"THE GREATEST COMEBACK IN WORLD SERIES HISTORY": FIRST EDITION OF MOOKIE, INSCRIBED BY MOOKIE WILSON

WILSON, Mookie. Mookie. Life, Baseball, and the '86 Mets. New York: Berkley, (2014). Octavo, original blue paper boards, original dust jacket. $125.

First edition of Mookie Wilson's often-moving chronicle of his "Life, Baseball, and the '86 Mets," featuring a dramatic play-by-play of his at-bat in Game Six that saw his "slow roller to first" skip through Bill Buckner's legs, leading to the Mets victory in the '86 World Series, inscribed on the title title page by him, To D— Mookie Wilson."

In his foreword to Mookie, Keith Hernandez hails his teammate as "Mets royalty." In the decade Wilson spent with the Mets he broke records as a leader in stolen bases and triples, a switch-hitter outfielder who more than once earned the nickname, "Mookie of the Year." But, for many, he is best remembered as the man who went up to bat in Game Six of the '86 World Series with the Red Sox only one pitch away from victory. Wilson recalls how "Shea Stadium was rocking." He looked "across the field to the Red Sox dugout. Their guys were standing along the top step… in position to storm the field… that sight bothered me because it was our field… now, at this horrible moment, the other team was ready to celebrate their first championship in 68 years" (emphasis in orignal). Facing his tenth pitch in what many have declared "a "game within a game," Wilson hit a rolling ground ball down the line. Racing toward first he saw the ball slip through the legs of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner—leading to "the greatest comeback in World Series history." As Wilson headed to the dugout, he remembers thinking, "What just happened?" First edition, first printing. Co-authored with journalist Erik Sherman; foreword by Keith Hernandez. Featuring eight pages of photographic illustrations.

A fine copy.