Culled from 50 years’ worth of columns from one of the country’s most popular sportswriters, this work stands as a remarkable collection of opinions that is guaranteed to delight Mets fans of all ages. Former New York Times columnist Ira Berkow captures the spirit of the Mets in this unforgettable collection of opinions, stories, and observations from his long and distinguished career as he interviews and comments on the team. From memories of inaugural franchise manager Casey Stengel and Hall of Famer Tom Seaver to reflections on ace Johan Santana and the superstar David Wright, this collection combines Berkow’s eye for detail with the comedy and drama revealed by the subjects themselves, bringing to life Mets’ personalities from the last half century. "Whether you’re looking to brush up on history, learn more about the true character of some of the players, searching for insight about the time period that surrounded the clubs, or are just looking to read about the New York Mets, Summers At Shea is a work that you won’t have to think twice about purchasing."—Around Citi, a NY Mets blog "Turns out, we never did find out the story about Seaver and the overcoat. We were too busy reading the other columns in the book and forgot all about the title..."—Tom Hoffarth's LA Daily News blog "Farther Off the Wall" Ira Berkow was a feature writer for the New York Times for more than 25 years. He won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting and was a finalist for the Pulitzer for commentary. He is the author of numerous books, including The Corporal Was a Pitcher , Rockin’ Steady , and  Summers in the Bronx , the bestsellers Maxwell Street: Survival in a Bazaar and Red: A Biography of Red Smith , as well as two memoirs, Full Swing and To the Hoop . He was the coauthor and editor of Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life , which was a primary source for the award-winning documentary The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg . He lives in New York City. Summers at Shea Tom Seaver Loses his Overcoat & Other Mets Stories By Ira Berkow Triumph Books Copyright © 2013 Ira Berkow All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-60078-775-1 Contents Introduction, I. From Casey to Actually Amazin', "Stained-Glass" Casey Stengel, Casey Stengel the Vaudevillian, Casey Gone but Still Baffling, Warren Spahn and Casey, Before and After, An Original Met Goes Back In Time, Pigpen Hunt and His Odd Talent, The Mets 20 Years Later, Ryan, Paige, and Rules For Keeping Young, Pressure In The Pennant Race, Stretch Drive, The Night the Cubs Lost the Pennant to the Mets, Gil Hodges Isn't Thinking About Tomorrow, Will the Mets Inspire Unity in New York?, Sweeping Wave of Metmania Hardly Ripples Walden Pond, Art Shamsky Will Never Forget His World Series Debut, Jackie Robinson and Ed Charles, Among Others, Tom Seaver Loses His Overcoat, The Saints Of Lost Causes, II. From Yogi to Mookie, and Beyond, Leo Durocher Doesn't Read Newspapers?, Kranepool Makes A Comeback At 26, Willie Mays at Twilight, Yogi and Ike, Pete Rose and Ty Cobb, Seaver Derails the Big Train, Misanthrope As Catalyst, Mike Marshall, 38, Still On a Mission, The Diet Secrets of Rusty Staub, Frank Cashen's Yellow Bow Tie, Mickey Mantle and Keith Hernandez, Two No. 7S, This Sweet Series, and Those 16 Innings, Red Sox's Buckner Plays with Pain and Enthusiasm, There's No Stopping Carter, All The Classical Verities — and Razzmatazz, Darling's Big Day Delayed, The Mets and the Moon, Graduation Day for Mookie, III. From Tom Terrific to the 21st Century, Farewell, Sweet Pitcher, Shortstop from the Zoo, Simple Wisdom from the Oracle of the Mets, When Fat is Beautiful, Moron of the Month, Gooden Ponders His Troubles, the Game, and His Return, Fickle Fans at Shea Give Piazza a Break, Boss' Views Are Merely Hocus Focus, The Strawberry Saga: Calamity Times Two, The Revival Of a Red-Tinged Rivalry Stirs Passions in the Midwest, Mike Hampton's Flummoxing, Torre Stands at Top of Class, Friends And Family Bid Agee Farewell, Bobby Valentine's Dilemma, From Three Angles: The Greatest and Smartest Play Ever Made, True Heroism Outside of the Lines, David Wright is Learning to Relax, Live Arm Puts Pelfrey On Mets' Fast Track, IV. A Clutch of Formidable Rivals, Mark McGwire: Over the Fence Came Before Over the Counter, Barry Bonds Talks, In His Fashion, Of Baseball and Steroids, Sammy Sosa: "I Didn't Know" Is a Familiar Refrain, John Rocker: Kindness Just Might Unravel Him, Mad Dog Is Still Top Dog, The Victory Laps of Johnny Bench, Koufax Is No Garbo, Pete Rose Deserves To Be In the Hall Of Fame, Roberto Clemente's Presence Still Felt, Brooks Robinson: Super Playmaker, Bob Gibson's World, Lou Brock Steals Past Father Time, Henry Aaron: Baseball Star As Black Activist, Marge Schott, Loner Owner, Paul O'Neill Moves On Gracefully, Jim Abbott's Inspirational Return, V. Why Baseball at All, Eager To See The Return Of Peanuts