We've reached the end of 2019, and the end of the decade. In true Pascullian fashion (my last name is Pascullo), I want to let you know the decade's final home run was also the one that put the eventual-world champion Washington Nationals ahead for good, the decade's final lead change in the decade's final ballgame.

If you've read my posts over the past half-decade, you know how much fun I find the game of baseball. Not only do I enjoy playing and watching it, but I believe picking up a baseball book provides no better way to gain knowledge and awareness about the rich history of this sport. To close out the year, I'm looking back at some of the best baseball books of 2019—and there were a bunch of good ones. Let's dive right in!

The Miracle Mets

One of the most—if not the most—noteworthy commemoration on the 2019 baseball calendar was the 50th anniversary of the New York Mets' 1969 World Series victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles. With the Mets overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds, with an out-of-nowhere National League East Division win from a roster full of offbeat players, the story of the '69 Miracle Mets is unquestionably one of sports' all-time greatest. Naturally, the bulk of New York Mets literature released in 2019 centered on this timeless ballclub.

Here are a few books about those Mets, including a pair written by former members of that championship-winning team:

After the Miracle: The Lasting Brotherhood of the '69 Mets by Art Shamsky, Erik Sherman

Here's the Catch: A Memoir of the Miracle Mets and More by Ron Swoboda

They Said It Couldn't Be Done: The '69 Mets, New York City, and the Most Astounding Season in Baseball History by Wayne Coffey

Jackie Robinson's Centennial Year

Fifty years before the Miracle Mets stunned everyone, Jackie Robinson entered the world. Born in 1919 in Cairo, Georgia, Robinson made perhaps the most important contribution to the history of the sport as the major leagues' first black player. Although the Hall-of-Famer died of a heart attack at the age of 53 in 1972, the sport made sure, 47 years later, that Robinson's legacy is never forgotten. One hundred years after his birth, Jackie Robinson still inspires many, including authors. Here are a pair of books about the only man whose number shall never be worn again across the entire league:

Reclaiming 42: Public Memory and the Reframing of Jackie Robinson’s Radical Legacy by David Naze

A Fine Team Man: Jackie Robinson and the Lives He Touched by Joe Cox

The Wacky 1980s and 1990s

In a song on Charli XCX's new album Charli, she pines for how "[she] just want[s] to go back, back to 1999." We can't do that, but we can always pop open a book and read about those years gone by. We've already gone back in time with a few of the books listed above; additional books released in 2019 brought us back to the New York baseball scene of the 1980s and 1990s . Two of the books ask the ever-popular "What could have been?" question, while the third talks about the similarly popular 1990s Yankee dynasty. Dig in:

Almost Yankees: The Summer of '81 and the Greatest Baseball Team You've Never Heard Of by J. David Herman

Doc, Donnie, the Kid, and Billy Brawl: How the 1985 Mets and Yankees Fought for New York’s Baseball Soul by Chris Donnelly

Chumps to Champs: How the Worst Teams in Yankees History Led to the 90's Dynasty by Bill Pennington

New York Ballplayer Biographies

If you're a fan of both biographies and one of the local nine, you're in luck! This year saw a handful of former ballplayers who made their name here in New York offer books sharing their life stories about their time in the game (including 1979 World Champion Dale Berra penning about his father Yogi). Whether you're a Mets fan or Yankees fan, there's something here for you to enjoy:

108 Stitches: Loose Threads, Ripping Yarns, and the Darndest Characters from My Time in the Game by Ron Darling

Full Count: The Education of a Pitcher by David Cone

My Dad, Yogi: A Memoir of Family and Baseball by Dale Berra

Superstars From Out of Town

This year also saw biographies from a wide variety of ballplayers who didn't primarily play in New York. Without question, 2019 was a good year for baseball bios: among the releases is one from a newly-minted Hall of Famer and two about late Hall-of-Famer Ernie Banks (with almost the same title, how about that?!) Whether you root for a New York team or have an allegiance elsewhere, there may be something on your Christmas list right here: 

Let's Play Two: The Legend of Mr. Cub, The Life of Ernie Banks by Ron Rapoport

Let's Play Two: The Life and Times of Ernie Banks by Doug Wilson

Edgar: An Autobiography by Edgar Martinez

Just Show Up: And Other Enduring Values from Baseball's Iron Man by Cal Ripken, Jr.

Curveball: How I Discovered True Fulfillment After Chasing Fortune and Fame by Barry Zito

Play Hungry: The Making of a Baseball Player by Pete Rose

Rocky Colavito: Cleveland's Iconic Slugger by Mark Sommer

The Bronx Bombers

What would New York's baseball story be without accounts from the New York Yankees' legendary history. Each year, new books hit shelves recounting some chapter in Yankee lore, and 2019 was no different. Whether the tales are from past Yankee clubs or recent teams, one of these books is likely to quench your baseball thirst this winter as the long, cold wait to spring training slowly withers away:

Mantle: The Best There Ever Was by Tony Castro

Inside the Empire: The True Power Behind the New York Yankees by Bob Klapisch

Mission 27: A New Boss, A New Ballpark, and One Last Ring for the Yankees' Core Four by Mark Feinsand and Bryan Hoch

The New York Yankees of the 1950s: Mantle, Stengel, Berra, and a Decade of Dominance by David Fischer

Red Sox vs. Yankees: Hometown Experts Analyze, Debate, and Illuminate Baseball's Ultimate Rivalry by Bill Nowlin, David Fischer

Roy Hobbs once said, "God, I love baseball." Well, I know how you feel Roy. Have a happy New Year, everybody!
 

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