Tales from the Mets Dugout [Paperback]

Bruce Markusen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2007

The Detroit Tigers' Olde English "D" is one of the most recognized symbols in sports. It stands for Dedication, the kind we've seen from Al Kaline for 54 seasons. It represents Determination, the type that has led to Brandon Inge's headfirst dives into the stands. And it speaks to blind Devotion, the brand that has brought generations of fans to Corktown and Foxtown for 106 seasons.

The Tigers have had their share of champions and more than their fair allotment of heroes. From Cobb to Cochrane, Gehringer to Greenberg, and Heilmann to Harwell, the past is glorious. Suddenly, the present is just as spectacular. And the future sparkles like Curtis Granderson's grin.

Tales from the Detroit Tigers Dugout spans the decades and tells stories from Aguirre to Zumaya. It chronicles a three-year leap from 43 wins to 95 triumphs, not counting three postseason series. And it takes you inside the clubhouse to meet the players--some hungry cats with character.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jack Ebling, a three-time Michigan Sportswriter of the Year, was a 2006 inductee into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame. He has written five books and more than 120 pieces for national publications. A former English teacher and coach, he spent a quarter-century as a beat writer and columnist for the Lansing State Journal and won 21 major writing awards. He became a talk radio host in 2002 and currently has an afternoon-drive show on 1320 WILS-AM. He saw his first baseball game with his dad at Briggs Stadium in 1958, bused to 41 games at Tiger Stadium in 1968, and is still drying out from a champagne shower when Detroit spanked the New York Yankees. Months before the winning homer in an ALCS sweep of Oakland, he was calling his family's puppy Mags.

Product Details

• Paperback: 185 pages
• Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596702176
• ISBN-13: 978-1596702172
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,698,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Banner Day Read, April 1, 2005

By 

Matthew Silverman "author of Mets Essential" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tales from the Mets Dugout (Hardcover)

Tales from the Mets Dugout understands the history and hysteria that come with being a Mets fan. The book has some nice but not overused photos and it packs a lot of information in less than 200 pages. Living in the shadow of the monolithic Yankees, Mets fans know they have ruled the city for just a handful of seasons over the last 43. While the next 1969 or 1986 seems a lifetime in the coming, Mets fans can at least embrace a team that's seen more excitement than some franchises have experienced in a century of play. The Mets have never had a no-hitter, but look at the pitchers who came up through the system and tossed them with other teams: David Cone, Dwight Gooden, Mike Scott, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan . . . The Mets drew 700,000 people in 1979, and eight years later were the first New York team to draw 3,000,000 . . . the Mets have won three NL pennants but only one Met has been Championship Series MVP. Obsessing over the Mets for a lifetime, I thought there was nothing I didn't know about the club, but Bruce Markusen came up with new stories and new angles, including several trades that never happened: the Mets almost traded Jerry Koosman for Fred Patek, Tommie Agee almost went to the Red Sox (instead of the Mets) in a deal for Carl Yastrzemski, and the Mets could've had Dickie Thon for Elliott Maddox, but owner Linda de Roulet thought the Angels' top-notch prospect had too much of a baby face! Perhaps the most shocking nugget of all unearthed by Markusen was a telegram from the president of the Yankees congratulating the '69 Mets. The man even said he was rooting for the Mets. Now that's amazin'. The book's pretty good, too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not much there...even for die hard Met fans, January 11, 2008

By 

Art (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Tales from the Mets Dugout (Paperback)

An uneven collection of small articles about Met history compiled as a book. This book will only appeal to die-hard Mets fans who will read anything with a Met logo on it. It covers the Mets entire history, but is heavily biased toward the early years with almost nothing after 2000. The 2000 World Series is hardly mentioned. Most serious fans will already know most of what is in this book.

Several Mets favorites, like Howie Rose and Gary Carter were interviewed for the book. They are mentioned constantly and always in a positive light. Other Mets like Mike Piazza, and Daryl Strawberry, who was not interviewed for the book, are barely a footnote. I was able to get through the book in about two hours. While there was a few interesting facts, there was nothing that was Amazin.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Enough, July 19, 2007

By 

Jimmy Jack (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales from the Mets Dugout (Paperback)

This book had some good stories and was a quick read, but to barely mention Mike Piazza doesn't make any sense. He was the face of the franchise and led them to the subway series in 2000. The book mentions him in passing and basically notes that he wasn't a good fielder. Strawberry is hardly mentioned as well. It makes no sense.