first dozen years through the prism of 127 Amazin' Wins out of the 500+ that will eventually be covered. Excerpting briefly from the introductory section: These games are... the games that launched legends; the games where standards were established; the games that introduced us to characters we would come to know as if they were related to us by blood; the games that left behind images that defy erasure; the games that set and reset the course of Metropolitan events; the games in whose results we reveled before relegating them to the deepest recesses of our collective subconscious; the games hindsight presents to us as milestones hidden in plain sight; the games that are leavened with irresistible curiosities, only some of which may show up in the box score; the games that were mammoth in their day and require just a spoonful of context to stir back to life; the games marked by epic team efforts; the games defined by superb individual feats; the games featuring the extraordinary exploits of protagonists hardly heard of before and barely heard from since; the games that nudge us toward tales too tantalizing to let sit boxed, warehoused and obscured by time’s inevitable march; the games that illustrate how we’ve lived and how we’ve evolved as Mets fans these past 50 years; the games that were Marvelous early, Terrific before you knew it, and Wright as could be by their conclusion; the games that weren’t over until they were over; and the games that made miracles possible. Volume I is divided into five chapters: 1962-1964 (29 games); 1965-1968 (27 games); 1969 (29 games, including every postseason win); 1970-1972 (21 games); 1973 (21 games, including every postseason win). None of it's perfunctory, but most of it is bite-sized. I like to think of the whole project as 500 Mets bedtime stories...or campfire stories, lest "bedtime" imply they put you to sleep. You can flip through and read about any one game without being dependent on having read everything else. But of course I'd prefer you read the whole thing. These books grew out of a blog project by the same name, which followed a different format (putting together a dream season). The guiding principle is the same, though: Mets history is made up of famous moments and moments whose fame has faded. It's made up of superstars and players who were here and gone but had a day or a night that deserves to live on and probably does in our subconscious. It's the pennant races and the near pennant races and the day in the middle of the season when there was no pennant race but you were certain one was going to transpire. It's the great hitting performance, the incredibly dominant shutout, the quote that you've heard repeated but didn't necessarily know was rooted in something that actually happened. You go into the lovely Mets museum and if you follow the timeline, you learn the Mets were born, they were lovably bad, they got Tom Seaver, they had a miracle, a second miracle and then Dwight Gooden won Rookie of the Year a decade later. After a plethora of positive events, nothing much happened until Mike Piazza came along, and then later David Wright. Bam, 50 years. We know it's deeper than that. It's more fun than that, even if the miracles have had limited ceilings of late. That's the thinking that informs the book(s). Hope you, the hardcore Mets fan who appreciates Mets history, will consider reading it. Hope if you can, you'll drop by Foley's on West 33rd between 5th and 6th on December 15, 1-4 PM for the Happiest Recap's launch party (books on sale there), whose undercard purpose is acknowledging my 50th birthday, which is later in the month (h/t once more to the Fairy for engineering this). Who doesn't love an excuse to talk baseball in December anyway? I'll note other book-related news here as it occurs. Can tell you this Friday night, 11/30 at 9 PM EST, I'll be a guest on Dino Costa's show on Mad Dog Radio for you Sirius/XM subscribers. Thanks in general to a whole bunch of you that encouraged me to turn this project into a book in ways large and small.

d'Kong76 Nov 27 2012 01:00 AM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Just ordered one, along with the R A book which I never got. Good luck with it, and the following three.

G-Fafif Nov 27 2012 01:57 AM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Thanks Kase.

themetfairy Nov 27 2012 06:00 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

G-Fafif wrote: Hope you, the hardcore Mets fan who appreciates Mets history, will consider reading it. Hope if you can, you'll drop by Foley's on West 33rd between 5th and 6th on December 15, 1-4 PM for the Happiest Recap's launch party (books on sale there), whose undercard purpose is acknowledging my 50th birthday, which is later in the month (h/t once more to the Fairy for engineering this). Who doesn't love an excuse to talk baseball in December anyway? I'll note other book-related news here as it occurs. Get to Foley's early! Apparently we'll be sharing space with the Santa Con charity pub crawl starting at about 2:00 or so, so latecomers may have to wait a little while in order to get into the place.

themetfairy Nov 27 2012 11:41 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

themetfairy wrote: Hope you, the hardcore Mets fan who appreciates Mets history, will consider reading it. Hope if you can, you'll drop by Foley's on West 33rd between 5th and 6th on December 15, 1-4 PM for the Happiest Recap's launch party (books on sale there), whose undercard purpose is acknowledging my 50th birthday, which is later in the month (h/t once more to the Fairy for engineering this). Who doesn't love an excuse to talk baseball in December anyway? I'll note other book-related news here as it occurs. Get to Foley's early! Apparently we'll be sharing space with the Santa Con charity pub crawl starting at about 2:00 or so, so latecomers may have to wait a little while in order to get into the place. Rather than wage a War Against Santa Claus, we have changed the time of the party. It's now going to be 12:00-2:00.

Ceetar Nov 27 2012 11:53 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Isn't the whole city going to be sharing with Santa Con? I love December.

G-Fafif Nov 27 2012 11:54 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

War on holiday of your choice optional.

Ceetar Nov 28 2012 12:02 AM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

G-Fafif wrote: War on holiday of your choice optional. beware the Ides of December!

Ceetar Nov 28 2012 12:16 AM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Where'd you hear about the Santa Con thing anyway? I thought they didn't release locations until just before, hell it seems very secretive in general.

themetfairy Nov 28 2012 01:00 AM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Foley's owner told me about it, in light of the party plans.

G-Fafif Nov 30 2012 03:26 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

If you have Sirius/XM, I'm on with Dino Costa tonight at 9 Eastern on Mad Dog Radio (channel 86, I think).

cooby classic Dec 04 2012 04:50 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Now I know what bmfc1 stands for! Great book, Greg; metfairy got it for me for Christmas :)

G-Fafif Dec 04 2012 07:26 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

See, ya get to the end of the book, and the mystery is solved. Thanks Coob!

metirish Dec 04 2012 08:05 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Why is there not a kindle version?

G-Fafif Dec 04 2012 08:56 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

metirish wrote: Why is there not a kindle version? There will be. We -- my art director and I -- discovered when we completed the publishing process on the print edition that what we had, with graphics and all, didn't automatically translate to Kindle. He's working with CreateSpace (the platform by which one can publish) to re-create it for Kindle and other eBook formats.

cooby classic Dec 05 2012 01:12 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

G-Fafif wrote: See, ya get to the end of the book, and the mystery is solved. Thanks Coob! Well, I'm not there yet (and 1973 is my favorite year) but I read the acknowledgements!

d'Kong76 Dec 06 2012 02:44 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Came yesterday! Recapping NOW!!

G-Fafif Dec 10 2012 09:15 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Hope you can drop by and say a Happiest 'Hi' this Saturday at noon at Foley's.

Mets Guy in Michigan Dec 11 2012 05:27 AM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

My copy is on it's way from Amazon, but I think it's getting wrapped and put under the tree... Congrats, G -- Awesome to see this.

G-Fafif Dec 16 2012 12:28 AM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Many thanks for the CPFness that pervaded the Happiest Recap/(almost) birthday party at Foley's. Very grateful for your time and thoughtfulness. Hope you like the book, too!

Swan Swan H Dec 24 2012 10:30 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Hey, lookit what I got for Christmas from my in-laws: Along with the new book by TV blogger Alan Sepinwall and a book about Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah.' How did they ever know?

G-Fafif Dec 25 2012 11:36 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Swell in-laws!

Swan Swan H Dec 26 2012 03:33 AM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

They are, and their daughter is even more so.

cooby classic Dec 26 2012 05:03 AM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Pretty cool book, no? I just love it...

G-Fafif Dec 28 2012 11:31 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

cooby wrote: Pretty cool book, no? I just love it... That's a blurb right there!

G-Fafif Jan 03 2013 05:39 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Amazin' Avenue review, comin' right at you...an excerpt anyway. It's telling that the series takes its title from a phrase coined by Bob Murphy, the relentlessly upbeat radio voice of the Mets. There is no mire-wallowing here, only reminders that there is joy even in the murkiest depths of Mudville The initial book covers the first 12 seasons of Mets baseball, and while there is plenty of content concerning those triumphant years of 1969 and 1973, I found the chapters on the very first Mets teams the most fascinating. They give context and life to an era of Mets history that shaped everything that came after, and defined the folkways of the fanbase. Prince's work is important because this time is often glossed over or rendered in anecdotes that resemble tall tales more than they do actual baseball. When mentioned at all, the early Mets years are summed up by the ironic achievements of "Marvelous" Marv Throneberry, or the clowning of Jimmy Piersall. Prince's descriptions of these games remind you that they were played on actual fields by actual ballplayers. Pretty awful ballplayers, for the most part, but ballplayers nonetheless. The awfulness of these players is what makes their wins, and the fans who cheered them on, so remarkable.

G-Fafif Feb 08 2013 02:26 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Who wouldn't want a little Afternoon Sunshine with Skip & Cassie on WBCB 1490-AM in Levittown, PA? I know I would, as I'll be joining these genial PM midday hosts this Monday at 2:30 to discuss, ostensibly, Richie Ashburn and the 1962 Mets and, more broadly, The Happiest Recap and anything else that brighten their listeners' day. Listen live here!

themetfairy Feb 08 2013 03:39 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

They're not making you travel to Levittown, are they?

G-Fafif Feb 09 2013 09:07 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Can radio stations make anybody do anything? Only if they're giving away great prizes! Just calling in.

themetfairy Feb 09 2013 09:08 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Good - it's less likely that they've set a trap for you over the phone (and if they have, you can just hang up ).

G-Fafif Feb 10 2013 12:54 AM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

One of the hosts wants to talk about Richie Ashburn vis-a-vis the '62 Mets, thus the unforeseen interest by a suburban-Philly station in a Mets guest.

themetfairy Feb 10 2013 03:48 AM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

OK - That makes sense!

G-Fafif Feb 11 2013 05:34 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

3:15 for geographically curious Mets talk this afternoon. Adjust your day planners accordingly.

TheOldMole Feb 11 2013 09:14 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

I missed it. I had nothing to do all day, and then from 3-4 wife had assignments for me.

themetfairy Feb 11 2013 09:16 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Damn - so did I! Will there be an archive link?

G-Fafif Feb 11 2013 11:59 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Our conversation is just leaving the Earth's atmosphere now, but doesn't seem to be available online. Summation: We agreed the 1962 Mets sure were something. I worked in a few jibes at the MFYs for firing George Weiss and Casey Stengel for being old, which seemed to make the host, who's been watching baseball since 1948, happy. Nice man, knew his Marvelous Marv myths very well. Relished telling Richie Ashburn stories. I relished hearing them. Next opportunity for Happiest Recap talk (which, admittedly, there wasn't a lot of on WBCB, though I steered it that way a couple of times), will be here -- and it will be available in pod form, Wednesday night, around 6:40.

G-Fafif Mar 01 2013 09:41 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Now on Kindle!

themetfairy Mar 01 2013 11:22 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Good - now I know what to get for my dad for Father's Day :)

G-Fafif Apr 07 2013 05:30 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

I'll be on Sportstalk NY Live, Long Island's WLIE 540-AM, Sunday night, April 7, at 7 PM to discuss The Happiest Recap with Mark Rosenman and AJ Carter. Available for online listening here.

G-Fafif Apr 08 2013 02:24 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Podcast from SportstalkNY Live/WLIE here. Fun visit to 1973.

G-Fafif Apr 28 2013 11:25 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

I was a guest on a Scottish-based Mets podcast, and it was incredible fun. Listen here, if you like.

G-Fafif May 03 2013 03:24 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

I'll be reading from and discussing The Happiest Recap at the Varsity Letters sports literature series downtown Thursday night (5/9). The place is Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., between Thompson and Sullivan (adjacent to several subway lines). I'm on the bill with the guy who wrote the book revealing Lenny Dykstra is not the All-American Boy. Details here: http://www.gelfmagazine.com/gelflog/arc ... riters.php Directions here: http://www.lepoissonrouge.com/location/ Would love to see anybody who can make it. Thanks.

G-Fafif May 08 2013 05:50 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Regarding Tim Harkness, Ron Swoboda and why somebody would write The Happiest Recap, from Gelf Magazine.

G-Fafif Jun 19 2013 03:15 PM Re: The Happiest Recap (Promoted)

Wednesday night, June 26, 7 PM, I'll be discussing The Happiest Recap at the fabulous Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, E. 11th St. between Broadway and University Place. Mets-White Sox on the relatively big screen afterwards. Hope to see some of you.