Some books start out great and get even better. Today's March is Mostly Mets Reading Month entry in a way features many, many writers.
“The New York Mets, the
First Quarter Century” by Donald Honig
Published in 1986.
I’m not sure which
autograph came second. But the first came from my Mom.
“The New York Mets, the
First Quarter Century” was a Christmas present from my parents in 1986, and Mom
inscribed the first page.
In the nearly 30 years since,
the book has been a constant companion to ballparks, spring training complexes
and anywhere else I might encounter a current or former Mets.
It started with when we lived
in Connecticut in the late 1980s, when baseball card shows started popping up
with regularity and players appeared to sign autographs for a fee. It was pretty reasonable at the time. For a
couple dollars, you had the opportunity to meet Keith Hernandez, or Tommie Agee
and have them sign a ball or photo.
I figured it would be
neat to have players sign the book, which, as you can guess from the title, is
the story of the team’s history, released during the 1986 season. It’s branded the “official 25th
anniversary book” and has lots of nice photos.
I started asking players
to sign some of the title pages in the front, and it’s filled up over the
years. Tom Seaver has a place of honor, and was the only one asked to
personalize the signature.
 |
| Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, HoJo and other many others are in the book. |
After seeing the
behavior of some of the professional autograph hounds at the ballgames, I liked
bringing the book with me to spring training, when it seemed less imposing to
approach players.
I actually met one of
the former players in the stands in St. Lucie.
I noticed a gentleman standing behind the dugout
during batting practice. I noticed that several coaches and team execs would
come to the dugout, shake hands and chat with the guy.
I suspected he might be someone important, and slinked over with my Mets history book. I slipped a peek at the credential hanging around his neck, and saw this name.
"Are you Jay Hook, as in first-Mets-win Jay Hook?" I asked.
His face lit up, seemingly pleased that someone recognized him. He said he’d be happy to sign my book. We found a spot to sign, and I recalled that show with the 1962 team and wondered if he was there.
Hook said he didn’t recall such a show, and together we turned to the page and he went down the list, reading the names and talking about his former teammates.
When he realized for sure that his name wasn’t on that page, he said, "Well, we’d better take care of that!" and signed that one, too.
I suspected he might be someone important, and slinked over with my Mets history book. I slipped a peek at the credential hanging around his neck, and saw this name.
"Are you Jay Hook, as in first-Mets-win Jay Hook?" I asked.
His face lit up, seemingly pleased that someone recognized him. He said he’d be happy to sign my book. We found a spot to sign, and I recalled that show with the 1962 team and wondered if he was there.
Hook said he didn’t recall such a show, and together we turned to the page and he went down the list, reading the names and talking about his former teammates.
When he realized for sure that his name wasn’t on that page, he said, "Well, we’d better take care of that!" and signed that one, too.
 |
| The 1962 page with both Bob Millers, "Marvelous Marv" and other heroes from that inaugural year. |
The rest of your reading list:
March 17: "Destiny of the Republic" by Candice Millard
March 11: "Street Gang" by Michael Davis
March 10: "Topps Baseball Cards, the Complete Picture Collection"
March 9: "Dodger Dogs to Fenway Franks" by Bob Wood
March 8: "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" by Edmund Morris
March 11: "Street Gang" by Michael Davis
March 10: "Topps Baseball Cards, the Complete Picture Collection"
March 9: "Dodger Dogs to Fenway Franks" by Bob Wood
March 8: "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" by Edmund Morris
March 7: "The New York Mets" by Leonard Koppett
March 6: "Mary Lou" by Mary Lou Retton and Bela Karolyi
March 5: "Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century" by Marc OkkenonMarch 6: "Mary Lou" by Mary Lou Retton and Bela Karolyi
March 4: "Clemente! The Enduring Legacy" by Kal Wagenheim
March 3: "Mets by the Numbers" by Jon Springer and Matthew Silverman
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