Baseball Maverick
How Sandy Alderson Revolutionized Baseball and Revived the Mets
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
"An intimate portrait of one of the shrewdest, most decorated men to ever occupy the GM chair . . . A really fun read" (Jonah Keri, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Up, Up, & Away).
In 2010, the New York Mets were in trouble. One of baseball's most valuable franchises, they had recently suffered an embarrassing September collapse and two bitter losing seasons. To whom did they turn? Sandy Alderson, a former marine who got his baseball start in Oakland, where he led a revolution in the sport. The A's partnered with Apple in 1980, pioneering the use of statistical analysis in baseball, and became a powerhouse—winning the 1989 World Series.
Granted unprecedented access to the working general manager over several seasons, bestselling author Steve Kettmann traces Alderson's history and his revival of the Mets, despite a limited budget, through big trades that brought back high-profile prospects to the development of young aces including Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and Jacob deGrom. Baseball Maverick is a gripping, behind-the-scenes look at a Major League team and a fascinating exploration of what it means to be smart.
A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Sports Book for Spring
"A fascinating and fresh look at the resurgent team's winning strategy. Whether you're a diehard Mets fan like me or just a curious baseball fan in general, you'll want to read Steve Kettmann's new book because it's a compelling human interest story and you will gain insight about how the game has changed." —Forbes
"Extremely well-written and unflaggingly interesting, [Baseball Maverick] will appeal to any baseball fan who wants insight into what GMs do and into how contemporary winning major league baseball teams are built." —Spitball magazine
"Outstanding." —Dennis Eckersley, Hall of Fame pitcher
"Revealing . . . [Alderson] gave serious access to Kettman, an astute reporter." —George Vecsey, New York Times sports columnist and author of Baseball: A History of America's Favorite Game
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With Vietnam combat experience, a Harvard law degree, and time logged with the fabled 1980s Oakland A's in the "moneyball" era, Sandy Alderson became the GM of the limping New York Mets in 2010, with the blessing of Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig. Kettmann (One Day at Fenway) picks up the long journey of Alderson with cheerleading zeal, as the latter goes from being a Marines platoon commander in Vietnam to becoming an Ivy League mouthpiece representing a buyer for the Oakland Athletics. He then steps up as an executive for the same team, which competes in three straight World Series. The Mets, following back-to-back disappointing seasons and a lackluster former GM, welcomed Alderson with his solid baseball instincts; he stressed player development over good trades, and despite a limited budget, he featured top-ranked young talents such as Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom. Kettmann's solid profile of the Mets' Alderson, now piloting one of the brightest teams in major league baseball, provides worthwhile insider tidbits, along with a competent view of the front office and the intriguing complexities of sports politics.
