But there may have been no bigger collection of crossword talent in the game than on the 1980s Mets. “The New York Times was the puzzle that we all did in New York,” Hernandez says. That was back when the Times was hard, he says, “when the editor was Eugene Maleska.” Now, he thinks “the New York Times has dumbed down the puzzle” under current editor Will Shortz. Still, he'd encourage today's players to level up. Like anything else, you improve with practice.
“I would suggest the players start tackling the New York Times,” he says. “I started from scratch and got stumped, and I just got better at it.”
