1962 NEW YORK METS FIRST SEASON YEARBOOK Super Rare!

Description

The most collectible year for Mets annuals, and rightly so. This was the Mets' first season in the Major Leagues as one of the National League’s two first expansion teams. They played their first two seasons at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan (where the Giants played before they left for San Francisco), and relatively few people purchased their first official "year book."
The cover of the 1962 yearbook was designed by Willard Mullins, one of most famous cartoonist of his time. Mr. Mullins designed many yearbooks of both the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants along with providing his drawings for the New York Daily News. The cover of the yearbook features “baby met” wearing nothing but a diaper, cleats, and a Mets cap. It is said “baby met” is was a caricature of Mullins grandson Ted Rhodes. The back cover is adorned by Kathy Kersh, also known as Miss Rheingold. The Rheingold beer ad is one of only two advertisements in the entire yearbook ( along with a local hotel). A far cry from today’s phone book yearbooks which is mostly advertisements.
Manager Casey Stengel’s inaugural Mets included coaches Cookie Lavagetto, Rogers Hornsby, Solly Hemus, Red Kress, and Red Ruffing. Featured first-season players included Gil Hodges, Richie Ashburn, Frank Thomas, Gene Woodling, Roger Craig, Al Jackson, Marv Throneberry, Joe Christopher, Jay Hook, Charlie Neal, Elio Chacon, Chris Cannizzaro, Jim Hickman, Rod Kanehl, Felix Mantilla, Ken MacKenzie, Bob Miller, and many others.
There are several pages about Stengel and the history of both the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field, as well as the future home of the Mets, at this time tentatively called Flushing Meadows Stadium and touted as being ready for 1963. Under a different name, however, Shea Stadium would not be ready until 1964.
It also contains special pages featuring the Mets management and how the Mets were formed, given a franchise immediately following the close of the 1960 season. Also featured is a page on the new and now-legendary broadcasting trio of Lindsey Nelson, Ralph Kiner, and Bob Murphy.
This is the third issue with the  roster dated April 13, 1962, which is the date of the first ever Mets home game at the Polo Grounds.
If you’re a Mets collector always be on the lookout for these rare yearbooks. They’ll make a wonderful addition to any Orange and Blue collection.