The Mets are 23-23, 3.5 GB of the Marlins, with whom they begin a three-game series tonight in Florida. The Marlins won yesterday, the Mets were off.

As I wrote a few weeks back, I read "The Bad Guys Won!", by Jeff Pearlman, over my honeymoon. The book is about the 1986 Mets, and as promised, here are my thoughts.

The book was a quick read, but I have to say, it was a little disappointing. I've read many, many books and stories about the 1986 Mets season and the players involved. This book didn't do much more than bring all of those stories together under the same cover. In some cases, direct quotes were used out of Darryl Strawberry's, Dwight Gooden's, and Lenny Dykstra's autobiographies.

That said, the book did have its redeeming qualities. Pearlman spent a lot of time on the hallmarks of the season; including the bar fight in Houston, the on-field fights during the season, the party on the plane following the NLCS, and Game 6 of the World Series. There's been a lot written about Game 6, and to his credit, Pearlman dug up some nuggets that usually get overlooked. He interviewed clubhouse guys, who presented a behind-the-scenes look at the Mets' clubhouse. You've heard how the Sox clubhouse at Shea Stadium had the lockers all covered up in anticipation of a celebration after taking a 5-3 lead in the top of the tenth inning. Pearlman talks to the clubhouse guys who had to rip all that stuff down in a matter of seconds, and the locker room tension in the moments following the game. There was also one passage that was cool, talking about how WHDH-TV's John Dennis was preparing to go live from outside the locker room to report on the Red Sox first World Series win since 1918. It also quotes "The Lowell Sun"'s Gerry Callahan. That's the angle I'm always most curious about, and it's a view that isn't often written about.

"The Bad Guys Won!" wasn't incredibly well-written, but it was a book about a bunch of ballplayers, so I guess you don't expect 'War and Peace' (assuming 'War and Peace'is well-written. I wouldn't know.).
Overall, I enjoyed the book, because I enjoy re-living that glory year, and the memories it brings back. A lot was written about George Foster, and the stories about him always remind me of the day that summer Foster was released. I was out back with my dad and my grandfather (I think we were barbecueing), and my dad was trying to explain to me what happened. I just didn't get it that baseball players could be fired.
So I'd recommend this book to Mets fans who don't mind seeing their heroes knocked down a bit (OK, a lot), or Mets-haters who are looking for a reason to hate the '86 Mets even more. Including Red Sox fans.