I know you already love the Amazin' Avenue Annual, and while the print version should be available later this week, the Maple Street Press Mets Annual has been available since early this month and it's 128 pages of full-color Metsity goodness. Greg Spira, one of the MSP's editors (and someone who was supremely helpful in explaining to me the ins and outs of photo usage, among other things, for the AAA), sent me a copy to peruse and there's a lot to like in here.
Casual Mets fans will find plenty of fresh perspectives and engaging commentary, and while its scope of coverage may not thoroughly intersect with what we regularly do here, there's still enough for even the most ardent AA-er. Here are five (of many) things you're likely to dig.
- "World Wide Mets" by Jason Fry of Faith and Fear in Flushing (and contributor to the AAA) picks the brains of twelve Mets bloggers, including yours truly, about the roots of their fandom, their approach to writing, and what, if anything, distinguishes their blog from the pack. My insatiable ego never tires of seeing my name in print, and while I like to think that Amazin' Avenue gets top billing in Jason's article because it's the best Mets blog out there, propitious alphabetical arrangement may have also had something to do with it.
- "Around The League" by Ted Berg of TedQuarters (and contributor to the AAA) weighs the likelihoods of contention for each National League team. Worth reading as a reminder of what everyone else has been up to this offseason, but also because Ted will break things if you don't.
- A whole bunch of good stuff on the Mets minors by Toby Hyde of Mets Minor League Blog (and contributor to the AAA). Top ten hitting and pitching prospect lists get things rolling, followed by a recap of the 2009 draft (i.e. a Steven Matz writeup), and capped off by an interview with Adam Wogan, director of the Mets minor leagues.
- "While Waiting 'Til Next Year" by Howard Megdal of this site (and, yes, contributor to the AAA) takes a unique look at the ten best minor league teams in Mets history.
- "Almost Famous" by Greg Prince, also of Faith and Fear in Flushing (and contributor to something something something), remembers the 2000 Mets, who were a Timo Perez baserunning brain fart and Armando Benitez meltdown from perhaps writing a different story of that year's World Series.
There's also a look back at the Mets' last 20-game winner (hint: it was Frank Viola in 1990), this sweet-ass graphic of the 2009 season by Sean Engelhardt, and lots of other goodies. You can order the Maple Street Press Mets Annual for $12.99 at the Maple Street Press website, or at local newsstands and booksellers.