In the more than sixty-year history of the New York Mets, fans have been treated to countless firsts: the first Met pitcher to record a win at Shea Stadium (Al Jackson), the first Met to hit a homer at Citi Field (David Wright), the first Cy Young Award winner for the Mets (Tom Seaver), the first Met to pitch a no-hitter (Johan Santana), and the first to appear in an All-Star Game in a Mets uniform (Richie Ashburn). The list goes on.

In New York Mets Firsts, Brett Topel presents the stories behind the firsts in Mets history in question-and-answer format. More than a mere trivia book, Topel’s collection includes substantive answers to the question of “Who was the first...?” on a variety of topics, many of which will surprise even seasoned fans of the Amazin’s.

Brett Topel is the author of four books on the New York Mets: So You Think You’re a New York Mets Fan?: Stars, Stats, Records, and Memories for True Diehards, When Shea Was Home: The Story of the 1975 Mets, Yankees, Giants, and Jets, Miracle Moments in New York Mets History, and Mount Rushmore of the New York Mets. Topel is the director of communications and marketing at Brooklyn Friends School and the host of the BT Talks Baseball podcast.