Turning Two: My Journey to the Top of the World and Back with the New York Mets

In this tepid memoir, Harrelson, who will forever be known in baseball history as the man Pete Rose barreled into during the 1973 National League Championship Series, igniting a brawl that whipped the crowd at Shea Stadium into a trash-throwing frenzy, retraces his baseball career and reminisces about his time with baseball legends such as Casey Stengel, Tom Seaver (his friend and longtime roommate), and Willie Mays. Despite his notoriety, Harrelson has enjoyed a nice career. As a scrappy, scrawny shortstop for the New York Mets, he made two All-Star teams and won a World Series in 1969. Harrelson grabbed another championship in 1986 as a Mets’ coach. He served as the team’s manager—a job he never wanted—for most of the 1990 and 1991 seasons. Now, he co-owns an independent baseball team, a job he says he loves. With assistance from veteran New York sportswriter Pepe, Harrelson recalls game action instead of offering a behind-the-scenes perspective, and his stories from the playing field are mostly flavorless. But Harrelson’s amiable appreciation for his life in baseball makes the book a safe bet for youngsters. 8-page color insert. (Apr.)