Reese Kaplan -- Mike Puma's If These Walls Could Talk Part 1 of 9

A great many readers reminisce about the time spent watching the Mets over the years, reveling in the good times, agonizing over the bad times and laughing at the incidents of mismanagement that land on the back pages of the tabloids as often as they do in the monologues of the late night TV talk show hosts.  While being a Mets fan is often an exercise in one’s intestinal fortitude, the fact is that it’s in our bloodstream and the bad times make the good ones that much sweeter to enjoy.  What we lack as fans is access to the key personnel responsible for the Mets experience -- the players, the manager, the front office folks, the trainers and the scouts.  

Here is where professional sportswriters have an edge and the distinguished Mike Puma who, for the past 14 years, has served as a key member of the New York Post team.  He recently published a book entitled, If These Walls Could Talk: New York Mets (Stories from the New York Mets Dugout, Locker Room, and Press Box).  Mike graciously provided me with time in late April to discuss his book and the Mets in general.  Over this series of nine columns I’ll look to share with you insights into Mike’s book and the color he provided during our interview.

When you open the book and begin reading the introduction, you’re immediately thrust into Hank Azaria's roller coaster ride of ups and downs that comes with being a Mets fan.  The “Brockmire” joke, “The Mets are the Yankees of not being the Yankees” really calls to mind what it’s like embracing this ballclub.  He recited what it was like growing up in the Steinbrenner heyday of the Reggie Jackson Yankees and how easy it was to root for the constant winners who would spend or do whatever it took to remain on top.

He then explained how he tried to embrace the years he spent from 1986 forward in Los Angeles attempting to bleed Dodger blue.  He praised their professionalism, the Vin Scully-led booth and the experience of staying competitive, but realized after the first pitch was thrown he really didn’t care about the outcome.  Again, that Mets DNA runs deep and it’s difficult to separate yourself from it no matter what toll it takes on your mind and your body.  

Azaria confessed that the only time he felt truly long maladjustment was the 2007 season when the team experienced an epic collapse when they lost a 7 game lead in the division with just 17 games left to play in the season.  Not only didn’t the Mets win the division, they didn’t even make it to the postseason.  That gut punch still resonates whenever fans think back on that ignominious debacle. 

 

Mike Puma made a special point to thank Hank Azaria for his foreword to the book both in his wrap-up section and during our phone conversation.  Mike said, “Mets fans suffer scar tissue, and rapid heartbeat.  They’re a beaten down bunch, optimistic about what’s coming up next regardless of what’s happened in the past.”

He continued, “Taking into account the passion of the fanbase, 35 years since the last World Series championship is an eternity, After Madoff and the Wilpons, the fans are ready for the next great moment.  I think Hank summed it up perfectly.  He gave great input to the book.”

Of course, there was a second forward section by none other than Keith Hernandez.  As everyone is well aware, Keith was a bit of a high profile and somewhat troubled character when he was obtained for Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey from the St. Louis Cardinals.  He quickly became part of the fabric of Mets fans’ identity.  If ever you want to start a major argument with brothers in arms, suggest politely that Carlos Delgado or John Olerud might have been the best Mets 1st baseman.  The emotional and vituperative rebuttal will be long and quite impassioned.  

Hernandez was quite effusive in his praise of Bobby Valentine, though he did offer up the opinion that the man was not as good bringing the club together in 2000, lacking cohesion was his analysis of it.  He felt Jeff Wilpon was highly overmatched for the job.  He was mostly charitable about Terry Collins’ stint in charge, but did hint about the change that was made being long overdue.  

Getting started with these two great sections really set the tone for the fly-on-the-wall perspective of the book that was to follow.  Chronologically it took the late 1990s up until the present with thoughts from all people involved in the outcomes during that period.  There are times when you read you find yourself smiling and other times feel your stomach acid churning, but hey, that’s what it’s like to be a Mets fans.

Over the next several columns I will try to traverse chapter by chapter to give you insight into the book, adding commentary from Mike Puma where appropriate.  It’s worth a read for the reminiscence and to congratulate yourself for having the wherewithal to stand the pain, too.