METSTOCK: 3 Hours of Pizza and Baseball

It's 40 years since 1969. That's 40 years since the Mets beat the Orioles in the World Series, 40 years since hundreds of thousands tore themselves away from the Miracle in the making to beat a path to Woodstock for three days of peace and music.

Hence, you are all invited to METSTOCK, Thursday night, June 18 at 7:00 PM. While the Mets give the Orioles yet another rematch in Baltimore (will they ever learn?), we'll be hosting approximately three hours filled with pizza, baseball and three of the Metsiest books ever written.

The best part is you don't have to schlep all the way up to Yasgur's farm or, for that matter, down to Camden Yards. We're bringing the whole thing to the island where the Mets were born, beautiful Manhattan, specifically Two Boots Tavern on the Lower East Side.

Here's the deal: Skyhorse Publishing is presenting an evening of Mets reading, Mets talking and Mets signing — along with the Mets themselves, beamed up from Baltimore. We'll be eating baseball, drinking baseball, schmoozing baseball…plus pizza and beer will be available from an establishment noted for both. And of course we'll be watching baseball.

At the center of the action will be the Mets-Orioles game, but if you can stand to have the sound turned down for a spell, you'll be treated to live readings from the recently re-released classic tale of 1969 A Magic Summer by Stanley Cohen; the encyclopedic yet relentlessly wry Mets By The Numbers by co-author and MBTN site creator Jon Springer; and Faith and Fear in Flushing: An Intense Personal History of the New York Mets by yours truly.

Why Two Boots? The name has nothing to do with Daniel Murphy's defensive stats for any given game in left. You'll step inside and you'll understand immediately why this is the place when you take a gander at the huge Hubie Brooks poster on the wall. The tavern is decorated in early Payson and the pizza's suitably Amazin'. If you're reading this right now, chances are you'll feel quite at home.

We the writers go on at 7 and our official event runs 'til 9. Since the Mets game will be in an American League ballpark, it will presumably be in the fifth inning by then, so all are welcome to stick around and watch the Birds whimper back to their nest. And I think I speak for Stanley and Jon when I say nobody will be offended if somebody gets a little distracted by David, Carlos or any Met rediscovering his power stroke in the friendly OP@CY confines.

Skyhorse will have each of our books for sale if you don't have them already. We look forward to sharing our work with you, to meeting you and to cheering on the Mets with you. We really hope you can make it to METSTOCK, an event so cosmic it took 40 years to convene.

Peace…and Let's Go Mets.

Two Boots Tavern is at 384 Grand St., between Norfolk and Suffolk. You can take the F to Delancey; the J, M or Z to Essex; or the B or D to Grand. Phone: 212/228-8685.