Review of "Metropolitans"

Having had a good deal of reading time while riding the train to and from a recent conference, I'll be posting a few reviews in the next few days. First up is this interesting book highlighting the connection between the New York Mets and the working class. 

Title/Author:

“Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle and the People’s Team” by A.M. Gittlitz

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: When the New York Mets started play in 1962, they were not the first New York baseball team to have the team nickname of “Metropolitans” (not the official name, but many will call them that) nor were they the first team that captured the hearts of many of those in the middle class over the “richer” teams like the Yankees.  This book by A.M. Gittlitz captures that connection between those citizens and the baseball team.

The book’s strengths are Gittlitz’s research and the passion for which he writes about the subject, whether it is baseball and the Mets or about the working class and the struggles they have with the political landscape, among many other things. I felt the writing and description of the early Metropolitans and the battles that players had to either form a union or field competing baseball leagues to go up against the National League in the late 19^th century was the best aspect of the book.

He also does an excellent job of showing how the Mets of the 1960’s, capping it off with their 1969 championship, resonated with people who may not have cared one bit about baseball but showed how those who have been down for so long can still be successful.  He goes deep into that topic as well as the other Mets teams, especially the 2000 team that lost the World Series to the Yankees.  They too had connections with the middle class according to Gittlitz.

Where the book was a bit of a downer while reading it was the addition of much political commentary.  This isn’t to say that I am one who says politics and sports don’t mix – they indeed do.  It isn’t also because I want to insert my own political opinions while reading or writing this review because it doesn’t matter – what matters is how Gittlitz writes about his views and they come across as strong, consistent and passionate.  I was only surprised at how much of the book discussed political issues without talking at all about the baseball connection.  Nearly every sports book about a particular team, player or era will at least give a few sentences to the social and political climate at the time – this one goes well beyond that.  And to the author’s credit, he does a very good job of laying out his beliefs and why he feels that way.

Overall, while I was surprised at the level of detail and how well connected the author put the Mets with the working class, it was quite an interesting book to read and one that is recommended not only for Mets and baseball fans, but also for readers who wish to read about politics and class struggles as well.

I wish to thank Astra Publishing House for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People's Team: GIttlitz, A.M.: 9781662603006: Amazon.com: Books