Bad Guys Won : A Season of Brawling, Boozing, Bimbo-Chasing, and Championship Baseball with Straw, Doc, Mookie, Nails, the Kid, and the Rest of the 1986 Mets, the Rowdiest Team to Ever Put on a New York Uniform--and Maybe the Best

By Jeff Pearlman

Book Overview

"Jeff Pearlman has captured the swagger of the '86 Mets. You don't have to be a Mets fan to enjoy this book--it's a great read for all baseball enthusiasts."--Philadelphia Daily News

Award-winning Sports Illustrated baseball writer Jeff Pearlman returns to an innocent time when a city worshipped a man named Mookie and the Yankees were the second-best team in New York.

It was 1986, and the New York Mets won 108 regular-season games and the World Series, capturing the hearts (and other assorted body parts) of fans everywhere. But their greatness on the field was nearly eclipsed by how bad they were off it. Led by the indomitable Keith Hernandez and the young dynamic duo of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry, along with the gallant Scum Bunch, the Amazin's left a wide trail of wreckage in their wake--hotel rooms, charter planes, a bar in Houston, and most famously Bill Buckner and the hated Boston Red Sox.

With an unforgettable cast of characters--including Doc, Straw, the Kid, Nails, Mex, and manager Davey Johnson--this "affectionate but critical look at this exciting season" (Publishers Weekly) celebrates the last of baseball's arrogant, insane, rock-and-roll-and-party-all-night teams, exploring what could have been, what should have been, and what never was.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060507322
• ISBN13: 9780060507329
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Thanks for the memories. . .

In his finest work since exposing John Rocker for the dope that he is, Jeff Pearlman helps baseball fans recall one of the most entertaining teams (both on and off the field) in baseball history. 1986 Mets were World Series Champions and partying champions. They were as much dirtbag as they were lovable and Pearlman does an excellent job of showing us both sides. Doc, Darryl, Keith and Gary "Ivory Soap" Carter all comeback to life in this absolutely entertaining stroll down memory lane. 5 Stars for Mets fans, 4 stars for baseball fans.

Thank you sir, may I have another?

Someone gave me this book at the same time as the Buster Olney "Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty" book. Olney's writing was better, and even though he was chronicling the downfall of the Yankees--which is always fun--I'm a Mets fan so my vote goes to the guy writing about the Mets winning a World Series, even if they were arrogant coked up jerks. Advantage: Pearlman.

A blast to read

If ever there was a team that embodied the crazy 80s this was them. The New York Mets were expected to do great things with their collection of stars and their 108 win regular season. However, the playoffs were far from easy for them, with some miracles (including a Boston meltdown) helping them along the way to their second World Series title in history. Most of this is well known by the casual baseball fan. What is less-known are the exploits of this group of meglomaniacal, immature misfits throughout the course of that crazy 1986 season. Pearlman's look back as a guy who has grown up now but was only a young kid at the time is truly fantastic. You'll read about Doc and Darryl's run-ins with drug accusations, entire team food fights on airplanes, who had the worst gas (Doug Sisk), and the circumstances of how four Mets found themselves arrested by overzealous cops in Texas. If you're a baseball fan, you'll enjoy this easy read. It's nonstop fun and never seems to have slow moments. An added bonus is that you need not be a Mets fan to enjoy this book -- it's a tale of adult immaturity and debauchery that anyone with a sense of humor and a love of baseball can (and will) enjoy.

Worth the price of admission

Even if you're not a Mets fan(which I am), this book takes you behind the scenes and then some. The team was a reflection of the times they lived in - the loud, wild, crazy "its all about me" time period. There's no denying, however, that they were one of the best teams ever. Pearlman places you along side of them and does a fantastic job (you may recall Pearlman was the Sports Illustrated Writer who did the article on John Rocker). The book focuses on the one year (1986)yet gives in-depth background where needed (e.g., Keith Hernandez' history with the Cardinals and his drug charges).Worth every cent. A must for any baseball fan.