While the New York Mets have been relatively quiet this winter, past and present media have stepped up to fill-in-the-blanks. Before Opening Day at least five new Mets-related books have been, or will be, released. The two most anticipated releases will happen over the next month. Former Mets catcher Mike Piazza will release his autobiography, Long Shot, on February 12. The book was co-written by writer Lonnie Wheeler, a Cincinnati sports columnist, who also wrote [...]

“Home runs are over-rated. You don’t have to hit home runs to win. If I don’t get a home run all year, and the team wins, I’ll be more than satisfied.” – Steve Henderson (1981) The Reccoppa family piled into Dad’s burnt orange 1970 Plymouth Duster for the short ride across the bridge on Route 37 to Seaside Heights. A visit to grandma’s summer house, a sure sign school would be out soon. Anthony, 10, [...]

“There’s no single sport that has the hold on our dreams and fantasies the way baseball does. Sidd has become a symbol, like the cornfield in Iowa.” — Myra Gelband, former Sports Illustrated editor _______________________ In an era when Hollywood was creating uniformed ballplayers walking out of cornfields and crushing majestic moon shots in to the New York City sky, the famed George Plimpton was busy crafting a fictional baseball character too: Hayden “Sidd” Finch. [...]

Murray Chass claims he knows Mike Piazza used steroids. Wait, before you start mumbling expletives at Chass under your breath, keep reading. The former New York Times reporter is not alone. Joel Sherman, a columnist for the New York Post, also raised suspicion about the Mets former catcher. Both Chass and Sherman covered the Mets in the Piazza era. These guys spent a lot of time with the Mets – and Piazza. Both confirm Mets [...]