Can't Anybody Here Play This Game?

Journalist Jimmy Breslin documents the inaugural 1962 season of the New York Mets baseball team, who set a modern MLB record with 120 losses. The book captures the day-to-day struggles and mishaps of an expansion team trying to find its footing in the major leagues. The narrative follows legendary manager Casey Stengel, whose exasperated quote gives the book its title, as he attempts to lead a roster of castoffs and inexperienced players through their first season. Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Veeck provides the introduction, lending historical context to the Mets' challenging debut. The book presents both on-field events and behind-the-scenes moments from a team that became known for their losses yet maintained a special connection with New York fans. Breslin's reporting style captures the human side of professional baseball during a unique moment in the sport's history. The book explores themes of perseverance, the relationship between a city and its sports teams, and finding humor and dignity in failure. It stands as a chronicle of one of baseball's most memorable losing seasons while examining larger questions about competition and determination.

Readers appreciate Breslin's humorous take on the 1962 Mets' disastrous inaugural season, with many highlighting his sharp wit and memorable character portraits of players and management. The book's short length (around 150 pages) receives positive mentions. Likes: - Captures the charm of a terrible team - Brings Manager Casey Stengel's quotes and personality to life - Includes colorful anecdotes about players' mishaps Dislikes: - Some readers found it dated and lacking depth - Several note it feels more like collected newspaper columns than a cohesive book - A few mention wanting more game details and statistics Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (297 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (82 ratings) Notable reader comment: "Perfect snapshot of baseball history that makes you laugh while shaking your head in disbelief" - Goodreads reviewer A common sentiment among reviews: The book works better as light entertainment than serious sports history.

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🔸 The book's title comes from a famous quote by Casey Stengel, who in frustration asked "Can't anybody here play this game?" while managing the 1962 Mets to what remains the worst season in modern MLB history. 🔸 Author Jimmy Breslin was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for his unique "street-wise" writing style and would later become one of New York's most celebrated columnists. 🔸 The 1962 Mets' record of 40-120 (.250) remains the worst winning percentage for any MLB team since 1900, a dubious achievement that has stood for over six decades. 🔸 Bill Veeck, who wrote the book's introduction, was known as baseball's greatest promoter and once sent a 3-foot-7-inch player to bat as a publicity stunt while owning the St. Louis Browns. 🔸 Despite their historically awful performance, the 1962 Mets drew over 900,000 fans to the Polo Grounds, demonstrating the immediate connection between the team and New York's National League fans who had lost the Dodgers and Giants to California.