A highly entertaining look at New York baseball, both the Yankees and the Mets, in the late 1990s (1997 to 2000). Well-written with plenty of detail and insider stories about the players and the management of both teams.

Highly recommended for baseball fans. This is a must-read.

If you are an avid baseball fan, this is a MUST-READ!

Chris Donnelly's "Get Your Tokens Ready" covers the New York Mets and the New York Yankees separately from 1997 up until their Subway Series clash in 2000 with such insane detail that I felt like I was actually there instead of watching everything unfold from my couch. While I remember the big picture, delving into the nitty gritty of each team's moves, streaks, and more was great.

This is so well-executed, it's difficult to describe specific moments that spoke to me the most. The biggest thing is the details show that the right research was thoroughly done. Not only that, the combination of details and real feel brought this book to life and made me feel like I was right back in this late-90s time frame all over again.

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!

Get Your Tokens Ready is a richly detailed and engaging chronicle of New York City baseball at the turn of the millennium, culminating in the unforgettable 2000 Subway Series. Chris Donnelly masterfully explores the contrasting paths of the Mets and Yankees, weaving together pivotal games, player profiles, and cultural commentary to illuminate one of baseball’s most storied rivalries. With sharp insight and thorough research, Donnelly captures the emotion, history, and high stakes of a defining era in New York sports. A must-read for baseball fans and sports historians alike.

A nostalgic look back at a brief, highly entertaining slice of new york baseball. The book was laid out and told in a fascinating way that kept the material fresh - snippets of the first ever interleague matchup between the Mets and Yankees interspersed between the larger narrative of the 1997-2000 seasons covering each team culminating in the world series. I was only a youngster during the time period of this book but vividly remember much of the more media covered things - bobby valentine emerging in the dugout under disguise after an ejection, the yips of chuck knoblauch, rise of Piazza, tense battles between the Mets and my Atlanta Braves and of course the world series meeting of new york squads. I enjoyed having the author take a deeper dive into this brief but memorable era in baseball history. Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the advance copy.

The late 90s are my earliest memories of watching Major League Baseball. As a native New Yorker and life long Yankees fan, The subway series was a huge part of my formative years. “Get Your Tokens Ready” does a fantastic job of transporting you right back to the time period. The descriptions of the games and players are so detailed and informative that it brought me right back to those moments leading up to the infamous subway series. I thoroughly enjoyed this retrospective and I’d recommend to long time fans who want to relive history and new fans who are in for a treat. This book a must for lovers of history and baseball.