Baseball Maverick: How Sandy Alderson Revolutionized Baseball and Revived the Mets

With Vietnam combat experience, a Harvard law degree, and time logged with the fabled 1980s Oakland A's in the "moneyball" era, Sandy Alderson became the GM of the limping New York Mets in 2010, with the blessing of Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig. Kettmann (One Day at Fenway) picks up the long journey of Alderson with cheerleading zeal, as the latter goes from being a Marines platoon commander in Vietnam to becoming an Ivy League mouthpiece representing a buyer for the Oakland Athletics. He then steps up as an executive for the same team, which competes in three straight World Series. The Mets, following back-to-back disappointing seasons and a lackluster former GM, welcomed Alderson with his solid baseball instincts; he stressed player development over good trades, and despite a limited budget, he featured top-ranked young talents such as Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom. Kettmann's solid profile of the Mets' Alderson, now piloting one of the brightest teams in major league baseball, provides worthwhile insider tidbits, along with a competent view of the front office and the intriguing complexities of sports politics. (Apr.)