​Mookie: Life, Baseball and the '86 Mets

 

I was co-author of Mookie Wilson's autobiography, Mookie: Life, Baseball and the '86 Mets, which was released by Penguin on April 29, 2014.  Because of Mookie's honesty, integrity and insight into the Mets' iconic teams of the mid-to-late '80s, the  release was one of the most highly-anticipated baseball books in recent years. 

Mookie, as most any baseball fan knows, was the hitter in the most heralded at-bat in World Series history.  In the 10th inning of Game Six of the 1986 World Series against the Boston Red Sox, during a ten-pitch at-bat against reliever Bob Stanley, Mookie first avoided getting hit by a pitch to allow Kevin Mitchell to score the tying run, then hit a slow roller that infamously went through the legs of first baseman Bill Buckner to bring home Ray Knight with the winning run.  The Mets would win Game Seven two nights later to win the World Series. 

Although Game Six has defined Mookie's career, what is understated is a terrific major league career that spanned 12 seasons.  One of the most popular athletes in New York sports history, he is among the all-time leaders in many Mets' offensive categories.