Ya Gotta Believe

The New York Times bestselling autobiography by the late pro-baseball pitcher--and father of country music performer Tim McGraw--offers readers a glimpse into McGraw's roller-coaster life in the major leagues, as well as into his fight with brain cancer. photos.

Are you a true Mets fan? Were you there when they won the 1986 World Series in the seventh game? Did you stand and cheer as the Mets demolished the St. Louis Cardinals to become the National League Champions in 2000? Do you know why the original team colors were orange and blue? How much do you really know about those lovable heroes who have brought fortune, glory, and two World Championship trophies to New York? Are you a true believer? Do you know: *Who the Hall of Fame outfielder was who played for the Mets in their inaugural season and went on to become a broadcaster for the Philadelphia Phillies? *Which Mets outfielder ran the bases backward after hitting his 100th career home run in a game in 1963? *Which rookie outfielder swiped 24 bases in 1981 and became one of the most popular players ever to play for the Mets? *When Tom Seaver's rookie year was? *Who holds the single-season Mets record for home runs? It's all here, with highlights of the team's exciting history, from the club's beginnings in 1962 to today, including postseason play. From Casey Stengal to Tom Seaver; from Doc to Mookie-- to Mike and Fonzie-questions and answers, sidebars, fascinating bios and photos gathered by lifelong Mets fan Michael Lichtenstein. Much more than just facts and trivia, Ya Gotta Believe! is something no Mets fan can do without.

A Magic Summer tells of that remarkable season by chronicling the major events as viewed twenty years later. Interviews conducted twenty years after with members of the team—Seaver, Ryan, McGraw, and others—provide immediacy and, with that, fascinating updates and insights. This is a unique record and celebration of a season that Mets fans—and all baseball fans—will not soon forget.

Markusen tells tales about the many fascinating teams of one of the most colorful franchises in Major League Baseball, as well as stories about dozens of memorable New York Mets personalities.

Every New York Mets fan has a bucket list of activities to take part in at some point in their lives. But even the most die-hard fans haven't done everything there is to experience in and around New York. From singing "Meet the Mets" to running the old Shea Stadium bases, author Matthew Cerrone provides ideas, recommendations, and insider tips for must-see places and can't-miss activities near Citi Field. But not every experience requires a trip to Queens; long-distance Mets fans can cross some items off their list from the comfort of their own homes. Whether you're attending every home game or supporting the Mets from afar, there's something for every fan to do in The New York Mets Fans' Bucket List.

Shares uplifting advice about the virtues of forgiveness, offering strategic and biblically based advice on how to achieve peace and personal fulfillment by letting go of past wrongs.

Interest and attendance were dropping, and football was ascending. Stuck in a rut, baseball was dying. Then Steinbrenner bought the Yankees, a second-division club with wife-swapping pitchers, leaving the House That Ruth Built not with a slam but a simper. He vowed not to interfere—before soon changing his mind. Across town, Tom Seaver led the Mets’ stellar pitching line-up, and iconic outfielder Willie Mays was preparing to say goodbye. For months, the Mets, under Yogi Berra, couldn’t get it right. Meanwhile, the A’s were breaking a ban on facial hair while maverick owner Charlie Finley was fighting to keep them underpaid. But beneath the muttonchops and mayhem, lay another world. Elvis commanded a larger audience than the Apollo landings. A Dodge Dart cost $2,800, gas was a quarter per gallon. A fiscal crisis loomed; Vietnam had ended, the vice president resigned, and Watergate had taken over. It was one of the most exciting years in the game’s history, the first with the designated hitter and the last before arbitration and free agency. The two World Series opponents went head-to-head above the baby steps of a dynasty that soon dwarfed both league champions. It was a turbulent time for the country and the game, neither of which would ever be the same again.

Even before the New York Mets began the 1992 season, they had set a critical record: the highest payroll ever for a major-league team, $45 million. With players Bobby Bonilla, Vince Coleman, Bret Saberhagen, and Howard Johnson, winning another championship seemed a mere formality. The 1992 New York Mets never made it to Cooperstown, however. Veteran newspapermen Bob Klapisch and John Harper reveal the extraordinary inside story of the Mets? decline and fall?with the sort of detail and uncensored quotes that never run in a family newspaper. From the sex scandals that plagued the club in Florida to the puritanical, no-booze rules of manager Jeff Torborg, from bad behavior on road trips to the downright ornery practical ?jokes? that big boys play, The Worst Team Money Could Buy is a grand-slam classic.