NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. “Derek Jeter is undoubtedly the most talked about, argued about, cheered, booed and ultimately respected baseball player of his generation. And as public a figure as he has been, he is in many ways the least known. That changes now. Ian O’Connor, one of the best sports writers anywhere, goes deep. He does what no one has quite been able to do: Tell us a bit about who Derek Jeter really is.”—Joe Posnanski, author of The Machine “Deftly told.”—The Washington Post In The Captain, Ian O’Connor draws on unique access to Derek Jeter. He conducts more than 200 new interviews. These interviews reveal how a biracial kid from Michigan became New York’s most beloved sports figure. This kid became the face of the steroid-free athlete. O’Connor takes us behind the scenes of a legendary baseball life. He starts with Jeter’s early struggles in the minor leagues. During this time, homesickness and errors threatened a stillborn career. Then, O’Connor covers the heady days of Yankee superiority and nightlife. Finally, he examines the battles with former best friend A-Rod. All along the way, Jeter has made his Hall-of-Fame destiny look easy. But behind that leadership and hero’s grace there are hidden struggles and complexities that have never been explored, until now.
Bob Gibson, Denny McLain, and the End of Baseball’s Golden Age
The story of the remarkable 1968 baseball season. “Seldom does an era, and do sports personalities, come alive so vividly, and so unforgettably.” —The Boston Globe
In 1968, two remarkable pitchers would dominate the game as well as the broadsheets. One was black, the other white. Bob Gibson, together with the St. Louis Cardinals, embodied an entire generation’s hope for integration at a heated moment in American history. Denny McLain was a crass self-promoter. He eschewed the team charter. He abandoned his Detroit Tigers teammates to zip cross-country in his own plane. For one season, the nation watched as these two men played remarkably. Their teams swept their respective league championships. They met at the World Series. Gibson set a major league record that year with a 1.12 ERA. McLain won more than 30 games in 1968, a feat not achieved since 1934 and untouched since. Together, the two have become iconic symbols. They gave the fans “The Year of the Pitcher.” Their performances changed the game. This is the story of a great sports rivalry. It evokes a nostalgic season and its incredible characters. It provides an indelible portrait of the national pastime during a turbulent year. It also tells about the two men who electrified fans from all walks of life.
“Explores so much more than the battle between two pitchers and their teams . . . A fine history of a vital period in the history of not only baseball, but America.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A compelling tale of all that America was in the turbulent year of 1968, told through a (mostly) baseball prism.” —New York Post
I’m a Mom, a Grandmom, and a Veteran. Nothing scares me! That’s the saying on my favorite T Shirt. I’m enjoying life too much to let the little things slow me down. If you can’t tell from my Avatar, I live in Florida where I enjoy the sunshine and endure the hurricanes with good grace. Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good!
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A season filled with brawling, boozing, and bimbo chasing. It showcases championship baseball with Straw, Doc, Mookie, Nails, the Kid, and the rest wearing a New York uniform. They might be the best.
“Jeff Pearlman has captured the swagger of the ’86 Mets. You don’t have to be a Mets fan to enjoy this book—it’s a great read for all baseball enthusiasts.”—Philadelphia Daily News
Award-winning Sports Illustrated baseball writer Jeff Pearlman takes us back to an innocent time. The city worshipped a man named Mookie then. At that time, the Yankees were the second-best team in New York.
It was 1986. The New York Mets won 108 regular-season games. They won the World Series, capturing the hearts (and other assorted body parts) of fans everywhere. But their greatness on the field was nearly eclipsed by how bad they were off it. The team was led by the indomitable Keith Hernandez. The young dynamic duo of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry joined him. Along with the gallant Scum Bunch, the Amazin’s left a wide trail of wreckage in their wake. They damaged hotel rooms and charter planes. There was also a bar in Houston, and most famously, Bill Buckner and the hated Boston Red Sox.
This book features an unforgettable cast of characters—including Doc, Straw, the Kid, Nails, Mex, and manager Davey Johnson. It presents an affectionate look at this exciting season. However, it is also critical. It celebrates the last of baseball’s arrogant and insane teams. These teams were rock-and-roll and partied all night. It explores what could have been, what should have been, and what never was.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“The Bad Guys Won is designed to delight any Mets fan—at least the less prudish ones. Pearlman…keeps a tight focus on the championship season.” — New York Times Book Review
“Pearlman has done his homework: he breaks down the wall that separates the ballplayer from the fan.” — Newsday
“As a reminder that most of us know absolutely nothing about the people we cheer for, except that they wear our hometown colors, this is a worthwhile read for any sports fan.” — Sports Illustrated
“Baseball aficionados, especially Mets fans, will enjoy this affectionate but critical look at this exciting season.” — Publishers Weekly
“Everything a diehard Mets fan…could want.” — Daily News
“A great read! Jeff Pearlman skillfully takes you deep into the silly and goofy and gross and slightly scary world that was the New York Mets clubhouse.” — Rocky Mountain News
“Jeff Pearlman has captured the swagger of the ’86 Mets. You don’t have to be a Mets fan to enjoy this book—it’s a great read for all baseball enthusiasts.” — Philadelphia Daily News
About the Author
Jeff Pearlman is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books. He is a former Sports Illustrated senior writer, a former ESPN.com columnist, and a former staff writer for Newsday and the Tennessean. He is a regular contributor to Bleacher Report and CNN.com.
