A People’s History of New York Baseball

Q: “Who are the people?” A: “We are the people!” Call-and-response slogan of the New York Giants, circa 1885 When I started reading Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People’s Team by A. M. Gittlitz, the New York Mets were in the middle of a losing streak that would reach 12 games. Not the most dismal rcord in the team’s history, but notable for one of professional sports’ most valuable franchises and highest payrolls today. Gitlittz’s latest book is a must-read fan history of the Mets, making a persuasive case that the Mets (owned by one of the wealthiest men in the U.S., among many other contradictions) represent the blue-collar, working class spirit of a “people’s team”. Through a materialist analysis of New York baseball history, Gittlitz traces the origins of this underdog spirit to the baseball club known as the Metropolitans, a creation of Tammany Hall. These 19th century Mets (and their counterparts the Gothams) played games at the original Polo Grounds…