It's the Brian Lair show on WNYC.

Welcome back, everybody.

I'm Matt Katz, keeping the seat warm for Brian today.

Now we continue our WNYC centennial series called 100 Years of 100 Things. We are up to Thing 7, 100 years of New York baseball.

So right now we're going to be talking about baseball history and how it intertwines with New York City history.

We're at one of those blissful moments right now in New York baseball where both clubs

are in playoff contention.

If the season ended today, the Mets and Yankees would actually both earn a wildcard

spot in the playoffs.

But that's just a snapshot in time.

Journalist and historian Kevin Baker's new book, The New York Game,

Baseball and the Rise of a New City, tells us about the pre-Mets, even pre-Yankees history of

baseball in the city. It also lays out the case that New York is the beating heart of baseball

where the game was not necessarily invented, but certainly refined and defined

and carved into America's pastime. Kevin, hi, thanks for coming on to talk about your book.

Thanks for having me, Matt.

Listeners, does your personal history with New York baseball go back maybe not 100 years but close, maybe just

a few decades. Give us a call to share stories about your family's baseball fandom and your

connections to the Mets, Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York baseball giants. Give us a call

to share your oral histories of New York baseball fandom.

212-433 W-N-YC, 212-433-9692.

You can also text your stories to the same number.

...