The Brian Lehrer Show A 'People's History' of the Mets
Mar 31, 2026
A.M. Gitlitz, an organizer and writer who explores counterculture and radical politics, discusses how the Mets’ story maps onto class and political struggle in New York. Topics include baseball’s ties to class, the 1962 Mets and Shea Stadium origins, Mets vs. Yankees as political symbols, 1960s New Left links, queer fandom and Pride Month, and recent clubhouse politics.
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Baseball Began As A Middle Class Political Theater
- Baseball emerged from New York middle-class culture and reflected their worldview as a mediator between elites and proletariat.
- A.M. Gitlitz ties this origin to C.L. James and shows professionalization after the Civil War made baseball a literal workplace struggle.
Mets Originated From A Civic Rescue Effort
- The 1962 Mets were born from New York's political crisis after the Giants and Dodgers left, prompting city leaders to restore National League baseball.
- Robert Moses, William Shea, Branch Rickey and others pushed for a municipal Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens.
Branch Rickey Framed Baseball As Progressive Diplomacy
- Branch Rickey envisioned baseball as progressive and international, using the Continental League idea to push diversity and global influence.
- Rickey wanted communal player development and Negro League-style theatrics to attract fans while the new Mets struggled on the field.
