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Doc, Donnie, the Kid, and Billy Brawl: How the 1985 Mets and Yankees Fought for New York's Baseball Soul
Doc, Donnie, the Kid, and Billy Brawl focuses on the 1985 New York baseball season, a season like no other since the Mets came to town in 1962. Never before had both the Yankees and the Mets been in contention for the playoffs so late in the same season. For months New York fans dreamed of the first Subway Series in nearly thirty years, and the Mets and the Yankees vied for their hearts.
Despite their nearly identical records, the two teams were drastically different in performance and clubhouse atmosphere. The Mets were filled with young, homegrown talent led by outfielder Darryl Strawberry and pitcher Dwight Gooden. They were complemented by veterans including Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, Ray Knight, and George Foster. Leading them all was Davey Johnson, a player’s manager. It was a team filled with hard‑nosed players who won over New York with their dirty uniforms, curtain calls, after-hours activities, and because, well, they weren’t the Yankees.
Meanwhile the Yankees featured some of the game’s greatest talent. Rickey Henderson, Dave Winfield, Don Mattingly, and Don Baylor led a dynamic offense, while veterans such as Ron Guidry and Phil Niekro rounded out the pitching staff. But the Yankees’ abundance of talent was easily overshadowed by their dominating owner, George Steinbrenner, whose daily intrusiveness made the 1985 Yankees appear more like a soap opera than a baseball team. There was a managerial firing before the end of April and the fourth return of Billy Martin as manager. Henderson was fined for missing two games, Lou Piniella almost resigned as coach, and Martin punctured a lung and then gave drunken managerial instructions from his hospital room. Despite all that, the Yankees almost won their division.
While the drama inside the Mets’ clubhouse only made the team more endearing to fans, the drama inside the Yankees’ clubhouse had the opposite effect. The result was the most attention-grabbing and exciting season New York would see in generations. And it was the season the Mets would win the battle for the hearts of New York baseball fans, dominating the New York landscape for nearly a decade, while the Yankees faded into one of baseball’s saddest franchises.
Despite their nearly identical records, the two teams were drastically different in performance and clubhouse atmosphere. The Mets were filled with young, homegrown talent led by outfielder Darryl Strawberry and pitcher Dwight Gooden. They were complemented by veterans including Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, Ray Knight, and George Foster. Leading them all was Davey Johnson, a player’s manager. It was a team filled with hard‑nosed players who won over New York with their dirty uniforms, curtain calls, after-hours activities, and because, well, they weren’t the Yankees.
Meanwhile the Yankees featured some of the game’s greatest talent. Rickey Henderson, Dave Winfield, Don Mattingly, and Don Baylor led a dynamic offense, while veterans such as Ron Guidry and Phil Niekro rounded out the pitching staff. But the Yankees’ abundance of talent was easily overshadowed by their dominating owner, George Steinbrenner, whose daily intrusiveness made the 1985 Yankees appear more like a soap opera than a baseball team. There was a managerial firing before the end of April and the fourth return of Billy Martin as manager. Henderson was fined for missing two games, Lou Piniella almost resigned as coach, and Martin punctured a lung and then gave drunken managerial instructions from his hospital room. Despite all that, the Yankees almost won their division.
While the drama inside the Mets’ clubhouse only made the team more endearing to fans, the drama inside the Yankees’ clubhouse had the opposite effect. The result was the most attention-grabbing and exciting season New York would see in generations. And it was the season the Mets would win the battle for the hearts of New York baseball fans, dominating the New York landscape for nearly a decade, while the Yankees faded into one of baseball’s saddest franchises.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2019
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March 8, 2025
Let’s call the time Donnelly covers my baseball “awakening.” I was too young for the Yankees 70s dynasty, and memories of the ’81 Series were fuzzy and…unpleasant. Then the team went into something of a fog. We always had that history, 22 championships and all. But could I claim it? Not…really.
So it was that in 1985, my team was once again relevant. It was a fun year, even inspiring. After all, I wrote a book about the team’s star, Don Mattingly (a star no longer in ’95, but still a fan favorite). A good friend who knows me all too well gave me this as a highly appropriate Christmas gift.
It has everything a baseball geek wants: stats, play-by-play, even league standings. Donnelly gives us a vision of games right down to the very at-bat. He captures fan reactions and player actions as though he were there. This is fine journalism, as I can’t imagine the guy lived through that time (or he’s really aged well). He must’ve reached out to so many of the players on those teams, because the observations are plenty. And when empirical evidence wasn’t available, he went to the archives and found articles that told the tale. Sometimes it feels like one long sports page article, lacking a cohesive narrative, but good for baseball fans nonetheless.
Alas, it reflects a reality about which I’m still in denial: the 80s were the Mets’ decade. I can try to tear it down by pointing to the well-documented debauchery of that Mets era. I can even agree with the author’s occasional assumption that the fist-pumping and self-congratulations of the pre-champ Amazins got on many a nerve. But attendance numbers, championships, and Seinfeld attention metrics don’t lie. Nor does the malaise of the Yankees of the late 80s and early 90s. So, if you’re like me, be warned: schadenfreude is a MF.
Thus, Donnelly does what any good journalist would do when writing about the 80s Yankees: he attacks the Boss. He details his narcissism, his double-dealings, his verbal abuse, and his meddling, which resulted in a mediocre product and a lifetime ban. He’s the star of the Yankee story in this book, ruining the image of a resurgent, exciting, powerhouse team, one that gave me some hope. I loved reliving those games, particularly ones I attended or saw on TV. But there’s no denying: Steinbrenner was the story here.
Sorry, folks, but I lived it, and I happen to agree: he was irritating and frustrating to the extreme. Sure, once he came back he mellowed somewhat, and the Yankees were a 90s dynasty once again. But in those days, he was always in the headlines, always badmouthing someone, always blaming everything on anyone but himself. Don’t remember that? Or would rather not? Well, Donnelly brings it back in vivid color. And once again, it’s all true.
(Not to mention, let’s give credit to Stick Michael for the 90s dynasty. After all, the Boss wanted to get Felix Fermin for Mariano Rivera, and Stick told him no.)
One bone to pick: he bashes virtually every ballpark back then. None were good enough. And I nearly chucked the book out the window when he called The Stadium “a dump.” Let’s not use 2000s logic to describe 80s reality, OK? Sure, today’s ballparks are better, but don’t fault us for being forty years too late for all the sexy modern-day amenities.
Fun stuff, and just in time for the baseball season.
So it was that in 1985, my team was once again relevant. It was a fun year, even inspiring. After all, I wrote a book about the team’s star, Don Mattingly (a star no longer in ’95, but still a fan favorite). A good friend who knows me all too well gave me this as a highly appropriate Christmas gift.
It has everything a baseball geek wants: stats, play-by-play, even league standings. Donnelly gives us a vision of games right down to the very at-bat. He captures fan reactions and player actions as though he were there. This is fine journalism, as I can’t imagine the guy lived through that time (or he’s really aged well). He must’ve reached out to so many of the players on those teams, because the observations are plenty. And when empirical evidence wasn’t available, he went to the archives and found articles that told the tale. Sometimes it feels like one long sports page article, lacking a cohesive narrative, but good for baseball fans nonetheless.
Alas, it reflects a reality about which I’m still in denial: the 80s were the Mets’ decade. I can try to tear it down by pointing to the well-documented debauchery of that Mets era. I can even agree with the author’s occasional assumption that the fist-pumping and self-congratulations of the pre-champ Amazins got on many a nerve. But attendance numbers, championships, and Seinfeld attention metrics don’t lie. Nor does the malaise of the Yankees of the late 80s and early 90s. So, if you’re like me, be warned: schadenfreude is a MF.
Thus, Donnelly does what any good journalist would do when writing about the 80s Yankees: he attacks the Boss. He details his narcissism, his double-dealings, his verbal abuse, and his meddling, which resulted in a mediocre product and a lifetime ban. He’s the star of the Yankee story in this book, ruining the image of a resurgent, exciting, powerhouse team, one that gave me some hope. I loved reliving those games, particularly ones I attended or saw on TV. But there’s no denying: Steinbrenner was the story here.
Sorry, folks, but I lived it, and I happen to agree: he was irritating and frustrating to the extreme. Sure, once he came back he mellowed somewhat, and the Yankees were a 90s dynasty once again. But in those days, he was always in the headlines, always badmouthing someone, always blaming everything on anyone but himself. Don’t remember that? Or would rather not? Well, Donnelly brings it back in vivid color. And once again, it’s all true.
(Not to mention, let’s give credit to Stick Michael for the 90s dynasty. After all, the Boss wanted to get Felix Fermin for Mariano Rivera, and Stick told him no.)
One bone to pick: he bashes virtually every ballpark back then. None were good enough. And I nearly chucked the book out the window when he called The Stadium “a dump.” Let’s not use 2000s logic to describe 80s reality, OK? Sure, today’s ballparks are better, but don’t fault us for being forty years too late for all the sexy modern-day amenities.
Fun stuff, and just in time for the baseball season.
April 5, 2019
1985 was a baseball season that captivated New York that the city hadn’t seen in nearly 30 years. Both of the city’s teams, the New York Mets and New York Yankees, were involved in tight races for their respective divisions that came down to the final week of the season. Both teams had star players that captivated their fan bases. One had a long history of winning, the other was mostly known for its struggles save for one magical season. The stories of both the Mets and the Yankees during that crazy season are captured in this book by Chris Donnelly.
The personalities of the front office personnel could not have been different. The Mets were owned by Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday, who were hands-off owners and left the team in the hands of general manager Frank Cashen. Cashen’s baseball moves were approved by the owners and some turned out to benefit the Mets in a big way. Two trades that were of this nature are discussed in the book, trades in which the Mets acquired catcher Gary Carter and first baseman Keith Hernandez.
On the other hand, the Yankees were owned by George Steinbrenner, who was continually second guessing the decisions of his general manager and field manager. Some of Steinbrenner’s more famous rants about the running and performance of his team and players are documented in this book, including his insult of outfielder Dave Winfield, calling the All-Star player “Mr. May.” He fired manager Yogi Berra after only 14 games in 1985 and re-hired Billy Martin for the fourth time. These are just a few of the many times a Steinbrenner action is described in the book.
The play of both teams on the field, however, makes up the bulk of the book and for both of them, they played above expectations. The Mets were an up-and-coming club in 1985 with young stars Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry leading the way. Gooden had one of the best seasons ever recorded by a pitcher, and when Carter was acquired from the Montreal Expos, the Mets got even better. However, while they were in first place for a brief stretch, they ended up finishing second to the St. Louis Cardinals.
As for the Yankees, they used the frequent circus-like atmosphere surrounding Martin and Steinbrenner to their advantage by shutting it out of their minds (as best they could, anyway) and playing good baseball as well. While Don Mattingly was a young star on the rise, the team was mostly made up of veteran players such as Winfield and Rickey Henderson. While their expectations were not as high, the Yankees had some great play as well and like their cross-town rivals, they finished second as well behind the Toronto Blue Jays.
The overall arching theme of this book, however, is the battle to win over the city – both in the press, in the stands and in the hearts and minds of baseball fans in New York. While Cashen is occasionally quoted in the book (from newspaper accounts at the time) about the Yankees, the writing about Steinbrenner and his obsession with the Mets and their success makes for good reading. At times these passages could be hilarious, sometimes maddening, but always entertaining.
For these reasons and many more, every fan of one of the New York teams needs to add this book to their bookshelves. An informative, entertaining and well-researched book, it captures the spirit of New York baseball during that crazy 1985 season.
I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
The personalities of the front office personnel could not have been different. The Mets were owned by Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday, who were hands-off owners and left the team in the hands of general manager Frank Cashen. Cashen’s baseball moves were approved by the owners and some turned out to benefit the Mets in a big way. Two trades that were of this nature are discussed in the book, trades in which the Mets acquired catcher Gary Carter and first baseman Keith Hernandez.
On the other hand, the Yankees were owned by George Steinbrenner, who was continually second guessing the decisions of his general manager and field manager. Some of Steinbrenner’s more famous rants about the running and performance of his team and players are documented in this book, including his insult of outfielder Dave Winfield, calling the All-Star player “Mr. May.” He fired manager Yogi Berra after only 14 games in 1985 and re-hired Billy Martin for the fourth time. These are just a few of the many times a Steinbrenner action is described in the book.
The play of both teams on the field, however, makes up the bulk of the book and for both of them, they played above expectations. The Mets were an up-and-coming club in 1985 with young stars Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry leading the way. Gooden had one of the best seasons ever recorded by a pitcher, and when Carter was acquired from the Montreal Expos, the Mets got even better. However, while they were in first place for a brief stretch, they ended up finishing second to the St. Louis Cardinals.
As for the Yankees, they used the frequent circus-like atmosphere surrounding Martin and Steinbrenner to their advantage by shutting it out of their minds (as best they could, anyway) and playing good baseball as well. While Don Mattingly was a young star on the rise, the team was mostly made up of veteran players such as Winfield and Rickey Henderson. While their expectations were not as high, the Yankees had some great play as well and like their cross-town rivals, they finished second as well behind the Toronto Blue Jays.
The overall arching theme of this book, however, is the battle to win over the city – both in the press, in the stands and in the hearts and minds of baseball fans in New York. While Cashen is occasionally quoted in the book (from newspaper accounts at the time) about the Yankees, the writing about Steinbrenner and his obsession with the Mets and their success makes for good reading. At times these passages could be hilarious, sometimes maddening, but always entertaining.
For these reasons and many more, every fan of one of the New York teams needs to add this book to their bookshelves. An informative, entertaining and well-researched book, it captures the spirit of New York baseball during that crazy 1985 season.
I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
October 28, 2022
If you are a Mets fan, brings back how the great 1986 team was built. If you are a Yankees fan, brings back the bad Steinbrenner years. As a Yankees fan, not for me. Maybe you will feel differently. Enjoy!
June 8, 2020
I'm a glutton for season-in-review books like these, and this was a solid addition to the genre. It didn't go for the "season in context of the world-at-large" aspect like "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning" or "Down to the Last Pitch", but it was light years better than hum drum stuff like "Macho Men".
Donnelly has ripe subject matter in the mid-80's Yankees and Mets, two franchises headed in opposite directions and enough perspective to tell the story a few decades after the fact.
Donnelly has ripe subject matter in the mid-80's Yankees and Mets, two franchises headed in opposite directions and enough perspective to tell the story a few decades after the fact.
November 28, 2019
Chris Donnelly is turning into one of my favorite baseball writers. Read his book on 1995 playoff series between Yankees and Mariners and loved it and this was almost as good. 1985 was the year before I really started following baseball a ton but it felt like I was right there living in NY and going to both Yankee and Mets games. I loved reading about Don Mattingly, Rickey Henderson, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, Dave Winfield, Gary Carter, Ron Guidry, Phil Niekro, Ron Darling, etc. Just in case someone doesn’t know what happened I won’t give away how season ends but Donnelly does a great job detailing the entire year and has a good afterword about what happened to players after that season. I only wish Donnelly occasionally would write about what was going on during 1985 outside of the Diamonds, especially in NY. What movies were popular m? What songs, bands? What big global events, etc. Not a lot but maybe a tease. Really look forward to his next baseball book though. A takented writer and researcher.
August 20, 2019
Chris Donnelly is on a roll! I loved his book “Baseball’s Greatest Series...” and this one was just as good. It captures the essence of the 1985 season. Great pennant races by both the Yanks and the Mets. Loved his insights as to how each team evolved. For Yankee fans he captured perfectly our horror as we watched the Mets become a solid team and reminded us that deep down NYC may be a National League City. I can’t wait for Chris’ next book!
April 15, 2020
I enjoyed reliving this season of MLB history and so many memories were brought back.
As a Yankee fan and despising the Mets team that was arising out in Queens this book showed how the baseball soul of NY was being fought for, with my Yankees losing. Those Mets teams had way too many self congratulations for my taste. Their cockiness was unearned at that point and they clearly rubbed many, myself included, the wrong way. They were a big reason I went against my Yankees faith and rooted for the Red Sox in 1986. Although it is nice to read in the book and see the behind the scenes and it gave me a lot more respect for Keith Hernandez and Davey Johnson.
The Yankees meanwhile were an off the field mess. The Bronx Zoo soap opera was tiring by this point. Connelly's book brought back many bad memories of a team making headlines for all the wrong reasons. George Steinbrenner comes across as an owner more concerned with publicity and name recognition than one who is willing to be patient to build a winning team. Firing Berra hurt the team in my opinion because I think Berra would have handled Ed Whitson, the big free agent signee before the '85 season, a lot better than Billy Martin. Steinbrenner ran the team in a fashion similar to Donald Trump. Steinbrenner got lucky that when he would be suspended true Yankee fans ran the team and built it for a dynasties, twice. Steinbrenner does not come across well in this book, nor should he. He ruined a good thing they had at that time.
Connelly's book is ok but I got tired quickly of him using the term 'ever.' The craziest week in their history ever, the weirdest games ever, the memorable moments ever. An editor should have dropped that word for him and it would have sounded more authoritative.
Overall a fun lite read and a must for either Mets fan or Yankees fan who lived through he era.
As a Yankee fan and despising the Mets team that was arising out in Queens this book showed how the baseball soul of NY was being fought for, with my Yankees losing. Those Mets teams had way too many self congratulations for my taste. Their cockiness was unearned at that point and they clearly rubbed many, myself included, the wrong way. They were a big reason I went against my Yankees faith and rooted for the Red Sox in 1986. Although it is nice to read in the book and see the behind the scenes and it gave me a lot more respect for Keith Hernandez and Davey Johnson.
The Yankees meanwhile were an off the field mess. The Bronx Zoo soap opera was tiring by this point. Connelly's book brought back many bad memories of a team making headlines for all the wrong reasons. George Steinbrenner comes across as an owner more concerned with publicity and name recognition than one who is willing to be patient to build a winning team. Firing Berra hurt the team in my opinion because I think Berra would have handled Ed Whitson, the big free agent signee before the '85 season, a lot better than Billy Martin. Steinbrenner ran the team in a fashion similar to Donald Trump. Steinbrenner got lucky that when he would be suspended true Yankee fans ran the team and built it for a dynasties, twice. Steinbrenner does not come across well in this book, nor should he. He ruined a good thing they had at that time.
Connelly's book is ok but I got tired quickly of him using the term 'ever.' The craziest week in their history ever, the weirdest games ever, the memorable moments ever. An editor should have dropped that word for him and it would have sounded more authoritative.
Overall a fun lite read and a must for either Mets fan or Yankees fan who lived through he era.
August 4, 2019
I listened to the audio version of this book. It was a very interesting listen that centered around the 1985 Yankees and Mets. I was only 8 when the 1985 season took place. I found it very interesting because outside of the Cardinals and Royals playing for the World Series and the Twins being not very good, I don’t remember much.
The 1985 Mets were the young and up coming team in New York that seemed to have clubhouse harmony. They were wild and full of drugs, but they were talented. Doc Gooden had a dazzling season where his era was sub-2.00 most of the year. Darryl Strawberry and Keith Hernandez led a talented offense. Davy Johnson was at the helm of a team that won 98 games.
The Yankees were the Corporate entity that were in upheaval. The 1985 season was round four in the George Steinbrenner/Billy Martin fight. I had always remembered the Yankees of the mid to late eighties as an also ran. I didn’t realize in 1985 they won 97 games taking the Eastern division race against the Blues Jays to the last weekend of the season.
The book bounced between the two teams pretty seamlessly, and I did not have a hard time following. I also liked how the author didn’t stray from the subject. Too often when someone does a book like this, these isn’t enough material to fill a full book. The author usually spends a third of the book talking about what else was going on in baseball. I appreciate the way the author was able to give us a sense of the season without taking away from the main characters. If you are a baseball fan, this is well worth the read.
The 1985 Mets were the young and up coming team in New York that seemed to have clubhouse harmony. They were wild and full of drugs, but they were talented. Doc Gooden had a dazzling season where his era was sub-2.00 most of the year. Darryl Strawberry and Keith Hernandez led a talented offense. Davy Johnson was at the helm of a team that won 98 games.
The Yankees were the Corporate entity that were in upheaval. The 1985 season was round four in the George Steinbrenner/Billy Martin fight. I had always remembered the Yankees of the mid to late eighties as an also ran. I didn’t realize in 1985 they won 97 games taking the Eastern division race against the Blues Jays to the last weekend of the season.
The book bounced between the two teams pretty seamlessly, and I did not have a hard time following. I also liked how the author didn’t stray from the subject. Too often when someone does a book like this, these isn’t enough material to fill a full book. The author usually spends a third of the book talking about what else was going on in baseball. I appreciate the way the author was able to give us a sense of the season without taking away from the main characters. If you are a baseball fan, this is well worth the read.
October 28, 2019
a delightful forensic re-examination of the 1985 baseball season and it effect upon the Yankees and Mets.
In 1985 for the first time ever since the Mets came into existence, both New York teams were in contention until the final weeks of the season, although both teams were headed in different directions; The Mets were coalescing into a World Series champion and a perennial contender into the early 90's and the Yankees, a team of older mismatched players heading towards the darkest years of the teams long and storied history. It would take a Gene Michael uninhibited by a banned Steinbrenner to bring the team back to prominence in the late 90's.
Donnelly does a marvelous job laying out the dramas of the season, The acquisition of Gary Carter to Keith Hernandez's involvement in his Coke dealer's trial and admitting his own addiction and finally the Brilliance of Doc Gooden's 1985 season, The firing of Yogi Berra and the chaos of Billy IV, and how suddenly it all clicked only to fizzle in late September.
A brilliant melange of behind the scenes action, on the field reportage and incisive analysis. A must for any NY Baseball fan.
In 1985 for the first time ever since the Mets came into existence, both New York teams were in contention until the final weeks of the season, although both teams were headed in different directions; The Mets were coalescing into a World Series champion and a perennial contender into the early 90's and the Yankees, a team of older mismatched players heading towards the darkest years of the teams long and storied history. It would take a Gene Michael uninhibited by a banned Steinbrenner to bring the team back to prominence in the late 90's.
Donnelly does a marvelous job laying out the dramas of the season, The acquisition of Gary Carter to Keith Hernandez's involvement in his Coke dealer's trial and admitting his own addiction and finally the Brilliance of Doc Gooden's 1985 season, The firing of Yogi Berra and the chaos of Billy IV, and how suddenly it all clicked only to fizzle in late September.
A brilliant melange of behind the scenes action, on the field reportage and incisive analysis. A must for any NY Baseball fan.
July 14, 2025
Focusing on the 1985 season for the two NY teams, the book misses an opportunity to widen the scope and show 1980s baseball in a broader, more colorful context.
The '84 Tigers, Mike Schmidt, George Brett (or anything to do with the Royals season and eventual World Series win)--all these facets and more are overlooked.
Unfortunately, the book takes its subject on the nose and, in doing so, comes off as a stereotypical New York centric account. And I say that as a Yankees fan.
Despite the author's paint-by-the numbers approach, the book's main takeaways will endure. Even though both teams didn't make it to the postseason, the foundations were laid, for better or worse.
The Mets became the well-oiled machine of prime Carter, Hernandez, Gooden, and Strawberry. Meanwhile, the Yankees suffered under George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin. The fight between Ed Whitson and Billy has to be the lowest point for the Yankees franchise and especially for the Martin period, perhaps only outdone by the attempted blackmail of Dave Winfield by Steinbrenner through a gambler later on. In any case, the Mets became New York's team that year and maybe for the rest of the decade.
The '84 Tigers, Mike Schmidt, George Brett (or anything to do with the Royals season and eventual World Series win)--all these facets and more are overlooked.
Unfortunately, the book takes its subject on the nose and, in doing so, comes off as a stereotypical New York centric account. And I say that as a Yankees fan.
Despite the author's paint-by-the numbers approach, the book's main takeaways will endure. Even though both teams didn't make it to the postseason, the foundations were laid, for better or worse.
The Mets became the well-oiled machine of prime Carter, Hernandez, Gooden, and Strawberry. Meanwhile, the Yankees suffered under George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin. The fight between Ed Whitson and Billy has to be the lowest point for the Yankees franchise and especially for the Martin period, perhaps only outdone by the attempted blackmail of Dave Winfield by Steinbrenner through a gambler later on. In any case, the Mets became New York's team that year and maybe for the rest of the decade.
April 21, 2024
3.5 stars
This is a very interesting and entertaining story of Mets and the Yankees in the early/mid 1980s, specifically the 1985 season. I thought the descriptions of the games dragged a bit. I'm less interested in that than I am the personalities of the players and the behind-the-scenes descriptions. However, the book contained plenty of those, so this is definitively worth the read.
"The Yankees were corporate. They were a daily soap opera with villains straight out of a black and white silent movie. Steinbrenner may has well had a handlebar mustache to twirl, as he tied Billy Martin up to the railroad tracks. Meanwhile, the Mets were winning AND they were fun. They were gritty. They did not take shit from opposing teams. They partied hard and they were cocky as the day "is long. In short, the Mets were New York City in the eighties and New Yorkers responded in kind."
This is a very interesting and entertaining story of Mets and the Yankees in the early/mid 1980s, specifically the 1985 season. I thought the descriptions of the games dragged a bit. I'm less interested in that than I am the personalities of the players and the behind-the-scenes descriptions. However, the book contained plenty of those, so this is definitively worth the read.
"The Yankees were corporate. They were a daily soap opera with villains straight out of a black and white silent movie. Steinbrenner may has well had a handlebar mustache to twirl, as he tied Billy Martin up to the railroad tracks. Meanwhile, the Mets were winning AND they were fun. They were gritty. They did not take shit from opposing teams. They partied hard and they were cocky as the day "is long. In short, the Mets were New York City in the eighties and New Yorkers responded in kind."
November 4, 2019
This was an enjoyable history of two teams that fall just below the historical radar, because they didn't make the postseason. But the 1985 Mets and Yankees couldn't have been more entertaining had they won the World Series, as the Mets would do the following year. The Mets were on their way up, with a combination of young stars and veterans with one big push left. The Yankees, well they were in their own Steinbrenner/Billy Martin soap opera. Donnelly tells the story well, bouncing back and forth between the teams and capturing the characters who made them memorable. The only big criticism I have is that there seemed to be little or no contemporary interviews-- it's one thing to read what a guy said in 1985 about something the week before, it's another to see what kind of perspective three decades provided. Still, a pleasant book and a fun read.
July 5, 2019
A fascinating look at what was an important but still overlooked season in baseball history. There were a few factual errors peppered here and there, but overall it was great to revisit a time that I was simultaneously alive and too young for, and how the few things I did know about that time in New York baseball history (the Rick Camp game, Joe Niekro and Tom Seaver's 300th wins) connected with the things I didn't (like how both the Yankees and Mets would have been locks for the playoffs in the current format). I felt kinda sorry for how Joe Cowley's teammates, higher-ups and even the narrator of the book dumped on him, as one of the first baseball cards I ever had was of him.
May 23, 2021
I eat this kind of books up and this one was right up my alley. That unbelievable’85 season with Henderson, Mattingly, Doc, Keith, Darryl, and so so many more between those two loaded teams. Great baseball races in all divisions. Just great baseball. A bit slanted towards the Mets. Kinda wish the author had given some more details on some of the more superlative players especially Henderson. Gotta say, George Steinbrenner is the Donald Trump of George Steinbrenners.
October 12, 2019
It’s the perfect time of year to read a baseball book. This book is a detailed look at the the mid to late 1980’s era of New York baseball teams. These guys are legends and I can certainly attest to the intensity and work ethic of Don Mattingly since he lives in my hometown of Evansville, Indiana.
July 12, 2019
Nostalgic read as the time and place covered was the height of my young baseball fandom. I'm not sure how much you'd get out of this if you don't remember NYC baseball in the mid-80s, but it's well worth the read if you do. It's also a good reminder of how toxic George Steinbrenner was.
August 25, 2020
The Billy Martin stories alone make this book a must-read. Talk about truth being stranger than fiction..wow! You don't have to be a Yankees or Mets fan to appreciate/enjoy this book, but it doesn't hurt. Great read.
October 30, 2024
Good summary of the 85 season for both teams. It was never boring. I feel like there were some new interviews done but it was very sparse so I’m not sure if the author did them or just found some articles from later.
March 7, 2023
Huge enjoyment from this year, great year to be 15 and loving baseball. So close but yet so far!!
October 25, 2025
Really fun insight on one the least talked about, but still winning seasons of baseball in NY
August 26, 2019
This book is a labor of love and it shows. Justaposing the Mets and Yankees at this particular point in time when they were trending in opposite directions is a wonderful idea and the story it tells is fun and interesting. While I did enjoy it, it wasn't quite as compelling an effort as similar books I've read.
October 9, 2023
Chris Donnelly provides a look at a strange period in New York basesball, the 1985 season. “Doc, Donnie, The Kid and Billy Brawl” is part Miracle Mets and part Bronx is Burning. What was interesting was how the two teams were conscious of each other, really only competing for newspaper words. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner remains the bizarre star of the story with inexplicable quotes and actions. A good, quick read.
June 2, 2023
An excellent history of the 1985 MLB season revolving around the 2 New York teams, the Yankees and Mets, and all the attendant drama and pennant race fever. Great read for baseball fans.
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