#2 - Coming-Of-Age With the 1986 Mets

The 1986 Mets Rewatch Newsletter is the newsletter for Mets fans who doesn’t think there were enough books written about the 1986 Mets.

I have read almost all of the books about the 1986 Mets, which I suppose isn’t surprising given that I’m doing this project. One that I remember reading as a kid is Len Dykstra’s autobiography, Nails. This was not an appropriate book for a 12-year-old as the f-bombs were flying on every page. Dykstra didn’t hold back in his book or in his life (sigh).

A more appropriate choice for 12-year-old me would have been the new book, Yasha’s Amazin’ Bar Mitzvah, by fellow The College of New Jersey alumnus and children’s book author, Margaret Gurevich.

This book is set in 1986 and is about a boy named Yasha whose family just moved from a Russian-Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn to a suburb in New Jersey. It’s a bit of a culture shock and Yasha has struggles making friends and has challenges relating to his parents. He has to figure out what parts of his old life to keep and what parts he’s going to give up. He befriends an old man at a senior center that he’s volunteering at and the two bond over their love of the Mets.

The Mets are a major character and play a VERY significant role in this book (right down to a reference to a random game against the Padres in September). Not to spoil anything, but Yasha’s Bar Mitzvah is quite an eventful day.

The book reminded me of watching The Wonder Years and Brooklyn Bridge as a kid but it’s its own story. It’s a really good book for tweens and a really good book for their parents too. You don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate the story, though you’ll probably get more of the references if you are.

I interviewed Margaret over e-mail. We discussed why she wrote this book (among many others she’s written), what she remembers about the 1986 Mets, and whether as a mom she would have made an 11-year-old go to Hebrew School in the middle of Game 6 of the NLCS.

The interview and book are worth reading. Enjoy!

Why did you want to write a book that heavily incorporated the 1986 Mets? 

The memory of them winning the 1986 World Series and the hype around that period was always such a part of my childhood. Everyone around me was a Mets fan then, and I remember getting caught up in all of it—from which players we thought were the cutest to who made the headlines that week. So, even though they have not won a World Series since, that 10-year-old girl still believes they will.

Which came first - the Mets part or the coming-of-age part?

The Mets! The very first version of this story did not have the coming-of-age part. It was about a bully and baking. It was cute, but I think there’s a reason I shelved it. When I revisited it some years later, I thought about that ’86 feeling, the people, the emotions, and what I felt at the time. Then, it evolved from there.

How much of the book was from your real-life experience?

I was 10 in ’86, and Yasha is 13, but a lot of what he experiences, I did too. For example, we moved from Sheepshead Bay to the suburbs of NJ, and he moved from Brighton. He experienced more of a culture shock than I did, but the discrimination he faces and the struggles fitting in are very much what I faced through the years. The story about what his family experienced in Russia is my family’s story. Unlike me, he comes to terms with his differences far sooner than I did.

This book feels like it's written as much for parents as it is for their kids. Why will adults like this book too?

Thank you for this comment! I was really hoping this was the comment. I feel adults will be able to travel back to the nostalgia of the 80’s as well as the ’86 Mets. Also, this book tackles parent/child relationships and adults could relate to that. Finally, I think it’s something that parents and grandparents can share with their children or grandchildren by reminiscing and discussing their own experiences. 

What do you remember about the 1986 Mets? Is there a game or moment that you know where you were and what you were doing? Are you able to remember what you were doing when the ball went through Bill Buckner's legs?

I remember the players the most. My friends and I thought Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter were cute. We also were so impressed with Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry. We followed their plays and interviews. It was a different time so we could not follow anything in real time on the Internet. We cut out pictures from tabloids and newspapers when we could. As far as that pivotal moment, I was not allowed to stay up and watch it! My parents were strict with bedtimes and they were not into baseball to see the significance of that moment. A lot of the games, I watched as an adult. 

You referenced a lot of Russian/Jewish food throughout the book. Do you have any recommendations for that type of food that goes well with watching the Mets?

No one has asked me this before! I love this question. Hmm…In the book, Yasha brings his friends a dessert called zefir. They are a combination of marshmallow and meringue. They also have ones covered in chocolate which are similar to Mallomars. This latter type is the kind Yasha brings. I think this would be a good choice because on the outside, they are just chocolatey goodness, but then you bite into them, and -wow- there’s more!

The Mets (past and present) are also more than they appear on the outside. They have heart, grit, and spirit, and they should not be underestimated.

Who is your favorite Met of all-time?

I mentioned the players I liked from ’86 above. Favorite Mets of all time? I thought Piazza and Wright were great for their skills and leadership. Mookie Wilson always seemed like a stand-up guy, so I respected him a lot too. Currently, I love players with a great personality too, and Lindor always looks like he’s having a great time. He’s a terrific player too. Loved Jose Reyes for his ability to steal. This is clearly a difficult question for me!

Of course, you can’t have a Mets list without Tom Seaver. Amazing!

Why do you like baseball? 

I think it’s one of those sports that can bring so many types of people together. I love the seventh stretch traditions different teams have. I also think, for kids, baseball is accessible. Everyone can do T-ball. So, I feel it can get people of all ages connected.

What is the experience of watching baseball (and the Mets) like for you? 

Right now, it’s more impactful than it’s ever been because, in research for this book, I watched so many of the ’86 games over and over to get the details just right. Therefore, now, I feel more connected to it than before.

When you watch baseball, how do you watch it? (for example, I like to see what jerseys fans are wearing and compliment fans with unusual choices)

I haven’t been to a game in-person in a while. My husband is a Yankees fan. Lucky for me, he is a sports fan and supports my love of the Mets, but we haven’t gone to many games. This season that will change, though!

That said, when we have gone to games, the jersey thing is something I do too, but I won’t say anything to the wearer. I pay a lot of attention to who is wearing which player. That lets you know how long they have been a fan, too (editor’s note: Exactly!)

You're a teacher. If you were doing a lesson on the 1986 Mets, what would you teach and how would you teach it?

I have never been asked this! Well....since I teach Reading and Writing, I would incorporate that into the lesson. This would be a great jumping off point for a personal narrative writing unit. In a personal narrative, students pick one moment of their lives and explode it. The technique "Explode the Moment" was coined by educator Barry Lane. Students take a moment in time and slow it down, as if it were a movie in their mind.

What do they see, hear, feel, around them? Where does the camera lens go? To prepare, we would read an article about the pivotal 16-inning game (NLCS Game 6 Mets vs. Astros) or the high-profile Game 6 of the World Series. We would watch small clips too.

Then, students would discuss how either of these moments shaped the series. They write a short paragraph in groups imagining this moment slowed down. What did the players see, hear, touch, smell, taste? After this, they would write a journal about THEIR pivotal moment. This would then be expanded into a personal narrative.

You're also a mom. Let me give you a hypothetical that may or may not have happened. Your 11-year-old son (named Mark) is watching Game 6 of the 1986 NLCS vs the Astros. But in the middle of the game, it's time for him to go to Hebrew School. He calls you and says he doesn't want to go. Do you make him go to Hebrew School or let him stay home and watch the game?

I don't know what I would be like as a mom in the 1980s. Current me, though, would let my son miss Hebrew school. It's one day, right? (editor’s note: EXACTLY!)

I will say I don't think my parents would have let me miss Hebrew school to watch a game, but we Gen Xers are a different breed. :-)

One thing, in your mom's defense...the game started at 3:05 and ended at 7:47. Hebrew school was 4 to 6 (at least in my town). Wouldn't you have been able to catch the last hour plus? That was an important hour! (fair! But I’m still mad I had to go to Hebrew School.)

* You can find a lot of articles on the internet that say the Mets are the perfect Jewish fans baseball team. What do you think of that?

I was just talking to someone about this. I think it’s because so many Jewish holidays celebrate perseverance. You knocked them down, but they got up and kept going. That applies to the Mets too. They don’t give up.

 * One of the running things in this newsletter is that each edition I'm going to say "The 1986 Mets Rewatch Newsletter is a newsletter for Mets fans who ..." - so let's play that out for your book "Yasha's Amazin' Bar Mitzvah is a book for Mets fans who __________"(fill in the blank)

….want to recapture that winning feeling with their friends and families, love cheering for the underdog, and who agree that believing in themselves is the key to coming out on top.

/

Elsewhere

Next week, we’ll relive the 1986 Opening Day broadcast in which the question was asked “Why do parrots need parachutes?”

You can contact me on Bluesky or via e-mail ([email protected]). You can find my other newsletter, which summarizes interviews I do with journalists, here.