This week Kavitha interviews journalist and author A.M. Gittlitz about his new book Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People’s Team. Kavitha and Gittlitz unpack the long history behind the New York Mets, from their 19th-century roots tied to political machines like Tammany Hall to their modern identity as an underdog franchise in a city dominated by the New York Yankees. The conversation explores how baseball itself was shaped by class dynamics, how the sport evolved from player-run chaos into an owner-controlled business, and why the Mets have come to be seen as a “people’s team.”

They also dig into what makes Mets fandom distinct. The idea is that the team isn’t cursed, but instead represents something more chaotic and, at times, more meaningful than winning. From the mythology of the 1969 black cat to Dom Smith’s 2020 walkout, Gittlitz argues that the most important moments in Mets history aren’t always championships. They are the ones where baseball intersects with politics, culture, and identity. The result is a conversation that goes beyond the Mets vs. Yankees rivalry and asks a bigger question: what does it actually mean to root for a team, and what are fans really investing in when they do?

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Fact Checking and Research: Paroma Chakravarty I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Sportly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

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